- Q. How far along are you on the fourth book?
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Done. Delivered December 2011, just in time for me to live up to last year's "New Year's resolution."
- Q. Is there a fifth book?
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Of course.
- Q. Will you be releasing Blood Legacy in any type of digital/e-format?
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The Story of Ryan, The House of Alexander, Heir to the Throne and Origin of Species
are available for Amazon's Kindle. They are available for the Apple iPad and the Sony reader as well, but that's done through a different distributor, so not certain of the actual links. I actually sell more e-books now than the paperback version.
- Q. Why do you sell your e-books so cheap?
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There is very little cost in putting out a book in digital format, so I'd rather pass that savings on to my readers and acquire a wider audience than try to suck every dime from I can from people. The cover price of print books is pretty much determined by printing costs, but e-books can be produced and sold much more inexpensively
- Q. How did you become a writer?
Writing has been the one consistency in my life. I started writing poetry at age six, short stories by age ten, and my first (poor attempt at a) novel at 19. Writing is both therapy and an obsession with me, and sometimes I think it's the only thing that keeps me sane.
- Q. Any advice for aspiring writers?
I know it sounds simple, but just start writing. Even if it's bad (and I always think mine is is at first), it will get better and easier. Set small goals, like "I'm going to write 500 words a day." That doesn't sound like much, but it will add up quickly and you'll probably find yourself writing more. There are so many new outlets for writers these days, with Print-on-Demand services (which used to be a joke and now are a major force in the industry), e-books (which require a little expertise to put together, but NO overhead) and outlets like Amazon.com, it's a whole new world.
- Q. Where do you get your ideas?
A lot of time my ideas start with a single question. For example, Blood Legacy started when I began musing, if vampires did exist, what would they really be like? Who (or what) are the real creatures behind this myth? What type of anatomy would they have? What makes them strong? What makes them immortal? These are all questions that I wanted to answer.
The story itself kept circulating in my brain for several years before I finally just sat down and wrote it all out. By that time, it was incredibly complex. The creatures in Blood Legacy have an entire society based on power and social relationships (kind of a "who's doing who" in the vampire world). But these creatures aren't vampires, who to me always seemed a little simplistic.
- Q. What inspires you?
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I can say without equivocation that music is my #1 muse (hmmm--I'm noticing some word etymology here). There are songs that are literally soundtracks to the movie in my head. Right now I'm really enjoying Paramore, 30 Seconds to Mars, and Midnight to Twelve.
- Q. Do you really answer all of your own email?
Why don't you email me and find out. (Okay, the answer is yes. I also reply to MySpace and Facebook messages, as long as they're not too strange.)
- Q. Is Blood Legacy historically accurate?
I try to keep my writing both historically and scientifically accurate. I think reality (or at least some version thereof) is sometimes more interesting than fiction. I realize there are a few errors in the books (trust me, people have let me know) that I hope to have corrected upon reprint.
- Q. Are you an atheist?
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Er, no. I was raised Southern Baptist, actually. Which probably explains a lot. I practice Zen Buddhism, but I don't really consider it a religious affiliation.
- Q. Are you going to write more comic books?
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I never rule it out, but I'd have to find a project I really liked, or an artist who really inspired me.
- Q. How does one get published?
I have a cynical response. I can think of three things, and surprisingly talent is not on the list (probably not surprising if you read as many books as I do). 1) You have to know someone, 2) you have to be lucky, or 3) you have to be persistent as hell. And most of the time, it takes all three. I do believe that self-publishing, print-on-demand, and e-books are significantly changing the game.
- Q. How do you sit down and write 80,000 words?
Um, I have a very strange way of writing. Generally by the time I start a book, I already know the entire story, including its ending. Details fill themselves in as I write. I would not advise this methodology.
If you're looking for encouragement, the best advice I can give is the most simple and painfully obvious: if you want to be a writer, sit down and write. Every day. Even if it's bad. Hopefully it will get better (mine usually does).
- Q. Is there ever going to be any real sex in Blood Legacy?
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Yes. See The House of Alexander
