Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve been writing for the past fifteen years but prior to that I always developed stories in my mind. I wrote but never got the stories into documents. I remember when I saw the first Word Processor and thought, Wow, this could make writing easy. It still toke me years to start actually typing.
I’ve just completed the first draft of my fourth novel. The first three were self published although the second has been picked up by Booktrope. All three of my published novels have been awarded mdals or been finalists in Indie book contests. I’m proud of that.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, Stolen Breeze, is the re-launch of a sailing adventure I wrote a few years back. The title comes from elements of the story. There is a crime, a theft, and since wind is an important element in sailing I wanted to represent it in the title. The other aspect of the meaning of the title is that in yacht racing a strategic technique is to steal another yachts wind so it worked out that we fore shadow the story and use a sailing reference as well.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I sit in a comfortable chair with my feet up rather than sitting at a desk. I like to have classical music playing but other than that nothing unusual. For some reason I always seem to be in the revision phase of writing when I plan trips to Japan. I end up doing a lot of that work while staying in Tokyo.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Atlas Shrugged influenced my take on life, not my writing but it is a significant influnce for me. Cormas McCarthy’s writing gets me going and I recently read, Billy Flynn’s Long Halftime Walk, by Ben Fountain and it’s stayed with me a long time. Great writing. Lots of pace, quirky characters, very entertaining. The entertainment factor of writing is a big influence for me.
What are you working on now?
Revisions of my fourth novel. I don’t have a title yet. It’s a murder mystery that takes place in Calgary, Canada. A city deeply centered in the oil industry. There are spy’s and business intrigues happening while the protaganist tries to protect his wife.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
There’s no substitute for word-of-mouth recommendations. I haven’t found any type of promotion online that I would call the best method. Exposure is a key element and sites that present information about an author help a lot but readers talking about your book is the best promotion possible.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Get an editor. Trade for services or pay for the work but get your book edited by an independent. If you think you’re pretty good at it yourself or a family member can do it, you’re wrong. The ‘indepenent’ part of editing is what’s critical.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Be open to your editor’s suggestions but remember your work is a representation of yourself. You have the final say.
What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading a book on writing. I don’t read a lot of books about the craft but thought this one sounded interesting. Shoot Your Novel by C.S. Larkin. I read these books but don’t adhere to them. I use them to make me concentrate on what I’m doing in writing at the time.
What’s next for you as a writer?
There’s a lot of promotional work in my near future. It’s an interesting time in an author’s life. You sit and work almost entirely alone and all of a sudden you have to become a interacting member of society. While all that’s going on I’ll be listening to my inner story teller to see which of my ideas become my next writing project. I have a few.
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?
Atlas Shrugged – Ayn Rand
Islands In The Stream – Ernest Hemingway
Shogun – James Clavell
For me they’re all worth reading again and again.
Author Websites and Profiles
Mitch Davies Website
Mitch Davies Amazon Profile
Mitch Davies Author Profile on Smashwords
Mitch Davies’s Social Media Links
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