What can we expect from you in the future?
I'm working on another novel in my fantasy/mystery/legal thriller series. This one is titled “The Ulder’s Plot,” and I hope to have it finished soon. It features defense advocate Killandrio Bludd, introduced in “The Last Witness: A Fantasy Legal Thriller.”
How do we find out about you and your books?
What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?
Take a walk every day. Try to get a reasonable amount of sleep. Eat well. And read good writers, including nonfiction writers.
Where do your ideas come from?
No one knows.
Do you feel humor is important in books and why?
What kind of research do you do?
Since I write medievalesque fantasies, I often need to research various aspects of medieval life. Also, since some of my fantasies are legal thrillers, I’ve done research on various aspects of the law and courtroom procedure. But I take plenty of liberties, and my trials are far more raucous (and, I hope, entertaining) than real ones.
How many books have you written, how many have been published?
I’ve written seven, six have been published, one hasn’t been. But the unpublished one (my first) served as a self-taught seminar in novel writing, so it was worth writing even if it’s never published.
After you've written your book and it's been published, do you ever buy it and/or read it?
Yes.
Among your own books, have you a favorite book? Favorite hero or heroine?
I have two favorite characters. One is rogue defense advocate Killandrio Bludd (“The Last Witness: A Fantasy Legal Thriller,” “Tales of a Rogue Advocate,” and “The Ulder’s Plot,” a work in progress). My other favorite character is the sorceress Astil, a former criminal who became law-abiding but is still known as “the most dangerous woman in the known world.”
What is the most rewarding thing about being a writer?
Finishing a book that I feel comfortable submitting for publication.
If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?
Editing. In fact, although I’ve been “retired” for years, I still do freelance editing.
Are there any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?
If you want to write, and it’s more than a passing fancy, you probably have the potential to do it well. And if you keep at it, you’re likely to improve over time. But also understand that although you might be better at writing than 95 percent of your classmates or former classmates, that isn’t good enough. That’s why you need to keep at it and keep improving. Don’t be afraid to join a writers' critique group or some of the writers' groups on Facebook.
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