Lots.

What your book about?

The Shores of Utopia is a science-fiction romantic thriller that begins in the near future with Cathryn, a mysterious young woman visiting New York City, just as terrorism is gripping the city in fear. Her foreknowledge of certain events arouses the suspicion of a relentless FBI agent, Vivian Wu, who knows something is off with Cathryn, but can’t quite place it. Cathryn rushes to avoid Agent Wu’s crosshairs in order to escape before an atomic detonation destroys New York City.

How did you come with the idea for… what’s your book called again?

The idea for The Shores of Utopia originated from a dream I had about Nicole Kidman, just after I saw her in the film, To Die For. Calm yourselves; the dream was G-rated.

In my dream, Nic and I were leaving a movie theater together when some dude pulled out a knife and demanded money. Me, being a badass ironworker manly man, instinctively sought to protect her, but she chuckled and extracted a tiny device from her purse. She waved it at him, and the thief turned into a bloody puddle of steaming entails and burnt organs on the cobblestone alley floor. It was the most realistic dream I’ve ever had. I woke up at 3:00am and began typing.

How do you deal with writer’s block?

I seldom have writer’s block. I find there’s always something to write about if I dedicate some distraction-free time to getting my work done. I have several stories in the works, so regardless of my mood, I’ll write something accordingly. For instance, reading the news these past few years inspired me to write an assassination story. Sometimes it’s garbage, sometimes it’s gold. The trick is to keep writing.

Dude, why don’t you ever pick up your damn phone?

There are too many scammers calling me. If you’re not listed in my contacts, you’re considered spam, and I block. If you leave a voicemail, I’ll return your call. Maybe. Probably not.

How do you handle negative book reviews?

My book isn’t out until November, so that’s something I have to look forward to, I guess. I’ll probably cry.

I never understood the practice of knocking someone’s work. What makes for an enjoyable book is subjective. Any writer putting his soul out there should be treated kindly. If a book is poorly written, then maybe an honest review might be helpful for both writer and consumer. I do not consider myself a skilled writer, and I’m quite sure I have a slew of hurtful reviews coming my way. Either way, I’m not looking forward to them.

Do you plot your stories, or are you a panster?

A bit of both, actually.

I’ll start with an idea—it could be anything, and I’ll see where it leads. At one point, I’ll have a good idea how the story ends, then I’ll fill in the blanks. Other times, I’ll have a basic outline in my head before I even begin. Often, I’ll intentionally take a story to left field, just to see what happens. For me, the point is to have fun. I have no deadlines to meet, and no one to impress—except you, the reader.

Can you give me an example of left field?

After my first draft of The Shores of Utopia was completed, I wrote a synopsis, just for practice, and realized how boring my story was. I rewrote my synopsis, but added plots that weren’t in my book to make the synopsis itself interesting—something I’d want to read. I basically wrote a synopsis for a book that didn’t yet exist. Shores was originally a straight up romantic thriller, but after I added the subplot about terrorism, and especially the FBI’s involvement, the tension pushed the book to a new level. When I created Special Agent Vivian Wu, the story took off. She’s an important part of the feel of the book. She became my favorite character and the most fun to write.

What’s your favorite part about the writing process?

Oh, hands down, revision. After the first draft is completed, there are usually boring spots, things that drag, things that may not fit, and plots that may meander off to oblivion. Revisions are the fun part. After the second pass, I go through the story again to fix the mechanics and improve the flow. If I have to revise again, I do so. After I come to a point where I feel my story is as good as I can get it, I throw it to my pack of beta readers to tear apart. They usually find things I missed, and their suggestions are often adopted. I’ll revise it again. I’ll self-edit again. After it’s at the point where I cannot find fault with it, I send it off to a professional editor I adore so she could see how poorly written my crap is. She’ll polish it until it’s shiny and new.

Who is your editor?

Kristen Hamilton. She can be reached through her website, https://www.kristencorrects.com/

Do you listen to music when you write?

All the time. Typically, I put on a classical or jazz playlist—usually instrumental. Sometimes, I’ll put my favorite albums on, but then I’ll wind up listening to the music and ignoring my work. Sometimes, it pays off. I tend to type in time if something up tempo comes on.

There’s a point in the book, one of my left field moments, where Cathryn is taking Michael somewhere special in Australia. As I was writing it, I had no idea where they were headed. Kate Bush’s The Dreaming came on, and it clicked. The resort became the Dreaming, an underwater getaway where there’s nothing to do but dive, eat and boink. The Colony Mission, my second book in the series, has a scene where Cathryn works out to Emerson, Lake & Powell’s version of Mars, the Bringer of War, solely because it was on when I wrote the scene.

What’s your favorite and least favorite aspect of publishing?

Aside from the writing process itself, my favorite part of the business end is meeting and conversing with readers. My least favorite part is self-marketing.

Your debut novel isn’t out yet. Which readers are you referring to?

You know, even this fake interview is annoying. I’m looking forward to engaging with my readers, okay? I’m anticipating some cool interactions with them. Creative folks are my tribe.

