Category Archives: Author Interviews

Interview with Author Chris Von Halle

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Chris Von Halle

Author Chris Von Halle

Let’s get to know Chris. 

Chris von Halle has had many different lives in many different worlds—the near and distant future Earth, other planets, and even other dimensions—and his books recreate his childhood memories of such outlandish locations.  In this world and life, he lives in Ridgewood, New Jersey, and enjoys such extraordinary activities as playing videogames, tennis, and basketball, and writing the occasional comic strip.

1.Why did you choose to write a dystopian novel?

I’d say it all started when I read some really great dystopian books (see below for a small list J), and after reading them I realized how much I love the feeling of a place or scene that used to be normal, a huge part of everyday life, but is now crumbling/decaying/falling apart. It’s just such a creepy type of scene, and always gets my imagination going wild in terms of wondering what led that place to come to be in such a dilapidated state. Bottom line: I just love that classic dystopian feel.

2. Do you have any favorite dystopian literature? Authors?

Absolutely—my recent favorite is James Dashner’s The Maze Runner, though one of my all-time favorites is Jeanne DuPrau’s The City of Ember and, of course, Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games.

3. Do you foresee any part of your book becoming reality? If so explain.

To be honest, not really. I mean, I don’t think an apocalypse in which a birth-transmitted disease that kills everyone when they turn seventeen is going to happen any time soon. However, I do think that after any kind of apocalypse occurs, it’s not farfetched to imagine the rulers of any small human societies that develop to act the way they do in my story. I don’t want to go into too much detail regarding that, though, as I don’t want to reveal any spoilers :).

4. When writing your book, did you seek to only tell a good story or to get across a specific message?

I pretty much always seek to tell a good story first and foremost, and The Fourth Generation is no exception. However, after I write a story—again, including The Fourth Generation—I take a long, hard look at what messages happened to well up (either purposefully or subconsciously) within the story and go to work making them more distinct and meaningful.

5. What other genres do you read?

I’m a big ol’ speculative fiction lover, so I’ll pretty much read anything under the sun within the general realms of science fiction/fantasy. I tend to gravitate more toward dystopian (well, obviously) and epic fantasy versus other genres, but I’ve still read everything from space opera to steampunk to urban fantasy, etc. Occasionally I read outside this realm, but I usually don’t enjoy it nearly as much.

6. Have you or would you like to write in another genre? Which one?

Yes, I have written quite a bit of epic fantasy, superhero fantasy, and soft science fiction that spans age categories from middle-grade to adult. I actually rather enjoy leaping from one age category and genre to another. Keeps my stories fresh and myself on my toes :).

7. Are you particularly fond of any one of you characters?

Yes, I really like Marf from The Fourth Generation, since he’s funny though a bit pathetic, and arrogant/annoying but likable at the same time. I tend to have at least one character per story that I’m particularly fond of.

8. Is there one book, in any genre, that has had a lasting impact on your life? Title. How did it affect you?

Hmmm…I don’t know if I could ever really point to just one book, but I would have to say Great Expectations (ironic, since it’s not a fantasy). Among the story’s many themes and messages, I always remember how the main character, Pip, had a benefactor who funded him so that he could learn the “gentlemanly arts” , and at one point Pip felt himself so important because of this that he looked down at his own stepfather, who had done so much for him over the years. Obviously, the message is that that’s a very arrogant, un-classy, and naive thing to do.

The Fourth Generation

In the future, no adults exist. Ever since the plague swept the world 100 years ago, no one has lived past seventeen.

Sixteen-year-old Gorin, a collector of curious artifacts left over from the pre-plague civilization, is on the verge of perishing from that deadly epidemic. And his last wish is to find a way to visit the rulers’ reputedly magnificent, off-limits mansion.

Up against the clock, he and his friend Stausha steal into the mansion and discover a secret more horrifying than they ever could’ve imagined—a secret that holds the key to the survival of the whole human race.

Social Media Links:

Website: chrisvonhalle.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.v.halle?fref=browse_search

Blog: http://chrisvonhalle.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @ChrisvonHalle

Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble Smashwords

Thanks for stopping by, Chris.

Interview with author M.A. Foxworthy

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M.A. FoxworthyM.A. Foxworthy, author of The Village Green.

  1. Why did you choose to write a dystopian novel?

The story that came to mind was dystopian in nature. And the dystopian genre seems to reflect my personality a bit.

  1. Do you have any favorite dystopian literature? Authors?

Two of my favorite dystopian novels are Brave New World and Animal Farm.  My favorite dystopian author is Orwell.

  1. Do you foresee any part of your book becoming reality?

I wrote my book using real facts and so yes, I do see parts of it coming to pass right now and in the future.

  1. Was there a particular event or idea in the real world that inspired your writing?

There was not one particular event or idea, but many that brought the story to mind.

