New interview with sci-fi adventure author Olga Werby

Today’s special guest is sci-fi author Olga Werby. She’s chatting with me about her newest novel, Becoming Animals.

During her virtual book tour, Olga will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

Olga Werby, Ed.D., has a Doctorate from U.C. Berkeley with a focus on designing online learning experiences. She has a Master's degree from U.C. Berkeley in Education of Math, Science, and Technology. She has been creating computer-based projects since 1981 with organizations such as NASA (where she worked on the Pioneer Venus project), Addison-Wesley, and the Princeton Review. Olga has a B.A. degree in Mathematics and Astrophysics from Columbia University. She became an accidental science fiction indie writer about a decade ago, with her first book, "Suddenly Paris," which was based on then fairly novel idea of virtual universes. Her next story, "The FATOFF Conspiracy," was a horror story about fat, government bureaucracy, and body image. She writes about characters that rarely get represented in science fiction stories -- homeless kids, refugees, handicapped, autistic individuals -- the social underdogs of our world. Her stories are based in real science, which is admittedly stretched to the very limit of possible. She has published almost a dozen fiction books to date and has won many awards for her writings. Her short fiction has been featured in several issues of "Alien Dimensions Magazine," "600 second saga," "Graveyard Girls," "Kyanite Press' Fables and Fairy Tales," "The Carmen Online Theater Group's Chronicles of Terror," with many more stories freely available on her blog, Interfaces.com.

Welcome, Olga. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I write in the genres of sci-fi and magical realism. My background is in astrophysics and psychology. Granted, it’s not a very likely combination for a career…a regular career. But it is perfect for a writer!

I wrote Becoming Animals with my husband and partner, Christopher Werby. Our book deals with differences between animal and human cognition and emotional states. How are bird thoughts different from our own? How does it feel to be prey? How would a life of a whale be different from a human girl? And what does it feel like when you are dying? We use this setup to discuss not only the various physiological and cognitive differences between various animals and humans, but to also consider the ethics of using animals in research. I hope this book leaves people thinking about it for many years to come.

Please tell us a little bit about Becoming Animals.

Humans have always wanted to know what goes on inside the minds of other animals. But what if humans could become animals? Toby’s father leads a team of neuroscientists who are developing equipment to directly connect the brains of humans with those of animals. Toby is a prodigy at throwing her mind into the animal subjects in her dad’s lab—she’s the best there is.

But Toby suffers from cystic fibrosis and she’s not likely to live to adulthood. Could a radical plan to embed her consciousness into an animal allow Toby to survive? And what does it mean to live without a human body?

Can Toby and her father solve the problem of fully merging two beings before she takes her last breath? Will the government succeed in stopping their efforts before they are done? It’s a race against death and into the minds of animals.

Reviews for Becoming Animals:

"[A] must-read for every science fiction and animal lover." -- a 5 star review from Readers' Favorite 

"[A]s a concept for a novel I found the idea of melding with an animal's mind, in Becoming Animals, to be utterly fascinating and was excited to see how this would develop for young Toby. I became very invested in the characters created by Olga and Christopher Werby and consequently enjoyed this children's/young adult book even more than I thought I would. The amount of honest research that had clearly gone on before penning this novel lent real authenticity to the tale. I had heard much of what was discussed in broad details in various places, but had perhaps not realized the possible implications - this was especially true of the idea of neuroplasticity and our brain's ability to reset and remake neural connections, at will or as required. The book was an incredibly easy read and although the science might be above the understanding of some of the authors' intended audience, it in no way detracted from the understanding of the story. This story is unique, in my opinion, a rare quality in today's book market. I commend the two authors for their ingenuity and creativity and can highly recommend this read. A great job!" -- a 5 star review from Readers' Favorite

"[T]he characters, both human and animal, are unforgettable, and the plot is high-tech fantasy at its finest. Becoming Animals is most highly recommended." -- a 5 star review from Readers' Favorite

"[A] very interesting, enjoyable, and thought-provoking read; a brilliant addition to the libraries of science fiction and fantasy fans, as well as anyone who simply enjoys a good story." -- a 5 star review from Readers' Favorite

"[T]his is a great novel for young and older sci-fi fans." -- a 5 star review from Readers' Favorite

"[T]his a very interesting, enjoyable, and thought-provoking read; a brilliant addition to the libraries of science fiction and fantasy fans, as well as anyone who simply enjoys a good story." -- a 5 star review from Readers' Favorite 

What inspired you to write this book?

Becoming Animals allows its readers to get inside the minds of animals. How does it feel to fly? What does craving for dark, tight places and food feels like? Why does the weight of the sun through the cold waters of the Pacific taste so exquisite? When you can let go of feeling human, what experiential vistas open up? Animals might not have the tools we do to communicate their experiences and feelings, but if a human could embody an animal, that person can describe what they sense and the emotions that run through them.

