Ask the Author: DP
Answered Questions (9)
DP
I’m sorry to say that two years ago our family fell victim to an attempted extortion plan that escalated into harassment of all of our extended family and friends. We had to make the decision to remove our books from all outlets and close all of our social media accounts. We are deciding whether to rebrand and rerelease the books, but we have to decide what’s best for our family and friends.
DP
I don't really put together a reading list. In fact, I'm a terrible reader. Meaning I'm extremely slow. I'll start books and not finish them all the time, but if a storyline or a character captures me, I'll make the extra effort to finish it.
Right now I'm reading Loop, by Karen Akins. I received both of her books at an event a year ago, and never took the time to read them. (I told you I'm a terrible reader.) I finally started the first book, and it's really good.
After that, who knows? I'll most likely move to the next in the series. Then I'm not really sure. I'm so slow the list of things I should read is daunting. I fear the commitment.
I really wish I was one of those people that can read an entire book in one sitting, but I just can't. I'm up for suggestions.
Right now I'm reading Loop, by Karen Akins. I received both of her books at an event a year ago, and never took the time to read them. (I told you I'm a terrible reader.) I finally started the first book, and it's really good.
After that, who knows? I'll most likely move to the next in the series. Then I'm not really sure. I'm so slow the list of things I should read is daunting. I fear the commitment.
I really wish I was one of those people that can read an entire book in one sitting, but I just can't. I'm up for suggestions.
DP
It would definitely be more of a family drama. There's so many stories around my father, and what really happened to make him vanish from our lives. When he suddenly reappeared years later I'd been filled with so many stories I have no idea what happened during that part of my life. Now that I'm grown none of it makes any sense. I mean, he was gone for years, but now nothing really adds up. The timeline doesn't even make sense. Was it really that long? Did any of the things really happen like I was always told? A couple of years ago he went through some terrible health struggles and through a strange turn of event he came to live with me for several months. This man was not the man in the stories. He was kind, patient, and made friends easily. Where's the guy my brothers and sisters hate so much? Now I'm not sure the memories I have are even my own. It's like they've been implanted by a stranger.
DP
The basic answer is always to write. Naturally, if you want to be a writer you should write, but that's not everything. I was talking to a group of fourth graders when someone asked what they should do to become a writer. Good question for a fourth grader. My natural instinct was to tell her to write whatever she can, but that's not what I told her. I told her to read. Find out what she likes and read as much as she can.
Learning how to write comes from being able to learn how other people write what affects you. There are some amazing writers out there. Read their work. Find out what makes you laugh, what makes you cry, what makes you hate a character, and what makes you love one. How did they do that? If you find yourself affected by something you read, stop and read it again. How did they make you feel the way you felt? Study it! The greatest gift a writer can give is emotion. Enjoy it. Express it. Learn from it. Read!
Nobody starts out as a master of the craft. Writers learn from each other. Read what you love, then write something that affects you.
Learning how to write comes from being able to learn how other people write what affects you. There are some amazing writers out there. Read their work. Find out what makes you laugh, what makes you cry, what makes you hate a character, and what makes you love one. How did they do that? If you find yourself affected by something you read, stop and read it again. How did they make you feel the way you felt? Study it! The greatest gift a writer can give is emotion. Enjoy it. Express it. Learn from it. Read!
Nobody starts out as a master of the craft. Writers learn from each other. Read what you love, then write something that affects you.
DP
ORDINARIES, the second book in the Shifters series, is going out to beta readers and our editor now. Hopefully we will get feedback soon and begin working on the cover. Hopefully, it will be out in the next couple of months.
I have two book actively in the works now.
The first is a paranormal story tentatively called SCREAMER. It is based on a character named Zachary who is a demon that has been given the chance to become a Talker (a demon that has taken a human body) to complete a mission commissioned by Lucifer himself to distract a girl from her faith. Having watched from the beginning of creation, the demon has never experienced the true range of what it means to be human.
The second is another collaboration with my daughter, Angelia Pershing, called SLIDE. It is based on the scientific string theory of alternate realities combined with a dream state.
Scarlet is a sixteen-year-old on a world that has been destroyed by the discovery of her kind. She is a Slider like her father, with the ability to slide through openings, like windows to other worlds, in her dreams and bring back items from the other worlds.
