Q & A with the Author

Where did you get the idea for your self-deprecating author page?

Before I wrote my About the Author page (yes, I wrote it myself in third person, like most vain authors do), I read dozens of similar pages in books and on various author websites. Without exception, every page told a story of a wonderful, qualified writer, who just happened to be an incredibly well-rounded human being too. Of course, why wouldn’t they say that? This page is sort of an author’s informal resumé—their sales pitch to confirm they’re legitimate and worthy of the reader’s time and money. That’s when I came up with the idea to do the opposite of that. I thought it would be different and funny to admit openly that I wasn’t a wonderful and experienced writer, and I couldn't leap tall buildings in a single bound. Only an idiot would put that in their book, right? But my motto has always been: If you can’t make fun of yourself, you shouldn’t make fun of anyone else. At the end of the day, it’s all about how many times you laughed and smiled that counts, and my goofy author page makes me smile every time I read it.

How did you come up with the idea for Historic Opportunities?

That’s a funny story. Many years ago I saw a television episode of Bewitched, which was about Samantha’s aunt (a senile witch), who accidentally brings Benjamin Franklin to current time (current time was the 1960s back then). I always thought about how interesting it would be if some smart, famous person from 200 years ago suddenly appeared in my time and I had the privilege to show that individual all the cool things we have now and explain about the significant events that had transpired since their life ended. I first wrote the novelette, A Historic Opportunity, and then expanded that into the five-part novel, Historic Opportunities.

As a new author, what was your marketing strategy for your first book?

I initially examined the fiction market and saw it was brutal for new, unknown authors. I mean, you have to go up against heavyweights like James Patterson, J.K. Rowling, and Stephen King. It’s very depressing. But then I discovered a huge demographic that virtually all other authors and publishers had overlooked. Yes, I’m talking about the untapped White Elephant Gift Exchange market. Think about it. Have you ever been invited to one of those parties and then realized on the way there that you forgot to pick up a gift? It can be very inconvenient to stop at Walmart at the last minute and frantically search for a pair of glow-in-the-dark socks or a chef’s apron that says, “It’s not burnt, it’s caramelized!” on the front. Instead, you could buy a bunch of my paperbacks in advance and be ready for any last-minute party invitations that pop up around the holidays. And the great thing for me is that you don’t have to like my book or even like to read any books to benefit from my book. I believe I’m the first author ever to focus my entire marketing strategy around the illiterate, lazy, party people of the world. They deserve to have someone on their side and I’m glad to be there for them during their time of need.