INTERVIEW WITH DAVID ESTES,
AUTHOR OF "ANGEL EVOLUTION"

Thank you for allowing us to interview you David. For some reason the fact that you met your wife in Australia seems romantic to me. Would you like to tell us more about how you met?

You’re very welcome, it’s my pleasure. A couple years ago I would have thought it sounded like a very romantic concept, too, and then suddenly it was happening to me! When Adele and I met, we had both been through a long relationship with pretty bad breakups. I’m not sure either of us thought we would ever find true love—maybe had even given up on it. Of course, that’s when it happened. Adele, who’s Australian, was working at the same place as me, which is not particularly romantic, but the next part is pretty good. Her smile caught my attention at work. It was the cutest smile I had ever seen and I found myself drawn to her. I didn’t know her name so I looked her up and found out. From that point on, I went out of my way to pass by her desk.

Anyway, we both went to a party hosted by mutual friends. We talked for hours, not noticing when many of the other guests had left. My arm found its way around her and it stayed there most of the night. I just felt so close to her so fast, like I had never felt about anyone before. There was no mistaking we were soul mates, and both of us knew it. Three months later we were travelling together to Pittsburgh so she could meet my parents just days before I proposed. Five months after that we got married in Malaysia under a beautiful sun on a float out in the water. Without question, it was perfect.

A little over a year later, we are more in love than ever. I don’t think our honeymoon stage is a stage at all. We plan for it to last forever. Sounds sappy, but it is really true.

What was your inspiration for the "Angel Evolution" trilogy and how long has the process of writing these novels taken you?

I was inspired to write Angel Evolution by my wife, Adele. Before I met her, I never believed I would have an idea good enough to write about. She convinced me to pursue my first idea and just go with it and see where it would take me. The Evolution Trilogy was born! When I first started writing Angel Evolution, I had no clue that it might turn into a one thousand page trilogy. The more I wrote, the more the story took on a life of its own and some of the characters changed in ways I never expected.

I’ve officially caught the writing bug and have written eight books in fifteen months.

If there was one out of the three you have written that you'd say was your favorite to write, which one would it be and why?

Definitely the third book, Archangel Evolution, for a couple of reasons. First, each new book I write becomes my favorite because I am becoming a better writer each and every day. That makes it more fun as I have the opportunity to try different techniques and tell the story in a whole new way. The more confident you get, the easier it is to advance your story while developing characters and building suspense.

Second, there is a character in Archangel Evolution that I absolutely want readers to have the chance to experience. I’ve heard from a couple of people that he is their favorite character in the whole trilogy. A hint: he’s not one of the good guys.

I ask that readers forgive me for the faults of Angel Evolution (after all, it was the first book I ever wrote) and read on to the other two books in the trilogy. I’ve received a lot of feedback that the trilogy gets better as it goes on, which I am particularly proud of.


Not many men seem to write in the Young Adult genre, what was it about this genre that drew you in?

Ahh, so many things. I guess first and foremost it’s the chance to write for a young audience. I loved loved loved reading growing up, as both a child and teenager, so it is so exciting to help young adults use their imaginations while developing a love for reading. I am also so excited about what is happening within the YA genre. The interest in it has expanded across generations and so many not-so-young adults are reading YA books these days that there are really no age restrictions anymore (I know I regularly explore the YA section in the library!)

Although I am in the gender minority for authors in the genre, I feel right at home in the space. I am a bit of a romantic, and I prefer writing about younger characters, so it’s a perfect fit for me!

Finally, I’ve never really grown up myself, always enjoying reading books across all genres and age groups, so it was just natural that I should write in such a versatile genre.

You have a few other projects you are working on right now, when can we expect your next one out?

The last 15 months have been a whirlwind for me! In addition to writing and publishing the Evolution Trilogy, I’ve written five other books during this time. Four of them are part of a children’s series which is currently being reviewed by a large children’s book publisher. The other one is a crossover middle-grade to YA novel about a teenager with a strange disability. It’s a fun, suspenseful, and heartwarming novel with larger than life characters that will make you laugh while gripping the edge of your seat. I am currently seeking a literary agent for this novel.

