I’d like to welcome Dave Pratt to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Surrendering the outcome of my writing efforts to God, knowing he’ll take them where He wants them to go, to the people I need to reach, whether by traditional publisher, independent publishing, magazine article, and so on.

Easiest thing about being a writer: Writing the first draft of a story, article or novel.

Words that describe you: Christian, husband, friend, writer. Quiet, unless I believe in a cause or concept that needs defending or teaching to others. Addicted to writing.

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Not always as good, humble or nice as I’d like to be. I very often lack self-confidence, although that’s not always apparent to others.

Last best thing you ate: My wife’s made-from-scratch, everything-left-in-the-fridge breakfast scramble. It is always amazing.

Last thing you regret eating: Three double chocolate truffles over within 5 minutes. But they tasted so good!

Things you’d walk a mile for: A forest scene with rushing water, mountains, old-growth trees, deer, fox and birds.

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: A group of people too interested in hearing themselves talk to listen to input from others – in business and in writing groups.

Things you always put in your books: Positive, satisfying endings, conflict, martial arts, and a little romance.

Things you never put in your books: Profanity and gratuitous sex scenes.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: At 16, on a State Department sponsored People-to-People Student Ambassador tour to Rumania, then behind the Iron Curtain, I played sick, skipped a supervised tour, snuck down the hotel’s fire escape and went to the sections of the city we were told we were not allowed to visit. I was followed but not caught and saw things that changed my perspective on life. That evening at our restaurant, a waiter attempted to attack me with a knife, presumably because of what I did. Our group’s male chaperone intervened and guarded my door that night and we left the country the next day.

Something you chickened out from doing: As a gymnast through junior high, high school and college, I elected not to do the high-bar event and became a pommel horse specialist. Doing giant swings terrified me back then.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: That my writing was similar to Cussler and Ludlum.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: That a simple event where my character fell off his horse on purpose, to escape his captors, had deep social meaning. That was an important lesson for me, however.

Some real-life story that made it to one of your books: At a time when I was not looking for a relationship with a woman, I met my wife, Rafaela. In the first book in my Home Team series, the main character, Sam Anthem, trips across Consuela during a mission. She changes his life in many ways; helps him realize his faith in God and find the self-confidence he needs to do what he needs to do as a military/covert operator.

Something in your story that readers think is about you, but it’s not: They believe the character of Sam Anthem, in the first book in my series, is me, with all his emotional and spiritual wounds from a past operation gone bad, the covert operations work, expertise in empty-hand martial arts, and not finding Jesus until later in life, which helped him reconcile his jog with his faith and saved him. I certainly didn’t intend that.

The first 8-track, record, cassette, or CD you ever bought: One, by Three Dog Night.

A type of music that’s not your cup of tea: Symphony and Opera. I fall asleep during performances.

My favorite book as a child: Any of The Hardy Boys books.

A book I’ve read more than once: A Wizard in Spite of Himself, by Christopher Stasheff. Also, all of Louis L'Amour western novels – some many more times than once.

Your favorite movie as a child: Lt. Robin Caruso, U.S.N. with Dick Van Dyke. Funny, positive, silly, foolish, and I was certain I wanted to find someone like the character Nancy Kwan played when I got older. A big crush!

A TV show or movie that kept you awake at night as a kid (or as an adult): The Haunting, starring Julie Herns and others. Kept me scared for years.

About David:

Dave Pratt is a native of most of the west coast of the United States – and now makes his home in Middle Tennessee with his wife, near his recently relocated grandkids.

A freelance writer since 1977, Dave has authored more than sixty published articles, poems, short stories and novels. He has also written for a local newspaper and edited newsletters for charitable service groups and businesses. His latest books include the first two novels in the 5-part Home Team Series, released in November 2022 and 2023, respectively, and published by Ambassador International. The third book in the series, Homesick, is scheduled for release in November 2025.

Dave holds master’s degrees in Hospital Administration (Baylor University) and Management (Webster University), and a B.S. in Psychology from Washington State University. He is a retired army officer and more recently retired as a project management consultant. Dave has taught at the corporate, graduate and undergraduate levels and has been a speaker at numerous professional conferences on writing and project management. Dave is a 4th Dan (degree) Master in Tae Kwan Do, proficient in Tai Chi, Hapkido, and staff, and was a member of the U.S. National Tae Kwan Do Poomse Team in 2015.

Dave thanks Jesus Christ for his inspiration and the countless blessings in his life.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: www.DavePrattBooks.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/daveprattbooks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dprattbooks

LinkedIn: (22) Dave Pratt, PMP, PMI-ACP | LinkedIn

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