Author Interview - Gabe Thompson "Storm Bay"What inspired you to write this book? I wanted to write Young Adult for a long time and I really enjoyed The Hunger Games. My mom lived in Canada and knew about the inlet called Storm Bay. When she told me about it and all the hippies that used to live there, I got the idea for the book. I've visited the area several times, and I think I did a good job describing it. Magic and zombies just kind of happened. My mother was a reporter and I got the writing bug from her. What topics in your book or background do you think book clubs would find interesting? I think the fact Storm Bay takes place after an apocalyptic event is fun and then there are the zombies and witchcraft. It's easy to read and kind of dark and creepy at the same time. Tell us about your career outside of writing and how it influence your writing. My career is writing. I want to write for a living. I currently write stories for the Jacksonville Sharks, an arena football team and I hope to find a job working for a sports team somewhere in Florida after the internship is completed. I love sports. Teaching is how I make money right now. As a substitute, I prefer to work with handicapped kids. There is a lot of satisfaction to gain from helping kids with special needs. I also volunteer at a youth half-way house through my church group. I don't think I ever really grew up which is why I love to write for young adults. Describe your style of writing. I think I write books that are about adventure. They're fast-paced and flow smoothly. My goal is to make every page interesting enough and easy enough to read that the experience is a joy. Kids should love to read. It's the best escape there is. Books open up wonderful worlds. I want kids to learn that they can find joy and entertainment through reading. Which authors have inspired you? I like adventure fiction like James Rollins and Douglas Preston/Lincoln Childs. I've read the Harry Potter series and wish I could create a universe as diverse and fun as J.K. Rowling.