Book Name and Description: Blue Plague, Dark Titan, Forsaken World, Vengeance in Blood, Forgotten Forbidden America, , Bonner Incident and My new series is Viral Misery.

Viral Misery:

Humanity is at the tipping point and nature will be its downfall. The bird flu out of China has mutated. Now able to latch on and replicate within humans, the virus will spread swiftly throughout the world. When you spread a virus before you even know you have it, everyone becomes a carrier. There is no preparation, and there is no cure. You can only hope that you are one of the few who are immune, or can survive long enough to fight.

Wendy and Arthur have spent their lives in service to others. Having raised one child, and learned to live off the land, their only wish is for their son to give them grandchildren. They want to retire in comfort, knowing that they are self-sufficient and able to take care of themselves. Having never been apart for more than a few nights, Wendy has the opportunity to take a well deserved ladies vacation. Little do they know that their entire world will change in an instant, and they ll be left alone to live, or to die, a thousand miles apart.

Interview Questions:

What gave you the idea for Viral Misery?

I’m a ER Registered Nurse and worked at a university hospital so I got to work with some of the best doctors in the world. Finding out how easy it would be for a lethal virus to emerge from nature scares me to know end. It will be decades before we can really combat viruses. The only defense you have is isolation. This modern world is the perfect vector for viral transmission. A person can be in dark jungle and the next afternoon be sitting in a mega city having dinner.

What got you into writing in this genre?

I love dystopian, post apocalypse along with fantasy. My goal in writing a story is to make the reader understand the world isn’t nice and cozy. It doesn’t take much to breakdown and I want the reader to just think about the possibility of something going wrong. Granted, zombies are a stretch but when you have a leading virologist tell you, ‘Yes, someone with funding, a lot of funding, and knowledge could make a virus very similar to the dreaded zombie virus’. But I base the zombie apocalypse as the most difficult of all survival scenarios. That’s why in many of my apocalyptic books the characters say that’s what they are preparing for because anything else wouldn’t be that hard.

How long have you been writing?

I started writing in 2012.

Tell us about your past books and stories?

I love many genres and I write in several, no romance though. Thanos is my fantasy story about the first world of man. This book I’ve had the idea for since I was a young kid but I had an English teacher in high school tell me I couldn’t write a story. (Oh yeah Ms. Gorman, look at me now!) I’ve tried writing books that wrap up in one and the closest I’ve come to that is Bonner Incident. To me building a story is building a world you want the reader to understand and enjoy this new realm of imagination.

What is the writing process like for you?

All I can say, it is fun. I have hundreds of ideas floating in my mind. Most are crazy but one will creep in and I let my imagination run with it. If the idea takes off and I enjoy it, a story is born. When I write it is like a movie playing in my mind.

What is your writing day like?

 That’s a tough one. When the story is going I will write until I just can’t type. Fifty-three hours is my longest session to date and I don’t think I will ever beat it. Most times if the story is flowing, the movie is playing in my mind, I’ll go twenty hours sleep for twelve and start back up.

What have been the biggest influences on your writing?

My life and experiences. I’m amazed when I meet a young author. They can come up with a good story by pure imagination with no reference on past experiences.

What is your favorite book (other than your own book, of course) and why?

Now that is a tough one because I have a bunch of books I love. The Belgariad series by David Eddings is one of my favorites. Another I would have to say is Shogun because I read it once a year.

What book disappointed you and why?

That one I really can’t answer because of I don’t like a story halfway through, I put the book down.

How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?
I hope each book is better than the last but I can tell a huge difference from my writing now and my first book Blue Plague. Starting off I got to technical on building the world and character actions. Now I just state generally what the characters are doing and let the reader interpret the world.

What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?

A secluded room, with a door that closes really well but don’t lock it because they will just beat on the door.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received from another author?

Your first book, write what you know and don’t change anything. You will learn what to change later.

How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?
On that, you would have to ask Tina. She is my marketing person and the boss. I just write. If I had to do all the marketing, editing, and everything that goes with getting my books out there, I’d be working in an ER somewhere again.

 

What piece of your own work are you most proud of?
I love all of them but my baby is Thanos. It’s a world I built and so far everyone that has read it loves it. Most people shy away from this one when they see ‘fantasy’. It is action packed and much like a dystopian, just set in an earlier time of history.

For those who haven’t read any of your stories, what story/book of yours do you think best represents your work and why?
That would depend on the genre they like to read. At shows people ask me what genre I write in and usually I have a story for them. The one thing that is common in all my stories are strong leading female characters. I’ve tried writing a story where the female isn’t tough but just couldn’t do it. I can do it for a male character but not a female.

 

What are you doing next?

Forgotten Forbidden America is reaching the end of the story that’s why Viral Misery is coming out. Forsaken World will be the next one to end and Tina and I will begin another story we worked on and outlined years ago.

What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Keep notecards or a notepad with you at all times. Write. Don’t try to write and read and rewrite at the same time. Get it all down, give it a cool off period (this could be weeks to months) then go back and read it. At this time you may delete whole chapters, and add new ones, and move chapters around throughout your story.

bio:

I am Thomas A Watson. I’m an Army veteran, 19 Delta. Tina is my wife and mother of our three children. We have two granddaughters that we still would like to know, why grands didn’t come before kids? Began writing after moving from Louisiana to Montana several years ago.  We recently moved back to the south from Montana. I am known for having several series going at the same time, from zombies, vampires, financial collapse, viral outbreaks, fantasy, to civil asset forfeiture.

Links:

My webpage: http://thomasawatson.com/

My Facebook group page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/APocPress/

Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/thomasawatson/

My email- apocpress1@gmail.com