Author Bio:
Former Sergeant in United States Air Force, now retired and living in Belize. Originally from state of North Carolina, experiences include newspaper columnist, Construction and Building C.E.O., home inspector, accountant, pepper farmer in Belize, fruit farmer in Mexico. Writer and author of several books that have been selling well, but no million seller (yet)
What inspires you to write?
Events in the news provides stimulant. I feel that perhaps I have a different outlook at the events, yet wonder what the motives are behind current and past events.
Tell us about your writing process.
I am more or less a seat of the pants writer, only I work on multiple books at the same time. I may write one page or two chapters of one book without pause, and then write more on another book. Often I will have three or four books ongoing at the same time and, sad to say, sometimes some of those books are never finished if I lose interest or can’t focus. I try not to read what I write until the book is complete and then I’ll start over. Many times the book goes through two or three phases, sometimes more, before it is complete or abandoned.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I try to assume the mantel of the character although sometimes I will have a vivid discussion with the character when I feel he or she is out of line. Sometimes I even win.
What advice would you give other writers?
Love what you are doing. It has to come from the inside and as one famous author said, everybody has at least one book in them, so write it. Start with the first word, that is the hard part. After the first word it gets easier, so write about something that you want to share with others. Don’t write for money, it doesn’t work. When the rest of it works, the money will come.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I sent hundreds of queries and received hundreds of rejections. Finally one elderly female publisher in New Jersey requested the manuscript and made me an offer. It was so low that many authors would have refused it, but it WAS an OFFER! I jumped on it and have stayed with the publisher as she greew and changed into a more successful publisher.
I never considered self-publishing, although today with it being so easy and popular, I might consider it if I were just starting. Problem with self-publishing is distribution.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Alive and well. Sure, ebooks are becoming ever more popular, but there is still a strong demand for printed books, feels good to hold one. Any publisher must use all of the tools for books of all sorts.
What do you use?
Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer
What genres do you write?
Action and Adventure, Romance, Mystery and Suspense, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Detective, true crime, non-fiction, western
What formats are your books in?
Both eBook and Print
