Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was raised on a farm in Kentucky and took piano lessons for over ten years. I received my Bachelors Degree in English at the University of Louisville, and I currently write music and books with my wife Sarah Rose. I have published several short stories and a feature length novel on Amazon, including the paranormal fantasy Nero Demare series.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
A lot of video games and movies inspired the tone of my paranormal fantasy Nero Demare and the Legend of the Vampires. After playing through a few Castlevania installments on my Nintendo consoles, I began developing the outline and premise to the novel; then I started binge watching the Blade trilogy, the Underworld anthology, and Interview with the Vampire — all of which helped me finish my own interpretation of the vampire mythology.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I usually listen to a YouTube playlist of dark themed music from films, e.g. Jaws, Terminator, and video games, e.g. Zelda, Metroid . . .
. . . and coffee. I drink a LOT of coffee.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
My favorite author is Charles Dickens, and I absolutely loved A Tale of Two Cities.
J.R.R. Tolkien comes in second place with the Hobbit stories, my favorite of which is The Silmarillion, which provides a detailed background and cosmogony that helps better contextualize the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
George R. R. Martin is my third favorite with his critically acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire; his writing keeps me hooked even when I am simply reading about a bunch of fat, drunken kings arguing in the feasting hall of some castle.
However, nobody and nothing has inspired me more than George Lucas and his masterpiece the Star Wars saga(s) . . . and yes, I loved the Prequels, esp. Revenge of the Sith.
What are you working on now?
I am working on parts II and III to finish the Nero Demare series. The first book remains open-ended in the same way that the original Matrix and Pirates of the Caribbean films were. The films draw you into a new world to experience, and then the second installment compels you to stay for the grand finale in the third installment.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My main website and blog post is www.legendofthevampires.com.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read a lot of books. Watch a lot of movies. Drink a lot of coffee.
And never, ever quit.
And hiring a sales and marketing director helps, too, if you prefer to delegate responsibilities so you can focus on cranking out more books.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Steve Jobs: Do what you love.
He was like a god among men. I respected him so much. His passion was contagious, and I think I finally caught it.
Thank you, YouTube binge watching.
What are you reading now?
I am always juggling two or three books at a time. Right now, I am reading Dave Ramsey’s The Total Money Makeover (since my wife thinks we need to actually prepare for our children’s financial future, not just our own) and A Clash of Kings, the second installment to Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire (otherwise known as Game of Thrones on HBO) . . . Also, I am perusing through the Book of Proverbs. Regardless of religious affiliation, King Solomon encompassed a vast amount of wisdom applicable for all peoples of all kinds, and I always learn something when I reread Proverbs.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I do not like to limit myself, even as just a writer; eventually, I want to produce film adaptations, even just indy films, of my books, which I then want to develop into some mobile games. My best friend Brendon and I both dreamed of putting an animated series and a comic series together when we were just kids, and we both think that my vampire stories will be perfect, esp. with our preference to anime style.
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?
Honestly? The Bible. Too many great stories with a lot of valuable wisdom, e.g. Proverbs.
The Lord of the Rings (or if that counts as three books, then just The Silmarillion)
A Tale of Two Cities
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