What can you tell us about your new release, Drawer #7?
If you like quirky, not knowing whether to laugh or cry or gasp, you’ll love Drawer #7. The story was inspired by an unusual event. My wife and I were visiting my brother Chuck, in honor of their new home. As my sister-in-law was giving us the grand tour, I stopped to admire a strange looking, wall-mounted mirror. The face staring back at me was mine—yet not mine. Same red hair, same ratty t-shirt and nerdy cargo shorts—but the features were all wrong. Rounder nose, longer face, and the hair was too short. Then I realized that, while the pants and shirt were indeed my style, I’d never before seen those particular items of clothing.
I was flummoxed. Then terrified. Was I not who I thought I was? Was I dreaming? Having a brain aneurism? Then in the next moment, I realized the mirror was not a mirror at all, but an in-house window. It was my brother Chuck staring back at me—now laughing his butt off—from their remodeled, now closed-in porch. They’d later convert the window to a bar, but they hadn’t gotten to that yet.
BOOM! Story idea.
But for years, that’s all I had. Then rummaging around in my attic, I discovered a dusty, staple-bound book of poetry. I flipped it open to read a verse or two. The text launched me back decades, to my rock-n-roll days in Nashville, Tennessee, where I ran into the most unique, broken, delightful, homeless young woman I’ve ever met. This was the book she’d given me when I moved away all those years ago. A poet, but not your usual word-rhymer. This girl could spool off verses about anything you pleased, right there on the spot. “Go on, name somethin’!” she used to say. She ended up writing lyrics for our band.
I thought, What an interesting character.
Draw #7 came raveling into my head so fast my fingers couldn’t keep up.
What or who inspired you to become an author?
Peter Benchley. Seeing Jaws in the 4th grade scarred me for life. So what did I do? I scarred myself further by rounding up the book and reading it in two days. But I discovered something about books that changed my life forever: There’s a whole world in there! I thought to myself, Freedom!
I had to taste it, needed to create and dive into a world of my own. Not now but yesterday! So I sat down and basically re-wrote Jaws. On blue-lined notebook paper with a dull pencil in illegible script. I changed the shark to a megalodon, threw in some new characters—but basically copied Jaws. I called it . . . wait for it . . . Teeth. What can I say? I was ten years old. Teeth is long since lost, but I’ll never forget the experience.
What’s on your top 5 list for the best books you’ve ever read?
The Pigman by Paul Zindel, because it’s the first book I remember reading. I still cry at the end of Fire Starter by Stephen King. I’ve read Velocity by Dean Koontz more times than I can count, but I have to be careful with that one. His use of metaphor and simile, and the way he weaves in T.S. Eliot and Dickens depresses me. As a reader, I love it. But as an author, I know I’ll never be able to write like that. But it gives me something to strive for. I’m a big Chuck Palahniuk fan, especially Lullaby. Finally, I’d be remiss if I left out Dirty White Boys by Stephen Hunter. I relate with the characters and culture, no doubt because I grew up in Arkansas.
Say you’re the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?
Dean Koontz. I’d ask, “Where do you come up with all the beautiful metaphors!?”
What’s your favorite thing about writing?
Seeing my stories move people emotionally. My brother once told me, “Dude, you’re all about the struggle.” He was right, I regretfully admitted. I’ve endured eight black belt tests. Torture. Loved it. I own a dojo. A living hell of work and worry. Love it. As anyone who’s ever completed a novel can tell you, writing ain’t for sissies. You struggle with self-doubt, embarrassment, rejection, humiliation—and of course the dreaded writer’s block. You write yourself into 50,000-word corners and have to delete your way out. Then finally, you scribble “The End,” only to discover, after all that anguish, the end is just the beginning. Those are just a few of the monsters that await anyone bold enough to sit down and type Once upon a time. Writing is my dream and my nightmare, my delight and my dread. Writing is what I hate to love more than anything else I’ve ever experienced. But then someone reads my story and tells me, “Oh my God, I cried at the end!” At that moment—it’s all worth it.
What is a typical day like for you?
I arise between 4 and 6 a.m. and start writing. Just me and a cup o’ Joe and the dark silent world outside. If I’m plagued with writer’s block, well, I write anyway. This knowing full well I’ll delete everything tomorrow. Except sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I discover it’s not so bad after all. During my breaks, I read writing blogs—about marketing, cover design, publishing or writing itself. I usually get my first dojo call at around 10 a.m., at which point I switch hats and become a business owner. 4:00 brings my first Taekwondo students, so I become a martial arts drill sergeant. I kick and punch and scream and shout until Aikido class, the last one of the day. There, I blend and flow and fall and roll, throw and project and toss ukes about. I finish between 7 and 10:00 p.m., depending on the day. Back home, I grab a bite then retire to the tree house with my kids. I end every single day reading by headlamp, always with the red bulb so as not to taint my sleep. Then I get up the next day and do it all over again.
What scene in Drawer #7 was your favorite to write?
Strangely, since I’m an action freak, it’s “Big Man’s,” the last scene of Chapter five, Dangerous. The story changes directions here, and offers a respite from the break-neck action. What I love about it is the development of Big Man, aka Dexter Grant. Characters come to life as you write. They develop a personality all their own, and do things even the writer doesn’t expect. My first version of Big Man rejected what I’d done with him, insisted on becoming something more. Unable to ignore him, I allowed him to develop as he wished in the next rewrite. “Big Man’s” is where he comes to life. Lots of readers have expressed a desire to hear more about him. On the one hand, I kind of like leaving that sense of curiosity hanging. When I read, I personally love reflecting on a character or event that leaves me wondering. Like at the end of Velocity by Dean Koontz. I always long to know what happens with Bill and Barbara. For me, that longing is kind of a sweet sorrow. On the other hand, Dexter Grant is alive and well inside my head. He batters the walls of my mind, shouting to be free. So in the sequel he’ll get his way with a major role, complete with a history.
If I may, I’d also like to share my least favorite scenes to write. Those would be the sex scenes. I’d always avoided them. So awkward! In fact, when I run across them in reading, I kind of check out, try to glean anything important plot-wise and ignore the rest. But alas, I had no choice in Drawer #7. The story simply would not work without a romantic element. The way I got through it was to remember the story is a psychological thriller, not a romance—and definitely not erotica. So I made no mention of anything anatomical. I incorporated suggestion and vague metaphor, but used a light touch with even that. I tried to give it almost a dark-comedy kind of feel, but without making a mockery of it. I did my best to emphasize the emotional aspect of the experience. After all, that’s what it was really about with this couple.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
Never Give Up.
As I mentioned, life’s struggles fascinate me. No surprise I ended up a martial arts instructor. I look in each new kid’s eyes and sigh, imagining all that life will throw at them as they journey through the years. While I teach concepts and techniques for defending against violent attack, that’s not my primary goal. In fact, it’s really nothing more than an incidental fringe benefit. Because God willing, most of them will never experience such a horror. But everyone will experience betrayal, loss, death of a loved one, and myriad other worries and tragedies. Life is a jungle. You can be either sheep or sheepdog. Your choice. My life’s mission is to reveal the lion’s heart that lives in each of us. I long to show people they’re stronger than they think they are, that they can survive anything, right up until the moment they meet their maker. And even the threat of death holds no power over us if we come to terms with it ahead of time. That message is the mission of my martial arts mentoring, and of every story I write.
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