1. What or who inspired you to start writing?
As far back as my high school days, I had a desire to put words to paper. And, usually, that was where my best grades came from, too. Although, my college career was cut short by a need to support a new wife and baby, I had an English instructor at Texas Tech in Lubbock for a few months who had the class write numerous papers. In those few months, she began approaching me saying not to give up writing. She was the first person in my life noticing something that even I didn’t realize, that there might have been some raw talent hiding among those words I was putting to paper. I don’t remember her name but I certainly remember the encouragement.
2. How did you come up with your idea for “Where Are You, Anne Bonny?”
I was talking to my 86-year-old dad one day and bouncing possible storylines off him. Somehow, the conversation turned to creating a female character, a burglar maybe, disguising as a man to pull off her capers. Dad said, “You do realize, don’t you, that a lady pirate actually existed who did that?” On that comment, I became fascinated with the notion and began researching the notorious lady pirate, Anne Bonny. My interest went out the top when I learned that there is no written record that she actually hanged in Jamaica along with Rackham and Read. It has just been assumed that she did.
3. What expertise did you bring to your writing?
I’m not sure “expertise” is the right word; it’s more like tenacity, perseverance, thick-skin, thick-head, refusal to consider failure and... well, you get the idea. I suppose if you add all these attributes up, it could amount to a form of expertise.
4. What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in you bio?
It might interest some that I have a background in television ad sales and consider that good training for a writer to learn how to handle rejection. I sure remember tossing hundreds of prospects into the funnel but precious few closures coming out the bottom. I approach submissions the same way and never let rejection get to me and am always open minded and willing to bend and twist as necessary to suit what the market wants.
5. As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?
So far, I’ve been sort of genre-hopping with my novels. I enjoy reading all kinds of well-written stories; therefore, I enjoy writing in different genres. But I’ve been thinking, lately, that I might need to pick a genre and stick with it. So, I guess we’ll call that a future plan. Regardless what other things may intrude on my life, I don’t foresee that I’ll stop writing novels.
6. If you could be one of the characters from this book, who would it be and why?
That’s a fascinating question. Since I’m male, I can’t see me in the role of Anne Bonny or her female teenage companion, Little Feather. To complicate the choice further, most of the men in Anne’s life sought to capture or, otherwise, harm her somehow. So, that leaves only two choices; her would-be husband, Michael Radcliffe and that gentle seafaring giant, Bear. Since Bear goes through a metamorphosis from an amoral aging pirate to a gentle creature concerned about others, I think I’ll say that I can relate best to him. I’d like to think that, like Bear, I can change, too, when the situation calls for it.
7. Can you give us a sneak peek into this book?
How about this excerpt:
The big man straddled her. “I know who you are, Anne Bonny. Governor Lawes will pay well for your return…dead or alive. I choose dead. I’ll pickle your sorry carcass in a barrel of brine until I collect.” He raised his rapier preparing for a killing thrust.
“If you already know I’m a woman then you should recognize these,” she said, ripping her shirt open, exposing her breasts.
Holding his planned killing thrust for a fractional second proved too long as Anne sent her foot sailing into his crotch.
He froze, breathless.
She saw the puncture wound on his wrist, realizing whom she fought. He careened to the side then backwards holding his jewels.
She rolled the few feet across the deck to her rapier and with blurring speed threw it as a spear from the flat of her back.
The point found its mark, dangling from between his ribs over his heart.
He gasped then fell dead.
Panting, “That certainly proved a deadly fascination.”
8. Do you belong to a critique group? If so, how does this help or hinder your writing?
I have belonged to critique groups in the past and believe that I’ve learned quite a bit from the experience of several different sets of eyes looking over my work. That’s the upside. But there’s also a downside; when I’m in the zone with a novel and have to break to critique someone else’s work, it tends to put my head in a different place that takes days, maybe weeks, to get back in that zone on my story. Lately, I’ve been trading writing with just one person and that seems to be more time efficient. We have also grown to be friends and are comfortable getting rather pointed in our critiques. Somehow, in a larger group, I seemed to pull punches too much. I assume the others did, too.
