My writing is all documented on my Web site. There, too, viewers can learn writing tips and how to get started. My information is free to anyone who wishes to read. On my site I post some reader reviews of my writings along with one to two minute video trailers that tell what each story is about. Viewers can also read 5-star reviews on my book pages at amazon.com
How long have you been writing?
Most of my life, I kept journals, diaries and so forth. Not until 1990 did I think seriously about a writing career. After an accident in 1991, while having physical therapy, I found I could sit at my PC and write. My stories have turned out to be mystery/suspense/thrillers, though I write short stores and poetry in every genre and form. Whatever triggers a plot of a story in my mind, I will at least make notes until I can finalize the piece.
Tell us a bit about your latest book?
My latest book is my third novel published. River Bones, a thriller, takes place in my childhood hometown area of California’s Sacramento River Delta. Friends I’ve maintained since childhood encouraged me to set a story there. A woman returns to her hometown area to start a new life only to learn she is being stalked by an elusive psychopathic serial killer. River Bones was a winner in the 2009 Eric Hoffer Book Awards competition. The first sequel is presently being written. River Bones has a power sub-plot for one of its minor characters. That subplot comes forward in the sequel.
Who are you published with?
My publisher is iUniverse.com. Over the years I have taken college and other classes in writing to learn format and such, but I write for today’s reader, always keeping an eye to what sells. My promotion includes self-created book tours, participating on many websites, and listing my website link any place I can. Video trailers for each book are a must in todays. Also, entering books into contests helps immensely, especially when you win an award. A nomination in another area, like the Pushcart Prize nomination I received for a short story, also draws attention to your work. I would suggest that anyone who wants to be a write simply start. Forget all you’ve learned. Get the story out. Then go back and polish it to a marketable product.
What are your upcoming projects?
A new thriller, unrelated to my other novels, The Tropics, The Ka, or River Bones – all suspense novels, by the way – is due to be released in Jan/Feb 2010. It’s called “Down to the Needle.” A woman has searched decades for her abducted daughter. She finds her facing lethal injection for a crime she didn’t commit. This idea came to me from a news article. I had to research California’s lethal injection system as well as the Courts’ Appeals process. I learn a lot as I go along.
