1. What inspired your latest book or book series?
I have always been a fan of horror stories and scary movies. Watching or reading these stories as often as I do, I can’t help but imagine different ways they could play out. What if the monster had appeared at a different moment? What would the hero have done? What if the action taken had been taken in Act II instead of Act III? So many people have taken popular creatures and attempted to tell their own tales involving vampires, werewolves, witches, and demons. Some I’ve rushed to read or see and greatly enjoyed, others not so much. I decided I wanted to try writing a series of books using these creatures and see what I could come up with.
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2. Who is your favorite book character of all time? Why?
Ronald “Strike” Dunham from Richard Price’s Clockers. The way the character was written was so brilliant. I really felt like I was in the kid’s shoes, despite the fact that his life was nothing I could ever truly relate to. I wasn’t the least surprised when I realized Price was one of the writers on the 5th season of The Wire. It reminded me so much of this book, and was equally well done. I felt the kid’s stress, related to his dreams, and grew anxious for him when it looked like he’d travelled too far down the wrong path to ever reach a remotely happy ending. It was the first time I felt like I was experiencing the story right alongside the character in the book.
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3. What lessons has writing taught you about life in general?
As cliché as it sounds, patience is a virtue. You have to have a lot of it as a writer, or at least I do. As a brand new independently published author, this isn’t how I make my living. I write when I can find the time. And time can be really hard to find. I’d love to be able to churn out books at a quicker pace, and sometimes I get frustrated at the pace at which I’m moving. But when I rush the writing just isn’t as good. You have to take the time to rewrite that sentence once, twice, twelve times—until it’s sounding the way you want it to sound and conveying the thought you want to express. You have to take the time to edit, and accept the time it takes others to edit your writing, so that poor execution doesn’t take the reader out of the story. It took me a year to write my first book, and a year to finish the second. I still feel like that’s too long, but I was very proud of the final product when I clicked publish.
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4. What’s your favorite quote?
You begin saving the world by saving one man at a time; all else is grandiose romanticism or politics. – Charles Bukowski
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5. Who would you most like to have a cup of coffee with? (Dead or alive) Explain…
After seeing Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris,” which wasn’t at all what I was expecting, I’d have to go with Hemingway, Eliot, or Fitzgerald, since they were known to occasionally all hang out together. I’d love to see if they really lived the lives we all romanticize about. I mean, obviously they all had their demons too, but how could you not want to discuss and debate with them over coffee or a beer? Just, you know, hopefully not too many beers.
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6. What is your biggest pet peeve?
I’m a pretty easy-going person, so not much gets under my skin. I have found myself bothered by those who seem to lack a sense of accountability though.
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7. Tell us something quirky about you.
I have a huge sweet tooth, but don’t like candy. I’m all about cookies, ice cream, and pies.
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8. Favorite comfort food?
Meatloaf sandwich with sides of cheddar mac and cheese and a potato pancake from Glenn’s Diner (in Chicago).
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9. Star Wars or Star Trek?
Star Wars, although I like what Abrams did with Star Trek and am looking forward to seeing how he reboots the Jedi Knights.
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10. Sunrises or Sunsets?
Sunsets, after all the beautiful ones I’ve seen over Lake Michigan. Also, I’m not really much of a morning person.
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