He is an author, film producer, and actor. Growing up in Colorado, he now lives in Los Angeles, California. He is a nerd and avid Dungeons & Dragons, player. He wants to make the world a better place through storytelling, by imparting values of integrity, compassion, scientific curiosity, and bravery.
Q.1 Tell us something about yourself not many people know?
A. I was an officer in the Army Reserves back in the day!
Q.2 Are we going to read more from you in the near future? Any new project you’re working on?
A. Yes, I am working on a sci-fi novella and a 3rd fantasy novel!
Q.3 What inspired you to write Galgathor’s Gambit?
A. I wanted to write an epic fantasy adventure that had lots of twists and turns and was fast-paced and engaging. And I wanted to show a group of characters with diverse backgrounds and values coming together to unite and fight against evil.
Q.4 What is the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?
A. This is a great question! I think it’s a really awesome challenge as a writer to get to where you see through another person’s perspectives and write in a way that honors them. So striving for authenticity is the most difficult thing.
Q.5 How do you develop your plots and characters? Do you use any set formula?
A. I like to outline, writing at least a paragraph for each chapter to cover what main plot points need to happen. From there, I try to let the characters and their reactions go forward fluidly and see if I can steer things to hit each of those marks.
Q.6 How many books have you written? Which one is your favorite?
A. I have written two (and I co-wrote a third), my favorite is absolutely my latest, Galgathor’s Gambit. I think it's my most fun and enjoyable and that it is where I implemented everything I have learned about writing up until this point.
Q.7 What was the hardest part of writing this book?
A. I cannot really think of the hardest part, I really, thoroughly enjoyed writing Galgathor’s Gambit!
Q.8 Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?
A. I would tell stories and explore ideas in different mediums; films, comics, poetry, etc. So I guess that’s not really an answer since I currently do all of those things and they’re in the same vein as writing. So if I could not do any of that, I’d probably go into law or teaching.
Q.9 If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead role?
A. It’s funny that you ask this because, in my first book, Exile Into Sand, I had actors in my mind for just about every part that I wrote. But for Galgathor’s Gambit, I focused more on the characters’ values and goals and their past events and that brought them to life in my mind independent from the image of a specific performer playing them, so I really would like a new, up-and-coming actor to play them if it were ever adopted.
Q.10 Is it vital to get exposure and target the right readers for your writing, tell us about your marketing campaign?
A. Yes, I think being a self-published author is incredibly difficult to get exposure. I am very fortunate that my film work and other creative endeavors have given me a pretty large platform from which to talk about my writing, but even then, I still work hard to get my books out there.
Q.11 If you could be a member of any fantasy race, which would you choose and why?
A. I love Kenku from the Dungeons & Dragons pantheon of species. They’re essentially raven-people, and I think ravens and crows are super cool and intelligent, so I love playing Kenku characters in games, and writing similar species into my stories (one of Galgathor’s Gambit’s protagonists is a K’ura, which is my version of raven-people).
Q.12 What is one stereotype about fantasy writers is absolutely wrong? What one stereotype is dead on?
A. Hmmm, I would have to say that really any stereotypes are wrong since so many people write fantasy and its such a broad and diverse genre. Although, I am a super nerdy, enthusiast about the fantasy that I love, so I suppose that’s a category I fall into.
Q.13 Do you ever research real events, legends, or myths to get ideas?
A. Not too much actually, I like to come up with fresh scenarios and have my characters navigate those.
Q.14 Among all the supporting characters in your book, who is dear to you and why?
A. It’s hard to pick one that is more dear to me than the others. I really enjoyed exploring all of them. If I had to pick one supporting character from Galgathor’s Gambit, I guess I would pick Kalagonn; I really enjoy her simplistic and straightforward worldview and the filter through which she makes decisions.
Q.15 Who designed your book cover? How do you select him/her?
A. The very talented artist Will Shaw. He’s a dear friend and collaborator and I was honored that he did the cover of Galgathor’s Gambit!
Q.16 How do you select the name of your characters?
A. They’re either just random names that come to me or I’m referencing characters from some other show/book/movie that I love.
Q.17 Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with good or bad ones?
A. I do. Of course, harsh ones hurt, but the positive ones always outweigh the negative ones. I told myself when began writing that if something I wrote resonated with just one person it would be worth all of the work, and I wholeheartedly believe that.
Q.18 Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?
A. James S.A. Corey; which is actually two people, it’s the pen name for authors Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck and they wrote my favorite book series ever.
Q.19 What is your favorite book from other authors and why?
A. The Expanse books by James S.A. Corey. They are incredibly well-written, deeply thought out, and insightful science fiction that just grips your imagination and never lets it go. And they always reminiscence on the vast scale of space and the cosmos and that just makes my brain so happy.
Q.20 Share the experience of your writing journey so far?
A. I have enjoyed creative writing my whole life, but I really did not start doing it full time until the pandemic, when I had time off of work. So far, during the pandemic, I have written two books, started the third one, and written three feature-length screenplays.
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Great interview!
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