The Hunt for Tomorrow: Elle Casey

THE HUNT FOR TOMORROW IS NEXT WEEKEND!

The Hunt for Tomorrow: Elle Casey: HAVE YOU WRITTEN IN ANY OTHER GENRES BESIDES YA DYSTOPIAN?  Yes, I have written in Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Romantic Thriller, and Ro...

The Hunt for Tomorrow: TW Piperbrook

The Hunt for Tomorrow: TW Piperbrook: DID YOU CHOOSE TO SELF-PUBLISH OR GO THE TRADITIONAL ROUTE?  WHY?  Self-publish.  I think the e-book revolution is an amazing thing—it’...

Author ZOE CANNON from the Shattered Worlds boxed set faces some tough Voight-Kampff interview questions. And it's only 16 days until The Hunt!

HOW DO YOU OVERCOME WRITER'S BLOCK?

Writer’s block is just a fancy term for getting stuck. I don’t believe in either glamourizing it or attaching shame to it. They say plumbers don’t get plumber’s block, but I’m sure every plumber has had at least one moment when he can’t figure out how to solve a particularly tricky… block. So I do what anyone does when they’re stuck. I re-evaluate, I brainstorm, I try to look at the issue in a different way. If I’m feeling burned out, I walk away for a day (although that sounds a lot easier than it is). If I’m on a strict deadline, I brute-force my way through it and settle for good-enough.

DO YOU PREFER EBOOKS, PAPERBACKS OR HARDCOVER?

I made the switch to ebooks back in 2009 and haven’t looked back. I love being able to change the formatting to suit my tastes (no more mass-market paperbacks with itty-bitty type!), never needing to worry about running out of reading material, and being able to back up my library in multiple places. And I love being able to buy books instantly, without waiting a week for an Amazon shipment or driving half an hour to the bookstore only to find out the book I want isn’t in stock – although my bank account doesn’t love it so much!

WHEN YOU GO TO SEE A MOVIE, DO YOU TRY TO READ THE BOOK FIRST?

If I’m interested in the story, then I’ll want to read the book because it’s likely to have more to it – movies usually only have room to put in the most essential scenes. And if I’m not interested in the story, why would I want to see the movie? The exception is if it’s a movie recommended by a friend, or if the book is in a genre I know I don’t like. (Or if I don’t know it was based on a book!) But really, the question is all but moot, given how rare it is for me to go see a movie in the first place. I tend to prefer the serial storytelling format of good TV shows.

DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER JOB BESIDES AUTHOR?

Full-time belly-rubber to a very large dog. I get paid in kisses. It’s a pretty good deal.

WHAT ARE YOUR PET PEEVES?

Anti-intellectualism in any form, but especially in stories intended for kids or teens. Is this really what we want to be teaching the next generation – that thinking makes you a nerd and a snob, and that the quest for knowledge is pointless at best and dangerous at worst? I see these attitudes all the time in the books I read, and each time I have to force myself not to throw my Kindle against the wall. If we want a better world, we need to encourage thought, curiosity, and intellectual exploration, not belittle or demonize them.

SLEEP IN OR GET UP EARLY?

I sleep late, but I don’t go to bed until 3am or so. That way I get to take advantage of my brain’s best hours – namely, the hours when the rest of the world is fast asleep.

 IF YOU GAVE ONE OF YOUR CHARACTERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, WHAT WOULD THEY SAY?

“Let me out, I’m trapped in a book with a sadistic author!”

WHERE DID YOUR TOMORROW SPRING FROM? IN OTHER WORDS, HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE CRAZY WORLD?

I wanted to combine the feeling of contemporary American culture with the feeling of life under real-world totalitarian regimes. In a lot of ways, it looks like contemporary YA – until you realize that the characters are casually discussing the torture and execution of dissidents.

DID YOU DO ANY SPECIFIC OR UNUSUAL RESEARCH FOR THIS BOOK?

I read a lot of memoirs about life under totalitarian regimes past and present. I didn’t realize just how many until I had a conversation with my husband that began something like: “I thought I had read Resistance before, until I realized I was confusing it with Outwitting the Gestapo, which I had been confusing with Inside the Gestapo…”

GIVE YOUR BOOK THE BECHDEL TEST

1.      IT HAS TO HAVE AT LEAST TWO (NAMED) WOMEN IN IT

2.      WHO TALK TO EACH OTHER

3.      ABOUT SOMETHING BESIDES A MAN

My book easily passes the Bechdel test. However, it does not have two named male characters who talk to each other about something besides a woman.

