Interview with sci-fi author William Michael Davidson

Sci-fi author William Michael Davidson is here today and we’re talking about his new Christian futuristic dystopian novel, The Remnant which will be releasing on February 7.

During his virtual book tour, William will be giving away two (2) print copies of The Remnant (U.S. only) and one (1) e-book copy of The Remnant (available internationally). To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase you chances of winning, feel free to visit his other tour stops and enter there, too! The deadline to enter is 12AM (EST) February 26.

Bio:

William Michael Davidson lives in Long Beach, California, with his wife and two daughters. A believer that "good living produces good writing," Davidson writes early in the morning so he can get outside, exercise, spend time with people, and experience as much as possible. A writer of speculative fiction, he enjoys stories that deal with humanity's inherent need for redemption.

Welcome, William. Please tell us about your current release.

The Remnant is about a post-theological world. The government has created a superflu that wipes out humanity’s VMAT2 Gene, which is, according to some scientists, the reason people have spiritual experience. The action centers around Colton Pierce, an extractor for the Center for Theological Control. He apprehends Aberrants (those who display symptoms of faith) and quarantines them on a remote Island. The crux of the novel is what happens when Colton’s own son, Marty, is targeted for extraction. Colton has to decide whether to turn in his own son or help him flee the government. At this time, he also learns of the Remnant, an underground militia of Aberrants, who have managed to stay “off the grid.” They agree to help Colton save his son in exchange for a favor: They want Colton to help them free the Aberrants who have been quarantined on the Island.

What inspired you to write this book?

One day I was reading online about the idea of people’s belief in God being dependent on a gene. If you look online, this idea of eradicating this gene and controlling peoples’ theistic beliefs has been around for a little while, but for me it just seemed like a great story. All at once, I knew I had to write a story about this. I don’t personally believe that a person’s belief in God is dependent on a biological feature, but I knew it was a great premise for a story. So I ran with it. Like usual, I had no idea where the story would go. I just followed where the characters led me.

Excerpt from The Remnant:

They were traveling so fast, it seemed like mere seconds before they reached the Artesia Boulevard exit. Colton backed off and let the Star Runner get some distance ahead of him. Just as he’d wanted, an officer on the side of the road had put down a long, collapsible strip of spikes across the center of the road. The Star Runner tore right through it, puncturing its tires. A moment after, the officer worked the contraption, and the long mechanical strip folded in and snapped back to the side of the road like a rubber band so that the Mustang could pass without shish-kabobbing its tires.

Pleased that it had worked, Colton narrowed the distance between himself and the Star Runner, which, now rolling on its rims and shredded tires, was quickly slumping to a dead stop in the middle of the freeway. When it was clear that the Star Runner wasn’t going to move another inch, Colton leapt from his vehicle.

“Cover me,” he told Marek who, getting out of the Mustang, took shelter behind the opened passenger door.

With his Shark 41-F drawn, Colton walked past the smell of burned rubber and through a minefield of tire chunks. The Star Runner’s door suddenly opened, and a Hispanic man wearing black slacks and a white short-sleeve button-down shirt stepped out of the vehicle. He was crying uncontrollably. He held his hands up high in the air and began to plead for something, and Colton seized the opportunity for a clean shot.

He fired.

The target looked down at the small silver dart in his chest, as if contemplating it for a brief second, and then collapsed onto the asphalt.

“Extraction Complete,” Colton said, radioing in. He looked at his arm computer: 11:29. An impressive time for such a difficult extraction.

He looked back at Marek and gave him the thumbs up. Petra, as she had been trained to do, dashed toward the fallen target to make sure his vitals were stable and he wasn’t having any adverse effect to the tranquilizer.

Then, as happened in many extractions, citizens who had been hiding out in their cars along the perimeter of the road climbed out of their vehicles and began to applaud. Pretty soon it was nothing but cheers, whoops, clapping, and verbal accolades running along the 710 North. One burly guy driving a big rig hung out of the driver’s side of his vehicle and pulled down on the horn: a massive, celebratory blast.

Colton, out of duty and public service, smiled, waved hello, and bowed gracefully before the general public.

As he did so, he looked in the general direction of CTC Headquarters and wondered what Ashton Lampson would think when he heard of Colton’s extraction time.

“Not a bad time, is it, Ashton?” he said, bowing once again to the crowd of bystanders. “Not bad at all.”

What exciting story are you working on next?

I actually just finished the sequel to The Remnant. As of now, it is entitled Mass Exodus. It needs lots of work and editing, but I’m pretty happy with the first draft.

When did you first consider yourself a writer? I think I knew I wanted to be a writer in the fifth grade. We had a poetry contest and the winner was going to have his or her poem read on the radio. I went to class and my name was on the board, and I thought it was because I was in trouble. Of course, I discovered that I had actually won the contest. I think from that moment on, I knew it was something I loved doing.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I wish. I also teach English (which I actually enjoy very much). So for me, I get up very early at about 5:30 a.m. and grind out my writing before work. I’ve learned that if I don’t write before the day starts and my responsibilities as a husband and a father kick in, it won’t happen. So I write early with my coffee while the house is dark and quiet.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I always have a paperback book on my lap when I write. If I’m stuck or thinking, I will pick up the book and just feel it and imagine that one day my story will be complete and published like the one I’m holding. My wife laughs when she watches me hold the book and feel its pages, but that’s what I do.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I knew I always wanted to be a writer and teach English. I had times when I entertained other things, but I had little doubt as a kid. I knew what I was good at and what I enjoyed.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Because the topic of religion and God frightens away a lot of people, and because this book deals with those issues, I would encourage everyone to try reading it. Whether you are a Christian, an atheist, an agnostic, or anywhere in between, you might be surprised what you find.

Links:

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

The Remnant is available to order in e-book form at the following sites:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | iTunes

The print format of the book is available at these sites:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Chapters-Indigo | Book Depository | Foyles | Mediander | Fiction DB

Thanks for being here today, William. All the best with your writing! 

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