He grew up on farmland in the Magic Valley before earning a degree in biology from Idaho State University, and then did research on potato variety development in Aberdeen before moving to a position in factory automation with Lamb-Weston. After moving with his family to Kennewick, Washington in 1992, he returned to Idaho with his wife following his retirement where they’ve lived in Meridian since 2010.
Just Launched
In the enigmatic mountain town of Copper Creek, Rachael Greystone must trust her abilities as a Comanche Spirit Talker to uncover long-buried secrets that will ultimately decide her fate, as well as that of the entire town.
Rachael Greystone has denied having special abilities since childhood, insisting it was all superstition. However, superstition doesn’t explain the woman in a long white dress along a lonely stretch of mountain road – particularly when Rachael stops and finds a necklace by the roadside and the woman vanishes before she can return it. That was before Jason Coleman hires her to restore the historic Coleman Theater as part of his plan to revitalize the gold mining town his great-great-grandfather founded. But there are forces in the valley that resist change…
Available on Amazon.
Meet the Author
The timing is great to meet this author whose website address says it all: spiritsofidaho.com.
Do you have a writing routine? Where and when do you write?
I usually write in the morning. I get my best ideas for the next chapter at night before bed.
Do you have any patterns or rituals associated with your writing time?
I drink lots of coffee.
What do you do when you hit a wall with your writing?
I usually work on something else for a while, and then go back when I feel inspired.
Do you plan your book in advance (plotting and outlining) or are you a “discovery writer” (AKA “writing into the dark”)? Or are you somewhere in between?
I usually have a general plan in mind, but it changes over time and re-writes. Once I get a good start, I have a spreadsheet that I use to keep track of chapters, characters, events and a timeline. One important column is purpose of chapter. Sometimes I realize that I have already fulfilled that purpose in another chapter.
What’s the last book you read that made you go “wow!”?
I recently read Beulah by Christi Nogle.
What book or author do you find yourself recommending and why?
I really don’t have a favorite author. I used to read a lot of Stephen King, but he had a season for his best books.
What’s on your To Be Read pile?
- Beyond the Veil by Nicky Shearsby
- Mark of a Demon by Desponia Kemeridou
- The Ghost Manuscript by Kris Frieswick
What advice do you have for readers?
If you start reading a book and give it a good chance, but it hasn’t grabbed your attention, unless it is a textbook, drop it.
What author, past or present, would you wish to have a long conversation with? Why?
Shirley Jackson. I read The Haunting when I was in high school and it has haunted me ever since. She could create a mood without jump scares or blood and murder.
Do you have early memories of reading or writing you’d like to share?
I had two high school teachers that encouraged me to go into writing. At that time, I did mostly humor. I actually started college to become a writer, but changed majors.
What books and/or authors have most influenced you as an author?
I think, by far, Shirley Jackson. But King’s earlier books (The Shining, IT, The Stand) were also good. For example, IT was more about kids growing up than a monster.
What do you most enjoy about being a writer? What do least enjoy about being a writer?
I most enjoy the writing. It is challenging and creative. The least I enjoy is trying to sell the thing.
What would you tell a new writer?
Keep after it and don’t give up. I was 70 years old when I started the first novel. I really had no intention of selling it, I think I just wanted to see if I could. Finding a publisher was the hardest.