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1. What books have most influenced your life? From a science fiction perspective I would say two books I read as a youth opened by eyes to the genre. These were A Canticle for Leibowitz by Miller and Foundation by Asimov. Recently, I have really enjoyed Old Man's War by Scalzi as well. The most influential books, however, were history and anthropological works. Although not science fiction, they really helped in the creation of the Gateway Universe and the cultures involved. There is a BUNCH of works focusing on Civil War and Native American history that have influenced my writing but I will list a few: Counting Coups and Cutting Horses by McGinnis, This Republic of Suffering by Faust, Ordeal of the Longhouse and Before the Revolution by Richter, The Life of Billy Yank and The Life Johnny Reb by Wiley, and a lot more. I think my early fascination with science fiction, combined with my academic history in social science and history, really help me to look at what creates situations that cause cultural and societal change and then examine how the individual responds. And of course science fiction is the ultimate canvas to do this.
2. How do you develop your plots and characters?
I actually had the basic plot for Gateway in my head about 18 years before I decided to do something about it (and I’m glad I finally did). In further developing the plot, I relied on a combination of old school plot mapping, outlines, and flowcharts, punctuated by flashes of inspiration. The inspiration can come from anywhere…a landscape I see, a song, or even a random encounter with someone. As for characters, I try to create characters that carry the plot along and do so in an interesting way. Once I ‘create’ them, I try to develop a little backstory (which I keep either in my head or notes) for them and then see how their own experiences and the culture I put them in will impact their actions. In other cases, some characters seem to write themselves. A perfect example is Captain Emily Martin. Halfway through writing Gateway, I think I lost control of her and it just seemed like the character made her own decisions that I happened to be writing down.
3. Tell us about your Space Opera Fans book?
Gateway, I hope, will be entertaining on multiple levels. At face value, it is a military-political space drama with the requisite explosions, fight scenes, spacecraft, and hopefully believable science. Below that is an examination of cultures in conflict with themselves and others.
The most fun for me, however, is looking at the individuals dealing with these conflicts-examining how they became who they are and what drives their perspectives of their own culture and society. From that point, I try to bring the individual into conflict with their own socially and culturally ingrained perspectives of themselves and their society. The main character, Major Tyler Stone, is a classic black and white hero-type that suddenly discovers things are not as black and white as he wants them to be and he must balance duty to his civilization and family against his changing perspective of right and wrong-all the while trying to be the ‘honorable’ warrior. And I blow stuff up-a lot of stuff.
4. We all need a hero! Tell us about your protagonist(s)? Was there a real-life inspiration behind him or her?
Tyler Stone (see question 3) is the main protagonist and is modeled after a combination of military leaders I encountered in my 23 years of service. He REALLY wants to do what is right but has to struggle with what happens when the right decision still ends with ‘bad’ things happening or when he learns the right answer for his civilization might not be the honorable answer.
He is also named (Tyler) after a very close family friend that lost his battle with cancer at the age of 14. Near the end, I promised him I would name a character after him and after I watched him so bravely fight his disease, the least I could do was name the lead character after him. (In fact, 10% of all of my first year profit is going to the American Cancer Society).
Two other characters give Stone a run for his money in Gateway. They are Captain Mori Skye and Captain Emily Martin. These two characters act as opposites to Stone’s struggle with doing the right thing. Martin is the decisive, make-a-decision- and-forget-about –it character without the post-action self-doubt of Stone. Mori Skye on the other hand lives in the ‘greyness’ that Stone dreads.
5. A good villain is hard to write. How did you get in touch with your inner villain(s) to write this book. Was there a real-life inspiration for him/her/it?
For the villains, I also looked at some military leaders in my past-this time the bad ones. The Cataline character is obsessed with titles, wealth, and status and will do whatever is needed to maintain the status quo as long as he is at the top. He fears making any decisions that might actually result in the possibility of coming back on him and requiring him to take responsibility. Unfortunately, there are few of those in our military.
Astra Varus is really the manifestation of the dismal state of our own political system. Initially powerful behind the scenes, she wants (and is willing to do what had to be done) to obtain ultimate power. She is brilliant but elitist and never satisfied with what she has and has the skill to manipulate weaker, but powerful, political leaders to help her advance her own agenda.