WHAT SORT OF BODY COUNT ARE WE TALKING HERE?

We’re still talking about the first book, right? Only three. Now, by the time we get to the third book, the bodies are piling up by the dozens.

DO YOU WANT YOUR TOMORROW TO MAKE IT BIG, AS IN JK ROWLINGS-BIG? WHY OR WHY NOT?

I certainly wouldn’t complain! But I don’t think it’s likely, and I’m fine with that. I’m writing for a niche audience; I knew that when I started the book. I don’t think there are that many readers out there looking for philosophical dystopias that feel like contemporary YA and deal more with ordinary life than extraordinary heroics – I know because I’m one of them, and if people were clamoring for these books then surely I would be able to find more of them to read! But who knows, the world may surprise me.

QUOTE A CHARACTER, ANY CHARACTER.

“Living by your principles will always be the harder path. But you have to do it anyway. You have to do what’s right no matter how hard it gets, or one day you’ll find out you’ve become somebody you can’t live with.” – Raleigh Dalcourt (the torturer referenced in the title of The Torturer’s Daughter)

The Hunt for Tomorrow: Shalini Boland

The Hunt for Tomorrow, a dystopian scavenger hunt hosted by 23 authors from 3 boxed sets.  Author Shalini Boland from the Shattered Worlds boxed set submits to the Voight-Kampff interview. #huntfortomorrow
Wait. You do remember Bladerunner...
Leon: Do you make up these questions, Mr. Holden, or do they write them down for you?
Mr. Holden: They’re just questions, Leon.
Subject: Kowalski, Leon

The Hunt for Tomorrow: Shalini Boland: HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START AS AN AUTHOR? I used to be a singer/songwriter, but after having kids I found writing novels fit in bette...

The Hunt for Tomorrow: Saul Tanpepper

23 Authors, 3 Boxed Sets, 1 Massive Event. On-Line Dystopian Scavenger Hunt July 18-20. From A TASTE OF TOMORROW boxed set here is author Saul Tanpepper on the Voight-Kampff hotseat.
#huntfortomorrow
The Hunt for Tomorrow: Saul Tanpepper: HAVE YOU WRITTEN IN ANY OTHER GENRES BESIDES YA DYSTOPIAN?  WHAT DREW YOU TO THIS GENRE? I actually got serious about writing in 2005,...

The Hunt for Tomorrow: Sarah Dalton

Today's VOIGHT-KAMPFF comes from Sarah Dalton, author of The Blemished series and one of the 23 authors participating in THE HUNT FOR TOMORROW

The Hunt for Tomorrow: Sarah Dalton: HAVE YOU WRITTEN IN ANY OTHER GENRES BESIDES YA DYSTOPIAN?  WHAT DREW YOU TO THIS GENRE? Yeah, I’m a genre hopper. I usually write YA, ...

The ongoing series of Voight-Kampff interviews with authors from the YA Dystopian Boxed Set WHAT TOMORROW MAY BRING.

DAVID ESTES, author of MOONDWELLERS
HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START AS AN AUTHOR?
Honestly, I’m still trying to figure that out myself! I’m a normal guy, who was working in a normal, boring job as an accountant, and then four years later I’m a fulltime author. My parents think I’m crazy and keep asking “whether I’ll go back to my accounting job.” They don’t say “real job” although I suspect that’s what they mean.
It all started when my lovely Aussie wife, Adele, got tired of hearing me talk about how I wanted to write a book someday. She said, “Then just write one and quit talking about it!” So I did, and I’m so glad I took her wise advice. I’m since written another 17 books, 14 of which I’ve published. The Moon Dwellers, which was my 4th book, is the one that eventually started reaching significant sales so that I could become a fulltime author, a dream come true!

IS THERE AN AUTHOR THAT YOU WOULD REALLY LIKE TO MEET?
Dean Koontz! Although there are many authors who I love, Koontz is my all-time idol. He’s a magician with words and I love how he can be so funny (who doesn’t love Odd Thomas?) during some of the scariest parts of his books.

WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND WHERE DO YOU CALL HOME? WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE?
I was born in El Paso, Texas, but grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Work brought me to Australia where I met my wife. However, after I started writing full time, we decided to travel the world for two years!! It was the trip of a lifetime, but it eventually had to come to an end. We decided to settle in our dream location, Hawaii. My advice to anyone who dreams about living somewhere: live there! This life is too short to not chase after our dreams J

DO YOU EVER WRITE IN YOUR PJ’S?
I think the better question is: Do you ever NOT write in your PJs? The answer to that would be “No.”

