[If you don’t know it already, Mr. Paws, a super-intelligent cat who does mathematical research, is a main character in my YA novel The Secret Lab (adults have also found it enjoyable).  He visited me from his parallel universe recently to talk about “The Chaos Chronicles” and sci-fi in general.  I include here only the pertinent parts.  We were sidetracked at times by unsolved mathematical conjectures about gaps between primes and whether there’s just one Higgs boson or many, but I’ll spare you those details.]

Steve: Good to see you again.  Have my muses been taking good care of you?

Mr. Paws: I’m purrfectly independent, you know—I don’t need babying.  I do miss the kids.  Although I can wander freely about that futuristic International Space Station you created, Shashi and all the gang [Steve: ISS tweens who become Mr. Paws’ friends on the ISS] are off doing other things.  So, yes, your muses are useful in keeping me on my toes with provocative questions.  They helped me come here to visit, though, because I have some questions for you.

Steve: You mean, you want to interview me?

Mr. Paws:  Don’t let your ego inflate, pal.  No, I’m just here to chat.  By jumping around through the Nexus in time and space, I’ve been able to explore some of the places you talk about in “The Chaos Chronicles.”  They’re quite interesting.  My adventures in The Secret Lab can be considered a prequel to all those adventures, of course.  In “my time,” they didn’t know about the Nexus.  Humans were just exploring the solar system.

Steve: Which places are most interesting?

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[Note from Steve: Sabrina Chase is a prolific and successful writer in a genre that is difficult to break into—I know that from personal experience.  I discovered her in my role as a lurker reading Joe Konrath’s blog—you never know when or where you can find another interesting author!  She has written mostly novels: Firehearted, The Last Mage Guardian, The Long Way Home, Raven’s Children, Queen of Chaos, The Scent of Metal, and The Bureau of Substandards Annual Report.  Like yours truly, her scientific background is in physics; but also like many physicists, she does something else in her day job—she currently works as a software developer.  So yes, she’s a “mad scientist,” but maybe only to the extent that she’s also a writer.  For further details, check out her website.  Without further ado, let’s enjoy her candid answers to my prying questions!]

Sabrina on Writing:

Steve: Why, how, and when did you start writing?

Sabrina: I suffer from being a quick reader, meaning I read far more quickly than my favorite writers could produce books. To kill time I started making up my own stories, and one thing led to another. At first I tried short stories, but it’s not my natural length. (I’ve gotten better at writing short form over the years.) One day I showed a short story to a friend, and he insisted, “There has to be more! Write the rest!”  And so I did—it turned into my first book, Firehearted.

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[Note from Steve:  A. J. Colucci writes science thrillers, stories that combine the adrenaline-rush of a thriller with real science.  I met her at BooksNJ a few weekends ago and knew immediately that those who visit this blog will be interested in learning more about her.  Her novel The Colony received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, noting, “Colucci’s exciting thriller debut…balances scares and science nicely. Michael Crichton fans will hope that this is but the first of many such outings from the author’s pen.” Her second science thriller will be released by St. Martin’s Press in spring 2014. Visit her website or find her on Twitter.  Without further ado, let’s meet A. J.]

A. J. on writing:

Steve:  Why, how, and when did you start writing?

A. J.: I was always writing, even in elementary school. I had so many stories in my head. The first “novel” I wrote was The Black Cat and my fourth grade teacher told me it was great.  I’m sure a lot of people choose careers because they’re encouraged by a great teacher, and I had a few of those. So, I went on to write for my high school and college newspaper, and then became a reporter, magazine editor, corporate writer and finally a novelist. For me, writing has been a good choice because I’m not too good at anything else.

Steve:  Did you publish the first book you wrote?

A. J.:  I had three books and five screenplays by the time The Colony was picked up by Macmillan. It takes years to sharpen your writing skills and polish a book so that it’s marketable. The Colony was my second attempt at a novel and I kept going back to it in between writing projects.  I knew it was my best chance to get published because it was such a high concept story.

Steve: What is your biggest problem with the writing process? How do you tackle it?

A. J.: I write a lot by hand; it just comes out better that way. But then I have to transcribe all my notes into the computer. Hundreds of scribbled pages I can barely read. There’s paper in my car, under my bed, in every room of the house.  It’s awful and time-consuming, but there’s no way around it.

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[Note from Steve:  I met Eileen at BooksNJ a few weekends ago.  I immediately knew that readers of this blog, avid readers and writers alike, would like to get to know her and her opus.  Her latest book is DARK MUSIC —I was immediately attracted to the musical subtheme.  So, without further ado, let’s meet E. F. Watkins.]

Steve:  First, tell us something about yourself.

