Chronicles of Iron: Thunder Road follows a ten-year-old boy whose father commits suicide, and he is forced to grow up quickly and learn to survive in the 1870s western frontier. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Unfortunately, the setup was my life. My father killed himself when I was young, much younger than Ian but for the book I had to start at a point that would have moved the story forward in a better way. Also, I have always had a fascination with Western period movies and books so this just felt right. I had thought about how I wanted to present this for almost 14 years but I could never put it together right in my mind until recently when I thought I should base it on my own life and present it as I did.

What were the driving ideals behind the character’s development throughout the story?

This puzzle kind of fits itself together through the outline process in a way that shows Ian’s morals being formed before your eyes and making him into a hard character. Someone who is capable of being who he needs to be when he needs to be it. That process was honestly weird the way it worked out. Once I realized I should base it on my life experiences it flowed out of me like a river and it still is. The timing or storyboard if you will really is just flowing out of me right now. All the characters in the book are based on real people throughout my life and for better or for worse the story flows from that. In some of the storytelling it is more metaphorical in nature such as relationships ending with a killing to simulate the severing of the relationship and communications. I was not a good person when I was younger, I knew that the few lucky breaks I’ve had have helped me be a better person; it was an iffy proposition for a portion of my life.

One of the biggest drivers of the character development is my Psychology background, through my life’s ups and downs I was able to pay attention or look back and see the triggers and what really happened to me from a development point of view. To me, the best stories have solid character development.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

Well, suicide was for me the biggest one. It is the most influential act that happened in my life that has made me who I am today and who I will be in the future; it is not understated to say it transforms me every day. Alcoholism was another battle I had to overcome in my life, it occupied a large portion of my childhood and adulthood, luckily for me I was able to stop when I met my wife – she has made me a better person. Violence also is a big part of life for some people, it was for me without a doubt. How Ian learns to build relationships also is another theme of building friendships that he has trouble with. It seems to me that when someone has harsh life experiences it is more difficult for them to be around “normal” people, experience is a difficult pill to swallow for some.

Where does the story go in the next book, and where do you see it going in the future?

In the next book which I do not have a name for yet, I have only written about half a chapter so far but Ian is thrust back to the past at some point so you can see what he did in those 5 years alone that were kind of skipped by. You will also get to witness a confrontation with one of Ian’s closest friends who has different ideas about life, and a reunion. In the future, Ian will learn forgiveness and how to seek redemption. Ian will also find love and set his sights on a home but how long will that last?

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