Text of Ken [Complete]

Smashwords Author Interview

Question: When did you first start writing?

Ken Poirier: I wrote my first series of short stories and comic books when I was seven. My younger self was certainly more action oriented. Star Wars and Saturday Morning Cartoons were a big influence as a child.

Q: What's the story behind your latest book?

KP: The idea behind The Bear Wife was to write a classic fairy tale in the culture of the early Seneca Indians. I didn't see why Fairy Tales had to be so violent. I basically did the opposite of what Disney did in there version of Beauty and the Beast.

Q: What motivated you to become an indie author?

KP: I hate working for other people. My regular business is a video game company called Legendary Power and there is so much involved in developing a game. With writing, it is just you and the page. Nothing to get in the way but yourself.

Q: Who are your favorite authors?

KP: I'm a huge Phillip K Dick fan. Dirty, ugly, and broken futures; I love them.

Q: What is your writing process?

KP: I'm really big on the research part. Sometimes I wish that was all I had to do. Studying culture, time periods, sociology, and technology is just completely mesmerizing to me. Then I just kind of imagine myself in that life and I'll just do that for weeks, daydreaming. Then when I have the story, I go into an outlining process, followed by what I lovingly refer to as "the grind".

Q: What is your e-reading device of choice?

KP: I got an old nook that I really like. e-paper. No back light. battery last forever. Although, lately I've been using my phone because I can access all my books on one device.

Q: Do you remember the first book you ever read?

KP: Treasure Island. It was a first edition print and I colored in it with crayons. That's one way to get a nice book as a gift from your grandpa. :)

Originally Published 2015-01-11.