I write book reviews on my blog, can I get a copy of Jaden Baker?
There are several ways to get a copy of my book, the most economical (for both of us) is to get the ebook, which sells for $3.99, arrives instantly, and has no shipping charge. If your book review site/blog has thousands of followers and you review books frequently and honestly, then I’m happy to gift you a copy of the Kindle ebook. Because the book is precious to me I will not send a PDF, as a PDF can be easily shared, and thus I’d lose control of my work.
Have you written any other books?
Jaden Baker is my first published novel. It took six years of planning and problem solving, culminating in a start-to-finish writing session in the Summer of 2010. For more information on how Jaden came to be, read Where Jaden came from: the conception of a story.
Are you writing a new book?
Yes, I think so. I’m always working on something. Whether or not I publish and share it depends on how the project(s) turn out.
Review Copy Request
Spoiler related questions about Jaden Baker. You’ve been warned.
I wanted to see Madrid’s demise. Why didn’t you show it?
I had planned on it, actually, but when I got to the scene, the book came to what I call a “natural end.” I thought Ethan saying, “Mr. Madrid, I believe you been expecting me,” was neater than going into the final and painful moments of his death. There are some things better left to your imagination, and I also didn’t think anything I could write would measure up to your expectations of what he deserved. The book is about Jaden anyway, and not Ethan. If given the choice between making his enemy suffer, or having Libby in his arms beside him, I think he’d chose the latter. He’s a softy at heart.
Where did you get the idea of Joseph Madrid and some of the things he does?
You’re asking/wondering about this because you may be worried for me, yeah? One of my aunts asked me if I’d spent time in a Turkish prison. Madrid is a twisty villain, and one I doubt I’ll be able to top. The short answer is that he came with the rest of the story. If you’d like the long explanation, you should read the blog post about him: Joseph Madrid.
Who or what is Seth?
Good question. I have my idea of who he is, but I’d much rather hear your theory.
I will say this, though: At his core, Seth is a protector. He’s around to keep Jaden safe. That doesn’t mean that Seth is perfect, that’s just one thing that Seth does…
I was confused at the end… Jaden says that Seth said something and that Seth was always right, but then the scene cut away from Jaden. What was he talking about?
If you were to read the book again, you’d find this little “easter egg” in Chapter Thirteen. It’ll be much more fun for you to find it than for me to say it. Trust me 
Is Jaden based on a real person?
Goodness no, at least I hope not! Poor bloke. Aside from the whole psychokinesis thing, Jaden seems real because he was real to me. He lived in my head for a long time, and I fell in love with him. I admire his strength, his good heart, sarcasm, quick wit, and thirst for knowledge. I miss him terribly. He was my friend for years, keeping me company. Or maybe he was demanding that I let him out of my head. Depends on how you look at it, I suppose.
Writers write from experience, so what in this story have you experienced?
Fiction writers base a lot of their stories on their imaginations. I doubt that Anne Rice spent time with vampires in Louisiana, or that Tom Clancy has been on classified missions to Columbia, or that Neil Gaiman fell into the gap to London Below. We live in our heads. Writers are observers of people, and creating believable characters is key to a good story. Experiences outside of that are secondary (in my opinion).
Having said that, there are two things I did experience that I included in the novel:
- I’ve been stuck in traffic on 580 in Livermore, California (I used to live there). Jaden got stuck in traffic going east on 580 after escaping. He, of course, has the ability to move cars out of his way, and then destroys a helicopter that’s chasing him. I had to wait…
- I love galloping on my horse, regardless of if the other person riding with me doesn’t care for it. Jaden’s mount “Monty” is based heavily on my current horse, Dante, who’s as lazy as they come until a little competition is introduced. Then Dante is a powerful speed machine. But only if he’s racing.
Did I miss any questions? If so, please post in the comment section.