What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Neon Eclipse?
I’ve always wanted to write a story about a crime family in the future, using the more colorful, entertaining elements of the gangsters of today, merging it with a world torn apart by war, plague, and capitalism, and have it be something of a coming-of-age.
Neon Eclipse is that story, interspersed with a bit of parody and homage to the cyberpunk stories in film and literature that made me fall in love with the genre. It is an exciting start to something new, and I hope readers enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Neon Eclipse, what would they be?
Jackson Cole, the title character, is the “kill by day, chill at the back of the bar at night,” type of assassin. He fights hard and loves even harder, so an appropriate theme song, I believe, would be the Ella Fitzgerald version of the song, Black Coffee.
What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
I love reading, watching, and playing all sorts of Science Fiction, but I primarily read historical fiction.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
A Fine Retribution by Dewey Lambdin, A Bond Undone by Jin Yong, and From Staircase to Stagy by Raekwon.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
There is a scene in the third or fourth chapter where Jackson runs into another assassin, and they have a chat about their last set of jobs. The way they compliment, gibe, and inform one another using the inner-city slang turned out very well, in my opinion.
Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?
From Hagakure by Yamamoto Tsunetomo. “The end is important in all things.” It reminds me to let things go, finish up, and move on. I love that quote and try to remember it when I obsess. Writers obsess; this helps me to stop doing that.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
Case City, California, the birthplace of Jackson Cole, is fictional, but it could be any of our cities if we don’t start being better to one another and the planet. I write dark, violent stories to show how the best of us persevere. I hope, if anything, what you leave with after reading this story is an appreciation of family, even when said family isn’t of your blood, gender, or race.
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