Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have been writing for quite a while. Couple this with being a big a huge fan of the superhero genre and the novel “Girl Wanted: Apply in Person” was bound to happen. I have written several short stories and my greatest pleasure is when a reader sits back and says “I didn’t see that coming.” I wrote my first novel years ago and it was “The Appleseed Cat: A Revenge in Black and White. It was received well and I am giving it a fresh rewrite and will post it on Amazon soon. It was a dark murder thriller and I have stepped away from that and now want to be more inspiring to my readers. But one experience, above all others, made me decide to write in the superhero genre. I had the opportunity to meet Stan Lee one day as he went in a restaurant. He has a big bodyguard that put the stop on me. I asked if could say just 5 words to Stan Lee and Stan heard me. And here I am in front of the person that has given me the best reads of my life and I was able to say to him, “Thank you for Daredevil.” He smiled that smile and shook my hand and told me I was a great man and had made his day. I saw him on 2 other occasions, but that was the best. I also met J.D. Spurlock (Daredevil) and Jim Steranko (Nick Fury) and they were so supportive of superhero fans. And Neal Adams, he is awesome and his son took the time to do a special drawing of my grand daughter in her spider girl costume. It is priceless. The superhero community is the best. And when a reader says that they loved my book, I know how even the comic book greats feel.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Girl Wanted: Apply in Person The ATOMICAS Series. It is a good read where a veteran superhero group, the Mighty Manhattans, are under contract to New York City. But they get a Cease and Desist order slapped on them for violating Equal Opportunity laws, specifically, that they have gender inequality, have a person working for them with no visa to work in the United States, employing an elder citizen and placing her in dangerous situations with no compensation. This lawsuit is about Triton’s daughter, the strongest of the superhero group. She is an emissary from Atlantis and this is not the attention her kingdom wants. To remedy the situation, a classified ad is placed calling all young girls to try out for the Mighty Manhattans. They are unique and gutsy, but are rejected during the auditions as no M/M worthy. They take a girls day out in the Diamond District at the same time that Dr. Fahrenheit assembles the worst band of supervillains to empty the district of every gem and gold nugget. The girls are caught in the crossfire and must use their powers together to win. Some bond through friendship, some through pain, but all through sisterhood…super sisterhood. My inspiration comes from the loss of my daughter, Amy, to an act of violence. I wish that all girls would find a friend and share each others strengths. And this will be evident when you read the ATOMICAS.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Techno music piped in my head. Turn it up. Loud. I block out the world and immerse myself in writing. I start with a vague idea and the story writes itself. I actually see and hear the characters in this sound blanket. One of my favorite writing music venues is Eisenfunk. Pentafunk Jenny is my inspiration for one of the supervillains, BloodBeat, in “Girl Wanted: Apply in Person. And the Kongos…and well, anything loud.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Stephen King. I would kick his butt for how he made me feel in Pet Semetary. You hearing me, Stephen, he drives me to write for the reader’s emotions. The East of West graphic novel series has characters that are so good they make me weigh every one I write hoping to be that good. I study a lot. One thing I see in novels is flat dialogue. I would tell any writer to read “Emotional Craft of Fiction Writing” by Donald Maass. The other book on dialogue that I recommend is “Crafting Dynamic Dialogue” it is a Writer;s Digest featured book by Cheryl St. John.
What are you working on now?
The next in the ATOMICAS Series. I promise it to be as fresh as “Girl Wanted: Apply in Person”. New superheroes and villains. Story lines that started in the first book will be spun off in this book. And more origin stories, especially of the cameos such as Wilson and the Two Drops of God. Readers get ready to love this book.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My readers telling others. I have the best readers. I will put up a website just to show the artwork I have done for the ATOMICAs. Conduit channeling fire, Shatterdream with her Valkyrie guarding her, Rusty (FeO) busting out of a bank vault, Ms. Newton stealing momentum as only she can, Thunder Girl pulverizing threats to New York, and of course, La Porcelana in her Mexican wrestler glory. I have challenged myself to produce a new super hero or villain each day for 2017. This involves sketches and litho work as I dream up these exciting characters. And posting on great sites like the AWESOMEGANG!! Thank you!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Study the greats. They will share. And then you will go back and rewrite and rewrite some more.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I had a friend I met on Runescape that used the word “angst: in a game. I had to private message this person. She was in her eighties and she had been in the editorial business. She would never say much until I posted on a site “100words.com” and I guess she saw some potential. On the site, you have to post 100 words exactly every day for a whole month. Day one through Day Thirty. I thought I put down some good stuff. You can check for me under the author name of “doggrowl” it is a spoof on the word “doggerel” the definition is empty and meaningless verse. She went by “GrannyBop” and she posted her thirty days. I read it and begged her to teach me. She wrote as a 4 year old girl that made me see I was an amateur. For several years we emailed, never a phone call. Her advice was pure gold. And this whole time I was asking her to read :The Appleseed Cat”. I will say this to those asking for a critique, toughen up. This wonderful funny woman with the best stories and a wealth of writing advice accepted my manuscript. And she ran over me with one sentence. She said, “You are scared to write the first twelve pages.” And she was right. I am so much better for her critique, man, it was a smack in the face. I went back and wrote the first twelve pages and cried the whole time.
What are you reading now?
I wear the Black Hat…a great book on seeing the villains in life and letting it inspire your bad characters.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Getting my own writing panel at DragonCon. And have cosplayers dressed as characters from the ATOMICAS Series.
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?
The Bible, the best source of heroes and villains ever written. I read something new in it every time I open it. “Not Bad fr a Human” by Lance Henricksen, he shows that you have to pay your dues to make it, Marvel Comics, the Untold Story by Sean Howe, and a really good survival book on starting a fire with sand and coconuts. I can catch fish. Probably gain weight and tell the rescue boat to give me a couple more days, I’m in the middle of something.
Author Websites and Profiles
DW HILL Amazon Profile