Outtakes from a promotional photo shoot for Accidents Happen. Photography by Mark Khan.

Interview by Harris Hiller

HH: Describe your new release, Accidents Happen, in a couple of sentences.

AM: It’s a story about one man’s struggles after a car accident. But it’s not exactly what you think. This story has plane crashes and guns and the supernatural.

HH: What was the inspiration for the book?

AM: Accidents Happen was a happy accident. For the second half of 2009, I was actually working on another book.

What happened was that my friends and I were sitting around the kitchen table in our house last October, talking about writing and publishing. Someone issued a challenge: a fifty page story, a complete story with a beginning, middle and end. It would have supernatural elements, the aura of heroic epic, and the possibility of a sequel or sequels. The catch: finish it in three weeks.

I was like, “I can do that!”

HH: How long did it take?

AM: The first draft was finished in four weeks.

HH: What happened to the other book you were writing?

AM: Because of its length, I considered publishing Accidents Happen together with the other story. The stories were totally unrelated and it just wasn’t a successful merging. So I scrapped that plan.

HH: Will your readers be confused by going from What Do You Say to the DJ? – a “real life” book – to Accidents Happen?

AM: I like the fact that the story is grounded in the reality we know. Yes, there are supernatural things going on, but the main character lives in the same world that you and I do. So to answer your question, I don’t think so. The big difference is one story is a memoir and the other is entirely fictional.

Thematically, both stories touch on how hard it is to just live your life. Not that I feel like I need to justify my transition to fiction writing.

HH: Why the back up story? What is a back up story?

A back up story is basically a short story that relates to the primary story. In this case, the story introduces you to a few characters who will have major roles in the sequel.

Tabitha Worthington, who drew art for What Do You Say to the DJ?, sent me three sketches for new art. I used them as inspiration for the short story called Bare Bones. A girl, a boy and a chicken who will all have their own tales to tell eventually. The art was included in the book because it was gorgeous and I couldn’t keep it to myself.

HH: What are you working on now?

AM: The follow up to Accidents Happen. Every character you meet will be back for an appearance in the sequel. I’m also compiling Smart ReMarx articles for an annotated release. If you need a fix of my non-fiction writing, it’s slated for release this summer.

HH: Talk briefly about the publishing process.

AM: It’s intense. I write and edit the book from start to finish, work on all the promotional materials and put together a rough idea for the cover.

HH: You don’t design the cover yourself?

AM: No, I have it professionally done. It’s such an important element that it is worth it to let someone else do it and then I always have the option to tweak it here and there. But I do have ultimate approval over what it looks like.

HH: What is the cover image for Accidents Happen?

AM: It’s a good luck charm. Even though the title might suggest negativity, I wanted to counteract that notion with something suggesting the opposite vibe.

HH: On that note, good luck!

This holiday postcard was sent out to announce the presale for Accidents Happen. You can preorder the book here.

Accidents Happen is available for preorder on the Titles page.

Preorders will be accepted until February 19 and the book is scheduled to ship at the end of the month. Please remember that while we do not anticipate delays, there is always a chance that preorder fulfillment will take longer than expected due to production issues. (Yes, it happens!)

As a special offer, available during the preorder only, you can order up to three (3) books at one time for the same shipping cost. Additional shipping charges apply for 4 or more copies in one order.

As always, when you preorder, you are one of the first to read it. But more than that, buying directly from the author is one of the strongest statements you can make in support of his work. Many authors (this fellow included) continue to work full time at other jobs while writing in order to support themselves. Buying direct allows the author to keep more of the royalty than selling through a distributor. As a thank you, I will sign all copies purchased as a preorder.

You can also order Accidents Happen bundled with a copy of What Do You Say to the DJ? Expanded Edition.

Thank you!

Accidents Happen update!

In addition to two brand new fiction tales, Accidents Happen will also feature three new art pieces by Tabitha Worthington. Below are two teasers images. Publication details will be confirmed in the next few weeks and presale info will be posted on this very website.

At the conclusion of a three week, 50-page writing challenge, I am looking at the fiction story that resulted. It currently clocks in closer to 40 pages total and needs a little editing (but what draft doesn’t?)

In a month or so, I’ll have the release details so you will know how you can get your hands on it. Stay tuned!

About 25 pages into my 50-page writing challenge. The goal was to write a complete story from beginning to end in approximately three weeks, coming at or above 50 pages. There is one week and two days left so I may have to crank up the productivity to make the mark. So far it’s shaping up to be a good one. Already there’s a dead man, his funeral, a mysterious employer and a couple of crazy so-called superheroes.

Regardless of how the challenge turns out (come on, you know there is no way I’m not cranking out 50 pages!) I’ll find a way to share with you the final result. Stay tuned.

I challenged a friend of mine (in front of witnesses) to write a 50 page (or more) fully developed story in the next three weeks. It’s coming up on National Novel Writing Month (November) and I thought it was a nifty idea in the spirit of NaNoWriMo.

The prize for this challenge, if his book is completed and meets the criteria, is that I agreed to front the money to publish his completed work and go through the various publication steps to get his book out there, including the editing, design and distribution.

But why let him have all the glory? It’s a welcome creative challenge for me as well. I’m two days behind, but a more prolific writer than he is, so I should be able to catch up. Whatever I write, I’ll share the results with you in a month or so.

I participated in NaNoWriMo a few years ago, and I’m sorry to say that although I completed that assignment (50,000 words in 30 days) I have no idea what happened to that manuscript. I may have to dig it up and see what I had done.

Stay tuned. 2 weeks and 5 days and counting…

Tabitha Worthington is the artist that created the interior art for the first edition and expanded edition of What Do You Say to the DJ? These pieces are one-of-a-kind, signed by the artist. You can view the art below.

The release date for What Do You Say to the DJ? Expanded Edition is October 19. The new edition features an introduction by Heather O’Connor, a gorgeous new cover photo by Mark Khan and plenty of new, juicy story material for you to dig through. Pre-sale information will be posted in a couple of weeks.