He is a devoted doggy dad and husband to his wife and lives in Kansas. He spends his free time away from work writing, doing nature photography, and working on his podcast. When not working or any of his hobbies, he’s playing with the dogs or relaxing in the yard.
Q.1 Tell us something about yourself not many people know?
A. I can play all of the brass instruments.
Q.2 What inspired you to write the Beacon series?
A. I actually had commented to a friend of mine I would never write fantasy. Then I went to the dentist and was put on nitrous oxide (laughing gas), and the idea to write a fantasy series was born. This series came from that gaseous moment.
Q. 3 Are we going to read more from you in the near future? Any new project you’re working on?
A. This series contains five total books, the other four in various editing stages. After that, I have another five-book series titled Treasure of Nogard that is written and needs editing. My most current project is a mega 14-book series titled Reversion.
Q.4 What is the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?
A. Conveying how they act and react to the other sex is a challenge because I’m not a woman, so I may not have a solid grasp on how a woman would respond to things. So I ask my wife to help me with that.
Q.5 Do you plan out your books before you start writing, or do you just write and see where it takes you?
A. I plot out a basic outline but then begin to write it. If I write and veer off from the outline, that’s just how the story goes. I’ll work to get back to the outline, but I have also found the outline can hinder me from the story that my characters want to tell.
Q.6 How long, on average, does it takes you to write a book?
A. The average would be fifty days. When I am on the idea, and I can keep the idea fresh, I can really work through the book. I generally try to write for an hour or more per day.
Q.7 How many books have you written? Which one is your favorite?
A. To date, I have published two others besides this one. Both of those are military fiction. Of the three, the fantasy series and this book, Wizards’ War, is my favorite.
Q.8 Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?
A. I would be reading everything I could and do woodworking or nature photography.
Q.9 If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead role?
A. That is a very hard question to answer because there are so many wonderful actors and actresses. For Harsohn, it would have to be Kit Harington, and for Avmey, it would be Emilia Clarke.
Q.10 Is it vital to get exposure and target the right readers for your writing, tell us about your marketing campaign?
A. I am marketing through various podcasts, interviews, paid advertising, as well as doing multiple events. I am also working on setting up book signings and going to other events where possible. Marketing is key and critical. Without it, you have minimal chances of success.
Q.11 If you could be a member of any fantasy race, which would you choose and why?
A. Dragon - I mean, I can fly!
Q.12 If you could invite one character to dinner from your books at home, who would it be and why?
A. Og’aris. The man is a legend when it comes to food! I’d love to talk to him about life in general as he’s a very well-learned man, but just a happy fun going guy.
Q.13 What three things a reader can expect from your books?
A. Action, characters finding themselves and what they were meant to do, interpersonal growth, and attachment.
Q.14 Among all the supporting characters in your books, who is dear to you and why?
A. With so many different supporting characters, I really like Mayi. She’s smart, witty, and no-nonsense but can also be soft and caring.
Q.15 Who designed your book cover? How do you select them?
A. I found a cover designer through another author, and her name is Francesca Vance. She does a wonderful job and is patient with all my crazy ideas.
Q.16 How do you select the name of your characters?
A. Some of them I just formed out of my head or looked at the letters. For others, I used fantasynamegenerator.com to help me get ideas.
Q.17 Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with good or bad ones?
A. I do read them. I find that they can help me, even the bad ones. It’s all in how you look at them or accept them.
Q.18 Which famous person, living or dead, would you like to meet and why?
A. Thomas Edison. I’d love to figure out the thoughts behind how he came about wanting to figure out electricity and other things he came up with.
Q.19 Are there any new books or authors in science fiction or fantasy (or both!) have you excited about? What are you reading right now?
A. I am currently reading Katie Cherry’s Crystal Dragon series, and I am truly enjoying it. I’m on book three of seven right now. I strongly suggest anyone who enjoys reading about dragons, shapeshifting and crazy twists and turns to check them out!
Q.20 Share the experience of your writing journey so far?
A. I started writing in 2014 at the challenge of my wife. She wanted me to write a story for NaNoWriMo and I accepted the challenge. That is where the military fiction series Ghost One came from. After that, I found that I enjoyed writing fantasy, which has become my new focus.
Share your social account links -
Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1245340729627020/
No comments:
Post a Comment