6. What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding within your book?
My study of history played a significant role in the development of the worlds in Gateway. The Roman Republic (just prior to the Empire), Native American cultures, the antebellum South are just a few jumping off points for societies you will see in Gateway. Gateway examines the Humani culture which has elements of a late Roman Republic. Book 2 (Saint) will show us more of the Terillian culture which draws from several Native American cultures (as well as the growth of a fundamentalist religious movement), and Book 3 (no title yet) will look into the Xen Empire, which should be reminiscent of the American South in the 1850s. After that….
7. Sci-fi fans love techno-porn! What real-life science (or pseudo-science) did you research for your book?
I didn’t want to go overboard with technical stuff because at its core Gateway is a study of cultures, societies, and people in conflict. That being said, you gotta have the techno-bling. Most of my research came from my background (my day job) as a nuclear engineer with a B.S. in Radiation Physics. (I like school BTW. In addition to the B.S. in Rad Physics, I have B.S. in History, a Masters of Social Science, and have done post graduate work in Emergency Management and U.S. and Native American History)
Space Travel: I dealt with space travel by having the systems involved be in close proximity and using linear accelerator technology. Basically, the free floating metals in space are magnetized and create a massive, expanding rail which the ships travel on at light (not FTL) speed. Basically traveling across known systems would be akin to a trans-Atlantic trip in the 1600s.
Weapons: The same technology is also used for main battery weapons systems. The metals are then concentrated and heated to create plasma bursts. Conventional weapons are still good-ole-fashioned metal bullets in most cases.
Communications: Communication is through a wide range of methods but the high-priority stuff is handled through embedding messages and using electron spin theory to instantly transport data to anywhere in the known galaxy. This takes a lot of power, however, and has very little bandwidth so it is only for the highest priority messages.
8. What was the hardest part of writing this book?
Since this was my first fiction book I would say the hardest part was sharing with people the crazy stuff that comes out of my head. But honestly, I would say the two hardest things for me are creating a good timeline and storyline to hopefully avoid inconsistencies and other typical shortfalls. Secondly, I have scenes that I can’t wait to get to that just inundate my conscious but I also have to write the stuff in between and try to make the story move and stay interesting.
Time is also tough sometimes. I am currently a full time nuclear engineer and part-time adjunct history instructor so time can sometimes be an issue or just an excuse for procrastination or writer’s block.
9. What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
My favorite parts were the ones with Emily Martin. I didn’t plan for her to be as big of a character as she turned out to be but she obviously had something else in mind. Martin is just fun to write. My wife, I think, described her best as ‘a beautiful train wreck, but one that does it with style.’ She is beautiful, talented, intelligent, and driven but also stubborn, troubled, and carrying a TON of baggage.
10. Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?
I learned that this is what I want to do, hopefully full-time in the future. My daughter made a joke that I was god in the Gateway Universe…and who wouldn’t want to be a god (LOL).
I also learned the publishing process is anything but quick and easy.
11. Is there a message in your novel that you hope readers will grasp?
The first message is to enjoy the characters and the ride they take as they navigate the obstacles I through at them. Secondly, if you are so inclined, Gateway also shows how important our learned perspective of ourselves, our culture, and our society are to our identity. This begs the question then, once our identities are established, what do we really know about the methods and motivations of the systems and organizations which created the world that in turn created us?
12. What are your future project(s)?
I am currently working on book 2 of the Gateway series, tentatively title Saint. I have also been asked by my publisher to develop a novella involving the Gateway Universe which I am pretty sure will focus on Emily Martin.
13. If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be?
A history teacher. I love teaching and I am fascinated with how we perceive and create our own histories as well as how people lived, loved, thought, fought, and died in the past.
14. What is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you (i.e., website, personal blog, Facebook page, here on Goodreads, etc.) and link(s)?
Readers can reach me through:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGatewayBr...
website: www.briandorseybooks.com
goodreads
twitter: @dorseybrian
If all else fails, you can reach everything through my website.
15. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to the Space Opera Fans community members?
I am really honored that the group has picked Gateway and I hope you enjoy it. Either way, contact me and let me know what you think. I have big plans for the Gateway Universe and would love to be able to create a universe in which fans can play an active role in discussing the characters and other topics about everything Gateway.
1. What books have most influenced your life?Battlefield Earth. I know, it's an odd choice and definitely not the height of science fiction literature, but the interaction between humans and aliens has such wonderful insights into human nature.
