Running on Broken Bones follows a talented hacker who is on the run from a government agency while his body struggles to keep up with his mind. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Part of the second book in the Tanto Thriller series is based on a true story. There was a news article about three guys running a very successful drug smuggling business out of a hospital. As I followed the story, I only found where two of three people were arrested. That made me think, “who could’ve gotten away scott-free?” Answer, “a hacker.”

Tanto is an exciting character to follow; readers never know what he will do next. What was the inspiration for the main character’s traits and dialogue?

Tanto, while benevolent, is full of pride and self-inflicted burdens. He’s made some mistakes, so he thinks it is up to him to save everyone. I’ve read a good bit (and I have much more to read) about Bushido lifestyle, culture and history, so it’s influenced this character a lot. As for the dialogue, I used to write for film and television, so smartass dialogue is one of my favorite things to write!

How did you balance the action scenes with the story elements and still keep a fast pace in the story?

Balance in writing is so important. While readers love action, they need breaks in a book. Part of what helped me become a better thriller writer and balance my scenes was reading StoryGrid by Shawn Coyne and Steven Pressfield (a book I highly recommend to authors). However, a larger part comes from reading thrillers and taking inspiration (adapting rather than stealing) from multiple thriller authors. Riley Saeger. Ruth Ware. J.D. Barker. Chuck Wendig. And others, as well as great TV shows and movies.

As for pacing, readers hate-hate-hate an info-dump (when a writer overwhelms the reader with backstory or needless information). I truly hate writing them, so I parse them out over the entire book. You will get an info chapter here and there, but as a reader myself, I don’t want to get slammed with backstory while in the middle of a chase scene.

Where does the next book in the series take Tanto?

Burn It All Down, the third book in the Tanto series, answers the questions initially asked in the first book in the series. In a trilogy, whether it’s sci-fi, thriller, fantasy, whatever, I’ve learned that your first and third books should mirror each other in certain ways. Flow. Obstacles. Questions asked then become questions finally answered at the end. For example, my favorite trilogy is the Star Wars Trilogy (New Hope, Empire, Return). New Hope and Return both have the ultimate weapon: a Death Star. They both take place in sandy places (Darth Vader’s real nemesis). And there are other parallels. Now Empire is its own story. It starts at the end of the New Hope and addresses issues left undone from the first movie. Then it has its own story. And finally it sets up the last battle that viewers see in Return. That’s what I’m (hopefully) doing in the Tanto Trilogy.

Author Links: Facebook | TikTok | Twitter | Website