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What inspired you to start writing?
Actually, my father, who was considered a Renaissance man by many due to his artistic abilities in art, music, and literature, and a highly intelligent mind, inspired me to write a few years before he passed away.
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Can you tell us a little about your latest book?
My latest and current project is my first Western novel, which I'm writing to encompass literally every genre over the past 20 years. It involves a common Western story theme, featuring a gunslinger, simple town folk, a family living on a small ranch, and evil-doers in the form of a land grabber, his hired guns, and a secret plan to control the entire region, possibly even the world.
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How do you create your characters?
I always start with a one-page outline with a list of characters, the body of the story, an ending, and the goal that the story is meant to inspire in the reader. Most of the time, after a few chapters, I finish the ending and then fill out the middle of the story. With each character, I live through the story through their eyes, and that helps me relate personally to how to develop them.
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What does your typical writing day look like?
I'm always awake around 3:30 or 4:00 am, with an idea in mind or a solution on how to proceed with a story, especially after experiencing the dreaded writer's block. To eliminate some of that, I write two or more stories at the same time, so I can switch from one story to another until it comes to me where to proceed.
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What has been the most rewarding part of being an indie author?
Enjoying the freedom to write whatever I want, but more importantly, to be involved in the marketing as well. However, it's extremely difficult to succeed without an involved, interested publisher in my work.
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What’s one challenge you’ve faced in your writing journey?
I have exposure to specific readers in each genre, having written stories in a wide range of types, including children's illustrated books, psychological thrillers, science fiction, love story novels, ghost stories, inspirational books, and westerns.
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Do you have any favorite writing tools or apps?
Of course, I use Grammarly, but I use the Ginger app to read my stories back to me.
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What advice would you give to new or aspiring indie authors?
When you reach a cliff, in the form of writer's block, or no clue how to begin a story, make a list of ideas for stories in any genre, and read, read, read, various authors. Many of my ideas originate from old TV episodes of Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, or Amazing Tales, or simply dreams I've had, and still have for new ideas.
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How do you handle book promotion as an indie author?
The hardest part of writing is attracting readers is locating and inspiring them to read my mind.
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What’s next for you? Are you working on a new book?
Over the past year, since undergoing two back surgeries, I've written 10 books and released a second edition of my Gothic Horror Chronicles, which includes three novels featuring werewolves, vampires, and gargoyles from the Middle Ages during the Bubonic Plague. For a few months, I plan to market all 27 of my books and begin work on another book of short stories soon.