WHERE AND WHEN DO YOU PREFER TO DO YOUR WRITING?
In the morning…in bed. I basically wake up, blink a few times, eat a bowl of cereal, drink a cup of coffee, and then write for three to four hours. I do that pretty much every day, which allows me to hit my 3,000 words-a-day goal and write and publish a book every 2-3 months.

DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER JOB BESIDES AUTHOR?
For my first two years as an author, I worked as an operational risk manager *yawn* for an investment manager. Before that, I was an accountant *bigger yawn*. But now, thanks to my incredible readers that are supporting me (18,000 books sold in the last year!) I’m just an author *cheers*.

COFFEE OR TEA?
Coffee—coffee—did someone say coffee? (said with eyes wide open and unable to blink)

SLEEP IN OR GET UP EARLY?
In between. I like the best of both worlds. I don’t have to get up before 7am like I used to when I worked in an office, but I still like to wake up slowly from 8-8:30am and then start writing by 9am.

ARE OUR ELECTRONIC DEVICES STEALING OUR SOUL? AND IF SO, DO YOU MAKE OFFERINGS TO YOUR TOASTER?
Stealing implies they’re in the process of taking our souls. I think “have stolen” would be a better way of putting it, as mine is long gone to my iPhone. But I also do daily ritualistic sacrifices in the form of frozen strawberries, frozen kale, and bananas to my NutriBullet. They’re the tastiest ritualistic sacrifices I’ve ever heard of.

IF YOU COULD BE ANY FAMOUS PERSON FOR A DAY, HOW MANY PAPPARAZZI WOULD YOU KILL?
None! I would, however, nicely ask them to only take shots of my left side—it’s my good side.

WHY DIDN'T HURLEY LOSE ANY WEIGHT WHILE ON THE ISLAND?
Finally, an important question! I’m a huge Lost fan, so this question is near and dear to me heart. The most logical explanation is that the giant magnet caused a whirling vortex of metabolism-neutrality which led to zero changes in his exceptional body weight. It’s either that or he was sneaking all the bananas at night when everyone was sleeping.

HOW IMPORTANT ARE NAMES TO YOU IN THE MOON DWELLERS. DID YOU CHOOSE THEM BASED ON SOUND OR MEANING?
Very important! Well sort, of. They’re just names and don’t carry any more weight than that; however, I’m a firm believer that names aren’t random labels and they need to be right for each and every character. My main character is named Adele, after my wife, not because she’s anything like my wife, but because it’s just the right name for her. Another supporting character is named Roc, which seemed perfect when we were in a store and I saw the Roc beauty products.

WHERE DID THE MOON DWELLERS SPRING FROM? IN OTHER WORDS, HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE CRAZY WORLD?
I really wanted to write a dystopian series, but I wanted it to be very different than all the other ones. Setting is always a key ingredient in a dystopian book, so I asked the question “What would happen if everyone had to liver underground?” And then I asked the question “But what if not everyone was able to fit underground?” So essentially The Dwellers Saga follows what happens underground while the Country Saga tracks the adventures of the people still living aboveground. In the 7th book in the combined series, The Earth Dwellers, the two worlds collide.

JUST HOW FAR IN THE FUTURE IS THE MOON DWELLERS?
Almost 500 years.

IS THERE ANY SUPER-COOL FUTURISTIC TECHNOLOGY/WEAPONRY IN YOUR TOMORROW?
Not really weapons so much, but definitely some cool technology. A lot of it is required for survival as the people living underground have no sunlight. So they’ve created an artificial sun that can be used to grow food.

GIVE US THE WEATHER FORECAST FOR THE MOON DWELLERS.
No sunlight, no rain, a chance of bats flying overhead, and watch out for falling stalactites.

WHAT SORT OF BODY COUNT ARE WE TALKING HERE?
In the first book it’s somewhere in the fifty to one hundred range, with only one hero and one villain dying spectacular deaths. However, as the 7-book series goes on, there are thousands of deaths, and many main characters. No one is safe!

THE MOON DWELLERS GETS MADE INTO A MOVIE. WHO DO YOU TAKE TO THE PREMIERE AND WHO DO YOU SIT BY?
My wife and my wife. Although I’d likely invite my agent to come, too, as she’d be the one making the movie deal!

DO YOU WANT THE MOON DWELLERS TO MAKE IT BIG, AS IN JK ROWLINGS-BIG? WHY OR WHY NOT?
Umm….yes! It’s my dream to have my books read all over the world, and for them to be in bookstores and libraries worldwide. Why? Because I love sharing my stories with as many people as possible!

