Interview with Daniel Maldonado

Author of The Prodigal Son from Chambers Lane

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and currently reside in Gilbert, Arizona.

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

After graduating from UCLA with an aerospace engineering degree, I moved to Phoenix, Arizona to attend law school.

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

My first two books are a collection of romantic short stories from a male perspective. I started writing the stories while in college and continued for several decades. Sometimes they were gifts to females that I dated or admired. I was told that they were written very well. I decided to publish them. Then I decided to write literary drama because I enjoy story telling.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

My main series the “Chambers Lane” series addresses social/cultural/religious struggles, which are primarily focused on the fictional Mendoza family living in the United States. I am currently working on a legal thriller for my upcoming Daniel Mendoza Thriller Series. It is based upon my experience as a civil litigator.

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

Readers who enjoy reading about difficult topics that challenge their thought process will find my series interesting as well as my collections of short stories.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

After being rejected by over 100 literary agents, I decided to originally self-publish my books. The process of learning how to maneuver the publishing business was originally daunting but I learned to remain confident in myself, to read about how the process works, and to steer clear of those in the industry who are trying to take advantage of new writers only for the own gain.

If you could, what advice would you give to your past self before embarking on this journey?

I would tell my younger self to start the process earlier and to believe in myself.

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

Since my books have been re-published by my current publisher, they have sold to readers located in Canada, the UK, Italy, France, India and Australia. The quantity of books has slowly risen, but I am hoping to no only reach a broader global market but also increase sales significantly with my legal thriller series which may have a broader reader bases.

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

Struggling with editing both myself and professional editors has been one of the frustrating things.

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

I am growing my social media presence with various platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Blogging, Pinterest, SoundCloud). Juggling all of these platforms and maintaining an online presence is a lot easier now given that I am more familiar with them.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

My biggest weakness is in person marketing like book fairs or sales at local events. My legal career is time consuming and doesn’t always allow me to have the free time to do those things.

When do you think you will write your next book?

As I am being interviewed, I am in Puerto Rico writing the first book in my legal thriller series. I’ve finished writing five chapters while laying by the Caribbean beach or laying poolside. I hope to be finish the book within the next few months as time permits.

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

I was original self-published but now I am published through a hybrid publisher.