Jon Spoelstra Interview

1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?

Mornings, from 7am to about noon.  In the evening, I’ll do some light editing for a couple of hours of what I wrote in the morning, and think about the next day’s writing sometimes jotting down some brief notes.

2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?

All computer.

3: What do you draw inspiration from?

I’m really not sure where inspiration comes from.  I do know this: when I was writing non-fiction books, I would get this feeling every three years or so that it was time to write a book.  I wouldn’t question the feeling; I’d just plunge ahead.  The writing times would be a little spotty at first, then I would get some momentum and write every day.  My last non-fiction book, Marketing Outrageously, was written almost completely in airports, on planes and in hotel rooms.   It made the Wall Street Journal best-seller, so is that the perfect environment for writing?  For that book, it was.

4: Do you set goals for yourself when you sit down to write such as word count?

When I’m writing every day, I try to about 1,000 words, good or bad, but 1,000 words.

5: Are you a published or a self published author and how do you come up with your cover art?

Both published and self-published.  The publisher did the cover art with my non-fiction books, but with Marketing Outrageously, we collaborated on it.  That cover is highly unusual—a sumo dunking a basketball a la Michael Jordan.  With my self-published novel, Red Chaser, I just used Adobe InDesign for laying out the cover.

6: What drives you to choose the career of being a writer?

Both of my parents were great readers, and in my case, that’s where it starts.  The love of reading.  As a kid I devoured all the Hardy Boys books, and spent my entire weekly allowance on comic books.  Can writers come from non-readers?  I don’t think so. 

7: Do you own an ebook reading device? 

Kindle2, Kindle DX, and have put in my order of Kindle3.  I consider my Kindle purchases as the best purchases I’ve made in the last decade.

8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?

Not in any particular order, but as I think of them:

Philip Kerr: The Bernie Gunther series.

James Crumley: Am rereading The Last Good Kiss the last couple of days.  Marvelous.  Then I’ll reread The Wrong Case.

Max Allan Collins: The Nathan Heller series.

Walter Mosley: The Easy Rawlins series

The early James Ellroy: Like LA Confidential, The Blue Dahlia.

Robert Crais

Martin Cruz Smith

9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?

I’m not sure.  Many of them are really well done.  Of those, I’ll often then look at Amazon Sales Rank, and it seems that the ranking should be higher because the trailer was so good.  So, I just don’t know how effective they are.

10: How did you come up with the title of your latest book?

I’m not sure.  It just seemed like the right title.

11: What are you working on now that you can talk about?

I’m working on marketing Red Chaser.  In fact, if any of your readers wants to read it, I’ll provide an Amazon gift card so that they can download it for free.

If you want to read it for free (and you get a buck*), just email me at findjon@msn.com and say, “Yes, I sure would like to read Red Chaser.”  I'll have Amazon email you the gift card for Red Chaser.

* Red Chaser is a Kindle book. I'll have Amazon email you a gift certificate. The smallest gift certificate at Amazon is $5, so after you download Red Chaser for $3.99, you'll have a buck and a penny in change. Spend it wisely!

Jon Spoelstra

findjon@msn.com

 http://www.boomerlit.com/

Robert J. Duperre Interview

Robert J. Duperre Interview

1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?

I usually start writing between six and eight in the evening, and stop around eleven.  With my work schedule, it allows me to get a few moments of rest and eat dinner before getting to work.  The more I think about it, the more I realize my wife is a saint.  At the end of the day, I’m in her presence for maybe two hours a day (not including sleeping).  Hell, I miss myself sometimes.

2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?

Most times, I grab one of my fifteen half-filled notebooks and start jotting down ideas.  The majority of these ideas (ne – all) won’t amount to anything, but it helps get the motor humming.  Then, once I sit down to actually write, everything is done on the computer, unless there are changes I need to make down the road.  In that instance, I simply pull out yet another notebook, write a letter to myself that says, “fix this!” and then get back to work.  All of my corrections are done during the rewrite.   When I start a manuscript, I like to allow it to flow, without looking back.

3: What do you draw inspiration from?