YOUR MAIN CHARACTER VS BATMAN, WHO WOULD WIN?
Adele is pretty kickass, but Batman’s got mad skills and he’s used to the dark. So I’d say Batman.

IF THERE IS TEOTWAWKI IN YOUR TOMORROW, WHAT CAUSED IT?
DISEASE
ALIENS
MONSTERS&ZOMBIES
WAR/GNH (GLOBAL NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST)
THE SUN
IMPACT EVENT It was a giant meteor. Sometimes it sucks to be human.
ECOLOGICAL CATASTROPHE
SUPERNATURAL/RELIGIOUS
HUMAN DECLINE/MODERN DARK AGE
TECHNOLOGY/CYBERNETIC REVOLT
OTHER
ALL OF THE ABOVE

ON A SCALE OF 1-5 WHAT WOULD YOUR BOOK GET FOR THESE ACTUAL MPAA RATING DESCRIPTIONS?
VIOLENCE 5
LANGUAGE 2
DRUG USE 1
SEXUAL CONTENT 1
NON-STOP NINJA ACTION 5
MILD PERIL 5
SALTY LANGUAGE AND INNUENDOS 1
JUNGLE ADVENTURE TERROR 1
BRUTAL AND BLOODY VIKING COMBAT 2
COMIC HORROR, VIOLENCE AND GROSSNESS 2
SWASHBUCKLING ACTION 3
ABUNDANCE OF OUTRAGEOUS GORE 1
SEXY DANCING 1
INTENSE SEQUENCES OF BAT ATTACKS 3
DEMENTED MAYHEM 3
SCENES OF DENTAL TORTURE 1

Susan Kaye Quinn, Speculative Fiction Author: What Tomorrow May Bring - Interview of SKQ About.....

Susan Kaye Quinn, Speculative Fiction Author: What Tomorrow May Bring - Interview of SKQ About.....: So, this fun interview comes courtesy of the  What Tomorrow May Bring Box Set, which includes Open Minds . Only $2.99 for 11 ...

Bladerunner
Leon: Do you make up these questions, Mr. Holden, or do they write them down for you?
Mr. Holden: They’re just questions, Leon.
Subject: Kowalski, Leon


The VOIGHT-KAMPFF Interview with DEBORAH RIX

One in a series from the authors in the YA Dystopian Boxed Set WHAT TOMORROW MAY BRING.

WHAT IS THE FIRST SCIENCE FICTION BOOK YOU REMEMBER READING?
A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr. I’m sure I read others first, but that’s the one that stuck with me. As it turns out, I wrote along similar themes to Miller, although my faith lies with science while his was in the Church.
WHAT BOOK WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ AGAIN?
Neuromancer, by William Gibson. It changed science fiction for me, completely. There seemed to be an abundance of epic space fantasy at the time I first read it. Other worlds, other species, other times. Neuromancer was ten minutes into the future and it was exciting. I once stood in a very long line at my favourite SF bookstore to get Gibson to sign my copy. I was the only girl.
WHAT BOOKS HAVE INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING?
From a technical perspective there are two: How Not To Write A Novel, by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman, and Elements of Fiction Writing by Orson Scott Card. There are others, but those are the two with all the dog ears and sticky notes.
LAPTOP OR DESKTOP FOR WRITING?
Laptop. I like to move around the house, depending upon my mood. But, in the near future, I’m hoping to get an actual writing space that is ALL mine. With a door.
DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER JOB BESIDES AUTHOR?
I have a general store/café called The Lucky Penny, it’s a neighbourhood joint on Trinity-Bellwoods Park in Toronto. It was a long and tortuous process to redevelop the property and open the shop, and ultimately was the catalyst for my writing. I was so frustrated by the process over which I had no control, that I was compelled to create fictional characters so someone would do what I wanted them to do, when I wanted it done.
JUST HOW FAR IN THE FUTURE IS YOUR TOMORROW?
It is one hundred years in the future. I chose that because I knew what one hundred years ago was like and could measure societal changes and how fast they happened. Some changes were revolutionary while other things remain almost unchanged. The rise and fall of dictatorships, for instance, can happen overnight, last sixty years, and fall apart in a matter of days. It was less than six months between the time Hitler became Chancellor and the Law for the Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring was passed, so I knew my theocracy with its Genetic Integrity Act was plausible. But our weaponry, while more sophisticated and lethal, is not so completely different from WWI, so I didn’t feel compelled to create any technological wonders. Everything I imagined is an extrapolation of today while using a century ago as a reference point.
DID YOU DO ANY SPECIFIC OR UNUSUAL RESEARCH FOR THIS BOOK?
I spent a day with a Marine Sergeant at the 29 Palms marine base in California and I communicated with an amateur radio enthusiast and satellite specialist who was on a submarine with the Canadian Navy. I talked with a Hydro-electric Engineer until my phone went dead and then continued on a land line for another few hours. My ear hurt, but it was worth it. I spoke with an expert on Roma culture, a room service waiter at Caesars Palace who’d been there about thirty years and knew all the secret passages, and a country-singing cattle rancher from Alberta.
IS THERE A PARTICULAR AREA OF SCIENCE OR SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLE THAT IS A PLOT FOCUS?
The trilogy is called The Laws of Motion, and each book and title reflects one of Newton’s three laws: External Forces, Acceleration, and Opposition. I based much of what happens on current scientific theory, using my imagination to extrapolate. Genetics plays a big part, both in humans and the environment. Also, Astronomy, theories about time, and Einstein’s Law of Special Relativity come in to play. Plus, I made some stuff up.
ARE ANY OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS FROM THE LGBT (LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER) COMMUNITY.
Yes, yes there are. Two of the main group of characters are gay and in a relationship, one of whom is the main character’s best friend. But not the gay best friend. The best friend who is a pilot, has blond hair, is funny and sarcastic, and gay.
GIVE YOUR BOOK THE BECHDEL TEST
1. IT HAS TO HAVE AT LEAST TWO (NAMED) WOMEN IN IT
2. WHO TALK TO EACH OTHER
3. ABOUT SOMETHING BESIDES A MAN

