Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I wrote my first book when I was 17. I enjoyed it so much that I wrote another book about a year later. Over the following years, I wrote three more books and started two. But, through it all, I hadn’t quite found my voice as an author. It wasn’t until my latest book, “The Man of Nightstone” that I felt like I actually got it right. I finally feel like I know what I’m doing when writing a book.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“The Man of Nightstone” was mostly inspired by my love of martial arts. Studying kung-fu has sent me on several journeys and adventures and taught me a great deal about fighting, people, life, and myself. I’ve used this book to combine my love my kung-fu with my love of writing into a story and a cast of characters that I had a lot of fun writing.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When I wrote my first book, years ago, I was confined to the desktop computer in my home. Now, with a laptop, I feel like I can write anywhere. I’ve written in various public places. So an unusual habit would be that I’m always looking for another change of scenery. Also, I’m always listening to music while I write. I’ve had that habit for as long as I’ve been writing.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jim Butcher’s “Dresden Files” have had the greatest influence on my writing. In second place would the epic novel “Musashi” by Eiji Yoshikawa. But almost everything I read has some influence or effect on me. So I must also include Patrick Rothfuss, William Gibson, Albert Camus, Bill Watterson, George Carlin, and last but not least Kahlil Gibran.
What are you working on now?
A series of short stories about a character named Doctor Madangel. He lives in the world of “The Man of Nightstone” but does not appear in the book. And I am also working on the next book in the Nightstone Saga, which I’m planning on being an eight book series.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Right now, I’m trying everything that I can try. I still feel kind of new to this game, so I can’t say for sure which is the best.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Keep working on your craft. Keep studying your craft. Don’t be afraid to have your work nit-picked for every single little thing that might be wrong with it. Keep asking yourself “How is my work different?” and “How am I going to stand out?” That’s my way of saying, “keep writing.”
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“When in doubt, err on the side of doing something.” A great bit of advice from my Sifu.
What are you reading now?
Some of the original Conan short stories by Robert E. Howard.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I plan on writing for as long as I’m alive. So what’s next for me is always the same: more writing. If I love the characters I’m writing, I’m going to keep writing them. But my mind is always open for some new ones to come along and surprise me.
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?
Well, I’d probably pass the time doing lots of kung-fu. So, I’d want some of my favorite books on the subject of martial arts. “Ving Tsun Kuen Kuit” by Moy Yat & C.N. Kwong, “The Art of War” by Sun-Tzu, and “The Book of Five Rings” by Miyamoto Musashi.
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Devon Drake Website
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