Jump in.  Keep writing.  And never give up.  If the work is good it WILL find an audience.

Tom Abrahams – 3 April 2014

The Back Flap

Beer, Redheads, And Politics… Jackson Quick Should Have Known Better.
First, He Trusted A Texas Politician.
Then He Fell For A Leggy Woman.
Worst Of All, He Drank A Beer That Tasted Funny.
Now He’s Running For His Life, Trying To Piece Together How He Fell Into A Battle Over Something So Small It Takes A High-Powered Microscope To See It.

About the book

What is the book about?

A sniper team takes aim at a gubernatorial candidate. A political aide is kidnapped and interrogated about the encrypted iPods he’s carried around the globe. A research scientist on the verge of an earth-shaking breakthrough disappears from his secretly funded university lab. All three are connected in a battle over something microscopic.

When did you start writing the book?

I started writing it in late 2012

How long did it take you to write it?

It took me seven months to write it.

Where did you get the idea from?

It began as a book about Texas seceding from the union and morphed into a more complex story.  I got the idea from all of the “secession” talk during the early days of the 2012 presidential primary campaign.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

The beginning was difficult.  I wrote the book in first person.  I couldn’t decide, however, whether or not the prologue should be in first person or third and where I should begin the story.  It was worth the struggle, however.

What came easily?

The plotting of the book, ultimately, was easy. I knew from the beginning where I wanted the book to go and how I wanted to resolve the conflict.  It was a blast fitting all of the pieces of the puzzle into a finished picture.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

They are all fictitious.  The television reporter, however, is an amalgamation of the people I met during my 20+ years in television news.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

Michael Crichton is a huge influence.  George Orwell is another.  I love how Crichton takes plausible science fiction and weaves it into a fantastic tale.  Orwell was a genius, I think, in his ability to create a political world to which we all could, in some small way, relate and challenge us to consider its faults.

Do you have a target reader?

People who love books and complicated protagonists.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

I try to write every day.  With a full-time job, it’s not easy.  I find the early morning hours the most-productive.  And I write with a weekly word count goal in mind.  The more I write, the easier the process becomes.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I don’t outline.  I have the idea in my head and jot down notes about upcoming “scenes” as I write.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I have learned to wait until I finish.  I’ve made the mistake of editing as I go and it’s ruined the process.  It puts me behind and interrupts the flow of the story.  It’s much better, for me, to wait until I’ve finished.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

Yes, depending on the scene.  If I am writing a high-energy adventure scene, I listen to Jay-Z or Linkin Park.  The rhythm of those two artists allows me to hit a great stride.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

I submitted my first book to agents.  I did not submit my new book because I was offered a publishing deal before submission.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

I initially self-published after getting repeatedly rejected by agents.  It took me a year to make the decision and I consulted a lot of people in the business before making the leap.  Then, a year after self-publishing, I was offered a publishing contract with an independent press called Post Hill Press.  I considered it, consulted other authors and a literary attorney, and made the jump.  It’s been great so far.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

Professionally.  An outstanding graphic designer named Jason Farmand designed the cover.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

A little bit of both.  Book bloggers are great.  Interview sites are good tools.  And price promotions seem to work in gaining new readers.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Jump in.  Keep writing.  And never give up.  If the work is good it WILL find an audience.

About You

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Where do you live now?

I live in the suburbs of Houston, Texas.

What would you like readers to know about you?

I’m a husband (married 19 years), a dad (two great kids), and a television reporter and anchor.  I also write political fiction.

What are you working on now?

I’m in final rewrites for the sequel to Allegiance and have started the third book in the series.

End of Interview:

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Get your copy of Allegiance from Amazon US (paper or ebook), Amazon UK (paper or ebook), Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords.