Tell us about your life and your struggles.
I grew up in rural America with most of my family being coal miners. I was close to my grandparents. My father had died when I was 26 at which I found myself a bit adrift for a while. Not long after that, my best friend died in a motorcycle crash. Writing became a cathartic way for me to immerse myself in other worlds. I have a passion for animals and had five dogs not long ago. One by one, each passed due to old age or illness. I found myself writing again to compensate for the loss of their friendship. Now I live with four cats who help me write by laying on my keyboard or walking in front of my monitor.
How passionate are you about writing?
I think of myself more as a storyteller than writer. I enjoy being entertained with a good story whether it is in books, tv, movies, podcasts, radio, or another type of medium. I love telling a good story using a variety of different methods, writing is just one of. My books are also audiodramas. Not simply an audiobook that is narrated, but they are a hybrid of old-radio and a play with sound fx and music. In addition, I also produce the artwork that accompanies the books. One of my books is a combination artbook and guidebook to the entire horror fantasy world I created. So, combined with the podcast audiodrama, the novel, and the artbook, the audience can get a fully immersive experience. The only thing I lack is visual motion.
How long have you been writing and what inspired you to become a writer?
I’ve been writing stories ever since I was a paperboy in a small town. I would tell myself stories on my route to pass the time. Some of those I wrote down but never did anything with them. Before the pandemic, I had a story idea that I wanted to tell for a long time. I began working on the concept when I remembered I had my current story finished. So, I decided to produce it first.
How did you get the idea for your first book?
The first book I wrote was never published. It was about a private investigator in a futuristic world who goes about solving a series of murders. It is complicated by an old girlfriend who is smack in the middle of it all. At the time I wrote it, there were a lot of these type of stories in the headlines. I always liked detective mysteries and thought it was an interesting concept.
While choosing a name for your character, what aspects do you consider that determines what you finally call them?
For my main character, the heroine, I kept her name hidden through the entire first book. She is only referred to as mi Lady. This is her proper title in society at the moment and time we encounter her. I do reveal her name in the artbook as well as the prequel novella I have coming out. I wanted something elegant, yet strong as she become a warrior in book two of the trilogy. Her love interest needed something strong and feeling as if it matched her.
The others are largely based on their role in the story itself. I have an anti-hero type named Colonel Voelker. He is a Hessian Soldier and you are never quite sure if he’s good or evil. I came up with the name as it sounded strong with heavy consonants to imply his heritage. I have another villain in the prequel novella named Bouchard. I came up with that name toying with syllables, but I wanted something that sounded like a murderous road agent type.
How did you come up with the idea for your book, A Cry in the Moon's Light?
I was playing an online game called Utopia that involved picking a kingdom to command. There were several races to choose such as Humans, Avian, Dwarf, Elf, Halfling, and Undead. I always selected the undead. In the game there is a message board between your kingdom mates. I used to create these elaborate stories about my undead army and their triumphs.
This sparked my interest in the horror drama theme. I found the stories most of my kingdom mates liked most involved a romantic element. I didn’t want to do another vampire story, so I decided on the werewolf being the central monster. I also believe in the concept of true love. When you love someone so purely their happiness, wellbeing, are all that matters. No jealousy, no envy, just a giving love. I thought this would make the perfect element in a werewolf story. I know my intention for this concept in the story, but I leave it to the reader to decide what that means in the story itself.
Have you ever modeled any characters after your best friends?
No I haven’t done that in my current book. In book two I wrote myself as a character. The name is the same but spelled a little different. In the end the character ended up being less like me than I intended. In my future work, I am using my great grandfather, grandmother and my nine great-aunts and uncles as the central characters in the book.
How do you choose which stories to tell?
I started with A Cry in the Moon’s Light simply because I knew I could narrate the story myself. I put it out first as an audiodrama podcast to test the stories likability. The podcast did so well it achieved being listed as the Top 10 Fiction Drama for 2021 on Podbean, I decided to publish the novel. Fans were asking for more, so I wrote the second book which I intend to publish late this year or next year. I decided to publish the prequel novella as a podcast audiodrama and novel. This tells the story of how the main characters fell in love as well as how the Black Wolf first comes to hate them. Once I have these released, I intend to finish my original work with the story involving my family.
Do you ever get writer’s block ?
I’m not sure if it’s writer’s block, but I get stuck sometimes. I usually do a very rough outline of where I want the story to go and decide how I want to get there. But during the storytelling, I come up with new ideas and those can sometimes be a struggle to figure out how I need to get my characters moving forward. I usually take some time to think about the story while cutting grass, driving, or some other activity where my mind can wander.
Do you have a special time or place for writing?
I like to write in the morning or afternoon. Although if I am on a roll, I will go into the evening and night. My favorite place is my home office. I prefer my desktop which is also my podcast studio. My nerd wall is on two sides of me with an eclectic collection of things I enjoy. Everything from my autographed batmobile signed by Adam West and Burt Ward, to my Zombie Captain America custom made by Mike Smash. I have framed comics I love, as well as so much artwork on the walls along with action figures, bobble heads, mugs, die cast cars, you name it.
What does the word “story” signify for you?
It means a good tale that immerses the audience to a new place and time. Something that makes you forget the here and now.
Do you have a “reader” in mind while writing?
Other than someone who enjoys the genre, not really. If the reader is hypercritical of things and easily distracted by elements that don’t matter, it’s probably not for them. The readers I have in mind are ones who want to sit back and enjoy, not spend their time looking for flaws. They also have to be a bit patient. I don’t reveal everything right away. Some things, questions, become clearer as the story unfolds. I also don’t explain every little thing. I think a good mystic to stories keeps them interesting.
Who is the first person to read the first draft of your books?
I don’t really have one person. Sometimes its friends, other times its my editor.
Are you currently working on anything?
Yes. My prequel novella “A Cry in the Moon’s Light: Red Door” is being polished now. The publishing company will get it in a few weeks. It will have several illustrations in it as well. We are hoping for a release in late spring early summer. I am also in the process of producing the audiodrama as a podcast. I am narrating and playing several characters, but this year I have hired a couple of voice actors to play other roles, and they sound amazing. This will be released along with the novella of the same name. The second book in the trilogy is written, but I am looking to put that together later in the year.
Lastly, I continue to work on the story involving my family set in the coal industry in western Pennsylvania. This will be a historical fiction drama. Plenty of action and a touch of horror, although probably not fantasy or supernatural. I haven’t decided yet.
When did you join AllAuthor? What has your experience been like?
I joined about six months ago with the release of A Cry in the Moon’s Light and the accompanying artbook, Father Daniels Compendium of the Undead. The experience has been great. I enjoy the cover contests and all the authors featured. Certainly need the help getting noticed as an independent, self-published author so I am thankful this service is there to help get us noticed.