2. How do you develop your plots and characters?
They live in my head and I argue with them constantly. I don't set out to write specific archetypes. For example. I'm against the movement to write "strong female characters", not because I think we need fewer female role models, but because the best characters are the *real* characters. Write people, with flaws and motivations, with hopes and dreams and failures, and your work will touch the reader in a way that stock characters never could.
3. Tell us about your Space Opera Fans book?
Dremiks started out as a one word writing prompt in the 7th grade. I wrote a quick (really awful)short story and then tinkered with it for the delight of my friends for the next year. Then it all went in a drawer for 15 years. I pulled it back out and started doing serious work keeping nothing but the main character's name and the word "Dremiks". Soon after Ron Moore's re-imagined Battlestar Galactica series launched, I realized there was a huge audience for space opera.
4. We all need a hero! Tell us about your protagonist(s)? Was there a real-life inspiration behind him or her?
Despite the continued insistence of friends and family, Maggie O'Connell is NOT based on my life or motivations. She's Scarlett O'Hara without the crippling obsession with Ashley Wilkes. Oh, and she's a damn good pilot.
5. A good villain is hard to write. How did you get in touch with your inner villain(s) to write this book. Was there a real-life inspiration for him/her/it?
Again, I try to write real people and real people can quite often be real a--holes. Since I'm not writing a fantasy novel with an evil genius wizard, I couldn't make my villain set out to be evil. In point of fact, I have several degrees of villain in my novel because there are always such variations in human beings.
6. What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding within your book?
Well I used US Navy protocol for my military characters, based some of the political intrigue on conduct by the US State Department employees I've met, and did a great deal of reading about artificial gravity systems. The greatest challenge I had with word building is that as soon as I would settle on a particular piece of futuristic tech, Apple would go and release it!
7. Sci-fi fans love techno-porn! What real-life science (or pseudo-science) did you research for your book?
I studied star charts for months to line up the route to and the approximate position of Dremiks. There were many emails exchanged with math nerds regarding the speed calculations. As mentioned above, I read far too much about proposed artificial gravity systems.
8. What was the hardest part of writing this book?
Editing it. I know, you probably get that answer quite often. When a story lives in your head for so long, though, it becomes a part of your reality. Sentences, or entire scenes that made perfect sense to me had my editors scratching their heads.
9. What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
The interactions between Maggie and Swede were by far my favorite. Swede was originally a background persona and very flat. While re-writing the rough draft (for the billionth time) I decided to base Swede on a friend of mine from high school. Swede is, in fact, the only character closely based on a real person.
10. Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?
I don't think we have the cloumn space to answer this! I learned that writing a manuscript in MS Word will make your eyes bleed, especially during editing and ebook formatting. I learned that I'm my harshest critic. Oh, and I learned that no matter how many people scour your drafts, mistakes slip through into publishing.
11. Is there a message in your novel that you hope readers will grasp?
For all of our advances, humanity regresses to the most basic "me caveman, me smash" mentality when cornered.
12. What are your future project(s)?
Dremiks was published in March 2012. In July of 2012 I started writing a sequel novella that I thought I could churn out in 8 months. Well, it's March 2015 and I'm still beating that manuscript into submission. There are at least 3 sequels to Dremiks that I've outlined. I'm also have plans for a historical fantasy series regarding immortal angelic agents.
13. If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be?
Captain of a spaceship.
14. What is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you (i.e., website, personal blog, Facebook page, here on Goodreads, etc.) and link(s)?
Whatever way they feel most comfortable with, barring showing up at my door unannounced! I'm on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. I have a mailing list linked on my website. www.cassandradavis-author.com
15. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to the Space Opera Fans community members?
Thank you for reading the book. I greatly appreciate it.
Hi, it's me, Carol Van Natta, author of
Overload Flux (A Central Galactic Concordance Novel)
. At Anna's invitation, here are the answers to her questions.1. What books have most influenced your life?
When I was 9 or 10 one summer, I discovered my parents' collection of Ace Doubles, which were two science fiction/fantasy books back-to-back. I burned through them like a wildfire, and it set my lifelong love of science fiction. I like mystery, action-adventure, romance, paranormal, and fantasy, too. Yeah, I've cheated here and talked about genres instead of books, because we'd be here all day if I start listing titles. I will admit to being a rabid fan of the original Star Trek.