My book aces this test, didn’t even need to study for it.
PICK ONE OF YOUR CHARACTERS AND APPLY THE SIX DEGREES OF KEVIN BACON. GO!
1. Jess Grant’s boyfriend is Matt Anderson a Special Forces Sergeant.
2. Matt’s squad also includes Sheree LaSalle, a trained military sniper.
3. Sheree and the squad are located on a base that is a fictional version of Fort Huachuca which was also the setting for the film Clear and Present Danger starring Harrison Ford.
4. Harrison Ford starred in Clear and Present Danger with Tim Robbins.
5. Tim Robbins was in the movie Top Gun with Tom Cruise
6. Tom Cruise was in the film A Few Good Men, about the trial of U.S. Marines, with Kevin Bacon.
YOUR MAIN CHARACTER VS BATMAN, WHO WOULD WIN?
Usually, Batman. I mean, c’mon, he’s Batman. But a certain genetic mutation could give my girl the edge.
WHAT FIVE SONGS/ARTISTS WOULD FEATURE ON THE SOUNDTRACK OF YOUR TOMORROW?
Green Day – Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Foster The People – Pumped Up Kicks
Iggy Pop – Lust For Life
Wild Feathers – Got It Wrong
Johnny Cash & Joe Strummer – Redemption Song (orig. Bob Marley)
THE HUNT. IT COMES. JULY 18-20  THE HUNT FOR TOMORROW

The Hunt for Tomorrow: Shelbi Wescott

The Hunt for Tomorrow: Shelbi Wescott: WHAT IS THE FIRST SCIENCE FICTION BOOK YOU REMEMBER READING? I remember reading  The Boy Who Reversed Himself  by William Sleator in 1...

Leon: Do you make up these questions, Mr. Holden, or do they write them down for you?

Mr. Holden: They're just questions, Leon.

-Bladerunner

WHAT TOMORROW MAY BRING, the YA Dystopian boxed set, features 11 authors. 

We gave them all the Voight-Kampff Interview.

It's Joseph Turkot's turn this week. Here's his first question. For the full interview go here:

Joseph Turkot gets asked some questions.