While animals have very similar organs to humans, the way they use them is different. In particular, animal cognition is both familiar and radically dissimilar to ours. Just to give a few simple examples. Humans see in full color spectrum…at least that’s what we think. Dogs see in black in white, while birds see extra colors. Human sense of smell is rather weak, but a rat’s olfactory organs are amazingly well developed. People see the world from a height of several feet above the ground, rats from below an inch, birds from hundreds of feet up in the air. Just this change of perspective is a spectacular mind altering experience. In its essence, “Becoming Animals” is a story of mind-altering experiences and the desire of a child to survive a terminal illness by escaping into a mind of an animal.

What’s the next writing project?

I just finished 100,000 word novel on theme of fate – how far would people go to change their destiny? Are we “hardwired” to live the life we live? If it were possible to make changes, how high of a price would a person be willing to pay to make that change? The main protagonist in this story is a young man who was born with a congenital birth defect that set severe limitation to his life. Hig believed that as a boy he made a bargain with fate – his life for the life of his mother – that liberated him from a fate of a cripple and turned him into a popular, athletic young man, captain of his college soccer team. But a mother’s death is a heavy guilt load to grow up with.

The book is about untangling love from guilt from sacrifice. The book turned out well, I think, sort of a cross between “Something Wicked This Way Comes” and “Cloud Atlas.” I look forward to releasing my literary baby into the world soon.

What is your biggest challenge when writing a new book? (or the biggest challenge with this book)

Stories usually start with just a tiny idea and then grow as I collect research around that topic. A few years down the line, the little clump of thoughts jells into an idea for a book. But I never know if the book will become a full-length novel or a novella or even a longish short story. I’m a “pantser” – I write without an outline, by the seat-of-my-pants. I just have a ton of research and random thoughts written down on little notes in my note-taking software. By the time I actually start writing a new novel, I’ve usually spent a year or so taking notes and doing research. I tend to have a general idea of what the book will be about, but I have to feel my way towards the resolution of a story. I write to find out what happens next! Once I know my characters and understand their predicament, the story is written by them. They decide what they want to do and how to proceed and how to solve problems that I throw at them. I know this sounds crazy, but it works well for me. Still, the more research I do, the better the outcome. But it is always a mystery how it all works out. I’m always surprised by the end of the story—the finished book is nothing like I’ve imaged it…but it does contain all of the elements of my research for the story.

If your novels require research – please talk about the process. Do you do the research first and then write, while you’re writing, after the novel is complete and you need to fill in the gaps?

Becoming Animals was a difficult book to write. It is based on a lot science – all the scientific details described in this story are true, even if they are pushed to the limit of what’s possible. When you read about how a rat responds to danger or how a whale mourns the death of its baby or how a young piglet gets the zoomies, it’s all real. The fictional part is how a human girl responds to experiences that are unique to other animals.

One of the easiest ways to learn is through stories. Humans are wired to enjoy and remember them. Science fiction tells stories about the future or alternative history or some other “what if” scenarios that involve real science pushed to the limit. While entertainment is a perfectly valid goal in itself, sometimes a good story can do more than entertain. I hope this story has made a bit of neurology and animal cognition slightly more approachable for our readers.

What’s your writing space like? Do you have a particular spot to write where the muse is more active? Please tell us about it.

I write at my desk, in a spare bedroom that we turned into an office. I’m surrounded by books and the surface of my desk is covered with loose papers and fiddly toys. But my computer monitor and what’s on it is just as important as what’s in a physical space around me. I work in a text editor – it’s simple text, no formatting at all, no distractions. I have a note-taking application running as well – I have years’ worth of research that I do before starting a story, so I need to have that at my fingertips. I have a web browser open on a dictionary page. And I have iTunes with a soundtrack for my book (each book has its own soundtrack).

What authors do you enjoy reading within or outside of your genre?

I read everything…well, not histories or biographies or horror. I usual discover an author I like, and then read everything they’ve ever written! It is so much easier to know that the book will be good than to be disappointed. I know this sounds crazy. But I read a lot. I have thousands of books at home. I have books shelves in my bathrooms, bedrooms, hallways, kitchen, living room… I have books stocked on most flat surfaces and up the stairs. I’m not allowed to buy physical books anymore…unless I really want to. I do most of my “fun” reading on my phone now—Kindle App. I have thousands of books on my phone as well. The good thing about that is that the phone is always in my pocket (I no longer buy clothes that don’t have pockets to accommodate my cell phone.). I can whip out a book while I wait in line, while I sit in a doctor’s office, while I exercise… It’s a perfect delivery mechanism for reading.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers today?

There are hidden jokes in all my books. They are not “ha ha” jokes, just little things that would make someone in the know smile. Mostly, I hide things in the names of characters and places. Little Easter Eggs!

