The first story I wrote was a 50 page, illustrated sci-fi novel called Wildfire. The basic premise was that the world's adults allowed a mad genius to give them robots to run the world. As they became fat and lazy the kids rebelled, stealing experimental weapons and striking at the robot overlords from a hidden base in the Grand Canyon. Mind you...I wrote this when I was 9.

My favorite authors are an eclectic bunch. Neil Gaiman, Paulo Coelho, Tolkien, George RR Martin, Jim Butcher, Charles Stross and Don Miguel Ruiz / Don Jose Ruiz. There are many others, but at the moment these are the favorites I would mention.

Another author friend once told me there are two kinds of writers - planners and pantsers. Planners plot out detailed outlines of their work before they really start the writing process. Pantsers write by the seat of their pants. That's how I work. An idea pops into my head and I sit at the keyboard and along the way I have written something.

I absolutely read for pleasure. It is essential because if I am not reading to be entertained why am I writing to entertain? I see these are linked necessities.

My fans are who encourage me to write. I want my readers to enjoy my work as much as I do, and I want them to experience the thrill in reading my works that I get in writing them.

My desk is often cluttered, but I have my Star Wars bits and paperweights and pens and such. I have a great desk that belonged to my grandfather that means quite a lot to me.

I love movies and TV. I was exposed to the original Star Wars (yes, yes, I know it's now Episode IV - A New Hope - but it will ALWAYS be Star Wars to ME) at the age of 5. I fell in love with sci-fi, and in turn fantasy. I am also a fan of good television, and have loved both some cult-hits and more popular but well-written works too.

I mostly listen to movie soundtracks (Star Wars, Pirates of the Carribean, Lord of the Rings), TV scores (Farscape, Babylon 5, Game of Thrones, Stargate) and Russian classical music (Prokofiev is my favorite). I like a big, theatrical sound and a lack of words when I am writing.

Currently I am working on completing the editing of the first novel in my Steampunk world, called Clouds of Authority - A Vapor Rogues Novel. This is the follow-up to a short-story called The Vapor Rogues published in the anthology Spells and Swashbucklers in 2012. I am really enamored of Steampunk, and I'm really excited to be putting this together.

The book I am currently working on his no title as of yet, but I really wanted to write some sci-fi space opera. I have been playing with defying some of the common themes that have been used over the years, creating wholly new aliens and some unusual human characters. It's fun to establish a wide range of situations and races and worlds and all kinds of viewpoints. I look forward to sharing this work soon.