When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’ve always considered myself a writer considering that, even as a kid, I actually enjoyed every writing assignment I was given, and even wrote a “book” at about 12. It was about a family of princesses and the youngest princess had a pet dragon named Walter, that’s all I remember about it now… I don’t even know where it is now! But I think the more interesting answer is: when did I first consider myself to be an author? And honestly, I didn’t really consider myself an author, someone who could turn their passion and enjoyment of writing into a type of career, until I held my first book in my hand. “The Monster of Selkirk Book 1: The Duality of Nature” came out in April of 2017, so I haven’t really considered myself a “real” author all that long, even though I technically finished writing my first book in 2014.

Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?

I think my latest novel, “Resistor” would be best as a movie just because the cyberpunk aesthetic always looks best on the big screen. Plus, my early readers have compared “Resistor” to like “reading a video game” with its magic, futuristic technology, and it’s colorful people and disturbing looking monsters. But, that being said, I think my “Monster of Selkirk” series would be great for a Netflix series or a TV show kind of like what was done with The Shanara Chronicles as it’s a little slower and I think people can appreciate the coming-of-age story in that series better if it’s in a longer season-like format. I usually end up face-casting (basing the looks of my characters off actors/celebrities) so imagining my characters and my worlds coming to life in a movie becomes even easier!

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

My characters are usually 100% my creation but with some caveats. Sometimes there are friendships or relationships that inspire the core of the character’s personality, but beyond that, I rely on my Positive and negative Character Trait Thesaurus to help me build and craft the characters. Giving them these character traits before I start writing the book itself helps inform how a character would interact with the world or other characters, which makes them more fully rounded. But I do tend to pick actors or celebrities to model their looks on so I can better visualize my character, which helps me further get into their mindset!

Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?

My characters totally hijack the story! I may build them out and do some light drafting before going into a story, but how my characters accomplish their goals or get to certain points in the book is firmly in their hands. It makes writing exciting for me, and leads to some unexpected places sometimes, including character deaths!

Have you written any other books that are not published?

I have written 2 contemporary fiction books that are not published. Yet. I tend to write contemporary in between my big fantasy projects as a kind of pallets cleanser as the world building is not nearly so intense. One of the 2 contemporaries is pretty far along, so I could theoretically get that out into the world soon, but it’s such a personal story that I have trouble letting it go, too.

If your book had a candle, what scent would it be?

“Resistor” would totally be a tobacco, whiskey, and coffee scented candle. It takes place in a massive city and centers on less than reputable characters, so I feel this would best represent the location and vibe of the book best.

Fun Facts/Behind the Scenes/Did You Know?'-type tidbits about the author, the book or the writing process of the book.

The dedication Resistor is actually a true story. I dedicated my latest book to the ER doctors and techs who had to scan my brain after a bout of my Bell’s Palsy that didn’t present in the normal way. The scans came back as “unremarkable”. They even circled the word! I found it such a funny way to tell someone they were fine, that I just had to dedicate my book to the people who deemed my brain “unremarkable”.