Author Bio:
R.L. Kiser started writing science fiction when he was 14 but didn’t publish until decades later. He has four fantasy and two western/detective novels as well as a scifi adventure, which received a five star review and made the first cut of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award in 2013.
Born in Idaho, raised in Arizona, grew up in Los Angeles, he’s a Vietnam Veteran, been a musician, a Hollywood taxi driver, a computer programmer, a single parent, ran his own Internet marketing business, and is an avid (novice) bicyclist. He does his own bicycle maintenance and repair. He holds an associate’s degree in computer science. He currently resides in Sparks, Nevada with three computers, for bicycles, and an 12 year old Mercedes SUV (no, that does not stand for Small Ugly Vehicle). He’s currently hiding from the ATF, CIA, DEA, DMV, DOD, DOT, ICE, IRS, HLS, HUD, ONI, and FBI, but the NSA knows where he is.
What inspires you to write?
I’ve had the ability and desire to write since age 14 when I started writing science fiction, and I’m good at it. Like the majority of kids I was good in some things and not others. I excelled in English and composition, was miserable in math. And yet I became a musician and later a computer programmer. Go figure. Years later I had the time and opportunity to write. It wasn’t until a decade after that I was able to publish.
Tell us about your writing process.
I have no conventional process. The ideas flow, I write. The ideas stop, I stop until I get more. Not exactly an efficient process, but it works. When the muse strikes, I obey. I might write for hours on end, then not again for months. I sometimes have to force myself to sit in front of the screen and just write something, get the mental process started. Sometimes it’s just not there and I can’t force it. Other times it starts the flow. It can take a long time to complete a novel this way.
I do make notes when I’m writing and an idea pops into my head about a section I’ve written, or where the story is going, or sometimes an entirely different story idea develops. Most of my current works were written (printed, my cursive is illegible) on paper, felt tipped pen, pencil, or pen, and had to be put into a word processor at a later date. A time consuming process to say the least.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
I tend to live vicariously through my characters. I like momentarily becoming one character or another. It’s fun being the bad guy without consequences once in a while. Or the hero when he gets the girl.
Who are your favorite authors?
It’s a rather eclectic list. R.A. Salvatore (Drizzt Do’Urden), David Eddings (The Belgariad), Terry Goodkind (Sword of Truth Series), Nelson DeMille (Cathedral, The Lion’s Game – grandson of Hollywood icon Cecil B. DeMille), Lee Child (Jack Reacher), Dale Brown (Flight of the Old Dog), Bart Davis (Full Fathom Five), and Tuesday Lobsang Rampa (The Third Eye – a Tibetan monk).
How did you decide how to publish your books?
I tried every conventional avenue but couldn’t get an agent interested in my works. Going directly to a brick n’ mortar publisher without an agent is futile. Thanks to Amazon, Smashwords and Createspace self-publishing is a doable option. There is plenty of information online about proper formatting and how to…
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Print On Demand (POD) for paperbacks is the least expensive way to go, but isn’t as successful as traditional publishing. People like to cruise book stores and have something in their hands.
eBooks are less expensive (eg. $2.99 vs $9.99), instant delivery, instant gratification. E-readers, the software, and ePub standards are constantly changing for the better. This is a major part of the future of publishing.
What genres do you write?
I write Sword & Sorcery Magical Fantasy, SciFi Adventure, Western Detective/Lawman novels and coming soon, St. Intrepid, the kind of guy you don’t want to mess with.
What formats are your books in?
Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
R.L. Kiser Home Page Link
Link To R.L. Kiser Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on other site
