1.     Cracks includes heroin and marijuana use.  Aren't you concerned that featuring these topics in a young-adult novel may encourage drug abuse in teens?  My generation has been waging a war on drug abuse for decades.  Not only has the War on Drugs failed to curb drug abuse, its fostering incredible corruption, not just in our country, but around the world.  Maybe we need to rethink the problem and potential solutions.  If the next generation engages in healthy debate regarding substance abuse, maybe it will be more successful in solving the problem.

2.     Parts of the book are quite violent.  Aren't you concerned that you may be encouraging kids to commit violence?  Not at all.  Bodie's journey illustrates how destructive violent behavior can be.  Personally, I believe imaginary violence can be a healthy means for dealing with ones fears, and a harmless safety valve for natural aggression.  There's nothing in the book I would have felt uncomfortable letting my teenage sons read.  But if parents are concerned, they should read the book first. 

3.      Some scenes in Cracks are graphically gross.  Aren't you afraid parents, teachers, and librarians might be offended?  My target readers are adolescent males, many of whom are reluctant readers.  Anybody who has been around boys knows that they are often fascinated by things that turn off adults.  It makes sense to include story elements that will appeal to that audience. 

4.      Some scenes in the book involve violence toward animals.  Aren't you worried about drawing criticism from animal-rights groups?  No.  This isn't about violence toward animals.  Its about survival.  There's an important difference.  If you were attacked by wild boars, wouldn't you defend yourself?  If you were hungry, wouldn't you clean fish or butcher a deer? 

5.      Your home is in Kansas.  Why write a novel set in Arkansas?  My first novel was about a sixteen-year-old on a tornado-stricken campout in the Flint Hills of Kansas.  For my second novel, I needed a new location with a new set of challenges.  From a novelist's point of view, the Ozarks are a conflict-rich environment: wilderness, caves, earthquakes, wild hogs, etc. 

6.      Is Cracks a sequel to The Brute?  No.  I like to start fresh with a new character for each story and let the plot, setting, and themes shape the character.  Using the same character would be very confining. 

7.      What spurred you to write a young-adult novel?  I enjoyed reading as a youngster, literally by flashlight under covers at night.  To me a novel is a time machine, transporting the reader to fascinating situations.  Somebody has to write novels that excite and entertain today's teens.  Time will tell if I have a knack for it.

8.      Why a wilderness excursion?  New writers are encouraged to write about what they know.  Before I started writing Cracks, I was Scoutmaster of my sons Boy Scout troop.  My first novel, The Brute, involves a disastrous campout in the Flint Hills of Kansas.  For my second novel, I chose the Ozark National Forest in Arkansas to take advantage of a different setting and the potential for a new set of challenges.