E. F.:  I write paranormal mystery and suspense stories using the E. F. Watkins author’s name.  My opus is comprised of:  DANCE WITH THE DRAGON (2003), RIDE A DANCING HORSE (2004, as “Eileen” Watkins), BLACK FLOWERS (2004), PARAGON (2005), DANU’S CHILDREN (2009), ONE BLOOD (2010), and DARK MUSIC (2013).  DANCE WITH THE DRAGON won Best Horror Novel 2004, from EPIC (Electronically Public Internet Connection).  BLACK FLOWERS was a 2005 EPIC Finalist in the Thriller category and 2006 Indie Book Awards Finalist in the Thriller category.  ONE BLOOD was an EPIC Finalist in the Paranormal category.  You can visit me at my website.

E. F. on Writing:

Steve:  Why, how, and when did you start writing?

E. F.:  I actually started trying to “write books” as soon as I learned to print, but as you can imagine I didn’t get very far! Growing up as an only child, I always made up my own stories. I wrote my first short story in high school and a revised version of it won a contest my freshman year in college. My sophomore year, I wrote a “fan fiction” novella based on the TV soap DARK SHADOWS that went over pretty well with my friends. My first year out of college, I wrote a very early version of the book that eventually became ONE BLOOD, and I’ve been writing (and rewriting) my novels every since.

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(7 Lessons On Irish Whiskey, 27Press, 2013, ISBN 978-0-9887705-2-2)

I don’t usually write about commercial products, but what 27Press offers is more services than products.  Moreover, one needs to take a break from the seriousness of this blog’s op-eds from time to time.  Not that Irish whiskey isn’t serious…it’s serious fun to be had, although only legal fun for those over twenty-one.  If you’re under twenty-one, keep on reading, but don’t imbibe until you’ve reached that ripe old age.  (That ends my legal responsibility, I believe.  I know, how do you tell that to a U.S. marine who’s eighteen and fighting for his country, for example?  Seems unfair, but who said life is fair?)  Also, if you’re over twenty-one, explore Irish whiskey responsibly.  You’ll appreciate it better, in fact, if you have a clear head, clear from both the alcohol and any cold or flu viruses, in order to appreciate both nose and flavors.

David J. Kosmider, founder of 27Press, was kind enough to point out this little book to me.  At the time he did so, it was one of those KDP Select give-aways, but I waited too long and paid (oh!  The horror of it!) $0.99.  It’s well worth it at that price too.  Maybe not quite the bargain as my YA sci-fi thriller The Secret Lab or detective anthology Pop Two Antacids and Have Some Java, but we’re talking $1 here, folks—let’s not quibble.  The swill sold by Starbucks will set you back more (“swill” is just my opinion, of course—some people like it, both the traditional and the watered-down “blonde” version).  By the way, 10% of all author royalties are donated to non-profit organizations.  What a great idea!

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[Steve’s note:  Today we have an interview with Seumas Gallacher, crime fiction writer and master blogger.  His two novels (see below) have enjoyed a lot of success and he has won the Blogger of the Year award.  The following is taken from his blog (http://seumasgallacher.com/about/): Seumas “was born in the cradle of the Govan shipyards in Glasgow in the so-called ‘bad old days’ which were in reality the greatest of days, where everybody was a real character of note.  An early career as a trainee Scottish banker led to a spell in London, where his pretence to be a missionary converting the English locals fell on deaf ears.  Escape to the Far East in 1980 opened up access to cultures and societies on a global scale, eventually bringing the realization that the world is quite simply one large extended village.”  I’m sure you’ll find Seamus to be an interesting fellow.  I look forward to sitting down with him one day to debate the merits of Scotch whiskey v. Irish whiskey…hopefully with sampling.  Contact info for Seumas can be found at the end of this post.]

On Writing:

Steve: Why, how, and when did you start writing?

Seumas: An unfulfilled lifelong ambition just to ‘tick-off’ from the bucket list ‘writing a novel’ kicked in about 4 years ago. Prior to that, I’d dabbled with short story writing, and some teenage angst-riddled poetry, with some more elegant poems later in life. The novel became a crime thriller tale, and led to the next and now #3 is a work-in-progress, with at least another couple to follow—it IS addictive, isn’t it?

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[Steve’s intro: Our interview today is with sci-fi thriller author Stephen Banks.  I reviewed his debut book Chaos Theories at Bookpleasures and in my Monday, March 4, post.  He has provided the following bio: “When I was in high school, my Career/Guidance counselor looked at my test scores and said, ‘You can do anything.’ Without any clear direction, I tried a little of everything instead. I majored in Theater at Bennington College for a year, dropped out, married my high school sweetheart, and started a family while bouncing between jobs—electrician, auto mechanic, shipyard mechanic and retail manager. Eventually, I started selling PC’s, taught myself programming, and worked my way up to CTO of several small companies.” In his spare time, Stephen acts, directs and writes for a number of community theaters and independent film companies. He lives with his wife and two cats in Atlanta, Georgia.  You can contact him at info@stevebanks.com.  His website isn’t active yet, but you can visit his Amazon page: http://amazon.com/author/stephenhbanks.]

Steve M: What got you started writing this book?

