What city are you originally from? Do you have any interesting or unexpected history/lineage/ancestry that you know about?
I was born in the wee hours of a rainy April night in the Pacific northwest. My parents wanted a son and were disappointed when they discovered I lacked the appropriate boy parts. My grandmother claims I attempted to make up for the deficit with sheer lung power—and cried for three days straight (until my mother gave up trying to breastfeed me and popped a bottle in my mouth.)
My only claim to fame is that my 12th-great grandfather was Miles Standish, captain of the Mayflower! (I hate boats.)
What did reading and writing mean to you as a child and how has that meaning evolved for you over time?
1. I grew up reading Asimov, Heinlein, Le Guin, Clarke, and the rest of the sci-fi greats. I loved their world building, and the glimpse they gave me of possible futures, both hopeful and anguished. But what I love most now are the characters. I can never remember book titles, and I rapidly forget all the plot twists, but the good characters stick with you: Charles Wallace, Ender, Dumbledore, Ripley, Lazarus Long, They change you—become a part of you.
2. I aspire to that with my writing.
Who are some of your author role models and how does their writing inspire you? When, in general, are you most and least inspired to write?
J. K. Rowling never ceases to amaze me. She wrote her first book while caring for an infant(!) and the book is a doozy. Then she wrote four more books that were even better. Dolores Umbridge is my favorite villain in all of literature (and film, for that matter), and Snape is a such a great, multi-faceted character (with a heart of gold!) People who haven't read the series often toss it off as "kids books." They couldn't be more wrong.
I write because I have to. Instead of screaming I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore, I write. If I didn't write, black ink droplets (pixels?) would be forced to find their way out of my body by some other, less socially acceptable, means—and think of the extra laundry that would involve.
To be fair, every single time I read a negative review, I decide to give up writing. There's absolutely no money in it, it takes massive amounts of my time and emotional effort, and thousands of (my own) dollars to write quality books (and don't even get me started on the time and money I spend on chapter images, page layout, editing, proofreading, and audiobook production. If I manage to break even before I die, it'll be a miracle.)
And then I remember how much I love to write (and I get right back to it.)
What would you say is the trickiest part about writing science fiction and time travel? Do you think a person has to be smart to read or write this genre of literature?
I started writing books because I couldn't find enough smart, sexy, hard sci-fi, character-driven, love stories to read. It turns out, I may be the only person on the planet who actually likes their peas and mashed potatoes mixed.
Here's my original outline for the book series (tracking timelines, main characters, and jinn objects—items in the wrong universe) You be the judge:
What was the event or idea that started the Between Two Evils Book series and what is the main theme behind these books?
Everyone looks back at pivotal moments in their life and wonders how things might have turned out differently. The weird thing is, most of the time we had no idea the decision (or lack of decision) will prove to be so important. Carpe diem. Seize the day.
What are the books about? I believe with all my heart that the journey is the reward. Life as we know it is not about going to heaven or getting rich or being the President. It's about enjoying every day, finding the little things that matter, and loving our friends and family as passionately and whole-heartedly as we can (because, unfortunately, we can't go back and change things!)
Who were your inspirations for the characters Diego, Isabel and Lani? Between Lani and Isabel, who do you like better?
Every time I create a new character, I spend time getting to know him or her before I start writing.
For instance, here's my character sketch for Picasso (from book one):
Picasso – Marine officer, head of project, classical pianist, black, straight, covered in tattoos, takes control, playful, on edge, contradictory, awkward about showing emotion, past is dark, swears often and colorfully, likes classical music (“complex”, “deep”) and heavy metal (“because the guitar work is so good”).
If I want the reader to fall in love with my characters, I have to make them compelling and believable— enough so that I end up falling in love with them too! So in book one, I like Isabel the best. In book two, it's Lani. In book three, Shannon steals my heart, and in book four, you're gonna fall hard for Dave—right along with Izzy and me.)
What was the hardest part about writing the last book of the series "Dead Time"? Did you ever have moments of uncertainty while writing this series or did you plan everything from the get-go?
I constantly have moments of uncertainty. I write and then re-write to get the story to feel exactly the way I imagine, and then I edit the chapter two or three times, trying to get rid of every extra sentence and word. (And then it goes off to my editor for review.)
Many years ago, I wrote an outline for a five book series, but now it seems I spend most of my time trying to get the characters to stay inside the lines (and I regularly fail.) It's like herding cats! In the end, I try to be stubborn about my characters' goals but flexible about how they achieve them.
How hard is it to write the last book (successfully tying up each and every loose end, bringing all the important characters and jinn objects back together, and coming up with an ending that feels satisfying but not contrived)? I'll let you know after I finish book 5...
When you write, what are some emotions and feelings you want to evoke in your readers? How do you know whether or not you've done your job?
For me, the journey I take in any good book is emotional: I want to FEEL what it's like to be that character. That's what I attempt to do with my own writing. I want my readers to care about my characters right from the get-go and live vicariously through them (just like I do).
The more a reader is dreading the end of the book, the better I've done my job.
As a writer, what are you afraid of more: that your writing will get bad but everyone will be too nice to tell you? Or be criticized for something that's good and begin to doubt yourself?
Neither. The thing I fear most is that an astute reader will find a huge plot hole in the series once it's finished, and I will just have to live with the glaring oops for the rest of my life.
Are any or all of the stories in "The Last Star & Other Stories" inspired by real life events? What was your purpose in telling these stories and giving them a voice?
Each story is a part of me, a glimpse of the way I saw the world at a certain place and time. Some are fictionalized retellings of real events, but most are complete fiction (and perhaps those contain the most truth.)
How do you usually spend your day? If you weren't an author, what do you think you would be doing for a living?
Actually, I spend my days writing software. :) I took a sabbatical to write book three, and I'm hoping to do the same with book 4 this year. In the mean time, I'm waiting for a black swan (and keeping my fingers crossed that my books are good enough to merit a wider audience.)
What do you believe are some of your greatest accomplishments so far and what are some other goals you want to set for yourself?
I have three nearly-grown sons who have turned into hard-working, emotionally intelligent, and caring young men. I homeschooled them through middle school, and they are my best work!
I do have a handful of US patents, a couple of items in the App Store, and enough Apple stock to pay for coffee, chocolate, and red wine—but those are all just frosting on the cake.
My writing goal is to finish the Between Two Evils series (five, possibly six, books) before I can no longer remember how the first book ends...
What are some ways in which you try to keep challenging yourself as a writer?
Although there are a number of readers who dislike (okay, hate) the fact that my books don't stick to a single genre, I actually enjoy reading (and writing) books that don't fit neatly into a pre-defined straight-jacket. I hope to continue adding elements from other genres to my future books. I'm feeling a bit of noir sleuthing might be fun to write...