Isaac is a seventeen-year-old that is living in a near perfect world. Except his father has been killed and his mother has been taking him from town-to-town whenever he talks to anyone about his dreams. After telling his sixth grade teacher why he was so tired his mom started homeschooling him, isolating him even more. Now that he's older his mom decides he can be a normal kid again and lets him start his junior year in a real school.
When Scarlet and Isaac's wolds come together Scarlet tries to avoid Isaac fearing his perfect world could disintegrate as fast as hers once their gift is discovered. As her thoughts drift to his world she finds herself drawn there.
I have two book actively in the works now.
The first is a paranormal story tentatively called SCREAMER. It is based on a character named Zachary who is a demon that has been given the chance to become a Talker (a demon that has taken a human body) to complete a mission commissioned by Lucifer himself to distract a girl from her faith. Having watched from the beginning of creation, the demon has never experienced the true range of what it means to be human.
The second is another collaboration with my daughter, Angelia Pershing, called SLIDE. It is based on the scientific string theory of alternate realities combined with a dream state.
Scarlet is a sixteen-year-old on a world that has been destroyed by the discovery of her kind. She is a Slider like her father, with the ability to slide through openings, like windows to other worlds, in her dreams and bring back items from the other worlds.
Isaac is a seventeen-year-old that is living in a near perfect world. Except his father has been killed and his mother has been taking him from town-to-town whenever he talks to anyone about his dreams. After telling his sixth grade teacher why he was so tired his mom started homeschooling him, isolating him even more. Now that he's older his mom decides he can be a normal kid again and lets him start his junior year in a real school.
When Scarlet and Isaac's wolds come together Scarlet tries to avoid Isaac fearing his perfect world could disintegrate as fast as hers once their gift is discovered. As her thoughts drift to his world she finds herself drawn there.
DP
The best thing about being a writer is also the worst and scariest thing. Sharing a story. It can be a tremendous accomplishment to actually finish a whole book. The first book I released is just over 100,000 words. Seriously, that's a lot of work.
Sharing something that you've poured your heart into is exciting. You get to hear from people that enjoy your work and share a passion for the characters you created. It's hard to explain the joy that comes from people you don't know telling you how much your story has affected them. Hearing from others helps to inspire me to keep writing.
Then the bad part. People you have never met that want to tell you how bad or stupid the story is that you poured your heart into. I appreciate a constructive criticism, like this part may have worked better if you did this, or you really need explain this part better, or please don't explain so much, but many times statements can be down-right mean. Seriously, I have had some bad reviews that were so well written that I have come to appreciate that person's opinion. It has actually made me a better writer.
I love to write and share. It gives me a way to express myself in a way nothing else has. I love going back and reading something later and thinking, "I actually wrote that?" Sometimes I surprise myself, in a good way.
Sharing something that you've poured your heart into is exciting. You get to hear from people that enjoy your work and share a passion for the characters you created. It's hard to explain the joy that comes from people you don't know telling you how much your story has affected them. Hearing from others helps to inspire me to keep writing.
Then the bad part. People you have never met that want to tell you how bad or stupid the story is that you poured your heart into. I appreciate a constructive criticism, like this part may have worked better if you did this, or you really need explain this part better, or please don't explain so much, but many times statements can be down-right mean. Seriously, I have had some bad reviews that were so well written that I have come to appreciate that person's opinion. It has actually made me a better writer.
I love to write and share. It gives me a way to express myself in a way nothing else has. I love going back and reading something later and thinking, "I actually wrote that?" Sometimes I surprise myself, in a good way.
DP
SHIFTERS came from the two main character's names. I met a girl name Ryland who had a brother named Tanner. They were little, so they have nothing to do with the characters in the story, but the names stuck with me. They sounded like characters in a book, the only problem was I didn't know their story. After several months of the characters bouncing around in my head, I had nothing.
One Saturday morning I was laying in bed and it hit me. The story of the past that brought them here—to Earth—flooded my mind. I thought about it for a week until my daughter, Angelia, came for a visit. I told her about the characters and the story and she thought it was good. I couldn't believe she liked it. After all, she is the writer in the family.