Oh, wow, just about everything.  Books, television, movies, you name it.  And dreams enter in there, as well.  One of my favorite scenes from my first book came about because of a nightmare I had. 

4: Do you set goals for yourself when you sit down to write such as word count?

Absolutely not.  I don’t want that much pressure.  The only stipulation I have is time.  If I sit down and only have a half-hour to write, I won’t do it.  I become distracted and lose focus.  I need to have a good block of hours available to create something decent.

5: Are you a published or a self published author and how do you come up with your cover art?

I’m self-published.  My cover art is created by my partner-in-crime, Jesse Young.  He illustrates my novels, which makes them OUR novels now.  It’s a fantastic feeling to not be alone in an endeavor such as this.

6: What drives you to choose the career of being a writer?

Simply put, the love of stories and the imagination and desire to create them.  I have so many ideas that flounder about in my head, I have to get them out.  And not to be pompous, but I’m good at it.  It’s what I’ve always wanted to do, and I will do it.  That’s that.

7: Do you own an ebook reading device?

Yes, I own a Kindle, and it’s been my lifeline.  A major tripping point for me in the past has been the availability (or lack thereof) of decent reading materials.  Now, it’s all right there at my fingertips, anywhere I am.  It’s a nice feeling.  Once I finish one book, I can obtain another one in a hot minute.

8: Who are some of your favorite authors and what are you reading now?

I’ve had a continuing love affair with Clive Barker, John Banville, and, Steven Pirie.  As of this moment, I am completely immersed in reading fellow indie authors, and I’ve found some hidden (and not-so-hidden) gems.  It’s been nice.

9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?

I have a book trailer for my first book, The Fall.  I think they’re a wonderful tool for reaching folks who might not otherwise have found your work.  People can watch the trailer by visiting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7r6dqiGAxQ

10: How did you come up with the title of your latest book?

It was a long, drawn-out process.  The original title was “Balor”, but that felt too D&D for a horror novel.  Then, I realized that the series had broken down into the different seasons, so what better way to start an apocalyptic journey than with The Fall?

11: What are you working on now that you can talk about?

As of this moment, I am putting the finishing touches on “Dead of Winter”, the second book in this series (which is titled “The Rift”, by the way).  After that, it’s on to the third book.  In the meantime during breaks, I’ll be adding, bit-by-bit, to another novel that’s been in the works for a couple years, and also breaking that up by writing some new shorts.

In other words, I’ll be busy.

http://journalofalways.blogspot.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Fall-Rift-Book-ebook/dp/B003OQUNEA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1280356574&sr=8-2

J. A. Titus Interview

1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?

I would say the most productive time of day for me would be anytime after the kids are asleep in bed and there are no distractions, usually after 10 pm (but can sometimes be as late as 1 am).

2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?

Always on the computer, with the exception of the book I'm currently writing.  I got the idea for it while I was working my 2nd job and didn't have access to a computer or to paper and pen.  So the next best thing was my cell phone (which doesn't have internet access).  I ended up sending myself six text messages with all the details I wanted to include and how I wanted to start it.  I was afraid if I didn't get it down right then and there, I'd forget all about it.

3: What do you draw inspiration from?

I draw inspiration from everything around me, especially from people watching.  Also, a lot of what I write about is based upon my past.  It's always easier to write about something you're familiar with and then add onto it to make it a great story.

4: Do you set goals for yourself when you sit down to write such as word count?

Not really.  I just try to make sure that I get everything down that's floating through my mind before I forget.  I tend to get mommy-brain a lot (comes with being distracted).

5: Are you a published or a self published author and how do you come up with your cover art?

I am currently a self-published author (aka indie), but would love to become published some day.  I tried reaching out to agents regarding my book and they all politely rejected it, stating 'while it is intriguing, we just don't feel that we are a good fit for this project'.  I have a personal FaceBook page which I had typed all my chapters for my friends to read and updated my statuses whenever I got a rejection.  It was them (my FaceBook friends) who encouraged me to pursue my book.  One of my friends had read an article about self-publishing on Amazon.com and told me about it.  And here I am today ...

