Interview With Author David Fitz-Gerald
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a weekend warrior, inhabiting western landscapes from Friday evenings through Monday mornings. So far, I’ve written seventeen books. It all traces back to my first decade, working on my grandfather’s dude ranch in the Adirondacks. I like to joke that I was a top hand before I was ten, but I was probably more of a thorn in the side of the real wranglers.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Rathuun: King of the Prairie. Like most stories, it started as an outlandish thought. I tried to talk myself out of it and failed. The idea was just too exciting to pass up. As I was finishing Devil Buffalo, the third and final book in my Seph Vermillion Western Adventure series, it snapped into my brain to write a story from that same “devil” buffalo’s point of view. I’ve also thought about writing a western horror story about the day the buffalo trampled the (fictional) town of Sanctuary, Nebraska. So far, I’ve resisted the temptation to do that… but you never know. It could happen. On a dark and stormy night.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Unless strong coffee, old Creedence, and marathon writing sessions are unusual, I’ll have to say no. I’m not speedy, but I keep going like the bunny in the old battery advertisements until there’s nothing left in the tank, especially when a whiff of inspiration blows through. And I keep writing until my characters begin to slur their words.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I want to write books with memorable characters, like Larry McMurtry; worthy protagonists like John Deacon; exciting plots like Ron Schwab; and wholesome themes like the books I grew up reading. My literary giants include Louis L’Amour, Mary O’Hara, E.B. White, Anna Lee Waldo, Jean Auel, James Michener, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Laura Ingalls Wilder.
What are you working on now?
I’m two books and a novella into a new series featuring a young man who has a heart for adventuring and a soul for putting down roots. It’s hard to be a family man when you make your living guiding folks up one dangerous trail after another. A growing sense of faith, loyal brothers of the trail, and the right woman are the foundations in this 1850s project. This series, The Frontier Adventures of Alvah Nye, is my top priority in 2026.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Number one is my website, itsoag.com, and after that my email list hosted by MailerLite. I try to send an update every week. I do my best to keep up with my Facebook page. I’ve kind of given up on the rest of those social media platforms. I also have a Linktree https://linktr.ee/authordavidfitzgerald where readers can find everything in one place. Another platform I maintain is BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/david-fitz-gerald.
I love being able to share my ebooks on Kindle Unlimited, where members can read them as part of their subscription.
And I always make Awesome Gang a big part of my marketing efforts.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t be afraid if the buffalo chips pile up around you. Just git. Worry about the fancifications later. Finish that first draft like you’re being chased by a swarm of killer bees.
Later, when it comes to editing, keep the gristle. Cut the fat. Easy to say, but impossible to perfect.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
You can be anything you want to. It isn’t true. Unless you are an author. Then, you can be whatever you want, even if it is a thousand pound buffalo bull who lived in the 1800s.
What are you reading now?
I’m in between books at the moment. I just re-read Dark Canyon by Louis L’Amour, and I’m headed back into Sacred Ground by D.A. Galloway, Book 4 in The Vanishing Frontier series.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Audiobooks! My series, Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail has been in production forever. It’s a long series, and it’s being recorded in multicast, with all the sounds, music, and voices a series like that needs.
Then, back to writing. I’ve returned to the 1850s to write a series called The Frontier Adventures of Alvah Nye. Alvah is a character from Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail. I’m just getting ready to start book three. After I finish writing Alvah’s series, I’ll release them quickly.
After that, I’ve got some ideas, but who knows? I’ve got a couple of eccentric characters in my head who might entice me to tell their stories next… Waxy Woodruff? Tumbleweed Tillie?
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?
How to Survive on a Deserted Island, Volumes I, II, and III, LOL. That answer won’t do. Let’s pack Lonesome Dove, Centennial, The Hobbit, and the Bible.
Author Websites and Profiles
David Fitz-Gerald Amazon Profile
David Fitz-Gerald’s Social Media Links
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