Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an English professor at New York Institute of Technology and have written twelve books…five mysteries and seven childrens books.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I’ll stick with the mysteries for now, as the childrens books are under a pseudonym. My latest book is The Down Side. I had taken some time off from writing mysteries, and fans of those books would tweak me about writing another. The Down Side marks a return to the style of my first published book, with all I’ve learned about writing added in. It’s what I would have written back then if I could.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I listen to video game soundtracks. They are instrumental, but offer mood changes you don’t get from most music. There’s an incredible environmental element to them I’ve found nowhere else. I also have written an entire book on my phone. It needed editing, but I did it. Not sure I would try that again.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Nelson DeMille, for sure. His John Corey character was a major influence. Clive Cussler’s books made me want to be a writer. I have to give a nod to Ernest Hemingway. His were the first ‘good’ books I read. Stuart Woods taught me how to entertain the reader.
What are you working on now?
I have four books in the pipeline right now. The first is a sequel to The Down Side, called The Fallen. I have a sci-fi book that’s almost done, a young adult action book called Necessary Adjustment, and I am putting the finishing touches on the last childrens book in the series, The Heroes Among Us.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Kindle Nation Daily has worked so far. Hopefully Awesome Gang will, too!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write. I know, everyone says that, but it’s the best advice. Find an hour a day. Make it the same day and time if possible. If you do that, your mind will get in writing mode at those times. Sounds crazy, but it really works.
And finish your book. That puts you in the 1% category of writers. Too many great books go unfinished.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The above. That’s stuff I’ve learned from other writers. Nelson DeMille told me not to worry about borrowing from others. Everyone does it. Just make your writing your own at the same time. We could all tell the story of the same murder investigation, but we’d all tell it differently. Readers can sense the genuine.
What are you reading now?
2061 by Arthur C. Clarke.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep writing. Maybe do some more book signings. It’s been a while and they were fun.
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?
Hmmm…that’s a tough one. The Sun Also Rises, Seize the Night by Dean Koontz, a copy of Hamlet (because you can read it so many different ways) and The Count of Monte Cristo, because it’s long and I’ve never read the whole book. I’d like to check that off my list.
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