  1. When writing your book, did you seek to only tell a good story or to get across a specific message?

I certainly tried to do both. I think that all dystopian novels have a moral and my does, but also I hope that the story is good.

  1. What other genres do you read?

I love British mystery novels and I also read a lot of nonfiction.

  1. Have you or would you like to write in another genre? Which one?

I would like very much to write a series of mysteries.

  1. Are you particularly fond of any one of you characters?

I would say that Derek is my favorite character. He’s intelligent, loyal, humble, and self-sacrificing.

  1. Is there one book, in any genre, that has had a lasting impact on your life? Title. How did it affect you?

Orwell’s 1984 had a real effect on how I view the world. Whenever I see an example of group-think (aka political correctness) I am reminded of this book, and I shudder.

Interview with Author Katy Newton Naas

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Katy Naas

Let’s get to know Katy…

Katy Newton Naas graduated from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale with a bachelor’s degree in English Education and a master’s degree in Reading and Language Studies. She currently teaches middle school reading and high school English in southern Illinois, as well as children’s church. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, including her husband, her husband young son, Aven, and her four-legged sons, Shakespeare and Poe. She expects her second little boy to arrive in the next couple of weeks!

From a young age, Katy was always an avid reader and writer with a big imagination. Though she continues to grow older, her true literature love is and has always been young adult fiction. She loves creating both futuristic and realistic stories about teenagers, and feels so fortunate to get to work with them every day as a teacher.

  • Why did you choose to write a dystopian novel?
  • Well, I had the idea one day when I was bored on my computer, browsing through the Yahoo! articles. It was one of those days when every story was particularly depressing – murder, children gone missing, etc. So a thought occurred to me: If there is life out there somewhere, looking down on us, what do they think about us? The idea just kind of developed from there. I started thinking of all the ways their society would be different, better than ours. But that, of course, created problems of other sorts. Thus, the planet of Verdant was born!
  • Do you have any favorite dystopian literature? Authors?
  • My all-time favorite dystopian story is THE GIVER by Lois Lowry. I read that story for the first time in fifth grade, and it never let me go. I teach the novel now – all these years later – to my seventh graders, and most of them fall in love with it just like I did.
  • Do you foresee any part of your book becoming reality? If so explain.
  • Well, I think everyone wonders about the possibility of life out there on other planets. Will we ever get there to see it? I would like to think so. We’re closer now than we’ve ever been before. But as far as what that world would be like…I’m not sure. My main character, Noah, learns some horrible things about his “perfect” world. I’d like to think that part would never become reality.
  • Was there a particular event or idea in the real world that inspired your writing?
  • Well, like I said before, it all stemmed from the news articles. I try to watch the news and keep up with what is happening in the world around us, but sometimes, I just have to tune it out. If you stop and think about all the ‘what if’ situations that could happen, you would never go anywhere or do anything. It’s a scary world out there!
  • When writing your book, did you seek to only tell a good story or to get across a specific message?
  • I really just wanted to tell the story, but after it was finished, I realized there was a message as well. Sure, we’re far from perfect. But some of the things that go along with our imperfections are what make this world worth living in.
  • What was the inspiration for your book?
  • Well, I’ve spoke to this question a couple of times above, but I will just address it as writing in general. People always ask why we as writers choose to write. At the risk of sounding cheesy, I really don’t think we choose writing so much as writing chooses us. It’s something I feel compelled to do. When I get an idea or a particular character in my head, it stays there until I do something with it and I have to write it down. It’s been part of my life since I was very, very young.
  • What other genres do you read?
  • I will read literature from just about every genre. I teach middle school reading and high school English, so of course, I enjoy the classics. But on my own time, for entertainment purposes only, I concentrate on YA. I always joke that even though I continued to age, my literary tastes just didn’t grow up with me. My favorite books and authors are all YA.
  • Have you or would you like to write in another genre? Which one?
  • Well, THE VISITORS is YA dystopian, but my second release, HEALING RAIN, is YA contemporary/romance. I have a third release coming out in July, GUARDIAN, and it is a middle grade novel about a seventh grade girl with epilepsy and her seizure assistance dog. I have two current projects going: an adult contemporary romance, and a series of chapter books for young readers. So, as you can see, I’m all over the place! I would say my concentration is more YA and MG, but I am really excited for the young reader series as well. We will see where life and inspiration take me!
  • Are you particularly fond of any one of you characters?
  • I get pretty attached to all of my characters, I think. In THE VISITORS, I was most attached to Jady, the sixteen-year-old human protagonist. She is so strong and smart, and she’s not afraid to take chances. I have a real soft spot in my heart for Rain, the somewhat sarcastic protagonist in HEALING RAIN, because of all she has to go through in her life and the way she deals with it all. In GUARDIAN, I really fell in love with Drake, the seizure assistance dog, because of his loyalty and the sacrifices he makes to protect Kinsey, his owner. I don’t think it’s possible to spend so much time with these characters, writing their stories, and NOT become attached to them as if they’re family.
  • Is there one book, in any genre, that has had a lasting impact on your life? Title. How did it affect you?
  • Now this is a tough question. So many books come to mind. I think if I have to narrow it down to ONE choice, I’d say the one that has stuck with me the most throughout the years is CATCHER IN THE RYE. I just absolutely fell in love with Holden and all of his flaws. When I finished that book, I thought, I want to do this. So I guess you could say it was the novel that first made me think about really pursuing a career in writing.

