Zachary Cooper interview

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

A little introduction:

Name is Zachary Cooper. I'm a proud fantasy nerd and gamer geek who lives in TX, recently moved. I am not just a plain author but have created a new company Lit2Animate LLC. I have a youtube channel as well. The company was formed to fund American animation done by small-scale companies to bring out more fun fantasy from American authors with fun and interesting stories. I'm working with one now who has an interesting survival story and many more fans than I do, but my work will go in multiple ways to fund multiple projects when possible.

When did your love of books begin?

As a proud geek and my first geekdom was like many, Tolkien. I listen to many more audiobooks these days than sit down and read a book, and for many recent years, fantasy has been my go-to genre. I have listened to dozens if not a couple of hundred audiobooks by now, much of it through fantasy and fiction. While listening I have thought how fun it would probably be to see the books on screen, not edited, but how the author wrote it, and that is my desire with my company.

I am a big gamer as well, video games in my early years and recently until I started my business and writing. I found the love in tabletop gaming in my teens, D&D, and other games like it have brought me out of my shell without question. I am over 40, and I am one of the younger players in my gaming group with others in their upper 40s and 50s, only a couple of them are younger than me.

When did you start to have the wish to become an author?

That has come out more recently. I write now because I have the means and time; my previous jobs have been preventing me from having much extra time to think about it, and my current job allows it, so I write. My stories stem from my gaming history, most of my characters in novels are characters I've played or know of people that have played in general. The new fantasy genre that has some gaming aspects are also what I write because it is what I want to read.

How have you found the process for becoming an author?

There is a lot of work, but I don't have a hard time finding story parts, due to my fantasy history. I used to be a storyteller, or game-master as it is sometimes called, and I wrote stories for them as well, my regular writing these days is how I would have liked some of those stories to go when they didn't go as partially planned.

What would you say to those wanting to become an author?

Go for it, but don't do write what others have written. Do something unique to get some people interested in what your next chapter will tell them. There are hundreds of authors out here, if you think you have something unique, go for it, but if you want to tell a story like another you've read or heard, think of something new, or you will write with no one interested. 

Tell us about your book/books:

As noted, my work is based in modern fantasy. There are plenty of kid-friendly stories out there, mine are a bit more adult, perhaps teens can make it through the first story trilogy I wrote without wincing, but it would depend on their will. I do not write of white-knight heroes or anti-heroes, but neutral characters who wouldn't consider themselves good in most ways. 

First trilogy of 3 books are of a vampire in modern days just trying to get by. A group of other vampires in the city back him up when needed, he uses his powers to investigate crimes and make a good reputation with the police, even though they don't know why they like him much. It might have a bit to deal with considering he uses his blood and mind-manipulation to help them see it that way. I could have read it when I was a teen, but don't know the will and fortitude of those these days. There are mature, non-naughty scenes, fights, and descriptions. 

Currently, I am almost finished with another start of a series of a main character a figuratively hippy werewolf who is going after 'the man', in this case doing what his colleague werewolves haven't done over many decades. These businesses have been ruining the planet, and he will actually be doing something about it. The series will be more kid-friendly, but there will be described violence. 

My Amazon author page to see all of my stories, https://amazon.com/author/zackc

What do you love about the writing/reading community?

I love the interest and support, and I hope to be a large helper of others in the industry. I'm not just writing to be an author, any funding in my work will be done to fund other author animations done by small-business-animation companies in America. My company, Lit2Animate LLC, has a non-profit avenue to increase funds, it qualifies for grants that most would not, and I am working on that front to help other authors get their interesting stories to more of those that would like their stories. I might just find a writer in the community with something interesting and fun to help them get their story into animation.

If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?

More is in my head to write, and I have plenty more to say 'on paper' you just have to let me know if you want to hear more.

Where can people connect with you?

Most social media platforms as Lit2Animate LLC, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram or through this email, Lit2animate@gmail.com, and my Amazon author page to see all of my stories, https://amazon.com/author/zackc