A Little Q+A with Vincent Lowry

Hey Guys!
So today I am introducing you to the talented Vincent Lowry, author of Dreams Reign Supreme. I will be asking him some questions for you all to read over and enjoy!
Hope it helps you get a better insight into him and his novel!

Hello Vince, and welcome to A Daydreamer’s Thoughts! Let’s start with something simple, tell us a little bit about yourself, anything you would like your readers to know.
I was born in New Mexico, and I went to college in New Orleans. Most of my stories involved experiences from these two places. For me, my stories are only credible if I have a good idea about the culture and background of my characters. Research can sometimes help fill the gap when delving into cities I’ve never seen, but nothing substitutes actually living in the area.

Writing what you know is the advice most frequently given, so it’s nice to see it actually happen! I’m curious then, how long have you wanted to be a writer?
I’ve wanted to be a writer ever since I was in high school. I loved the creativity of filling a blank page. I was inspired by the idea that I could do it anywhere, anytime I found the time.

It is such a glorious concept. Those are your words! So, what I’m sure everyone wants to know is, when you’re not typing away at the keyboard coming up with new ideas, what do you do?
Well, I also do a good deal of photography. It is said that a picture says 1,000 words, so for me it’s my way of cheating a little when I want to get my point across right away. Photography also fits in well with my poetry because both my pictures and poems often involve nature. Getting out in the wild (or even just around the city parks) is a great way of relaxing and creating at the same time.

So now we know more about you, but what about your book? What is it all about?
Dreams Reign Supreme is a collection of short stories and poetry. I’ve previously published several of the pieces that appear in the book, and I wanted to combine them together in a way that best entertains the reader. So far the reception has been wonderful! :)

That’s great to hear! It seems like a nice way of doing this, but what inspired you to write a book in this way?
I’ve never seen a book that rotates between short story and poetry. I’ve seen collections that are purely one or the other, but nothing that combines both together, chapter after chapter. I thought this would make a neat book.

I think you’re probably right there! Aside from this, would you say there was an interesting background to your book?
Yes. As mentioned above, most of my backgrounds come from places I’ve seen and experienced at some point in my life. This was far different from my first novel, Constellation Chronicles, because that book was set in space. That’s kinda hard to visit. Haha!

Yes, yes it is. Now we know more about the style of your new novel, who would you say was your target audience?
My target audience is young adults and adults, male and female. It’s a bit too advanced for kids under 12.

And did you have any writing influences for these two novels?
I’ve always admired Carl Sagan, Stephen King, Frank McCourt, Frank Darabont, and Tony Hillerman. They are the rock stars for me.

Some great writers indeed! I’ve gotten this far without mentioning it, but what was your favourite part about writing Dreams Reign Supreme?
My favorite part is seeing the story come alive. For example, Paranormal Lists came to me so easily that I felt I was actually living the life of the main character. That short story was a blast to write. I wish I could say the same about all stories (some of them take a lot of pushing to get through).

Obviously there a lot of different stories in this novel, so how did you go about selecting the short-stories and poems, was it theme based, or other?
It’s a mix. Sometimes it’s theme based, sometimes it’s just the character that comes to me. Going back to Paranormal Lists, it was the main character I saw in my mind before I started writing the story: a psychic burdened with his gifts of foresight.

Sounds absolutely fascinating! Other than Dreams Reign Supreme and Constellation Chronicles, do you have any more books already written, or on the way, or both?
Yes, my third book is a collection of poetry I will be publishing in the next year. My fourth book is a young adult, coming-of-age novel I had actually written over ten years ago. (This was actually the first book I wrote.)

And finally, do you have any advice for any aspiring writers out there?
My advice is to create. To endless write and ignore all pessimism and skepticism. It’s the finished novel/short story/poem that stands the test of time. If you never write what’s in your heart, you’ll never see the true beauty of what you can become.

and a quick fire round;
ebooks or hard copies?
Both. I like ebooks because they are better for the environment, and I like hard copies because sometimes I just need the feel of the book in my hands.
day or night?
I’ve always been a night owl. Maybe this will change in the coming years???
reading or writing? Both. You have to do both. There are no exceptions to this rule.
paper or computer?
Well, a computer spits out paper so… :)
tea or coffee? Iced tea. I get bad migraines if I have hot liquids. It’s very strange, I know…
favourite book of the moment?
Steve Jobs. That was a great read!
most memorable book?
Watership Down. What a book! That’s another author I highly admire!

Thank You Vince, for taking the time to talk with me today! It was a pleasure.

If you would like to know more about Vince you can find him on Goodreads, here