You can visit Katy here…

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katynewtonnaasauthor

Twitter: @KatyNewtonNaas

Now let’s check out her YA novel, The Visitors…

TheVisitors

Sometimes soul mates find each other in unlikely places. But is love worth it if it risks your life?

Seventeen-year-old Noah is startled when he awakes one day to find that dangerous, irrational, self-serving, and destructive visitors called “humans” are coming to visit his beautiful, perfect society. All citizens are ordered to have limited contact and share minimal information with these visitors.

Sixteen-year-old Jady is thrilled to accompany her father and his crew on a trip to a recently-discovered planet, Verdant. The United States’ crew is hopeful that they can learn from this advanced yet similar species.

Despite their greatest efforts to fight it, it doesn’t take long for Jady and Noah to fall in love and begin a secret affair. But when their relationship is revealed, danger is created for everyone involved…

Sounds like a fascinating read. You can go and buy here…

THE VISITORS is available in ebook, and now in paperback! Find it at:

http://www.amazon.com/Visitors-Katy-Newton-Naas-ebook/dp/B00NLXQDZO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1432897779&sr=8-1&keywords=the+visitors+katy+newton+naas

 Thanks Katy for sharing with us.

Interview with author Karen King

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Karen King

Karen King

Let’s get to know Karen…

Karen King has had over one hundred children’s books published. She’s written for many children’s magazines too including Sindy, Barbie, Winnie the Pooh and Thomas the Tank Engine. She writes for all ages and in all genres; story books, picture books, plays, joke books and non-fiction. Perfect Summer is her first YA. It was runner up in the Red Telephone books YA Novel 2011 competition.

How did you get started writing?

I’ve always written. I had my first poem published when I was 11. I started my writing career with Jackie magazine, writing articles and photo stories.

 Are you a Plotter or a Pantser?

It depends whether I’m writing to a commission or not. If I’m commissioned I have to plot as I have to send a synopsis and the first couple of chapters to my editor. If I’m not writing to a commission I plot at first so that I know the basic outline of my story but once I get going I write ‘by the seat of my pants.’

 Are you most productive in the morning or evening?

Morning. Often I get out of bed and start writing right away. I’m full of ideas in the morning.

 What’s the most frequent question people ask you?

When I visit schools kids always ask me either if I’m rich. I usually say “No, I’m really poor so please go and buy some of my books!”

 Why did you choose to write a dystopian novel?

I didn’t actually set out to write a dystopian, the story that came to me was a dystopian one

 Do you foresee any part of your book becoming reality? If so explain.

I think that if we don’t curb Society’s obsession with physical perfection then there is a real risk that in the not-too-distant future people with disabilities suffer prejudice and are kept out of the public eye.

Was there a particular event or idea in the real world that inspired your writing?

Yes, I read a magazine article about girls as young as six worrying that they were too fat or too ugly. I thought that was really sad. I started wondering what would happen if people got so obsessed with physical perfection that it became a ‘crime’ to be different in any way.

When writing your book, did you seek to only tell a good story or to get across a specific message?

I wanted to get the message across that we’re all beautiful in our own way and people shouldn’t be so obsessed with trying to have perfect looks. I hope it’s a good story too.

Have you or would you like to write in another genre? Which one?

I write in many genres, for children from preschool to teens, fiction and non-fiction. Also romance stories and novels for women.

Are you particularly fond of any one of you characters?

Morgan from Perfect Summer. She’s feisty, kind and loves her little brother Josh so much she’d do anything for him.

Is there one book, in any genre, that has had a lasting impact on your life? Title. How did it affect you?

The ‘Just William’ books by Richmal Crompton. They used to make me laugh out loud when I was a young girl. They, and Enid Blyton’s books, inspired my love of reading and writing. I always wanted to write a funny book but I’m no good at humour. I do write joke books though.

