FAQ

Below are some common questions that come up in interviews, during in person events, or in emails/private messages.

What got you into writing?

I first got into writing when I was quite young. Probably 8 years old I started writing short stories in a fantasy world. From there, I continued to write until I wrote the first draft of Mental Damnation in high school. It wasn’t until I graduated college that I began to take writing seriously as a career option.

What was the first thing you wrote?

The first thing I ever wrote was a backstory for a board game I made up as a kid. It wasn’t very good but was the springboard I needed to really get into storytelling. Eventually I stopped working on the board game entirely and started writing more short stories and ‘novels’ that will never see the light of day.

The first official book I released was Reality, followed by Dream, then Purity. Then, the rest is history.

Is writing your full time job?

Not yet. That is every writer’s dream and I am no different. However, I am grateful at the fact that I also have a passion for graphic design and web development. I am a contractor, running my own business in Edmonton when I am not writing. My portfolio is at revealdesign.ca.

Why dark fiction?

I suppose my interest into the dark and twisted fiction dates way back to when I was a kid. Authors like Clive Barker, Scott Sigler, and Brian Jacques (the fantasy side) were big inspirations to me. I also played a lot of RPG games under the dark fantasy umbrella such as Diablo, Nox, Neverwinter Nights. My interest in movies have always gravitated to the disturbed too, such as The Thing, or Fight Club.

Ultimately I like to write about what I would read as a fan, so the stories I craft are from a uncomfortable place. Plus, I enjoy putting readers out of their comfort zone.

Who does your artwork?

I do all of my own artwork. Thankfully I have an interest in graphic design and visual arts. Since designing is part of my regular work, I get to practice the skill daily which helps when it comes to branding and marketing.

Promo is a difficult part of an author’s life, since it is a specialized – and sometimes expensive – skill to hire for. As of yet, I haven’t had to outsource this.

Some of the artwork I haven’t done, mostly seen in the works I haven’t published myself.

What is transmedia storytelling, and why do you like it?

Transmedia Storytelling is the art of telling a enhanced story through various mediums opposed to just one. A big example would be series like Star Wars or the Walking Dead, where they utilize film, comics, games, etc. to create an immersive world for their fans.

I have a fascination for this. Thus, the worlds I create have visual components, and audio components, to accompany the books. This is seen in all of the releases.