INTERVIEW
Hello David! Thanks for stopping by and agreeing to chat a bit. Plotter or Pantser? Why?
I’m definitely a plotter. I work from an outline and refine the story from there so that it makes sense. It makes for a tighter, more cohesive book. Lots of writers talk about how a certain character in their stories takes over, or does something unexpected; that’s not me. I’m in control of the story and everything in it. Working without a safety net leads, I’ve found, to potential plot holes and inconsistent characterization.
What does your significant other and family think of your writing career?
My wife has been extremely supportive of my writing career, and I couldn’t do it without her. She was very helpful as a beta reader for my first novel, The Blessed Man and the Witch, because she’s very well educated and has an excellent eye for detail. I knew I would get an unvarnished opinion from her. My son isn’t quite three years old yet, so all of this doesn’t make sense to him: he’s still pre-literate. We adopted him as a newborn, and I used some of our adoption experiences in the book.
What was your first sale as an author?
Under the pseudonym F. Kim O’Neill, I wrote a book called The Ultimate Guide to Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse. It was published by Paladin Press in December of 2010. Paladin is a small publisher, but the book has sold very well for them: it provides real-world strategies and techniques for surviving in a world where zombies have destroyed civilization. The sales of that book helped to give me the confidence to pursue a career as a writer.
What is it that you like to do when you’re not reading/writing?
Swimming, hiking, and going to the beach with my family. Spending time with my little boy has opened doors of perception that had been closed decades ago, and as I explore the new adventure of fatherhood, I learn more about myself every day. I also like to cook, especially baking bread.
What was the scariest moment of your life?
Several years ago, I was shooting an instructional video on firearm techniques for lawfully-armed civilians. Several beginning shooters from across the country had signed up to learn combat shooting from some of the most highly-trained and experienced professionals available, and I documented it on video. At one point, during a live-fire drill on close-quarters shooting techniques, one of the shooters tripped and fell to the ground. I was fairly close by (though perpendicular to the action), and as he struggled to his feet, he lost sight of how he was carrying the handgun and muzzle-flashed me (pointed the gun at me) with his finger in the trigger guard. Even through my camera’s viewfinder, the barrel of the gun looked enormous. Luckily, he didn’t accidentally shoot me.
Do you have any suggestions for beginning writers? If so, what are they?
You have to read a lot to be a good writer. A lot. And in several different genres. Study what successful authors do and model them. That doesn’t mean to mimic their respective styles, but take a close look at how they present events and how their characters behave. Does the dialog they write sound to you like how real people speak? Other than that, the only guaranteed way to become a good writer is to write. If you just had a fight with someone important, write anyway. House is flooded and you’re stuck in your parents’ basement until the repairs are done? Write anyway. Writers write. BOOK INFORMATION
Foretold by the visions of agony-stricken psychics, the end of the world is near. While Heaven and Hell battle for holy relics to be used as weapons of war, fallen angels imprisoned by God Himself seek release. The Time of Miracles has returned. Armageddon is coming, and the victor is yet unknown. As the world crumbles, Occupy camps appear in every major city from Seattle to Miami. A new, explicit form of reality television has become America’s latest entertainment craze, launching ordinary people into near-instant wealth and celebrity. Violent crime has become commonplace, from inner city gang wars to horrific mass shootings.
Combining themes of Biblical apocalypse, western occultism, and supernatural horror, this is a gripping story about survival, intrigue, and redemption. AMAZON MEET THE AUTHOR
David Dubrow was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and moved to Boulder, Colorado in the late 1990's. An avid reader since early childhood, he worked for what has been called "The most dangerous press in America" for over ten years. During that time, he developed close relationships with some of the world's most highly skilled instructors in the self-defense, martial arts, and firearms fields. His first book, "The Ultimate Guide to Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse," was written under the pseudonym F. Kim O'Neill and published by Paladin Press in 2010. Scott Kenemore, author of "Zombie, Ohio" and "Zombie, Illinois," called it, "One of the most capable and engaging how-to zombie survival books I've encountered."David's first novel, "The Blessed Man and the Witch," is a paranormal thriller focusing on the end of the world. The first in a projected trilogy about a Biblical apocalypse, it addresses western occultism, angelic phenomena, demonic possession, and the slow dissolution of American society within a credible and original framework. It was released on March 6, 2014.
David and his family currently live on the west coast of Florida, where he is hard at work on the sequel to "The Blessed Man and the Witch." AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE
