Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a novelist from Columbus, Ohio who enjoys writing and really loves a good scare. Since I was ten years old, I’ve wanted to be a writer, and since I came across Anne Rice and Stephen King I really wanted to be a horror writer. When I’m not writing or blogging, I enjoy reading, watching TV, and just having a good time. Besides being able to write full-time, my goals include getting a couple of cats when I can afford it, writing for Doctor Who, and getting to go on a ghost hunt with the Ghost Adventures Crew.
I have three books out right now, with a fourth being published very soon. My first book, The Quiet Game, is a collection of original short stories I wrote in college. My first novel, Reborn City, is a science fiction novel about street gangs in a dystopian city-state, and the connection between one rising gang called the Hydras and the mysterious leaders of the city. The sequel, Video Rage, comes out June 1st. I also have a thriller called Snake, about a serial killer hunting members of a powerful and dangerous mafia organization.
I’m also currently editing two novels, a thriller called Laura Horn and a horror novel called Rose, as well as compiling a collection of short stories I’m planning on calling Teenage Wasteland.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Video Rage is the sequel to Reborn City, which as I mentioned before is about a street gang called the Hydras living in a dystopian city-state. The leaders of this gang have special abilities, and they’re somehow connected to the leaders of the city. It’s a series I started writing in high school, not too long after watching the movie Freedom Writers. That movie, which is about teenage gangsters overcoming what people think of them and becoming better people, really struck a chord with me and made me see the movie about two or three times after that.
It wasn’t too long after I saw the movie that I had the idea for Reborn City. I was walking home from the library one summer afternoon, listening to some rap music and thinking how that music would have fit very well in Freedom Writers’ soundtrack. And then, I thought to myself, “I should write a story involving gangsters.” That was all it took. Immediately I started thinking of the possibilities, coming up with characters and deciding what sort of world this story would be set in. I didn’t start writing it until around April, but by then most of the ideas were formulated and I was ready to start working on the first draft.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to write either when I’m lying on a couch or on a bed, with the computer in my lap. I’ll also usually write in the evening, more often than not typing a few quick words during the commercial breaks of the ten or so shows I enjoy. If I’m not watching TV though, I’ll have something on in the background, usually music or ASMR videos, anything I can zone out to while I work.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Well, JK Rowling is definitely the reason I wanted to be a writer in the first place. Harry Potter blew my mind, and made me want to tell my own stories in fantastic worlds (though it took me about five years after being exposed to Harry Potter before I actually got serious about writing).
However, Anne Rice and Stephen King have probably had the biggest influences on me. I read Interview with the Vampire when I was eleven or twelve, and it blew my mind more than Harry Potter did. Not because of the fantastic world it took place in, though there was that. The writing was so beautiful and rich, the story went in directions that never failed to surprise me. It was such a deep, emotional story, and I loved every page of it. And then I got my hands on Stephen King’s It. Whoo-boy, did that one terrify the crap out of me. I was afraid to go to sleep because I was afraid a clown monster would come for me! Still, I read it, and when I was done I knew I wanted to be a horror writer.
Some other influences have been Dean Koontz and James Patterson, especially when it comes to writing serial killers and other psychopaths. And of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that all the manga I read in my teens has had a huge influence on the sort of stories I come up with.
What are you working on now?
Of course, I’m promoting Reborn City and Video Rage as the latter gets closer to coming out. After that though, I’ll do a third draft of Rose, with the hope of getting it done by fall. That way, I can plan ahead and do the final book in the Reborn City series for National Novel Writing Month. And after that, we’ll see.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Word of mouth, I guess. I’ve done Facebook and Twitter ads, I’ve done blog posts and interviews, but I think that most people have come to my books through word of mouth. Especially positive word of mouth: people who say positive things are better than any marketing team.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write the sort of books you would want to read. People are going to tell you, “Oh, you can only write what you know,” or “You should only write this genre because that’s popular.” If I did that stuff, I would be writing romance novels about young Jewish youth living in Columbus. Which would bore me to tears and I would stop writing altogether. Ignore those people, and write the stories you feel you should write. In the end, those are the stories that people will love to read, because those readers will feel your passion and love for your story.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t be afraid to try new things. If you stay in a small bubble and never try new things, you’ll run out of ideas really quickly. New experiences–from bungee jumping to vacations to foreign countries to even just reading about or taking a class on a subject you know nothing about–are the source of inspiration for authors. They provide ideas that we otherwise would never get. And if you doubt me, I went to Europe in 2014 on a study abroad trip, and had about forty ideas for stories over the course of three weeks. It’s that effective.
What are you reading now?
A whole ton of manga, as usual. I love Japanese comics, and I probably will never stop loving them. When I’m not knee-deep in manga though, I’m reading a book about daily living in Victorian England (putting into practice that whole “new experiences” thing I mentioned). I’m also listening to Battle Royale by Koushun Takami on audio book, and I’m planning on getting Gone Girl the next time I get my Audible credit.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I guess I’ll get Video Rage out, keep writing and editing my stories, and keep building an audience through a combination of blogging, word of mouth, and every other means at my disposal. With any luck, I will be able to write full-time someday.
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?
I knew I wasn’t the only one who asked this question in interviews! Hmm…let’s see. Well, Battle Royale by Koushun Takami is a fantastic story, so I would like to bring that with me. I would also probably take something over eight-hundred by Stephen King, probably It or The Stand. Other than that, I think I might take a copy of the Old Testament with annotations (love to stay close to my God) and perhaps something inspirational from history, like a copy of Schindler’s List.
Hopefully I won’t ever have to make this decision though. I love new books, so I rarely reread anything these days. Having only three or four books to choose from would probably drive me crazy.
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