Today we’d like to introduce you to Benjamin Spada.
Hi Benjamin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve enjoyed writing and telling stories my entire life. I used to borrow extra paper from my elementary school teacher just so I could have something to write them down on! I feel like the calling to become an author has always been there for me, and throughout my life it continually bubbled back up to the surface. No matter where I went, be it overseas in the military or here at home in California, it was a desire that kept coming back. I think like many aspiring writers who never manage to cross that hurdle of ‘aspiring’ to ‘published’, I just wasn’t sure I had it in me. But, I just kept at it. A handful of sentences built up to a page, and a series of pages eventually became a full manuscript. I was also lucky enough to be in San Diego at the time and the writer’s community here is unsurpassed. Everyone, from NYT Bestsellers to successful indie authors, wants nothing more than to help other authors along. I really have to give a shout out to Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore because they host the monthly “Writer’s Coffeehouse” meeting which is a fantastic way to meet other authors, learn aspects of the process you may be totally unaware of, and find resources for help on your writing journey. Those monthly meetings were a great way to stay motivated because it showed me other people going through that same challenging journey towards publication. The cherry on top for me was that once my debut novel was published, I got to have the release party at Mysterious Galaxy! It was a total full-circle moment for me. That novel, ‘FNG’, was the first in my Black Spear series of military thrillers and would go on to win Best Action Novel of the Year Award. The second novel, ‘The Warmaker’, released the following year and I found myself the winner of Best Action Novel two years in a row! I haven’t stopped writing this entire time, have put out several short stories in anthologies alongside some seriously impressive authors, and my third novel is set to release later this year.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The thing about the challenges writers face along the way is that they’re nearly universal with all other writers. Inevitably you might have a day where you’re second guessing whether it’s worth it to even finish the story you’re working on, another day you may doubt whether your writing is good at all. Every writer has these days. That’s the challenge, but it’s also encouraging to know that even the best writers on the planet occassionally struggle with the same exact hurdles you do. At the time, it didn’t feel like a smooth road, because the writer wants to see their book out in the world now, now, NOW! But looking back on the last couple years, I realize that smooth is exactly how it’s gone. I started writing a book, I kept writing a book, the book was published, I’ve found an audience for it, I wrote a second book, my audience grew, and all these dominos keep just falling in line. It’s almost like looking at the stock market: there’s good days, and bad days, but if you look at the entire timeline from beginning to now it only ever goes up.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I write thriller novels, pulling from my career in the military for inspiration. But I find myself using the personalities of people I’ve served alongside with for inspiration more than any one experience or deployment. I suppose if I were to say what I specialize in, it’d be writing vivid, explosive, and engaging stories that excite readers. I enjoy making a reader feel like they’re experiencing a blockbuster movie on the page, or get goosebumps from a terrifying scene. What I’m most proud of is the fact that I am a writer on top of EVERYTHING else. My life feels so full as a husband, a father, a Marine, and then the accomplishment of having my work not only published, but receive the awards and positive response too, is crazy to me. One day I’m quietly listening at the back row of chairs at the Writers Coffeehouse and dreaming of seeing my book on a shelf, and then I blink my eyes and suddenly it’s in a book store in the San Diego airport for real.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
“What do you have coming out soon?”
Project: Darkheart is the third book in the series and is set to release later this year, I’m beyond excited for that because the villain in this one was just such a deliciously wicked character to write. There’s also a charity anthology I have a short story in, ‘Dread Coast’, SoCal Horror Tales’, which has contributions from all Southern California writers. The best part is that proceeds from the book sales go to vital recovery efforts from the Palisades and Eaton fires in Los Angeles from earlier this year.
“Where can someone order your books?”
You can order the Black Spear novels from your local bookstore, or wherever books are sold.you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or X. Occassionally I’ll get a DM on those socials from an aspiring author, and I absolutely love it. The San Diego writers community helped me when I was new, and I will forever be indebted to paying that back to the next batch of authors who are just starting that journey.
Pricing:
- FNG (book 1) $15.99
- The Warmaker (book 2) $15.99
- SNAFU: Dead or Alive (short story anthology) $14.95
- Dread Coast: SoCal Horror Tales (Kindle, $2.99)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.benspada.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benspada
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/benjaminjspada
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/spadaben
