I am excited to welcome author R.K. Gold. He has agreed to answer a few questions about himself and his work. I hope that you will enjoy this little insight into R.K. Gold.

1. Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Buffalo, NY. After earning a degree from the University of Maryland and living for a few months in Montana, I moved back to my hometown.
2. What have you written and in what genre?
When I first started writing full time, in February 2014, I almost exclusively got published for poetry. I wrote my first book in March 2014, but still have not done anything with it. You know how it is with your firsts; they are your babies and you just want them to be perfect before you show the world. I published Just Under the Sky in October 2015.
3. How long does it take you to write a book?
Depends. The fastest I have written a rough draft is 7 days (Just over 50,000 words). But editing takes me a couple months.
4. Where do you get your ideas for your books?
I’m not sure. They just sort of come to me after taking my dog for walks. Two miles with him and I have at least the basic outline to a book.
5. What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I read daily; I workout; I listen to a lot of music (every genre); I take my dog for walks; I am a huge Buffalo Sports fan; I go to the movies because there is just something about seeing a movie in the theatre; sometimes I try to learn a new language on Youtube; and I play a little Xbox.

6. How many books have you written and which is your favorite?
I have written 9 manuscripts so far. One was published (Just Under the Sky October 2015). Two of them are set to be published in 2016 (possibly a third). The rest are in different stages of editing. I am not sure which one is my favorite.
7. Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?
Read and write every day. And if you ever have a question, Google it. Google is the best mentor.
8. What in your experience is the best way to promote a book?
Have a publisher who really cares about your work. In other words, don’t use vanity publishing companies that make you pay. I have heard plenty of horror stories from other authors about how they were completely ripped off.
9. What was the hardest part about writing your books?
Finishing them. No matter how much momentum you have, the closer you get to the end the easier it is to lose focus and procrastinate.
10. Who are some of your favorite authors?
Kurt Vonnegut, Ernest Hemingway, John Grisham, Jonathan Swift, Orson Scott Card, Lemony Snicket, Stephen King, Alan Moore.
11. What do you read in your free time?
I’m not married to one genre. I read a lot of indie authors like Nico Laeser, Max Power, Lesley Hayes, and Silas Payton. I also read a lot of Young Adult, and the classics. I’m also currently reading Saving Capitalism by Robert Reich, which discusses the state of the Economy.
12. What projects are you working on at the present?
I have two projects coming out in 2016 with my publisher Weasel Press. The first is a novella called Brinwood, which is coming out in the Spring. It is a violent novella about a man’s return to his hometown after it was taken over by a religious cult. The second book is titled God Hates You Too, and it’s about a man’s obsession with killing God.