WHEN DID YOU FIRST KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A WRITER AND WHY?
When I was about ten and reading Stephen King, I knew I wanted to do that when I grew up. I loved to read and I wanted to tell stories just like he did. I also loved Goosebumps and anything sci-fi or fantasy.
AS A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU ASPIRE TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?
I wanted to be a writer from pretty much as soon as I wanted to be anything.
HOW DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR YOUR AWARD WINNING TITLE?
I wanted to contribute to the conversations dealing with social issues and the problems America is facing.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LINE FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK AND WHY?
I don't have a favorite line, but I do have a favorite scene, and that is when Richard and Jason are getting ready to close for the night and Richard confronts his brother. The way the conversation flips on him is something I worked hard on.
WHICH OF YOUR CHARACTERS FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING TITLE DO YOU BELIEVE ARE MOST LIKE YOU AND WHY?
Jason is most like me because of the personality. Richard is more like my brother.
WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HOPE READERS WILL GLEAN FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK?
I wanted people who read the book to be able to take something away. I didn't want to stereotype anyone and to specifically avoid using gender or racial identifiers that are considered the 'norm'. This has actually caused a lot of readers to shy away from the story because they expect people to act like the ones they see in real life.
WHAT OTHER BOOKS HAVE YOU PUBLISHED?
Ripples Through Time (2015 Literary Classics Award Winning Book)
TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A WRITER:
I get sidetracked easily and often have five-ten different stories in progress at a time.
WHICH AUTHOR HAS MOST GREATLY INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING STYLE?
Stephen King.
WHAT BOOK HAS HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE?
Stephen King's On Writing changed my entire style and helped me become a much better writer.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ACCOMPLISHMENT?
Right now I would say winning Kindle Scout to get a Kindle Press contract for Raven's Peak. I worked incredibly hard on the thirty day campaign and managed to win out over hundreds of other awesome books.
DO YOU HAVE ANY WRITING RITUALS?
Not really. I just like to sit down and put the words on paper. I prefer rewriting.
HOW DID YOU GET PUBLISHED?
I started out self-publishing and then moved on to trying out Kindle Scout to try and get a contract, but I still don't have an agent.
WHAT DID YOU DO TO CELEBRATE THE COMPLETION/PUBLISH DATE/OR OTHER OF YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK?
I went out to dinner with my wife and we had a nice evening together!
CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE PROCESS OF BECOMING PUBLISHED AND ANY TIPS YOU MIGHT OFFER FOR OTHER ASPIRING AUTHORS?
Just keep working at it. The biggest mistake you can make is thinking you're getting good at writing because you should always be improving. If each book is better than the last then you are doing something right.
CAN YOU OFFER ANY ADVICE FOR WRITERS ON HOW BEST TO PROMOTE THEIR BOOK?
Get it in front of people. No matter how good it is, if people never see it then it won't sell. Sometimes you might buy an advertisement and it won't sell any copies, but it's still getting seen, and maybe the next time or the time after that someone will buy it. It's a slow process, marketing.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS?
When you find an author you like, let them know that their books meant something! Positive feedback gives me the confidence to keep trying.
DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS?
I'm working on my science fiction series right now and the sequel to Raven's Peak.
Hopefully I'll have two new books from the Graveyard of Empires series and another Raven's Peak book out by the end of this year. That's the current goal! All of them will be up on Amazon!
LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org
awesome post!
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