From Martial Arts to Israel to the Zulu War to Football

I have written four books, and have started a fifth. But unlike some authors, I'm an author who doesn't stick to just one genre. Obviously, Killer of Killers and Killer Eyes are martial arts action books. That genre could be called Thriller or Action Adventure. The Vase is set in Israel, and has to do with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, so that genre could be called Suspense or Intrigue. John Dunn, Heart of a Zulu is definitely Historical Fiction, even though many of the events that take place are not fiction and the characters really lived, and really did most of the things they do in the book.

But my latest novel, Second Chance, which I've only just begun, by the way, is a football story. I'm not sure what genre that is, maybe Sports. And the funny thing about that one is that I actually dreamed the story. Not from beginning to end, but I dreamed the plot of the story. I'm inundated with football right now. My oldest son played at his high school, and was a great player, earning All League, Most Valuable, and League Offensive Player of the Year awards. He just played in the North South Charlie Wedemeyer High School All Star game, and he even scored a touchdown in that game.

My youngest son is starting up in Pop Warner football at this time, and will be having his first football practice tomorrow. I'm the kind of father that goes, not only to every game, but to the practices as well. And maybe it's because of all this football around me, not to mention my own football memories, that prompted the dream. But I thought it was a great story, so I started writing it. But that's four different genres with five books.

I've heard that authors should stick to one genre. That way they have a platform, or a brand. Their brand is the genre they write, and their platform, like a blog, will focus on all things that include that genre. Well, I can't do that. I think it's because I have a lot of different interests. I love martial arts action movies, for one thing. And that's why I wanted to write about the world's greatest martial artist in my Killer books.I have an interest in Ceramics, being a ceramics teacher, so that's why I wanted to write The Vase. I have an interest in the Anglo Zulu War, and that's why I wrote John Dunn. And I have an interest in football, thus Second Chance.

Even though I do plan to write a third book in the Killer series, it's not unlikely I will stray to yet another genre altogether, one which I haven't written in yet, and that is what I intend to do with an MG/YA book I've been planning called Inside the Outhouse. And what is my interest that sparked that idea? I'm a Middle School teacher! So having an interest in what my job involves led directly to the idea for that future book. And that would make five different genres. We'll see what else pops up.