Where did you grow up? Besides playing RPGs, what are some other ways you spent your free time as a kid?
I grew up in a small town just north of Lansing, MI. my friends and I rode our bikes all over the place, and ran around in the woods and fields, exploring and acting out some of your RPG adventures. (I’m not even sure LARPing was an official thing back then).
What was your major in college? How did this later impact your writing career?
I went to school to be an architect. It helped me understand aspects of city planning and construction.
What are some of your favourite video games? Have any video games inspired any of your stories?
My all-time favorite games are the Fallout Series. Not that I can think of.
Have you ever read a passage in a book that made you pause and think "wow, that's good writing"? If so, what book was it from?
Absolutely. As for what book, I’m not sure I can count that many. Between books by Robert Jordan and Glen Cook, their works alone have moved me and left me marveling.
If you could escape into any world other than our own, which world would you want to go to?
The eternal City of Taneer; with the True Tree at its heart, and marvels both magical and technological, it’s where anything can happen…if you want it to.
What made you start writing The Chronicles of the True Tree? What have you learnt through writing this series so far?
Well, as stated before, I was an avid RPG player and DM. as we got older, we played less and less. Yet, the creativity still burned within me. So I started making notes, jotting down ideas, and slowly creating a narrative. As for what I’ve learned? I learned how not only to tell a story, but how to write a novel – two similar, yet vastly different things.
Why did you decide to name the main character in "Sorrow's Heart" simply 'The Girl'? What were you hoping to achieve by using this vague term?
Originally, she had a name, but once I reached the end I felt I needed one more thing, one more element to grab the reader and draw out their emotions.
Were there any scenes in this book that were especially hard to write or that took a lot of time?
There were a couple in both books, scenes that made me dig down and come up with things that made me uncomfortable. In my next book (due out very soon), there’s a spot, at the end, that made me cry. Still does, every time. Every edit, when I reached that spot, my throat clenched, and my eyes watered. Till this day, it gets to me. so I hope it touches the reader as well.
Did you look to any ancient myths and legends for inspiration for the characters in this series? What about character Dirge in "Cleansed", who was he modeled after?
Yes, I did; many of the gods and some of the legends came from our own past. As for Dirge, no one specifically, but his beliefs were forged after obvious roots. It’s not to say I agree with most of them, but I felt they fit correctly given the situation.
Are there any plans to add a third or fourth book to this series? What about the promised book "Chaos Reigns"? How much longer before your readers can get their hands on this book?
I’m planning on at least four more. The next one, titled Chaos Reigns volume 1: The Hand of God, is at the publisher and is due out soon. Its follow up, titled, Chaos Reigns Volume 2: The Tower of Time, is through the revision stage and I’m sending it out to beta readers now. I hope to get it released late next year.
Do you prefer reading or writing books with more dialogue than descriptions of vice versa?
I like an equal mix. I tend to start my books with a lot of description, and then in the revisions change much of that to dialogue. Sometimes I go too far with that and have to put the descriptions and POV character’s thoughts back in.
Have you ever written a play? How does writing a play differ from writing a novel?
I have never written a play. I leave that up to my fiancée. She’s the playwright. She asks me to beta read them, but I find it quite difficult. Plays and novels might as well be in different languages to me.
What is the best way a fan has ever shown an appreciation for your work?
I love it when someone tells me, passionately, how my work made them feel.
Where do you see yourself 10 years from now and what do you hope to have accomplished by then?
I’d like to have my current series finished, as well as the sci-fi series I’m forming. I’d also love to be a full time author by then, but it’s far easier said than done. I just want my stories in as many hands as possible.
