WRITER THINGS
How long have you been writing, and what are your preferred genres and settings?
While in college I watched a pair of pterodactyls flying around and thought, “I should write about that.” Three months later, I decided that writing wasn’t as easy as I thought. However, I stuck with it and thanks to programs like this, learned about pterodactyls. I mean writing. Yeah. Writing.
Who or what originally inspired you to try your hand at writing?
Aside from pterodactyls, I really loved the writings of Andre Norton, Roger Zelazny, and Steven Brust. Pterodactyls, though fascinating, aren’t the greatest of writers. Sad but true.
What lengths of stories do you prefer, i.e. short stories/flash fiction/novels? What formats do you like to release your work in, i.e. ebook, paperback, audiobook?
I enjoy a well-told story of any length. For myself, I enjoy writing everything from short stories up to novels. Ebooks are nice, but for me nothing beats the feel of a book in your hand. That said, listening to audiobooks is growing on me.
What’s your publishing method – trad or self – and are there any companies, agencies, or platforms you really like working with? Are there any that you absolutely will not work with?
I’ve done self-publishing and have worked with Fawkes Press for my Norse(ish) mythology fantasy adventure novels. Self-publishing gives you exact control over what your final product looks like. That said, I really enjoyed working with the team at Fawkes Press. It’s always nice working with good people.
What does your writing environment look like? Are there specific or unique features to your drafting and writing process that you feel are interesting?
My desktop looks like many notebooks and sticky notepads arrived for a strange mating dance, then spontaneously exploded. I’m always making notes about stray thoughts concerning various aspects of my stories. Sometimes, I even manage to keep related notes together. This usually coincides with multiple planets aligning.
What are your thoughts on pen names?
Naming pens is a little too weird for me. A touch of eccentricity goes a long way.
MEATY THINGS
Are there any marginalized populations represented in your work, and how do you relate to those populations?
In The Shield of the Vanir, my Norse(ish) mythos fantasy adventure, a couple of the characters are gay. This isn’t glorified… nor is it attacked. In this story, people accept the characters for who they are. Same for folks with different hair or skin color. It’s the worth of their deeds that are weighed… not who they love or what they look like. I work with all varieties of people and can say with certainty that peoples’ deeds are much more important than appearance or their love life. If I can help even one person realize this, then it’s been a good day.
What kind of material or social impact would you like your work to have? What would you like your literary legacy to be?
Honestly, social issues aside, I’d love for people to pick up one of my books and have that develop into a love of reading. Too few people read for pleasure these days. If I could somehow be even a tiny part of reversing that trend…. Yeah, that’d be a wonderful legacy to leave behind.
How do you think fiction that takes place in future contexts influences or describes either the present or how we collectively might turn out in the future?
Well, I would like to say that this provides an opportunity to warn people away from societal flaws that lead to dystopian nightmare settings. Unfortunately, too many of the books that have been written as warnings have instead been turned into roadmaps.
PROMOTIONAL THINGS
What works are in your current bibliography?
The Barrington Job — Sci-fi, Adventure/thriller
Anders Cohagen: the Cure — YA, Sci-fi, Adventure/thriller
Human — YA, Sci-fi, Adventure/thriller
The Shield of the Vanir — YA, Fantasy, Adventure/thriller
Which one(s) are you the most proud of?
Umm… all of them? Yeah! How dare you ask me to choose between which of my children are the most awesome! Also, as a responsible person, it’s YOUR civic duty to find out for yourself which of my books are most awesome by reading them then forming your own educated opinion. 😉
What stories do you have coming out soon that we can look for?
I’m currently finishing up on the next Anders book, Anders Cohagen: the Fleet. I’m also putting the final touches on a story compendium, Tales of the Veil, and Beyond. The follow up to The Shield of the Vanir is queued up, too. Yes, I’m very excited about all of these.
Do you have any social media channels that you’re especially active on? Where can people follow you (in socially acceptable ways)?
I don’t do much social media. Which is probably sad for an author, but I prefer doing this weird thing call writing, which takes up a lot of my time. I also enjoy doing in person events where I see and even meet other people. Yeah, it’s totally weird, but it works. I hope you try it. Also, anyone wanting to friend me on FB, send me a message about reading this, otherwise you’ll go into the same bin as all the bots. 😉
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