Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m new to publishing, but have always written stories for fun. I spent a few years in a private writing group until I felt I had developed some semblance of individuality and style. Practice makes perfect.
I’ve written about fourteen books, all of which I intend to edit and publish! Needless to say, writing has been a lot of fun for me.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Senkumo War Stories: Book of Blossoming is my latest and first book, the first in a series.
Senkumo War Stories was inspired by a curious combination of Japanese history, Japanese mythology, manga, and anime. The series is actually a prequel to a different series I’m working on called Death by Ex-Girlfriend. It sets the stage for the conflicts the appear in DbEG and gives a detailed telling of the main character’s backstory. I wanted to tell a dark, bloody, and tragic story for this series. The characters go through some tremendous development in this series, and you see that carry over in DbEG, which has a contemporary setting and isn’t nearly as dark.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
It’s not present in this series because the setting forbids it, but if I’m working with a modern day setting, I usually include a location, typically an abandoned building of some sort. This abandoned building is decorated with a row of colored windows or stained glass. In one story, I included an abandoned church for this purpose. In DbEG, it’s an abandoned bowling alley with columns of stained glass behind the bleachers.
I LOVE colored/stained glass. I always make this kind of place for the characters to retreat to. It always acts as this otherworldly getaway from the tension and action of a plot. Just sitting there, bathing in the glaring sunlight and rainbow of color shining down on you. I find it relaxing, so it’s a must-have in most stories I write.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Honestly, the most influential books in this case were the Kojiki and a manga called Noragami. The Kojiki is an 8th century historical chronicle of Japan. Reading that helped lay down the foundation for the mythological and supernatural aspects of Senkumo War Stories. Noragami is a great manga about a stray god’s struggle to be recognized and worshipped. The main character, Yato, has a similar backstory to my character Tsukiakari. They were both war gods during the Warring States era of Japan, and they both had to kill a lot of people to get to where they are in modern times.
What are you working on now?
Promotion for my first book, mainly. I’m also editing the second book and looking at what to do for all the books forthcoming. It’s a dizzying task, but I’m very passionate about it.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Well, I have a really dedicated following on a small forum called Mangaraiders. Other than that, promotion has been divided between word-of-mouth and Reddit. I have to say though, it’s been pretty effective. I just want to reach as many people as possible and get as much feedback as I can, so I can improve my form going forward.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
The key to tackling any daunting task is to simply improve what’s in front of you, day by day. Think of it like climbing a Mt.Everest. If you stand back and take in the whole view of the mountain before you climb it, you’re probably going to feel like you’re way out of your league. But if you focus on the first 100 feet, and the next hundred feet on the following day, you’ll find yourself nearing the top before you realize.
Having small goals is just as important as having larger ones.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“When there’s nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire.”
What are you reading now?
Star Wars: Jedi Search by Kevin J Anderson. Great stuff. Revenge of the Sith is by far my favorite Star Wars novel though. It’s just written so beautifully and pulls off what the movie only nailed halfway.
What’s next for you as a writer?
More writing. I’ll probably die before I finish it all. Send help.
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’ll take four copies of “How to Survive on a Deserted Island” please.