HAVE YOU WRITTEN IN ANY OTHER GENRES BESIDES YA DYSTOPIAN? WHAT DREW YOU TO THIS GENRE?
I started in fantasy, rather epic, Shakespearean fantasy: Darkin. The sequel, Darkin 2, was toned down (as far as its Shakespearean-sounding language), but still retained some of it. It definitely became more readable. After the second book, I moved into horror for a brief spell, writing a couple short stories. From there, I jumped again, publishing a serial novel called Black Hull. This was a fun ride through time and space for me, and a chance to work on terse language. Something I wanted to get good at. Some say I did this too well, and they wanted more description. In either case, I jumped again, going into writing a YA mystery novel called Neighborhood Watch about a serial murderer. This was a blast to write. I felt like I was reliving parts of my own childhood because the setting was so similar. And then, yes, finally, I arrived at the post-apocalyptic, or dystopian world of The Rain. I’ve always been attracted to dystopian literature, maybe because I see so much of the real world in there. It’s not all far-fetched and impossible to me. Okay, maybe The Rain is. But some of the stuff, like 1984, or Oryx and Crake, seem pretty possible. And so I see the cautionary tale thing writ in all its glory within the framework of those stories. And although the setting in The Rain is maybe not as believable in my story, it still provides a place for the characters to think about some aspects of humanity that might otherwise be overlooked or seen as ordinary. I’m all about examining beliefs with an open, malleable mind.

THE HUNT FOR TOMORROW is coming...   Are you ready?

The Hunt For Tomorrow

WHAT TOMORROW MAY BRING

The Young Adult Dystopian Boxed Set is out now

We asked all 11 authors some tough questions. Here is the first interview.

CARY CAFFREY – Author of The Girls From Alcyone
Sigrid and Suko are two girls from the impoverished and crime-infested streets of 24th century Earth. Sold into slavery to save their families from financial ruin, the girls are forced to live out their lives in service to the Kimura Corporation, a prestigious mercenary clan with a lineage stretching back long before the formation of the Federated Corporations.
Known only to Kimura, the two girls share startling secret—a rare genetic structure not found in tens of millions of other girls.
But when their secret becomes known, Sigrid and Suko quickly find themselves at the center of a struggle for power. Now, hunted by men who would seek to control them, Sigrid and Suko are forced to fight for their own survival, and for the freedom of the girls from Alcyone.

THE VOIGHT-KAMPFF* QUESTIONNAIRE - Cary Caffrey
*If you haven't seen Bladerunner why are you even here?

DID YOU CHOOSE TO SELF-PUBLISH OR GO THE TRADITIONAL ROUTE? WHY?
Indy-publishing all the way! Going Indy is the best (and I believe the smartest) route for any new writer in today’s market.

I’ve been very lucky in that I’ve worked in and around the entertainment industry nearly all my life. I’ve worked for publishers, and I’ve had publishers working for me. Both experiences made me want to go the independent route. It’s wonderful time to be an independently published writer.

HOW DO YOU OVERCOME WRITER'S BLOCK?
When I figure it out I’ll let you know!
Seriously though, the key for me is to never let myself get bogged down, and to make sure I keep slogging along. I wage a daily war with my confidence (or lack thereof). I’m not sure if that’s writer’s block or anxiety. What came as a surprise to me is that this anxiety got worse, not better, after the success of my first novel. Perhaps that’s the pressure of added expectations (expectations I put on myself, not from readers). My readers have been great. Super-supportive. They’re my main source of inspiration to keep moving forward. Readers are my cure for writer’s block.

WHAT BOOKS HAVE INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING?
Anything by Harry Harrison! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read Deathworld, Homeworld or the Stainless Steel Rat.

ANY MOVIE, ANY BOOK...WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE ANTAGONIST?
Do comics count? It’s a toss-up between Mr. Freeze or Clayface. Two of the most tragic villains in the history of literature!

DO YOU BUY A BOOK BY THE COVER?
Absolutely. I freely admit I’m attracted to shiny things. I’m a very visual person. I love visual arts. Painting, photography, graphic-design, I love it all. I’m constantly drawn to great cover art, and I have a particular weakness for bold covers featuring powerful, swashbuckling heroines.

HAVE YOU EVER WRITTEN ABOUT YOUR OWN BAD HABITS?
Always! I wouldn’t trust a writer who wasn’t willing to put the worst of themselves on the page. Someone asked me once (about writing): aren’t you worried that people will think it’s you? My answer was: if you’re not worried about that—if you’re trying to hide, or disguise yourself—you’re not doing your job.

WHICH WORDS OR PHRASES DO YOU TEND TO OVERUSE?
Apparently in the first edit of TGfA I used the word ‘managed’ nine-thousand, four-hundred and fifty-seven times.

DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER JOB BESIDES AUTHOR?
When I saw the Indy-eBook explosion I decided it was time to take the plunge and do this full time. I don’t know how people write and hold down a day-job. If I had a job I’d be a terrible employee. Or worse, a terrible writer!

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Risk everything (they can’t say “yes” if you don’t ask).

