Though I’ve known I wanted to be a writer for over 10 years, last February my circumstances changed. I was going through a divorce while doing security work in Iraq when I decided to use this period of freedom to take the biggest risk of my life. This was an ideal opportunity to forsake all good sense and selfishly pursue my dreams without harming anyone but myself. Unless all the friends I mooched off of feel harmed. I have an amazingly supportive base of family and friends.
What genres do you prefer to read? Which do you enjoy writing in?
I’ll read anything that is well-written. I’m currently trying to catch up on classics I missed growing up, including Steinbeck and Hemingway. I enjoy writing fantasy the most; it provides the greatest freedom to create with the fewest interfering stereotypes and preconceptions. The Rage was too personal to write as fantasy, though I did have sci-fi and fantasy outlines for the story.
What five things would you have with you at all times if you had to be prepared to take a trip at the drop of a hat?
I don’t need five things. My wallet, laptop, and a good pair of shoes will suffice. I’ve traveled quite a bit and find the more stuff I bring, the less I use. If you can adapt to foreign cultures (and that sometimes means 100 miles away in the same state, or the different socio-economic group across town), then you can find what you need anywhere, or make do with what you find.
If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?
Since I was a kid I’ve wanted to transform into animals. I love animals and would enjoy running with wolves or flying with eagles or even digging with moles. This would provide an experience of seeing the world from a whole new perspective, and being able to watch without being seen. It is also alluring to me to live out in nature; I used to dream of being Tarzan.
What footprint do you want to leave behind in this world?
I want to leave people inspired and believing they can do more than they realized. When I see people, I see opportunity to achieve dreams. I truly believe in what others can do, probably more than they do themselves. I don’t really need people to feel like I encouraged them, either; I just want to see people climb those mountains they only ascended in their fantasies.
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