First of all, I would like to thank David for taking the time from his busy schedule to talk to Curling Up By The Fire. He's here to give us a glimpse into his new novel and to give us some hints as to what he is doing in the future.
1) To start off, can you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?
Well, as I often put out there, I'm an adoptive father of 3 boys, manager of chaos, science and technology geek, person of the queer persuasion, and purveyor of sacrilege. Oh...and I write books!
That's the short and sweet version. The long version goes something like this.
I was born in Windsor, Ontario to an agnostic mother that instilled in me the love of the written word and a Jehovah Witness father that taught me to question everything around me, including my own religious indoctrination. I graduated from the University of Toronto with a major in Biology and a minor in Classical Civilization. I also dabbled in Computer Science, to which I owe my current occupation in the Telecommunications world at one of the large banks in Canada. I live with my same-sex partner near Toronto with our three adopted boys and an old basset hound that keeps us all in check.
2) Can you tell us a little about your new release, The Second Coming?
Well, it's definitely not for those that are sensitive about their religious beliefs. It would likely offend. Here's a quick synopsys: Five hundred years have passed since the Earth shifted on its axis - a catastrophic event that wiped out cilivilization and released the powers of the dead back to Earth. With technology long abandoned, a dark age has shrouded our world once more. Travel to a future of blood sacrifice, demons, witchcraft, and an immoral God that has returned to reclaim his former dominion.
3) What inspired you to write the novel, The Second Coming? How much research was involved in the writing process?
I'm an openly gay man and when it comes to religion, there are some people that pick and choose what passages they want from the Bible to justify their own bigotry. They conveniently ignore other passages because it doesn't suit their agenda or their lifestyle. So I decided to pick and choose passages of my own and write a story around them. Basically I demonize God. And when you look at the old testament, it's really not that hard.
4) What is your favourite scene in the novel? Who is your favourite character?
Ooh, that's tough. Without giving anything away, I would say my favourite scenes are usually the ones with Friar John. He's a very dark and complicated individual and I think I like him best when he descends into a rather dark place within himself in order to accomplish what he must. He's ashamed of himself for what he's been, but has a greater purpose he must serve and a part that requires him to go back to being what he hates about himself.
5) What are 3 things that are 'must haves' for you when you sit down to write? Do you have any writing rituals?
No interruptions. Time. Music. Basically to get into a creative place. I need a long stretch of time. It can't be done in little 20-30 minute intervals, but being creative really needs a good chunk of time without interruptions. And I like listening to music that fits the story I'm writing. For example, Evanescence's The Open Door album is perfect for writing this series. It's dark, tragic, music that brings out the singer's anguish. I know that sounds weird, but it really works for this series.
6) Can you share with us any projects that you are currently working on or plans for the future?
Well, since I'm an independent author (no publisher yet) I have to spend some time peddling this book. It's more work than you think.
I'm also working on the next novel in this series (tentatively called The Blood of Isis) as well as a children's steampunk fantasy series. I have three boys and there just aren't enough boy books out there so I wanted to write one. It's almost done.
7) Who are some of your favourite authors or books?
I adore fantasy and science fiction novels from authors like Terry Brooks, Robert Jordan, Margaret Weis, Mark Anthony, J.R.R. Tolkien, George R.R. Martin, Robert J. Sawyer, Isaac Asimov, Melanie Rawn, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Cathy Clamp, and J.K. Rowling.
8) What do you like to do when you are not writing?
When I'm not writing, I enjoy spending time with my partner and three boys: hiking, swimming, kayaking, biking, and reading. And I LOVE Portuguese cuisine!!!
9) Is there anything else you would like to share with your readers?
Simply if you read the book, I would love to hear back from you. I enjoy hearing feedback from readers, so please contact me once you've read it.
Thank you David for taking the time to speak to me. Good luck in all your future endeavours!
For more information about David, you may visit his site/blog Random Musings. There is a lot of information available about David and his book, The Second Coming, to be found there.
To purchase one of David's ebooks, visit the following sites. At the moment, it is only available in Kindle/Nook/Sony/iPad/iPod/iPhone. As soon as it is available in print format, Curling Up By The Fire will let you know.
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