Francis: Where were you born/where did you grow up, did you have an easy childhood?
Brian: I was born at Fort Huachuca, Arizona in the US. My father was in the Army so we moved around all over until I was in fourth grade, then we bought a farm and settled in Missouri.
As far as farm life goes, I had an easy life. We had 55 acres, about 30 of it arable, we grew alfalfa for hay. We had a small herd of six or seven cattle, depending on the year, that we raised for slaughter or sale and also had chickens that we sold their eggs. About the “toughest” part was cutting firewood in the fall in preparation for the winter.
Francis:Give some background information about yourself, are you generally an optimistic person or pessimistic?
Brian: I think I’m an optimistic person. However, I’m also a realist, so the two are often at odds with one another.
Francis: Tell us your latest news, what are your current projects?
Brian: I actually have two new releases in the past month that came out within a week of each other from different publishers. A Path of Ashes came out on 25 May from Muddy Boots Press and Enduring Armageddon came out on 02 June from Permuted Press. I’m devoting a lot of time to the promotion and marketing of those two books, but I’m also writing the second book in my The Path of Ashes series.
Francis:When and why did you begin writing? How does your present day work compare to what you wrote then?
Brian: I’ve always been a writer in one sense or another. Then when I graduated college and became an Active Duty soldier, I fell into the mental trap that I didn’t have time to write because of my career. About five or six years ago, I ran across a book written by J.L. Bourne, who is an Active Duty Navy officer. I told myself that if he could do it with his career, then so could I. Most people actually have a lot more time than they admit. I don’t watch television shows anymore, it’s such a huge time suck. Actually, I do watch one show, but I record it and fast forward through the commercials, an hour long show becomes thirty-five minutes.
The first book I wrote, GNASH, is still my favorite. It garnered me a publishing contract with Permuted Press and will be released by them in February 2016 as the first book in a new trilogy. I definitely think my writing has gotten stronger and I follow the rules of English much more closely now as I’ve dredged up those old grammar lessons, but the actual storyline for GNASH and the sequels REND and SEVER is hands down my favorite out of the ten books I’ve written since then. Strange how that works out!
Francis: What genre do you consider books to be? Have you ever thought of writing in another genre, for example if you wrote a Children’s book, how would it turn out?
Brian: Funny that you mention children’s books, because I have one! My book Zombie in the Basement is written for the 3-10 year-old range and it’s about acceptance of others, regardless of their differences.
As to your actual question, my primary overarching genre is science fiction or maybe horror, depending on how you view things. I primarily write post-apocalyptic fiction and zombie fiction, but I also have a paranormal thriller and a military fiction available. So, you can see that I’ve certainly dabbled across other genres, unfortunately, I think my problem was that early on in my writing ‘career’ I published across those multiple genres instead of building up an audience in one genre and then crossing over. I plan to continue writing in multiple genres, but for the sake of building my brand, I’m going to stick to the science fiction/horror genre for a few more books.
Francis: Have you ever been flattered by a comparison to a well-known author or by a review?
Brian: Yes! Again, with GNASH, I had to defend myself because people thought there was no way that a first time author could write like that and accused me of being someone else writing under a pseudonym. In reviews of that book, people said it reads like a mixture of Stephen King/Tom Clancy, which is obviously HUGE! I was so excited to hear that and I hope it’s received the same once it’s re-released in February.
Francis: What inspired you to write your first book?
Brian: I read a lot. Not nearly as much as I used to, but what bothered me about a lot of books I was reading is that they emulated the current Hollywood style of storytelling: gun battles that lasted for days, college students who worked at the video store that were secretly level 84 super-ninjas, learning how to bend bullets around obstacles, just ridiculous stuff. I set out to use my real-world experience in the Army as a basis for gun battles, knife and fist fights and the story just grew from there. I’ve had people ask me why my fight scenes only last a few pages at most and the reality is that is what happens in real life, very few firefights are longer than ten or fifteen minutes, certainly fist fights only last a couple of minutes outside of the boxing ring.
Francis: Do you have a trademark writing style, what makes your work recognizable?
Brian: I believe the realism that I bring to my writing is my ‘style.’ Okay, granted, I write about zombies and nuclear winter, but within the context of those events, I make it as real as possible.
Francis: Do you write short stories? If so how do they differ to your novels?
Brian: I’ve dabbled in short stories. They’re so much harder than a full-length novel! With a novel, you can develop background, build up suspense and then have a conflict resolution. With a short story, it’s “here’s the problem, this is what happens, the end.” I equate a book to a muffin, whereas the short story is a muffin top, which is only the best part of the story, but ultimately leaves you unsatisfied and wishing that you’d eaten the whole muffin…
Francis: How did you come up with the titles of your books?
Brian: I always assign a working title, and so far, I’ve chosen the real title after the book was complete and I had a feel for the book. I’ll develop a list of titles that I like, then go to Amazon and type them in to see if there’s a similar title. I didn’t do that with my kids’ book and now there are two books with very similar titles, so I do that every time now.