9. When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step?
Actually, it was after I wrote my first novel in ’98. And, no one encouraged or discouraged me. Too bad, too; I should’ve known someone willing to verbally slap me around because I submitted that novel many times before it occurred to me just how rough and elementary it was. Interestingly, that novel, “The Last Radiant Heart”, a metaphysical adventure, is now in the production queue at Virtual Tales for release later this summer. It only took twelve years; not bad. My tongue is firmly planted in my cheek.
10. What is the best and worst advice you’ve ever received regarding writing or publishing?
The best advice I ever received wasn’t even verbalized. It was after I’d written the above novel. A co-worker and friend badgered me to let him read it. I gave in but joked, “If you like it tell me, if you don’t just leave it on my desk.” A week or so later, I came in to work and the manuscript lay on my desk. He never spoke of it and I didn’t see the need to ask. Although the advice was unspoken, I should have listened louder. And, as far as bad advice goes; I honestly can’t think of any. I’ve always tried to be considerate of others opinions, especially on subjective matters like writing. Even bad advice can contain pearls of wisdom. I have been in the company of people who toss out advice in definitive terms and shouldn’t have though. In summary, I see any advice that helps me sell books as good advice and anything that prevents it as bad.
11. Do you outline your books or just start writing?
I do an outline of sorts, just not a depthly one. I, of course, first conceptualize the entire storyline, maybe take a note or two. Then, I generate a character analysis and get it firmly fixed in my head how these characters should relate one to the other. But this doesn’t preclude adding characters as I go. Finally, I create the story arc, meaning I know exactly how and where I want it to begin, how and what will be happening at the midpoint, the pinnacle of the arc, and how I’d like the story to end. After that I attempt to create a subplot that has its own smaller arc that ends after the main story has concluded. Then I begin writing.
12. Anything else you might want to add?
Only that I appreciate beyond words the efforts of Rogue Phoenix Press to get the editing and all final book preparations done in such a timely manner. I also commend them for the wonderful cover art that should work tremendously well to capture attention and guided interested eyes to check out “Where Are You, Anne Bonny?”
As far back as my high school days, I had a desire to put words to paper. And, usually, that was where my best grades came from, too. Although, my college career was cut short by a need to support a new wife and baby, I had an English instructor at Texas Tech in Lubbock for a few months who had the class write numerous papers. In those few months, she began approaching me saying not to give up writing. She was the first person in my life noticing something that even I didn’t realize, that there might have been some raw talent hiding among those words I was putting to paper. I don’t remember her name but I certainly remember the encouragement.
2. How did you come up with your idea for “Where Are You, Anne Bonny?”
I was talking to my 86-year-old dad one day and bouncing possible storylines off him. Somehow, the conversation turned to creating a female character, a burglar maybe, disguising as a man to pull off her capers. Dad said, “You do realize, don’t you, that a lady pirate actually existed who did that?” On that comment, I became fascinated with the notion and began researching the notorious lady pirate, Anne Bonny. My interest went out the top when I learned that there is no written record that she actually hanged in Jamaica along with Rackham and Read. It has just been assumed that she did.
3. What expertise did you bring to your writing?
I’m not sure “expertise” is the right word; it’s more like tenacity, perseverance, thick-skin, thick-head, refusal to consider failure and... well, you get the idea. I suppose if you add all these attributes up, it could amount to a form of expertise.
4. What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in you bio?
It might interest some that I have a background in television ad sales and consider that good training for a writer to learn how to handle rejection. I sure remember tossing hundreds of prospects into the funnel but precious few closures coming out the bottom. I approach submissions the same way and never let rejection get to me and am always open minded and willing to bend and twist as necessary to suit what the market wants.
5. As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?
So far, I’ve been sort of genre-hopping with my novels. I enjoy reading all kinds of well-written stories; therefore, I enjoy writing in different genres. But I’ve been thinking, lately, that I might need to pick a genre and stick with it. So, I guess we’ll call that a future plan. Regardless what other things may intrude on my life, I don’t foresee that I’ll stop writing novels.
