A Little About Me:
I was born in Hammond, Louisiana in the United States, but I live in Koriyama City, Fukushima prefecture, Japan. I own and operate an English conversation school. I also taught English in Soka City, Saitama prefecture, Japan. I have worked other jobs and dabbled in various careers in the U.S. like marketing and promotions, radio announcing, acting in Hollywood (briefly), and I was even a census-taker in college among other things. I enjoy teaching English in Japan, but if I could make a decent living from writing, then that would be an unbelievable dream come true.
A Little About My Writing Style:
I have enjoyed expressing myself through the written word ever since I wrote my first story titled “Revenge of the Killer Spaceship” in fourth grade. I had an amazing teacher who created a project where everyone in class wrote their own story. After each student wrote and illustrated their story, the teacher had each one bound in a hard cover book. It was the first book that I ever published and it was an incredible experience!
As I got older and transitioned from elementary school to junior high school, I became influenced by Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe (How many authors have said that before?) and I credit them for my early literary inspiration. The fact that I share my birthday with Stephen King doesn’t hurt either. I had another wonderfully open-minded freshman English teacher in high school who allowed me to venture away from the recommended class book report list and delve into the worlds of Stephen King (within reason, of course). Even though I had been a King fan since junior high school, it was an incredible opportunity to explore and it merely served to help reignite my inner author who had been mostly dormant since elementary school. The same teacher also encouraged creative writing. Those projects were a lot of fun.
As writer’s age and mature, their tastes and styles change. I am no exception to that. More recently, I was told that my writing style is reminiscent of Jeffery Deaver. I’m embarrassed to admit that I have never read his work. But considering all of the bestsellers that he has written and the numerous awards he has been given, I took the comparison as a compliment.
I have read two of Ian Fleming’s novels so far (Live and Let Die and Moonraker), and all of his James Bond 007 short stories. I enjoy his technique. His influence is obvious in my work today, but I’ll leave that to my readers to decide.
On the other hand, I cannot cite the print media as my sole inspiration. Inspiration can come from almost anywhere. I’m a huge film buff (particularly the films of the ’80s) and most of my music collection is likewise influenced by the “gnarliest” decade. As far as film influences in my work, I credit the suspense and horror films of Alfred Hitchcock.
Of course, as with most things in life, various winding paths and personal choices made writing opportunities difficult (and sometimes non-existent) throughout the decades. But now, through the proliferation of self-publishing, I’m able to exercise my creative side once again and somewhat more easily.
I love warm, hot, and humid weather. Rainy days and nights are soothing. When not teaching English and writing, I enjoy watching movies, listening to ’80s songs and classical music, sports, healthy food and exercise, and when possible and funds allow….traveling (especially cruising by ship).
The singular purpose of this blog is to market and promote my writing, so I encourage you to check out my e-books and paperbacks. My latest release “To Sleep in the Ground” is about a vampiric hit man who travels the world plying his deadly trade. My nonfiction book “A Day of Horror: The March 11, 2011 Japan Earthquake – A Foreigner’s Perspective”
I appreciate your kind support and consideration.
Thanks for reading!
Brad
Brad's Books 