Featured Author--Chris Lindberg

What inspires you as a writer?

More than anything, it’s the things I see and hear every day.  A conversation I might hear, a random thing I might notice, will sometimes make me stop and think, “could there be a story in that?”  It’s amazing how much source material is out there if you just keep your eyes and ears open to it.  

When did you have that ah ha moment when you knew you were a writer?

I think it kind of happened over time, where I just kept writing, and what I was creating kept getting better, and then before I knew it, I had a whole novel put together. 

What is your writing process?

The most important piece to me is finding a space to write: not only in the real world, but also in my mind.  In the real world, it just has to be a quiet space, where I can concentrate, without a lot of distractions.  In my mind, I have to clear space first: if I have too much on my mind with other matters, the writing doesn’t come well.  But going out for a run or bike ride does wonders for that. 

Tell us about your favorite character and why you chose to write about them? 

This is probably like choosing a favorite child, but I’ll do it anyway.  One of the two main characters in Code of Darkness is a vigilante named Rage.  I honestly can’t remember what inspired me to choose that name, but over time I found that it fit the character better than any other name I could’ve given him.  Rage is a loner, an outsider who doesn’t know much about his mysterious past until it catches up with him.  He’s the archetypical anti-hero: he doesn’t want to be a hero, but he ends up being one despite his best efforts not to.  I chose to write about him because I always enjoyed stories about darker, misunderstood figures who in the end wound up being forces for good: you probably shouldn’t have been rooting for them, but you found yourself doing it anyway, and in the end you wound up being happy that you did. 

What are you currently working on?

I’m bouncing back and forth between two projects: a coming-of-age space opera, and an apocalyptic thriller.  But I’m getting some welcome feedback from readers that I should be doing a sequel to Code of Darkness, so I suppose I’d better get working on that, too. 

Any upcoming events? 

I’m working on some local book signings in the Chicago area, no firm dates as of today, but please check the Code of Darkness Facebook page as well as www.codeofdarkness.com for updates.  

If you could be anyone you like, who would you be?

Wow, fun question.  In reality, I think I would want to be George Clooney.  He’s someone I really admire, and he just exudes coolness and confidence.  If it could be anyone fictional, I’d probably choose Superman.  It’d be cool to fly and lift heavy things.  

  Do you have any advice for new writers and something that a seasoned vet can learn?

For new writers, just keep at it.  Keep writing.  We’ve all heard the whole “your brain is a muscle” spiel, but we’ve heard it because it’s true.  The more you do it the better you’ll get.  And have fun with it -- it’s your own world you’re creating.  I’m not sure I have anything new for a seasoned vet, so I’ll just give a reminder to keep helping other writers out.  This space can be very competitive among writers, but it doesn’t need to be – we’re all creative minds, and we should support each other.  We can leave the competitive stuff for the agents and publishers to deal with. 

Where can your followers find you? 

I have a Facebook page for Code of Darkness, just log onto Facebook and search the title – you’ll see the image of the cover (right before or after a listing for a European band of the same name).  I also have a Twitter handle, Chrislindberg7.  And finally, you can always check for updates at www.codeofdarkness.com. 

Any last words? 

Thanks for having me on your blog!  For any of your readers that are interested in taking a closer look at Code of Darkness, there are previews of the first few chapters on both Amazon and on www.codeofdarkness.com for you to check out.  It’s getting good reviews so far, so if you like thrillers with a touch of sci-fi, I’m hopeful you’ll give it a try!  

Thank you for stopping by Chris. Please leave Chris a comment for your chance to win a signed copy or ebook!