2. How do you develop your plots and characters?
For me, plots and characters both come out of the central questions that inspire me to write that particular book or series in the first place. Overload Flux has two questions: Luka Foxe's question is, "What do you do if the very talent that makes you successful is also killing you?", and Mairwen Morganthur's question is, "How do you live in the everyday human world if you think you're not human?". The bigger question I'm dealing with in the next books (Overload Flux is only the first ofmy plan to take over the worldthe Central Galactic Concordance series) is, "How do we as a species deal with our next evolutionary step?"
3. Tell us about your Space Opera Fans book?
Overload Flux is space opera, but it's also part romance, part action-adventure, and part mystery. Someone is stealing the vaccine for a galaxy-wide pandemic. Forensic investigator Luka Foxe and security specialist Mairwen Morganthur fight corrupt pharma corporations, murderous mercenaries, sabotage, and deadly space battles, and must trust each other with dark secrets if they hope to survive.
4. We all need a hero! Tell us about your protagonist(s)? Was there a real-life inspiration behind him or her?
Luka Foxe is basically a nerd at heart, and a lover of puzzles. Only after a reviewer pointed it out did I realize that Sherlock Holmes had been lurking in my subconscious, shaping Luka's character. Luka is a little more socialized, but he needs help controlling the secret mental talent that makes him so good at forensic investigation. Mairwen Morganthur is just trying to get by, after successfully escaping from a horrific past. She has secrets galore, and doesn't know how to live in the ordinary civilized world, though she wants to.
5. A good villain is hard to write. How did you get in touch with your inner villain(s) to write this book. Was there a real-life inspiration for him/her/it?
To avoid spoilers, I'll just say that the best villains, in my opinion, are the ones who have good reasons for the bad things they do. Pure evil, the violent thug, megalomaniac, serial killer, etc. is common in fiction but rare in real life. Not that we read fiction to get real life, but I think it should reflect it. The villains I like and remember are the ones you could make a case for, or understand why they do what they do.
6. What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding within your book?
One of the joys of writing SF is the chance to imagine what we'll be able to do in the future. The Central Galactic Concordance universe is made possible by faster-than-light travel, readily available energy to power it, and the assumption that once we go exploring, we'll find earth-like worlds to colonize. In the case of the CGC, that's 500+ and counting. In a way, it's like the westward expansion that colonized the North American continent, or the settling of Australia.
7. Sci-fi fans love techno-porn! What real-life science (or pseudo-science) did you research for your book?
Neuroscience, to come up with the scientific parameters of mental talents like telepathy, telekinesis, etc. Physics, so the exciting space battle didn't cause real-life scientists to make rude noises. Astrophysics, to build solar systems. Cutting-edge theoretical physics to set the rules for faster-than-light travel. Materials science to form the basis of all the fun new toys people have play with.
8. What was the hardest part of writing this book?
Keeping Luka and Mairwen balanced in terms of taking action, their growth trajectories, and their usefulness to each other.
9. What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
The epilogue was my favorite chapter to write. Not because it was the end of the book (score!), but because it sets up the bigger themes in the coming series.
10. Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?
Because this is my first solo novel, lessons learned are legion; here are six.
(1) I need an outline.
(2) I don't have to stick to the outline.
(3) Don't throw anything away (scenes, characters, names, settings, etc.) away until the book is done; instead, put it in a safe place, because it may come in handy.
(4) Good beta readers will make your book better.
(5) Professional editors are a gift from the author gods.
(6) I love illustrated covers enough to pay the higher price and wait longer to get them.
11. Is there a message in your novel that you hope readers will grasp?
I don't like "messages" in books, because it smacks of being forced to read something because it's "good for you." I'm kind of contrary that way. I hope readers enjoy my novel, and that it's time well spent.
12. What are your future project(s)?
I'm so glad you asked. ;-) The next novel in the series is Minder Rising, which will be out the end of this month. It's set in a different part of the galaxy, and has new characters and new challenges.A millenium into the future, the Central Galactic Concordance’s ubiquitous Citizen Protection Service tests all citizens for minder talents, and recruits the best of them for service to maintain peace and stability. However, the CPS has other missions. Injured covert agent Lièrén Sòng, bartender Imara Sesay, and her prodigy minder talent son are in for the fight of their lives when corrupt members of the CPS want to take everything from them — their happiness, their freedom, their very existence…
After that comes Pico's Crush, which will involve Overload Flux leads as supporting characters. Book 4 in the series will introduce more new characters and sets the stage for the event hinted at in the end of Overload Flux.
