Reading is one of my favorite things and I usually go for the books that strike my mood. Usually, it's something about writing and self-publishing or anything that's science fiction horror.

I love to travel with my wife, Kelli, play with my cats Auggie and Allie, read, listen to music, and cook.

I've been writing as long as I can remember, so it's hard to say what I wrote first. When I really think about it, I was watching Saturday morning cartoons and there was a big free toy shopping spree at Toys R Us. I was so fascinated by that idea and I wanted badly to win that contest for a shopping spree. So, I wrote a story about a boy that finds an alien and they both win the opportunity to do the shopping spree. Through that story, I was able to live my dream. Of course, that's what reading and writing is good for - getting to live a dream.

My writing process goes from idea to outline. Then I break that outline down into bite-sized chunks and give myself a rough word count I'm shooting for in a chapter. I then write the easiest parts of a book first, and that varies from one book to the next. If a chapter requires research, I will do it AFTER I have completed my rough draft. After the rough draft is complete, I go through a quick read through, then send it to an editor. Usually, I go through about 2 rounds of edits before I decide to release a book.

This is a real tough question because I cannot recall the first book I ever read. The first book I read may well be "Green Eggs & Ham" by Dr. Seuss. If I were to point to a book that had the most impact early on in my development, it would be "The Tommyknockers" by Stephen King. That was the first long form book that I read and inspired me to become a writer.

I always hire out. I used to lean heavily on Fiverr, but these days, I prefer Miblart or GetCovers.

1 - "Have A Nice Day" by Mick Foley - This is the most brilliantly written autobiography and gave me a true appreciation for the professional wrestling business. Mick is an excellent author and is underrated.
2 - "You'll See It When You Believe It" by Wayne Dyer - I had a rough patch in my life and Wayne Dyer's books were strongly influential. This book opened my mind to living my dreams and explore life.
3 - "The Dark Tower" by Stephen King - The entire Dark Tower series is a masterful work and paints an unusual landscape that really immersed me in a different world. King's works are excellent on a bad day, but the Dark Tower series is simply incomparable.
4 - "Combat Conditioning" by Matt Furey - Simple, straight and to-the-point is how Furey presents his books. I saw Matt Furey put on a clinic in March 2000 at the Arnold Expo in Columbus, Ohio. I was fascinated with his presentation and my brother picked up this book that I ended up claiming as my own. I have literally worn out the binding in this book. Furey is responsible for truly inspiring me to become physically fit.
5 - "The Troop" by Nick Cutler. This story is masterful writing in horror. That is a book that hooks you early on and keeps you till the end.

I read anything that strikes my fancy at the moment. Some of my favorite niches are science fiction, horror, and books about writing and publishing.

I read on the Kindle app on my phone.

Amazon Advertising works real well for me, but it took quite a few years to get comfortable with running effective campaigns. I'd say the cheapest and easiest book marketing comes through my YouTube channels - Dale L. Roberts and The Self-Publishing with Dale Podcast.

I've got an adjustable standing desk, so I move between seated and standing at least four to five times per day. I LOVE my work station and look forward to work everyday because I made it super comfortable and stress free. I keep my desktop somewhat organized, though every now and then, I have to dust it off.