Author S.C. McCole

Let’s give a warm round of applause to today’s author, S.C. McCole. McCole is a vagabond tapping tales on his iPad everywhere he travels. When he finally gets back to Peachtree City, GA, it’s nap time with his wonderful wife and two dogs, refresh the bags, then back on the road again! He can often be found hiding out in one of these boxes:  Ghost Writer | Shark Diver | Metal Guitarist | Dog Lover | Runner | Hubby | Dad |.

Thank you S.C. for joining us today. Let’s get right to the questions, shall we?

1. Favorite Hobby?

Oh, so many to choose from! Some people say they can’t retire because they’d be bored out of their skulls. I can’t wait. I have way too many hobbies (and bucket-list-items); I’d never be bored.

Shark-swimmin’, song-playin’, sword-collectin’, spirit-summonin’, Survivor-preppin’ (the TV show not bunker-hoardin’ lol)… but, if you’re making me pick just one, it would have to be story-readin’. I could spend my first year in retirement just page-turnin’ my way through the to-read shelf, starting with the Bhagavad Gita.

2. Who would I spend the afternoon with?

The greatest man that ever lived: My Dad. Fate stole my opportunity for a sit-down in-depth conversation with him and I have so many things I’d want to discuss.

3. Coffee, tea, soda, or something else?

I love this topic. Big fan of imbibing! Depends on the moment:
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– I drink Dunkin’ Donuts coffee with half & half religiously every morning. I grind my own beans, and use filtered water—ok, I’m a bit OCD.

– When I’m home, I drink several spots-o-tea with the wife in the evening—mostly bagged herbal, floral, or green, though sometimes we brew from a fresh mix (Champagne Rose is our fave). Also, living in the South, I’m required to drink iced tea—unsweetened, because I’m a northern intruder, heh.

– Alcohol, on occasion, as a social lubricant. My go-to is a Crown & Diet Coke w Lime. Beer: I like anything interesting and not too hoppy. My fave is a Belgian Grimbergen Blonde or a pint of Murphy’s. But, a good margarita is hard to beat when I’m on vacation (rim salted please).

– For all other times I’m a big fan of water. I drink a lot of it. It does the body good!
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– One rule for liquids: I never use a sweetener. I’m scared it may spoil my finely-crafted curmudgeoness!

4. What am I working on right now?

Writing: I’m in the draft phase of my first novel—Black Friday, an urban fantasy thriller featuring the heroine Kali Stone. The book begins a series, which is the first in a group of chronological series based in a supernatural, apocalyptic world I’ve been developing the last few years. It’s an ambitious blueprint. I hope my hobbies leave me time to do it justice!

Craft: Lately, much to the chagrin of my novel, I’m spending quite a bit of time launching a new fiction writer’s resource. It’s a newsletter/blog where I put my 25 years as an investigator on the line to crack the code of publishing today. It’s all free, interactive, no-holds-barred info. That project is launching soon.

5. How would I describe my writing style?

My style of writing is: FAST HEAT.

I created this acronym to explain that I strive to be FAST (Fearless;
Authentic, Sexy; True) and deliver the HEAT (a story that is: Hot; Exposed; Adventurous; Thrilling).

6. Advice for a new writer?

“Do or Do Not. There is no TRY.” ~ Yoda.
“Even if it’s crap, just get it on the page.” ~ my coffee mug.

7. Where do my writing ideas come from?

The most fertile breeding grounds for my ideas are Titles. I start by brainstorming an intriguing plot nugget (usually the inciting incident or the final showdown) then I wrack my noggin for a working title before I begin a detailed outline. Once I start writing the title often changes, but I need to start with one that thrills me.

In college, I majored in Architecture, so I’m a planner when it comes to art. Since I have a master blueprint for my fiction, my plot nuggets are usually inspired by the world foundation I’ve built. But, my current novel wasn’t part of that original plan—it was born out of necessity. I was enrolled in James Patterson’s MasterClass and needed to submit a thriller plot, so I extracted a nugget from my current profession (in anti-terrorism) and created the plot of Black Friday. It wasn’t intended to be a series or even part of my world, but I’ve since morphed it to fit into the greater structure.

Last, but certainly not least, one of my bucket-list writing ideas comes from my dad. At bedtime, he would spin a fascinating yarn with some crazy characters he made up. Those memories are very special to me. So, for my future grandchildren, I plan to write a series of bedtime stories based upon my dad’s characters. That will be my tribute to him and my our legacy.

8. Where can I be found online?
Come chat with me on Facebook: fb.com/SCMcCole or Twitter @SCMcCole. I’ll be sharing the release of my upcoming investigative report site in those hangouts. Cheers!
Thank you so much for sharing with us today, S.C. We appreciate your time. Good luck on your release of Black Friday.

So, gentle readers, stop on by S.C.s facebook and say hello.