Can you tell us a little bit about The Journey?
It was meant as a philosophical meditation about a great many subjects set in a dialectic, poetic form. I was attempting to give the prose the feel of something much older. The book follows a being called the Lonely as he traverses a strange world inhabited by philosophical beings and strange environments. In the pursuit of his purpose, he tackles some powerful questions about life for us all.
What's your background with writing?
I have been writing for roughly 13 years. I wrote my first novel when I was 16, published my first at around 21. I published another a few years later, which was well-received. Recently, I started my own website and plan on putting out 8 novels in the coming months.
Who are your inspirations/influences?
I try to read as much as can, from as many genres as I am capable. I draw a great deal from philosophy as well as both modern and ancient writers. I have studied martial arts for a good portion of my life and as such there is a tendency for some Eastern thought to find its way in. Most recently, I have been reading McCarthy and Chabon.
What was it like working with iUniverse?
It was great. They have a very competent staff that manages to make the process quite smooth. A couple of years ago I decided to switch to self-publishing because of the bloated marketplace. As a publisher, they were patient and quite helpful.
Who was responsible for the cover/book design?
Will White designed this cover, as well as several other covers for my coming novels. He is relatively unknown right now, but he has a great eye for detail. I am collaborating with him on a graphic novel set to come out in 2012.
What are you doing in terms of marketing/publicity?
At this point I am concentrating on reviews, as many as I can grab. I have the luxury of living in California, so transitioning to contacting booksellers as well as local workshops are certainly in the near future. I would love to grab a table at Comic Con next year if I can swing it.
Do you have any stories from book signings/radio interviews/etc.?
The only one that stands out in my mind was an interview for a newspaper. The interview itself went well, but when I went to check it out the following day, I found that my name had been change to O'Brain despite asking to spell it ten or fifteen times. The worst part was I knew the chief editor and she still managed to spell it incorrectly.
What is the name of your blog and what can readers expect to find there?
My website is The Dan O'Brien Project. I post the majority of short stories, articles and release dates through the site. On the site itself there are links to other books, sample chapters and in the near future, concept art and perhaps panels from my upcoming graphic novel.
What projects do you have planned for the future?
I actually have two more books coming out this month, Bitten and The Ocean and the Hourglass, that are being published through iUniverse. After that I plan on putting out a book a month until the new year. I am currently amassing a budget to shoot an indie film that I wrote last year. Everybody loves zombies, right?
Is there anything else about you we should know?
Check the website often because new short stories, release dates, sample chapters and events go up all the time.