Visit Karen here…

Website: www.karenking.net

Author Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn&__adt=7&__att=iframe#!/KarenKingAuthor

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard

Twitter: @karen_king

Now let’s check out her YA novel, Perfect Summer…

PerfectSummer book cover

Growing up in a society so obsessed with perfection that the government gives people grants for plastic surgery, 15-year-old Morgan can’t help being a bit envious of her best friend Summer. Summer is beautiful and rich, her father is a top plastic surgeon and her mother is a beauty consultant with a celebrity client list. Her life seems so effortlessly perfect. Whereas Morgan isn’t so rich or beautiful and her little brother, Josh, has Down’s syndrome – which, according to the Ministry and society in general, is a crime. Then Josh is kidnapped and the authorities aren’t interested so Morgan and Summer decide to investigate. They, along with another teenager, Jamie, whose sister, Holly, has also been kidnapped, uncover a sinister plot involving the kidnapping of disabled children and find themselves in terrible danger. Can they find Josh and Holly before it’s too late?

Sounds like a fascinating read! You can find it at any one of these sites…

Astraea Press: http://www.astraeapress.com/#!/~/product/category=4452103&id=19176172

Amazon UK:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Perfect-Summer-Karen-King/dp/1482720639/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_pap?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376050032&sr=1-1&keywords=perfect+summer+by+karen+king

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Summer-Karen-King-ebook/dp/B00B4DF3DG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1384898358&sr=8-1&keywords=perfect+summer+by+karen+king

Waterstones:   http://www.amazon.co.uk/Perfect-Summer-Karen-King/dp/1482720639/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_pap?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376050032&sr=1-1&keywords=perfect+summer+by+karen+king

Barnes&Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/perfect-summer-karen-king/1114196037?ean=2940016050270

 Thanks Karen for sharing with us.

Interview with Author J.F. Jenkins

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J.F. Jenkins

J.F. Jenkins lives in Minneapolis Minnesota with her husband, son, and two cats. She graduated from Bethel University in 2006 with a degree in Media Communication with minors in both writing and film. When she is not busy writing, she spends her free time playing games, reading, and spending time with her family.

Interview with fellow Dystopian Author, J.F. Jenkins

1. Why did you choose to write a dystopian novel?

It just sort of happened. I hadn’t been planning on it taking on a dystopian nature. Originally, it was supposed to be straight up Science Fiction. Then it started warping into this genre, and I ran with it to stay organic to the story

2. Do you have any favorite dystopian literature? Authors?

The Stand is a little dystopian, as is The Dark Tower series, by Stephen King. I’m a huge fan of those stories, but they’re not what I would call traditional dystopian. I generally stumble upon the genre on accident. There’s a taste of it in a lot of stories that one might normally overlook. If we’re going on traditional types, I enjoyed the Hunger Games, and Divergent. I’m currently reading Matched by Ally Condie.

3. Do you foresee any part of your book becoming reality? If so explain.

I can see some of the crime and punishment system becoming reality. Once people start getting fed up with our justice system, they’ll start calling for harsher punishments for those who deserve it, and Utopia for those who have earned it, which will eventually lead the separation of class. Lack of forgiveness will keep people trapped.

 4. When writing your book, did you seek to only tell a good story or to get across a specific message?

To only tell a good story. Messages come across all the same, but they are subconscious in the writing process for me.

5. What was the inspiration for your book?

I had a weird dream, and a real life event that I tied together into the story. The whole opening set up is based on something I experienced (working in the mall, celebrity visits, etc.) and the dream warped it into the story it is now.

6. What other genres do you read?

I’ll read anything! YA, Adult, contemporary, sci fi, fantasy. I try not to limit myself.

7. Have you or would you like to write in another genre? Which one?

I’ve written in just about every genre there is. I can’t say I’ve published all these adventures, but I’ve at least made an attempt!

8. Are you particularly fond of any one of you characters?

In this particular book, I have a soft spot for Timber. He’s my favorite. A lot of people love Wicken the most, and he’s definitely up there on the list, but I always have a thing for the nice guy. It’s a bit of a secret agenda of mine to get girls to start swooning for them again, kidding!

9. Is there one book, in any genre, that has had a lasting impact on your life? Title. How did it affect you?

I still think back to The Stand. That book was powerful and fascinating. I also just read a book called The Night Circus and that book is one that is hard to forget. Definitely recommend both.

Displaced

Chevelle Donahue thought going into work would be just like any other boring day at the mall. Sure, there was her annoying co-worker Wicken Sanders, and a promotional visit from teen heartthrob Timber Hudson, to watch and keep her entertained. But who was she kidding? Working retail was lame no matter what happened. A terrorist attack changes everything – an attack from aliens of all things. The patrons are given two options: comply or else. Complying means giving in to a new set of rules and changing her entire life. “Or else” means she has no chance of going home again. She must figure out the truth behind why the aliens are holding everyone hostage. In doing so, she risks her chance at freedom – but by the time she learns what’s really happening, she might not want it.

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Interview with Tony and Nancy Martineau

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Post Grid Tony and Nancy

The authors of Post Grid, Tony and Nancy Martineau, met while in college, working on an ambulance in the Phoenix Metro area. They have been married almost 30 years.

