And now, on to the interview!
What is the working title of your book?
The working title for the one I'm currently working on is
The Girls From Alcyone: Freelancer. This will be the sequel to
The Girls From Alcyone. I can't wait till I get this one in
the can.
Where did the idea for your book come from?
I hope this answer makes sense. I got the idea while writing the first draft of what was to become
The Girls From Alcyone. Originally, it was going to be very, very different. But when I got fifty pages into the story, I introduced a character, Sigrid Novak. She was never supposed to be the main character. The book was never supposed to be about her. But the moment she entered the story I became fascinated with her. I wanted to know all about her. I wanted to know where she came from, how she'd gotten there, and what made her the total hero-package that she was. She was just so brave and loyal, I wanted to write her story. This is what became TGfA.
What genre does your book fall under?
I always thought of it as pure Science-fiction Adventure. But I'm tickled to see that readers have labeled it Science-Fiction Romance, even Dystopian Science-Fiction. It's just nice to see that the book has a broader appeal than I anticipated.
Which actors would you choose to play in your movie rendition?
Well, if I can wind up the way-back machine and make it ten years ago... I'd definitely cast Kristen Bell as Sigrid Novak. I just loved her in Deadwood so much. She's a bit old now (Sigrid is only eighteen), but maybe she can still play old-Sigrid in future incarnations.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book.
That's the one thing I never did (write a one-sentence synopsis). I know you're supposed to, and I'll definitely need it when it comes time to pitch the movie. Basically, it's the story of Sigrid Novak, a young girl who is sold to a giant mercenary corporation to relieve her family of its crushing debt, and brought to the planet of Alcyone where she is to be trained in the most deadly of arts - and subjected to years of an biological and cybornetic enhancements.
Much adventure ensues.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I will always be self-published. I've been taking the Indy-Route for going on twenty years now. It's funny, but it never occurred to me to approach a publisher. Probably for two reasons: One, because I couldn't image a publisher having much interest in an unproven unpublished author like me. And, two, I'm just way too impatient to sit around waiting six months between queries for a response.
Considering how easy it is to go Indy these days, I can't imagine going through a publisher at all.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript.
Seven weeks. I wish writing the sequel had gone that speedily, but I'm still working on it - well, not the first draft, but the book.
What other books would you compare this story to?
That's a hard one. My first love (in fiction) are the old, classic space operas of the sixties. I'm so heavily influenced by what I read you could probably pluck several books out of the pulp pile and draw a comparison. There's a little Starship Troopers in there somewhere, and definitely some Stainless Steel Rat, and probably some some Star Wars to boot.
Who or what inspired you to write the book?
Writing a novel was something I had tried to do several times. I never ever seemed to get there. I've always written things - screenplays, stage plays and music, music, music - but writing a novel always seemed problematic to me (it's just so much harder than screenplays). It wasn't so much inspiration as it was determination. I had to get the gorilla off my back.
The biggest inspiration definitely came from the explosion of successful, self-published eBooks. It was great knowing that, for once, indy-writers had a real, viable publishing option. It was a lot easier to sit down to write knowing that there wasn't going to be a barrier between writing the book and then distributing it.
What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
As a reader, I love a good adventure, but I'm desperate to read about something more than space battle after space battle sandwiched between pages and pages of sci-techno-babble. I wanted write a pure adventure story, but I also wanted it to be a human story. I wanted it to matter. More than anything, TGfA is about friendship, love and loyalty. It's a story about growing up, finding courage to do what needs to be done.
Watch for these authors' Next Big Thing post next week on Wednesday, Jan. 9:
