Interview of author Adam Dreece

I am blessed to have gotten to know Adam from my interactions with him on Twitter.  Not only is he a talented writer, he is also a wonderful mentor.  Adam has helped me more than he realizes and I truly appreciate his time and advice.  I recently finished reading book 1 in his The Yellow Hoods series, Along came a Wolf.   Words can't express how talented he is.  I love the way his mind works.   As soon as my daughter catches up on the books she's reading I would love for her to read Adam's series.   Before reading his book I didn't really know the term SteamPunk and Along came the Wolf made me long for the simpler times.  Book 2 Breadcrumb Trail is on my list of books to read next.

1. Many authors develop an interest in writing at a young age. What first sparked you interest in writing?

I loved being able to pull something out of my mind and put it into someone else's. I could share an experience, an idea, a feeling with them and I was hooked.

2. What difficulties and challenges (if any)  have you faced as a writer?

Time and energy management is the biggest one. I have a full time job that is very demanding, I have my family with three kids, and I've got a couple of permanent conditions that zap my energy on a regular basis (chronic pain, severe asthma, rib-cage tissue inflammation). Now, with the launch of book 2, I have a company managing a lot of the promotion for my books, which requires a significant amount of my time (in a good way) but it means further dividing my time.

3. Would you please tell us about the premise of your Yellow Hood series? How did you come up with the idea?

The idea really stems from a story I'd made up for my daughter one night, and combined with an idea I had from when I sing The Muffin Man to my son when he's going to bed. 

The Yellow Hoods takes place in a world that is in an equivalent to our late 1750s-1800s. The steam engine plans have just been drafted, and it, along with other inventions, will take that world on a different course than our world went on. The inventors responsible for this, as well as the steam engine plans themselves are incorporated into the tale. It also incorporates some elements of fairy-tale but from the perspective that Ring-around-the-rosy was about the real world black plague, and therefore I've incorporated other rhymes and tales from the perspective of 'what real world events could they have been based on?'

Ultimately, it's a team adventure series with three teens at the heart of it, and two other generations of characters involved (20s-mid thirties, 50+).

4. How many books do you have planned for the series?

I have planned for The Yellow Hoods to be a five book series (watch me reading this when I'm writing the REAL finale, in book 7), and then I plan to jump 10 years and write about the Steampunk world that's been created.

I also have several side-books sketched out, one about the Cochon brothers that would take place between books 1 and 2, and another that would take place later on. I'm not sure if I'm going to write those, but they're there in the background.

5. Do you have a favorite character (of your own) that tugs at your heart and why?

I get asked this question on a regular basis, and from book 1 I'd say no. As soon as I'd start to answer one, I'd realize I'd want to change my answer. From the new characters I introduced in book 2, Marcus Pieman edges o

6.  Many authors share their ideas with friends, family and other authors. With whom do you share your ideas?

My daughter and my wife are the ones that I share things with. Of the two of them, my daughter is really the one that I discuss the most with.

7.  What are you currently working on?

Book 3 - All the King's Men. It's due to the editor January 2nd and planned to be released mid-April at CalgaryExpo'15.

8. What do you enjoy doing when you are not writing?

Great conversation, a good movie or thinking. I also really enjoy answering emails from people with questions about writing or who are stuck, and keeping up with my tweeps on Twitter.

9. Would you ever branch out a write about a different genre?

Yes, absolutely. I actually have a personal memoir I need to finish editing and get out, as well as a series of non-fiction books related to what I do in my full-time life. From a fiction perspective, I'd broaden to other forms of science fiction but I'm not really interested in writing romance or mystery at this time.

10. How do you deal with procrastination?

Can I get to this question later?

In all seriousness, I think of it as procrastinating later. If there something that I really don't want to deal with, I usually make myself knuckle down and get it off my plate and out of my mind.

11. Who or what inspired you to write this series?My daughter inspired me to write Along Came a Wolf, and my son inspired me with the world of the Muffin Men. As of yet, fans of The Yellow Hoods won't know who the Muffin Men are, but they will. There's a reason why I whistle the Muffin Man tune regularly.

12. What are you currently reading?

I recently finished Flashboys, and am now listening to the audiobook of Zero to One by Blake Masters and Peter Thiel. It's about startups and making things that are different. As an author-preneur, I don't want to just make SOME MORE books and be like everyone else. I want to introduce great ideas from other knowledge domains to push my thinking.

Adam Dreece

Author of emergent Steampunk series  The Yellow Hoods

Young Adult written for everyone

Book 1 - Along Came a Wolf at Amazon, Amazon.ca, Kobo, Smashwords, The Yellow Hoods Store

Book 2 - Breadcrumb Trail at Amazon, Amazon,.ca,  Kobo, Smashwords, The Yellow Hoods Store

3 Chapter free samples available

Blog: AdamDreece.com

Twitter: @AdamDreece