Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I served in the United States Air Force for four years, then bounced around for a little while after that. The whole time I was working on various stories and books. So far, I’ve only had one novel published, but I’ve written three others and are in various states of completion. Hopefully my next one will be ready for publication by next year.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My debut novel, “The Entropy of Knowledge,” was just released last month. Me and co-author Britton Learnard were telling science jokes (because we’re complete nerds) and said we should write a whole book around one of the funnier ideas we had. After the laughter died down and the liquor wore off, we asked ourselves “why not?” and wrote the book.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I completely immerse myself in music, whatever I can find. With that in the background, I can somehow focus on the job at hand. Also, I try to treat writing like a job (since I do want a career in it). That means I write a little bit every day, five days a week. I try to set a goal. 500 words or more a day, with weekends off. If I didn’t set these goals, I’d probably still be on chapter one right now.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
John Swartzwelder’s “Frank Burly” series have really been a major influence to me. I love the high energy craziness. I’ve laughed out loud at every one of his books, and that’s what my aim is here for “Entropy.”
What are you working on now?
I am working on another Science Fiction book called “Order of Magnitude.” It’s not a comedy, but it is a topic of interest to me. After that’s done, I’m moving back to humor. I’ve been away from it for too long. Britton is currently drafting a sequel to “Entropy” and when he’s done, we’ll hash it out together until it’s something we both can enjoy. Usually that’s the hardest process. It’s done with knives and insults. Very ugly.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
For the first month, I’ve tried various places for book reviews. I write funny reviews on Goodreads, just to get my name out there and offer a free service that people can enjoy for free. (Did I mention it’s free?) Also, I’ve been working on a separate project for Wattpad that may be a successful venture. We’ll see.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you want to be a writer, you have to write. And know exactly what you want out of writing. Do you want to have a career in writing? Treat it like a career. Put in the effort like you would any job. Do you want to keep writing as a hobby? Treat it like a hobby. Only work on it when you want to. And no matter what, understand that perfection is impossible, especially in a first draft. Write it, leave it for editing. Don’t waste an hour trying to think of the perfect flowery line. You might change it later, anyway.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t squat with your spurs on. I’m not a cowboy, but that just makes sense.
What are you reading now?
Agatha Christie. I find she writes in a style that I absolutely love. After that, I have a lot of books in my “To Read” pile. Maybe I should pick one of them up.
What’s next for you as a writer?
In the next week, I’m hoping to launch something new and revolutionary on Wattpad. Keep your ears to the ground, you might hear more from 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?
The Incredible Shrinking Man by Richard Matheson
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
The Kama Sutra (for when I get lonely)
Mark Dellandre’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Twitter Account
Im very proud of you. You always make me laugh.