Tony is a former Deputy U.S. Marshal and Flight Paramedic who continues to work in law enforcement and as a wildfire line medic.

Nancy is a nurse specializing in emergency and pre-hospital medicine.

The couple has been active in search and rescue with the Civil Air Patrol and Maricopa Medical Rescue Posse in the desert areas that they describe in their book. Both are long-time amateur radio operators.

They have two non-fiction books to their credit: Camp Health and First Aid In My Pocket, available on Amazon, and Labor and Delivery In My Pocket, editions one through three, currently out of print.

 

1. Why did you choose to write a dystopian novel?

We were both members of the American Red Cross Disaster Services in Southern California when Tony was there as a Deputy U.S. Marshal. We lived through several earthquakes and realized no one was coming to help for many days. 

Tony assisted in relief efforts during the floods in Arizona as a teenager and saw how the most self-sufficient people fared better.

Of late, we have all been witness to increased terrorist attacks around the world.  Any massive power-grid failure, such as cyber terrorism, internet failure or coronal mass ejection, could immediately put people into a survival situation that would resemble this book.

Without the internet or electricity you cannot pump gas, use an ATM, check-out at most stores or communicate by phone. Many of our friends and neighbors have less than a week’s worth of non-perishable food in their houses. If their freezers and microwaves go out, they are almost immediately hungry. Water is life and death here in the Arizona desert. Many have just a few water bottles stored in the pantry. At a need of one gallon of water per person, per day, they are in immediate danger of dehydration if the water goes off, even temporarily.

2. Do you have any favorite dystopian literature? Authors?

Michael Hopf (The New World Series), Ray Gorham (77 days in September), William R. Forstchen (One Second After)  — These guys were trying to imagine a world Post Grid just like we are. It’s fun to see the same event through different people’s eyes, you know, different parts of the country, different scenarios.

3. Do you foresee any part of your book becoming reality? If so explain.

 We hope not, but it’s a persistent possibility. There are so many vulnerabilities in our power delivery system and integrated into that is our communication infrastructure. Threats to the grid include solar activity, cyber terrorism, simple mechanical failure, EMP and new EMP weapons just starting to make their debut on the world scene.

4. Was there a particular event or idea in the real world that inspired your writing?

No particular events, although we have seen regional power failures over our lifetimes. Recent memory included the Toronto outage, Katrina, Sandy, and locally monsoon damage. We had a mega-transformer go out here in Phoenix a few years back that took months and months to replace. We watched the 3 mile per hour journey on a flatbed it made through the California/Arizona desert to get here. It’s all sobering.

5. When writing your book, did you seek to only tell a good story or to get across a specific message?

It’s all about the story. Rather than focus on doom and gloom, our goal was to inspire people to be more prepared and to make connections that can help them in any catastrophe. It can be as simple as having a premature baby to complete societal collapse. Good people in your circle always help. There is a tendency to think preparing is only about waiting for the “big one,” but it really is about coping better with the many little disasters people face.

6. What was the inspiration for your book?

We have spent years in emergency services watching others be unprepared and get into dangerous predicaments.

7. What other genres do you read?

Nancy reads romance, western biographies and Arizona history. Tony enjoys many genres: history, fantasy, biography, sci-fi and how-to books.  We both read medical and survival texts.

8. Have you or would you like to write in another genre? Which one?

Steampunk, it just sounds so limitless and adventuresome. We envision Indiana Jones meets Sherlock Holmes.

9. Are you particularly fond of any one of you characters?  

Nancy’s favorites are Kelly and Emma. Tony doesn’t have a favorite but likes all of the characters. We wanted to show teens as active participants alongside the adults.

10. Is there one book, in any genre, that has had a lasting impact on your life? Title. How did it affect you?

There are so many. Books stretch your imagination in ways movies cannot. It makes your brain summon images and settings. These worlds are to your own liking.

3D_PostGrid

#1 Amazon best seller in western science fiction 11/22/14!
8 reviews. All five-stars.

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Post-Grid-Arizona-EMP-Adventure-ebook/dp/B00PGLQYJY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416804332&sr=8-1&keywords=post+grid

 

 

 

My Interview With Fellow Author: Kate L. Mary

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Kate L. Mary

 1. Why did you decide to write a Dystopian novel?

I’ve always wanted to be a writer, and I wrote a lot when I was a teen, but college and marriage and kids all happened and somewhere along the way I got sidetracked. I read The Hunger Games in 2011, which led me to revisit the old classic, 1984. Then inspiration struck. The first book I wrote was a YA dystopian and it’s still saved on my computer (along with the sequel). It’s not ready to be published and I’m not sure if it ever will be, but I love it because it proved I could create a whole new world, which is my favorite thing to do!

