Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My experiences in the military and my undergraduate degree in political science gave me the knowledge to write my first book, the military action adventure, “Execution of Justice”.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Execution of Justice” is my first published book. I have always struggled with the source of one’s identity. So many conflicting forces act on a person from within and without. That inspired me to create John Drake, a deeply complex protagonist struggling to discover himself under conditions of extreme distress.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I always begin writing at the exact moment I’m supposed to be going to sleep. I think ideas bounce around my head all day and I can’t fall asleep until I get them typed.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Pat Conroy for his eloquence, Kurt Vonnegut for his doubts about the existence of free will, Stephen King for his ability to maintain a slow pace while keeping the reader engaged, and Tom Clancy for his ability to bring multiple parallel story lines together at the exact right point.
What are you working on now?
I also have a Master’s degree in Chemistry, which gives me a lot of thoughts about genetic engineering. I’m working on a techno thriller, “Mortal Coil”, that explores an unintended global catastrophe brought on by Man’s hubris.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I must admit this is a weak point for me, but my strategy is to give away ebooks to as many bargain hunters as I can. I believe this will generate many Amazon reviews and boost my ranking. I think this group is filled with voracious readers who would not typically purchase a paperback at full retail, so I’m not losing any sales in return for a solid read on the marketability of my book.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write quickly, with no regard for eloquence. Get the thoughts on paper. Then edit and reedit at least a dozen times. With each edit, remove as many clever adjectives as you can. Write a long draft, then trim much of it away. Let it sit for a while, then read it with a fresh mind and see if the story still has continuity.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It is better to follow your own heart and be wrong than to follow someone else’s and be right.
What are you reading now?
The Life of Pi – highly recommend
What’s next for you as a writer?
Next comes a couple years of working on “Mortal Coil”. This is complex subject matter and I haven’t the slightest idea what the third act will look like at this point.
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?
Since millions of people have studied the Bible for millennia and still haven’t found a consensus, I believe that one book would provide a lot of mileage. And the reality is I would want the other 3 to be on primitive survival skills. But I sure would miss Kurt Vonnegut.
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