Interview with Orlando Sanchez
Published 2014-05-15.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
Training and being fit. Plus I have little ones i have to get to school in the morning.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
Reading and practicing karate.
How do you discover the ebooks you read?
Many different ways. Recommendations from others- searches I do, reading blurbs, or just taking a chance on an unknown author.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
Yes I was around 11 and it was the setting for a dungeon i would put my friends through. It was great fun!
What is your writing process?
I like to write in my local Starbucks. I usually outline a bit before I will start the story, after the story has some momentum I flesh out the outline and then jump back in. I used to write longhand and then type it in ( or better have it typed in) now I just go straight to computer.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
The first story I ever read? No I don't. I do remember an era of reading early on which I know influenced me greatly. The authors of that time of my life were Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Silverburg, Piers Anthony, Bradbury, Donaldson and Asimov. I would say those writers shaped my early reading life and taught me to appreciate rich stories and amazing worlds.
How do you approach cover design?
Usually by the time I have the story in mind the cover exists in my head. I design my covers and create rough sketches or scribbles of ideas. Somewhere around the end of the outline I work on the cover. Its usually done before the book is completely done.
What are your five favorite books, and why?
Im going to cheat and list my current favorite authors instead.
Paolo Coelho
Jim Butcher
Lee Child
Barry Eisler
Kevin Hearne
Kim Harrison
Kat Richardson
Read everything by them! There are more but I don't want to cheat too much!
What do you read for pleasure?
A little bit of everything, Right now I'm thick in the middle of Mistborn trilogy by Sanderson.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
Kindle and kindle for my phone.
What book marketing techniques have been most effective for you?
So far telling my friends and blogging and creating an email list have been the most effective. I also have a page on Facebook and Twitter and those have been helping quite a bit.
Describe your desk
Rectangular and about four feet off the floor. With surround sound speakers everywhere to create a cocoon of music and help me immerse myself in whatever I'm doing.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
NYC- it influenced my writing in every way...its NYC. This place is a writers dream.
When did you first start writing?
When I was pretty young around 10 -11.
What's the story behind your latest book?
Blur- A John Kane Novel is about a retired operative that has a great ability, the ability to blur. He becomes implicated in a series of murders that are committed by person using the same ability. He has to clear his name or take the fall.
What motivated you to become an indie author?
I always had problems with authority. when I first started writing I went the traditional route and collected my share of rejection letters. Once self-publishing started to take hold I felt it was the way to go. It also lets me keep creative control over the entire process which is great and scary at the same time.
How has Smashwords contributed to your success?
I heard about Smashwords from a friend and fellow indie author and I can honestly say it has been instrumental in my learning about the process of self-publishing and how to present a written piece of work to an audience. THANKS Smashwords!
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
Being in the flow and letting the story emerge-is the greatest joy.
What do your fans mean to you?
My fans ( do I have fans yet ?) mean everything to me. My books are an expression of sharing myself and my head-space with others. Its like a secret between us. My fans will get it and I will make more of what I do for them because of that.
What are you working on next?
Sepia Blue -Origins, The Spiritual Warriors books 2 and 3 and a second book to Blur.
Smashwords Interviews are created by the profiled author or publisher.
