Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a self-published author with three books to my name so far: The Black Parade, The Deadly Seven, and She Who Fights Monsters. My interest in urban fantasy stems partially from my interest in Greek and Roman mythology that I read when I was younger and from studying Paradise Lost in college. I’m also a hardcore nerd who grew up on comic books, graphic novels, and anime. I’m extremely partial to Batman (got the Bat-signal tattooed on my shoulder for my 25th birthday, in fact), Spider-Man, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The authors I look up to are Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files), the late great Brian Jacques (The Redwall series), Jackson Pearce (Sisters Red), Geoffrey Thorne (Star Trek expanded universe; Leverage, Ben 10), and the entire creative team behind the DC Animated Universe. I draw influence from shows like Castle, Supernatural, Archer, Community, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Justified. If you like any one of those, odds are you’ll like my work.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is She Who Fights Monsters, which is a sequel to The Black Parade. The title is inspired by a famous Friedrich Nietzsche quote about the perils of fighting monsters as it is possible to become that which you fight most. The series itself draws inspiration from Paradise Lost by John Milton and from the 2005 film ‘Constantine’, which is loosely based on the Hellblazer comics. I created this series when I wanted to have my own take on Bible myth and legends, but with a twist of diversity. There aren’t enough black women as the main protagonist science fiction and fantasy stories, so I decided to make one. Jordan Amador is a grounded, sarcastic force to be reckoned with but she’s also vulnerable and human.
The focus of this particular story is the darkness inside Jordan as she tries to find a serial killer without losing her soul in the process. The business of being a Seer is not for the faint of heart, and the lives of the innocent rest in the balance. She is faced with the very scary probability that someone who once fought for the good guys has turned and she’ll have to hunt them down. As if that weren’t enough, she’s trying to hold together her marriage to the archangel Michael who is also working the case with her, and tensions only get higher when it turns out their archnemesis–a demon named Belial–is the only one with a lead to the killer. And he really, really wants Jordan for himself. From there, it’s a cat-and-mouse game where the stakes mean their souls are at risk.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write sitting in my bed, but if I sit at the head of the bed, I tend to fall asleep. My parents bought me a gigantic stuffed tiger and I lean up against him and for some reason, it helps keep me awake.
On the more technical side, I don’t make outlines or synopses before I start any of my novels like a lot of authors do. Usually, I have an idea or scenes in my head and I write until about halfway or a third of the way through. Once all the gears are turning and I’m in the home stretch, then I write an outline/synopsis to get my bearings and make sure the momentum is building and all the plot threads are tied together.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
As a child, I was very into the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. Other things I loved were Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume, Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh, James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl, Stuart Little by E.B. White, and the Symphony of the Ages series by Elizabeth Haydon.
Recently, I discovered the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher and I am completely in love with Harry Dresden. I’m also partial to the occasional novel by Jane Green, my favorite being Mr. Maybe, and I love an entire assortment of comic books from the X-Men to Batman Beyond to the Amazing Spider-Man.
What are you working on now?
I’m currently finishing up the third and final installment to the Black Parade series entitled The Holy Dark. It’s quite a finish, I must say, and it’s taken me close to a year from conception to completion. I think it’ll make the fans simultaneously want to kiss me and kill me, honestly.
Besides that, I’m working on a YA epic fantasy that I’ve been describing as “Avatar: The Last Airbender meets the X-Men (with a dash of Firefly.)” It should be out either summer or fall of 2015, and I’m quite excited to unleash it upon the world as it’s something I’ve never tried before.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Facebook is a good spot to collect readers and fans. Twitter is as well. It’s also very smart to send books to free book sites or newsletters as they are catered to avid readers.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t give up. Seriously. Everything about this job will have you constantly contemplating quitting, but if you truly love books and writing, you will grit your teeth and bear this cross. It’s not for the faint of heart. It hurts all the time and it feels like you’ll never be rewarded for the work you’ve sweated and bled over, but it’s worth in the end.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Knock on the door until your knuckles bleed. Eventually, someone will open the door.” -Michael Uslan, producer for all the Batman films. It took that man about twenty years to get the 1989 Batman film off the ground because he just plain refused to give up. I use that advice every single day, no matter how my books sell.
What are you reading now?
Shadowland by Meg Cabot and Screenwriter’s Bible by David Trottier.
What’s next for you as a writer?
After the last Black Parade novel and once my first YA epic fantasy novel is out, I have another urban fantasy novel I want to write about a widower and his daughter who fight dragons. It’s going to be a blast, and hopefully, it later leads to a trilogy.
I also have an idea for a highly experimental YA story about a universe in which the characters are self-aware and go through schooling to become characters that “ascend” into a writer’s mind to become well-known protagonists or antagonists. It makes no sense when I explain it out loud, mind you, but I think it could be fun.
After that, I intend to go into writing screenplays and scripts for movies, because I honestly love movies and would love to get involved with how they are made.
What is your favorite book of all time?
No answer. Sorry. I’ve read too many books.
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