Were you an avid reader? What kind of books were always there in your stack?
Always a reader. Westerns by Louis Lamour. Spy thrillers by Robert Ludlum, Tom Clancy, and a host of others. Ellery Queen and Sherlock Holmes stories were a big favorite and books by Rex Stout, John Grisham, Lawrence Sanders, and too many others to list.
What other memories do you have from your English class in Primary school?
I enjoyed reading but was not fond of book reports. I’d rather read another book. When it came to the grammar part, I struggled. I mean, how can you have an exception to a rule? If it’s a rule, then there are no exceptions. In math, 2 + 2 is always 4. No exceptions. But in English they can’t even agree with which comes first, I or E. How can this change just because C precedes them? And how can Y sometimes be a vowel? It either is or it isn’t.
Having served 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, what inspired you to start writing your own books?
I’ve been telling stories for most of my life and several times was told I should write them down. Plus, so many times I would read a book and think that’s not how I would have done it, or see something obvious the author missed or didn’t make sense. I had an idea for a book for several years and even made a few notes, but I was reluctant because my grammar/spelling is terrible (see #2 above) as with most computer programmers. But then computers and word processing software came along. So, one day, I opened a new Word doc and started typing. Also, as a Christian and long time Bible Study teacher, I was looking for ways to share about God with others. Once I started writing, this opened up a new way to reach others, and I felt fictional stories were a perfect vehicle for this.
How did God help you through your parent’s divorce, your son’s illness and death, and many other events in your life?
By His promise that He would always be there. I remember my grandmother telling me, ‘It’s okay. God’s in charge.’ I know no matter what happens or comes our way, we can count on this. After all, it’s simple LOGIC — ‘Life’s Okay. God’s In Charge’ There was also a book, ‘Not My Will’ by Francine Arnold that I read during the time of our first son’s illness. While it was published long before, the message shared was just as helpful then as it still is today.
Where does the inspiration for most of your stories or characters come from?
The stories come from my own experiences, mostly. Things I’ve experienced. Things other’s have shared with me. Things I think about or questions that leads me down a path that then becomes a story. As for the characters, well, I can’t speak for them. They introduce themselves at the strangest times and can be very demanding.
How did you begin writing “Moose Ridge: Ending to Beginning?” When are you planning to release the second part of The Infiltrator?
I was wondering how a person from an elite family and education that had never been introduced to God would react when they were at their lowest point and had their entire world turned upside down. Then they meet a Christian and witness how the Christian dealt with life’s blows. That’s when Jazmine introduced herself and her story, and the story of Moose Ridge was born.
If someone was going to make your life into a movie, who would play you?
Oh wow! I would hope someone suave and sophisticated like Pierce Bronson, Paul Newman, Matt Damon, or maybe Tom Cruise, but he’s too short. But being more of a geek, it would probably be someone more along the lines of Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, or Edward Norton. Not that they’re geeks themselves, but they can play the part well. Kirk Cameron might also be interesting in the part.
Normally, how long does the research process for a book take?
As long as it takes to write the book. I’m not one who plots out the story first and then gathers facts before I write. I’m what the call a ‘by the seat of his pants’ writer. So, I do the research as I write. This can also help when I’m stuck or not sure where the story is going. I like to use actual places, towns, businesses, routes and directions in my book where I can. If a reader ever finds themselves in a place, or has been to one I describe in one of my books, I want it to be familiar and realistic. Timelines are also important to me. They have to be realistic, especially when it comes to travel.
Writing and finishing a book can take an immense amount of discipline. How do you keep yourself motivated and keep the dreaded writer’s block from attacking?
Good question. It’s easy to get distracted, so you just have to stay with it. Since I don’t plot out my books, one driving force for me is wanting to find out how the story ends. I get intrigued by the characters as they develop and want to see how they progress through the book. As for combating the dreaded act whose name will not be spoken, I normally have several works in progress at different level. I can change to edit or review a different book, or maybe review pages for another author. I find this often stimulates my thoughts and I can go back to where I was stumped and move on.
What was the most unusual fact you discovered while researching for your first book?
I would have to say the process of the breech delivery of a foal. It came up early in the book and, not being a horse person, I got online and found several descriptions of how this is done.
Writing is your hobby, but also your job. So do you ever get tired of doing it? And if so, how do you relax or take a break?
Currently, I also have a day job, so writing is my distraction from that. But when I reach a point I need to take a break from writing, I’ll do beta reading or manuscript reviews for other authors. I’ve also been known to put aside what I’m working on and start another project. Plus, there is always something around the house I can do to allow my mind to concentrate on something else for a bit.
Which scene in “Moose Ridge” was the hardest to write and why? What’s the longest and shortest amount of time you’ve ever spent writing a chapter?
I think it was the opening scene. I wanted to get across how quickly Jazmine went from being on top of the world to totally destroyed, and her reaction over the next few days. It needed to be not only believable, but relatable for the reader. The second question is tough to answer. Since I don’t plot my books beforehand, I don’t always know when a chapter ends and a new one begins until a later review. Sometimes the chapter breaks are obvious and other times they like to hide. Some chapters I can write in 15 minutes or so, but then you need to also add the many reviews, edits, reviews. edits, and more reviews to this, so in the end it is longer. But you must remember, how much time to write the story is not important. It’s the quality of the writing that matters most.
What do you think being an author has taught you about life? Do you have any words of wisdom to pass down to new authors reading this interview?
For one thing, it has helped me to view life through someone else’s eyes and possibly understanding what their viewpoint might be. How someone else might react to a situation and that while we are all humans, we are also our own person and will react differently. Not sure if they are ‘words of wisdom’ but my advice would be to write. You can’t write ‘The End’ if you never write the beginning. Nothing anyone writes is perfect the first time. That’s why most spend more time in edit and review then they do writing the first draft.
What are you currently working on? How many books are you planning to release in the year 2023?
I currently have two publishers reviewing a new Christian Romance book, and another publisher reviewing a Spy Thriller. I also have the 2nd book in the Moose Ridge series I’m working to get published. I have another thriller being reviewed by the DoD/CIA for authorization to release. This is required because of my Security clearance when something I want to publish coincides with my current or previous positions.
How has been your experience working with AllAuthor? What are some things you love about the website and its services?
It’s been great. The scheduling of twitter posts is a tremendous help as are all the graphics and such they provide for these that I can also use elsewhere. There are many other benefits I’ve haven’t been able to explore yet but I’m wanting to get more into these and see how they work out.
