Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a clean YA fantasy author with four books and a prequel in The Azetha Series, a story about a princess who discovers she’s not really a princess, but a hybrid elf/elemental. I’ve also written a couple of short stories as well as poetry.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest release is a middle-grade book called CHUM: A Caleb Stark FBI Short Story. This book was inspired by a spur-of-the-moment story my brother-in-law, Jeff, told one year around the campfire at Lake Powell. The nieces and nephews love it when he tells them stories about pretending to be an agent and parachuting into places around the world.
I love Lake Powell, but it’s hard for me to get into the water when I know there are living creatures in there with me. And it’s harder still for me to get into the water after writing CHUM. Really hard.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I can’t say that I have any unusual writing habits. I write in our family room and in order to write I have to clear the clutter and have my writing area set up. That means having a clean kitchen behind me and having a Diet Coke and water at hand. I also have to check my email before I start because I need to mentally clear things out of the way before I begin.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I love writing fantasy, or stories that have some kind of fantastical or magical element in them. I was influenced in my early years by C.S. Lewis’ The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe, as well as by JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit. I was drawn in with the ideas of traveling through portals to other worlds as well as enraptured with elves and elementals. I loved the battles between good and evil, epic journeys and everyday heroes.
In my later teens I discovered Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time Series which had me fascinated with Jordan’s ability to carry multiple characters and storylines in a masterful way. I was saddened that Jordan passed away before he could finish the series and grateful to Brandon Sanderson who finished it out, doing justice to what I believe Jordan would’ve done.
What are you working on now?
Now that CHUM is complete and released, I have several projects I am working on, including a non-fiction Surviving Motherhood series, a middle-grade contemporary fantasy series, and an online editing course for writers. It’s a lot to juggle and we’ll see which project gets to the finish line first.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still a work in progress when it comes to promoting books. I probably default to Facebook and Twitter the most for book promotion and that’s because those are the two sites that I’m most familiar with.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice for new authors would be to keep on trying, keep on writing. Don’t give up when you get negative feedback from others, because it’s going to happen. I’ve always tried to remember that not everyone is going to be your reader or your fan.
I’m a forever learner and I look at the feedback closely that I get from others. Some of it I take and learn from it, and some of it I set aside, realizing that it’s feedback from someone who isn’t a reader of my genre. It just doesn’t apply to me.
So keep on going, and keep on trying.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice I ever heard was to join the League of Utah Writers. I was a new writer at the time and I was struggling to find resources about writing and publishing. I instinctively felt like there were more resources out there to help writers like me, but I just wasn’t finding them. I went to a local writing event and met several people who advised me to join the League. It was the best advice I’ve been given. I immediately began finding the answers I needed and was connected with a community of supportive writers who have continued to help me with my writing career.
What are you reading now?
I’m the worst when it comes to reading. I can’t read one book at a time, I read several depending on the mood I’m in. Let’s see, I’m reading Fatherhood, The Manliest Profession, Writing Irresistable Kidlit, and re-reading Tesla’s Attic.
What’s next for you as a writer?
My primary love is writing fantasy, but I’m hoping to also make a difference with my Surviving Motherhood series which has a focus on moms who are parenting children with RAD (reactive attachment disorder) and ADHD. The more I talk with these moms, the more I see a need for them to feel a connection with other moms, for them to know that they have a community, a tribe of others like them. We’re all trying to do our best for our kids and trying to survive from day to day.
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?
If I could choose three books to take with my on a desert island my first choice would definitely be my scriptures. I especially love Psalms and Proverbs. When I’m having a tough time I turn to those amazing sections for advice and comfort. Jane Eyre is a classic love story that I’d love to have with me. And if I could have the whole Wheel of Time series as one giant tome, then I’d pick that as my third. I know, that’s kind of cheating, but those are my choices.
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