Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m 39, married and have two amazing little daughters. I’ve always enjoyed reading and science fiction in particular has forever been a favorite of mine. In the fall of 2015 I was on a walk with the older of the two girls when an idea hit me like a bolt of lightening. I raced home and we jumped in the car and drove to the nearest store where I could buy a small notebook. For the next few weeks I could not stop jotting little notes into it. I was even waking up in the middle of the night with things I had to add. After that I didn’t know what to do so I just started writing. I fell madly in love with it and know that I will never stop.
I have written and published three books now. All three are in a series titled: Star Marshals. It is the series from the initial bolt of lightening that struck on that walk nearly three years ago now.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest book is titled:
Star Marshals: Retribution
It is the third and final (I think) book in the Star Marshals series.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I hand write full manuscripts first and then type them out. Not sure that is technically “unusual” but from what I have found reading advice from other authors it does seem at least slightly uncommon.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’d prefer to list a personal top 5 favorite authors list so, in no particular order:
Ray Bradbury
Philip K Dick
J.K. Rowling
Isaac Asimov
Douglas Adams
What are you working on now?
I have kept an idea journal from the moment I realized this new hobby of mine would be a lifelong one. Now that I have completed the Star Marshals series I am finally digging into that idea journal. The first thing I have started is a short story collection and it has been a very fun change from writing a three novel series.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Up to this point I have been nearly entirely focused on writing the three Star Marshals books and getting them published. I am just now finally dabbling in promoting them. The first attempt I made at it was last winter doing the free kindle promotion with the first book in the series and I did an announcement on Awesome Gang to go with it. I was extremely pleased with the exposure it generated as an initial little test run. I am running a free kindle promo again for the first book from 7/20/18 through 7/24/18. I will be adding some more announcement sites to go with it this time and hope for similar success.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Have fun with it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Can I do two quotes? Doing it. They’re both by Ray Bradbury:
“Your intuition knows what to write, so get out of the way.”
“You fail only if you stop writing.”
What are you reading now?
A couple weeks ago I read:
Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
Absolutely fantastic book. Still deciding what to read next but good chance I just buy the rest of that trilogy.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am currently working on a short story collection but may start another novel to work on concurrently with the short stories.
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?
This is a brutally hard list to make. Does anyone actually stop at 3? I’m going to go with:
Fahrenheit 451
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince(since picking the whole series would be cheating)
Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Author Websites and Profiles
Dave Lemel Amazon Profile
Dave Lemel’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile