Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I began writing thirteen years ago and have completed seven novels and a partial autobiography. I say partial autobiography because the small book contains the stories of my childhood for my grandchildren. The world I grew up in no longer exists and I wanted them to know my stories.
My novels cover recent and current periods in our present time. There is a political theme, a smattering of sci-fi, a bit of romance, and some real scary parts. I have been told by many the books are real pager turners. I hope you find them to be so.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest novel is entitled Cauldron. It is the second in my series, The Cauldron Chronicles. I was inspired by the corruption in modern politics and the amazing fact that no one is ever caught or prosecuted for the things they have done. In my stories, the bad guys do have to face their crimes. Some of the penalties are instant, others take a little longer to be fully discovered.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
It all depends on where I am in a particular story. If I’m slogging through the developmental stages, I find myself searching for spicy scenes to move detailed parts along. When the action really gets rolling, I tend to be glued to my laptop. Sporadic is a good word to use for my style. Now if I could just plug my imagination into my computer, it would flow in a continuous stream. But then most of it would be edited out.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
It’s an odd combination of mystery writers from twenty-plus years ago and the more action-oriented spymasters of current times.
What are you working on now?
At present, I’m in the middle of the sequel to Cauldron. It is entitled Insurrection. I should have it finished and out by mid to late spring of 2022.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
This has always been a challenge to me as it probably is for many authors. Self-promotion is not in me naturally. I tend to prefer to just be left alone. Let me do my gardening, tell my stories, and have a chance to cook dinner. When it comes to promoting my books, I rely on Facebook a lot and am just beginning to learn about great places like Awesome Gang, Crave Books, and Goodreads.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write! Pour it all out. Dump yourself into the trenches of your story and dig it all out. Then, humbly submit your work to your editor and learn to listen to someone outside your head.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
It actually came from my wife, Jan. She is a devoted reader. She told me to be willing to let parts of my story go. Somethings I really worked hard on and cherished. If it doesn’t advance the story, it detracts from the story. It was a hard lesson for me to learn.
What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading Blink, by Ted Dekker. His stories combine supercharged plots blended with the supernatural.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m seeking to discover the continuation of my two series, the Oak Mountain Trilogy and the Cauldron Chronicles, to the next twist of international skullduggery. I have another series that I have not developed about a private detective and his assistant, an invisible, twenty-five-foot-tall angel named Watcher. Again, it’s the self-promotion thing.
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?
The Black Stallion, The Rosie Project, Les Miserable, and the Bible.
Author Websites and Profiles
Stephen Gerdel Amazon Profile
Stephen Gerdel’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile