Uncaged: How many books are you planning for this series? What are you working on now that you can tell us about? The Lost Prince is the final book in this trilogy; however, a fan suggested I take the series into the graphic novel genre. I’ve toyed with that idea for a while now. Graphic novels is a new genre for me, but it has peaked my interest since I am an author/ illustrator. Uncaged: You’ve written mostly in the young adult and children’s genres. What motivates you to write in these genres? That’s a good question. Perhaps my life as a reader influenced my decision to write in this area. Growing up with an abusive, alcoholic father sent me to the library often in search of mental relief. As an adult, the most important driving factor of my writing is to leave young readers with hope, laughter, and dreams of a life they may not have. When I read at schools, I find it most rewarding to see the smiles on the faces of the children, or hear the questions from the young adults. I’ve mentored several young adults in their own writing careers as well, which is also very rewarding. Uncaged: How has the coronavirus pandemic changed your lifestyle? Have you had to change any book promotion plans because of it? Oh, the pandemic… During this difficult time, I have not been able to visit schools, which is a large part of
my promotional work and inspiration. I’ve also scheduled readings at stores. In spite of following the CDC guidelines, I’m currently ill with coronavirus for the second time in a year-- I had it in January 2020. It’s not fun, not your typical head cold, and I wouldn’t want to pass it on to anyone else. With that in mind, my writing career and promotional opportunities have taken a large hit as every author in the world struggles to jump online to reach their readers. Where the overall online book sales have increased, for authors such as myself, sales have decreased. Uncaged: Past or present, which authors would you love to sit and have lunch with and why? Don’t laugh… Ernest Hemingway, Edgar Allen Poe and Dean Koontz. I fell in love with Hemingway’s style of writing when I started college. I found it easy to connect with him as a human being. Poe was twisted, and I would have many questions for him. I’ve always wondered what type of person he was to come up with the characters and ideas for his works. Koontz is my favorite modern day author. I love his characters, most of his stories, and the fact that he loves golden retrievers. Being a dog person myself, I feel connected to Dean Koontz, especially his character Odd Thomas. To me, he’s also the master of descriptive writing. I think we would have the potential to become good friends. Uncaged: Have any of your characters ever done something that you didn’t intend when you began? Absolutely! My characters have a mind of their own. I don’t tell my stories; my characters tell their Issue 52 | November 2020 |
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