FAQ
Q: Is there a specific audience your books are written for?
A: I try to focus on a diverse group of readers with a view on accommodating both a worldwide audience and fans.
Q: In what order should your books be read?
A: I try to identify where each book in a series lies by volume number or with the written description of each book in the series. Also reading them in order allows the reader to experience the full story as each book in the series follows a timeline. The copyright dates are another way to determine when a book in a series was published. Each series is listed in this website with a description of each book in the series to allow the reader the best experience of the adventure.
Q: Where can I find a complete list of your novels?
A: For a complete list of all my fictional writings look in this website and choose a series then look at that page for the complete books in that series.
Q: How can I find out more about you?
A: With the increasing of internet fraud and hijacking a person’s good name I prefer to be guarded on advertising my personnel data across the web as we all should be. I do have a brief biography page on this website. There may also be other information on the internet about me. However I do have to state some of it may be exaggerated. As an example: I know for a fact that I cannot walk on water but I do enjoy swimming.
Q: How long have you been writing novels?
I have written a few paragraphs on “The Story of How Ken Foster Began Writing”. You can find it on this website; my fictional writing of novels began around 2000.
Q: What other writings have you published?
A: I have written several articles freelance for Thunder Roads (a popular motorcycle magazine). Also as a Mechanical Engineer I have written technical standards and reports in various industries. I also don’t plan on stopping there as who knows what the future will bring.
Q: What do you enjoy reading?
Almost anything technical, as a Mechanical Engineer I have a burning desire to find out how things work and also how to improve upon the design. Over the years my wife has learned not to ask me how something works as I tend to go into too much detail, that drives her crazy as she ask for a simple explanation but for accuracy I try to cover everything I know..
Q: What advice can you give someone interested in writing books?
A: Determine what your genre will be for the book you intend on writing. If you have a story or an idea for one then, DO IT! Start writing and allow the story to morph into what you want it to be. Try different styles of writing and even emulate your favorite author. After all the best form of flattery is to follow what others have done for success!
Also ignore any and all nay-sayers, everyone knows the type, the guy or gal that can come up with every reason why you cannot be a success yet can’t seem to be able to offer any credible advice. I say ignore them and follow your passion.
Q: How has the internet affected authors and novelists?
A: The internet has been a boom for authors as now they can look up anything from the comfort of their own home (or anywhere else) just by a few keystrokes. In the past all research was done from personnel or public libraries.
Q: What style of writing do you use?
A: I write with my characters in mind. I concentrate on how they talk and act with the time and conditions they live in. So while some of the grammar is questionable by today’s standards I feel it flows by the standard of the time or situation the characters are facing.
Q: I received a bad review for an article I wrote. Have you ever had a bad review? If so how do you handle them?
A: Unfortunately I’ve had a few unflattering reviews. I don’t think anyone can write a book or article for that matter and not have someone think poorly of it and give their opinion. I’ve even had an ex-coworker question my education in a review. I didn’t know who it was until another ex-coworker and friend told me who had written it.
As far as how I handle a bad review; I try to understand what the reviewer is referring to and determine if it’s some misunderstanding of how the book was written, the use of language or how the grammar is structured or the standards of the time it was set in. Engineers are not known for their spelling (thank you spell check) skillset or use of a word. Grammar is another area that engineers are historically weak on so I give a big thank you to those that have been brave enough to edit my work.
After a past review I now take close notice if the review takes on some personnel attack as careful study will give insight to the reviewer. Is this a person you might know or worked with in the distant past could it possibly be a relative? I haven’t had this happen to me but I’ve heard of other writers having a close family member so jealous of their success that they are intent on sabotaging their own family.
Whatever the reason for the poor review, there simply isn’t anything you can do about it. The internet allows the most unreasonable and disrespectable individuals a forum to spew their bile anonymously from the comfort of their basement.
So hold your head up and keep working at your craft. Don’t allow some keyboard expert without any real experience to ruin or dictate your future.