Through the Raging Storm follows a general store owner and his friends in a small town who investigate a mysterious object that is found after a violent thunderstorm. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Hearing about the NASA Explorer on Mars made me realize it was reasonable for an alien species on another planet to send something similar here. That started me thinking about what they might do. Certainly, orbiting Earth would be a start. A technologically advanced society would have AI to learn and translate our language. And they would want to observe undetected. That’s why I chose to have the lander come down partially obscured by a lightning storm.

Vanderpool is a small community west of San Antonio set in the picturesque region of Lost Maples. Was there a reason why you chose this location as the backdrop for your story?

I researched several alternatives that would are remote, rural locations. I liked the fact that Vanderpool is not too far from San Antonio and Austin. And it’s a scenic part of the country with rugged and unoccupied areas. I wanted to make the location details in the story as accurate as possible and used Google Maps to drive the roads. If you visit you can go to the Winery and the Motorcycle Museum. You can eat where Joe and his friends ate.

The people in the town and the outsiders are all drawn to this discovery, wanting to know more and to claim it for themselves. What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition and desire to understand the unknown that you think make for great fiction?

I have always been intrigued by how ordinary people are able to respond to unexpected events. In my first book, Will Normal Return, a possible but unexpected event happened and affected people in a small mountain community. I think stories that show the reader how others deal with events that disrupt their lives can have a message that goes beyond the story. In Through The Raging Storm Joe’s curiosity leads to the involvement of his friends. What they discover and conflict with outsiders changes their lives. There is interaction between friends, the decisions they make, their personalities and personal interests. It changes Joe’s relationship with Martha for the rest of their lives

What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be published?

My next book will be pure science fiction. It’s called Escape From Tridon and involves a desperate attempt by aliens seeking a new planetary home. Their scientists have identified Earth as the best fit for their species. It is planned for release in November.

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