Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello! I’m a martial arts instructor and author. I run my own school, Jade Mountain Martial Arts, in Katy, TX. I’ve written eleven books so far, and I’m working on others. Five of them are epic fantasy, three are urban fantasy, and I also have three exercise books.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is called Grim Obligations: Book 3 in the GrimFaerie Chronicles. It’s an Urban Fantasy story set in Katy and West Houston, Tx. It’s the third book with these characters, a Fae assassin who’s a surly good guy, a tough Texas witch who loves firearms, and a mysterious detective who has far more magick in her than she should. I’m having a ton of fun seeing what kind of trouble they get into and how they kick the necessary asses to handle that trouble. 🙂
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
As a small business owner, I have to squeeze my writing in between all my other duties, so I don’t have consistent writing times. I’ve written chapters on my phone during physical therapy (riding the stationary bike) as well as dictating notes while I run errands.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Dennis L McKiernan’s an amazing fantasy author. I’d love to be like him when I grow up, but I’ll settle for being myself, lol. I love Raymond E Feist and Robert E Howard’s fantasy and swords and sorcery tales, respectively. Jim Butcher’s my favorite urban fantasy author, and I love Dean Koontz and Stephen King as well.
What are you working on now?
I’ve been pleasantly surprised by my fans’ enthusiastic response to my GrimFaerie Chronicles, so I’ve got book 4 in the works at the moment along with a standalone story from that same universe as well. In addition, I have a prequel to my Epic Fantasy trilogy on the back burner.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m still trying to figure out the best way to promote my books! I try to stay active on Social Media, I’ve got a newsletter that I occasionally send out, and I have ads at most of the usual places. I’m always learning and trying new ways to let people know about my books. And I admit, I LOVE having a booth at fantasy conventions!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Shut up and write. Don’t edit anything, just write. Write a ton. Write badly, write well, whatever, just write. You can’t edit an empty page, so allow yourself to sit down and write whatever comes into your mind without censoring yourself. You can always go back and change it later.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
When you think you’re finished editing, go back and read every single word out loud. You’ll catch mistakes, I guarantee it.
What are you reading now?
At the moment, I’m reading ‘Breaker’ by Amy Campbell. It’s a western fantasy, and I’m enjoying it immensely!
What’s next for you as a writer?
I want to keep writing stories in the two worlds I have right now. There are so many characters to explore in both the modern stories and the epic fantasy tales, I really want to see how things progress. I have enough material for quite a few books, so I just need to keep moving forward. Alternatively, I’d like to see my books reach a wider audience, but I think any writer wants that. 😉
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, stranded on a desert island…how about a book on Desert Island Survival as the first choice, followed by Attracting Attention That Will Get You Rescued…? Kidding, sorry. I’d need at least one of those books to be blank so I could get some writing done, but I’d have a hard time picking so few others to take with me. Probably DragondDoom by Dennis L McKiernan, Lightning by Dean Koontz, and maybe Pet Sematary by Stephen King. All favorites.
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