Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was the world’s top-ranked player of classic roleplaying game tournaments for about fifteen years, then turned to writing, first for games, then for tie-in stories, short fiction, and eventually novels, screenplays and more. I’ve written five books (Forced Conversion, GREENSWORD, Net Impact, Frame Shop, and (with Jean Rabe) The Love-Haight Case Files. I’ve also written more than fifty shorter works in the thriller, science fiction, horror, fantasy, mystery, steampunk, romance, comedy, and memoir genres. I’m a full member of International Thriller Writers, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Horror Writers Association, and International Association of Media Tie-In Writers.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My two latest books aren’t out. (I ghostwrote one and the sequel to my spy thriller, Net Impact, has not yet been released.) The last book I had published was The Love-Haight Case Files, which I wrote with my good friend, Jean Rabe. The notion here was that readers would enjoy a series of cases handled by a couple of young lawyers who represent the rights of supernatural creatures in a magic-filled San Francisco. On the supernatural front, I also recently edited an anthology of ghost stories, Familiar Spirits.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m not an outliner. The fun part of writing is discovering how to keep the reader moving along the story arc with a cliffhanger, interesting dialogue, action, or a bit of comic relief. If I were to plan all of those details out in advance, the writing, itself, would be a bit of a slog. I also don’t write every day, but when I do write, I write fairly quickly and in somewhat large chunks.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m a fan of Robert J. Sawyer, as well as Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, and Steven Barnes (in any combination) I’ve written a lot of time travel stories and game adventures and I think Ken Grimwood’s Replay is my favorite time travel book.
What are you working on now?
Just finished up Wet Work, the sequel to my spy novel, Net Impact. Dick Thornby has to deal with the aftermath of his last mission both at work and with his fractured family, plus he needs to break in a new partner, a young woman from the Prague field office of The Subsidiary. In the end, he can save his family, save his job, or save the world, but he can’t do it all.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Amazon is the behemoth is sales, so you need to make sure your Amazon pages are complete, compelling, and linked well to all of your other work.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Short stories aren’t the stepping stone to publishing a novel that they once were, but they do help you learn the craft, get some experience dealing with editors and publishers, and develop the tough hide you need for dealing with reviews and the ups and downs of sales. Make sure your product meets the expectations you have for it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Moderation in all things, including moderation.
What are you reading now?
Jean Rabe’s Dead of Winter.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Getting Wet Work published. Sending around a screenplay I just finished to some production companies. Selling some more 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?
War and Peace is not only an excellent book, but it is a big book and I’m not sure how often I may need to get a fire started on a desert island.
The Princess Bride has everything the movie has, but two additional layers that the movie never even touches. It also has an important message. Life is not fair. I imagine that would resonate if I was stranded on a desert island.
Oxford Unabridged Dictionary. I’ve got plenty of time to kill, so I might as well educate myself.
Something about how to survive on a desert island would also be useful, I imagine.
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