Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a 34-year-old trans man from California, and I’ve worked almost 18 years as Service Writer / Office God for the family auto repair business. I have a love of belly dancing, which I performed with my sister for nearly two decades, and CrossFit, which has given me some great friends and a second home.
Currently, I’ve self-published fifteen novels, most of them set in my fictional world of the Shifting Isles (a combination of fantasy, sci-fi, and paranormal, with a few m/m romance thrown in), and I have at least fifteen more planned, just sitting on my computer, waiting to be written.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest is Ice on Fire (Treble and the Lost Boys, Book 1), which will be released April 27th. I wanted to do a play on opposites, so all three books in the trilogy will have some element of that. I’ve also wanted to play with characters who are naïve, pure, or innocent in one way or another, pitting them against characters with worldly, tragic, or immoral experience, so this trilogy allowed me to create them in a way that tied them all together.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Having played at being a full-time writer for the past year, I’ve gotten in the habit of walking down to my favorite mom-n-pop restaurant for second breakfast and a writing session. I’m too easily distracted at home, but something about that place, even with the noise, really boosts my performance. Getting a few thousand words in over a plate of French toast with strawberries and cream cheese really sets me up nicely for a productive day.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
My influences include Tolkien (for the brilliance and scope of his epic fantasy), Scott Lynch (for his interesting characters [apparently I have a thing for con men!]), Ayn Rand (for her philosophy, even if she didn’t take it to its logical conclusion), Jane Austen (for her brilliant stories), and Murray Rothbard (for his philosophy and logic). Also, a special shout-out to novelist Lisa Clark O’Neill, who was kind enough to read my first manuscript and give me constructive feedback, thereby bolstering my courage to self-publish in the first place.
What are you working on now?
I’ve just submitted a couple of short stories to two anthologies: a sweet m/m romance to the Rainbow Romances Anthology, which is for charity, as well as a reimagining of a fable for the Agorist Writers Workshop’s 2018 collection, the fourth in their libertarian anthology series. I’m also starting to write the tenth novel in my main Shifting Isles series, which will be reminiscent of a Victorian-era romance with a little paranormal thrown in.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am an absolute dunce when it comes to marketing. I really hardly sell any books, but I keep writing them because I love it. So far, the only thing that has made any difference in sales has been to put a book up on pre-order, so I’m trying that again with my upcoming release, as well as a cover reveal and blog tour.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write what you want.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
That not everyone will like your story, but there may be that one person out there who NEEDS your story, who needs just the right character to connect with, and reaching that one person could make it all worth it.
What are you reading now?
Sadly, I’m not reading anything right now. I just bought a whole stack of paperbacks off my wish list, then got recalled to my old day job temporarily, so I haven’t had the time (and I used to read a book every day or two on top of doing my own writing).
What’s next for you as a writer?
Right now, it’s just a matter of trying to keep on top of my writing schedule, and hope the plot bunnies keep their distance for a while. I’ve got enough titles stacked up, waiting for attention.
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?
Good gods, that’s a difficult question. I think I’d have to default to the few books I actually re-read as a rule: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, and For a New Liberty by Murray Rothbard.
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