Q: In one sentence, tell me something that describes you as a person?
A: I'm an optimist posing as a pessimist and an extrovert posing as an introvert.
Q: How many books have you written? How many of those are published?
A: At the moment, I've completed two novels in my 'Life After' series, which chronicles the arrival of the undead through the eyes of protagonist Jeff Grey; the first book, 'Life After: The Arising', came out in August of 2013. In addition to the two books, the 'Life After' series has four short stories sharing the primary title, and those are 'The Cemetery Plot', 'The Basement', 'The Phoenix', and 'Consequences', all of which are available on Amazon.
Q: Do you have an upcoming release? If yes, tell me the title and impending release date.
A: Yes! The second 'Life After' novel is finally finished. It picks up two months after the conclusion of the first book, finding Jeff and his band of survivors struggling to tough out the worst of the zombie apocalypse, fighting the undead, each other, and the dangers of a society in decay. It's called 'Life After: The Void', and it comes out on October 4th, 2016.
Q: If you could “create” your own genre of what you write, what would you call your books?
A: That's tough, but I'm sure most amateur writers think their books are difficult to categorize! The 'Life After' series is a zombie apocalypse coming-of-age allegory, so it's part horror, part thriller, part introspective, and part funny. I have a strong affinity for magical realism, so I prioritize a richly detailed realistic world that extends through to the zombies, but I also try to avoid making the scenario too grim or too silly. I think the apocalyptic aspect tends to overshadow my desire to present and develop strong characters; it's their story, the zombies are just the catalyst. So, I'll settle for calling it Neu Zompoc.
Q: Without quoting your back cover synopsis, tell me about the last book you published.
A: Prior to 'The Void', it was 'The Arising'. Summarily, the protagonist is a zombie fan who gets to live out his fantasy of enduring a zombie apocalypse. Naturally it's not as easy as he thinks, but that's where the essence of the series comes into play; most young adults think they know everything, and when their hubris meets its downfall, they must learn from the adversity to mature into adults. Here, that maturation is about survival, which only becomes more difficult as the characters age in a world that has fallen apart.
Q: Tell me something about yourself that is separate from writing.
A: I got my baccalaureate degree in Film & Media arts. So though I'm a writer, I'd prefer to make movies!
Q: Who is your favorite Author?
A: It'd probably have to be Kurt Vonnegut, primarily because of his bizarre sense of humor. George R. Stewart's 'The Earth Abides' had the biggest impact on the 'Life After' series, however.
Q: What is the last book that you read? (Not counting anything you wrote)
A: 'Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd', for probably the twentieth time. They're definitely my favorite band, and I never get tired of the colorful retelling of their struggles and rise to prominence.
Q: When writing, do you have a system or something you plan, or do you just write?
A: George R. R. Martin describes authors as a combination of architects and gardeners, and I agree wholeheartedly. I'm 80% gardener and 20% architect. I generally have ideas about things I want to happen, but I never take a direct course to get there. Sometimes I don't even know what's going to happen until it's on the page. Characters often fade in from my periphery, and once they've solidified their position in the story, I have to pause and give them a backstory.
Q: Why do you write?
A: I think I'd go nuts if I didn't. It started out as something I occasionally did for fun, though I'd always tackled creative writing assignments with gusto going back as far as grade school. The older I get, the more of my free time is occupied by writing, and now I'm at a point where I get irritable and frustrated if I don't have an opportunity to write every day. Doesn't matter if it's short stories, novels, screenplays, recollections, fights on social media, personal notes, or background documents, my fingers are simply compelled to the keyboard.
Q: Any final thoughts that you want to give to your fans or even future authors?
A: I'd like to thank every one of my readers for their patience and support, both of which mean a great deal to me. Writing for an audience is a privilege, and I am humbled by any effort they've spared endorsing that work, because I adore them, and every opportunity to engage more people like them.
