Seven Story Publishing

Written Author Interview

What inspired you to write this book?

I always liked the idea of of heroes vs. villains, but I wanted to come at it from a different angle. We hear about “everyday heroes” and I thought, why not have guys that end up being heroes just for doing their jobs right? And also there was the idea that the world is a lot bigger than we might think it is, and that despite that even seemingly insignificant people can have an important role in it.

How did you choose the title? Does it hold special meaning to you?

For the initial “T & T” part, I just thought that it sounded like a cool business title that a couple of teenagers might come up with on the fly. The overarching “D-Storm Journals” title came from the idea that these are actually the documentations of scientists, and that each section (or “Entry”) of the series somehow ties to the Dimensional Storms a.k.a. D-Storms. It does hold some meaning to me, since the D-Storms themselves are all about changes, whether it be minor, major, weird, abrupt, etc. And in life we tend to be thrown in different directions depending on the changes we encounter as we go through it.

Can you share your process of writing and how long it took to complete the book?

I usually come up with a general outline of an escapade, then I just tend to fill in the blanks with dialogue, panels and descriptions of the world(s) and action. This first volume actually started as just a single panel sketch, and I just went with it as I added more panels. The first part (“Birth of the BioEarth”) was a short story I had created for a contest in college (which I won!), and I wanted to get an outsider’s perspective on how something like a D-Storm would change their life, especially if they had no idea what it was. The book itself took maybe about 2-3 weeks to put together (not counting interruptions and life in general…)

Were there any challenges you faced while writing or publishing it?

I had to clean up a lot of the panels and put in some new ones, so that took time. Then there was the formatting I had to do so that it could fit with Amazon’s standards, which, when you’re first starting out, can take a bit of time to pull off. Other than that, it wasn’t too hard. My biggest challenge to this date, is advertising. I don’t have an agent yet, so the hustle is all through word of mouth and social media.

How do you feel about sharing your work with the world?

I LOVE IT! I’ve got plenty of stories to tell, and I want to share them with everyone. That’s also why that (at least for now) all my books are inexpensive: $7.00 or less. Unless it’s a series bible/encyclopedia (& when I get a book deal), I’ll keep the price low so everyone can buy it or will want to take a chance on the series.

Are there any parts or characters in the book that are especially personal or meaningful to you?

I like the 2 leads, because they’re basically just parts of me doing what I would do in the situations they find themselves in. They have the ability to be competent but aren’t always competent, and I admit that as 1 of my flaws. They tend to goof off a lot too, and I like to see the humor in life also.

What do you hope readers will take away from this book?

Challenges and changes are part of life, and you come out a better person when you face them instead of running or hiding from them. Also it’s good to be around people that will make you better as a person, not one that will devolve you.

Did you experience any memorable moments during the research or creation of the book?

I remember thinking that this was truly the 1st time the very foundation of my entire series had been put into the public eye. The other 2 books I had released before this one are also part of the same series, but those characters hadn’t been with me since middle school like T & T had. They were the ones that were responsible for everything that came after them, so they have a special place in my writing escapade.

What surprised you the most about the publishing journey?

How easy it is to do it! (It’s the advertising that’ll kill ya’.) And also how much patience is involved with getting a literary agent…it’s like you’re told you need to find a baseball in the ocean, but the trick is that you have to stumble on the secret that you have an infinite amount of air once you get in the water and the sea life and pressure won’t affect you. There’s an agent out there for everyone, you just need to find them.

Do you already have ideas or plans for your next project?

Absolutely. I’ve outlined my entire series, and right now I’m working on releasing all of the “necessary reading” for new readers before I get to the stuff that’ll require “homework” if you start from there. At the same time I’m seeing what can be turned into screenplays so I can shop some more TV/movie ideas as well. As of right now, I’m working on the 4th T & T book’s panels and my 2nd artbook of the series. (Once I fill it up, I’m releasing it!)

Follow and Connect with Anthony “A.S.” Aaron

Social Media

My Instagram: @dstormjournalist

Where I sell gear: Redbubble.com (look for “DStormwear”!)

My website (still under construction, but hey it’s there…): https://dstormjournalist.wixsite.com/welcometothexroads

My email (which I love for fans to have; I’ve got no problem answering questions about the series or even sending sketches!): dstormjournalist@gmail.com

About the Author

I’m A.S. Aaron, and I have a knack for writing action sci-fi stories! (I do some sketching too!) I’ve been writing, sketching and creating the characters of the ‘D-Storm Journals’ universe since 8th grade(1994), and haven’t stopped yet! It took me a long time to get it out to the public, since I honestly didn’t know how to go about it, and I hadn’t copyrighted any of the material yet. But once that happened, I slowly started getting all the notes and sketches together, and final finished an actual book! Funny thing was the parts that were finished were supposed to be for later on, so you’ll notice that the books aren’t in sequential order at first. (For the most part…) However, I made sure that the books I released first can be read without new readers getting lost. (If you observe each ‘Entry’ number, you can figure out the order the entire series runs in. Later on I’ll also release some sort of ‘Story Atlas’ so that those that still find themselves lost won’t have to stay that way…) I also wanted to make sure the price was low enough for new readers to take a chance on, which I will do my best to continue. My end goal is for my entire masterpiece to be in print and on book shelves, so I’ll keep producing until I run out of stories! I also love to collaborate with other writers and artists, and have no problem with other artists and writers wanting to create stories with them in it! (As long as they consult me first and I get my cut as well. Ha ha ha!)

A special thanks to all you spy, monster, action and sci-fi fans out there(& even if you’re not…) who wanted to get to know my characters in any and or all the series. Your reading encourages me to keep putting out the escapades, and I’ll do my best to make you all lifelong fans! Thanks again to you all, and be sure to keep it real!

(I enjoy feedback as well, so always feel free to leave reviews and or email at: ‘dstormjournalist@gmail.com’! Also, to see my sketch collection of some of the series’ characters, as well as a preview of my 1st graphic novel ‘XrOads Vol.1-Paz’, check out my website at: http://dstormjournalist.wixsite.com/welcometothexroads)