So after throwing him into a chair, and pointing a bright light in his face, he finally gave in and agreed to answer some questions! So I turned off the bright light, and made him a cup of coffee instead, as I was totally bluffing the interrogation thing anyway! I'm a lover not a fighter :)
Comfortable now Brook? Good! Here we go!
Tell
us a little about yourself? Perhaps something not many people know?
I’m
a crime-fighting CPA during the day and renegade writer at night.
Yeah, right. I’m an Audit Manager at a Fortune 500 company and
write books in my spare time, which is almost never since I have a
5-year-old son that I want to raise right so he won’t turn out to
be a serial killer.
Not
many people know that I have a Master’s Degree in Criminology and
after seeing The
Silence of the Lambs,
I wanted to join the FBI, that is until I found at that crime
fighting doesn’t pay as much as crime does. Just kidding. I love
Texas and didn’t want the government moving me to any of those
other 49 states.
What
made you want to become a writer?
I’m
in it for the money [chuckle, chuckle]. All aspiring writers are
laughing right now. But seriously, there are just words inside of me
that need to get out. I enjoy making people laugh and you’ll see
humour throughout my books. A very serious and dramatic chapter will
be followed by a funny one. I think that sets me apart from other
writers, or at least I hope so, though I don’t take myself too
seriously as a writer.
Do
you have any hidden or uncommon talents?
Let’s
just say that if I entered a burping contest, I would win hands down.
What
gives you inspiration for your book(s)?
I
have two series out right now – The
Brainiacs and The
All-American Family.
The Brainiacs
tells the stories of some really smart kids that decide to fight back
against the bullies in their school. They use technology in
different and interesting ways in order to do so.
The
All-American Family
is like a sitcom written as an ebook. I needed an outlet for my
humour (since my wife no longer laughs at my jokes) and I thought:
“Why not write a prime-time sitcom as a book and release it in
episodes?” Sales have been brisk and they’re only 99 cents each
– maybe they should put them on the dollar menu at McDonald’s?
Are
your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely
from your imagination?
Any
author who doesn’t want to be sued will claim that they are
entirely from their imagination, but that’s a lie. There are
shades of people you’ve met in every character you create. It’s
inevitable. I can’t tell you how many of my friends and family
members have asked: “Am I in your book?” To which I reply,
“yes, you’re on page 137.” It takes them a while to realise
that ebooks don’t have page numbers.
Could
you tell us a bit about your most recent book and why it is a
must-read?
I’m
about to release book #3 in The
Brainiacs series.
It’s titled The
Brainiacs vs. The Guard.
The protagonist (Theo Phillips) faces his biggest adversary yet: a
splinter terrorist group intent on destroying America. The plot is
international and the action is nonstop. I’m really proud of it
and like to think it shows that I’m growing as a writer.
What
do you love most about the writing process?
Writing
is a creative outlet, much like painting or making music. I feel sad
on days that I don’t have time to write. Creating characters and
breathing life into them is an adrenaline rush.
Of
all the characters you have created, which is your favourite and why?
I’m
going to have to go with Bob Evans from The
All-American Family
series. He’s a dorky dad that has a kind heart but finds it very
difficult to relate to his kids. That and he feels trapped by the
American Dream, much like the rest of us.
What
is the biggest surprise that you experienced after becoming a writer?
I
would say the marketing aspect of it. Writing books is hard enough,
but marketing them, and yourself, was something I wasn’t really
prepared for. There are so many different marketing methods that
it’s sometimes overwhelming, however if you put a lot of effort in
creating the best product, I’ve found that to be the best marketing
method available.
Do
you have a day job in addition to being a writer? If so, what do you
do during the day?
I’m
an auditor during the day and as you can imagine, most people aren’t
happy to see me. In fact, most people go out of their way to avoid
me in the hall. I’ve gotten used to it over the years. But
auditors are people too – and in my case, I actually like people,
which is rare for an accountant.
Tell
us a little about your plans for the future. Where do you see
yourself as a writer in five years? Do you have any other books in
the works?
I’m
experimenting with my first nonfiction book where I offer life
lessons from really crazy stories in the press. My favourite so far
is the guy who outsourced his own job to China. I think it will end
up being a tongue-in-cheek self-help book that all Americans will
identify with.
Who
knows where I’ll be in five years? I just want to get through
today alive.
And
now, just some little random questions!
Favourite
TV show?
The
Walking Dead. When
the zombies come, I’ll be prepared from the lessons I’ve learned
from this show.
Favourite
movie?
It’s
a tie between Old
School and Wedding
Crashers.
Favourite
city?
Austin,
Tx.
Favourite
food?
Chocolate-dipped
cheesecake on a stick from the Houston Rodeo.
Favourite
book?
Catch
Me If You Can.
To
conclude, is there anything you would like to say to your readers?
Well
Dee, as the #1 fan of my All-American
Family series, I want
to say thank you for your support! Seriously, just knowing that
someone out there felt compelled enough to contact me and request an
interview makes all my writing efforts worth it. To my other 5 fans,
I love you y’all too!
You are very welcome Brook! I love your All American Family series (which everyone must read by the way!), and really must get on with your Braniac series too!
And thank you so much for coming over and taking the time to chat :) Must do it again sometime!
Where
can you find you online?
Blog:
http://www.brooksyers.blogspot.com/
Website:
http://www.brooksyers.blogspot.com/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/brooksyersfans
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/BrookSyers
Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=brook+syers
Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/278-8066672-7301656?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=brook+syers
Barnes
& Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/brook-syers?csrfToken=5Zv7qSsnGITOfBR8LIrfu6ekdqSpEXls&store=allproducts&keyword=brook+syers
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