Doug came to writing his first book in an interesting way. He felt there was a need to instruct boys in lessons for men and spent years running a group that helped accomplish that. Many of the lessons are bundled in his book, Man Stuff.
This helpful book is targeted to young men and designed to give them many things to learn as they grow.
By day, Doug owns and runs a car dealership, but loves spending his free time with his group – which is called The Explorers.
Chad has been in the Air Force and is currently a computer developer in the medical field. He lives in California with his family.
He has written a sci-fi book called Raising Aces. It’s a war story with giant robots – who doesn’t like that?
http://chadboyer.me
Some of Chad’s favorite books:
Episode Transcription
Episode 33A Chad Boyer Raising Aces
[Stephen Schneider (Guest Introdution)] – Today on the podcast I want to welcome Chad Boyer. Chad rights military sci-fi with big robots, and that sounds great to me. We discuss a few authors that he likes and a couple we’ve known in the same style. So if you like that type of book, if you like that type of adventure and sci-fi check out Chad’s book. It’s called Raising Aces and we’ll talk about it and some of the other books he likes and some of the things he does with his family and outside of writing. So please check out Chad’s books and if you enjoy the podcast go give us a review give us some likes it’ll help others find us help other readers discover the new authors and new books that I’ve been helping promote. Thank you.
[Stephen Schneider] – All right, well Chad welcome today. How are you this morning or afternoon?
[Chad Boyer] – Great.
[Stephen Schneider] – I appreciate you taking some time to get on the podcast and talk to us. Before we get started with your book. Tell us a little bit about who you are and a bit about your background and what you like to do besides writing.
[Chad Boyer] – Yeah, so Chad Boyer grew up in California did a short stint in the Air Force which took me to the lovely state of Oklahoma. So that was awesome, and then also had a quick little loop around England for a year in education abroad. So that was cool. Right now I work full-time job as a computer developer job and uh, yeah working in the health care industry so business is booming unfortunately.
[Stephen Schneider] – Yeah, would you do with computer development? Cuz that’s what I do.
[Chad Boyer] – So I’m a software developer for a, they call us a full stack developer, I work with on the back end so on the servers themselves and on the front end so on the bits that you see when you are actually checking checking the web pages out and things. If we want to go super technical, I work on and an electronic health record, an EHR, in the medical industry and it’s all web-based so, you know.
[Stephen Schneider] – Oh nice. Okay, so with all that and your background you have kids. Why did you want to start writing?
[Chad Boyer] – Yeah, so I’ve always, I feel it’s difficult among most authors. I’ve always wanted to write I wrote some when I was a kid and I maybe about, I don’t know back in 07 ,08 or so I took a creative writing course and I mean usually have some some some book idea kicking around in your head and so I took that to the creative writing course and at the community college here and started working on it and then life happened kind of put it away didn’t really didn’t really do much with it per se but it was always like in the back of my head as like, you know you should really write that and mean you I find that most readers come across a book where they’re like, you know, I could do better than this and I have a great idea for a story I mean, it’s just in my day job, it’s the I have a great idea for an app so I basically decided I kind of put it away for a long time and then one of my, one of my author he’s a friend now, but one of the authors that I follow put out a bunch of short stories and put them up on Amazon and I was like, well, how do you do that? I mean, how did that even work? Did you buy ispn’s like can you even do that and it was like, yeah, you just form out the word document and it goes up on a on Amazon it’s not that hard so I say, you know what I’m going to do that and I started it the week that my son was born and I’ve been kind of writing for him as something fun to read which is I mean when I was a boy, I enjoyed right reading sci-fi and fantasy books, and so we’re two years in and I’ve got one book out so there you go.
[Stephen Schneider] – Nice, and so your son’s two years old now?
[Cahd Boyer] – Yeah
[Stephen Schneider] – And the book you said your reading it to him. What is the book called? And what what’s it about?
[Chad Boyer] – Oh, I’m not reading it to him. Something for him to read when he is older. It’s a Sci-Fi book. It’s called Raising Aces. It’s a, I like to call it a mash-up between World War one and Mecca. So it’s giant robots basically basically trying to pacify and take over the world and the three heros in the story are tasks by this AI who basically said, hey the Imperials are coming back in about fifteen years and if we don’t have a consolidated front, they’re just going to take over. So let’s make a Consolidated front. So that’s the first story in the Aces series.
[Stephen Schneider] – So I know there’s a lot of subgenres to sci-fi and people get rid of the dedicated to one subgenre. Would you say this is military or space opera or like hard sci-fi or what? What would you say?
[Chad Boyer] – Yeah, we’re definitely, military were not hard sci-fi because if you start doing an actual check on big robots, it’s not going to work. I really wish it would cuz if they’re cool, but unfortunately, they they they’re not practical in any way shape or form. So yeah military sci-fi soft and there isn’t a mecca section unfortunately, so I think I put it in colonization cuz it’s a not earth-based planet and then there’s a lot of fighting and whatnot in it.