So I haven’t really answered your question, but a lot depends on how quickly I can find a publisher for my backlist of books. In the meantime, I am working on my next YA trilogy, a post-apocalyptic thriller written from the points-of-view of both the main female and male characters, in alternating chapters. I’m nearly halfway through the first book and hope to release the full trilogy by the end of June 2012.

Tell us a bit about your life, your childhood and what a typical day in the life of David is like.

I was born in El Paso, Texas, but my family moved to Pittsburgh when I was very young. I grew up in the Steel town and am a fierce Penguins and Steelers fan. A loss by one of them is like a dagger through my heart (although being halfway around the world slightly eases the pain nowadays. I went to college at Penn State and studied accounting and then got a job at one of the big accounting firms. Accounting never really excited me but it was a “safe” job. In the back of my mind, I always had this crazy notion that someday I would write books for a living, but I always found some excuse not to write. I moved to Sydney two and a half years ago for work and met my wife, who helped convince me to start writing. Now she can’t get me to stop!

As I still have a full time job at the moment, my typical day is to write for a half hour on the ferry to work, write an hour on my lunch break at my favorite café, GGs, and then write for another half hour on the ferry back home. In the evening, while spending time with my wife watching movies or our favorite TV shows (the Mentalist and Merlin are high on the list), I’ll answer fan e-mails, correspond with book bloggers, and try to gain exposure for the Evolution Trilogy. On the weekend I spend loads of time with Adele—playing tennis, going swimming, reading on the beach, watching movies, or just hanging out—but still manage to fit in a few hours of writing and author e-mails. All in all, I am as busy as I have ever been in my life, but find it so rewarding! Ideally, at some point I’ll be able to become a full time writer as it is my true passion in life.

Who are some of your literary inspirations?

Oh, there are so many authors that I cannot possibly list them here. But at the very top of the list are authors like Dean Koontz and J.R.R Tolkien. Tolkien was my favorite author as a child, while Koontz became a favorite of mine later in life. Each of them have an uncanny ability to weave words into a book, like threads into a tapestry. I have also been inspired recently by Suzanne Collins and Amanda Hocking, who have both seemingly come out of nowhere to gain immense popularity. They are both great storytellers, which is what I hope to be. I would love to become the male version of Amanda Hocking!

Have you thought about writing in other genres in the future?

Absolutely. I love all kinds of books, for all audiences. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve already written 4 books in a children’s series and I could see myself as both a YA and children’s author. I would also like to write a few adult books before I’m done!


So exactly how many characters are roaming around in your head on a daily basis?

I tend to focus on one project at a time, so only a handful of characters from whatever book I’m working on are usually speaking to me. Generally one character will be the strongest and I’ll hear their voice constantly, so much that I have to write down full sentences or even paragraphs in my iPhone so I don’t lose all their thoughts. When I am deep in the throes of creativity, it’s not me writing, but the characters themselves. That is when I get the most excited.

Do you have any advice for other authors, and please give us your links so we can find out more about you and keep up with what you're up to next!

My advice is that if you love writing then just do it. Don’t worry about what people will think of it or whether anyone but your spouse, mom, or dog will like it. Do it because you love words. Even if you entertain only one person with your story, it will be well worth it—that I can promise you!

While I don’t particularly enjoy promoting my books, I really enjoy connecting with my readers. I do it via my blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, LibraryThing, and Book Blogs. See below for links to where you can find me at all of those places. If you send me a message, I will respond. (I take this promise more seriously than any other!)

Like me on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/pages/David-Estes/130852990343920
Follow my Blog:http://davidestesbooks.blogspot.com/
Follow me on Twitter:https://twitter.com/#!/davidestesbooks
Follow me on Goodreads:http://www.goodreads.com/davidestesbooks
LibraryThing:http://www.librarything.com/author/estesdavid
Friend me on Book Blogs:http://bookblogs.ning.com/profile/DavidEstes

BE SURE TO ENTER THE CONTEST ON THE SITE:http://www.greatmindsliterarycommunity.comFOR A CHANCE TO WIN ONE OF 200 E-COPIES OF "ANGEL EVOLUTION"

Oh yeah, and my books are available on Amazon.com in print and anywhere e-books are sold (Kindle, iBooks, Nookbooks, Smashwords.com, etc.)!
Happy reading!

Read more:http://www.greatmindsthinkaloud.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=interviews&thread=1091&page=1#ixzz1m1B7ImO2



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