Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a Gerber baby, being born in Fremont, Michigan, home of Gerber Baby Foods, but I live in Madison, Wisconsin now. A place described as 77 Square miles surrounded by reality. And yes, my name is Spike.I wanted to be the greatest motorcycle racer in the world until reality set in. After all that, I wrote a piece for a bike magazine and they paid me for it. I was in love with two vixens, writing and greed. I took greed and went into business long enough to meet my creditors and their hate mail.
911 reminded me we are mortal and why the hell am I doing this. I went back to the other vixen and wrote a book. Many times. Same book, just again and again. I learned the craft and get hate mail from my friends now.
That was step one and it was really hard. Now I am digging through the hard layers of rock and dry clay you would call selling the thing. I have one book done, and the next is being dug out right now while I type with one hand.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
At First Light is my first book and… Adventure! But unlike many adventure books where the anti-hero is invincible and out shoots and outwits the entire population, I like adventure books where the protagonist is a person who is thrown into the fire and really struggles to survive. And I’m a pushover for the strong heroine.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to write in public places with music blasting in my headphones. I need something to occupy part of my brain so I can be creative.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Jack London and Robert Lewis Stevenson for pure adventure writing, Jim Croce for writing emotion with the use of the written word. Steven King and Eric Jerome Dickey for characters who blossom upon the page so bright you must send them Christmas cards. David Westheimer for pure storytelling chops that is the magic of books. I will stop here before we have to cut down another tree, but the list is long.
Tough cal on the book. I can argue for a half dozen but because you backed me into a corner and held a knife to my throat; Jack London’s The sea Wolf. The protagonist is alone in a world where every person lords over him and he pays the price with pain and frustration, beaufilly displayed with London’s pen. Awash in a ship where he has no skills anong hard men, he flourishes through guts and a great mind. And the will to survive as he dominates all on his pathway of destruction with one of the great antagonists of the written word; London’s Captain Wolf Larson.
What are you working on now?
A piece set in Hawaii, where the ultimate weapon is being debuted while someone is trying to kill it because it is the ultimate weapon. I am tying it to local legend and the scenery is breathtaking. I know, I was captured by the Islands, and I hope to get you too.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Reader sites like this Awesomgang! I have always found readers here.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Work, write, work on it. And write the second and third book. You won’t be a success unless you have inventory to sell.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Work, write, work on it. And write the second and third book. You won’t be a success unless you have inventory to sell.
What are you reading now?
1963 by the King Steven.
Steven King knows how to write a good book.
What’s next for you as a writer?
More books. Really that is all a writer has. If he stops the things in his head put the screws to him.
And a beach somewhere.
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 would bring a kindle and a solar cell. and load 1369 books on it before the boat hit that iceberg.
Start with Treasure Island.
Author Websites and Profiles
Spike Pedersen Website
Spike Pedersen Amazon Profile
Spike Pedersen’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile