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Q: What inspired you to start writing?
From reading Louis L'Amour books as a teenager. The dream started then but the ability hadn't developed.
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Q: Can you tell us a little about your latest book?
Where Rivers Run West is a historical fiction saga from the American frontier. It is loosely based on my great grandfather's migration to the West from an Indiana farm. It is not exactly his journey, but his journey was something similar to Rory's.
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Q: How do you create your characters?
Many of my characters are either products of my own personality or those of people I know or have known.
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Q: What does your typical writing day look like?
I start writing early in the morning. I put on coffee at 5 am, then sit down to work. This works best for me because my mind is fresh. When I first started, I set a goal of 2000 words a day minimum. My minimum now is 5000 words. This is what I do, so I commit my time and energy to it like someone who is working at a job.
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Q: What has been the most rewarding part of being an indie author?
Telling my stories.
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Q: What’s one challenge you’ve faced in your writing journey?
MARKETING. I am a writer. I am not a salesman. I have tried many different methods and come up short with all of them. Sitting and chatting on social media, hoping somebody will pay attention to me and buy my books seems more like wasting time than marketing to me.
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Q: Do you have any favorite writing tools or apps?
Novelcrafter. It helps me keep my characters and plot straight as I write. It is extremely valuable when you write a series.
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Q: What advice would you give to new or aspiring indie authors?
Sit your butt down and write. Set a goal of so many words each day and meet it. Good stuff will come out with the bad. Don't permit writer's block. Write!
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Q: How do you handle book promotion as an indie author?
As an absolute failure.
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Q: What’s next for you? Are you working on a new book?
I'm working on a historical fiction book called The Arrow and the Setting Sun. This is a biographical fiction piece about the life of Ute Nation chief Ouray told from the perspective of his wife, Chipeta. I entered the first chapters of this book in the Historical Novel Society's First Chapters Competition and was named a category finalist. I'm about to wrap it up and release it on August 2nd.
