Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie.

 

Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age?

Hi, Fiona. It’s very nice to meet you and thanks for inviting me to your blog. My name is Nate D. Burleigh. You can Google me, but if you don’t add the D. you get a snot nosed kid from Florida, LOL. I’m 46 years old.

Fiona: Where are you from?

I’m from Southern Oregon, but currently live in Vancouver, Washington.

Fiona: A little about yourself (ie, your education, family life, etc.).

After eight years of college I should be a Cardiologist. What I ended up with was 3 college degrees because quite frankly, I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. My studies were in Paramedicine, Fine Arts, and Computer Science. I’ve worked as a Paramedic, First Aid/CPR/Paramedic Instructor, Computer Tech Support, Senior Disability Analyst and managed an environmental services crew who cleaned up violent crime scenes. I’ve also served in the US Air Force as a Medical Tech Specialist.

My wife and I have been married for 23 years. We have three amazing kids. Our son is twenty and we have eighteen and fifteen-year-oldgirls.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

Right now, I’ve been working towards becoming a Wattpad Ambassador and possibly … star. These are very coveted places within the Wattpad Community. I do still have 3 published novels, which I am rewriting and publishing on Wattpad. I really enjoy the environment and feedback from other authors. My novel “The First” has won best Mystery/Thriller 2017 @TheCryptic_ and has ranked as high as #59 on the Wattpad Horror list. My novel “Nasferas: The Begotten” has been ranked as high as #100. Those ranks change daily which can be both fun and frustrating.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I’ve always loved telling stories. Mostly to my Children. Those bedtime tales usually turned out to be Goosebump’ish type horror stories. About six years ago, and at the behest of my wife, I finally wrote one down. Then I uploaded the story to a website like Wattpad. Many authors came to me and said they enjoyed the story, but my writing sucked. I re-wrote the story about 18 time before I began receiving positive feedback. Someone suggested that I should submit the story to be published. I’ve heard that it takes hundreds of submissions to get one story published. Therefore, I wasn’t convinced the story wold be accepted by anyone. I sent it to several publishers and it was accepted immediately by a couple. I went with an online publisher. Since then I’ve had 23 short horror stories published in books and magazines, 3 published horror novels, and 1 short children’s story.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

To this day I call myself a story teller. I’m still learning how to write. Though, when I had my first release party in my home town and was asked to go to my old high-school to talk to the English classes about writing, I thought this could be it. I’m a writer. Deep down … I think maybe I should have always been an author.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

Boredom. I know, funny inspiration. After I had my first horror story published, I dabbled with writing an Autobiography, but I ended up turning my teenage self into an incubus and “Sustenance” was born.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

The book is about a teenage incubus in 1989 being hunted by the worlds oldest succubus, Lilith. To sustain his life, and charge his new abilities, the protagonist drains the positive energy from others. “Sustenance” seemed like the logical title.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

I write speculative fiction, horror, supernatural thrillers, and am working on an urban fantasy novel called “Elfin” right now. I can’t stand the ever-so-popular first person, present tense. I’m addicted to writing in 3rd person, past tense. This enables different point of view changes throughout the book. The challenging part is finding a good rhythm between changing POV’s. You must do it right, or it throws off the pace of the book and kills it.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Most of my stories and novels star a character that could have been me in different parts of my life. “Sustenance” is a good example of me as a teenager. There are a lot of familiar sites, sounds, and people from my home town in the book. My High-School bought 31 copies of the novel and have it as mandatory reading in the English as a second language (ESL) classes. “The First” has a lot of medical terminology in it and science which I have a dubious amount of experience in. “Nasferas: The Begotten” has a bit of my military experience in it. I’d say 60% of what I write is from events and experiences I have had.

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

While crafting my work I stay at home. When I’m in the heart of a project I sequester myself and dig in until it’s finished. I have gone to my dad’s log cabin

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

The publishers usually have artists. But the covers for “Sustenance”, “Nasferas: The Begotten”, and “The First” were all designed by a friend of mine Monique Snyman. I think she’s done a great job.

 Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Not on purpose. I want people to read my novels for entertainment. I want them so lost in the characters and story that they have a hard time putting the book down. Emotions of the characters, sympathy and empathy for what their going through. Those are what I want my readers to grasp.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?  Who is your favorite writer, and what is it about their work that really strikes you?

That’s a tough one. I immensely enjoy Stephen King’s works. His attention to storyline detail and flow of dialogue are amazing. I also love the fantasy work of Ann McCaffery and the Science Fiction of Edgar Rice Burroughs.

If you want new authors, Wattpad is a great place to find them. I’ve met many young authors who are driven to write and to learn the craft. One such author is J. Mills. @JMills_ is a friend of mine on Wattpad and a young, flourishing author on the site. We have kind of a kindred writing spirit. He’s an extremely talented author and is giving a lot to the community.

 Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.

I’d have to say Facebook. Through this media platform I met so many new friends, authors, editors, publishers, and thousands of readers.

 Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

I’d love to see my work out there as a best seller one day. I’m not sure if it will ever be a career, but it’s a part of me and I’ll never stop. I have new ideas everyday and I feel my writing is getting better and better. Through Wattpad I’m building a solid fan base and have even met and become close friends with best selling authors like Shaun Allan and Kelly Anne Blount. They’ve given me some amazing advice.

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

“Nasferas: The Begotten” has had many rewrites and I feel the rewrite I’m publishing on Wattpad right now is the best version. I’ve even found a couple of new plot twists. To answer your question, I wish I would have found the plot twists the first time through. But learning how to recognize different directions a story can take is part of the education and evolution of a writer.

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

I’m working on re-writes of my original novels. “The First” is now completed on Wattpad and has over17k reads and has been as high as #59 on the horror list which is out of millions of horror novels on Wattpad. However, I learned thousands of tips while rewriting and having people read the book. One of the most important takeaways I came out with is to keep the writing as active as possible. Passive writing is a terrible habit that many authors fall victim to.

Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

If we’re talking about “The First” I’d have Gerard Butler as Ross, the ruggedly handsome divorced FBI agent. For my geneticist Alexa Mason, I think Michelle Williams would be perfect.

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Keep at it. No matter how bad you think your writing is, there’s always someone willing to help you learn the craft. But you must let people read your work. Websites like Wattpad are a great place for beginners. Join clubs. Meet other authors and talk to your readers about your work.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Hey friends, family, and fans. There’s something amazing in the boiler for “The First”. Stay tuned as I’m not at liberty to say what it is yet.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

I recently completed a review of Best Selling Author Kelly Anne Blount’s short story called “By Waters Edge” in the anthology “Sirens and Scales”. Another amazing horror story is called “Sin” by Shaun Allan. This is a dark psychological thriller that will chill you to the bone. Both are available on Amazon and other online retail stores.

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

I’m pretty sure it was “Cat in the Hat”. If you’re asking for the first novel, “Nate the Great” of course.

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

My daughter, Alexa. She turned 15 recently and cracks me up. Don’t tell her, but I know she chats with boys on her phone. I couldn’t tell you the last time I cried.

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?

It would have been Stephen Hawking, because I’ve already met Stephen King.

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

I’m a professional Trumpet player and have been teaching my 18-year-old daughter Kiera since she wasthree.

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?

Dexter, Game of Thrones, and anything with Marvel attached to it.

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors, music?

Donuts and Coke, the drink, not the powder. I’m a fan of anything 90’s New Rock Alternative. And I’m extremely color blind.

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

Slowly slip into madness. I’d assume.

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone?

Nothing fancy: Husband, Father, Author.

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/NateDBurleigh

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natedburleigh/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Nate-D.-Burleigh/e/B007H4ZFRU/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1521471718&sr=1-2-ent

 

Thanks for the opportunity to visit your blog.