Today on Behind the Words, RE welcomes G.L. Skye. I had the privilege of meeting him at a conference last year, and he writes amazing books.
Welcome tell us a bit about yourself. Where you’re from, where you live? Do you have one of those day-jobs?
First, I would like to thank Jocie for allowing me to be interviewed. I am a retired Army Warrant Officer. I am a husband, father, grandfather and what I consider to be an average person. I was born in Frankfort, Indiana, although my heart belongs to Kentucky. I currently live in Front Royal, Va where I do work one of those-“day-jobs”. I am a Geospatial Information System Professional, which is the job I did when I was in the Army.
How long have you been writing?
I wrote my first two books in 2012, but I didn’t try to publish until 2014.
Briefly describe your writing day.
My “writing day’ is currently restricted to week-ends. My days usually start between 4:30 am-5:30 am depending on the day. My first order of business is to commute to the coffee pot down stairs and begin the “nectar of the gods” brew. After I have my coffee, I go back to my desk and arrange my reference and writing materials. Then I slip off to “another world” and begin to write. All of my stories are hand-written first.
Tell us about your latest release?
Texas Border Trouble is a story about terrorists attacking America, who is controlling the terrorists is uncertain. Craig is forced to face the agonizing terrors he wanted to leave behind. Love grows as Craig works to eliminate the threat to those he holds dear.
The book discusses the challenges of dealing with PTSD and personal suffering, while still doing what must be done to protect those that are dear to you.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
Some of my characters are “fictitious”, but some do have traits I have “borrowed from real world people”. I like to keep my characters “realistic” and believable.
Where did you get the idea from?
That is a good question, honestly, I don’t know. You could say the stories just “came to me”, as strange as it may seem. I reached a point where I couldn’t hardly read any more without “downloading” some of the “stuff” in my head. As a result I started writing. When I began writing, I had no idea I would publish my stories (my first book was in five spiral bound notebooks 100 pages each, front and back). I had no outline, I just began to write. When I needed some information about a location, or group, or whatever I would look the information up on the internet, but mostly the story came from “watching” the characters in my mind and writing what I saw. Strange-I know. J
Would you share one detail from your current release with readers that they might not find in the book?
Craig, the main character in Texas Border Trouble, is about to suffer a tragedy. That tragedy will set him on a “hunt” that will not end well for someone in the book. J
Who has been the most difficult character for you to write? (Any of your books)
There is are a couple of antagonists in my new book that I haven’t quite worked out still. I would give the names, but I’m not sure they will stay the same in the final work. One is “King Vernon” the other is “Cigam Kard”. Cigam Kard is “dark magic” backwards. Currently there are a few of these in my new book which is a “high epic fantasy”, at least according to the definitions I found on Wikipedia.
If you could be one of your characters for a day which character would it be? Why?
I guess it would have to be Russ Turner in my book Return to Life. Russ lives on a ranch in Montana. As a born and bred country boy, I love the outdoors. Unfortunately, my “day job” keeps me indoors much of the time. The “world” that Russ is trying to help rebuild, is a world I would love to live in. A world will people are honest and who are who and what they say they are. Life is simple and straightforward.
What are you working on now?
My current book is called “The World-Reset”. In it, the electro-magnetic poles have flipped and the world has reverted back to a “medieval-like” time. The world is back to a Pangea configuration.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
I love to read, but my current schedule does hamper that somewhat. My favorite author has always been Louis L’amour. I have all of his books. My next favorite author is William W Johnstone. The characters they created and I have a lot in common. I’ve always wanted to be back in a time of the “Mountain Men” or the earliest days of America, back even before there was phrase “mountain man”. Some of the traits his main characters are the same as the traits in myself. Their characters could have come from me.
If you could have dinner with any writer living or dead, who would it be and why?
A tough choice. My choice would be either Louis L’amour or William H Johnstone. I would enjoy talking to them about their characters and the “world” they saw. They both traveled to several places and saw a world from a point of view that most of us have not.
Do you have a secret talent readers would be surprised by?
Not really, unless it is the ability to see the “book” unfold in my mind’s eye. Of course, some would might say I’m just a bit “touched”.
Your favorite go to drink or food when the world goes crazy!
I would have to say tea. I enjoy many teas, I would guess my “favorite” would be green tea with jasmine, to help me “decompress”.
What is the one question you never get ask at interviews, but wish you did? Ask and answer it.
I would love to say that I have had a lot of interviews, but I am still a “noob” in this arena. A question I would like to be asked would be, “What is the single most important “skill” would you say everyone should have”? My answer would – to read. Reading can open any door and allows one to travel to far of planets or across the street. It opens the mind to ideas that may otherwise never be experienced. When I was younger I had a hard time reading. In the second grade, I was turned on to “SRA Reading program”. In my opinion, that was my saving. The SRA program got me hooked on reading and I have never slowed down. While my choice of books has changed somewhat from my early years, my love for reading has not.
Thank you so much for joining RE today. G.L. is always a great guest and you can learn more about G.L. and his books online at:
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