1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?
I have always been a voracious reader. Then I became a photographer and that world seemed to be crying out for someone to genre-bend it in a novel. This led to my first novel Solipsum, wriiten under my own nam.
2) What inspired you to write your book?
I was shooting covers for Harlequin Romance and the art director one day began talking about the writing of these books. I got curious and read one. I’ll be honest, it took me months to read, probably because I read so many other books in between. I didn’t find it engaging. But I thought, what the hell, let’s see where this goes. I wrote it under a pen name because of the spicy content.
3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?
They really need to read the entire series. It’s a whole world. It dives into science fiction, fantasy, martial arts, assassins, lots of things. After reading the books, I would hope the readers take away above all a sense that you must have a code that you live by. Word is bond. It’s all you have. This is the primary driver of my characters.
4) What drew you into this particular genre?
Money?
I’m kidding!
No, actually I’m not.
There are large paydays associated with the romance genre BUT, and this is a HUGE BUT, you MUST write to formula. Which my books have completely and utterly discarded, as is evidenced by the stack of rejections I received when I pitched the book to romance publishers.
5) If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?
I honestly sit down with all of them all the time so there isn’t one I would single out. I’ve done videos that use AI to generate the characters. I’ve given them voices. I’ve had them talk about things that aren’t in the books. So it’s like I’ve already met and conversed with them. It’s intoxicating.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+dark+photography+folio
6) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?
I’m working on that.
7) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?
Write, write, write, then write some more. After that, rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. There is no simple or easy path. It’s literally one word at a time. It’s like laying bricks. Each brick needs to be inspected, squared and laid love and rigour. That is the essence of any art. Love and rigour. You MUST write for yourself! No one else! Your tribe will find you. Eventually.
8) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?
I am currently writing the seventh book in the Dark Photography Folio. It will be called Ghost in the Machine. Events in this book will set the stage for the sequel to Solipsum.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Swinn Daniels is a psuedonym for author/director/photographer Dan Couto. You can see his work at dancouto.com. You can also read Solipsum, a novel published under his real name.
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