Please tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m a copywriter, freelancer and lifelong resident of the Boston area. Last November I
came across a newspaper article about the independent book publishing business, and it sounded like a dream come true. I immediately went to work creating some ebooks.
How long have you been writing and what kinds of genre do you write?
I’ve been writing since grammar school. It’s been a favorite pastime for as long as I can remember, a fun way to make time fly by. My main genre is the humorous short story, though some of my stories are also suspenseful, while others are nostalgic and poignant to some degree.
Do you only write short stories? Or have you written longer novels?
I’ve never written a novel, only short stories, and don’t have any
plans at this moment for a novel. Still, I wouldn’t rule out writing a
longer work. I admire novelists, and certainly one of the great
pleasures in life is having a novel in your hands that you just can’t
put down.
Is there a certain place that you prefer to write? Or draw inspiration
for your writing?
I like to write at my desk in the apartment. But I try to draw
inspiration from everywhere I go. You never know where you might
encounter a situation that you could fit into a story: the dentist’s
office, the barber shop, anyplace you’re free to listen to others’
conversations. (I guess some people would call that eavesdropping!)
Do you listen to music when you write?
No, never. I know many people like to write to their favorite songs,
but for some reason I find it easier to write to silence.
What writers have influenced you?
There are many, but my strongest influences are probably Mark Twain,
E.B. White and Ray Bradbury. I love Twain’s tartness and skepticism,
White’s poetic sentences and Bradbury’s almost childlike enthusiasm
for such subjects as dinosaurs and space travel.
Please tell us a bit about your books.
Right now I have 7 ebooks for sale on
Amazon fictional stories
ranging in length from 10 to 40 pages. My only goal for each book is
to give the reader an enjoyable experience: some laughs, some tension,
maybe a sad moment. Hopefully, readers will find these stories
companionable for long plane trips or stormy nights at home.
How long did it take to write each book?
I probably worked on each story for a month or so, whenever I could
find the time. However, some of these books are based on stories that
I wrote in high school or college, so that made the writing process go
faster.
Who designs the cover art for your books?
Maux Gitto (‘Maux’ is short for Maureen), an artist from Los Angeles. Maux also produced the font and came up with the idea of having a catchy tagline for each book. Her covers are sensational; I hope Maux does all my covers in the future.
Do you have any other projects in mind at this time?
My plan is to write and release a few new stories every year. I have a bunch of vague ideas for storylines – one’s about a nighttime security guard at a haunted shopping center – but no solid outlines yet.
If you could have dinner with any person, from now or from history,
who would it be?
It might be a common answer, but I’d have to say Abraham Lincoln. He wasn’t only a great historical figure, but also one of the all-time great writers. And he was a really funny person, too, with just this
unimaginable collection of anecdotes in his head.
Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Just to say thank you for hosting me, Flora, and keep up the great blogging. I find your posts inspirational.
Awww, thanks Mike. I appreciate that. I hope you stop by often.
Thanks again for letting me do this interview.
My pleasure!