13. If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be?
I haven't always been an author, and it's not all I do now. I've been a swing-shift guard, secretary, actor, voiceover talent, singing telegram performer, non-profit director, business continuity specialist, corporate trainer, and technical writer, and I still do some of those things so I can pay the rent and afford premium cat food for the furry creatures that condescend to let me live in their castle.
14. What is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you (i.e., website, personal blog, Facebook page, here on Goodreads, etc.) and link(s)?
Website: CarolVanNatta.com and blog
Facebook: Carol Van Natta Author
Goodreads: Carol Van Natta
Newsletter: http://bit.ly/CVN-news
Except when I'm in the throes of editing, I'm pretty good about showing up on Facebook regularly, and I love to respond to people who post comments on my blog or reply to my newsletter.
15. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to the Space Opera Fans community members?
I hope you enjoy reading Overload Flux, and I'd love to hear what you think about it.
1. What books have most influenced your life? Hhhmm, good question. I would have to say probably the Lord of the Rings series. As far as sci-fi goes it's more of a movie inspiration for me. Movies like Star Wars and the Various Star Trek films. Of course the great Star Wars novels going all the way back to 'Splinter of the Mind’s Eye' by Alan Dean Foster as well as Timothy Zahns 'Thrawn Trilogy'.
2. How do you develop your plots and characters?
Lots of insightful thinking. I mull stuff over in my head for days or longer. I want each character to be unique with their own mindset and skills. The plots, well that’s a lot that builds in my subconscious. I’ll suddenly awaken with a full plot for a certain story and I go from there.
3. Tell us about your Space Opera Fans book?
The Cagliostro Chronicles III is the (obviously) third book in this series about a trillionaire inventor in the not too distant future who discovers the secret to faster than light flight. But upon discovering that secret he realizes that there has been a vast intergalactic conspiracy against Earth and mankind, seeking to keep us on Earth and out of space. A war ensues with the forces of the mysterious Agalum (who were the race primarily responsible). Now three years later that war is raging on, but there is a new player in the game, the horrific Tahir Ga’Warum, an interdimensional; race of beings resembling old depictions of vampires. They have entered our universe seeking conquest.
4. We all need a hero! Tell us about your protagonist(s)? Was there a real-life inspiration behind him or her?
No, Mark Johnson (the main hero of ‘the Cagliostro Chronicles’) was not inspired by anyone save for some comic book characters like Tony Stark or Reed Richards. He’s a very manly guy who has a trigger fast mind. He can come up with a very technical solution to a problem incredibly fast. He’s brilliant, to say the least, and his crew looks up to him. They expect him to save the day if need be, and he doesn’t disappoint. He also surrounds himself with the best of the best, Dan Sledge is his right hand man, a survivor of the doomed Jupiter colony with much greater mass, and strength than a normal human. Dan is also a top notch engineer and pilot. James ‘Red’ Robinski is his security chief who drives himself continuously to be the toughest, strongest man he can be. Ariel O’Conner is his communications officer and also Mark’s girlfriend. But beyond that, she’s also a powerful telepath. Eddie DiGenovese is a marksman without peer and the Cagliostro’s weapons officer. His aim is incredible.
5. A good villain is hard to write. How did you get in touch with your inner villain(s) to write this book. Was there a real-life inspiration for him/her/it?
There have been several villains in this series, the main antagonist have been the mysterious Agalum, who operate in a caste state. Yellow skins are the leaders, The purple skinned salad heads (Who appear as if they are growing lettuce out of their heads instead of hair) are the lower officers and the bald headed purple skins are the grunts in their military order. They are a military society based on a monarchy, who have remained in the shadows as of yet. The Tahir Ga’Warum on the other hand are very much a horrific race of hunters. As far as inspirations go, for the Agalum I just looked at the terrible regimes over the course of history that brain washed the public and spread propaganda. The communist and socialist regimes such as the USSR, North Korea and Cuba as well as nazi Germany. The Tahir Ga’Warum are nothing more than creatures out of horror novels
6. What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding within your book?
Mankind always does its best when individuals seek breakthroughs, not the government. The Wright brothers, Charles Lindbergh. Amelia Earhart, etc. Hell, our space program was built by individuals in companies such as Grumman and many others, who may have been funded with Government grants, but they were companies led by a few brilliant men who succeeded in opening up the future. Mark Johnson builds the Cagliostro out of his own pocket for a very good reason, which he details in the first book. Like those early explorers and pioneers, he’s an adventurer, a futurist and a visionary.
