I had the distinct pleasure if getting into the mind of Author Drew Avera. If you haven’t had a chance, please stop by his page and check him out. Many of his books are free (there’s a link to follow at the end). Thank you, Drew. I appreciate you spending some time with me this week!

Tell us a little bit about you and what you’re working on right now. 

My name is Drew Avera and I’m an active duty navy veteran and self published author. I write science fiction and urban fantasy.

Do you have a writing style? Or do you think it changes with each new book you write?

I prefer to write in first person and try to keep things in suspense as much as I can. My chapters tend to be fairly short and move fairly quickly. I joke that I write action packed thrillers for the attention deficit lol.

What’s your favorite “writing soundtrack”?

My go to album is Sci Fi Crimes by Chevelle, but I mostly listen to the following bands while I write: Breaking Benjamin, Alter Bridge, Chevelle, Pillar, Red, and there’s a few more that I’m forgetting.

Who is the first person you look for feedback from whenever you finish a book?

It varies based on genre. I have a narrator I work with who is doing most of my books so h consistently reads my books. His name is Al Kessel so look him up if you’re in the market for a narrator. I have a few friends who like different series I write who might read them if they have time. Most of them are writers too working on their own books. I try not to take advantage of them because then they might get behind on their own work. I’m always looking for beta readers who are excited to read books before they are available and want to help make the book better.

If you couldn’t write anymore, what would be your next “go to”?

I’ve been playing guitar for seventeen years and I’ve been in a few bands. I would probably go back to that. Though, playing for free in a stinky bar for a bunch of drunks isn’t as glamorous as it sounds. I miss playing the good venues in my area, but most of them have closed or gone under new management.

Let’s get into some deeper stuff and really get to know one another. What are two things that you hope to accomplish before your time is up on this earth? Have you already accomplished those things?

I want to write several hundred books/stories that people can connect with and I want to set my children up for success. My childhood was rough and I want to preserve them from the same hardship I faced. I joined the navy as a way to escape and it would break my heart if my kids did something similar.

If you could go back in time to do one thing over, what would it be and why?

I would start writing earlier. I was thirty years old when I started. Imagine if I started at twenty instead…

Are you a night person or day person? Do you think this affects your creative flow?

I’m a day person primarily because of my job in the navy. I go to bed at 10pm and wake up at 4am. I would prefer to have a schedule that allows me to stay up later, but a guy needs his beauty sleep lol.

What’s the best compliment a fan has ever given you?  Now tell us the worst thing a “fan” or someone who has read your book has ever said, and then tell us how you overcame it?

Most of the good reviews are where people understand what the story was about. There’s always an underlying story to any book and when people get it, it’s pretty radical to me.

I’ve had some bad reviews on my book Reich. It has a swastika on the cover and that has negative connotations to many people. Hitler was a murderer and a whack job, but evil has many faces and that’s what the book is about. It’s a story without heroes, not white supremacy or any of that bs.

I tend to ignore reviews that aren’t constructive. If it says “this book sucks” then I roll my eyes and move on. If it says “there was a lot of misspelling in this book” then I run through the file and try to correct everything I can find. I once uploaded a draft copy without realizing it, it did not make it past a reviewer though, so I fixed it.

What can we expect out of your stories? Do you leave us with cliffhangers? Unhappy/Happy endings? Do you kill off main characters?

Different things depending on the series. I want to leave you with an element of suspense at the end of a book, but it needs to have a satisfying ending. I’m not afraid to kill off characters as long as it fits the story. Some of my books are really dark, but there is always a glimmer of hope in there…somewhere.

If you could play one character on The Walking Dead, who would it be? Who would you have killed first?

I’d be Daryl Dixon, but most people would say that I think. I grew up in Mississippi and know how to use a weapon. I’m also suspicious of things that seem too good to be true. I would question everything and probably pull the trigger first and ask questions later if my group was in danger.

Anything else you’d like to share before we wrap this up?

I’ve got a bunch of free titles available right now so definitely take advantage of it while you can. I’m trying to reach one hundred reviews on those books before I pay for ads. Strike the iron while it’s hot. You can get them at www.amazon.com/author/drewavera

I also have some “The Story Behind the Story” posts in my blog which can give you a behind the scenes look at where my stories came from. You can find them at www.drewavera.wordpress.com

Thank you for checking me out.