What is your writing process like?
I try to write everyday but life happens and sometimes that is not possible. But when I do, I write until I have a starting point for the next day. A cold start is a hard start to the day, so I leave a scene unfinished then fill it in the next day. I edit as I go, So today's writing will be edited before I start writing tomorrow. After every 10 chapters I start from the beginning and edit from the start.
How do you come up with ideas for stories and characters?
It usually starts with a what if or a piece of dialogue. Then I live with the idea for a while, maybe even months or longer, then when I think I have enough to start, I write the story.
What do the words “writer’s block” mean to you?
Means a scene or a character or chapter isn't working. I don't have writer's block often if at all so I really don't know how others deal with it.
How do you process and deal with negative book reviews?
I try not to get too invested in them. I understand that my writing style, my voice, isn't going to be to everyone's liking, even ardent readers of westerns. But I have to tell my story my way or else it loses what makes it mine. So, I appreciate the really great ones for my story being able to connect with the reader and I wonder what the reader of the negative reviews expected or wanted.
What is the most challenging part of your writing process?
Finding the time. I would love to work on my writing 4-6 hours per day but I don't have that time. I steal a few minutes here and there and make it work.
How long have you been writing, or when did you start?
I started in high school. I wanted to write westerns since I was old enough to read them, around 8 or so but never thought I had the talent. Some may say I still don't but I wrote short stories and had some of them published over the years and finally nerved up to tackle a full book. I'm glad I did, I wish I had started sooner.
What advice would you give writers working on their first book?
Just write it. Tell your story your way. There is no story you can think of that hasn't been told in some form or another by someone else. It does not matter. Your story has never been told by you. Just tell it.
How do you develop your plot and characters?
I don't focus on plot. I think plot is what happens while your characters are living through what your story is. I mean my books are character driven where the dialogue moves the scenes and the narrative supports the characters.
How many books have you written, and which is your favorite?
As of this interview, I think there are 17 books. They are all my favorites in a way. The one I have had the most compliments on is Last Stand for a Bad Man. It is a stand alone and the one I recommend to people who want to read one of my books for the first time. My stories are gritty and authentic as to time, place, and the way people think and behave in that era.
What inspired the idea for your book?
All the books start with a what if. So, the ideas are as varied as the elements of the story.
What do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused?
My computer or laptop, quiet uninterrupted time, a nice drink, bourbon is fine with me, and if outside, a cigar.
If you could spend a day with another popular author, whom would you choose?
There are a lot of great western writers I would love to spend time with and pick their brains. So, I can't pick just one. But Ralph Cotton is one of my favorites for a long time, Peter Brandvold, Michael Gear, Dean Koontz. The list would be too enormous because I wouldn't turn down an invitation to hang out with any of them...