6. If you could be one of the characters from this book, who would it be and why?
That’s a fascinating question. Since I’m male, I can’t see me in the role of Anne Bonny or her female teenage companion, Little Feather. To complicate the choice further, most of the men in Anne’s life sought to capture or, otherwise, harm her somehow. So, that leaves only two choices; her would-be husband, Michael Radcliffe and that gentle seafaring giant, Bear. Since Bear goes through a metamorphosis from an amoral aging pirate to a gentle creature concerned about others, I think I’ll say that I can relate best to him. I’d like to think that, like Bear, I can change, too, when the situation calls for it.
7. Can you give us a sneak peek into this book?
How about this excerpt:
The big man straddled her. “I know who you are, Anne Bonny. Governor Lawes will pay well for your return…dead or alive. I choose dead. I’ll pickle your sorry carcass in a barrel of brine until I collect.” He raised his rapier preparing for a killing thrust.
“If you already know I’m a woman then you should recognize these,” she said, ripping her shirt open, exposing her breasts.
Holding his planned killing thrust for a fractional second proved too long as Anne sent her foot sailing into his crotch.
He froze, breathless.
She saw the puncture wound on his wrist, realizing whom she fought. He careened to the side then backwards holding his jewels.
She rolled the few feet across the deck to her rapier and with blurring speed threw it as a spear from the flat of her back.
The point found its mark, dangling from between his ribs over his heart.
He gasped then fell dead.
Panting, “That certainly proved a deadly fascination.”
8. Do you belong to a critique group? If so, how does this help or hinder your writing?
I have belonged to critique groups in the past and believe that I’ve learned quite a bit from the experience of several different sets of eyes looking over my work. That’s the upside. But there’s also a downside; when I’m in the zone with a novel and have to break to critique someone else’s work, it tends to put my head in a different place that takes days, maybe weeks, to get back in that zone on my story. Lately, I’ve been trading writing with just one person and that seems to be more time efficient. We have also grown to be friends and are comfortable getting rather pointed in our critiques. Somehow, in a larger group, I seemed to pull punches too much. I assume the others did, too.
9. When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step?
Actually, it was after I wrote my first novel in ’98. And, no one encouraged or discouraged me. Too bad, too; I should’ve known someone willing to verbally slap me around because I submitted that novel many times before it occurred to me just how rough and elementary it was. Interestingly, that novel, “The Last Radiant Heart”, a metaphysical adventure, is now in the production queue at Virtual Tales for release later this summer. It only took twelve years; not bad. My tongue is firmly planted in my cheek.
10. What is the best and worst advice you’ve ever received regarding writing or publishing?
The best advice I ever received wasn’t even verbalized. It was after I’d written the above novel. A co-worker and friend badgered me to let him read it. I gave in but joked, “If you like it tell me, if you don’t just leave it on my desk.” A week or so later, I came in to work and the manuscript lay on my desk. He never spoke of it and I didn’t see the need to ask. Although the advice was unspoken, I should have listened louder. And, as far as bad advice goes; I honestly can’t think of any. I’ve always tried to be considerate of others opinions, especially on subjective matters like writing. Even bad advice can contain pearls of wisdom. I have been in the company of people who toss out advice in definitive terms and shouldn’t have though. In summary, I see any advice that helps me sell books as good advice and anything that prevents it as bad.
11. Do you outline your books or just start writing?
I do an outline of sorts, just not a depthly one. I, of course, first conceptualize the entire storyline, maybe take a note or two. Then, I generate a character analysis and get it firmly fixed in my head how these characters should relate one to the other. But this doesn’t preclude adding characters as I go. Finally, I create the story arc, meaning I know exactly how and where I want it to begin, how and what will be happening at the midpoint, the pinnacle of the arc, and how I’d like the story to end. After that I attempt to create a subplot that has its own smaller arc that ends after the main story has concluded. Then I begin writing.
12. Anything else you might want to add?
Only that I appreciate beyond words the efforts of Rogue Phoenix Press to get the editing and all final book preparations done in such a timely manner. I also commend them for the wonderful cover art that should work tremendously well to capture attention and guided interested eyes to check out “Where Are You, Anne Bonny?”
nice! and thanks for sharing about your publisher as well
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