What inspired you to write your first book? 
I was in-between jobs, unemployed, with a lot of time on my hands. So, I decided to take advantage of that time during my job search to do something that I had always wanted to accomplish . . . write a novel. That’s when I decided to write a story about a kid with a dream of becoming a professional stock car driver. My own interests in auto racing and my dream of becoming a published author inspired me to write my first novel Pursuit of a Dream (Victory Lane: The Chronicles, Book 1). I have since published another novel, a horror-thriller, called Devil’s Nightmare, which is the more popular of the two.
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Writing can be a difficult job, what inspires you to keep going?
Seeing the success of others in my writing circle of friends has been a huge inspiration for me. Over the past few years I have met some amazing people in the writing community through social media and it has been very exciting to see authors, such as Booktrope’s own Tess Thompson, grow in popularity. Another success story that comes to mind is Michael R. Hicks, author of the bestselling In Her Name sci-fi/fantasy series and Harvest thriller series. I met both of them as their author platforms began to grow and it is really inspiring to see how their writing careers have unfolded. I look at both of these authors as an inspiration to keep doing what I’m doing and never give up.
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What are you working on now? What’s next?
Right now I’m working on a sequel to my horror-thriller Devil’s Nightmare. I originally did not plan on a second book, but after getting some requests from some of my readers, I decided to bring back some of their favorite characters. It’ll make my readers happy. Some of my characters . . . not so much. I’m almost done writing the first draft of Devil’s Nightmare: Premonitions and plan on a Halloween 2014 release.
After finishing Devil’s Nightmare: Premonitions, I’m planning on writing Book 2 of Victory Lane: The Chronicles and will also be co-writing a murder mystery novel.
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What’s your writing process, schedule, or routine? 
I’m a night owl and do almost all of my writing between midnight and 5 a.m. For me personally, writing during the day doesn’t work for me. Too many distractions. During the “graveyard hours” it is nice and quiet. No dogs barking. No phones ringing. No solicitors knocking on the door. Just me and my laptop.
Before I begin writing, I read what I wrote during the previous writing session and listen to some instrumental music that sets the tone for what I’m writing. In the case of Devil’s Nightmare, I created a “Silent Hill” radio station on Pandora. The creepier the music, the better. I can’t write to music with lyrics.
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Who is your favorite book character of all time? Why?
Jack Ryan. His character is just so very well written. Plus, he’s a very believable character. Not over-the-top badass . . . just badass enough. If that makes any sense. I’m really going to miss Tony Clancy’s work.
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What advice would give to aspiring writers?
Write something every day. It doesn’t even have to be good. That’s why it’s called a draft. It just needs to be written. If you can’t figure out what to write, then write about that. Just write. I find when I’m hitting a brick wall with my writing and I just start doodling with words on my document, eventually a scene will start to play out in my head. I’ve also learned that there’s really no such thing as writer’s block. I think it’s just an author’s excuse to procrastinate. I’m just as guilty of that as any author.
Another thing that I tell aspiring authors is don’t think that you can just write a novel, click publish and sit back and start collecting royalty checks. It doesn’t work that way. It takes a lot of time, hard work, patience and a bit of luck before you start seeing a few pennies making it into your bank account. On that same note, if you are writing for the money, you are writing for the wrong reason. Write because you love it. Nothing more, nothing less. Just write. I like what Stephen King says about the subject in his book On Writing. He says, “Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it’s about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It’s about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy.”
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What’s your favorite quote? 
My favorite quote also comes from Stephen King. In the same book On Writing, he says, “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” That’s something that I personally need to work on. Last year I didn’t do near enough reading as I would have liked. I plan on changing that this year and get as much reading in as possible. I’m currently reading Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep.
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Who would you most like to have a cup of coffee with? (Dead or alive) Explain…
Big surprise here . . . Stephen King. He has always been my favorite author and ever since I read On Writing I have had so much more interest in building my own career as a writer. Stephen King’s journey as a writer is quite interesting, which I won’t go into here. You’ll just have to pick up his book On Writing and give it a read. His no B.S. approach to writing is quite entertaining and eye-opening. If you are serious about writing and publishing I really recommend that you read On Writing by Stephen King, whether you are a fan of his or not. I think you won’t be disappointed.
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What is your biggest pet peeve? 
Slurping soup. I don’t know why, but when someone slurps when eating soup, it just makes me cringe. This is actually the first time I’ve actually said that publicly. So, if you’re a “slurper” please don’t hate me. I still love you. J
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Tell us something quirky about you.
Oh, I don’t know. I guess I can be a bit of a goofball sometimes when hanging out with friends. I have a pretty good sense of humor and enjoy a good laugh . . . sometimes at someone else’s expense.
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Favorite comfort food?
Pizza. Great at any time and at any temperature.
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Star Wars or Star Trek? 
Spaceballs. May the Schwartz be with you! Okay, fine. If I have to pick one it would probably be Star Wars. Although, I probably like Star Trek just as much, especially Star Trek: The Next Generation.
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Sunrises or Sunsets?
Sunrises? I’m a night owl, remember? I don’t see many sunrises. Seriously though, who doesn’t like seeing a great sunset?
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