Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I love storytelling. I am an average guy, but creating things is my passion, and not just creating in the form of writing. I love to cook too. I make a great enchilada and I do okay with cookies. Peanut butter, chocolate chip and oatmeal are my favorite types of cookies to bake. I would also say that I am a quiet guy from Los Angeles. I keep a small circle of friends, mainly my family. I enjoy quiet time alone, but I love to be around crowds when something big is happening. I love to see crowd reaction. I don’t know why, but I do. I like to see people cheer or let their natural disappointment show in response to an event; whether it’s a movie, a sporting event or a street show.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I’ve been asked many times how I came up with the concept for Mind Over Bullies. Well, I am a big fan of superhero type stories, especially movies. But of course, the bullying epidemic is real and in a horrifying way. For example, when doing research for the book I came across a story in the news about a young girl that jumped in front of a subway train after weeks of bullying. As I investigated further, I was shocked at the number of similar stories I encountered. Bullycide, the news was calling it. I thought, wow, what if these young people had been shown that the pain of bullying can be handled without hurting themselves or someone else.
So, the challenge became how to take such a terrible, real life experience like bullying, and merge it with my superhero gene. I wanted to make a story that was not only realistic so that victims of bullying could identify with it, but also one that had the superhero element that would make people stand up and cheer. Seeing people rave about a movie after it’s over and even having intense feelings about a well-developed movie myself has always left me with a desire to tell stories and take people on mental journeys. I knew I would never have a career in film, so writing was the next best thing for me, and I went about writing Mind Over Bullies like a director creating a film. I wanted to create highs and lows to take the readers through a range of emotions. I crafted some portions to help readers feel for the characters and other scenes that create the moment of triumph for the underdog, the kind of scene that makes a movie audience applaud.
I wanted to have a multi-racial cast of characters with a wide variety of personalities in the hope that readers would connect with one of them. It was important to me that the main character be a strong teen female, being that teen girls make up the largest population of bullying victims per most reports. My goal was to let young women, and young men, see a teen battle bullying head-on and gain strength in the process as opposed to the more prevalent alternatives of victims hurting themselves or others.
I recognize that the characters and situations in the book may not represent every bullying situation and that realistically the book won’t change the world, but I do sincerely hope that it sends a subtle message about there being life after bullying.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Nothing really weird. I just write.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Honestly. I am influenced by real life. There are so many things tat happen each day that make grea stories, and I love encountering them.
What are you working on now?
Actually I have three projects in the works. The next book will release in December of this year or early in January 2016. It’s a reality sci-fi thriller. Think Inception mixed with Back to the future. It’s called “Actuality.”
Then there is a spy novel that will probably release late next year. And of course, the Mind Over Bullies sequel is in the works.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Grassroots. With bloggers. Bloggers are on the level with the people.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write often. Practice telling stories. Be realistic, but don’t limit your creativity. Don’t write what you think people want to read, write what touches you, and more than likely you will touch someone else.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never stay still. Always be in the prcess of making your next move.
What are you reading now?
At the moment i’m doing more writing than reading.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am really excited about the spy novel that I mentioend earlier. I want to see just how creative it can get and then I want to see how the public takes it.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Wow….I don;t know that I could answer that. If I were stranded, I would probably be trying to build a raft. LOL.