2. Do you have any favorite dystopian literature? Authors?

I will always love 1984. It was required reading in high school and definitely my first look into a dystopian world, and I was awed by it. After that I read Brave New World, but at the time I couldn’t find any other books to read in the genre. Of course, this was back when the internet was mostly used for online chatrooms, so it wasn’t like I could just Google it or anything. (I’m showing my age, I know!)

Of the recent dystopian novels I’ve read, I of course have to say The Hunger Games. It’s a fantastic story that’s well-told, and the world created in it feels so real. Plus, I buy it! I totally believe something like that could happen because people are inherently bad. I also love the Shatter Me series. There’s nothing like a dystopian future with a hint of the X-men to get the nerd in me excited!

3. Do you foresee any part of your book becoming reality? If so explain.

Well, my book is a zombie tale, so no. I love zombies, but it’s an impossible scenario. I don’t think there could ever be a virus that would kill a person but cause their body to reanimate and become a flesh-eating monster. But the survival aspect of it intrigues me, which is why I love zombie stories so much. It brings people together who would never meet otherwise and forces them to either get along or die. It shows what a person is made of.

4. Was there a particular event or idea in the real world that inspired your writing?

 I’ve always loved zombies, and with the recent popularity of The Walking Dead it seemed like the right time to get a zombie story out there. When I started writing Broken World I didn’t plan on making it a zombie book, because all I’d heard from agents and editors was how there is no market for zombie books. But after writing one chapter I changed my mind because a zombie story was what I wanted to write, and I’m so glad I did! I love the series and I’m thrilled by the fantastic feedback I’ve gotten from it. You always hope the people are going to respond well to your book, but I still never expected it to do as well as it has. Broken World has been in the top 100 in dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction for over three months now, and book two, Shattered World, is right up there with it!

5. When writing your book, did you seek to only tell a good story or to get across a specific message?

I have no problem with authors who want to use their books as a platform, but that’s not me. Writing is something I love and my stories are just that: stories. I had a reviewer take offence at the way I portray rednecks, insinuating that it somehow reflected how I felt about people from Kentucky (which is where my characters are from). To me that is just silly. I created a character and that’s how she saw the world, not me. My character and I have very little in common.

 6. What was the inspiration for your book?

I was very inspired by TWD, as a lot of reviewers have pointed out. But my story is very different than a lot of zombie books out there. It starts when the virus first rears its ugly head and follows the characters on a journey as the world falls down around them. The zombies don’t even show up until halfway through the book. The first half was definitely inspired by The Stand, which is a great post-apocalyptic book and one of my favorites, and the second half is more TWD.

7. What other genres do you read?

I will read anything that keeps my interest, but I do lean more toward post-apocalyptic/dystopian stories. I tend to get bored when reading contemporary, especially a romance, unless there’s something very special about the story to hold my attention. Books where the only plot is whether or not the characters are going to get together lose my interest very fast.

8. Have you or would you like to write in another genre? Which one?

I’ll write anything that grabs my attention. My first book, Collision, is a New Adult romantic mystery. It’s a bit twisted, but has a sweet love story as well. The List, my New Adult contemporary Romance comes out next May from Lyrical Press, and there will be two follow-up books with that. I like the story and had a good time writing it, but I’ll admit that it isn’t as enjoyable as writing my zombie or post-apocalyptic books.

9. Are you particularly fond of any one of you characters?

I love all my characters, but I’ll admit that my favorite is Axl. He’s inspired by Daryl Dixon from TWD, and writing him was so much fun. I love a complex character who has a lot of potential for growth, which is exactly what Daryl is, and why I wrote Axl. His brother Angus is such a fun character to shape too. There’s nothing like that character you just love to hate!

10. Is there one book, in any genre, that has had a lasting impact on your life? Title. How did it affect you?

There are a lot of books I love, but I can’t say there’s one that really made a difference. I’ve bounced around a lot over the years when it came to what I read. In high school it was mostly classics, then historical fiction. Of course, that was back when YA didn’t have much to offer. I went through a period where I read a lot of crime/mystery books, then gravitated back to YA when it started to grow and expand. Now that I’ve taken the step and written things of my own, I’d say those are the books that have really affected me.

 

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Author Bio:

Kate L. Mary is a stay-at-home mother of four and an Air Force wife. She grew up in a small town just north of Dayton, Ohio where she and her husband met at the age of twelve. Since their marriage in 2002, they have lived in Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and California.

Kate enjoys any post-apocalyptic story – especially if zombies are involved – as long as there is a romantic twist to give the story hope. Kate prefers nerdy, non-traditional heroes who can make you laugh to hunky pieces of man-meat, and her love of wine and chocolate is legendary among her friends and family. She currently resides in Oklahoma with her husband and children.

Be sure to check out her bestselling BROKEN WORLD series, which is a top 100 book in dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction on Amazon.