WHAT TALENT WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO HAVE?
I always wished I was a better guitar player. I never got beyond ‘passable-hack,’ but I know in my heart I wanted to be a guitar hero.

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST LIE YOU’VE EVER TOLD?
That I’m really a woman. I can’t help it. I have clothes envy. Dresses, high heels… I would have made an awesome drag queen (if only I were taller!).

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN TROUBLE WITH THE AUTHORITIES?
Let’s just say, spending a night in the “slammer” was a life-altering experience. It definitely made me stop and take a hard look at myself—who I was, what I was doing and where I was going.

I almost think everyone should go to jail at least once. Nothing makes you appreciate freedom more than having it taken away.

DO YOU THINK THE UNITED STATES IS SECRETLY A MIRROR UNIVERSE OF CANADA, LIKE THE STAR TREK EPISODE, WHERE THE UNITED STATES IS THE EVIL DIMENSION?

Full disclosure: I’m Canadian.

There may have been a time when the US was the evil counter-verse of Canada, but unfortunately Canada’s conservatives appear extremely eager to adopt all of the worst traits of American Tea-Party/Republicanisms. Our conservative government is currently under fire for trying to adopt such popular Republican policies as voter suppression, for-profit prisons, and they’re doing their damnedest to dismantle our public health-care system and de-fund education.

And let’s not forget oil (Keystone pipeline). The Cons want to pump as much oil as they can, as fast as they can, through the United States, even though the pipes are leaking all over the place.

If anything, it appears a giant wormhole has opened up in the space-time continuum and plunked Canada right alongside the US in that mirror universe.

HAVE YOU SEEN MY SHOES?
No, but would love to! I should imagine they are quite lovely. I’m picturing a pair of shiny black pumps, perhaps with those fancy red soles you see everywhere these days.

WHY DIDN'T HURLEY LOSE ANY WEIGHT WHILE ON THE ISLAND?
What! Oh, my goodness, this is too easy. Because the dead don’t lose weight! In fact, it was Hurley’s bulk that gave away the whole ending back in season two.

BONUS QUESTION: WHY DO VILLIANS PREFER LONG HAIR CATS INSTEAD OF
HAIRLESS CATS? HAIRLESS CATS ARE MUCH MORE EVIL LOOKING. SEEMS LIKE A
MISSED OPPORTUNITY.
Ah! But you see, you’re approaching the question from the wrong angle. Villains (oh, sorry—villians) are almost always misunderstood. After all, the best villians are really heroes trapped in the wrong story. And they don’t see themselves as evil at all, so, when you think about it, the fact that they prefer fluffy kittens only makes good sense.

ABOUT THE BOOK

IF YOU GAVE ONE OF YOUR CHARACTERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, WHAT WOULD THEY SAY?
“Sorry about your face!”
Actually, that’s a line from Borderlands (something Paige says), but I really wish I’d written it for Suko. It’s definitely something she’d say, probably after laying the smack down on some unsuspecting thug.

WHERE DID YOUR TOMORROW SPRING FROM? IN OTHER WORDS, HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE CRAZY WORLD?
That one’s easy too. I feel as though we’re already living in a crazy dystopian future. A study came out recently showing how Americans are actually already living in an oligarchy and not a democracy (https://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/04/14). The study showed extremely specific examples of how public policy in the US is dictated, not by overwhelming public opinion, but by the whims of a very small minority of wealthy and elite corporatists. Take gun control, for instance. 88% of Americans want stricter gun laws, but even with that overwhelming support nothing’s been done. If anything, we keep moving toward more liberal gun-laws, as evidenced by what just happened in Georgia (guns in schools and bars! Yay! What could go wrong?). And how about what happened last week with the FCC? They actually killed net neutrality, paving the way for internet monopolies (say goodbye to freedom of the online press as we know it). These are just two examples of a globally unpopular policies that are turned into a laws to service a very small number of people in the upper-fringes of society.
Call it a corporatocracy, an oligarchy or plutocracy, this is not how democracy is supposed to work.
Oh, and before you label me a conspiracy theorist, remember what Noam Chomsky said (and I’m paraphrasing): It’s not a conspiracy theory. It’s just good observation.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR THIS STORY?
See above!
Actually, the idea came about completely by accident. The original draft was quite different. Sigrid Novak (the main character), was supposed to be a secondary character, but the moment she hit the page (in the original, she doesn’t appear until page 56!) I fell in love with her. I knew I had to learn absolutely everything about her. Who was this incredible woman, what drove her, and how the heck did she get the way she was? I immediately I tossed the draft I was working on and started writing Sigrid’s story.

