Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born an raised in New Jersey. I still love to skateboard, even though I am not nearly as good as I was as a teenager. Otherwise I enjoy playing Call of Duty and reading and studying philosophy. I have written two books, the first is an epic fantasy novel called ‘The Punishment of the Gods’, which I self-published on Amazon. The other book is a philosophy book, but I have yet to publish it.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My first novel (also my most recent book) is called ‘The Punishment of the Gods. I have always wanted to create a world and fill it with fantastic creatures. In a sense I started working on this book when I was in middle school. Some of the character names and themes have stayed with me since I was in seventh grade. While my fantasy novel was certainly inspired by books like The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, I drew as much inspiration from my reading of philosophy. Many of the ideas that are held by my characters are directly inspired by philosophers like Thomas Hobbes, Friedrich Nietzsche, George Berkeley and more. I know how ideas shape history, and I wanted to include that in my work.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write when I have time, which is not as often as I would like. A little here and a little there; that is about as much as I can do. I once wrote through the entire night when a toothache prevented me from sleeping. It hurt too much for me to sleep, but not too much for me to work on my book.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien have been big influences; when I was young I devoured everything that I could find of their writings. I mainly read C.S. Lewis’ theological works, however – I didn’t read The Chronicles of Narnia until I was an adult. I purposefully avoided reading fantasy works while I wrote my book because I didn’t want to ‘steal’ ideas from any other popular works. I didn’t read Harry Potter, for instance, until after my book was completed. I’ve mostly been reading philosophy, and I think most of the inspiration for my characters is related to this or that philosopher’s teachings. Mostly I would say that The Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes, and George Berkeley’s writings influenced my writing.
What are you working on now?
At the moment I am working on perfecting my philosophy book and I am about half-way through a prequel to The Punishment of the Gods. I am also in the planning stages of a sequel, and I am just beginning to think of what will come after that.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
So far I have been using goodreads.com for most of my promotion. I’ve had some good experiences there so far.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I would say, figure out what you want to do. If you want to get rich, then do everything in your power to please the big publishers and write what they want to sell. But if you have something unique to say, then say it – write it, do your best, but try to find your satisfaction in the process without hoping to get rich or to become famous. For my part I have decided that I would write what I think I should write, and see what happens…
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The German mystic Meister Eckhardt wrote: ‘Those who accept all that the Lord send, as the very best, remain always in perfect peace, for in them God’s will has become their will. This is incomparably better than for our will to become God’s will.’
What are you reading now?
Right now I am enjoying an indie fantasy novel called ‘Darkin: A Journey East’ by Joseph Turkot. I am also making my way through Soren Kierkegaard’s wonderfully confusing, but brilliant ‘Unscientific Postscript to the Philosophical Fragments’.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I am currently working on a prequel to my fantasy novel, and I am hoping to publish my philosophy book, as its subject matter is, I think, extremely important and timely. But I must wait for some feedback before I take the plunge and start making it public.
What is your favorite book of all time?
That is a tough question. It is either Arthur Schopenhauer’s ‘The World as Will and Representation’ or the ‘Theologia Germanica’, an anonymous work originally published by Marin Luther. Both teach, I believe, the same thing, but from a different perspective. In the end, I think the nameless author had the better understanding, however, so I must side with the ‘Theologia Germanica’. To me it meant the world to discover a writer from a completely different time and culture who seemed to see the world exactly in the same way that I have come to understand it.
Author Websites and Profiles
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