Sean Little: About the Author

Sean Patrick Little

Raised near Madison, Wisconsin, in a small, farming town called Mt. Horeb, Sean has recently relocated to the town of Sun Prairie, northeast of Madison, where he lives with his wife and daughter.

He attended college at UW-Stout majoring in Graphic Illustration, but changed majors and schools, switching to Broadcast Journalism at UW-Whitewater. After spending two years there being a general nuisance and spending way too much time as a DJ on the campus radio station, he graduated with a BA in Communications, with a Radio, Television, and Film Performance emphasis in 1998.

After two years in which Little sold cars for a Chysler dealership and computers at a big box chain store, he made the fateful decision to return to school at Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota earning a BFA (with honors) in Creative Writing.

"I've wanted to be a writer since second grade," said Little. "To me, writing has always held a great mystery. To construct a novel, to flesh out a world and a plot, and make it so that other people want to read it--that's the greatest challenge." Little counts Neil Gaiman, Craig Johnson, Garth Ennis, Ian Rankin, Joss Whedon, Warren Ellis, Mark Baron, Brian K. Vaughn, Mark Millar, Margaret Weis, Christopher Moore, Fish, Chris Claremont, and Alan Moore as people who really made him want to be a writer.

The Centurion: The Balance of the Soul War has a comic-book feel to it with a hint of old dectective noir novels, indicative by an interesting plot driven by intense descriptions of conflict. It's no small coincidence that his writing style is heavily skewed toward the comic genre. "I know that I'm heavily influenced by comics. I grew up collecting them. I still read them. I have always been a fan of the genre and I look forward to perhaps getting a chance to write for a comic book some day. I think graphic novels are getting stronger and stronger and the storytelling aspect is light years beyond what it was when I was a kid. Boundaries and ideas are being pushed to new limits there," said Little.

The Centurion is a riveting novel concerning a man born without a soul--someone who can walk between the worlds of Heaven and Hell and maintain the balance between the feuding realms. "I started out writing a short story about something entirely different, but somehow this character, Jericho, emerged from the story. I liked the concept of 'What if someone had no soul...' and ran with it. The result was The Centurion. I like the idea of an unseen war far bigger and more important than the petty squabbles of men. We get so caught up in little details that no one is looking out for the big picture. The character Jericho is forced to see the big picture because without him keeping things in line, a threat to the Balance of the Soul War could end the world as mankind knows it."

Highly visual, Little feels that his work would make a good graphic novel. "I'd love to see it done as an illustrated book. Maybe someday," he said wistfully. Little is also something of an artist and he has contributed drawings to some small role-playing game publishers.

Despite not having a major publisher or contract, Little holds out hope that writing is what he was meant to do and maybe, someday, with a little luck and a lot of work, writing can become his full-time career. "I know it's tough [to make a living as a novelist], but I will keep fighting. When you love to do something--don't let negativity or setbacks keep you down. I've had some good early reviews and early sales are brisk." If early sales figures and reviews are anything to judge by, Little may be able to live that dream. "I've received a lot of positive feedback from friends and strangers. I'm optimistic about the future. I'll enjoy seeing where this book can take me." Several publishers have contacted Little about gaining the rights to The Centurion: The Balance of the Soul War as well as his upcoming work, but so far there is no news to report on that front.

Little is currently available for book tours, signings, film, television, or theater roles, and speaking engagements. He has been booked as a motivational speaker and a stand-up comic. He has a one-man play that he is willing to perform on a moment's notice. In this vein, he credits Henry Rollins with a lot of his style and desire to get up and communicate to audiences. He is also available as a freelance illustrator for book illustrations or sequential art. He is available for collaborations with other authors and illustrators, as well. Contact him directly at the author email link on this page, or simply email him at the following address: sean@seanpatricklittle.com.

About the Author...

Sean Patrick Little