What is your
name, where were you born and where do you live now?
Richard
Stephenson, born in Denison, TX, live in Beaumont, TX
Did you always
want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
Never knew I had
it in me to be honest. I also did well at writing in college and at my
job. When I started writing my first book, my abilities shocked me.
When did you
first consider yourself as a "writer"?
I released a
sneak peek of my first book and included contact info at the end of it.
On the FB page I created, a man named Eduardo Sanchez replied and it
shocked me that a perfect stranger had actually read it.
Did it take a
long time to get your first book published?
Nope. Self
publishing is fast and painless.
Do you work
another job as well as your writing work?
I've been in law
enforcement for sixteen years.
What is the name
of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20 words what
would you say?
Collapse.
A realistic look at the future downfall of America.
Who is your
publisher? or do you self publish?
Self-publish
How long does it
usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing
it?
I wrote Collapse
in five months, start to finish. I'm not sure if I could ever do that
again because it consumed every minute of my free time.
What can we
expect from you in the future? ie More books of the same genre? Books of
a different genre?
Collapse was
book one in a three part series. Book two, Resistance, is scheduled for a
June release. If I can swing it, I'd like to have book three out by
November.
What genre would
you place your books into?
Dystopian
thriller.
What made you
decide to write that genre of book?
It's my favorite
genre. I like end of the world survival fiction. It's the true test
of any person.
Do you have a
favourite character from your books? and why are they your favourite?
My favourite
character to write is Howard Beck, he is just a lot of fun. My favourite
character on a personal level is Maxwell Harris as he is the closest to my
personality.
If you had to
choose to be one of your characters in your book/books which would you be? and
why?
All three of the
characters are different facets of my own personality.
Do you have
anybody read your books and give you reviews before you officially release
them?ie. Your partner, children, friends, reviewers you know?
Absolutely.
My wife and close friends read and give input. I also send advanced
copies out to book bloggers.
Do you read all
the reviews of your book/books?
I can't help it,
I check it many times a day.
What was the
toughest/best review you have ever had?
Toughest was the
first critical review, it got my blood pressure pumping and my stomach
churning. I had a lot to figure out in terms of accepting negative
reviews. The best ones are the ones that compare me to Stephen King or
Tom Clancy, which floors and confuses me. Hard not to let that kind of
praise go to your head.
Would you ever
ask a reviewer to change their review if it was not all positive about your
book/books?
I've only asked
one time and it was a review that completely spoiled the ending.
How do you come
up with the Title and Cover Designs for your book/books?Who designed the Cover
of your books?
I'm so bad at
Draw Something that I deleted it from my phone. I have no artistic
talent. Laura LaRoche at www.llpix.com does
all of my covers.
How do you come
up with characters names and place names in your books?
Naming the
characters is a lot of fun. The overwhelming majority of the names in my
book are taken from friends and family.
Do you basic
plot/plan for your book, before you actually begin writing it out? Or do you
let the writing flow and see where it takes the story?
I make a chapter
outline that includes a few sentences describing each chapter. I know how
the story flows when I sit down. The story does take on a life of its own
and I make adjustments to the story on the fly.
How do you
market/promote your books?
Every possible
way I can think of. Facebook, Twitter, Blog, and paid advertising when my
royalty checks hit the bank.
What do you
think makes a book a really good/bestseller ?
It has to appeal
to everyone. Writing a specific genre is fine, but make the story about
the characters and not the genre. Make the characters realistic and most
importantly, flawed.
Have you ever
suffered from a "writer's block"? What did you do to get past the
"block"?
I wouldn't call
it writer's block. I don't sit down and write until I know I have
something to put on the page. I don't write by a schedule like some
authors "I need X amounts of words a day to be on schedule."
That takes the joy out of it for me. I only write when I'm inspired.
Sometimes I write non-stop for days, then I won't come back to it for
weeks.
Are there any
hidden messages or morals contained in your books? (Morals as in like Aesops
Fables type of "The moral of this story is..")
I don't know
about hidden, I've made it very obvious that the point of my books is this:
civilization is fragile. The security and comfort that we think is a
right can be taken away.
What is your
favourite book and Why? Have you read it more than once?
Silence of the
Lambs by Thomas Harris. Lecter is the perfect villian.
Do you think
books transfer to movies well? Which is you favourite/worst book to movie
transfer?
Absolutely, I'm
writing a screenplay for book one. Favourite would have to be Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Very well done. Worst is anything that so
completely changes the original work that you can't recognize it.
What are you
currently reading? Are you enjoying it? What format is it?(ebook, hardback or
paperback)
Walking Dead:
The Road to Woodbury by Robert Kirkman. I'm such a Walking Dead fan that
I can't get enough. (ebook version)
Do you think
ebooks will ever totally replace printed books?
Not completely,
but I think as each year goes by, we will see more and more ebooks sold than
print books. Brick and mortar stores are closing all around us, the proof
is clear.
Did you have a
favourite author as a child?
Stephen King,
well, my favourite as a teenager. Having more than one reader compare me
to him is something I never dreamed of.
Where can
readers follow you?
Your Blog Details?
Your Facebook Page?
Your Goodreads Author Page?
Your Twitter Details?
Any other links
or information to share?
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