The biblical allegory in Revelation Gate is a departure from the books that are typically written by African American male authors. Do you agree or disagree?
I completely agree. To me, it speaks to a great need for more variation in the genre. It’s a great passion of mine to see that happen.
Why did you write Revelation Gate?
At first, I wanted to write a superhero story. I’m a big fan of comic books and traditionally African American superheroes aren’t celebrated. The ones that are, like John Stewart, Power Man, Blade, and Spawn, are either secondary characters nobody knows about or demons. And a great influence of mine at the time was Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. I didn’t set out to write an African-type novel, but it turned out that way. In it’s barest essence, it’s still a superhero story, just not in the conventional sense. Mkombozi is a hero who does the miraculous – he just doesn’t do it in a domino mask or a cape. At the same time, it’s still a Christian fiction novel. The biblical themes are still in there too.
Why do you publish independently?
I chose to go this route after trying the traditional route first, unsuccessfully. It’s extremely hard with the current state of the economy and the book industry in relative flux to gain mainstream success as a new author. Then, last February, I met Christian fiction author Stephanie Perry-Moore, who advised me to self-publish, sell 2,000 copies, and self-publish again, and then try to go mainstream. I found that by going the independent route, it was artistically and financially advantageous for me. But it’s not for everyone. Find what’s best for you.
How do you use social media to reach your audience?
I tweet every day and communicate with my readers via Facebook on my fan page and a page dedicated to readers who finish my work and would like to discuss it. I have an email list that fans can opt into. I’m a member of several different writer and entrepreneur groups on LinkedIn. I blog once per week every Friday. Also, I created a YouTube channel featuring my book trailers, interviews and performances.
What’s next?
The Anarchists is my next fiction book, which is set in the year 2050 and has very loose connections to both The Lost Testament and The Revelation Gate. It is slated to be the next fiction work from Great Nation Publishing due for release in late 2012. We’re also planning to launch a nonfiction work that year, and our first work by another author in 2013.
