Questions and Answers
What inspired you to write The Evan Ross and Owen Spence Series?
I've been a fan of nautical fiction and books involving the age of sail for many years. The period from the beginning of the American Revolutionary War of 1776 through to Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo in 1815 is fascinating. The Caribbean was the setting for much of the action during this tumultuous period of history and it has plenty of material for a historical fiction author to work with.
Why the British Royal Navy, the Caribbean, and spies?
I've been devouring the works of many authors writing about the British Royal Navy in this era for years. Authors like Julian Stockwin, Dewey Lambdin, Douglas Reeman, CS Forester, and Dudley Pope have done a far better job than I ever could of writing about life aboard Royal Navy ships in this era. I wanted to write about elements not covered by others, which is how having a Navy officer in a land-based role as a spy came to mind. The activity of spying is as old as human history and the Navy was no stranger to it. Add the opportunity to write a story about heroes in action in an exotic setting with the diverse history and beauty of the Caribbean and you have everything a historical fiction author could need.
How important is it to be accurate?
I've made every effort to ensure the historical framework supporting the stories and the facts woven throughout are as accurate as possible. I stay close to the actual timeframes associated with historical events.
What is your goal for the story you weave into the historical framework?
The goal is to create a story with more than just interesting characters in action. I want to immerse the reader in the lives and loves of my characters. I like character driven novels in series, because over time the characters grow and take charge of the story as they face new challenges. This is why the element of slavery is a seam running constantly through the series. Just as it would be impossible to write a story involving this era without touching on the role of the Royal Navy, the same applies to the impact the scourge of slavery had on people's lives. The overwhelming greed that brought it about and the dominance of sugar in the world economy at the time shaped the world for decades to come.
What writers/books have influenced you?
Every one I've ever read. In Stephen King's book On Writing he asserts that an essential requirement of any author is to read voraciously and widely, which is a premise I completely agree with. Having said that, the authors I mentioned above have certainly influenced me in my work on the series. There are many, many others I could add, like Hemingway in particular, that have influenced me from the wider perspective.
When did you start writing?
I gave my grade six school newspaper permission to publish a story they heard I had wrote. It was called The Swing and, if memory serves, it was a somewhat melancholy story of a boy haunted by the death of a friend on a swing set.
What inspired you to write The Christmas Cafe?
An old friend made a reference to a conversation we had close to forty years ago and linked it to a more recent experience. That sparked an idea that turned into this work and I continue to be amazed by how that happens. For more on this read the author notes at the end of the book.
What inspired you to write the Stick Bug Stories?
My wife taught grade two elementary school children. For a few years she had stick bugs in her classroom and they needed care over the summer at home, which became my job. I was putting fresh leaves in their cage and listening to the radio when a news item about people abandoning their pets came on the air. Wondering how anyone could do that, the question of what would happen to a family of pet stick bugs abandoned in the forest appeared in my head and simply wouldn't go away.
What was your goal in writing the Stick Bug Stories?
I grew up watching all those wonderful Disney animated movies. My favourite was Bambi. Bambi captivated me as a child because I love animals, because the central character was someone young, and in particular because it is a story of the underdog, someone succeeding against the odds. From the moment I sat down and started typing my goal was to create a story worthy of being an animated movie like Bambi. My dream is to some day to be sitting in a movie theatre watching Stick Bugs! on the big screen.
Are the Stick Bug Stories just for kids?
No. I wrote this to appeal to those little kids still present in all those adult hearts out there. Stick Bugs! is actually a metaphor. Abandoned animals are really abandoned people and a place called Junk Town is really the rough part of town that exists in every city in the world. I like stories of characters not expected to succeed finding inner strength to do just that, despite having big challenges to overcome.
What was your goal in writing The Space Farmer?
Ideas seem to come from a vast melting pot of influences. This one was no different. See author notes at the end of the book for more on that. I wrote this over the course of 2021/2022 and given how many challenges the world has faced the last few years, I think it was time to write something completely silly. I was hoping to make a few people smile or laugh. Either that or it may be time to have my head examined!
