SB: Ed, what made you want to be an author? At what age did you start telling stories and then writing them down?

EM: I come from a Hispanic family with deep Native American roots. Story telling is in our blood. I have very fond memories of sitting around with family and listening to their stories. They had beginnings, middles, and ends. The funny stories had to be really funny. The dramatic ones had to be full of pathos. And acting them out and doing the voices was important.

When I was a child, living in my beloved Bronx, New York, on Sundays I would always go to church. Yep, Catholic school education. After our mandatory visit, my friend Nando and I would go the Circle theatre in Parkchester for the double feature. I have to confess that some of the money didnt make it into the collection plate just so that we could have a few snacks during the movie.

Once I got home, my mother would have me tell her the whole story of the movie while she prepared and cooked dinner. My grandmother encouraged me to write my own stories down. I truly believe that those tellings started me on my way. Movies and storytelling lead me to the theatre, and thats where my creative engine really started to hum.
SB: What do you like best about being a writer?

EM: Oh no, youve inadvertently stumbled on to my biggest secret. Im almost hesitant to say it. Okay, twist my arm. I am not fond of writing. I know. Heresy. But sadly its true. I seriously marvel at writers who sit and knock out five, six, eight thousand words a day. I wish I had that gift. Dont get me wrong, when Im on a roll I can close in on a writing target very quickly. But Im one of those that has to be in the right mood to get the work done, and that can be a chore.

I am lucky to have many gifts. I can direct and produce a production like nobodys business. Love it. I can edit the hell out of a video piece. Love it. I love to write but its a gift that does not come easily. I know there are others out there like me. We remain quiet in our self imposed guilt. I say let your procrastination flag fly. I say open your window and shout to the world I love writing, but damn it sucks when I first sit down to do it!!

Now, being a Libra, all things have an opposite side in order to maintain a balance. The key to that exclamation is the word love. Torture me a bit and Ill say it. I do love writing. Once Im there. Once Im in it. There really is nothing like it. So, if you need to make sure there are three white candles lit in the room before you sit, then do it. If you need to clean your apt or house completely before you begin, knock yourself out. Just make sure that at some point you do sit, and get the story told. You know youll love it. When its done.
SB: With your extensive theater background, why did you decide to write a young adult, forensic, steampunk fantasy novel?

EM: The Mathias Bootmaker trilogy is full of theatre, and creativity, and color, and light. It is also full of the dark. When a theatre is closed for the night one light is always left on. Its placed center stage. Its there to keep the spirits away. Its called the ghost light. The faces of comedy and tragedy are there to remind us that light and dark go hand in hand.

Theatre was and is an important part of my life and I wanted it to be an important part of the world of Mathias Bootmaker. The story lives in a world called Sandbox Harbor. It is the place where all imagination comes from. Its partly the story of how that place came to be. How could it not involve theatre and the arts. When our ancestors first gathered around a fire they learned to communicate with grand gestures, musical sounds, interpretive dance and images painted on a wall.
SB: When people talk about the worlds oldest profession theyve got it all wrong. Acting is the worlds oldest profession, and theatre became its form.

EM: The forensic part? That comes from my love of Sherlock Holmes. I love drama and mystery together. If youre going to read the Mathias Bootmaker books then youre agreeing to go on a mysterious and sometimes confusing journey. I want my readers thinking along with my characters. Im not going to tell you everything but Ill give you everything in the end. Mathias himself is good at putting pieces together. His powers of observation are born of Mr. Holmes and are there to guide my readers.
SB: Are you a plotter or a planner, i.e., do you outline your books ahead of time or are you an organic writer?

EM: Every writer has their own thing, and it all works as long as it produces good work. I always start with the title. First a story will begin to form. Most times its a phrase or a sentence. Then I need a title to guide me. Next comes structure. Im often told that my writing is cinematic. It always makes me smile because I approach any story as a screenwriter would. Its a classic structure. Three acts. Each act bridged by a compelling push to the next. Each act has an arc that leads to the bridge. Cut anything that doesnt move the story forward.

Once the structure is in place its time to listen to your characters and tell them where you need them to be. As a stage director I would always tell my actors Let me take care of the blocking. Let me tell you where I need you to be. How you get there is up to you. Characters are actors for the writers imagination. But you need to work with them in order to build the story youre all trying to tell. And Im not talking about some weird ethereal connection here. Its just common sense. Theyre in your head already. Might as well listen to them before they drive you mad.

Next its time to tell the tale. Lots of notes. Lots of index cards. Lots of filling in that structure. The tricky part is to be open to the unexpected. Something that causes me to rework the structure. From all this madness comes a good story. I hope.
SB: Have you ever felt as if you were being dictated to while you wrote a bookas if the words came of their own accord?

EM: Yes. Often. I call that the rhythm of my mind. Rhythm is the final layer for me and the most important part. My work has been described as lyrical. That makes me smile too. Every writer has a voice. In that voice is your rhythm. Embrace that. Its what makes you unique.

As for me, when Im in the zone things connect. All that layout and structure start to produce new ideas and make new connections I never even realized were there. Or did I? Either way it makes the tedious journey of writing a true joy in the end.
SB: If you had one take away piece of advice for authors, what would it be?

EM: Its simple, follow your bliss, and be true to your voice. Other than that, keep your hands and feet inside the car at all times, and enjoy the ride. Oh yes, watch out for the fifty foot drop. Have fun!!
SB: Tell me more about MATHIAS BOOTMAKER AND THE KEEPERS OF THE SANDBOX, BOOK ONE: IT IS SAID.

EM: This is the story of Mathias Bootmaker, a young man searching for the better parts of himself. His search for what hes lost begins an amazing adventure through a world of extreme imagination. A world he helped to create but a world he cant remember anything about. Theres a dragon and a genius. Theres a very scary little boy and a very gifted little girl. Theres darkness and light, deadly evil and glorious good. Its the story of his life, the birth of creativity and the true power of the energy all around us.

In this tale of redemption, in order to find what he seeks, Mathias must save a people who were once great but are now, by their own hands, victims. He must help them face a terror that they themselves created. He must find a friend that has disappeared. Befriend a reluctant guide and rescue a very unique group of children trapped in a cursed castle full of tragedy.

Mathias Bootmaker and the Keepers of the Sandbox is a dream embedded within a nightmare. A maze inside a labyrinth. It reads like an adventure. It plays like a thriller. Its designed to make you question every place you go and every character you meet. Its designed to be a puzzle you must solve. Its meant to blend grand fun and fright in the tradition of Carroll and King.

Turn the pages. Follow the path. Keep an eye out for clues. Beware of traps. But most important of all you must not fear the Darke.
SB: How about an excerpt from MATHIAS BOOTMAKER AND THE KEEPERS OF THE SANDBOX, BOOK ONE: IT IS SAID?
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EM: Head on over to my author page on facebook. There you will find the first two chapters of Mathias Bootmaker and the Keepers of the Sandbox. Feel free to hit the like button while you're there.