Broken_World_edited

Broken World blurb:

When a deadly virus sweeps the country, Vivian Thomas sets out for California in hopes of seeing the daughter she gave up for adoption. Then her car breaks down and she’s faced with a choice. Give up, or accept a ride from redneck brothers, Angus and Axl. Vivian knows the offer has more to do with her double D’s than kindness, but she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to reach her daughter.

The virus is spreading, and by the time the group makes it to California, most of the population has been wiped out. When the dead start coming back, Vivian and the others realize that no electricity or running water are the least of their concerns. Now Vivian has to figure out how to be a mother under the most frightening circumstances, cope with Angus’s aggressive mood swings, and sort out her growing attraction to his brooding younger brother, Axl.

While searching for a safe place to go, they pick up a pompous billionaire who may be the answer to all their problems. Trusting him means going into the middle of the Mojave Desert and possibly risking their lives, but with the streets overrun and nowhere else to turn, it seems he might be their only chance for survival.

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My Interview With Author: Ben S. Reeder

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Ben S. Reeder

Ben Reeder’s parents claim they found him in a pineapple patch in Hawai’i and brought him home, which was their way of telling him that he was adopted. He grew up in South Texas reading Tolkien, Asimov, and Robert E. Howard. Ben has always loved telling stories, and in high school, he wrote pulp style action adventures for his friends. Ben has been filling notebooks and hard drives with stories and ideas ever since.

1. Why did you choose to write a dystopian novel?

I wrote dystopian as a sort of illogical extension of what I thought the world would be like if some people got their way. I keep seeing all of these elements of what certain fringe groups are demanding, and I started to ask myself what the world they want would be like.

2. Do you have any favorite dystopian literature? Authors?

My first taste of dystopia was Orwell’s 1984, so it has a special little dark place in my heart, but I’m also fond of Emma Bull’s Bone Dance. While it’s a post-apocalyptic piece, it also creates a world where the powerful gain so much by the suffering of others.

3.. Do you foresee any part of your book becoming reality?

If so explain. In my upcoming book Dämonjäger, I can see much more of it becoming a political reality if the extreme elements of the so-called Christian right were to get their way. Bearing in mind that these aren’t what I’d consider true adherents to that faith, but rather opportunists who have found that certain extreme measures can be justified with the right leverage along with the right passages from the Bible.

4.. Was there a particular event or idea in the real world that inspired your writing?

The primaries for the 2012 election were a huge influence on Dämonjäger, mostly because of the demands from the extreme edges on both sides. The world these people want is a utopia only for a few, and Hell on Earth for anyone else.

5. When writing your book, did you seek to only tell a good story or to get across a specific message?

A good story, in my opinion, always teaches us something, or inspires us while entertaining us at the same time. Truly great stories never leave us the same as we were when we started them.

6. What was the inspiration for your book?

Dämonjäger started life as my first and only attempt at fan fiction for a game.  I wanted to explore the conscience of an assassin seeking redemption. Instead, I found that I liked the idea of a wolf in the fold,  a woman who was a total badass walking around among “normal” people.

7. What other genres do you read?

Fantasy, urban fantasy and steampunk are among my favorites.

8. Have you or would you like to write in another genre? Which one?

I’ve written in YA and post-apocalyptic (zombie).

9. Are you particularly fond of any one of you characters?  

I’m particularly fond of Lukas, of one of the supporting characters in my YA urban fantasy stories. He’s a geek, like me, and in the midst of all this power around him, he’s perhaps the bravest of all of the characters, even more so than my main character. Where the main character is a badass with dark magick, Lukas is an otherwise normal guy who faces down the same monsters with little more than his wits and a smart mouth.

10. Is there one book, in any genre, that has had a lasting impact on your life? Title. How did it affect you?

Jim Butcher’s Dead Beat is the one book that has had the biggest impact on me as a writer. From the first chapter, I felt like I was hearing my own voice, my own style. That was the book that made me realize that there was an audience for my voice. I finished my first novel about two years later.

Zompoc Survivor - kindle front cover

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NQP0JQQ/ref=cm_sw_su_dp

My Interview With Kelsey D. Garmendia

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kelsey

Kelsey Garmendia, 24, is an alumnus of the State University of New York at New Paltz. She obtained a Bachelors Degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. Garmendia is featured in Midnight Screaming, Poydras Review, My Unfinished Novel, The Stonesthrow Review, Penduline Press and Embodied Effigies. She also has three self-published novels: Burn Our Houses Down and If I Lose are part of a book series with the next installment to be published early in 2015 and her newest, Disenchanted is a standalone.
She resides in Southern Illinois with her husband, two dogs and two cats.

Here’s my interview with fellow author Kelsey Garmendia.

