Please introduce yourself and tell us about your background as a writer.
A man of nine and twenty years, I, David Carter, hail from the City of Angels, where beauty and ugliness are seen throughout. In my late twenties, and without sounding like an angsty teenager, I have had my eyes opened to the stark realities of life, which, like my city, are tinged with dull hues like the concrete walls of sweatshops and vibrant, eye-catching paints like the graffiti that interrupts the monotony of said walls.

For ten years now, I have been writing, though it has been mostly for fun. There is also this local community of writers that I interact with, and it is they who have mostly read what I wrote in that decade. It is just a group of people with a love for reading and writing, not linked with the "professionals," but in whom that love is nonetheless clearly seen.

What are the most prominent influences on your writing? How do you incorporate those influences without being derivative?
There are many authors whose wonderful works influence my own. Among them are Lord Dunsany with his magical prose, Moorcock with his curt style, and Howard, whose worlds teem with gigantic melancholy and deep mirth. Scripture affects my views, and so it can be seen in my writing. Biblical commentators such as Rashi and Charles John Ellicott might also have their presence felt in what I write. I would also be remiss to not include John J. Parsons as an influence. His writings, in particular, have deeply moved me and spoken to my soul.

All of these influences are blended inside me so that when I write, you will, perhaps, see them, and if you do, it will not be in whole.

"There is no new thing under the sun," yes, but there is ever only one You at any point in history. You, with your suffering and struggles, you, with your distant hopes and dark desires. My hopes and my regrets flash through what I write, and those things are unique to me. Thus, what I produce cannot be perfectly derivative.

With self-publishing easier than ever, there are tons of books being released every day. What makes your work stand out from the crowd? What can readers get out of your work that they can’t from anyone else?
I think that my audacity in wanting to include God (or at least, a conception inspired by certain aspects of the Judeo-Christian Deity) will set me apart. Nevertheless, I must admit that I am still very much an unknown person, and it won't be until I get more stories published that I will be able to tell. As it is, I have been praised for my ability to describe in the past.

Many authors say marketing is one of their biggest challenges. What tactics have you found to be most effective for getting your name out there?
I have employed no strategy whatsoever yet. Die By the Sword Volume II will mark the first time I am published, and so only time will tell what I might do to get my name out there. Of course, social media appears to be the foremost way to spread knowledge about oneself, so that will factor into any plan I conceive.

How much do your audience’s expectations factor in to what you write? Does this ever cause you to hold back from experimenting?
I write what I want to write, yes, but that does not mean I write only for myself. I write also to entertain, to provide diversion, hopefully. If a story is not fun or interesting when it comes to fiction, is there any point to it? Necessarily, then, I try to include points that I think a reader might appreciate. If I fail, I fail. But at least I tried, and trying is better than not trying.

Have you had any new stories published recently? Are you currently working on any?
As I mentioned above, Die By the Sword Volume II will be my authorial debut. I finished a short story that follows up on where the novelette in that anthology left off. And I am currently working on another short story. As for where or if they will even be published, it is yet to be seen. For now, I am prioritizing the creative process.

Name one newer and one older book you have read and enjoyed recently. (“Newer” meaning from the past year or so, and “older” meaning written before 1980.)
From the free ebook graciously provided by DMR Books, The Infernal Bargain and Other Stories, I read "The Gift of the Ob-Men" by Schuyler Hernstrom. It was a delightful read, and I was taken by certain passages that read like those of the authors I love. I can see why he has a following, and I might look into some of his other stories later.

For older works, I am currently reading the Solomon Kane stories by Robert E. Howard. I absolutely love the character, perhaps more than Conan or Kull.

Any final words?
I hope that readers might find enjoyment in my "In the Wake of the Red Sun." Thank you all for your time, and this I truly mean. Time here is precious, dear, and fleeting, friends. A virtual fist bump to you all.