Regarding my cover art, I design it myself (at least at this time).  With The Kindness of Strangers, I knew I wanted a flower to represent growth and maturity.  I got lucky finding the picture I wanted on the lulu.com website when I was self-publishing the paperback.  For my 2nd and 3rd book, I am using PhotoShop and have taken everyday pictures I have lying around the house and tweaked them.  I'm especially excited about my 3rd book's cover because it features my niece.

6: What drives you to choose the career of being a writer?

All the ideas I have!  There are so many of them.  I suppose it's because I'm naturally a creative person (comes with being a LEO).

7: Do you own an ebook reading device?

Unfortunately I cannot afford a Kindle at this time, but that's one of my goals I hope to achieve.  I do have the Kindle PC application on both my personal computer and my work computer.

8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?

My all-time favorite author is Irene Hunt.  I enjoy Lois Lowry, Stephen King, H. P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe, Dean Koontz, Shel Silverstein, John Steinback ... I really could go on with this list.  

I just finished reading 'Marked' by P. C. Cast and Kristen Cast.  I will be reading the second installment in their House of Night series starting this weekend.  I'd really like to read 'Girl Parts' by John M. Cusick.  The blurb reminds me of 'The Stepford Wives', so I'm eager to get that one soon!

9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?

Honestly I had never known that people made trailers of their books until recently.  It seems like a great idea for marketing.  I do not currently have any plans to have any, but who really knows what the future holds.

10: How did you come up with the title of your latest book?

Initially I titled my book Sydney's Story and then The Girl in the Closet, but as I continued writing they just didn't seem to fit.  It went from being a story about a girl escaping an abusive home, to being about the girl and these people she came across who ultimately helped her in some way.  It wasn't until I had written the hospital piece with Ian and his mother that I realized 'The Kindness of Strangers' just seemed to fit so much better.  I mulled it over and shared the idea with my FaceBook friends, and they thought it fit perfectly also.  I only had one naysayer who said they didn't like it because it reminded them of Tennessee William's 'A Street Car Named Desire'.  That person was regarding the scene Blanche Dubois spoke that she 'got by from the Kindness of Strangers'.  She, of course, meant it in a very different way.

11: What are you working on now that you can talk about?

I am currently working on two books right now.  The first is titled 'The Last Curl' and is available to read for free on my FaceBook fan page.  It is still incomplete.  I post the chapters I write as notes and hope that people will read it so that they may offer any suggestions and/or constructive criticism.  The 3rd book has yet to be titled and is only in the concept stage.  I'm hoping to create the chapter breakdown very soon and will also post the chapters on my FaceBook fan page once I begin writing it.

Michael Crane Interview

1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write? 

I’d say mornings and early afternoon.  I like to write during my lunch breaks at work, and on the weekends I’ll sometimes go to Borders early in the morning to write a little.  I don’t really have a schedule for it.  I tend to write when the mood and moment strikes me.


2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?

Most of the time it’s on the computer.  I’ll sometimes write in my journal if I’m working on a rough draft and I’m not near a computer.  Journaling is a great way to get most of the first draft done because I know I’m writing a rough draft and that it’s perfectly fine if it’s a tad messy, yet when I type it out on the computer I find myself editing as I’m writing the story.  An awful habit that’s hard to shake.  Making sure the story gets told should always be Priority #1 when it comes to the first draft, especially since you’re going to rewrite it later.

3: What do you draw inspiration from?

It’s really random with me, but I think a lot of people can say the same.  There will be days where I think I don’t have another story in me and then something will hit me out of nowhere.  I find that I get a lot of good story ideas when I’m walking.  I tend to do a lot more thinking when I’m on the move.

4: Do you set goals for yourself when you sit down to write such as word count?

My only goal is to take the story as far as it can go.  It would be nice if I could set a daily word-count for myself, but that’s not how I write.  There are days when I’m really on a roll and then there are days where I feel like I’m struggling.  I’ve learned that you can’t force it.  Take it as far as you can that day.  I’m pretty much happy if I get a couple hundred words down at least, but again that’s not a goal I set.

