The idea for In the House of Leviathan came to me while I spent several weeks sailing the Amalfi Coast of Italy. Being a museum lover, I toured an age-old paper mill that absolutely floored me with its dramatic setting. After meeting the highly superstitious people of the fishing village, I knew that this was the perfect setting for a paranormal thriller.

Like many professional authors, I am a hybrid of traditional and indie publishing. The publishing industry is changing radically, as we all know, and with the advent of ebooks now more than ever the big houses need guaranteed winners. That means they take less chances than ever, from an artistic point of view. So when I have projects that appeal to the larger public I go to my traditional publishers and when I have a more nuanced project, or perhaps am targeting a smaller demographic, I happily maintain full control and go the indie route. Authors today have the best of both worlds.

Sharing knowledge, discovery, and adventure with those who don't have the opportunities that I do. I've traveled to over fifty nations around the world in my effort to live life to the fullest. Through writing I'm able to share what I've experienced with those who don't have the time or inclination to see the world. It's a huge place, after all, and far more varied than you can possibly imagine.

Fans are everything. They are the driving force behind the new project. They give fuel to your fire to create because they're hungry for more. It's a great gift they give but also a responsibility: you don't want to let them down, even if you feel you need to move into new arenas.

I'm moving deeper and deeper into fiction with paranormal thrillers. I love history and seem particularly drawn to the Victorian era, when the world was in dramatic upheaval and there was a conscious push to discover all the world had to offer, to fill out the last blank spaces on the map. With so much discovery of new new new, there's bound to be surprises. My twisted imagination always asks, 'what if the surprises were way more outrageous than you were prepared for?' Setting and atmosphere, of course, are what propels a good thriller into a great one. So I'm taking my travel experiences, from East Africa to Central America to Europe, America's West, and weaving in some bizarre surprises.

I am a voracious reader of history and, as such, must give credit to probably the greatest living historical writer, David McCullough. His level of genius is unmatched. His book John Adams, for example, was literally the most exciting history book I've ever read. How can he make it a page turner when I already know what happens? That's how good he is. Mark Kurlansky is a favorite because he takes a mundane subject - cod, for example - and delves so deep into it you're just in awe of how it changed the world. Likewise I love the work of Tony Horwitz who brings a fresh spin on Civil War history, keeping it entertaining and informative in equal measure. In fiction my biggest influences are entirely genre, from Terry Brooks in the fantasy realm to H.P. Lovecraft in the horror. I'm particularly fond of Arthur Conan Doyle.

Because I'm a morning person, I fairly leap out of bed in the morning. I love to write in the morning and, in fact, usually get my day's goals done before noon. After that I quickly bleed energy until by 7:30 I'm already in a robe and by 8:30 I'm already in bed. A far cry from my wild past working on cruise ships are all hours and partying in the cracks, to be sure.

I live for adventure. My wife and I are avid hikers and I'm a mountain climber, as well. To clarify that, I'm not a technical climber so much as a peak bagger. I have run many a bizarre marathon - such as the ET Midnight Moonlight Marathon in full alien costume just outside Area 51 on the ET Highway. When I turned 40 I became fascinated with bodybuilding and am now an official gym rat. I've discovered that most of my interests were about pushing further and bettering myself. The beauty of bodybuilding (and I'm not a huge guy nor wish to be) is that you intentionally focus on your weaknesses, expose them, and attack them. What a fantastic metaphor for life!

I'm old school and prefer paperbacks. I have a bad habit of scribbling copious notes and thoughts in the margins. Really, though, it's more about how there's few places I'd rather be than surrounded by books.

When I was a teenager I knew I wanted to be a writer, about 15 or so. When I was 17 I graduated from high school early to free up time to write my first novel, which was entered into a teen-only national contest. I remember a few bits and pieces of that work and shudder. Needless to say, I didn't win. But it did teach me at an early age that you can undertake a big project like that and it's nothing to be scared of. Indeed, it's empowering to recognize that you have as much control of your life as you care to take.