Tell us a little about yourself and your backgrounds?

I’m an excertified nurses assistant who was unable to do the job he loved.  After struggling for years to find somewhere to put my energy, I started  writing. In all honesty, Breath of the Titans is probably the first writing I’ve  done outside of a classroom setting.
Sara is my lovely wife that translates what I put down into english. Otherwise you all would need to speak fluent Rilenese in order to understand me.

Which writers inspire you?

Riley:

● Robert Heinlein-I love his style.
● Frank Herbert-His books are deep and have hidden meanings.
● Anne McCaffery-A wonderfully vivid imagination, she wrote the first dragon
book I ever read.
● J.R.R. Tolkien-If you read Breath of the Titans, you’ll see it’s heavily
influenced by his ground breaking ideas.
● Robert Jordan-I believe this man was a master wordsmith, (And I feel
Brian Sanderson needs a mention here as well, as he finished the Wheel of
Time beautifully.) Another strong influence in Breath Of The Titans. My wife
introduced me to his writings.
● Stephen King-I can’t think of another author who has crossed as many
genres as successfully as he has.
● J.K. Rowling-Inspiration to me as I write from a poor man’s perspective,
that she rose from welfare to billionaire status. A wonderful woman.
● Raymond E. Feist-I love his style of writing.
● Robin Hobb– Assassin’s Quest helped me look at magic from a different
light.
● Janny Wurts-She helped shape the way I look at women in Fiction with
Daughter of the Empire series.

Sara:

My two most favorite authors, one is fantasy, the other is a research scientist.
Robert Jordan and Dr. Robert Ballard. I grew up on Tolkien, counting the
Silmarillion as a favorite book, but it is because of Jordan that I read for fun as much
as I do. Until then, I mostly read to gain knowledge in topics of choice. These notable
authors deserve to be mentioned as their works shaped my understanding on multiple
fronts and because time and again I return to enjoy and be inspired by their art.
William Shakespeare, Robert Frost, Alexandre Dumas, J.R.R. Tolkien, Anne
McCaffrey. I also enjoy readingBrian Sanderson.

Have you written any other novels in collaboration with other writers?

Just my wife, and the wonderful people at BigWorldNetwork.com that have been
helping me with my latest two works.

When did you decide to become a writer?

I don’t think I ever did, it decided to become me.

Do you write fulltimeor part time?

I write on whatever time. Anywhere from 80 hours a week to 5…it just depends on how creative I feel.

Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea
takes you?

My stories start with a beginning and an end, everything else between just sort of comes to me. I tried writing with a complete outline, and I thought it was just horrible. I felt constrained, and struggled to write with my normal flow.

Do you have a strategy for finding reviewers?

Yes, hit as many of them as I can in the first 3 months of release, then sit back and be patient.

What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?

My same views on Marijuana, Inhale the good shit, exhale the bad shit. I’ll admit a good review can make my head soar, and a bad review can bring the world crashing down. But one thing stays true, and that’s that I enjoyed writing and reading the book, and that’s all that matters.

How can readers discover more about you and you work?

Amazon
Smashwords
Big World Network (My awesomesauce small press publisher)
Twitter
Facebook

Pinterest
Linkedin
Goodreads – Support Indie Authors Group
Newsletter (to sign up forour newsletter!)

Oh, and of course my own blog https://Rileyamoswestbrook.wordpress.com

Any Comments for the Blog readers?

Feel free to stop by my blog and drop me a line! I love to make new friends, and I’m constantly on the lookout for the next thing to inspire me!

Any feedback for me or the blog?

Just keep doing what you’re doing! One day at a time, and take it all in stride. Good things will come from it.