A Little Background
The Journey to Publication
In sixth grade, I had a teacher read my story to the class, and she was so animated when she did so, you could tell she enjoyed it very much. She told my parents that maybe I could be a writer. I never really thought about it at the time. It was just something I did. I used to draw comics with my little brother. We used to film movies and record songs with a couple of our friends. I technically wrote my first book in seventh grade.
I used to blog a lot, from my own website to MySpace and to Facebook. I was on the newswriting staff in high school, where the teacher would call me Reverend Thomas Jefferson for my op-ed feature articles. I took many writing intensive courses in college because they were kind of easy to me. So, it seemed only natural that one day, I would eventually set out to write a book, a real book.
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For many long years, I've been an aspiring writer. My first book had limited success by sheer will of force, but that was unsustainable. My second book was basically a complete flop. It came time to make a decision. Do I keep going? Do I slow down or stop altogether? Do I settle for less?
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I came to the conclusion that I have to try one last time, this time not unconventional and more commercial. The next idea in mind was my first official venture into horror, which was an in-demand genre. Between sci-fi, fantasy and horror, I always did pick horror as my favorite ever since I was a kid.
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Back then, I remember my dad saying to me and my little brother, "We don't have that much money right now... Do you want to have cable or do you want to rent movies from the library every week?" Without hesitation, we both picked the library. I have very fond memories of going to different libraries all around town, perusing the aisles and shelves, borrowing DVDs and books and graphic novels, Some of my recurrent favorites were the Goosebumps series by RL Stine, the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark trilogy by Alvin Schwartz, and local classics Chicken Skin and Obake Files by the late iconic Glen Grant. It kind of traumatized me, but at the same time, it was also exhilirating and fascinating.
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Throughout my life, I have had experiences I cannot explain, many of which are in this new book. Funny enough, it almost feels like nonfiction to me, personally. I used to go ghost hunting with my brother and our mismatched group of friends. There was a particular strange time after a trip abroad and during my planned last semester that was the genesis of this new book. And, as a healthcare worker surrounded by the sick, hurt and dying, seeing or hearing things is a very common occurrence amongst staff and patients.
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So, I poured everything into this book, all my passion and interest and background. I did extensive research including talking to experts, interviewing a paranormal investigator as well as a preacher for ninety minutes each, and visiting haunted locations by myself at night with a flashlight. (I don't recommend this.) It grew into my most ambitious work yet, which I am excited to unleash upon the world.​
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Is it going to be three strikes and I'm out? Or is it that the third time's a charm?
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My first three books, two novels and a story collection, are available to 40000+ retailers, bookstores and libraries including Barnes & Noble, Walmart and Books-A-Million through Lightning Source, and on Amazon in over 170 countries.
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WASHINGTON is a former NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) project and was crowdfunded through Indiegogo.
The editor that I used has worked with James Dashner (The Maze Runner), Gayle Forman (If I Stay) and Emily XR Pan (The Astonishing Color of After). The cover designer I used has done work for Dean Koontz.
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WASHINGTON became a multiple award winner and bestseller, peaking at #1, #6 and #11 across three categories on Amazon.
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SMILING FACELESS WOMAN was recently featured by Fangoria Magazine.