[Stephen Schneider] – Okay, so why I know we talked a little bit about what got you into writing but this particular book, why did you choose to write a military sci-fi instead of something else?
[Chad Boyer] – I really like military sci-fi. I read a bunch of it and it’s kind of like in my wheelhouse and I did four years in the Air Force so I kind of understand the military a little bit. I mean granted everybody who is in quote-unquote real military is like the Marines or the Army say that Air Force isn’t that military like but I dealt with a bureaucracy and I understand how it is from that side. So I felt I could write it and I like reading it so that’s where we picked it up.
[Stephen Schneider] – I would say there’s a large number of my family that are Air Force so it’s fine and what and the book is down already booked one.
[Cha Boyer] – Yeah book one came out third week in November, November 23rd of last year.
[Stephen Schneider] – During J’s essential gathering, right?
[Chad Boyer] – It was it was during Jay’s essential gathering. Yeah, we were all connected up and I had published it, and in fact one of the breakout sessions one of the one of the co-authors there where the authors was like, Hey, it’s actually live right now. And I was like awesome cuz there’s like seventy two hour waiting time for Amazon to actually publish the book which all new to me.
[Stephen Schneider] – Right, so what are some things that you’ve learned writing this first book that you may be doing different with the second one or some things you wish you had done different now that you know?
[Chad Boyer] – Yeah, so there’s a bunch one is stick to one project all the way through. So I definitely, once I got done with the first book and I got it to the editor I started on the second book and kept writing on the second book, even though the editor had gotten back the revisions to me because I was trying to keep my word count per day going and it took me a while to realize really if you just, word count as word count and revisions count as word count. So I basically just focused on one book got it done cuz there’s definitely whenever you hit any kind of hard spot in the novel, you’re always like there’s a shiny thing over there that I’d rather be writing about and there’s always a point of you’re writing that you like a lot and there’s points that you don’t like and if you hit the points that you don’t like it’s very easy to be like, oh, I’ll do the other stuff, you know, so I think lessoned learned is stay focused and keep, keep on a project until it’s done.
[Stephen Schneider] – Okay, and I know you said you like sci-fi military and that’s why you wrote that’s great. Have you had many people reading it and giving you feedback what have some of the other readers have said?
[Chad Boyer] – As most often you get with your first book you get all of your friends and family checking it out and so far nobody has said it’s horrible, which I mean could be them just be nice, but the nice thing that many of them have said, is there waiting for the next book. So that’s that’s good and then it’s funny because you write some amazing scenes and you think they’re just the best scenes ever and the feedback that I get from the readers is yeah, there’s a throwaway scene that is really small thing was really amazing and I liked it a lot or or this this little paragraph was hilarious or this line is great and I was like, yeah, but those aren’t The best ones that I did! But what about this? No? Okay, and so you just have to be like thank you and and just remember that I have a little file box that I’m keeping track of those things so I can make sure I do them again the next book.
[Stephen Schneider] – That’s great. Hopefully your file doesn’t get so big that you feel like you, you can’t get it all in.
[Chad Boyer] – Oh, I’m I right now that is not the problem.
[Stephen Schneider] – All right, so the next book book two you’ve been working on it whens that expected to come out?
[Chad Boyer] – So the the goal right now what I’ve got on the calendar is the end of April the last last day in April is the goal for that one, but I haven’t been so brave as to put it as an Amazon pre-order, but that’s the goal currently.
[Stephen Schneider] – Yeah, I’ve heard it probably isn’t the best idea to do a pre-order if you don’t have it one hundred percent done and if you don’t have too much of a following yet, so probably the right choice.
[Chad Boyer] – Exactly, and then book three and my plan is November.
[Stephen Schneider] – Okay. So, so you feel you’ve learned quite a bit that you’re able to get book 2 and 3 out a lot quicker?
[Chad Boyer] – Yeah. Yeah, there’s definitely I’m definitely scheduling issues that have occurred in the past and making sure that I write every day and then just working in terms of planning out how how long it’s going to take me to draft and then how long it’s going to take me to revise. I basically took the revision time of the last novel. I trimmed it down a little bit, but by using that I kind of planned out this year and my goal is two more books this year. So that’s nice.
[Stephen Schneider] – Nice. So a little bit off of your book but as an author, you know just about every author I talk to likes to read. What are some of your favorite books that you’ve read growing up or as an adult before you wrote your book?
[Chad Boyer] – Yeah, so I mean there’s so many right? Really like a pretty much all of Neal Stephenson’s stuff.
[Stephen Schneider] – Okay. Yeah.
[Chad Boyer] – He definitely had an issue with ending books at the beginning of his career. Like it was one of those things where you just was like, okay, I’m done and walking away and you were like whoa, whoa, where’s the tie up?
[Stephen Schneider] – He’s not the only one with that problem.
[Chad Boyer] – Yeah, exactly. Um, I also liked uh, William Gibson, S. M. Stirling, they’re basically almost all of their like Mona Lisa Overdrive and all those kind of books, little cyber punkish books. David Weber and his Honor Harrington series.
