Interview: Tony Peters

On Sunday, I posted a review of Kids on a Case: The Ten Grand Kidnapping, by Tony Peters.  You can read the review here if you missed it.  I am honored to have Tony join us today for an interview here at Write for a Reader.

Tony Peters enjoys working with children and writes to bring the enjoyment of reading to them. He plans on continuing his career as a writer and already has other books in the works. He lives in Swift Current, SK with his wife, Karen. You can find Tony and an excerpt of his book on his website, Tony's Writing.  He has also started doing book reviews himself on his blog.

First of all, thank you Tony, for agreeing to this interview.  I know that you are just getting started with getting your book and your name out there, so I am honored that you chose me.  I really enjoyed reading and reviewing your book.  It is always nice to be able to introduce my readers to the person behind the books I review.

Write For A Reader (WFAR):  Please tell us a little about yourself.


Tony Peters (TP):  I guess I can start at the beginning. I was born in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada, and I was raised in Swift Current, Saskatchewan. I have my Youth Care Worker Certificate, and my General Biblical Studies Certificate. I love working with kids, so having written a young reader book kind of suits as it gives me a chance to interact with kids. I will have been married for two years as of May 12 (I know I am only 21, but I am proud to be happily married to my high school sweetheart). I love reading, and have been reading novels since as far back as I can remember. Being a published writer is a dream come true and I hope to make a full time career out of it.

WFAR:  When did you start writing?

TP:  I think I started writing when I was eight or nine, I am not sure which. When I learned how to write stories I was hooked, I couldn’t stop writing. Looking back they seem really lame, almost funny, but hey we all have to start somewhere right? I started taking writing as a serious career path when I took Creative Writing in high school, and I haven’t stopped pushing onward since. I love to encourage kids to write if that’s what they are passionate about. Pursue the dream, and don’t let any failures get in the way. Persevere through the trials and you can’t go wrong, the only thing you can do is learn from your mistakes/experiences and carry on.

WFAR:  Do you have writing “mentors?” If so, who are they?

TP:  My favorite author growing up was definitely Louis L’Amour. His westerns helped give me the desire to read more, to engross myself in moments from the past. His work gave the ambition to strive to improve my writing, even now I am still learning how to write, and I hope that I never feel I have learned everything there is to know about this amazing craft. In a close second would be Franklin W. Dixon, I loved reading his mysteries, but I don’t know if he was really a writing mentor. He was more of a favorite childhood author.

WFAR:  What was your inspiration for Kids on a Case?

TP:  My inspiration… good question, I guess that I remembered reading a lot of mystery books growing up that dealt with really childish mysteries and I always wanted to find a mystery writer who wrote more adult situation mysteries for kids. When I couldn’t find any (with exception to the Hardy Boy Series) I decided to create one myself, and so began the creation of characters, setting, and plot (all before I thought of writing as a career choice). The characters in my book come from a combination of my school friends. None of the characters are created from one person. They are all little pieces of people’s characters.

WFAR:  Your book deals with kidnapping. Why did you choose that particular topic?

TP:  I figured that kidnapping was a good adult topic that wouldn’t cross lines with gruesomeness. Also, every mystery writer does murder, to write another one would be over-killing an already over-killed topic. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good murder mystery, it’s just overdone is all. A kidnapping would also allow the group more leverage to find their own clues. In a murder the police would guard the crime scene too heavily.

WFAR:  What’s next for you as an author? Do you have anything in the works?

TP:  I am currently in the process of editing a sequel, called Kids on a Case: Hunting Black Dragon (that is the planned title, but it could change). It will be longer, and the language difficulty steps up just a little. I think that it is better written than the last one, and it doesn’t include the annoying repeat page (Yes I too find that annoying, and if I could go back I would find a way to avoid it). This one involves more danger and intrigue. I throw in a weird twist that turns it into a double-mystery and gives someone else a chance to take a lead role in the group. I am also working on an Adult war book, and a drama that could be YA or Adult fiction.

WFAR:  What is your favorite piece that you have written?

TP:  I haven’t written a lot as of yet, but I would have to say that the sequel is my favorite so far, I can’t wait until I can actually afford to have it edited.

WFAR:  What do you like to do when you are not writing?

TP:  I like to play strategic/sports video games, hang with friends, watch movies, and I love to be around kids. Kids are so unpredictable that I can’t help but be happy when I am around them. Oh and I love to watch four TV series’, Stargate Atlantis, How I met Your Mother, Bones, and The Office.

WFAR:  Describe your writing atmosphere…where do you write, when, etc?

TP:  I tend to write in my office at home, with music blaring to drown out all distractions. I used to write during college classes as the ideas would usually flow while I was sitting there bored in class. The time used to vary, as I was always writing in class, but now I find that I get more accomplished if I write in the morning, otherwise it is too difficult to motivate myself. When I write I find I like typing it as I think better than writing it down. It is too much of a drag to try typing it afterwards.

WFAR:  How do you feel about book bloggers reviewing your books?

TP:  This is my first blog review, but I am honored to have anyone reviewing my book. I love to get feedback so that I know what to/not to do next time. I am always looking for ways to improve my writing. ‘Listen to the reader and you will be successful,’ is what I like to tell the kids I do book readings for. The reviewer is the voice of the reader, their advice is important.

WFAR:  What are some of your favorites? Author, food, color, book, any others…

TP:  Favorite author… growing up it was the two afore mentioned authors, but now I would have to say J.R.R Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis, which is kind of funny because they used to be friends. They use imagery so well and are very creative. I respect them greatly. I only wish that they were alive today for me to get advice from. Favorite food would have to be lasagna and Caesar Salad. Favorite color is green. Favorite car is the Viper, or maybe even the Porsche Carrera GT. Favorite book…that is a really hard question, there are so many. It could be The Survivor by Robb White, or maybe the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, oh and The Hobbit (all by J.R.R. Tolkien).

WFAR:  Is there anything else that you would like readers to know?

TP:  I dream of volunteering in an orphanage in Africa one day. I also hope to adopt at least one child. When I start earning more money I hope to donate a pile of money to various charities on a regular basis. I would love to make the world a better/safer place for children to grow up in, and so I love to work with kids, whether through volunteering, or through my subbing as a Teacher’s Aide.

Thank you again Tony for talking with me.  I can't wait to read the sequel real soon!