  1. Why did you choose to write a dystopian novel?
I never really consciously sat down and said, “I’m gonna write a dystopian novel” actually. Burn Our Houses Down (BOHD) was inspired by one question: what would happen if all the food went missing tomorrow? The world of BOHD then turned into a mad dash of survival very quickly for my two main characters
2. Do you have any favorite dystopian literature? Authors
My all-time favorite dystopian work is 1984 by George Orwell. Even though the book was written years ago, I still get chills when I read it. I don’t particularly have a favorite dystopian author, however I do enjoy Rick Yancy and Emily Goodwin.
3. Do you foresee any part of your book becoming reality? If so expla
I absolutely do. BOHD revolves around a highly organized food removal that leaves all areas of the United States with only wild game to hunt and whatever the land has to offer. If the food should ever go missing, I think my story is exactly what would happen.
4. Was there a particular event or idea in the real world that inspired your writing?
Not specifically. I vaguely recalled an incident where a ship wrecked and the crew ended up eating each other to survive.
5. When writing your book, did you seek to only tell a good story or to get across a specific message?
I usually start my novels by just telling a story. I don’t intend to have larger messages, but sometimes one comes out of nowhere and I’m like, “Oh hey! That was awesome.” Haha
6. What was the inspiration for your book?
BOHD was inspired by “Let The Flames Begin” by Paramore. The chorus is my favorite part of the song and is what was on repeat while I was writing:
  • “This is how we’ll dance when
    When they try to take us down
    This is how we’ll sing oh
    This is how we’ll stand when
    When they burn our houses down
    This is what we’ll be, oh glory”

7. What other genres do you read?

I read a little bit of everything. I’m super heavy into supernatural type books as well as DC comics. I’m an enormous Batman fan.
8. Have you or would you like to write in another genre? Which one?
I currently just finished my third novel which is a stand alone and separate from the Burn Our Houses Down Series. It is titled Disenchanted and falls into the supernatural realism genre.
9. Are you particularly fond of any one of you characters?
Ooo this is a tough one. I love and care about all my characters, but I think my favorite right now is Doctor Stevenson from Disenchanted. He’s sort of a modern Doctor Frankenstein but much more evil and sadistic.
10. Is there one book, in any genre, that has had a lasting impact on your life? Title. How did it affect you?
One of my favorite novels is Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. It was about a girl who recorded the 13 reasons why she killed herself. It really made me rethink my own life and how much of an impact I could have on certain people. It’s what relit my fire to write about my own life and my own experiences. You never know how much you can help someone by doing so.
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Look for soon-to-be-released books:
Painted Red (Book Three): Release date TBA
Disenchanted: Release date 10/31/14
Thanks Kelsey!

My Interview with Drew Avera

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I recently had the pleasure of interviewing fellow Dystopian author, Drew Avera.

 Drew Avera
Drew is an active duty Navy veteran and self-published author. He writes science fiction, urban fantasy, and thrillers.
Enjoy!
1. Why did you choose to write a dystopian novel?
 
I didn’t know what dystopian was at first. I just wrote it and lucked out. I’m kind of an idiot savant I guess…
 
2. Do you have any favorite dystopian literature? Authors?
 
Hugh Howey is the man!
 
3. Do you foresee any part of your book becoming reality? If so explain.
 
Yes, I think America will succumb to another civil war. People like to play politics too much and everyone is looking for the villain. 
4. Was there a particular event or idea in the real world that inspired your writing?
 
Not really, I loved comic books and I’m a fairly creative person. It seemed like the logical thing to do. 
 
5. When writing your book, did you seek to only tell a good story or to get across a specific message?
 
Every book I write is about something I’m trying to come to terms with. Usually it deals with faith, or a lack thereof. I also am motivated by fear. There’s always a sprinkling of hope in there somewhere though…maybe. 
 
6. What was the inspiration for your book?
 
2103 was inspired by the large amount of political posts and rants I saw on facebook. I think politics will divide any country, it’s just a matter of how much. 
 
7. What other genres do you read?
 
I like science fiction and thrillers primarily, but I’ll read the ingredients to butter if I’m bored. 
 
8. Have you or would you like to write in another genre? Which one?
 
I have some urban fantasy books out there, but dystopian science fiction is my favorite. 
 
9. Are you particularly fond of any one of you characters? 
 
Serus Blackwell from The Dead Planet Series. He was my first character in the first book I finished. 
 
10. Is there one book, in any genre, that has had a lasting impact on your life? Title. How did it affect you? 
 
The Incredible Hulk: What Savage Beast by Peter David. It made me want to write. 

Find more information about Drew and his books here…

Check out my books at www.amazon.com/author/drewavera
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2103
Drew’s latest book.

Where will people find hope when America falls? A story about every red-blooded American’s greatest fear. Find out what happens in this first installment of The Fall of America Series. Act II is coming soon!