Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a bit of an oddball. I saw myself as a comedian and I’ve always dreamed of doing sketch comedy. A Guardian Angel (my latest novel)is not like that at all. I’ve written three novels before this one, two self published as print only (I was 15) and the other lost in a hard drive malfunction (now I back my files up).
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
It’s called A Guardian Angel. First, I wrote Part One of the book as a standalone novella, but it was ill recieved (even by my friends). At the same time, I was working on a story about a rancher who’s farm was crushed by a gigantic metal angel (Part Two of the book). That portion is actually inspired by a Porcupine Tree song called “Trains.” Then the whole thing unfurled from there.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
“Unusual” might imply that I know what most writers do. I have routines, that’s for sure — listen to music, lock the door, yadda yadda. I write what I dream, often. I’ll have the core of the story figured out in advance, but certain phrases and scenes are stolen from my dreams because they’re so out of place that it sticks with you. I can’t whisk those things from thin air.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Douglas Adams is my absolute favorite author because I am a cynical comedian at heart. Hitchhiker’s Guide is largely responsible for the tone of Alfred Arnold, a fantastical series I started at 15 years old and plan to rewrite after my current project (untitled thus far). Even though Adams is my favorite author, Catch-22 is my favorite novel and, like mental tattoos, I shall always have quotes to throw out.
What are you working on now?
The working title is Sedated, and I don’t like the name so far. It’s a shorter story about a man who lives an alternate life through a series of persistent dreams. Every time he goes to sleep, he finds himself exactly where he had left his previous slumber. This second life becomes an addiction for him, and after his first nightmare he is forced to choose between the waking world and the imaginary one.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This is my first serious push into promotion, and it’s a bit overwhelming as a newbie but I enjoy that (masochism, perhaps?). I use twitter and I get people with a following to check out my work and say, “Hey, this is great!” or “Hey guys, this blows.” So far, the latter hasn’t happened yet, but opinions are rarely invalid when in the realm of art.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Persistence is your mission. You’re swimming in a vast sea of uncertainty, where you can see shades of doubt and anxiety darting deep beneath your kicking feet. Once you get to the shore, that’s when you’ve made it and you can enjoy your writing career in abundance. It’s impossible to say how far the shore is in all these ebbing waves, but you must keep swimming. Once you give up on writing, that’s when you drown.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“The road to hell is paved with adverbs.” – Stephen King.
What are you reading now?
The Lord of the Rings. I love books like that, but ever since going into school, it’s difficult to read for leisure. My mother got me my own copies because she’s the greatest LotR fan I have ever met (our dog’s name was Arwen, and one of our llamas was Strider). Everyone should read them, especially if you enjoyed the movies because they compliment each other much rather than compete.
What’s next for you as a writer?
To continue writing, of course! I do it because I love it, and the fact that other people enjoy it makes it all the sweeter. I haven’t even cracked the head of the iceberg.
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?
Catch-22, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said.
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