Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I seriously began my writing career three years ago (I say seriously because I would like to forget my first attempt at a writing career). I started out as an architect-contractor and then morphed into a computer I.T. and business consultant. The writing bug never left me, so I decided to give it another go, as I said, three years ago. My first published novel, Sheaves of Zion, won a Readers’ Favorite book award for fiction-mystery-sleuth in 2013. I felt the heavens part after that. My most recent book, Swarm Theory, is the second in the series and have received four and five star reviews.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
As I’ve said, my latest book is Swarm Theory. It’s a murder-mystery thriller (I know publicist hate this description) set in the Southeastern U.S and partly in the Middle East and North Africa. What inspired me to write this book was a single but not so simple question: How could we rid the world of terrorism? Fictionalizing this topic was easy after brainstorming the various ways one could do this. Many thrillers have been written on the subject so a fresh view needed to be broached. The story’s protagonist Dr. Thelonious Zones must find out who’s behind a series of bombings in and around Atlanta, Georgia and the murder of a young Arab college student. He must do this while also investigating the twenty-four year old murder of his mother. Needless to say, the action is non-stop.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
At the expense of grossing out your readers, I tend to not bath for days (or until my wife says enough! Stinky pooh) when in the middle of writing a book. It’s a bad habit I’ve kept from college when preparing to present a design project. We (I wasn’t the only student to do this) would pull all nighters for days in our studios, foregoing the sometimes long walk back to and from our dorms to shower. The hour saved could mean the difference between a pass or fail – or so we thought. As I reflect now on those days, the true reason for this habit was the fear of not being in your studio working when the professor made surprise visits to the school at ungodly times such as 2:00 am. I perhaps fear that the writing gods would finally visit my office to bless me with literary success and instead of being at my desk writing I’m in the shower.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Authors who were an early influence on me were Richard Wright and James Baldwin. Their seminal novels Native Son and Go Tell It on the Mountain respectively, allowed me to see the power of words. In that same vein so did the playwright Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun. My early youth was spent obsessing over how I could emulate JD Salinger’s protagonist Holden Caulfield without my mother taking my life. But the author who set me on the path to becoming a mystery writer is Edgar Allen Poe. The Fall of the House of Usher still stands as the zenith in mystery literature. Contemporary authors who are on my reading list are Walter Mosley (my writing has been compared to his) and George Peleconas who I consider the Shakespeare of crime fiction. His writing for the HBO series The Wire is perhaps the best ever.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on a number of projects, one being the third book in the Thelonious Zones saga titled The Path to Kriya. It’s a crime mystery, of course, in which Zones must profile a serial killer before…well… they serial kill. Look for it between late 2017 and spring 2018. I’m also in the very early stage of writing a story of literary fiction set in the early 19th century, with a crime-mystery storyline. I can’t give a projected date for its publication (that’s just how early it is). I’m also planning an indie author book and music festival in Atlanta. My company sponsors and organizes a jazz festival in the North Georgia mountains and we’re looking to expand it to Atlanta but with the added component of literature. I am accepting any offers of volunteering for the project. See my website www.ewsullivan.com for details.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I live on twitter. It is perhaps the first method. Sites like Awesomegang is another one. By the way, writing the book is a whole lot easier that promoting it – at least for me. I really appreciate venues like this to help get the word out.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I know it’s a cliche, but keep writing. Before you do, take time to study the craft. You don’t need a MFA, but you do have to put in the same amount of work. There are many workshops and online classes one can take to improve his or her writing. I started this interview by saying I try to forget my earlier attempts at a writing career. That’s because I jumped into it without knowing how to swim. It wasn’t until months of study that I felt learned enough to pen my first novel. Indie authors make the mistake believing we are in competition with other indie authors. No! My belief is that I’m competing with the James Pattersons of the genre and I study the craft to make sure that I can.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best life advice I’ve heard is to trust in God, and the second is liken unto it: trust in yourself. The best literary advise I’ve heard is to make sure that the only difference (in quality) between your writing and that of an Edgar winner is the name on the book.
What are you reading now?
I have a backlog of reading: Natchez Burning by Greg Iles. The Red Queen Dies by Frankie Bailey. All The Lucky Ones are Dead by Gar Anthony Haywood. Violent Spring by Gary Phillips. Lust, Money & Murder by Mike Wells
What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to continue to improve my craft. I would love to win an Edgar if only they allowed indie authors. As I’ve mentioned, I’m in the early stage of planning an indie author book and music festival that I would like to take nationally. In between all this, I’ll be working on my next book The Path to Kriya. I’ll be pretty busy.
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?
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