Moby dick. It had a huge impact on me because I hated reading before that story. My second grade teacher would give us a spanking if we didn't read books and write a short report and after a bunch of spankings I decided to try it. That story and Mrs. Henderson changed my life!

I guess I am building readers, but I don’t consider that a fan base. What means a lot to me, and I suppose any writer is for others to tell you they like what you wrote or how you wrote it. Anytime I finish writing and someone new reads it there are anxious moments when I wonder what they thought. It’s like I feel naked and very exposed with what I have written. In politics I was writing about issues and wanting to motivate people to action, but lately I have been writing about my life and my successes and failures. I’m not a nervous person but I always wonder if what I wrote will make sense or connect with a reader, so when someone reads my books or articles and says they effected them; that is sooooo encouraging. Without that encouragement I would have stopped writing long ago.

I hire and good designer! LOL I do think about what my book is about and give some idea to my designer about what I think would work, but I try to give them freedom. I find that creative designers will take my thoughts and design something I would never have thought of yet still conveys the message of my book. I also like them to look the book over and get a feel for what's inside.

I type directly into the computer and I can only type with two fingers. Everyone makes fun of me, but I can get close to 40 words a min without to many errors. After typing a chapter or long section I will look it over and reword things or make corrections. When I am having trouble getting my thoughts organized I find just writing what I thinking helps me get going. I can always come back later and clean it up.

1. The Bible- because reading it has changed my life for the better. 2. Ben Franklin's autobiography- because it is full of commonsense advice that has brought me much success. 3. Teddy Roosevelt's autobiography- Because he accomplished so much it made me feel lazy and pushed me to do more. I first thought of writing a book after reading his story. 4. When Christians Suffer- because Thomas Paine points on how troubles benefit us was inspirational. 5. Forgotten Solider- because Guy Sayer describes the suffering, pain and miserly that combat causes.

As a kid I read westerns and anything about war. I love biographies, novels and self help titles. Really, I just love to read. I only wish I had more time. Lately I have been reading more spiritual topics in order to learn more about Gods commands.

Hands down Kindel with white screen.

Speaking engagements always lead to sales but online outlets are wonderful sources. Press contacts about new titles usually lead to interviews and reviews which gains attention for my writings. I also use social media and my website to make sure my books can be found online. It's about building an audience. Keeping track of who buys and staying in touch with them has proven helpful.

When I am trying to describe something very difficult like emotions or the way something made me feel and I’m trying to write about it while struggling to get just the right words. Then when I read it and it seems like I’m there experiencing it again is a satisfying feeling. If others tell me they liked it or they also understood what I was feeling is pure joy!

I’m working on two new projects. One is a study on prayer that can be used for a small group discussion. I am using EM Bounds and Andrew Murray’s books on prayer and adding discussion questions for the small group to go over. These two books have been very helpful to me and I hope others can experience them as well. The other book will explore the pitfalls of power. I want to identify the major problems power can create in one’s life and use examples on how those problems have affected others. Hopefully that will help reads avoid those pitfalls.

I love history and biographies so my list is heavy with those. Ben Franklin, Teddy Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Robert Caro, James McPherson, US Grant, Loe Tolstory, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Jack London, Stephen Covey, EM Bounds, Andrew Murray,

My desk is neat in the morning and messing during the day then neat at night. I have lots of notepads for jotting down thoughts and my laptop for typing and emailing. My printer is over on one side with my Marine Corps plaques on the wall. It is not really even a desk. I took a six foot long folding table and made that my desk. I need lots of room for papers and drafts and my printer.

I was not a good reader or writer as a kid. Thankfully my second grade teacher got me into reading but my spelling was so bad that I seldom wrote until I joined the Marines. Most of my writing was letters back home and stories for my kids. Then, once I entered politics I had to write tons, but it was all geared towards persuasion. Slowly I improved but I still have a long way to go. I have a slight case of dyslexia and that causes me to have trouble with spelling.