7. Sci-fi fans love techno-porn! What real-life science (or pseudo-science) did you research for your book? I write sci-fi. Sci-fi is all about the imagination. When Jules Vern wrote ‘From the Earth to the Moon’ he was working on pure imagination. What is funny, is that I mention a form of magnetic propulsion I call Magno disks in my novels, and yet recently there have been reports of NASA experimenting with a form of magnetic propulsion to break the faster than light barrier, which is what I came up with years ago. That in and of itself is very cool.
8. What was the hardest part of writing this book? This book was the third in the series and it took me a long time to write, it was my fourth book in a year so I was starting to get burned out a little. It just took a lot of time. Usually I can finish a 65-75,000 word novel in 3-4 months. This took me almost double that
9. What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
The final sequence, which lasted several chapters and had something going on on three different battlefronts. It all came together very nicely
10. Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?
Just to keep writing and not take breaks, no matter what. Sometimes you have to force yourself to continue on a story. The words will come. Just believe in yourself and your ability. Remember ‘To thine own self be true.’ It applies here.
11. Is there a message in your novel that you hope readers will grasp?
No, I’m not a message heavy guy. I write fun, exciting, action heavy stories. I’m not interested in reading anything else, so I write what I like to read. No messages implied, what you see is what you get, which is pure escapism.
12. What are your future project(s)? Currently I’m working on my ninth novel, which is a 1930’s pulp herto novel called ‘The Grim Spectre’ set in a seedy city run by a corrupt mayor and a gangster who are at odds with each other. The Grim Spectre is a man who was caught between their forces and almost killed when a mysterious being saved his life and granted him a powerful artifact that will aid him in trying to turn the city around. After that I’ll be writing the second ‘Hyperforce’ Novel which is a superhero novel series. Then I’ll be back at work on the fourth Cagliostro Chronicle, which will wrap up the current storyline.
13. If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be?
Hard to say. I’m an avid motorcyclist. I already rode from my home on Long Island to Orlando this year as well as up to Maine. So if I could get paid to travel by motorcycle that would be it. I worked for 32 years as an appliance technician and I can tell you that was not it.
14. What is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you (i.e., website, personal blog, Facebook page, here on Goodreads, etc.) and link(s)? email is the best, [email protected]. Twitter is #RLAngeloJr and facebook is https://www.facebook.com/RalphLAngeloJr . My website is RLAngeloJr.com My Blog is http://dominatr37.blogspot.com My Amazon author’s page is http://tinyurl.com/ralphsamazon
15. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to the Space Opera Fans community members?
Space opera is a big, wide universe where anything goes. Open up your imagination as wide as all of the universe, then just sit back and enjoy!
(Whether or not they reply to our inquiries ... that's an entirely different matter ... but some do and we are always grateful when they answer :-)
We have come up with some questions that hopefully are ones SOF Group Members would enjoy having answered, but as this is a Reader-Oriented community, we are always curious about what questions YOU have or authors feel they'd like to answer? These questions are not set in stone, but ones that attempt to walk that fine line between answering a few reader questions and not asking so many questions that the interview turns into the next Bio of a Space Tyrant. :-)
Suggested questions are listed below. If you have suggestions for additional or different questions, please drop your ideas into the comments section.
SOF MOD-Anna
*****
1. What books have most influenced your life?
2. How do you develop your plots and characters?
3. Tell us about your Space Opera Fans book?
4. We all need a hero! Tell us about your protagonist(s)? Was there a real-life inspiration behind him or her?
5. A good villain is hard to write. How did you get in touch with your inner villain(s) to write this book. Was there a real-life inspiration for him/her/it?
6. What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding within your book?
7. Sci-fi fans love techno-porn! What real-life science (or pseudo-science) did you research for your book?
8. What was the hardest part of writing this book?
9. What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
10. Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?
11. Is there a message in your novel that you hope readers will grasp?
12. What are your future project(s)?
13. If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be?
14. What is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you (i.e., website, personal blog, Facebook page, here on Goodreads, etc.) and link(s)?
15. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to the Space Opera Fans community members?