Can you tell us a little bit about your fantasy blog.
Actually, it's a general purpose blog. I use it to post book reviews, news about my writing adventures and occasional rant. It's also the exclusive distributor of Faux News Network reports. You can subscribe here!
What's your background with writing?
I took an early retirement from my sales manager position to start a fiction writing career. I've been at it for over a decade and in that time I've had over 40 short stories and a half-dozen fiction writing articles published, all in paying markets. I also have four books published.
I noticed that you prefer to write humorous fantasy stories, why is that?
I refuse to write serious stuff. I've taken it as my mission to improve the health of the general population by making them laugh at my stories. Laughing decreases stress and lowers blood pressure. What more can you ask of a book?
Who are your inspirations/influences?
I love authors Terry Pratchett, Tom Holt and Chris Moore. Reading their stories must have influenced me. Other than that, my influences are real life. I just observe life and write my stories around it. Newspapers and TV news are a fertile source of material for satire (See my Faux News Network blog posts)
Where are some places that your short stories have appeared?
Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine, Darker Matter (deceased unfortunately), Neopsis, Best of Neopsis, Afterburn SF Flash Fiction Online, Tales of the Unexpected, Faeries (France) and others.
Which of your stories is your favorite?
MacBeth: the Sequel. I took Shakespeare's Wyrd Sisters from his MacBeth play and gave them a starring role instead of being just walk-ons. They're out to save their pet monster, Nessie. While they're at it, they hope to find some lusty yeomen who will harvest their maidenheads.
Can you tell us a little bit about "Fool's Gold?"
It's a retelling of the ancient Rhinegold myth. I changed the setting from the Dark Ages to the future and replaced the fantasy creatures with aliens. It's great fun!
Who was the publisher and what was it like working with them?
ETreasures. Frustrating. I didn't know enough back then to ask if they used a distributor like Ingram or Baker and Taylor. They didn't so the book isn't available in very many venues. The publisher also expected me to do all the marketing while they kept most of the sales revenue. That publishing experience and other factors convinced me to self-publish Tales From Gundarland.
What have you done to promote your book?
Press releases, interviews, social media sites, book reviews (and the review for Tales from Gundarland are great: you can read them here). Recently, I started scheduling public appearances. I also put together a sampler of my work and offer it as a free download on Smashwords. Folks can read it to get a feel for my writing and my bizarre sense of humor.
What projects do you have planned for the future?
In January, I'll release Zaftan Entrepreneurs, Book One of the Zaftan Trilogy. I'm currently halfway through a new short novel. I don't have a title so I'm calling it "Hamlet and Othello meet Falstaff." As you might expect, it's a Shakespearean spoof and I'm having a ball writing it.
Are your stories safe to read?
Very good question. There are some basic medical precautions readers should take. First, check with your doctor to determine if you are healthy enough to take part in spontaneous laughter. Second, if you are suffering from a contagious disease such as the flu, wear a mask to limit the spread of airborne germs when you laugh out loud. Finally, no one should read my stories while driving a car or operating heavy machinery.
Is there anything else about you we should know?
Naw.
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