Steve B: It began as a different book entirely. Back in 2000, I was running an IT department and felt the need to do something more creative. I started writing a straightforward thriller about a software developer who shot everyone in his office, then lead a manhunt across country. This was about a year after day-trader Mark Barton went on an office killing spree.  I guess that’s what initially inspired me. The first chapter of that book became the third one in Chaos Theories, except that it was set in Boston, rather than near Seattle.

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[Note from Steve: Readers and writers here have the opportunity to meet Jim Kukral.  He has written eight books and his Author Marketing Club (AMC)  is a free resource for authors and readers to learn about book marketing and discover new books. Over 7500 people have connected with the club. You can join for free.  There are many ways his website can help you find your way around the complicated landscape of digital publishing.  I don’t usually write posts that might be construed as commercial, but Jim is also an author, so he knows a lot about the writing business.  Enjoy!]

Author’s bio: Jim Kukral is a 16-year Internet marketing professional who was recently named by Dun & Bradstreet as one of “The Most Influential Small Business People on Twitter.” Jim also serves as a Program Faculty Member for the University of San Francisco’s Internet Marketing Program where he teaches classes to students around the globe on the topics of internet marketing, web monetization and social media. In addition, SmallBizTrends.com chose Jim as one of 100 top small business influencers online.

Steve: Where do you think publishing is going?  Is traditional publishing doomed?  Are eBooks here to stay?

Jim: Traditional publishing will survive, but in a new form. The business model of “paper” is obviously going to go away. Not completely, but let’s be honest, the world is going digital. Yes, there will still be paper books, but far fewer than in the past. Traditional publishers will focus on books they know will sell and stop taking any chances on new authors. New authors will come from the indie crowd. They’ll prove themselves first, then the big publishers will try to swoop in and buy them up.

S: What about bookstores?  Libraries?  Can they keep up with the changing times?

J: I love the line from the Social Network movie. I’m paraphrasing here, where the character Shawn, played by Justin Timberlake, who was the Napster guy, says something like, “Are you interested in buying a Tower Records franchise today?” Same point here. Are you interested in buying a Barnes and Noble franchise today? Paper is on the way out. Libraries are already exploring e-lending programs and it’s great!

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[Today’s interview is with new fiction writer Tim Young , author of the recently released Poisoned Soil, which I’ll review in this blog tomorrow.  (If you can’t wait, you’ll also find the review at Bookpleasures.)  I think you’ll find Tim to be an interesting fellow.  He certainly shows there’s life beyond the Dilbert cube.  Read on.]

1)  Why, how, and when did you start writing? I only began writing a couple of years ago when I wrote the personal memoir The Accidental Farmers. It tells the story of how my wife and I chose to leave country club living and corporate America to devote ourselves to producing food for ourselves and others.  Other than that, the extent of my writing had been for business purposes only. Unlike many authors, I never studied creative writing or even attempted to write fiction, not even a one-page short story. The first piece of fiction I attempted was Poisoned Soil.

2)  Did you publish the first book you wrote? Yes, and it was The Accidental Farmers. At this point I’ve written or co-written four books, two of which are business books that were published by McGraw-Hill.

3)  What is your biggest problem with the writing process. How do you tackle it?  My biggest challenge is determining character motive. I’m drawn to a sub-genre that I seem bent on creating, something I refer to as Agrarian Suspense. The stories I visualize all relate to the confluence of social unrest (domestic terrorism, Occupy, etc.), the dangers of industrial food (GMO, factory farms, contamination) and the effect of our actions on the environment. Clearly those are real  issues that sound a lot like non-fiction. My challenge as a fiction writer is to conceive a story based on very believable motives that is also thrilling and suspenseful. In the end, I want the stories to be a great read, of course, but I also want them to have resonance beyond the fictional world. Something the reader can take back to the real world with eyes that are a little more open.

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As a special treat today, I offer you an interview with fellow thriller author Gina Fava.  A Buffalo, NY native, Gina lives in New England with her husband, Jamie, and their two children.  A writer of award-winning short stories, Gina Fava is working to publish two novels, The Race and The Sculptor, both suspense thrillers based in Rome, Italy.  She’s currently writing her next thrillers in both series.  She travels to Italy often to research first-hand the red wines that her characters imbibe.  An active member of MWA, ITW, and SinC, Gina’s a thrill-seeking bridge jumper, a Formula One racing fanatic, and a nut for blogging about skeletal recomposition.  You can learn more about Gina at her website.  Thank you, Gina.

1)  Why, how, and when did you start writing?

I started writing to entertain myself in grade school.  In high school, Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot blew me away, and his Night Shift short stories prompted me to write to entertain family and friends.  It wasn’t until I returned from studying abroad in Italy that I sent my short stories and feature articles out to the rest of the world.  I think I needed to experience life a bit before I realized that I had novels clamoring to get out too.

2)  What is your biggest problem with the writing process. How do you tackle it?

Characterization.  I love my characters from inception, but it takes some development in their infant stages until I grow close enough to them to appreciate their true personalities.

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