Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up on the East Coast of the United States. I have a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and work as a Mechanical Designer while I ponder the absurdity of existence and suffer from curiosity, creativity, anxiety, and depression. I live with my wife and two cats, DeLorean and Taco.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The City Below the Cloud was inspired by the dystopia we live in today and a possible future of it. One important role of writing is organizing thoughts and concepts to better understand the world we live in today and plan for the world of tomorrow. I think Science Fiction is one of the best vehicles for this because it removes all limits and lets the ideas move to their natural extremes.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I guess one habit is that I do a lot of world-building in the shower. I’ll zone out for a while and explore every facet of a world and how it relates to the characters in the story I’m writing. I’m not sure how unusual that is, though.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I think my main influence would have to be Frank Herbert. His Dune series really showed me what was possible with writing. Another one is Arthur C. Clarke, his story and concept centric approach elevates writing beyond just character. Then, on the reverse, Lucy Maude Montgomery shows how powerful characters can be in transporting a reader to another world.
What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on a collection of short stories that exist in the same universe in the future and are tangentially related to each other via a scientific think tank in Antarctica.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I enjoy hearing what people think of my book and what they took away from it, so I’ve mainly tried to find book bloggers. They read it and tell their readers about their experience. Then, the book’s true audience can find it through them.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write the stories that are important to you and have meaning. Without meaning, a story becomes hollow.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
A story may have already been told, but it hasn’t been told by you.
What are you reading now?
Right now I’m reading through the Pali-canon, the Buddhist bible, for lack of a better explanation. I found out it was only fully translated into English within my lifetime and I’ve really been enjoying the wisdom in it. I’m also rereading ‘The Giver’ series. Lois Lowry does a really good job of creating unique cultures to explore and learn from.
What’s next for you as a writer?
More short stories. My story idea list is up to 86, so there’s plenty more that my brain wants to say. Hopefully, I can find the time and focus to write it all down.
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?
Let’s see, first would be something nice and relaxing like one of the Anne books. I think Anne’s House of Dreams. Then, something with hope like Childhood’s End. I would definitely need one of the Dune books; I think maybe God Emperor. Lastly, so I never run out of things to read, The Neverending Story.
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