Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in the dry heat of New Mexico, but grew up in the wet heat of Oklahoma.
As a kid, my appetite for reading eclipsed even my love of deep-dish pizza. Books by authors including Michael Crichton, Ray Bradbury, and John Gresham all disappeared into the gullet of his imagination. This inspired Nathaniel’s first attempts at writing, which involved way too many alien invasions: Aliens vs. The Muscle Car Gang, Aliens vs. The Roman Legion, Aliens vs. Logic.
When high school dragged its feet across the finish line, I sought universities as far afield as possible, landing at UCSC in the postcard-worthy Santa Cruz, California, where I studied computer science among the trees. This major, while interesting, turned out to be a little too “hard sci-fi” for him, so he transferred to the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.
San Fran was and is a consciousness-expanding city. The overflow of creativity, diversity, and even the overt homelessness helped to shape my current views. Within this catalyzing environment, the AAU became my own microcosmic melting pot, both socially and academically. I explored computer animation, art history, film editing, acting, and screenplay writing. I also tried my hand at fiction for the first time, writing and publishing two private investigator novels set in Tokyo featuring a female protagonist. While far from perfect, I’m proud of how they turned out given my age and ability, and they provided a good foundation on which to improve.
In 2007, I graduated with a BFA in Computer Animation and Special FX.
Life, however, rarely travels in a straight line. A series of zigzags propelled me to Tokyo, Japan, where I now teach English at schools, companies, and government agencies.
What zigzags, you ask?
My Japanese flat-mate in San Francisco introduced meto a futsal group organized by the manager of an English language institute. This led to my assisting in some of the classes, which I ended up enjoying more than expected.
After graduation, when it came time to get an actual, adult-like job, I made the semi-impulsive decision to go abroad to teach English (initially freaking out my parents, but they eventually embraced it).
On recommendations from my Korean friends, I taught one year in Busan and another in Seoul before moving to Tokyo in 2011. I just recently got married, so I’ll probably be here for the long haul.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is Centricity, the first novel in what I’ve planned to be a 5 book series, with likely spin-offs. It’s part of a hybrid genre, spy-fi, which combines science fiction and espionage.
It’s set in a post-post-apocalyptic world: centuries after civilization collapsed, people have reclaimed once-abandoned megacities and a new world order is being formed. The rivalries between cities and settlements create political tension, and spawn much of the macrocosmic drama in Centricity.
The largest city is Naion, a hub of information, commerce, body modification, synthetic intelligences, and immersion (virtual reality). It’s got a gritty cyberpunk–or perhaps postcyberpunk–vibe.
I was inspred to write in via a combination of my love of Bond, Bourne, and Tom Clancy-style thrillers, plus William Gibson’s Neuromancer, which hit my like a cybernetic shockwave when I first read it.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My creativity tends to be feast or famine, though the famines are usually short. I’m also very much a re-writer, going over things many times until the words sing to me.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Gibson, Ludlum, Clancy, Stephenson, King, Crichton (I must have read Jurassic Park 50 times) … the list is too long, but mostly science-fiction and thriller authors.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on Duplicity, the second book in the Centricity Cycle series, and I’m really excited about it.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Marking is still a thing I’m learning–it wasn’t a passion when I started writing, to be honest–but ever since I started to see it as a way to connect with readers, get their feedback, hear their reactions, it’s become something I enjoy.
I think the best method from a reach standpoint is to learn how to use all the advertising platforms: Bookbub, Amazon, etc. But the best way to keep readers is to engage with them.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Considering I fall into that category, I’d love to get some advice. I think researching advertising methods and hitting as many sites and venues as you possibly can with your message is key. Also, adapt to changing markets and find unusual ways to connect your work to relevant cultural events.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Persistence, patience, and get your work edited.
What are you reading now?
The Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy by Liu Cixin.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep writing, keep learning about marketing, try to expand into other areas. I’m looking to adapt my setting to tabletop gaming, for example.
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?
Really, really thick–but good–books. Like Hyperion by Dan Simmons. After reading them to exhustion, I can use the pages to start a fire or as insulation or something.
Author Websites and Profiles
Nathaniel Henderson Website
Nathaniel Henderson Amazon Profile
Nathaniel Henderson’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
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