Frequently Asked Questions about National Darkroast Day:

How did you come up with the idea for National Darkroast Day?
Well, I drank a lot of coffee. Plus, I've always liked robots and lasers. So I guess you could say that a book like NDD was inevitable. Seriously, though, I think it came from the ubiquity of coffee and business in American culture. Being surrounded by those elements, I couldn't help but imagine a funny story dealing with them. The robots and lasers came later.

Why do you keep talking about robots and lasers?
Read the book and you'll see. Trust me, it's very cool.

How long did it take you to write National Darkroast Day?
It took me two years to write and a year to publish.

The book cover looks great! Who illustrated it?
Thanks! The illustrator is Shane Johnson and he's a true genius. The cover was a collaboration between he and I (in order to discuss details and style), but at the end of the day, he had to do the actual illustration work. I couldn't be happier with his results and people are saying its one of the best book covers they've ever seen. To see more of Shane's awesome work, visit his website: www.sljillustration.com.

Who is the target audience?
The target audience is mostly guys (and definitely those who love movies and video games), but many girls have really liked the book. I think anyone who enjoys coffee and action/adventure will enjoy NDD.

Will there be a follow-up book to National Darkroast Day?
Actually, NDD is the first in an eight-book series called Intelligent Parodies. Each installment in the series will be its own story with its own topic (NDD will be the only book in the series about coffee and business), but NDD will ultimately connect with all the other books in the series.

Any long-term goals for National Darkroast Day?
Definitely. I think NDD would make an awesome movie, as well as a kick-butt video game. Plus, it would translate perfectly into comic book and graphic novel formats. Merchandising would be cool. T-shirts, posters, coffee mugs. I'm game for anything.