Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a comedian, respected by people who have worked with me, but largely unknown to the masses. I was born in Peoria, Illinois and I currently live in southern California. I graduated from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2001 with a B.A. in Mass Communications. I’ve had work as a radio show talking head, a writer and song-writer. I released a book of poetry that I had in a drawer for 17 years back in June and I just released my debut novel as well.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My debut novel is titled “Memoir of an Immortal”. I have had the idea since around college and decided to start researching things and writing it in 2008. It was inspired by most of my friends being women and the stories they would tell me about their personal issues, family problems and hopes for the future. I wanted a way to represent them, while also telling the story of a fictional woman, living through time that has gone largely unnoticed on purpose.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My writing habits are sporadic. I usually have a random thought, write it down, then have to determine if that thought was related to my stand-up comedy, a screenplay, a song idea, or the novel. If it relates to book writing, then I sit down with whatever sentence I wrote down and expand on it as much as I can for whatever chapter I think it belongs in. I also write in uncomfortable positions and usually into a notebook before transferring everything to computer.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m largely influenced by comic book authors like Peter David. But I try not to read many other books outside of comic books because I don’t want much outside influence in my book writing unless it is to correct something that is historically or scientifically inaccurate. I am a huge reader of comic books like The Incredible Hulk or anything involving the character Blink. I love the books Firestarter and Where the Red Fern Grows. I read a ton of books as a youth due to the summer reading contests. Science. Philosophy. History. Peer Reviews. I’ve read anything that I deemed interesting and in need of knowing.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on the follow-up to my debut novel, Memoir of an Immortal. Which is the first in a series. It’ll take place over a much shorter amount of time but have dueling points of view, with a twist. I’m also trying to get more shows to perform comedy across this country while also promoting my debut novel in various ways.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve found that buying ads on peoples blogs, combined with posting on tiktok and other social media sites has not worked terribly well. I’m always looking for ways to sell this book that took me 13 years to finish. I’ve been watching all of the indie authors and their youtube pages and their suggestions led me here.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write the book you want to write and if you can’t find a literary agent that will give you the time of day because you aren’t famous, then self publish the work you completed. But also, keep a list of every literary agent that turned you down or flat out didn’t respond and publish their names as “thank you’s” in your next book if your first book is popular.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never stop writing and keep your pants up.
What are you reading now?
I’m beta reading a friends new mystery book. Can’t give the title away, but it is really good.
What’s next for you as a writer?
What’s next for me is to finish the second book so I can get started on the third in the series. I’ve finished 2 chapters thus far and it is a lot of work to get the continuity correct. Besides that, I am also trying to rewrite and update my jokes for stand-up. Need more shows. Gotta make a living.
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?
Planet Hulk, in hardback. Wolverine Origins in hardback. Meriam Websters Dictionary edition 7.
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