Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been writing for several decades, because writing is cheaper than a shrink. Also, I went to the Phila. Science Fiction Writers Workshop for many years. This taught me how to ruthlessly edit my own work, so as to avoid being shredded by 12 or 15 critics. Several of my short stories were accepted by small magazines, while my previous six novels have yet to see the light of day. These novels are in a variety of genres including contemporary SF, dystopian, post-apocalyptic, and historical fantasy.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Tesla’s Signal. It was inspired by the biography of nearly-forgotten inventor Nikola Tesla, who developed the system of alternating current electricity which powers our world. In addition to being a super-genius, Tesla had incredible powers of visualization, and believed he had received a signal from extraterrestrials. When I read his story, I said “this is a science fiction story that practically writes itself.”
In fact, knowing how difficult it was to write and publish a novel, I tried pretty hard to resist the temptation to write this one. (I have 6 unpublished novels in my closet.) But when I learned that it was now possible to do the entire publishing process oneself, I knew I had run out of excuses.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
That depends how you define ‘unusual’. Sometimes for my pre-first draft, when I’m throwing ideas around, I’ll write in longhand while sitting in my easy chair. For some of my earlier projects, I would scribble notes at work while waiting for a print job to finish. While commuting, ideas would come to me and I’d scribble them while waiting at traffic lights. I don’t advise this: you should never mix driving and writing.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I loved the classic SF novels about people with exceptional powers, whom society treated as outcasts. It kind of resonated with my life in high school. I also loved the novels that explored alien societies, or human ones on other worlds. My favorite SF novel of all time has to be Asimov’s Foundation series. The original Star Trek was also a favorite with me. I have modeled my life on Spock, and people even tell me I look like him.
What are you working on now?
I am working on some electronic music for an upcoming performance, but after that I’ll have no more excuses. I am brainstorming ideas for another novel about Tesla…(yeah, OK, it’s a sequel). The working title is Tesla’s Wavelength. Also, I really need to make a promo video for Tesla’s Signal. I am one of these people who have way too many projects.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Originally I was going to just promote on Facebook, but I have learned that Facebook doesn’t really approve of that, so I’m going to try some new things….starting with Awesomegang.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Go to lots of workshops, or share work online, and take your hard knocks. I understand how fragile a writer’s ego is (I’ve got one too) but there is no other way to learn the craft. Someone has to kindly tell a new writer things like “you have too much description. Use one sentence instead of five.”
And here’s my #1 piece of advice: keep working on those first paragraphs until they’re the most perfect writing you’ve ever done. Get rid of the overdescription, the purple prose and the lumps of exposition. That “look inside” feature on Amazon is your most important promo.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Every word in your novel has to fight for the right to be there.”
What are you reading now?
K.A. Applegate’s Animorph series. Sometimes kids’ books are the best examples of crisp, concise storytelling out there.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Now that I’ve got the hang of self-publishing, there’s no reason why I can’t write more science fiction…not the horrifying, depressing kind, but the kind there used to be. Remember that expression “the sense of wonder”? Scientists are discovering all sorts of fascinating exoplanets that defy the “rules”. I want to imagine what kind of life might live on those planets. I don’t mean scary monsters…I want to imagine life-forms that have evolved better solutions and ways to survive than what we’ve got on Earth.
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 Foundation series. Wait, that’s 10 books. Maybe some of Sherri Tepper’s books.
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