Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
No, but I do remember that my earliest recreational readings were comic books. This was not a choice but a consequence of circumstance. There were no books in my home and there was no public library available to me. There was, however, a shack in the woods near my house that was crammed with moldy comic books. I read these over and over again. I think they paved the way to true reading fluency for me.
What is your writing process?
Writing for me is a comfortable way to communicate. Usually I start with an idea that I think deserves attention, or a subject that I'd like to know more about. Research is always the first step. As I read and explore I decide whether or not the topic deserves as much attention as it will require. There have been biographies I've contemplated writing but decided, after becoming acquainted with the subject, that the individual was too unpleasant to spend a lot of time with. Once I'm involved in a project, I pretty much spend most of my day working at it. Even when I'm not working, it's in my head. The most unpleasant part of the process is discovering mistakes. This happens more than I'd like. The benefit of self-publishing is I can pull down a book and correct the error with little fuss.
Read more of this interview.