Francis: Are there any messages in your novels, if so what?
Brian: I didn't really get my own message until I finished BDA and then it hit me. I think an underlying theme of my work is that regardless of who you are, there is someone out there for you to love. I know, it’s strange coming from a big, tough Army guy, but every one of my books have some element of romance. Maybe I'm a hopeless romantic at heart, I don't know, but it definitely comes out in my writing without overpowering the rest of the story.
Francis: How much of your books are based on reality, how much are based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Brian: I try to write as realistically as possible and do a lot of research. I’m positive that I’m on some sort of NSA watchlist because I’ve researched nuclear explosions, virus transmission rates, the blueprints for the National Archives, etc. I do use my experience in the military to help shape my books, but I’m extremely cognizant of the potential to overuse military jargon and confuse people who’ve never been in the military, so I don’t overdo it with the military slang.
Francis: What books have influenced your life the most? Are some of these books, different to your own genre of writing?
Brian: I started off really addicted to fantasy, then that evolved into science fiction and horror. Some of my favorites have been The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Dune by Frank Herbert and the Shannara series by Terry Brooks. Of course the book that influenced me the most, while not a great literary example, was Day by Day Armageddon by J.L. Bourne. I mentioned it before, but when I read the book and found out that he was able to balance a career along with writing, I decided that I could do it as well.
Francis: Are you sometimes shocked by some of your own writing/ideas?
Brian: I don’t outline, so I am almost always surprised where the story goes. I have a generic idea of where I want the book to end, but that’s about it. I’ve tried outlining and it seems more like a job and certainly don’t want that.
Francis: Do you see writing as a career?
Brian: I’m in a position that I could potentially do that. I’ve been in the Army for 19 years and at 20 I’m eligible for a pension, so I could still earn a living wage and write. Although my plans right now are to continue in the Army for at least 5 to 7 more years.
Francis: Is there a character in one of your books that really stands out for you? Could he or she be compared to any well-known literature character?
Brian: Asher Hawke, AKA the Kestrel, from my Washington, Dead City series (GNASH, REND and SEVER) is hands down, my favorite character. He’s a former US Navy SEAL and a retired CIA Ground Branch operative who’s dedicated his entire life to his career. He’s got some major issues upstairs and always puts the mission first, but must learn over time that there are more important things in life than only accomplishing the mission.
Francis: Were your parents avid readers, have your family played a part in your writing career? How do they feel about your work?
Brian: My mom read the Harlequin romances nonstop and we’d go to the bookstore all the time. There were some great used book stores back then and we’d go in to trade her old books and I’d wander around the stacks of novels, finding books that were interesting. I’d always get a few books while she got about twenty to last her the month.
My dad is one of my biggest supporters. He always leaves a review and the funny thing is that he almost always writes that the language is too coarse and there’s too much cursing…oh well, can’t please everyone all the time!
Francis: What makes you proud of your books/life as a writer?
Brian: I’m proud of everything that I’ve written. I’ve always maintained that I write for myself and it’s just a bonus that others want to read it as well. One of my favorite books that I’ve written, which doesn’t sell well incidentally, is a military fiction called Battle Damage Assessment. It’s the story of a young infantryman experiencing combat for the first time. I knew the market wasn’t the strongest for that type of book, but it was a story that wouldn’t leave me alone. I was actually in the middle of writing SEVER while I was in Afghanistan and BDA kept hammering at my brain, so I stopped writing the other book and wrote the story.
Francis: How do you come up with the initial concept of a book?
Brian: I always have a notebook with me to write down ideas. I think that the fifteen (or so) year break that I took from writing early in my military career has helped to put a large collection of ideas in my head. Once I decide to run with an idea to turn it into a book, I spend a couple of days brainstorming about the extremely rough plan for what would be a decent story before I begin writing. Of course, the biggest decision for me is whether I’m going to write it in first person or third person. I’ve written two books in first person and I really like the way the story comes across, but at the same time I also don’t want people to think that the characters are some type of alter ego, because they’re not!
Francis: Who is your favorite author and what is it about them that you admire?
Brian: I have so many, but probably Terry Brooks. He’s just such a great storyteller and has been since the mid-1970s – that’s a long time to be doing this gig. It seems like very few authors are popular for more than a few years at a stretch, so my hat’s off to him. Probably what I admire most is that he’s been able to evolve his writing over time. He had a completely separate series set in present day from his Shannara series that is set hundreds of years in the future, he was able to eventually mold the two into one storyline. Quite fascinating, once you see what he did with it and how the “stereotypical” high fantasy world was created in the aftermath of a global nuclear war with the traditional races evolving from mutations and such…truly an epic world and totally unheard of when Sword of Shannara came out in the late ‘70s.
Francis: Who designed the covers for your books, were you happy with result?
