TBM: How do you imagine the ideal
reader of your book?
TD: My ideal reader understands that
we live on a strange, often bizarre planet and that a sense of humor is
essential. Laugh or go crazy – take your choice. Life is a roller coaster ride
without the safety harness.
TBM: How was the writer inside of
you born?
TD: It probably began at an early
age when I first looked at the world and held my nose. Discontent may well be
the driving force behind fiction writing, which is really world-building. On
the plus side, it’s cheaper to be a writer than a painter or a photographer.
Art supplies and cameras are expensive. A writer only needs a pencil and paper.
TBM: What genres do you work with
and why are you attracted to these forms of writing?
TD: Thrillers. The suspense genre
reflects our world like a mirror. Each day, the newspaper is packed with edgy
stories that could fuel countless thrillers.
TBM: As a reader, what elements of a
story do you love, or do you hate?
TD: A truly good story opens in
front of you, and you fall in. Time stops. You forget that you’re turning
pages. You’re inside the story, moving along with the characters. When you
finally look up, the sun has set, and shadows have crawled across the floor.
TBM: What inspired you to write
FLOATERS and what do you hope your readers will take away from this book?
TD: FLOATERS began as a dream. I
dreamt the opening scenes, turned it into a short story, and submitted it
to San Francisco’s 2013 Litquake Booktrack Halloween Short Story
Competition. To my surprise, it won. Shortly thereafter, I went blind in one
eye due to a detached retina. Surgeons returned my sight. This experience
sparked a new idea about “seeing and being seen.” My short story became a
novella, a dark story about pervasive surveillance, loss of privacy, drones,
and going blind. It's centered on a young couple who are in for the ride of
their lives. Oh, there’s a bit of humor, too.
TBM: How long did it take you to
write this book and what did you do the day that you finished it?
TD: It took about three months to
write (a novella, approximately 100 pages). Upon completion, I began thinking
about a sequel. Stay tuned.
TBM: What would you like to say to
your readers?
TD: “Thank you” x 1,000.
TBM: Hi, Tom. How much
stomach-scorching coffee do you drink while writing a novel?
TD: Tom, is that you? Hi. Well,
enough coffee to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Each day I look like I’m
being Tasered, but it’s actually the caffeine jitters.
TBM: Lastly, a direct message to the
readers, about why they should read FLOATERS.
TD: “Big Brother is Watching You” is
the famous line from Orwell’s “1984,” where citizens are under constant
surveillance. These days, we are indeed being watched from various sectors and
angles. Satellites in the sky, security cameras on the street, cell phone
cameras in the crowd. Say goodbye to privacy. In FLOATERS, say hello to drones.
The drones are coming, and things are about to hit a whole new level of weird.
If you enjoy a (very) near-future tale with adrenaline and dark humor, put
FLOATERS under your surveillance.