DID YOU DO ANY SPECIFIC OR UNUSUAL RESEARCH FOR THIS BOOK?
I had to do a lot of research into martial arts. I spent a great deal of time reading about jujitsu and watching lots of videos. It was very important that the more physical acts of combat be real. I was fortunate that one of my early alpha-readers was experienced in Jujitsu, as well. She came to my rescue on a number of occasions.

DID YOU HAVE TO CONDUCT ANY EXPERIMENTS FOR THIS BOOK?
Only for the naughtier parts.

IS THERE ANY SUPER-COOL FUTURISTIC TECHNOLOGY/WEAPONRY IN YOUR TOMORROW?
What’s scifi without cool tech! TGfA features some seriously overpowered ballistic weapons. Who doesn’t want a hulking 18 mm recoilless sidearm strapped to their thigh! I mean, that is hot.

WHO SHOULD NOT READ YOUR BOOK?
Bigoted, intolerant, ideological, hateful people. These people would best be served by avoiding my book at all costs. Judging from some of the angrier responses I’ve received since publication, there are still certain people in this world who do not like to think about 'non-traditional' relationships. Apparently, even 350 years into the future, such things are still 'ew, icky gross!’

ARE ANY OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS FROM THE LGBT (LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER) COMMUNITY.
I think that falls under the category of ‘yes,’ though one of my favorite things about the book is that, at no time ever, does the subject of sexuality or gender come up. No one is ever labeled gay or lesbian, and you’ll never find any of the characters questioning or struggling with their sexuality. No one’s ever worried about what *gasp* their friends or family might think. Gender, sexuality, it’s a non-issue. And I’m just so tired of books or movies that play coy with a character’s sexuality, making readers guess “are they? aren’t they? Will they? Won’t they?” It’s just silly. Let them be out and about. And for goodness sake, let them be happy!

GIVE YOUR BOOK THE BECHDEL TEST
1. IT HAS TO HAVE AT LEAST TWO (NAMED) WOMEN IN IT: Check.
2. WHO TALK TO EACH OTHER: Definitely!
3. ABOUT SOMETHING BESIDES A MAN: Who are these ‘men’ of which you speak? This is The Girls from Alcyone.

PICK ONE OF YOUR CHARACTERS AND APPLY THE SIX DEGREES OF KEVIN BACON. GO!
I don’t know how to connect those dots, but I know that I have a six degree connection with Mr. Bacon (but doesn’t everyone). My connection is thanks to a song I wrote and a TV show featuring Rick(y) Schroder. It’s a crazy six-degree world.

WHO WOULD PLAY YOUR MAIN CHARACTER IN A MOVIE?
Easiest question on the planet! Elle Fanning (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1102577/?ref_=tt_cl_i4). She absolutely is (young) Sigrid Novak. If we start preproduction on the movie now, Elle will be the perfect age to start filming in two or three years.

YOUR MAIN CHARACTER VS BATMAN, WHO WOULD WIN?
No contest. Sigrid Novak would kick Batman’s butt. It’s not Batman’s fault. After all, Sigrid Novak has all the genetic and bionic advantages, as well as the kind of years of training that would leave Bruce Wayne envious. I believe Batman would literally never see her coming.

ON A SCALE OF 1-5 what would your book get for these actual MPAA rating descriptions
Violence: Five!
Language: I’d give it a two, but apparently TGfA is full of cussing. Let’s go with three.
Drug Use: While TGfA gets a one for recreational use, it definitely scores an eleven when it comes to pharmaceuticals. Hey, we’re talking full-on genetic recombinants here!
Sexual Content: Yes, please — I mean, five!
Non-stop Ninja action: Ooh! Definitely a five. Yes. Five
Salty language and innuendos: Check
Jungle adventure terror: Does a forest count? How about concrete jungle?
Brutal and bloody Viking combat: Sadly, no vikings. *sighs*
Comic horror, violence and grossness: What’s an adventure without a stomach churning moment or two?
Swashbuckling action: Check!
Sexy dancing: I’m happy to say, yes!
Intense sequences of bat attacks: Ooh… No. No bats.
Demented mayhem: Um, hell ya.
Scenes of dental torture: Thank goodness, no!

IF YOUR BOOK WERE RATED LIKE A ROMANCE NOVEL, WHAT WOULD THE HEAT LEVEL BE?
1) None
2) Sweet
3) Mild
4) Hot
5) Wild Ride
6) Blood Thirsty

I would very much like to think (hope) that it is both sweet & hot.