Brian: I’ve used three different artists for different books. My hands-down favorite is Andre over at Angry Chair Designs, he’s done the cover for Origins of the Outbreak and Battle Damage Assessment. Nicole Anderson over at anobrainart.com did the cover for The Collective Protocol and I couldn’t be happier with the result. Finally, my latest book cover for A Path of Ashes was designed by Jafet Martinez. He’ll be doing the covers for the other two books in the series as well. Permuted hired the artist for Enduring Armageddon, so I only know that his name is Martin Kintanar.
Francis: What was the hardest part of being a writer?
Brian: For me, it’s time management. Just like most people, I’m a very busy person. From my Army career, to my family and the kid’s sports schedule to my own work out schedule, and finding time to do everything I need on a daily basis is hard enough, then I’ve added this second ‘career’ on top of everything. Don’t get me wrong, I love it, it’s just difficult sometimes to fit it all in.
Francis: Do you have any advice for other writers?
Brian: Keep at it! Seriously, don’t let things get you down. Writing – and finishing – a book is a lot of work, actually more work than I thought it would be. The endless hours toiling away at the computer can leave you feeling like you’re missing out on other things in life, but if you manage your time properly, then you won’t miss out and believe me, it does get easier the more you write to figure out how to balance writing, your real job, family and social life.
Oh yeah, here’s my final piece of unsolicited advice and pardon my French, but don’t be a dick. Yes, you’re a writer and you’ve accomplished a huge feat by finishing a book; now be nice, be courteous, help advance our craft and don’t bash other writers. We’re not competing with each other. It’s not like we’re selling a car; a reader will not only buy one book and read that book exclusively for the next five years. Most readers buy ten or twelve books a year, some buy a whole lot more, let’s help each other out.
Francis: Other than writing do you have any other interests, do they connect up with your writing?
Brian: I’ve been in the Army my entire adult life, so I’m interested in that! Actually, my career has helped me as a writer tremendously. I also enjoy running and working out, so that’s helped me understand the endurance of characters and how the human body can be pushed when it’s required.
Francis: Are there any films that have influenced your writing? What kind of films do you like?
Brian: I don’t know that any movies have influenced my writing per se, but every experience from the uncommon to the mundane gets filed away in our brains so I’m sure that I’ve inadvertently paid homage to something that I’ve seen at one point or another. I will say that the film adaptation of The Road was not nearly as good as the book, so maybe my vision of the gritty, post-apocalyptic future was influenced by that a little bit.
Francis: If your books were adapted into being films, which director dead or alive would you want to direct them? Which actors would you like in the films? What would be the overriding mood of the film?
Brian: I really like what JJ Abrams is doing these days, especially with the epic sagas, so definitely him.
Let’s see, lead characters… I see Grayson Donnelly as a Mark Walburg type of guy, quiet, unassuming and compassionate but his former military training lets him kick butt when needed. Emory Perry, is pretty, strong and smart; I see her as a more of a Jessica Biel character. Jessica Spellman was a pretty high school cheerleader, but years of the wrong type of men have turned her into the shell of her former self but she shines after Grayson saves her life. Definitely Elisha Cuthburt. Hank Dawson is an Army Delta operator who doesn’t take any lip from anyone, so I see Cam Gigandet. Finally, the CIA operative Kestrel, Asher Hawke, is only in GNASH for about twenty pages, but he’s the main character in REND. I see Karl Urban playing him.
Francis: Do you socialize with other writers or creative people? Do you know any obscure or up and coming authors/or perhaps other creative people who deserve recognition?
Brian: I do a lot of talking to others on social media, but have rarely talked to others in real life. Let’s see, up and coming authors… There’s Stephen Woods, he writes paranormal investigative and zompoc books. I actually met him in Afghanistan while we were both deployed over there. S.P. Durnin, he writes zompoc and is published through Permuted like myself, his stuff is great. Also, maybe these two are over the hump of being “up and coming” but W.J. Lundy and Chris Philbrook both write in the zompoc genre and are really good guys as well as amazing writers.
Francis: which theme (for example death, misery, and torture) is most prevalent in your stories?
Brian: That the bright shiny future that is sometimes envisioned in stories like Star Trek isn’t likely to happen. I’m not a conspiracy theorist or anything like that, but I do believe that something is going to happen to change our future drastically, be that terrorist attacks, global war, some type of near-extinction event, etc.
Francis: Which method of death would you choose out of the following:
A being ripped apart by lions
B facing a firing squad made up by shadowy figures, who you suspect you have had major altercations with, during the course of your life.
C you find yourself in a hospital, in a country far from home, with doctors and nurses you can’t communicate with, attached to devices that indicate you are in a critical condition. You don’t know how you got to the hospital/country. Death is inevitable however.
Brian: Well, from the least painful perspective, probably the medical selection. I’d also be willing to go with the firing squad. It’s likely if I’ve had a major altercation with them, they’d aim for the head and it would be over before I knew what was happening.
Francis: Do you have a blog/website? Or other important links?