About Fred Hernandez:
Fred Hernandez was born and raised in a small central Wisconsin community south of where he now resides with wife Linda and their three Border Collies.
Fred and Linda both like to work outdoors; landscaping, tending their gardens, Koi ponds and living a private life.
He currently works in the engineering field. His job history, the people he has met and his bumps and bruises have given him over three decades of fuel for his novels.
He has been writing for several years as a hobby. Yukon Tenderfoot is just one of his four novels. His other novels are Ambushed and The Gray Area. He is currently working on Puzzles his latest novel. He has also completed one short story titled Deadly Package.
What inspires you to write?
What inspires me to write is the need to tell a story…and there’s always something brewing in the vault, always a story begging to get out. Some of us are not very vocal, and the book, or writing is our voice. We all have stories to tell and different ways to tell them.
Tell us about your writing process.
I am a note taker by nature, always making daily lists to follow. I write in the same way…I like to make an outline of my story to keep me focused and on track. But as always happens in life, I don’t always follow the outline to the tee. Like life, things happen to my characters that point them, and me, in a different direction. The overall goal remains the same, but the road sometimes needs to take a detour.
As for the characters…I like to sit down and write a small “Bio” for each of them. I want to know their background, how they think, are they drinkers, smokers, how do they dress. What kind of job to they have, what about their education. The more I know about them, or how I build them, the easier it will be for me to write for them. By the time I’m done writing their “Bio” I want to consider them to be a friend.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I am in constant contact with my characters. Giving my characters life often gives them strong personalities. This can sometimes be an obstacle in either direction or focus, but in the end as I mentioned about, the goal remains the same. At times they give direction as to the next move in the story, we certainly can’t have them do something out of character.
What advice would you give other writers?
The best advice is to read and write and write and write. It will take time to hone your craft…Do you remember the first time you learned how to ride a bike? It took a few spills and Band-Aids to get it right. Writing is similar…you’re going to need a lot of Band-Aids. Then read and read some more. See how others introduce their story or the people in them.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I had a few books already under my belt before I was published…but it was time. Time to get it out there are receive some feedback, both good and bad. This can be a very eye opening experience, but will help you grow as a writer. I would advise anybody to make sure you are sending the absolute best product to a publisher or editor, and…have a few books under you belt…you will be surprised at the difference from your first book to your third or forth book.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I hope the book publishing has a bright future…Books are the great escape to add to a vacation…sitting on the beach with book or kindle in hand. They are also a great escape for daily life for everybody, from the President of a company to the person who pushes a broom, at times we all want to be somebody else and books can help make that happen.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Professional Cover Designer
What genres do you write?: Action, Adventure
What formats are your books in?: eBook
