Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My debut novel, What Hides Within, a mystery/horror blend, was published by Double Dragon Publishing last year. It is an EPIC finalist in “horror,” was named runner-up in the “Best Horror” category in eFestival’s Independent eBook competition and has been named to several “Best of 2013” lists for horror. I have several short stories in the works, due to be published this year and next. I am also finalizing three novels and hope to have them completed in the near future.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I’ve always been fascinated by spiders, but like most people, I don’t want them crawling all over me, much less living in my ear. I read a news story about a kid who went to his doctor for an earache only to find a spider had made a home inside his ear canal. Apparently, it happens, and it’s gross, but there’s nothing inherently evil about it. But I started thinking–what if that spider had a more sinister agenda than trying to solve its housing dilemma? My imagination took off from there, and several years later, What Hides Within is published.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do all my first drafts with pen and paper. My first drafts tend to be overly detailed outlines, and when I type them up, they change greatly. So I feel if I go right to a computer, I would be skipping a crucial step in my process.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
While I’d like to think everything I write is 100% unique right down to the last word, parts of What Hides Within have been compared to just about everyone from King to Kubrick (okay, so “Ki” to “Ku” isn’t that broad of a range). While these comparisons are awesome and, admittedly, undeserved, they probably go more toward the content of What Hides Within than its style.
What are you working on now?
I have quite a few short stories due out in anthologies next year. Beyond that, I have three novels at various stages of development, one science fiction thriller and two horror/thrillers. It’s too early to tell which one will be released next. And if my readers want it, perhaps my favorite spider will return.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Getting reviews, I suppose. I don’t come from a marketing background and am still learning the ropes.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’m still learning the business myself, but I would advise them to seek out other aspiring authors to form read and review groups and get all the constructive criticism they can. If one’s goal is to be a bestseller, he/she will likely need the right agent and a Big 6 publisher. If one’s goals are more modest, there are plenty of small presses, often genre specific, that are interested in seeing work from new authors.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t quit.
What are you reading now?
The Waste Lands by Stephen King. I am a little behind on the Dark Tower series. Just a little…
What’s next for you as a writer?
Who knows? I am taking it one day at a time, though I hope to still be writing well into the future.
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?
The Stand, The Road, The Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe, and Green Eggs and Ham to keep me from killing myself after reading the first three books.
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