Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in Chicago in 1970 and have been self-publishing since 2010. In 2014, Solstice Publishing took me on, though I still self-publish some work.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Wraithworks” is a current day thriller about a websleuth, Gary Wraithworth. He uncovers a series of political assassinations that have been bankrolled by a group of billionaires. Once the footage of their hitman surfaces, Gary Wraithworth and his wife Tera become his next targets.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’d be the last one to ask. I write everyday and I read everyday.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
The sci-fi greats, Robert Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and George Orwell have been a big influence on my imagination. As for character building, I think Stephen King showed the way for me. His characters are three-dimensional and done quite naturally.
What are you working on now?
Several projects are in the works right now. I’m co-authoring the first in a series with a good friend, the talented Jeanne Bannon. I’m also working on a novelette in tribute to Ernest Hemingway’s “Old Man and the Sea” set in my dystopian future with a female lead. At least I’m down to two at once.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Promotion is always a big difficult for me. I’m on The Tweety, I use Facebook, have a website, and an Amazon author page. I’ll soon be sending out newsletters, as that’s the ‘in’ thing these days.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I know that many authors have had luck with writers’ groups, readers’ group, and such. They claim that the critique of other authors help them. I’ve also seen authors complain about the feedback they get from fellow authors who see things differently. I’ve never joined one of these groups and never will. Everyone has different visions of what a cover should look like, how a book is written, what promotional website works well for them, and even where to place a damn comma. A book is the vision of its author, and it gets distorted when others are involved. Clear the other cooks from your kitchen and think the story through.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I met author Rebecca Frencl at a local library’s event. She recommended that I submit my novel, “Campanelli: Sentinel” to her publisher, Solstice Publishing. It was accepted and was the shot in the arm I needed at the time.
What are you reading now?
I’m juggling a few collections of classic sci-fi right now, but I’m re-reading Douglas Adams’s “The Restaurant at the End of the Universe”.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I need to finish the current works in progress and work on a sequel to “The Interceptor’s Song”, a book that was released this past October.
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?
I would take along something that I haven’t yet read. Embarassingly, the “Foundation” series by Isaac Asimov keeps slipping through my fingers. 1951’s “Foundation”, 1952’s “Foundation and Empire”, and 1953’s “Second Foundation”.
Author Websites and Profiles
Frederick Crook Website
Frederick Crook Amazon Profile
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