Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an active duty Navy guy with ten years in, ten years to go! I’ve been stationed all across the U.S. and in Japan and am heading back to Japan (this time with a family) at the end of the summer. I’m pretty excited to be going back and hoping to get some great inspiration for my writing while I’m there (and a lingering influence for years to come after we leave).
I currently have two novels written (one published, one revising) and a scattering of short stories and collections out now. I like to dabble in various genres, but all my work has some fantastic or speculative elements to them. These range from adventure fantasy to crime-noir to space-faring science fiction. I also have a few oddball ideas for some weird west/steampunk stories and novels, as well as a few that would be very hard to classify. While there are many best-selling authors who make careers (and millions) from writing series that never end, I prefer to never write the same thing twice. (Or at least not a dozen times, no matter the sales numbers that might go along with that.)
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My biggest work published to date is Tarnish, a coming of age fantasy novel of sword and sorcery. What makes Tarnish different, though, is that there are no elves, dwarves, secretly gifted orphans, etc. I try to do things differently from everyone else. It’s also not for kids. I think of it as “mature YA” to new adult (and just plain adult). It’s certainly compatible with a young adult audience, but it’s not written for one. (When I was in 6th grade I was reading Stephen King and those were simpler times, so I know there are teenagers out there who can handle more mature stuff than Harry Potter.)
As for what inspired it, I’m not sure. The story is litterally at least twelve years old, having evolved from a short story idea to a 400-page novel, so… After so many years of development and evolution, I don’t know where it all started.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Unfortuneatly I don’t have much for writing habits at all! Which sounds terrible, I know. What I mean is, between full-time military and full-time family, I don’t get much time for writing. I suppose a few things I could mention, though, would be that I can’t write at home (too many distractions) and that I usually go through three, four, or more drafts on something before I start to feel confident that it’s ready for anyone else to see.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I have a wide range of interests. I think every writer should have a good foundation in classic and contemporary literature, even if they’re writing genre stuff. Some of my favorites are 1984, Lord of the Flies, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, anything by Kurt Vonnegut or Chuck Palahniuk, A Clockwork Orange, Dracula, Fahrenheit 451, and the Iliad and Odyessey. (Okay, admittedly, many of these have a genre-tinge to them.)
What are you working on now?
Promotional planning has been all-consuming for me these past few weeks. But when I do start writing again (hopefully next week), it will be on one or more of a short list of projects. I have a hard time nailing down which I should seriously pursue next, but I know I’ll need to focus in order to get it done. Right now I’m debating the reworking of my SF-murder mystery, my superhero series, or a collection of space opera adventure stories.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
To be honest, I’m just getting started on the promotion track. In fact, this weekend (May 2-4, 2014) is my first big Amazon countdown promotion, so we’ll see how that turns out very soon. Up to now, though, Goodreads seems to me to be a great place to talk about books and to hopefully get people talking about your own books.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t be like me. 🙂 Actually, I’ve had some mild success and have been published in some magazines and online. So I guess my advice would be, “Don’t give up.” As well as, “Don’t trust your own eyes.” Always have someone else read your work too before you put it out into the world, because you will never catch all your own mistakes.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Probably for me, it’s, “the best way to sell more books is to write more books.” But I haven’t gotten there yet. 🙂
What are you reading now?
I just finished a great non-fiction book called SUPERHEROES!, which chronicles the real history of the superhero and comic book industries from the 30s to now. Very interesting. Ever wonder why DC and Marvel “feel” different? Read this book and you’ll know why!
I’m also reading Caliban’s War by Corey. I really liked the first book of this SF series, though this second book, so far, isn’t quite as cool. But I’m not very deep into it yet.
What’s next for you as a writer?
More writing! I continue to submit short stories to magazines and contests because I believe self-publishing isn’t the best way to get yourself out there. But I’ve pretty much given up on trying to get a novel “published-published”. With the self-publishing boom, I think the big wig publishing companies are going to have a difficult time convincing authors that they need their services anymore. And I have at least 20 books in mind. (Which will take me 50 years to write at my current pace, but they’re coming, slowly but surely.)
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?
Ugh. That’s a good question. I’d have to do some deep meditation and research on that! But I’d probably go for some thick compendiums and complete works editions if I can only bring three or four…
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