Have you ever considered writing under a pseudonym, and why or why not?

-Never! It never even crossed my mind. While I understand why authors do it, I can’t imagine seeing a book I write without my name on the cover.

How do you process and deal with negative book reviews?

-My “day job” has prepared me to have a pretty thick skin which comes in handy when dealing with negative reviews. First, I try to glean any valuable tidbits that can improve my writing in the future. Second, when a reviewer adamantly hates one of my characters, I think of my wife’s words, “at least you invoked some kind of emotion, isn’t that the goal of good writing?” And lastly, I remember that my writing can never be everyone’s cup of tea, and that’s okay. In fact, I’ve never wanted to be everyone’s cup of tea personally, so I don’t want to be as a writer either.

What’s your favorite and least favorite part of publishing?

-I hate being a rookie in my 50’s. I’ve been very successful in my career, so being a rookie author sometimes drives me crazy and probably makes my publisher crazy, too. I’ve been blessed with a career that I’ve loved for over thirty years. I’m one of those rare people who still lead the same organization I joined fresh out of college. Books have always been my first love, so as my first career winds down I am fortunate to be able to embark on another passion.

Author Interview Questions about Their Book

Since Whitewater Awakening is my next release, I will answer these questions based on it. 

What part of the book was the most fun to write?

-I loved writing the action scenes where the characters were on the whitewater rafting course. I have two monitors on my computer, so I would put a video of people shooting the rapids on the Zambezi River on one monitor as I wrote. The rapids are intense and whoever named them had a flare for the dramatic and a sense of humor. I’m not making this up. Just a few of the names are The Devil’s Toilet Bowl, Commercial Suicide, and Gnashing Jaws of Death.

 What inspired the idea for your book?

-I have ALWAYS wanted to go whitewater rafting, but my wife is a bit more cautious. I find it ironic since I don’t swim well, and she does. She says she has a healthy respect for water, I’m nuts. Funny side note, this is my wife’s favorite book, and after she finished reading it, she thought maybe she’d be willing to try whitewater rafting. I consider that a huge compliment to my writing.

 How much research did you need to do for your book?

-With this book, I discovered that I love to do research. I’ve always been a huge reader of non-fiction books, so this is right up my alley. Since I’ve never been whitewater rafting or to Africa, I had to do a lot of research to ensure it was authentic. Ironically, unbeknownst to me one of my beta readers had done the rafting trip on the Zambezi River. Talk about a happy accident.

Fun Author Interview Questions

 If you could spend a day with another popular author, whom would you choose?

-I’m going to cheat on this question because there are too many to just name one. I would need a different one for different genres. For sapphic fiction, I would choose Jae. For suspense, Gillian Flynn because I find Gone Girl to be one of the most fascinating books I’ve ever read. I’d pick Lisa Lutz for humor because I love her Spellman File books. Ken Follet would be my choice for Historical Fiction. His Pillars of the Earth series is one of my favorites. I could go on to different genres, but I’ll stop.

 Have you ever traveled to research for your book?

-No, but I want to travel after I wrote a book if that counts. Out of the Ashes, my March 2023 release is set during the eruption of Mount St. Helens. After doing all of the research and writing it, I plan to visit.

 What risks have you taken with your writing that has paid off?

-My debut novel was about domestic violence. I still remember Chris in Sapphire’s email to me. She said, “the prologue shows us a badly beaten woman being tended to by another woman, and I was immediately worried. However, the characters and the plot worked somehow. ”I have always loved that response, and at that moment, I knew I’d found the right publisher for me. Being a social worker, I tend to tackle heavier themes with more angst, but I never write angst just for the sake of angst. I like to explore the harder aspects of life, but being an eternal optimist my stories are also infused with hope.

Questions about Writing

 Does writing energize or exhaust you? Or both?

-The writing part always energizes me. I can write for hours and hours, and it never exhausts me. Some of the other parts of writing, like marketing, are much more exhausting for me, but writing never is.

When you’re writing an emotional or difficult scene, how do you set the mood?

-I’m very comfortable writing emotionally difficult scenes, so I don’t need much to set the mood. I think having an upbeat personality.

 What are the essential characteristics of a hero you can root for?

-I love a flawed hero. One of my pet peeves in books is the “perfect” hero. I want a hero that struggles just like the rest of us. Who doesn’t have all the answers? Who makes mistakes but learns from them. Someone who is a little messy, raw, and struggles. I don’t want a hero that’s a perfect communicator and never does or says something wrong or stupid. In my eyes, it’s not realistic. The key for me is for a hero who learns from these mistakes and becomes a better person.

 What do you do to get inside your character’s head?

-The real question should be, how do I get my characters out of my head? Honestly, my characters start talking to me in the shower, while I’m driving, when I’m out for a walk, or just about any other time. I’ve joked that my friends and family are happy that I have character’s heads to crawl around inside of, so I’ll stay out of theirs. There is some truth to that

Questions to Ask Authors about Other Books and Authors

 What books do you enjoy reading?

-Everything. I am an eclectic reader, and I want to be just as eclectic of a writer. In our house, we have a study with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves on two walls. One side has fiction and the other non-fiction. There are very few genres that I don’t read.

 Name an underappreciated novel that you love.

-I’m not sure if this novel is underappreciated, but it is often hated. I probably shouldn’t even admit to loving this book because I’ve seen such animosity toward it. The book is Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I absolutely love the way she built the world in the book and managed so many characters. The part I could have done without is the LONG political speech by John Gault, but the rest of the story fascinated me.

 What books have you read more than once in your life?

-I typically don’t reread books because there are so many books I still want to read, so the list is VERY short. The Stand by Stephen King inspired me to write my dystopian trilogy. The Cider House Rules and The World According to Garp by John Irving. And finally, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey.

Personal Questions for Authors

What do the words “literary success” mean to you? How do you picture it?

-I’ve thought of this question often, but I still don’t know if I have an answer. I just want to write quality books that people enjoy and that I love writing. After I retire, I’ve considered writing a non-fiction book and even possibly a mainstream fiction book, but who knows what I will tackle. I’m excited that I’m approaching the day that I will get to do this full-time.

 If you could invite any three people for dinner, whom would you invite?

-Michelle Obama, Adele, Brene’ Brown

If you had to describe yourself in just three words, what would those be?

-My tagline is: Hopeful. Eclectic. Authentic. I think it sums me up pretty well.