- Tell us a little bout your background.
Hello. Thanks for having me over. Well, let’s see. I’ve been married to my wonderful wife, Tammy, since 2003. Together we have 5 kids. Only one is still at home. I’ve lived all over the US, but have been in Alabama for 20 years now. I’ve done work in fast food, a maintenance shop, flooring installation, carpet cleaning and water damage restoration and a stint in the US Army.
I’ve been writing off and on since middle and high school, where I worked on the school newspaper and literary magazine.
- What motivated you to write a book?
I got back into writing after reading a book by Randy Alcorn. I don’t put myself on the same level as Mr. Alcorn, but I thought, as I finished his book, that I could write something like that. And it snowballed from there. I sat down one day, while on an injury-forced vacation, and started putting words into my laptop. A month later I had 115,000 words put together. I then spent the next year, off and on, editing and rewriting, until I had a “finished” product.
- Thank you for your service. What role has it played, if any, in your books?
It was my pleasure, honor, and duty to serve my country. In Written in Blood, book one of my Christian crime series, The Foley Chronicles: Files from the 8th District, my main protagonist is a veteran, and I’m sure that he won’t be the only character to have a military background. The Army had a huge impact on me and it will definitely continue to be reflected in my writing in one way or another.
- Religion is very important to you- How does your faith impact your books?
Yes, my faith is very important to me. Coming to know Jesus is the most important event in my life. I want that aspect of my life to show in my writing. I don’t down other authors for their work, we all write what we want to write, but I wanted to write books that others could read without having to worry about profanity and explicit sexual situations. I also want to use my books, not just to spread the Gospel, as a platform to turn certain situations into a teaching opportunity. Kind of like how pastors and preachers use illustrations to hammer home a point. I just do it the other way around. I use situations my characters are going through to bring up what the Bible says about it.
- What do you want the readers to take away from your books?
Hmm. I want them to be entertained, but I also want them to connect with my characters, whether they like them or hate them. I also want them to see how the evil in the world will ultimately be overcome by the good. And that nothing that we do will remain hidden; we will all be held accountable, eventually.
- What has been the biggest challenge in writing your books?
I think my biggest challenge is trying to edit and rewrite on one book while plotting and writing the next one. And the marketing. AHHHHHHHH!!
- How did you come up with the plot?
It’s a twist on the Randy Alcorn book I was reading. Not really the plot, just the idea of how I wanted the book to go. I knew before I sat down to start writing how it would end, I just had to figure out how to get there. Lucky for me, the characters wrote it themselves.
- What is your next project?
I’m already editing and rewriting book 2. I have some new characters coming in, so I get to spend some time with introductions. I hope to have it out by the end of April, but it’s looking pretty iffy at the moment.
- What are your favorite books?
I enjoy Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti, along with John Grisham, James Patterson, and Robert Ludlum. My all-time favorite book is the Hobbit. I’ve read it so many times that I lost count. In fact, I still have the same copy I read when I was in the fifth grade.
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
I try not to think too far into the future, but I wouldn’t mind making a living with my writing by then. I am getting older and my body won’t always be able to work like I do now. Unlike the characters we create, we are finite!
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