Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Unlike most authors, I don’t have some campy story about how I started writing at a young age. As a kid, I thought writing was stupid.
Last February I had a change of heart. I was watching the Super Bowl with my wife. The power went out in the stadium and I was left sitting around with nothing to do. That was when I got the idea to write my first novel, Farmers and Cannibals. Since February I’ve written three books.
Writing isn’t my day job. I teach grades 9-12 at a rural high school.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
In writing my latest novel, But the Angels Never Came, I was influenced by several classic texts. The plot of the story follows the chapters of Genesis that pertain to the figure of Abraham. In my version, however, there is no God. In this atheist retelling, the characters are influenced by the philosophies of Any Rand, Nietzsche, and Alexi de Tocqueville. When I first began writing this novel, I was reading The Antichrist, Atlas Shrugged, and Democracy in America. I’ve also been told that it is similar to The Road.
Technically, But the Angels Never Came is a prequel to my first novel Farmers and Cannibals. However, each book stands on its own.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m sure I’d be a lot cooler if I did. But, no, unfortunately my writing habits are fairly normal. I use a laptop and I write on my couch. Every so often, when I’m writing, I’ll get up to use the bathroom. I’ve been told that that is normal.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Dr. Seuss.
What are you working on now?
I just finished my third novel, Just After the Fall. I’m releasing it in April. For the next few months I plan on writing a series of short stories. Each will be published individually on Amazon.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Awesomegang…duh.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Only take advice from those that are more successful than you.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t put metal in the microwave… think about it.
What are you reading now?
As an English teacher I try to keep up with the novels I assign for my students to read. Right now I’m reading The Catcher in the Rye, In Cold Blood, Crime and Punishment, The Great Gatsby, and Animal Farm. For pleasure I’m reading World War Z.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ll be publishing a short story every month on Amazon through July. Then I’ll be working on my fourth novel, Whom Cain Slew.
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?
That’s easy. I’d like to be stranded with the following: Moby Dick, The Brothers Karamazov, Paradise Lost, and a complete guide on how to survive on a desert island.
Eric James-Olson’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account