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Author Interview

What is your new book about?
The Beached Ones is a heartfelt supernatural story about the bond between two brothers who grow up in difficult circumstances. With an empathetic approach, it explores subjects like child abuse, suicide, and loss, and how love can get us through even the most traumatic experiences.

Of all the characters, which one do you relate to the most, and why?
I relate most to my main character in this story, Daniel Shepard, because I too have younger brothers. I helped raise them while I was growing up and felt very protective of them. I can understand the lengths to which Daniel goes to make sure that Tony is safe. Of course, I can also understand how Tony sometimes irritates his older brother!

What's the most interesting or unusual thing you learned while researching for this book?
I was lucky enough to be able to travel to research this book—I took the same journey the characters take from Harlan, Iowa, to San Francisco, California. I had researched and written the book beforehand, but taking the trip myself helped me improve the story in countless ways.

First, actually seeing, smelling, and hearing the locations encouraged more realistic and sensory setting descriptions. Taking the journey by car also helped me to feel in my bones the effects of the long road trip, and sharpened my sense of the time it would take.

Finally, I met some amazing people that influenced the story. One, in particular, had a big impact.

On the last day of my trip as the sun was about to set, I went to see one of the key locations in the story once more. I stopped to get some pictures and just happened to run into a security officer. He was patrolling, as was usual in this location, and wanted to let me know that the “gates” would soon close. I took advantage of the meeting to ask him some questions.

I soon realized that the muse had just introduced me to a very special person. I ended up talking to him for a good twenty minutes or more, and during that short spell, got nothing short of gold for my story. Pure gold.

This man had experienced exactly what happens in my climactic scene. He told me details I never could have imagined—details that were critical to the story.

It was surreal, as I hadn’t planned the meeting. But it was as if the universe had given it to me so I could write the best ending possible for the story.

I was so wrapped up in the moment that I neglected to get the gentlemen’s name. I feel horrible as I would have liked to have thanked him in the acknowledgments. I’ve related this story at the end of the book, instead, in the hopes The Beached Ones finds its way to him one day.

There are many books out there about supernatural experiences and journeys. What makes yours different?
My publisher describes The Beached Ones as paranormal (or supernatural) with a literary bent. I like a little magic in my stories, but they are grounded in real experiences. I focus more on the characters and their interactions so that the reader doesn’t feel like they’re “out there” in some other world. Instead, I’m hoping they can imagine the events in my stories potentially taking place in the real world.

Do you have another profession besides writing?
I am a freelance writer for my "day job." I work for a variety of clients around the nation. For them, I write magazine articles, blog posts, ebooks, web copy, newsletters, press releases, and more. I started the business over 20 years ago so that I would have more flexibility in my schedule and be able to focus on my own writing.

The only downside is that sometimes I end up spending far too much time at the computer!

Enter the Giveaway:

THE BEACHED ONES Book Tour Giveaway