Mom was a single, working parent when I was in diapers, and we moved around a lot. I lived in six different houses and three different states by age 10. These included Chapel Hill NC, Lexington MA, Cincinnati OH and Medford OR.
I adopted the local accent wherever we went and learned slightly different American cultures. This probably gave me an open mind to ways of thinking about things, but it also fostered some resentment to moving around and having to make new friends. I just wanted to stay in one place and grow roots.

Mom used to take dictation when I was 4 or 5 for story ideas, very basic stories as you can imagine. After that my writing career was on hold until about age 21, when I began The Little Universe. I had no idea where it would go, but the premise was enough to keep me attached.

The latest book is the third in line of the novels. It's about two girls with the same father (Jim from Jim's Life) and different mothers. The daughters each have advanced crystalline cell structure, which gives them enormous powers compared to average people. Will they use their powers for good or evil? You decide.

I was never very patient so when self-publishing became an option I ditched the agent/publisher query thing in a heartbeat. I also like being in control of the projects :)

Smashwords has been my friend since 2009, when I first uploaded and began selling books through them. Back then it was the only way to get into places like Barnes & Noble and Apple, so I feel a loyalty to the company.
Mark Coker has been incredible. He used to answer my emails within an hour or two back in the early days. Now he needs a team of assistants. Glad for him and for Smashwords.

Occasionally I'll get an email or read a review from a perfect stranger who really enjoyed one of the books. It's the ultimate reward to hear how much the book helped or entertained someone, especially people from countries around the world. That's the greatest thing about being an indie author these days, the global potentials to reach out and touch someone's life.

They mean everything. I love hearing from fans who liked my books and even from a fan who didn't. Being realistic means knowing not everyone will enjoy your books, and so I appreciate that they took the time to read and to write a review regardless. All of the readers are important.
Some of them have even become my friends. I recently had dinner in New York City with a fan I met this way and it was great fun!

I'm working on two books: one fiction and one non-fiction. The fiction is the third book in a series and the non-fiction is a self-help book, something that helps me too.

I enjoy a variety authors, both new and old school. I loved the Richard Bach books years ago, especially Illusions and One, and also books by Carl Sagan like Cosmos and Contact, and books by Hawking and Stephen Jay Gould. Anything that mixes personal growth with an attempt to understand the world around us captures my interest.

Love the fact that I can wake up, make a morning beverage, click on the computer and start working immediately with emails and social media. Blogging is a joy because it enables me to write other things than books, and more people discover the books through blog posts than anything else. I usually work until early afternoon, then take a break to get some rest or exercise and then work again in the early evening or after dinner until bed.
I love the flexible hours of working at home.

I live by the beach in California with my wife and daughters, and sometimes we head down to the sand to relax in the sun. I also play soccer, work out and enjoy games like chess and scrabble. I cook dinner almost every night and enjoy that. We grill a fair amount on the barbeque, make pasta sauces, stews, soups, roasted veggies, simple and good things like that. Also watch sports or good shows on TV, movie nights.

I interview Indie Authors for my weekly show and these days primarily read their works. Otherwise I read books recommended by friends or family. Sometimes I'll see a book online that catches my eye and read it.

I've done them myself and also hire out to Victorine Lieske. She's great. Surprisingly, the book with the most sales to date has been one of my own covers. The content really was more important so that book did well even with the worst cover imaginable. Go figure.

Blogging and networking on social media have been the main things.
My blogs:
http://ebooksuccess4free.wordpress.com/
http://www.thebigbangauthor.com/
Facebook group, Google Plus and Twitter:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/110604178950149/
http://gplus.to/JasonMatthews
http://twitter.com/jason_matthews