5: Are you a published or a self published author and how do you come up with your cover art?

Self-published.  I found the picture for the cover at istockphoto.com and bought it.  They have a pretty wide selection over there.  I wished I could illustrate my own, but I can’t even draw respectable stick figures.

6: What drives you to choose the career of being a writer?

I love telling stories.  I get a kick out of creating situations and seeing how my characters will react to them.  Life’s full of stories, no matter how grand or subtle they might be.

7: Do you own an ebook reading device?

I own a Kindle and I love it.  I admit that I love the look and feel of an actual book, but I love not having to find extra space for all of those books.  I’d buy so many, and half the time I’d never even get to them.  Plus, the Kindle is easier on my eyes than reading an actual book.  I love how you can adjust the font size.  At first, I thought it’d be like reading on a computer which is why I avoided it for the longest time, but it’s nothing like that.

8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?

Raymond Carver was (and still is) a huge influence when it comes to short stories.  He showed me that you didn’t have to have complicated plots to tell an interesting story, and that everyday people facing everyday situations can be interesting.  I also admire and love Richard Yates, Kurt Vonnegut, Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, Charles Bukowski... the list goes on, but those are the big ones for me.  Right now I’m reading THE RULES OF ATTRACTION by Bret Easton Ellis, which is fantastic so far.

9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?

I think they could be pretty effective if they’re done right.  I honestly haven’t really given it any thought, but if I knew how to go about it in a way that made sense, that would be a pretty neat way to promote your work.

10: How did you come up with the title of your latest book?

That was actually the toughest part for me.  I was clueless.  I knew these stories went well together and shared a common theme, but I didn’t know what to call it.  I had a story in it that was originally called “Decadent Dan,” and when I went back to it I wasn’t too crazy about that title.  Then, I thought about what “decadent” means, and one of the first definitions that came up was “in decline.”  Not only did that end up being the new title for the piece, but also for the book as well.  I think it captures the theme of all of the stories really well.

11: What are you working on now that you can talk about?

Right now, I’m working on a few short stories.  I started a new one a few days ago that at the moment has me really excited, so I’m praying that it’ll stay that way.  I would like to put out another collection, but only if the stories go together well.  Currently, I really don’t have any ideas for a full length novel.  Who knows?  Maybe one of these stories will end up being a novel.  I can only hope!

Diane Griffin Interview

Bio:    Diane Griffin, President and owner of Security First & Associates, says her motivation for writing Everything You Wanted to Know About the Security Clearance Process, But Are Afraid To Ask: Professional Guidance for Obtaining and Maintaining a Security Clearance came from the more than two decades of people she has assisted, both in her role as a private security contractor, and as the head of personnel or security within major governmental contractors, in finding their way through the complicated security clearance chain. 

Synopsis: If you have plenty of time to click around through myriad government websites and the patience to cut through red tape and make sense of confusing bureaucratic talk, you may be able to find some of the answers to your questions about the security clearance process,” Griffin says. “Chances are, however, that you will still be left with some of your questions unanswered, because there are some questions that the government just doesn’t address. So, unless you know someone who is well acquainted with the process from a first-hand perspective, good luck.

“What I sought to do was compile all of these answers into one easy-to-read compendium of advice and guidance, giving my readers signposts along the way to assist them in navigating through the clearance process. I believe I’ve come up with a volume that will greatly help its users, and being able to assist folks in working through this process is extremely gratifying to me.” GROUNDBREAKING SECURITY CLEARANCE EBOOK A ONE-STOP KNOWLEDGEBASE FOR THOSE CONFUSED BY THE SECURITY CLEARANCE PROCESS.

Everything You Need to Know About the Security Clearance Process, But Are Afraid to Ask is now available for $19.95, from my website, amazon & lulu.

1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?

  I like to write late at night, after everyone has gone to sleep.  I am up all night!

2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?

 I start my writing project on the computer.  Print it out, review it and then make the changes again on the computer.

3: What do you draw inspiration from?

