Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre?
I chose politics as my genre because everyone in the good old USA complains incessantly about our country, but very few do anything about our problems. Most people do not know where to begin.
My latest book, The Next American President, was written because I love our wonderful country and am very worried about the direction our so called leaders are taking us in. The United States no longer has a government that is of the people, by the people, and for the people. Today, it is completely controlled by many special interest groups who have systematically bought both elections and members of congress until they completely control the federal government and a big percentage of state and local governments. These groups couldn’t care less about the average American family.
The book is a novel with action and intrigue as you would expect, but it also has lots of information about the true condition of our country that came from lengthy and serious research. It looks at how we must go about fixing our problems before it is too late and we lose our way of life.
What is the most important thing that people DON’T know about your book’s subject that they need to know?
I think all of us need to realize that we are in an extremely dangerous condition in the US today, and it is our own fault. We are lucky enough to live in a democracy, which means we are in control of our own destiny. We do not have to fight and die like our forefathers did to gain our freedom, or starve and freeze like the brave Americans did at Valley Forge. All we have to do to take back control of our country from the greedy groups is to quit complaining and get engaged in the electoral process, and become informed on the real issues and candidates, and then get out there and vote, sign petitions, contribute time and dollars to the candidates who are actual public servants, not politicians.
What are some of the day jobs that you have held?
One of my first jobs was driving race cars. I was sanctioned by USAC for sprint cars and SCCA for formula and sport cars for several years. Was I good? NOOO way! Was I scared a lot? Absolutely! Did I win any races? Yes, one. I have also worked as an accountant, state investigator, and certified occupational safety consultant.
How do you feel about indie/alternative vs. conventional publishing?
It is evident that the literary world is in a tremendous upheaval as the old house publishers and brick and mortar stores implode and Amazon and the other internet sales channels gain an ever increasing market share. I think this will be a good thing after it eventually settles and gets authors out of the bondage that the publishers have had us in for centuries. The great downside is that each author must become his or her own sales staff and lose precious writing time.
Can you share with readers a little bit about your latest book?
The Next American President tells the story of a regular everyday person who, by a strange but believable twist of fate, gets elected President, and how he solves our country’s problems in contrast to bought and paid for professional politicians. He becomes known by friends and enemies alike as the toughest son of a bitch to ever walk through the front door of the White House. Actually two books in one, it describes the serious problems that America faces today and the common sense solutions, along with the ten things that we should be looking for in the politicians running for the highest office in the land today.
Can you tell us more about your main character? What makes him or her unique?
The main character is of course the President who changes from a regular everyday Joe into the John Wayne of Washington when the fat cats and terrorists start harassing him. He doesn’t owe anyone anything and has only the best interests of American citizens at heart, which makes him a very dangerous man to our nation’s enemies, both foreign and domestic. He makes us realize that the average American is a very sharp individual.
Who is your favorite character in your book and why?
The President’s Chief of Staff is my favorite character because he is even tougher than the President. This character is used to explain the actual problems to the reader that we as a nation face today. He is based on an actual personal friend of mine who is an attorney, engineer, politician, and the mentally toughest person I have ever met.
What is your next project?
The Next American President was the first book in a three part series about the current state of affairs in the US. I am working on the second book now, and it should be available in June of this year. The second book, titled Our Fragile Society, continues the story of the first book but gives the reader all the character development of the President that I intentionally left out of the first book in order to focus on the basic story line of what is wrong with our country. It also explains in detail what the consequences are if we don’t take our country back from the professional politicians.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Although I love reading books by many many authors my all-time favorites are Will Rogers, Mark Twain, and Zane Grey. They write from the heart with a tremendous God-given talent. My hands down favorite contemporary author is Craig Johnson. His Longmire series is of the pure ink that flowed from the pens of Rogers, Twain, and Grey.
How can you connect with Steven?
Waking Writer 