Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m based in Calgary in Western Canada and am an author of science fiction and fantasy novels for children and young adults, including The Alchemist’s Portrait, The Sorcerer’s Letterbox, The Clone Conspiracy, The Emerald Curse, The Heretic’s Tomb, The Doomsday Mask, The Time Camera, The Sphere of Septimus, Flashback, and Future Imperfect. I’m also the author of The Children’s Writer’s Guide, The Working Writer’s Guide, The Social Media Writer’s Guide, and many non-fiction books.
I offer a wide variety of presentations, workshops and author in residence programs for schools and libraries, covering such topics as the writing process, editing and revision, where ideas come from and how writers turn them into stories, character development, historical fiction and historical research, story structure, the publishing world and more. I’m an instructor for adults with the University of Calgary and Mount Royal University and offers a variety of online workshops for both children and adults. I also offer a number of services for writers, including manuscript evaluation, editing, writing workshops and coaching, plus copywriting services for the business community.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My later novel for young adults was published this spring. Future Imperfect is an exciting adventure featuring technology, teenage geniuses, corporate espionage, and mysterious messages. Most kids these days are very familiar with laptops, tablets, and video games, and don’t go anywhere without their cell phones, so the technology and gadgets that feature in the story make the novel very appealing for young readers.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do tend to mostly write late at night but many writers do that, so I’m not sure whether that would be classed as unusual. I also sometimes go to coffee shops to work on outlines for stories, specific parts of chapters, and so on, or occasionally just to get away from the home office for a while.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read a lot of science fiction novels and collections of short stories while growing up, as well C S Lewis, Tolkien, other fantasy writers and ghost stories. I also read a tremendous number of comic books as a child, which were great for the imagination. At high school, I studied a great deal of history and have retained my interest in the subject up to the present day. I also read voraciously on ancient civilizations, mysteries, the supernatural, and the unexplained.
When I began my career as a writer I was influenced by the earlier books in the Harry Potter series. However, I didn’t want to write about wizards, dragons, or magic, but rather about the things that I was interested in, such as time travel, the paranormal, superheroes, ancient mysteries, or history. I was also influenced by Phillip Pullman’s The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass, along with some other excellent fantasy and science fiction works.
What are you working on now?
My paranormal novel, Flashback, was published in 2015 and two sequels are coming out next year, so I assume that I’ll be doing some editing work on those. I’m also currently working on a science fiction trilogy about a parallel universe that I hope to have completed by the end of the year. I’ve had the concept for quite a while, but it’s one of those stories that continually improves, in my opinion, and as it’s being written I get ideas all the time to expand it further.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have a website, blog, and am very active on social media and while these are very effective I still find that promotion in person seems to be the best method for books written for children and young adults. I do a great deal of teaching and conduct writing workshops for both children and adults, which helps to promote the novels and other books. I also do many book signings at local bookstores throughout the year. This not only helps to sell books but also to promote my other services for writers, such as editing, coaching, or online workshops and courses.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Writing is in some ways the easy part. It can be a very long process not only to write a book, but also to get it published. A book is a marathon measured in years rather than weeks or months. Don’t be afraid to revise and revise over and over again. Most authors go through many revisions before their work reaches its final format. Remember too that your book will never be to everyone’s taste, so don’t be discouraged. A firm belief in your own success is often what’s necessary. After all, if you don’t believe in your book, how can you expect other people to?
Read as much as you can and write as often as you can. Keep an ideas file, even if it’s only a name, title, sentence or an entire outline for a novel. You never know when you might get another piece of the puzzle, perhaps years later. You also mustn’t forget the marketing. You may produce the greatest book ever written. However, no one else is going to see it if your book doesn’t become known to potential readers. Be visible as an author. Do as many readings, signings and personal appearances as you can. Get your name out there and hopefully the rest will follow. Especially for newly published authors, books don’t sell themselves and need a lot of help.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Probably to keep writing, read as much as you can, and always be open to new ideas. After all, you never know when you’ll get a really good one.
What are you reading now?
I’m always reading a wide variety of things, either online or in books and magazines. Sometimes this is for research purposes or during the editing process for clients but at other times purely for pleasure, either fiction or nonfiction and either new material or books in my own collection that I refer to every now and then.
What’s next for you as a writer?
As I mentioned, the sequels to Flashback will be published next year so I’m sure I’ll be tinkering with those stories in the coming months. I also hope to start work on two sequels to Future Imperfect. The novel has proved quite popular so far so I want to explore the possibilities of further adventures for Alex, Stephanie, and the other characters that appear in the novel. I’m also considering at least two potential sequels to my fantasy novel, The Sphere of Septimus, which was published in 2014.
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’m not sure but perhaps a book all about tips and advice related to surviving on a deserted island might be a good idea.
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