 For this book, it was drawn from my experience in working in the Defense industry.  I was asked the same question repeatedly and I thought it this would  be a great  book topic for those interested in obtaining a security clearance.

4: Do you set yourself goals when you sit down to write such as word count?

  No, I just went with the flow.  I did create an outline in the beginning, so that I would not veer to far off the subject.

5: Being a self published author how do you come up with your cover art?

  I researched it and found someone on line to do the cover.

6: What drives you to choose the career of being a writer?

 I must say that I would love to have a full time career as a writer, but unfortunately, I have not sold enough books to maintain my dream job, so until that happens, I have a small security consulting company called Security First & Assoc.  We help small to medium size defense contractors to understand the rule and regulations of having a classified contract with the U.S. Government.

7: Do you own an eBook reading devise?

 No, I do not, but I sell the ebook on Kindle and Smashwords.

8: Who are some of your favorite authors and what are you reading now?

 I love the author Danielle Steel.  Most of her books are about beautiful people finding other beautiful people and people overcoming adversity.

9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?

I would love to have a book trailer; I will have to check with my virtual assistant,  Janis Friesler, she keeps me straight and she also does book trailer videos.

10: What are you working on now that you can talk about?

 I have three books in the works, One is can cancer be cured by alternative medicines, the other is about Work Place Violence and lastly about parents learning the meaning of the text codes that their children are currently using.

I told earlier that I never sleep. ……………………..

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http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m266RNC5N6SKHS

Brian Drake Interview

Brian Drake is the author of Reaper’s Dozen—12 Tales of Crime and Suspense, which is available at Amazon.Com for the low price of $1.99.  He has been a writer of mystery and crime fiction since his first publication at age 25, and discusses important contributions to the hard-boiled canon at his blog, “Brian Drake Explains It All” (www.briandrake88.blogspot.com).  He sat down with us to share a few words about writing.

1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?

Any time, really, since I have so many other responsibilities to juggle.  When I’m off work or have a free day, it’s usually the first thing that gets scheduled.

2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?

I’m a masochist when it comes to writing.  I start with a spiral notebook—I like to hear the sound of a pen scratching paper, and that process often forces me to slow down and really consider what I write.  Then I take the written draft and blow the dust off my grandfather’s Royal Deluxe portable typewriter; I like how it sounds like a machine gun when I really get going, using two fingers, like Mickey Spillane did.  That’s when I make changes and adjustments to the written draft.  It also makes me feel like one of the old-timers who wrote for Black Mask.  Then the typed draft goes into the computer, where final changes are made, and adjustments continue until the manuscript is finished.  So, basically, I go through three drafts of a book.

3: What do you draw inspiration from?

There are too many sources to list—inspiration comes from life, being active and around people and observing, which usually helps with characterizing people and getting behavioral details right.  Story ideas come from “what if” questions and things you hear on the news or whatever my imagination brings to mind.  Inspiration comes from other sources, too.  For example, I needed to do a restaurant scene for the book I’m working on now, and read a review of a pizza place where people were unanimous in stating that the food was good but the service was horrible.  I decided to place my characters in this restaurant, suitably altered, and had them attempt to conduct their business while dealing with a rude waitress. 

4: Do you set goals for yourself when you sit down to write such as word count?

Five pages a day is my usual goal; lately, I’m happy to do two pages or even a paragraph.  If I only get one day a week to do something, it’s a marathon session—25 pages, at least, to make up for what I didn’t get done the previous five days.  A “real job” is the curse of the creative class.

5: Are you a published or a self published author and how do you come up with your cover art?

A little bit of both.  My short stories have appeared in printed anthologies and on webzines; right now, the novels are self-published for the Amazon Kindle and other e-readers.  This is not where I want to stay, however; I want to hold a published book in my hand.  With the business I get from the e-books, I hope to show publishers that there’s a demand for my material, and we can all make money together if they put the book out.

As for cover art, my friend and fellow writer Rebecca Forster does a great job with my covers using Clip-Art images or pictures I’ve photographed of actors posing in a scene from a book.  I’ve also hired an artist friend, Mr. Christopher Finneke, to draw the cover of my upcoming novel Justified Sins.  He’s expensive, though, so if I’m going to hire him again I need the book to earn a little first.