[Stephen Schneider] – You the second military sci-fi that’s mentioned that series.
[Chad Boyer] – It is. It’s rough to start, it’s one of those things where nowadays, I don’t know modern sensibilities, like I think the first book came out in like eighty-nine or something like that so I’ve I usually suggest it and probably only half the people that I suggest that you actually get up and get going through it. One that usually gets it has a higher, higher read through is Jim Butcher and his Dresden series. You just keep going on those.
[Stephen Schneider] – Right?
[Chad Boyer] – Who else?
[Stephen Schneider] – Have you? let me ask if you’ve ever heard of or read Ian Douglas? Star Carrier?
[Chad Boyer] – Yes, I have. Ian Douglas and, I believe that’s a pen name of his.
[Stephen Schneider] – It is. I know him actually that’s his pen name. Yeah, I just got brag a little there I guess.
[Chad Boyer] – Yeah. No, that’s awesome. My brag birthday is I vaguely have had some chats with Michael Stackpole.
[Stephen Schneider] – Wow
[Chad Boyer] – Who does, did a bunch of BattleTech stuff, which is big stompy robots, which is what I like.
[Stephen Schneider] – Well so did Ian Douglas. He did it as a David Keith or something like that.
[Chad Boyer] – William H. Keith.
[Stephen Schneider] – Yeah, that’s his real name. He wrote some BattleTech to back in the day. Yep.
[Chad Boyer] – He wrote the Grayson series, which is also a really nice.
[Stephen Schneider] – And didn’t Michael Stackpole do Rogue Squadron stuff with Star Wars?
[Chad Boyer] – He did. He did do a bunch of Star Wars stuff. Yeah, so like both of them. And then David Drake like him. Infact really good old school alternate history is the Belisarius series with Eric Flint and David Drake and I think M.S. Sterling. I’m not sure he might have been in there or not, but that’s a really good series that I like just as alternate history follows a Belisarius who was one of the great generals back in Rome.
[Stephen Schneider] – So with a family and with writing you got two books coming out this year. Do you find much time to read nowadays?
[Chad Boyer] – Yeah, so it’s on my phone. That’s correct. That’s where I get it. So I’ll read what I’m waiting in line at the grocery store or waiting to pick up a kid or kids child practices and what not and then I try and like I try and read a paper book before I go to bed so I usually shut down all the electronics and just crack open a book. To show you how busy my schedule is i’m still reading Jim Butcher’s latest book.
[Stephen Schneider] – Well, you’re ahead of me. I’m so far behind in all the books. I want to read about but i’ll be fair, we’ve got six kids between the two of us and because of one thing and another and the COVID and all that all six are at home right now.
[Chad Boyer] – Yeah, that’s true.
[Stephen Schneider] – And only one of them drives.
[Chad Boyer] – Yup. I know that I know that feeling I, I took a week off for Christmas home and basically, usually my kids go to my in-laws and so with the week off I was like, well you I’ll watch my own kids this time and it was busy as heck it was not a vacation in any way shape or form so I feel your pain.
[Stephen Schneider] – Glad to be back at work, huh?
[Chad Boyer] – Yep.
[ Stephen Schneider] – So also along with books. Do you have any favorite bookstores that you like to go to where you’re at?
[Chad Boyer] – Yeah, so all of the ones that are local around me have all closed down. Um, I used to hit Barnes & Noble all the time. I would just wander those shelves forever. There is a really great one down in San Diego called Mysterious Galaxy. And I like going down there cuz they usually have author signings and they’re the staff is really awesome. In fact, I don’t get down there very often and oh, I don’t know maybe ten years ago or so Jim Butcher had a signing and I couldn’t make it but my my buddy could so he drove down there and got got me a signed copy and he get signed copy and then the following year he, Jim Butcher, came out with his next book and I went down there and I was like, hey, yeah, this is the return the favor and so that’s what Jim signed in there,here you go returning the favor. And so that was pretty cool, but I really like mysterious Galaxy. Pretty good. Good people.
[Stephen Schneider] – I used to live in Escondido.
[Chad Boyer] – Okay.
[Stephen Schneider] – So I know the area but I don’t recall that bookstore.
[Chad Boyer] – They’re offset the 805 I want to say so their their South South Escondido
[Stephen Schneider] – Got it, right? Okay. Alright well before we break and go into the second half for the author talk any last words about your book or tell us I guess again the name of the book and where we can find, your website.
[Chad Boyer] – Yeah. Sure. So the name of the book is Raising Asus by Chad Boyer. It’s over on Amazon exclusively right now and my website is just Chad Boyer.ME. So c h a d b o y e r . m e.
[Stephen Schneider] – Okay, great. Well Chad I appreciate you talking to you today and taking the time to talk about your book.
[Chad Boyer] – Thanks a lot.
[Outro] – Thank you for listening to Discovered Wordsmiths. Come back next week and listen to another author discuss the road they’ve traveled and maybe sometime in the near future, it might be you.
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