Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve lived a very charmed life, and I’m forever wondering what might come next. In the first 40 years of my life, I’ve been a monk, a Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol Deputy, an author, and a GLBT activist…and those are just a few of the highlights. Still, it’s my fascination with other people’s stories that really makes me a writer.
I’ve written five books so far, and I’m in the process of publishing my third one right now.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called The Knowing, and it was inspired by the spiritual revolution I’ve witnessed and personally experienced on the planet in the past 15 years.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Great question! I really enjoy being tied up and beaten with a large–oh sorry, you said unusual WRITING habits. Well, I think most of my writing habits are fairly usual, but I do tend to listen to the same music all the time when I’m writing. It’s two tracks from a CD I bought years ago, and I’ve since found them on YouTube too, so I’ll just play them over and over again.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s book, Good Omens, influenced my religious fiction series more than any other. It made me want to tell my own stories of what Heaven and Hell were really like. I’ll often quote the Left Behind series too, even though many people think they’re kooky. Sure, they’re a bit out there, but from a fiction standpoint, they’re brilliant adventures in storytelling! I’d be remiss if I didn’t add the Harry Potter series and J. K. Rowling, John Milton’s Paradise Lost, the writings of Saint Augustine, and Anne Rice’s Christ the Lord and Angel Time books. All of these have influenced my first three books the most.
What are you working on now?
Between late May and early June 2015, I’ll be preparing my third book for publication. Almost immediately after that, I’ll be working on the edits for my fourth book, Finishing Forty, which I should have ready by early November. And at some point this summer, I hope to return to writing my fifth book, Inside Out, a novel based on my last year as a monk.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
It really is my readers who have helped me more than anything else. I do as much promotion as I can on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Goodreads, and more, but word of mouth and the generosity of my friends and family members who share my book’s Amazon links and add reviews to Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes & Noble have helped me tremendously.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes. Write first, edit later. Your readers can tell when your train of thought got sidetracked, so keep on writing for as long as you can each time you sit down to type. You can go back and edit it all later on.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Besides write first, edit later, I also love this advice from celebrated indie author Hugh Howey: “Make sure your work is as amazing as you can make it before putting it out there.”
What are you reading now?
The Big Miss, by Hank Haney.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Broadway! And Hollywood!
Okay, maybe not yet, but a boy can dream.
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 suppose I’d take my collected works of Shakespeare, because it’s a big book that’d take me quite a while to read, and even once I was done, I could go back and re-read them over and over again. Beyond that, I’m thinking at least one book about survival might be a good idea. And the last one or two? Perhaps a gigantic book of word puzzles, and an extra large writing journal. (I hope to be left with some pens and pencils too please.)
Author Websites and Profiles
Sean Patrick Brennan Amazon Profile
Sean Patrick Brennan’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
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