Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
In 1996 my sister died in a car accident. Suddenly, I was an only child. I realized I was a college drop out drifting through life without direction or a plan. It was a major turning point in my life. I went back to school and got a degree in Business with a minor in Psychology, graduating Summa Cum Laude. I became a stockbroker. I’d always enjoyed reading science fiction and fantasy books, so I tried to write my first book. Over the years, I met other authors and read every book I could get my hands on about the craft of writing. I had been working and reworking the same novel for ten years: Cat’s Tale. I couldn’t get it quite right. It continues to be a work in progress. Frustrated, I pushed it aside and began a new project. I wanted something that felt like the action adventures of Clive Cussler married with a Star Wars like space opera. That grew into The Burning Son. I published it in 2016. At present, there are three books in the series, and I’m busy writing the fourth Twin Sons.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My wife and I were out with some friends when the subject came up about what it takes to be financially secure. You may think this is an odd topic, but my wife and I get it a lot. She’s a tenured financial advisor, and I was a stockbroker for twenty years before I became a writer. The topic comes up more than you’d imagine.
My wife and I launch into some easy rules for getting your finances in order. We answer this question a lot and we rattle it off like the practiced pros we are. We wind down quickly, and our friend stares at us and blinks a couple of times. Finally, she says, “It sounds so easy, why isn’t everyone doing it.”
My wife shrugs, “It is easy, but it takes discipline. People have lives, jobs, and kids. Thinking about making the most of their money isn’t a priority. They’d much rather be thinking about fun things like hobbies, quality time with family, and vacations.”
“They get to the end of the month, “I continued, “and start thinking about bills. It’s only then that they wonder where it all went.”
She thought about it for a minute, and said, “It would be great if someone wrote this all down. You should write a book about it.”
I laughed. I write mostly science fiction and fantasy. I never considered writing a financial self-help book.
The next day my wife asked me about the book idea.
“Hypothetically,” she started, “what would it take write a book like that?”
I went into a few of the thousand and one details about what it takes to get a book published, but she stopped me. “Not the publishing part. What would it take to write it?”
That turned into Ten Steps to Reach Financial Success. It’s written and in editing right now. With a little luck, it’ll be out next year.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I use music to get me in the mood to write. When I’m writing a funny scene, I listen to One Little Spark by the Sherman Brothers. When writing pirate adventure scenes I listen to the soundtrack from Event Horizon. When I’m writing fantasy pieces, I listen to music from The Lord of the Rings.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Wow, that’s quite the list. Um, I guess I’ll start with the Martian Tales of Edgar Rice Burroughs. My godmother gave me the first three books when I was nine. They sat on a shelf until I was twelve, then I read them all in a week. I was hooked. Being Sci-fi and Fantasy, I started grabbing every book I could get my hands on in those genres. Terry Brooks was another favorite. More recently, my work is influenced by the adventure books by Clive Cussler and his cabal of co-writers. I also have friends who also write space opera. Nathan Lowell, Terry Mixon, and Jamie McFarlane are some names you might recognize in that group.
What are you working on now?
Mostly Twin Sons, book four in the Burning Son series. I’m also editing Ten Steps to Reach Financial Success, collating the puns I post every day into 1001 Puns, Dad Jokes, and One Liners, and working on a completely tongue in cheek fantasy novel which doesn’t have a name yet.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Awesome Gang of course! Amazon ads, Facebook ads, and as always, the best way to sell your book is to write the next one.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write! It doesn’t matter if it’s good or not, keep writing. Join a critique group, go to writing conferences, build your writing tribe, read everything you can get your hands on about the craft of writing. Do all that, and you’ll be a writer.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Nothing will get you further in life than a positive attitude. This is especially true for writers. We put ourselves out there for the world to see, and there are a lot of people who take great pleasure in tearing other people down. Ignore them. They aren’t worth your time. Yes men, may not improve your writing, but they will keep you going when you’re struggling to put one word in front of the other.
What are you reading now?
Singularity Witness by Dan Grant and Fairmist by Todd Fahnstock. They’re both good friends of mine and their books have been on my nightstand for too long. I’m a little ahead on my book reviews right now. I post two every month.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Expanding my markets. I have a successful space opera series. Moving into Humor, Fantasy, Financial Self-help, and a little technical writing on the side will expand my writing wings and give me more sources of writing income.
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?
3 or 4 books? That’s not enough by far! Omnibus editions of the latest sci-fi and fantasy novels. That way I’ll get seven books for every 1. Twenty-eight books should get me through a month or so.
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