How many books have you written and in what genre(s)?
Zombie Showdown is my 11th novel; I’m about to start work on my 14th overall. My work spreads across several genres. I have many different interests, and I believe in writing the books I would want to read. I started out in fantasy (my first four novels were fantasy) before I switched to historical fiction for one book. I wrote a sci-fi space opera, went back to fantasy for three books (two of which to be released within the next couple of years), then switched up to thrillers. I have plenty of projects coming up – my list is at 10, and growing – so I’ll be entertaining readers for years to come.
What books or authors have influenced you?
For fantasy, obviously Professor Tolkien and Bob Salvatore. My father handed me The Hobbit at age 11, and I was hooked. Bob lives in the next city over, and we met about a year or so before I started writing my first novel. We stay in contact every so often; we’re both busy writers. For thrillers, my friend Steven Savile has been a huge influence in taking my writing in that direction. His debut thriller, Silver, is on my desk as inspiration for me. Another book I have as inspiration is The Last Juror by John Grisham. Write the book that you’d want to read.
What are your writing goals, Sean?
First and foremost, the main goal is to entertain the reader by any means necessary. If that means blowing shit up to get a reaction, or to kill a character off in order to gauge a reaction, then that’s what I’ll do in order to have the reader turn pages. The secondary goal is to, in some ways, make the reader think about what they just read. Can what I described on the page actually happen? Not to give anything away, but a few readers have commented after reading my thriller Model Agent that they will now think twice about drinking bottled water or Gatorade.
What is your most rewarding experience during the writing process?
Without a doubt, seeing the work evolve from a concept to a fully-formed idea is tops for me. I literally bounce in the chair when ideas spring up and invade my writing.
Tell us about your latest release.
I wrote Zombie Showdown on a dare, actually. I turned that dare into a story that I knew my cousin’s eldest son would read. In fact, he and his sister are the protagonists in this story, which is set in Tombstone. They’re on a class trip, and following a meteorite strike in the Boot Hill Cemetery, strange things begin happening. Zombies from the cemetery, in essence, Tombstone’s past, emerge and target the teens. It’s up to Chris, Rachel and their friends to find safety before they decide to take the town back.
Is it available in print, ebook, and Kindle formats?
Oh yes, I’m a firm believer in Kindle and digital reading. I make the Kindle file before I make the print file.
We all know how important promoting our work has become. How do you get the word out both off and online?
I’m an obsessive Facebook and Twitter user, and there are also blogs, vlogs (I’ve done one; I’m going to do more), and sometimes you have to go out and meet the public. For the most part, I’m online-based, but I never say no to an event.
Where can folks learn more about your books and events?
1 comment:
Excellent interview, Sean! May you keep on entertaining readers for as long as you can!
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