Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in Toronto, Canada, over a half century ago–darn–and moved to Japan when I was twenty-six. I’ve been here ever since, trying to make a living teaching English. Writing happened to me very late in life, in my late forties. It’s something I feel that I have to do…pretty OCD, but there it is.
As for how many books I’ve written, so far, the count is over fifteen novels, primarily Young Adult (YA) and I plan on having more out this year–at least five more–and probably more in the future.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
It’s entitled Just Another Quiet Little Town, and while nothing inspired it per se, I’ve always wondered “what if”…and I see where that leads me. It’s a fantasy, about ambient magic changing people for better and for worse. It’s not the powers they get–it’s what they do with them, for good or ill. The concept of doing good or bad has always fascinated me, and I tried to explore it in this novel.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
No, I just park my butt in the chair and start typing away. I do go out for a cigarette every now and then–yes, I know it’s bad for me–but while smoking, I can think about what to do next.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Any S/F or Fantasy stirs my imagination. Growing up, I grooved on Bradbury, Niven and Pournelle, and as a teenager, Robert McCammon. I also loved the classic adventure novels, such as The Three Musketeers and The Man in the Iron Mask, and all of those elements twirled in my brain and made the slightly eccentric writer I am today!
What are you working on now?
A novel entitled The Titans of Ardana, a YA story about a young teen who wants nothing more than to get an autograph from his favorite female television star…and finds out she isn’t who she’s supposed to be. That’s all I can tell you…you’ll have to read it when it comes out!
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This one, of course! 🙂 However, I also used Twitter, Facebook, and contact any blogger and reviewer who will give my novels a fair shake. I don’t expect five stars right out of the gate…I can only hope they’ll be honest.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write, read, use your imagination, and then write some more. Aristotle once said you learn to play the flute by playing the flute. Writing is no different. Analyze why some writers are successful. Granted, there are some awful books out there that’ve made it to bestseller status, but they’re sort of rare. The most popular writers around have something going for them, not just luck. Study pace and narrative tricks, character development, tone, mood, language…all of those, and come up with something wonderful and original.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t stop. I can’t make it any plainer than that.
What are you reading now?
Rereading some of Ray Bradbury’s short stories in The Illustrated Man. Those never get old for me.
What’s next for you as a writer?
More books, improving my craft, and hopefully, having Hollywood notice me!
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?
Anything by McCammon, Dickens, Bradbury and Poe. Pretty different mix, but those are my choices.
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