C. J. Boyle Interview Published on: 28, Jun 2021

What is one lesser-known fact about your childhood?

That I wasn’t birthed, I was hatched. Haha! My dad is a scifi freak and watched a lot of Star Trek and since I was usually in the room when he was watching… I watched them too. I love scifi just as much as he does. He recently read The Kirk Rogers Series and thoroughly enjoyed them. I can’t tell you how much it means to me to have his “seal of approval”.

Where would you say your love for writing and storytelling comes from?

I have a deep love for movies. I wanted to write screenplays and be in the movie industry but it just wasn’t in the cards. I decided that I would turn some of the screenplays I wrote into books and here I am.

Your thoughts on conventional vs. self-publishing? What route did you choose and why?

I chose to self-publish because it seemed to be the easier way (at the time) but fast-forward a few years and I really wish I had tried harder to secure a literary agent.

Do you remember the first movie you ever watched?

I don’t remember the first movie I watched, but I do remember the first movie that has a severe and significant impact on me. E.T.

When did you start writing screenplays?

I can’t remember precisely but it was around 2005. Sarisart was read by several producers but no one (sigh) wanted it.

What inspired you to write the novel, The Link Between Us; Managing the Apocalypse?

Most of the stories that I write somehow make their way into my mind and demand I write them. If I don’t, they pester me until I do. The Link Between Us was in there for years.

How did you begin writing The Kirk Rogers Series?

As I said, it all starts in my head. I started thinking of a scifi that was funny and I wanted to sort of poke fun at some of the scifi and fantasy stories out there. I basically bring together familiar scifi and fantasy tales while still have a unique story of my own.

What is the significance of the title of your novel, Sarisart?

That’s cheating. You find out at the very end of book one that the planet is called Sara’s Heart.

What challenges did you face while creating the character of Ben in "Fractured Ben"?

I had to do quite a bit of research on split personalities.

What exactly is your work environment like?

My writing environment is me in a recliner with the tv on and the laptop in my lap.

What is your writing kryptonite? Inversely, what is something that never fails to inspire you?

I think sometimes you just aren’t in the mood or you have no idea where the story was going. At the end of book three of The Kirk Rogers Series I threw some of my characters into hell which meant book four was going to be a rescue mission. The problem was… I hadn’t even planted that seed in my head yet. I had no idea what to do or where to go. But thankfully it came together.

What is the sweetest fan-mail that you have ever received?

Oh my gosh, I love to hear from fans so much. I really enjoy it when they can reference something specific in the book. But as far as sweetest? I had 2 different guys named “Kirk Rogers” contact me in the same month wanting singed copies of the series. I enjoyed that a lot.

Audio book vs e-book vs printed book, which one do you prefer and why?

If I never had to record another audiobook for the rest of my life… I’d be happy. It’s really hard work. But on the flipside of that, if there is a sentence in your book you literally can’t say, it needs to be changed. I like the printed books because they exist in REAL life and will be on this planet when I’m not.

How many plot ideas are just waiting to be written? Can you tell us about one?

Sometimes I jot down titles and then have no idea what I was thinking when I revisit them. Here is one: The Egg at the Center of the Universe.

What do you think of AllAuthor and would you recommend it to your other author friends?

I love the website. It has some really great tools for authors. The website created for my books looks great and professional, I love it. Yes, I would definitely recommend it to others.

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