Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a sci-fi and fantasy author with three novels under my belt, a few short stories and dozens of blogs. Writing has been a passion of mine all my life and it is my hope to continue being a scribe for many years to come.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Kinghood. It was inspired by the multitude of medieval-inspired tales I heard growing up, from King Arthur to Robin Hood, and then later on in life, The Lord of the Rings and A Song of Ice and Fire series. Plus, as an amateur history buff, it has always been my dream to write a fantasy series based on the Middle Ages. Kinghood marks the first of six books in my epic fantasy series, The Fourpointe Chronicles, which I intend to complete to make that longstanding dream of mine a reality.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes, probably too many to name them all but I’ll list a few. I write battle scenes while listening to Metallica and Disturbed. I write love scenes while listening to classical music. I write all other scenes in complete silence whenever possible. Oh, and as a Toastmaster (that is, an amateur public speaker), I incorporate lines or excerpts from my works-in-progress into my speeches.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Again, too many to name, but I’ll note two. The first was Ernest Hemingway. When I first read For Whom The Bell Tolls I fell in love with literature. It’s not his best work, but as a shy, young man when I read his book . . . there was something about the story and the language used by Hemingway to tell his narrative that has managed to stick with me all these years. The second was George R.R. Martin. After reading A Game of Thrones, I thought to myself, “I can do this. I can write a book.” So I’ve been putting my best foot forward on that effort ever since.
What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on Book Two of The Fourpointe Chronicles, Peacefall. It picks up where Kinghood left off, with the quadruplets now running the kingdom of Marland as they prepare for their royal wedding. But, chaos ensues and, well . . . I’ll leave the rest to your imagination for the time being.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still trying to figure that out. So far, I’ve had the best luck with promoting my books by running free giveaways on Amazon and promoting them via Twitter. Depending on the book I’m giving away or the day I’m promoting, I usually garner anywhere from a few dozen to a few hundred downloads. While they’re free, I still count each new reader as a win.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice is to play the long game when it comes to writing. I’m not against authors striving to attain success sooner rather than later, but the fact is that the bulk of us will take years to accumulate the readership we desire. Writers, try to enjoy the process of honing your craft as much as possible and cherish every reader willing to give you his or her time. When you look back, you don’t want to reflect on any time you spent writing as being of stress or strain. Embrace all those hours and days and weeks of self-education and discovery.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
A TA I had in college was once lecturing our small group on what a thesis is. He said, “The point of a thesis is that somebody, somewhere, takes a look at it and says, ‘This is b.s.'” That stuck with me over the years, for as writers craft their voices, they have to live with the fact that great writing may mean not appealing to many but a few.
What are you reading now?
I’m reading Brandon Sanderson’s Words of Radiance, his sequel to The Way of Kings. I’m loving every word of it.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I intend to finish the rest of the books in the series I started with Kinghood. My hope is to also release the audio version of Kinghood within the next few months and beyond that, consider other franchise mediums (i.e. a streaming series) for my work.
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?
I would take The Bible, Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead, and Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace (hey, I’m on a desert island, so I figure I’d finally have time to read it).
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