Interview with Arrowhead Classics Publishing Co.
Published 2015-11-04.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in Los Angeles, Glendale and Mecca, California with a short period in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. I believe childhood influences every writer who dives into fiction or non-fiction. Although I've been on this planet 8 decades, inside I'm still that child.
When did you first start writing?
When a teacher called out, "Grab your pencils and hold them like this . . ." No kidding.
What's the story behind your latest book?
Necessity. I always need to write something, so why not a book that fulfills that need and helps others. My latest book is a heart health book and it does quite well helping others. My first commercial writing, however, involved writing PSAs at a local radio station while I was in high school. Once written the station also paid me to do the voice. Neat job for a youngster.
What motivated you to become an indie author?
Rejections from large publishers. About half my books have been published by New York publishers. The other half were rejected so I published them and have done quite well with each of them.
How has Smashwords contributed to your success?
What, another PSA? All outlets and distribution sites help with the total of sales, but Smashwords is an excellent site because it does not demand or insert DRM, does not accept poorly configured books for electronic readers and it takes care of placing books with followers of other sites like iBooks, Barnes & Noble (Nook) and even adds another leg up at Amazon's KDP.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
Keeps one alive. Beats TV and I'm not glued to a mobile phone. I start writing at around four or five in the morning and by ten my day belongs to hobbies, errands, or just me.
What are you working on next?
A magazine, a novel and my tax records.
Who are your favorite authors?
I like a lot of works. Wouldn't dare choose a favorite since many of them are still alive.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
The fact that I wake up to a new day is enough.
How do you discover the ebooks you read?
Search the Net for authors, subjects, etc. Sometimes I download old titles I remember liking and check them out.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
Yes. I still have a copy of it. It was titled "Dead Horse Canyon." It was about an incident in a canyon near our home where all the kids would hike down a narrow trail and play where a creek ran through it. It was a wonderful area for youngsters. Today it's full of houses and roads and smog and totally uninteresting, but the story brings back good memories for me.
What is your writing process?
I'm usually at the computer within 30-minutes of rising. That's not what you wanted was it?
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
Yes. Zotz. I went around for a while after that pointing my finger at things and people and calling out, "Zotz." Then I realized it was only fiction. :-)
How do you approach cover design?
Subject, story or theme, the background and who will the audience be.
What are your five favorite books, and why?
The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes.
Little Dorrit
The Wartime Journals of Charles A. LIndbergh
The Last Parallel
Roget's Thesaurus
Aha, I'll let you figure out why.
What do you read for pleasure?
Fiction.
What is your e-reading device of choice?
They're all pretty good.
What book marketing techniques have been most effective for you?
Personal book signings.
Web presence.
Fan mailing list (now managed by a mailing company)
Describe your desk
Cluttered in an organized sort of way. But definitely not "clean."
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