Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a self-published American author of fiction. I am a resident of Clarksville, TN, and graduated with honors from Austin Peay State University, TN, with a BS in Criminal Justice/Homeland Security and a MS in Management.
I have also been serving proudly in the Armed Forces since 2001, and I am a Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
American Z, is my debut novel and it was officially published as a kindle edition on 17 September, 2017, on amazon.com. The paperback edition will also be available in September 2017 on amazon.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
American Z, published 17 September 2017.
I originally had the idea for American Z while I was overseas in the military in 2005. I remember I wrote a page on it and then put it away, always meaning to get back to it. I’ve always been a fan of science fiction and conspiracy theory novels and movies, I think that is where the original inspiration came from.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Well, I have a full time job, so most of my writing is done after work or on my days off.
I actually prefer to write with pen and paper first, and then type. I feel more creative and free when using ink and paper, versus the computer. I still do free typing on my work on the computer, just not as much as handwriting. For instance, my entire manuscript for American Z is in a notebook.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture, is my number one source of inspiration and influence. I remember reading it for one of graduate classes at APSU, and it really had a lasting effect on me. He was a professor at Carnegie Mellon and died in 2008. I won’t go into great details about him or the book, but I would encourage anyone that has a desire to really make the most out of their life to read the book or watch his Last Lecture on YouTube.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on follow on books to American Z. They are all related, so technically the next couple of books will be considered a series, but none of them are cliff hangers. They all have their own complete stories and complete endings. I want readers to be able to pick any one of them up and feel a sense of completeness at the end, and I think American Z definitely does that. And, hopefully they like it and want to read all of my books. I’m still debating titles but the next two books will more than likely be BloodlineZ and UpriZing.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
First I would like to state that I am way behind on the Social Media scene. With that being said, I feel really comfortable with Facebook business ads. It’s fairly simple and seems to be generating a lot of positive results for the amount of money spent. I use Google Ads and it generates results but not as user-friendly as Facebook.
This is my first novel so I am still experimenting and growing my network and fan base, so hopefully the next time I do an interview I can provide better information.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never throw away an idea or thought. And when you get into a creative moment, see it all the way through until you empty it.
Don’t focus on the end result, 100 yards down the field; focus on the one chapter, the one scene, the one paragraph. Set small goals and accomplish them, instead of only thinking about finishing your book.
Let the scene or idea take you on its journey. Don’t get so glued to a particular idea or ending that you cut yourself short.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
I’ve been very fortunate and had several great mentors throughout my life. This question is pretty tough. So, I’ll go with one of the earliest pieces of advice I received, and it was from my 8th grade English teacher, Mr. Farr. I wanted to drop out of his Advanced Placement English course, because it was hard for one, and it required a lot of extra reading and extra work. It was a college prep course and there was no requirement for me to take it. He told me he would support my decision but he wanted me to read a poem before I gave him my final decision, The Road Not Taken, by Robert Frost. I got his point, and I decided to stay in his course and take the hard way, the road less traveled. And maybe that has really made all the difference in my life.
What are you reading now?
I am currently breaking from any major leisure reading while I’m working on my writing, so I haven’t read any recent new releases in the past several months. I have a pile of new fiction books from the past year that are waiting for me to read at my house. Orbital Cloud, by Taiyo Fujii, will probably be the next book I read. And I love reading classics, over and over again. I re-read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, last year before I started writing American Z.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Well, I plan on writing more Zombie Fiction for a while. American Z is really tapping into a different concept about zombies and I think this era of zombie fiction has a lot of life left in it, so I want to see where it takes me. But I do have several other fiction genres that interest me as well.
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?
Tough question.
Definitely The Last Lecture, Randy Pausch. Reasons stated before.
Ghost Soldiers, Hampton Sides. An incredible true story about the ultimate will to survive.
Where The Red Fern Grows, Wilson Rawls. It was one of my favorite books as a kid.
Author Websites and Profiles
J.G. FLETCHER Website
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