The Interview

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background as a writer?

I was raised in a broken home and at the age of 11 had divorced parents. The broken made me who I am today. I am a former Marine Infantry, with a combat deployment to Afghanistan in 2008.

2. What inspired you to start writing, and how did you develop your passion for storytelling?

My parent’s divorce created more of an outlet for me but I have been writing since I was 5 years old. It was an escape for me from everything.

3. What genres or themes do you typically explore in your writing?

Life, Love, Death, and Grief. Anything that moves my soul.

4. Could you share your experience with Jack Wild Publishing? How and when did you become a Jack Wild author?

It has been a tremendous experience working with JW. They give me such creative freedom. I was asked in 2019 by Chris if I wanted to join the family here and I did not hesitate.

5. Can you describe your writing process? Do you have any specific routines or rituals that help you get into the creative mindset?

Usually takes place midday. I will drink an energy drink during the process and then begin. Depending if I am traveling or not, it remains somewhat the same for each time I begin writing.

6. Are there any particular authors or books that have influenced your writing style?

Hemingway, Cohen, Plath, Rilke, and Kerouac are the main ones. Anything by them has inspired me greatly.

7. How do you handle creative challenges? Do you have any strategies to overcome them?

Thankfully, my brain never shuts off so I have never known what it is like to struggle with being creative in that way.

8. What has been the most rewarding aspect of being an author published by Jack Wild Publishing?

Being able to do the material how I want them and not be strictly held to one particular thing.

9. Can you share any upcoming projects or works in progress that you’re excited about?

I do not have anything currently I am working on. Mostly typing custom works for others most of the time.

10. What advice would you give to writers who are struggling with self-doubt or fear of rejection? How do you stay motivated and confident in your craft?

If you aren’t struggling with self-doubt and the fear of rejection, you aren’t doing it right. I do not know anyone who isn’t struggling with something along those lines. My motivation remains and will always be the friends I have lost along the way who no longer have a life to live.

11. Have you ever experienced a “breakthrough” moment in your writing career? Can you describe a time when you felt a significant shirt or improvement in your skills or creative approach?

My breakthrough came in 2018 when I moved to Utah. I felt called to go there and move there ultimately, which led to me finding my writing voice and I haven’t looked back since.

12. How do you stay connected with your readers and engage with your audience? Do you utilize social media, book signings, or other methods to interact with your fans?

Social media is the only way for me to stay connected to those who read my work. Until I find a way to tour around the country, that will be the only way for me.

13. What do you hope readers take away from your poetry? What kind of impact or connection do you aspire to create through your words?

I hope they take away how much we are all the same at the end of the day and how much we are connected by and through. I hope my impact is that I will have changed one life while changing my own life in the process.

14. Lastly, what advice would you give to aspiring poets who are just starting their journey? What lessons have you learned along the way that you would like to share with others?

If you are going to begin writing and start this journey, do not halfass it. Either be all in or do not do it at all. If you want to stick to just journaling, do that. But with writing, you have to marry it, you have to give your vow to never break that promise. It only works if you work with it.