An Interview with T.D. Wilson

T.D. Wilson is a science fiction and fantasy author from Ohio. In addition to writing, he holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and has supported the systems and networks in several of the largest Supercomputing data centers in the world. Visit his website, tdwilsonbooks.com, for more information about him or his works.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I have written short stories for myself since I was in junior high, college is where I started to take it more seriously. After I graduated and was working in my first job as an engineer, I found a box of my things while helping my parents move. On the top of the box was a short story I had written. I decided there and then to give it a try and expanded that story into my first novel.

What inspired you to start writing this book?

Smuggler’s Love is the third book of this series. I love writing about Reese Daniels. His energy, his snarky attitude, and his magnetism for trouble make it so enjoyable to put into words.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

Each of the Reese Daniels Smuggler series stories will have a Smuggler’s XXXX title, based on the theme or emotion inherent in the story. I decided that early on and helped to create plot lines and resulting character arcs.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

I often listen to music while writing and planning to write. For Smuggler’s Love, I think the two I listened to most were “Fall Into Me” by Forest Blakk and “Fly with Me” by Alyssa Bonagura. I often listened to “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins for space fight scenes. It gets the blood pumping and ready to go.

Describe your dream book cover.

My dream cover holds the essence of a scene or theme from the book. I’ve done that with three in this series so far, but it’s not easy to replicate. Working with a cover designer and scouring through images can be tough, but rewarding.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I have an Electrical Engineering degree and worked in that field for a few years before getting trained in networking. I used that new skill and my degree to become a system integrator for large supercomputing systems. I worked in or collaborated with some of the largest supercomputing data centers in the US. While in high school, I worked at McDonald’s, and in college I worked as a sales associate at Sears. Today, systems integration and project management are my primary focus.

What books did you read (for research or comfort) throughout your writing process?

I read lots of different books. I have kept up on all the Thrawn books by Timothy Zahn, all the Jack Reacher books by Lee Child, fantasy books by Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, and R.A. Salvatore, and a variety of other storylines.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

I want readers to be entertained. As a writer, I want the reader to have the story become their story, get them invested. Pacing, definable and believable characters, and a strong plot are important. These new stories are shorter, focusing on the Amazon Short Reads categories. I wanted to give readers stories they could finish on their lunch hour or sitting by the pool in an afternoon.

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