Is this an FAQ section, or an imaginary interview?

Honestly, I’ve been asked every one of these questions, and yes, they are in order of frequency. The first question gets asked the most—by far.

Are there types of scenes you find difficult to write?

Love scenes do not come naturally—especially written from the woman’s POV. One of my alpha readers complained that there were no love scenes in my romantic thriller. I countered that they were implied and showed her where they were. A girl wants to read about sex, Charlie! I relented and added a few scenes where I felt they needed to be. I tried to make them tasteful and refused to include graphic language. There’s no throbbing or thrusting, and nothing is moist, flowery, or girthy. Oddly, on the very first page, the story begins in the shower, right after a love-making session. Washing the gunk off is assumed. Compromise.

Who are your dream actors in the film version?

The film version! I wish.

The cast in my head is constantly changing. As noted earlier, when I started the book, I imagined Nicole Kidman as Cathryn, Samuel L Jackson as Pryce, Jodie Foster as Denise, and then 15-year-old Haley Joel Osment as Christopher Miller. It’s been twenty-seven years since I began the book, so the dream cast has obviously evolved to actors better suited. I’ll leave it to the readers to form their own choices.

What’s your biggest fear?

I’m afraid that the vast world I’ve created will disappear the moment I check out. The characters I’ve created exist only in my head. When I die, they die. If enough people read about them, they’ll live on. It sounds weird, but it’s the truth.

I’m further motivated by my sense of mortality. It’s not really fear, just something I’ve been aware of more consistently since friends began dying of old age. At age 60, I’ve already outlived most of my childhood friends. So, whether they’re ready or not, I’m putting my books out there. Be kind.

Do you still play piano?

Not as much as I’d like, but yes. In 2019, just like that, the hearing in my right ear became muddled, like my head was under water. And just for fun, the tinnitus kicked in. Imagine hearing a Bb sine wave blaring in one ear, and another Bb sine wave, but 5 octaves higher, in the other. That’s my new reality. Fun.

Regardless, I still maintain modest project studio where I record my own music, or the music of any other artist that’s unfortunate enough to find themselves in my musical lair. I’ve written tons of songs with lyricist and singer Marcus Simeone. I’ve named my studio Deaf Charlie’s Doghouse. I thought it was funny to run a studio as a semi-deaf audio engineer with tinnitus. I do it for free. I do it for fun. I do it for love.

Is this book the first in a series?

I’m so glad you asked. Why yes. The Shores of Utopia is the first book in a series of three. The second installment, The Colony Mission, is being edited as we speak, and will be available by autumn 2024. The third, as of yet untitled and final novel in the series, is currently in the revision stage and will be available around November of 2025, unless I die. I’m also considering selling them as a set with some extras.

Are there any planned novels outside of the Utopia universe?

Yes. I have several standalone novels in various stages of completion. I also have a thriller-intrigue secret-organization-type series of books planned. At the moment, they’re kind of predictable, a little boring, and they contain plots I’ve read or seen before in films. I’m working to fix that. I’ve created a set of cool characters that are waiting for something interesting to do. They’re getting a bit antsy; I better get moving. Assuming I’m successful, I can envision four or five novels there. I have no shortage of ideas.

Why did you decide to self-publish instead of going the traditional route?

Honestly, I queried The Shores of Utopia to a handful of dream agents, but they passed. The rejections didn’t deter me; time was more of a factor. As I stated earlier, I’m now aware of my mortality, and I worry about having enough time. I want to write when I want to write, and I tend to ignore deadlines. I’m not the least bit concerned with advances. I much prefer freedom over money, so I do what I want when I want. I also don’t concern myself with established guidelines or word count. I’ve carefully designed my stories to build, whereas agents insist on hooking the reader on the first page. I feel the business of publishing is ruining books, just like the music business has all but eliminated diversity in popular songs by pushing the exact same act through. Fucking gatekeepers: it gets boring. If an agent instructed me to cut 20,000 words to make my book more appealing for a publisher, I’d immediately drop them. (To be fair, it would be a sensible request for an agent to make, because Shores has about 116,000 words, which is normally too high for a debut author in my genre.) As long as my work is out there, and good folks are reading my stories, I’m happy. The old joke where the broke writer tells the rich guy at a dinner party that he has something the rich man doesn’t, namely, enough, applies to me.

Can you offer any advice to new writers?

I’m a new writer, but If I was asked that question, I’d tell them to ask someone who knows what the hell they’re talking about. The tips I’d offer are obvious and often repeated elsewhere by folks smarter than me. The most important advice I could give is to have a space dedicated to writing with no distractions. Read as many books as you can in your genre, and then read books not in your genre. Learn the rules, then break them. Write something you’d love to read. If you have the urge to write, write. Read Stephen King’s book on writing called… I forget what it’s called, but it’s the best book on writing I’ve read.  

On Writing?

Yes, his book on writing.

Your comedy needs work.

Your questions suck.

Do you give interviews?

No. I can’t be bothered. I hate self-marketing, I don’t want fame, and apparently, I have trust issues.