6: What drives you to choose the career of being a writer?

I am notoriously lazy with an active imagination so the logical choice is to do something creative; making such activity pay the rent is another issue.

7: Do you own an ebook reading device?

I am embarrassed to say that I currently do not.  However, I have friends who have their own, so I am very familiar with how the e-readers work and what the reader eventually sees.

8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?

Major favorites are people who are dead.  Ian Fleming.  Leslie Charteris.  Dashiell Hammett.  Mickey Spillane.  Harry Whittington.  The Black Mask Boys.  Living contenders are Rebecca Forster, Jerry Ahern, Max Allan Collins, and that’s it.  I’m always willing to try newer living authors, though, so if you think I might like something I’d appreciate a tip.  I’ll try newer dead guys, too, that I haven’t heard of yet.

Right now in my “To Be Read” stack you will find the aforementioned Collins and Charteris; a Frederick Forsythe book that’s been sitting there for two years; and a book from The Executioner series.  I am not ashamed for enjoying The Executioner; I read them all through high school and college and every now and then like to go back and revisit an episode or two in the series.  I would love to write one, but Gold Eagle, the publishers, keep ignoring my letters.  Perhaps I shouldn’t have included the severed ears with the last letter, but, hey, I thought they would pay extra attention.  I bet they wonder where the ears came from.

9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?

No plans for my own.  I have tried to watch book trailers but can never get through them.  I don’t know if they really have any impact.  If I’m wrong, I’m happy to be corrected.  As a part-time actor I have plenty of people who can work lights and cameras and do stuff in front of those cameras, but I don’t see a reason to produce one.

10: What are you working on now that you can talk about?

Current projects include Justified Sins, a slam-bang action story right out of the old crime pulps and I must admit that The Executioner was a huge influence.  That should be out soon as I’m in the final editing stages.  After that is a spy thriller called The Eagle Intercept, which is a great drama and adventure story rolled into one.  It’s about secret agents, yes, but I’ve written it to exclude any political or current events you might recognize.  You can truly be carried off into another world and have a good time and a few laughs and not be frightened by what the news has already frightened you about.  While I think, right now, that Justified Sins will be a stand-alone story (subject to change), The Eagle Intercept is absolutely the beginning of a series and I’m looking forward to further adventures with the characters.  Eagle is almost finished and should be ready by the end of 2010. 

The White Hairs book review

       A Classic in the making

A few books come along that you read and then pick up and read again, this is one of those books. A book i will return to many times, it captures the magic and adventure that all story tellers try to achieve. with elements of mystical creatures and the gift of Out of Body Experience.

Masterfully written with details that put you right into the story that takes you on this spiritual journey. I can't wait to see more from this author.

Erik Williams Interview

1: What is the most productive time of the day for you to write?

Productive time?  What’s that?  Seriously, though, with a 14-month old and a day job, productive time ends up being an hour here or twenty minutes there.  I know some writer wake up early to write.  Screw that.  I need my sleep.  Plus, I need about ten cups of coffee before I start doing any thinking at all. 

2: Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer?

Most of the time it’s on the computer.  However, I will, from time-to-time, grab a legal pad and scribble away if I’ve got an idea for a scene or exchange of dialogue.  This is more often the case for short stories rather than novellas or novels. 

3: What do you draw inspiration from?

Well, that depends.  As a writer, I tend to draw a lot of inspiration from my fellow writers when they make big sales.  I mean, if they can do, I can because I know I’m a better writer than them (don’t worry, this won’t piss them off.  They know I’m a better writer and have learned to live with it).  My buddy Sam W. Anderson recently released a collection of short fiction, POSTCARDS FROM PURGATORY, as a limited edition through Sideshow Press.  Print run of 100.  It’s now sold out.  Now if Sam can both convince someone to print a collection of his stories and then sell it out, I damn well can.  One day.  All jokes aside, Sam’s a great writer.  If you dig horror, check him out.

