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Q&A
How do I send Leo a book to sign?
Unfortunately, we’re not set up to do that right now.
Your books feature kids that live in a single-parent family. What are some of the issues that families in this situation face?
Looking at my childhood, I saw that stress, anxiety and depression seemed to be the most common. These can stem from poverty, feelings of hopelessness and shame on the part of both the children and the parent. For the children, there is a lack of guidance from the missing parent during key stages of the child’s development. Growing up, I certainly felt that missing for me. For the parent, there is lack of decision-making support along with the lack of support during the normal stresses of life.
How do you think parents and kids that grow up to be adults can stop the cycle of poverty?
By instilling the desire to better yourself every day and encouraging your kids to do the same. Never settle for what you know or can do today. The hunger to learn will take you far.
How did your own experience living in a single-parent family influence your writing?
I feel that it has given me purpose; that is, to be a source of encouragement to readers by reminding them that no matter what cards they have been dealt, they can make choices that lead to life.
How do your books deal with some of these issues?
The main characters in these stories have had bad cards dealt to them. Still, they have to push through the emotions they naturally feel in order to get to their goal, whatever that is. We get to share their journey with them.
What would you say to a reader who is dealing with poverty, homelessness, abuse, etc.?
Don’t give in to hopelessness. For me, a relationship with God through Christ was the saving grace I needed to find the strength to keep moving forward. God is not mad at you. He is mad for you. In the midst of the hardships, God is there and he wants you to know that he loves you. All you have to do is ask him in to your heart. He’s closer than a friend and he will lead you out of the darkness. He makes all things possible. You were never alone.
In what ways do you think that an absent father affects society as a whole?
We see it every day on the news. Violent crime, theft and mass shootings. I believe a lot of these stem from dads who are either not there or not involved enough in the lives of their kids. It takes a lot of work to be an involved parent. But dads, that’s what you signed up for. I can speak to dads because I am one. Your life is no longer your own. If you surrender to that, you’ll be repaid with the greatest joy you’ve ever known.
Some of your books are classified as Steampunk. What is Steampunk?
Steampunk is a genre of science fiction that is historically set in the 1890s and typically features steam-powered machinery such as steam-powered robots, rockets and more!
What are the challenges of writing science fiction stories that deal with these themes while also being a strong reading experience?
Even though these issues mean a lot to me, the best way to go about it is to focus on the story first and let the themes seep into the character development. Who I am deep down will always find its way to the surface.
Your stories appeal to what audience?
I like to refer to The Jupiter Chronicles as “Steampunk Star Wars at Hogwarts” while Haven of Dante can be characterized as a mix between Supernatural and Alias.
What do you hope readers will come away with after reading your books?
I hope that they will have fun reading them. With skyrockets and doomslayer robots shooting through the air, The Jupiter Chronicles is a blast to write. I love the bantering dialogue between sister and brothers, Callie, Ian and Nomi. I also enjoyed the research behind Haven of Dante given that she is a descendant of Dante Alighieri. I love action! So again, I hope they have a blast reading them.
More than anything, I want readers to come away from my books with intense hope. I also want them to be filled with an assurance that they can overcome anything that gets thrown their way!
And that they are loved.