Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a Canadian writer in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I’ve written seven books so far.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Storyworks Monthly #2, an anthology of my recent work: a paranormal romance novella, 3 short supernatural tales and one set in WW1. Short fiction suddenly caught my interest. The characters and story worlds seem stronger, more vivid, perhaps because of each story’s brevity. This anthology format also helps introduce a range of my work in 1 ebook.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write longhand in a public place, usually a coffee shop, 1 of the Thai chain of Wawee’s Coffee shops, or a kiosk in the mall. I find it almost impossible to write at the keyboard. It’s OK because when I type it up I revise, so the first typed draft only needs 1 further revision, usually.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
In no particular order Hugh Howey, Neil Gaiman, Patrick O’Brian, George R. R. Martin, Bernard Cornwell, Lee Child, Bobby Adair, Asimov, Heinlein, Bradbury, Tolstoy …
What are you working on now?
Storyworks Monthly #3, another anthology of short fiction with the next installments in the SF and writing craft ebooks. All new, unpublished work.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I tried everything, spent too much time in 2015 on promotion, and found there’s no foolproof way either to gain visibility or up your sales. So now? This is one of the reasons for this anthology series, to introduce my work.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write. Don’t fall down the promotion rabbit hole, it’s an endless upside down world that no one really has a handle on yet. Step back and focus on your craft. Find ONE approach to promotion & go deep into that. The shotgun approach really does not work.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Finish what you start; refrain from excessive rewriting; put your work out there and keep it available for download.
What are you reading now?
Bobby Adair’s ‘The Last Survivors’, Tom Kratman’s ‘Come and Take Them’, and Cheryl Shireman’s ‘Cooper Moon, The Temptation.’
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’ll do six Storyworks issues, each one about 140 pages, and along the way I’ll publish collections of the short stories that appear spread out in the Storyworks issues. I’ll do the same with the SF novel and other work that appears in installment form in those issues over the next year. This effectively means 1 new novel and many short stories & novellas during that time. Short stories a perfect way to sharpen your writing skills.
What is your favorite book of all time?
Dostoyevsky’s ‘The Idiot’
Author Websites and Profiles
Stephen Carter Website
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