I told her about fourteen-year-old Tanner and his popular and beautiful twelve-year-old sister, Ryland, and the mysterious boy who has been following her. Angelia told me his name was Kai—that was all hers. Then I told her about Peanut, their little sister.
I wrote out the history of Gaia—their home world—as a place to start (not in the book), and Tanner's first chapter. She immediately—I mean, like within ten minutes—texted me the second half of the chapter, and the first chapter was done. From there the book and main characters were born. Tanner would begin each chapter followed by Ryland taking over the story.
The second book, ORDINARIES, is just being released to beta readers now. The next installment takes place right where SHIFTERS leaves off. Tanner and Ryland must gather support and travel to distant worlds (called colonies in the books) to finish what was started.
One Saturday morning I was laying in bed and it hit me. The story of the past that brought them here—to Earth—flooded my mind. I thought about it for a week until my daughter, Angelia, came for a visit. I told her about the characters and the story and she thought it was good. I couldn't believe she liked it. After all, she is the writer in the family.
I told her about fourteen-year-old Tanner and his popular and beautiful twelve-year-old sister, Ryland, and the mysterious boy who has been following her. Angelia told me his name was Kai—that was all hers. Then I told her about Peanut, their little sister.
I wrote out the history of Gaia—their home world—as a place to start (not in the book), and Tanner's first chapter. She immediately—I mean, like within ten minutes—texted me the second half of the chapter, and the first chapter was done. From there the book and main characters were born. Tanner would begin each chapter followed by Ryland taking over the story.
The second book, ORDINARIES, is just being released to beta readers now. The next installment takes place right where SHIFTERS leaves off. Tanner and Ryland must gather support and travel to distant worlds (called colonies in the books) to finish what was started.
DP
Sometimes my wife will tell me, "You should go write something." I know. Sounds legitimate, right? If you're a writer, you should be able to go write whenever you have time. Well, that's not the way this thing works. At least for me.
Writer's block comes in many forms, like being too tired, too hot, too cold, or distractions in the house—like the vacuum that just has to be ran right now or the entire universe will collapse. It can even come from having the time to write. Just having the time creates an expectation, and that can lead me to stare at the last paragraph trying to come up with what happens next, even when I know where the story is going. Talk about frustrating.
Dealing with it is another story. There are times I can just push through the scene and everything starts flowing again. What a relief. Other times I have to get up and do something else, like watch TV or play guitar. Just dive into something else for a while. I love TV and movies. Losing myself in a story line for a while helps to clear my head.
Writer's block comes in many forms, like being too tired, too hot, too cold, or distractions in the house—like the vacuum that just has to be ran right now or the entire universe will collapse. It can even come from having the time to write. Just having the time creates an expectation, and that can lead me to stare at the last paragraph trying to come up with what happens next, even when I know where the story is going. Talk about frustrating.
Dealing with it is another story. There are times I can just push through the scene and everything starts flowing again. What a relief. Other times I have to get up and do something else, like watch TV or play guitar. Just dive into something else for a while. I love TV and movies. Losing myself in a story line for a while helps to clear my head.
DP
Inspiration comes from unexpected things. Sometimes it's a dream, others it could be a name you hear. The first book I released came from the two main character's names. I met a girl named Ryland who had a brother named Tanner. Something about those names made me think they were different somehow. It took several months before their story came. When it did, it hit like a tidal wave. The whole story came at once.
Another story, that is not finished yet, came from a picture I saw at a bookstore. For some reason the guy in the picture started telling me his story.
Another one in the works is a story, tentatively named SLIDE. I stumbled into the bathroom one morning and looked in the mirror and thought, "What if my dreams are real? Not just real, but actual places that I was able to visit?"
Like I said, inspiration can come from anything, anywhere, anytime. It's not something you can plan for.
Another story, that is not finished yet, came from a picture I saw at a bookstore. For some reason the guy in the picture started telling me his story.
Another one in the works is a story, tentatively named SLIDE. I stumbled into the bathroom one morning and looked in the mirror and thought, "What if my dreams are real? Not just real, but actual places that I was able to visit?"
Like I said, inspiration can come from anything, anywhere, anytime. It's not something you can plan for.
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