Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve written one nonfiction history book, Fips, Bots, Doggeries, and More (2012), which is based on a journal written by my great-great-great grandfather to chronicle his 1838 trip from Cincinnati to New York City. I’m currently working on Pride of the Valley, a companion volume to that book, which is projected to be published in 2017.
I also write YA thrillers! Counteract (2014) and Resist (2015) are the first two volumes in the Resistance Series. Here’s a little about the premise for Counteract: Who do you trust when your world unravels and everything you believed is a lie? For the past fifteen years, The Office of Civilian Safety and Defense has guarded the public against the rampant threat of terrorism. Teenagers Tommy and Careen have never known life without the government-approved Civilian Restrictions. For them, there’s no social media. No one is allowed to gather in public places or attend concerts or sporting events. Only a small, select group of adults have driving privileges. It’s a small price to pay for safety. Now a new, more deadly, terrorist threat looms: airborne chemical weapons that can be activated without warning. The OCSD is ready with an antidote to counteract the effects of the toxins. Three drops a day is all it takes. It’s a small price to pay for health. Tommy and Careen obediently take the antidote; neither considers stopping when strange things begin to happen. The day the disaster sirens signal the dreaded attack, Tommy shares his last dose with Careen, even though doing so might hasten his death. It’s a small price to pay for a friend. Follow Tommy and Careen as they uncover a web of lies and deceit reaching to the highest levels of the United States government and join an underground resistance group that’s determined to expose the truth.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Ignite, the third book in the Resistance Series, picks up where Resist left off. I love working with Tommy and Careen and the rest of the cast of these books, and can’t wait to let readers know what happens next as they take on the oppressive Office of Civilian Safety and Defense!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write in notebooks and then, after the words have had time to stew, type them into the computer, where the scenes really take form.
I listen to my characters speak (yes, inside my head) and let them direct the story.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I studied creative writing with Daniel Keyes, author of Flowers for Algernon. He was a huge influence on my desire to write.
What are you working on now?
Besides Pride of the Valley, Ignite, and Revolt (which will be the final volume in the Resistance Series) I have an idea in the pipeline for an historical fiction about a young woman who was a member of the Dutch Resistance during World War II. It is based on a true story.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I love live events for interacting with readers, and I think I promote my books best in person. I use Facebook and Twitter, as well as paid promotions, to reach out to new readers.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up! Learn all you can about the craft of writing. Try and stay organized, and be sure to invest in a good editor.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Follow your dream. Oh, and write like everyone you know is dead so you don’t shrink from telling your story the way it needs to be told!
What are you reading now?
I just finished Delirium.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Gotta go–I have a deadline for Ignite!
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?
Gone with the Wind
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Looking for Alaska
Understood Betsy
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