Please tell us a little about yourself.
Well, I’m 21 years old and the eldest of four children. I live at home with my family in the Northeast U.S. I’m a homeschool graduate who chose not to attend college in favor of self-education, which has been and continues to be a rewarding experience. I’m an avid reader and a lifelong history buff, which pretty much explains why I write historical fiction!
What is your book about?
It’s a collection of seven Western short stories. Rather than entirely following the traditional Western patterns of action and adventure (though of course there is some of that, too!), these stories are more character-driven, centering around people facing conflict, decisions or surprises. “Disturbing the Peace,” is about a sheriff who experiences a revelation about himself and his relationship with the people of his town, and in “Cross My Heart” a boy is torn between betraying his conscience or a fugitive friend. “A Rangeland Renaissance,” on the other hand, is pure comedy, while the title story, “The Ranch Next Door,” is a Western twist on star-crossed romance, as a cattleman’s son falls in love with the daughter of a sheep rancher despite the old feud between their families. I hope they’ll appeal to a broad range of readers as well as established Western fans.
How long did it take you to write?
A year and a half all told, but I didn’t work on it straight through that time—the stories were written in between and during other projects.
What inspired you to write it?
Well, I’d been writing Western stories for a while. When I had enough that I felt were ready to go, I decided to go ahead and publish a collection of them. Inspiration for short stories comes from all over. The title of “The Ranch Next Door” was inspired by that of a “lost” song by noted Western songwriter Bob Nolan (author of standards like “Tumbling Tumbleweeds” and “Cool Water”)—“lost” because it was registered for copyright, but no lyrics or sheet music have survived. With no idea what the original song was about, I fell to imagining what kind of story would go with that title, and had one written before I knew it!
When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve been writing something or other ever since I learned how. My mother still has my first efforts, books made from sheets of drawing paper stapled together and illustrated by the author. I daydreamed about getting published off and on over the years, but it’s been in the last two or three that I really began to get serious about my writing.
What part of writing do you struggle with? Character, plot, description or dialogue?
Plot can be tricky—that’s probably the element I’d say I’m still in the process of learning as I go along. Description can take a little effort too; I often end up tweaking and polishing it until I feel readers will get the mental picture I want them to have.
What made you decide on self-publishing?
The more I learned about it, the more I liked it as a way of doing business. I liked the aspect of artistic control over my work, and the higher royalties and ability to manage the business end myself made so much sense.
Did you have a professional editor?
No.
Do you edit as you write or wait until your book is finished?
I write my first drafts longhand, and don’t change much as I go along, but I scribble notes about possible changes or alternate takes on certain sentences in the margins for future reference. Then I type it out and edit lightly as I go along. Usually I don’t type a draft until I finish the whole story, but sometimes if I get really stuck it can help to start typing the beginning and work up as far as I’ve got—it gives a little extra impetus. Any major edits come after I’ve read it on paper and had a few other people read it.
Are you currently working on any projects?
Well, I just finished the first draft of a short murder mystery in a Western setting, which I did for a National Novel Writing Month challenge. I have some completed projects that I want to work on getting edited and published after the holidays—one is a series of Western short stories built around a recurring central character; another is a short comedy novel in a historical/Western setting.
Any advice for new authors?
I really think the best way to learn how to write is to read. Read good books, observe what works and what doesn’t. Everyone develops their own style, but there is so much you can learn from other authors. I think reading good books can also give you a sense of when your own writing is ready—it will probably take some practice before you produce something you feel is ready to publish.
Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what type of music?
No, not while I’m writing. I love music, but I like to be able to pay attention and enjoy it, which I can’t do while my mind is on writing—and vice versa.
Best time of day to write?
I prefer to work in the mornings if I can. My brain seems clearer and more focused then. Awkwardly enough, though, I get some of my best ideas late at night!
Top 3 authors?
O. Henry, B.M. Bower and Agatha Christie
Top 3 novels of all time?
Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley
Tiger Eye by B.M. Bower
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Top 3 movies of all time?
The Sound of Music
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Sense and Sensibility (1995)
What do you read the most? Fiction or non-fiction?
The large majority is fiction. But I do enjoy some historical nonfiction.
Is your book in Print, ebook or both?
Only ebook as of now.
Where can your readers contact you? Links, etc.
My blog is at http://www.thesecondsentence.
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