We’re back with Part 2 of the The Enigma Dragon: A CATS Tale by Charles V Breakfield and Roxanne E Burkey Book Tour stop. Be sure to check out the Spotlight and Giveaway post.
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Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
Not really. We believe readers want to deal with the real author, rather than a wanna be.

Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
For us storytelling is all about being fresh, original, and entertaining.  Otherwise it feels as stale to us as it would the reader. In the Enigma Dragon, we answered the request to do a follow-on book featuring the CATS team. We wanted to retain the “grittiness” of this cyber hunting team, but we wanted it to be a fresh extension to its companion book The Enigma Gamers.  We believe readers will enjoy this compelling story.

Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?
We don’t see how that type of person could be an effective or good writer.  Even in our technical how-to manuals we were obsessed with debunking myths and delivering value.  We have to report though we get more amped up now on our techno-thrillers, than we did on data center upgrades.

What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
As part of the Texas Authors Association we have met some remarkable authors and poets. It is nice treat to exchange ideas and techniques with others in the field.  They put us on their website and we put them on ours in the Friends, Family, and Rock Stars category. Dr. Judith Briles, Mara Purl, Joann Giordano Wagner, Richard, Rieman, Jan Sikes, Ernie Lee, Kimberly Johnson Fish, and Caleb Pirtle III are some very talented authors we can count as friends.

Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
Each book in our series is crafted to stand by itself but also to contribute to the series overall.  With the Enigma Dragon – A CATS Tale we continue this team series. It is important each book stands on its own, though they are richer when read in order.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Read more then go practice more writing.

How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
Our first book was more of an assembly exercise for the publisher and honestly not very satisfying.  Once we became INDIE authors we learned about all the backend processes which can and do consume a lot of writing time.  In the music world you read all the time where a small but talented group is told by audiences and even other well-known groups to start doing your own stuff. It was a defining moment for us as well.

What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
It would have to be paying for a genre editor to analyze our story.  She found things that we as authors simply did not see. This gave this story the extra polish that we are justifiably proud of.

Thanks to iREAD Book Tours for this content.