1. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m a former journalism teacher, training materials writer and corporate communications director who’s turned to the dark side of making stuff up. The result: contemporary fantasy, magical realism, folk tales and paranormal stories.
2. Describe your book The Betrayed (Garden of Heaven Trilogy) in 30 words or less.
A college teacher discovers nothing at his new teaching job is what it seems. Lies, kidnapping and murder somehow got left out of the catalog.
3. What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Having confidence they’ll turn out okay. I let the characters, with a little help from my muse, decide where the stories will go. I don’t know the plots and endings when I begin writing. Sometimes it’s a bumpy ride.
4. What books have had the greatest influence on you?
Although the two writers aren’t normally grouped together, I like Virginia Woolf’s books, including Orlando, and Cormac McCarthy’s books, including All The Pretty Horses. Michael Shaara’s The Killer Angels and Pat Conroy’s The Prince of Tides have also been influential.
5. Briefly share with us what you do to market your book?
I come out to BookBuzzr! I look for reviewers, post excerpts, and write a lot of weblog posts about subjects related to the plot and theme of the story. Sometimes I talk about researching story locations or review similar novels. And then, too, there are Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter to keep up with.
6. How do you spend your time when you are not writing?
I climbed mountains and hiked a lot before my knees gave out. Now I see my favorite wilderness places from cars, tour buses and boats. I read a lot: some books are for pleasure while others are also for writing reviews. And then there are my three cats to keep up with.
7. What are you working on next?
I’m working on another novel set in Glacier National Park. The “what if?” in this story is “what if an avatar is getting too old to throw lightning bolts anymore but still gets tangled up in battles? I’m wondering if he’s going to make it to the end of the book. And, about that, I have no clue.