As far as inspiration for writing, hell, that comes from anything and everything.  An idea for a scene.  A snippet of dialogue.  And overheard bit of a story as you walk down the street.  An article you read online.  I think writers tend to be more sensitive to this type of information, more receptive, so that when something tickles their imagination, they pounce on it and twist it into something living and breathing.  Example: I was brushing and flossing one morning.  Then this weird idea hit me.  I imagined this conversation between the toothbrush and floss.  The toothbrush is depressed and is contemplating killing himself by jumping in the toilet and drowning.  The floss is trying to talk him down.  Not the best story maybe, but an example of how something simple can be bent and shaped into something different and new.  

4: Do you set goals for yourself when you sit down to write such as word count?

Yeah but it’s been modified since the kid came along.  I type fast and used to try to knock out between a thousand and two thousand words a day.  However, three hundred a day is considered a victory now. 

5: Are you a published or a self published author and how do you come up with your cover art?

I’m both.  I’ve published short stories at various small press and online markets.  My novella, BLOOD SPRING, was released as a trade paperback in March by Bad Moon Books.  My novelette, THE REVEREND’S POWDER, is being released as a chapbook in August by Sideshow Press.  And my first novel, DEMON, will be published in mid-2011.  Most of my self-publishing involves previously published short stories.  I’ve posted a couple on my blog.  Recently, I collected seven short monster stories into a collection called ROUGH BEASTS on Kindle and Smashwords.  I did another collection of ten dark tales called PERSISTENCE OF SUFFERING., also available on Kindle and Smashwords. 

The only original work I’ve self-published is a novelette name GONE, THE DAY.  It’s one of those stories that are too long for short story markets and too short for novella markets, ringing in at around thirteen thousand words.  I tried to sell it for several years, got close a few times, but it never worked out.  Then last year, I started hearing about Kindle and success indie and pro writers were having selling original and back-list works.  I figured I’d dip my toe in the water and make it available as an e-book.  It sold really well for the first couple months and then eventually tapered off.  However, it still makes some scratch for me on a monthly basis so I can’t complain.  Plus, it was a great learning experience.

6: What drives you to choose the career of being a writer?

I don’t know.  No one in their right mind, I think, chooses to be a writer.  It’s painful, depressing, soul-crippling, and confidence destroying.  It requires a huge amount of hard work, patience, and resilience.  The pay is pretty lousy unless you hit it big. 

But then again, there’s really nothing better.  Creating worlds, bringing characters to life and then putting them through the ringer, selling a short story or a novel you’ve put hours and maybe years of work into.  Nothing better at all (Except for the wife and kid.  They rock.  Oh, and cold beer on a hot day.  That’s right up there).    

7: Do you own an ebook reading device?

Yep, own a Kindle 2. 

8: Who are some of your favorite authors and What are you reading now?

I’ll give you the Top 10 in no particular order:  James Ellroy, Stephen King (earlier work more than later), Cormac McCarthy, George R.R. Martin, Dennis Lehane, Ernest Hemingway, James Clavell, William Shakespeare, Flannery O’Connor, James Lee Burke

I usually read about three books at the same time.  Right now, I’m juggling THE CEREMONIES by T.E.D. Klein, THE IMAGO SEQUENCE by Laird Barron, and BLACK CHERRY BLUES by James Lee Burke.  Recently finished DIMITER by William Peter Blatty.

9: What do you think of book trailers and do you have any plans to have any?

Honestly, I’ve never watched one.  It seems weird to sell a book like a movie.  I like audio commercials for books but visual ones feels like “over-selling”.  Of course, if I watch one I may completely change my tune.  Until then, I don’t have plans to make any.

10: How did you come up with the title of your latest book?

PERSISTENCE OF SUFFERING is an homage to Dali’s PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY.

11: What are you working on now that you can talk about?

Just finished a story for an invite-only anthology that’ll come out sometime next year.  Also, plugging away on a new novel.  For updates on any and all things me, check out my blog at www.erikwilliams.blogspot.com  I post frequent updates there, ranging from latest rejections to upcoming publications.