Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in California but I’ve traveled the world and my background is in geological sciences. I’ve been writing since I was in 6th grade. I loved to write poems and adventure stories at a young age. I moved around a lot when I was a child so I was forever fascinated by different environments and people. The variety of places, situations and social circles gave me an intense interest in the incredible variety of life. The endless variety and differences in people and places. This has inspired me to travel the world seeking the find all the little exotic novelties and secrets life has to offer. I’m a romantic or a spiritual explorer forever seeking the greatest profound depth of life experience, interesting little surprises and/ or way of living (or seeing the world) that surpasses anything I’ve ever seen or known. These things you can learn by putting yourself in different environments.
I’ve written two fictional series: The Superspecies and The Paul and Sandy series.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I’ve written two series: one is called The Superspecies and it’s a three part series in the sci-fi/ technothriller/ genetics engineering genre. The other series I’ve written is called The Paul and Sandy Series and the first book in the series is Young Love, Old Lore. So, basically, I’m working on two novel series at the moment with the first book in each series completed and the others still in the editing/ writing process.
The Superspecies is about a giant grizzly that kidnaps a little girl after forcing her family off the road in the forest, leading a group of rangers on a harrowing journey to find her. This spurs a chain of events which ultimately reveals a top-secret genetics engineering program government researchers must try to suppress before the “modified” animals kill any more people. The researchers are also stuck in the position of needing to rescue the animals from destruction by the agency they work for which seeks to rid the forests of every last one of them. At the same time, the researchers become targets of the animals’ wrath themselves because their increased intelligence allows them to recognize humans as destructive and dangerous creatures with too much power over them.
Young Love, Old Lore is about a young and irresponsible young man who is prone to making nothing but bad decisions in life. One morning while rushing to school, he crashes into the elderly Mrs. Halston and nearly kills her after not paying attention to his driving. All because he’s late for class. As a result, he faces a lengthy jail term if she either dies or becomes crippled for life. His relationship with his girlfriend Sandy is also on the rocks and everything in his life seems to be spiraling out of control when Mrs. Halston suddenly recovers and appears in court on his behalf, rescuing him from a lengthy jail term and a doomed perspective on life.
Many things inspire me to write but mostly exploring the human condition and the many problems/ challenges of life that must be dealt with in high-stress situations. I try to challenge my characters and readers with difficult situations that must be confronted with the correct application of personal ethics and wise principles in order to reduce life and survival to their essentials and, in so doing, get closer to the meaning and purpose of life.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My writing style is neo-stream of consciousness/ impressionistic. I try to be a much more readable version of William Faulker or Henry James, who was certainly brilliant, but I think would have been more accessible if he brought his unconscious impressions down to earth a bit.
I walk the line between overly abstract and overly literal and concrete in my writing.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Henry James, Joseph Conrad, Sinclair Lewis, William Faulkner, Robert Ludlum and James Rollins.
What are you working on now?
I’m continuing to work on my two novel series and I’m not exactly sure how many books will be included in either one. I will continue to tell the stories until they get dull or uninteresting to me.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I find the best methods for promoting books are Amazon ad campaigns, Facebook ad campaigns and author interviews/ blog posts to get your name out to more people.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice to new authors is to write as much as you can as often as you can. There is no substitute for experience. Also, read books about character development and story telling whenever you have time. This will benefit you many times over when you fully understand the process and how to make it your own.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be yourself and live every day like it’s your last because it might be. This puts a fire under me to keep pushing myself everyday to improve and work harder and harder.
What are you reading now?
Lately I haven’t been reading very much because I’ve been so busy but when time permits I’ll start rereading some of the classics along with technothrillers and modern literary fiction books.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I hope to reach people on a personal level and change their mental attitudes and perspectives on themselves and the world they live in. I want my characters and stories to bolster them and give them a sense of strength and purpose when faced with difficult challenges similar or even not-so-similar (other than in terms of intensity) to the scenarios presented in my novels, to set them free from limiting emotions like fear, causing them to act differently and without doubt.
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 a very good question: probably Conrad’s Victory, Lord of the Flies and Henry James’ The Ambassadors and Washington Square.
Author Websites and Profiles
Gordon Byron Amazon Profile
Gordon Byron Author Profile on Smashwords
Gordon Byron’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account