Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I live in Park City, Utah with my wife and two children. For the last sixteen years I have been practicing chiropractic, nutritionist and energy healing at my offices in Ogden and Salt Lake City. I got the writing bug back in 2005.
Other than writing, what else are you passionate about?
Believe it or not, I am a big hunter. I look forward to getting out in nature every fall. And I am very passionate about providing the best life that I can for my family.
What made you decide to become a writer?
Originally, I wanted to reach a larger audience spreading my knowledge and expertise on heath, wellness and healing. Writing books allows me to reach a larger audience than the amount of patients I saw on a daily basis.
What brought you to this genre?
My first two books were in the self help/personal growth arena. To be honest, I got bored writing self help. So I turned to fiction, primarily urban fantasy and paranormal. I have always been fascinated with the supernatural most notably vampires and werewolves.
Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?
I normally do not suffer from writer’s block, if anything I suffer from a lack of time. First and foremost I am a physician running a busy practice; second I am a husband and father. So writing comes last.
Where do you get your inspiration, e.g. music, dreams etc
I try to take personal experiences I have had through my life an try to put a supernatural twist on them. I also have a catalogue in my head of all the movies I have seen over the years that have a different twist or spin on things and then I try to incorporate an idea without repeating what has already been done.Can you tell us a bit about your book?
It is the first of five, possibly seven in a series, (the Crimson Chronicles). I have the outlines for five books. Blood Amalgam; Book 1 is basically an upper YA-paranormal/romance-urban fantasy-horror novel. I wanted to put together a world full of vampires, werewolves, witches, pixies, ghosts, shape-shifters and Native American skinwalkers that live among the human world.
Describe your novel in five words.
A very fun, entertaining read.
Who is your favourite character and why?
Probably Bus. Bus is based entirely on my grandfather.
Are your characters based on anyone you know in the real world?
All of my characters are based on real world people that I know, both friends and family.
If you book was turned into a movie, who would you choose to play your characters and why?
Wyatt- Zac Efron; I like his strength, innocence and vulnerability. Bus-Ned Beatty; he looks and acts like my grandfather. Arcadia- Colin Ferral; yes I know he was a vampire in the new Fright Night but I had him in mind from day one. Gretchen- Mila Kunis; I had to do my research on twenty something actresses. But she is perfect for the part.
What are your current / future projects? Right now I am half way through Book 2 which is titled, Blood Frenzy. I have plans for at least five books for the Crimson Chronicles and possibly seven. If I decide to go back to self help or health and wellness, I have an outline for a Paleo/Ketogenic based diet book with recipes. I also have an outline for working with Archtypes for obesity/weight issues.
Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
Yes, the more you write, the easier it flows. It took me three years to write my first book, a year and a half for my second and about eight months for Blood Amalgam.
How did you decide on your books Title?
I wanted to have something catchy to denote a series. Blood is a major theme in paranormal so I thought Crimson Chronicles would be fun. Each of the books have two word titles for simplicity: Blood Amalgam, Blood Frenzy, Blood Seer, Blood Pixie (Oh I can’t wait to write that one.) and Blood Fragments. The second word of each title denotes a specific theme or issue in each book. I don’t want to elaborate too much; you’ll have to read them.
Is there anything in your novel that would embarrass you if your Dad read it?
There is nothing that would cause me embarrassment. Now if I had gone the hard core paranormal romance route like J.R. Ward’s BDB or Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches, Exit to Eden or Sleeping Beauty then I would probably be embarrassed not only by my dad reading it, but also my mom and my patients.
What has writing made you learn about yourself? That I love to spend time in my head and that with writing I am better able to express myself than I could through drawing and painting. Painting is so two dimensional. Writing is multi-dimensional.
How do you react to a negative review of your book?
If you can’t handle rejection in the literary world, then you have no business being in the literary world.
What is the most embarrassing moment of your life?
I was ten years old getting ready to bat in a little league baseball game. The zipper on my fly broke and we were wearing those polyester baseball pants, so it was obvious my fly was wide open. I un-tucked my shirt to cover it up but it didn’t help. As I got up to bat, several people in the crowd yelled out to me letting me know that my fly was open.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Just keep writing. Write anything, get your thoughts down on paper, you can go back and clean it up later.
Where can readers find you and more about your book(s)?
Goodreads, Amazon and my website any day now. Where can they purchase your book(s)? Right now they are available on Kindle and Nook. Paperback should be available in a couple weeks on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Createspace and off my website-optimalhealthdynamics.com. They will also be available at my office in Ogden and in local bookstores along the Wasatch Front of Utah.
What is your guilty pleasure?
Caramel truffles from Whole Foods.
Who is you’re favourite fantasy character, either from a book or a movie and why?
In recent times I would have to say Dumbledore. He has seen it all and has probably forgotten more than he has remembered when it comes to knowledge, wisdom and talent. He commands respect in from light as well as the dark side. He is always two steps ahead of everyone else and always has a trick up his sleeve.
Erotica or passionate romance?
Passionate Romance.
If you could marry any character from any book, who would it be and why?
I better say Gretchen from my book; otherwise my wife will kill me.
If you had a special power, what would it be and why?
To be able to take on and use all the special powers from everyone else.
Review - Blood Amalgam
by Lindsay
5 Stars
Now yes my name is on this book, but that doesn't mean for one minute that this review is bias. The author knows I will only tell the truth be it bad or good. I have reviewed a lot of books and all are brutally honest.
I read this book while in its rough draft, and I loved it. I suggested some changes to help the story flow better, and am now looking forward to reading it again and seeing how the author has changed certain things, and how it reads this time around. The characters are instantly likeable, and I now have a girls name in mind for if I have a daughter in the future. Yes I will name my daughter after a character in this book, Gretchen.
The story is rather deep and you are given lots of information on the characters lives, both past and present. Sometimes I did have to take a step back and think 'whoa', then read a certain paragraph again so that I had the history of some of the characters stored in my brain.
This story is also like none I've ever read before, which made it a refreshing read. Beautiful settings, great characters, myths, legends and beautiful settings, Plus! kick ass females instead of needy, moaning ones, make for one hell of read. I can't wait for the second and hope Corey Sondrup doesn't keep us waiting too long.
