If I had to choose characters from NEMESIS/GENESIS to represent the 4 seasons I would pick: 

Winter—BLACK SUIT. Because he’s to be this cold hearted killer
Spring—TACK. Because his hope for Min is eternal.
Fall—MIN. She’s trying but is surrounded by things falling apart.
Summer—NOAH. He’s the damage he has and pretending he’s normal and happy.

Speaking of seasons, the one that best suits my personality would be summer. I’m such an extrovert and I feel like summer is an extrovert season.

Out of my characters I’d like to be stuck in an elevator mostly with Tack. I was a smart-mouth jackass at that age, just like him. I think if we were stuck in an elevator together, we definitely wouldn’t be bored waiting to be rescued. We could entertain each other. We might even come up with an idea to save ourselves because we’d start to get on each others nerves….it just might not be the best idea.

Describe you, your books, or characters in 5 words: 

Brendan:
will talk your ear off
hates beets with a passion
Next: The Darkdeep and Chrysalis

GENESIS:
Holy Crap! What just happened?
Darker, crazier, more mind-bending

NEMESIS:
Weird, twisty, bizarre, and frightening

Dying a lot would suck

DARKDEEP:
The Goonies meets Stranger Things

One person who makes your life better: 

My wife, Emily. I couldn’t do what I do without her. She definitely holds down the fort while I’m writing and touring. She is by far the better half.

From where have you recently drawn inspiration?

Most of my inspiration comes from pop culture:
Movies like Highlander, The Matrix, and The Goonies
TV shows like X-Files, Lost, Stranger Things and Scooby Doo
Books like Lord of the Flies and Alice in Wonderland

I love making my own twists on common tropes and creating surprises. I’ve always loved sci-fi, fantasy, conspiracy stories, and thrillers. I love getting the chance to write what I’ve always craved to read. I guess the saying is correct I’m definitely writing what I know.

Flash fiction 7 word story:

Man finds world inside his naval. Snacks.

Describe your writing space.

The most important way to describe my writing space is dead silent. It’s the only way I can focus. I have two children, two dogs, and a cat, so my house can definitely get loud, but I like to keep my office like a tomb. I also keep two pretty important essentials in my office. First would be my six-foot by six-foot white board—this is where I map out every part of a book before I start writing. The second would be my law degree. It reminds me of what I would have to fall back on if I don’t focus on writing. Fear is great motivation.

Name your dream movie cast? 

I honestly dont have a dream cast. I know a lot of authors do but, I think if PROJECT NEMESIS was made into a movie I would want unknown actors to play the roles. I want anyone seeing the movie to discover the characters for the first time. I think sometimes  having famous actors in a movie can allow previous roles to impact their current ones. I prefer a blank slate.

How has writing changed for you in the past year?

I recently graduated from Vermont College of Fine Arts with a MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Going through this program definitely helped strengthen my skills as a writer. It taught me to address my writing weaknesses and improve, pushing previous boundaries I had avoided before. The program made me a more purposeful and diligent author.

Three other writers who inspire you…

Tad Williams, Soman Chainani, and of course Ally Condie, my co-author for THE DARKDEEP.
With Tad, I always loved epic fantasy and his books were my gateway into the genre. I think what Soman has done with fairy tales is pretty amazing and Ally’s works, like Summerlost, are the best kind of writing for kids.

What are 4 things you love about your favorite book?

If we’re talking about an under-appreciated book, then the four things I love about  Denton Little’s Deathdate are how thought-provoking, engrossing, dark, and just plain funny it is. Check that one out for sure. Otherwise I’ll go with my all-time favorite fantasy book,  The Dragonbone Chair. It’s inspiring, remarkable, epic and one hell of an adventure.

What are our writing goals for next year?

This fall the amazing Ally Condie and I will release our first co-authored book, THE DARKDEEP, on 10/2/18. It’s a new middle grade series that combines elements of Stranger Things and The Goonies and explores what lurk in the dark corners of our imaginations. Then I’ll be releasing the third and final book in my Project Nemesis series, CHRYSALIS, on 3/5/19, which is even wilder than the previous two. I’ll be sending the Fire Lake kids off in style (and horrible trauma, as always). Fun times ahead!