Links:

Website | Amazon | Goodreads | BookBub | Facebook | Twitter | Company/Publisher | YouTube | LinkedIn | Pinterest | Instagram

And I now have a site that allows students and parents to download free educational materials for elementary and secondary school kids to download and do offline. It is still under development, but keep an eye out if you have kids!

Thank you for being here today!

Thanks again!

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Interview with suspense novelist Willard Thompson

Today’s special author guest is Willard Thompson. He’s chatting with me about his new suspense novel, La Paloma.

During his virtual book tour, Willard will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit his other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

La Paloma is Willard Thompson’s new suspense/adventure/romance novel inspired by current headlines. It’s set in present day Los Angeles, California, and various cities in Mexico.

The Girl from the Lighthouse published last year is Thompson's Award-winning historical romance set in California and Paris, France in the 1870s.

He is the gold medal-winning author of Dream Helper, the first in The Chronicles of California series of three historical novels set in the early days of the Golden State. He and his wife live in Santa Barbara, California.

Welcome, Willard. Please share a little bit about your current release.

La Paloma is a novel inspired by newspaper headlines. Several stories in the recent press came together in my head over time to form this story. To begin with, I learned that an undocumented alien could receive an AB540 scholarship to UCLA. Then The newspapers and internet were full of stories about DREAMer, young people who were being deported from the U.S. for not have green cards and the debates over their futures. Then we learned that border walls were being built to stop migrants. Finally, the press was filled with stories about violent Mexican cartels.

My novel was inspired by all of the above, but it is not a gritty crime story, it’s a coming of age novel about a young undocumented Latina college student searching for her place in the world. Is it Mexico, the land of her birth and heritage? Or is it California, the land of opportunity she has been led to aspire to? Teresa Diaz, the primary character, falls down a rabbit hole when her undocumented father is deported to Mexico and she must go in search of him to save her family. Her world and everything she thinks she knows is turned upside down. The story unfolds from there.

What inspired you to write this book?

The headlines described above were a start, but first, and foremost for me, the character is primary. As I continues to think about my character, Teresa Diaz, I became more interested in understanding the conflicts in her life. Who was she and what did she want in her life? The contrast between the Latino community in which she lives and the upscale world of UCLA and Westwood, California. All that is a very prominent part of the novel, so in a sense it is a coming of age story. It poses questions Teri has to answer and perhaps engages readers in answering the questions for themselves.

Excerpt from La Paloma:

Stepping off the bus from Westwood in Monte Vista is like stepping into an alternate reality for me. Two white-haired Mexicans wearing droopy mustaches and ostrich boots are sitting like statues on the bus stop bench. As I start off toward home, they talk to each other in short, machine-gun-like, bursts of Spanish. One looks up as I pass. “Hola, Señorita,” he says, smiling so I can see his tobacco-stained teeth, “Often I see you at this time. From where are you coming?”

I have no idea who he is, but I return his smile. “From UCLA,” I tell him.

He nods. “Ah, Trojans,” and lapses back into silence.

“No. Bruins,” I tell him, and keep going, smiling to myself. It must have been the tenth time the old man had asked me the same question.

The air is heavy with the aroma of simmering pork from a taqueria I pass, but it morphs into the smell of warm bolillos at the panadería next door. Farther along, three middle-aged women in drab house dresses, stockings rolled down to mid-calf, stand at a table of Norteño CDs. They're listening to Ramon Ayala’s voice coming from inside the store and chatting back and forth.

Hurrying home, I pass two big-bellied teenage girls pushing baby carriages. They stop to look up at the marque of our movie theater showing “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” and then admire the riot of red, white, and green piñatas hanging in the doorway of a shop spilling all sorts of imported merchandise onto the street.

When Connie, my little sister, was a toddler, she used to be dazzled by the sights and smells of the stores along Peck Road. Even now, a curious fourth grader, she loves to linger over the assortment of trinkets when papa takes her window shopping.

I never liked these shops the way Connie does. For me, Monte Vista is my nightmare, haunting me with the memory of little Antonio. It isn’t my world. The bus to Westwood each morning is my escape, three buses actually, and two hours each way.

“This is your culture, Paloma. Your people,” my papa used to tell me, holding my hand, walking together up Peck Road to Mass on Sundays. “Embrace it,” he would say. “Es lo que somos.”

“I hate it, Papa,” I told him. “I want to be an American girl.”

Two shaved-headed gangbangers in baggy clothes, begin following me down the street, trash-talking to my back. 

“Did ya see the nice tits on her?” one of them says loud enough for everyone on the sidewalk to hear. “They were peeking out at me on the bus. How soft they would feel in my hand.”

I cringe and quicken my pace. I want to turn around and tell them to leave me alone, but I know to keep my mouth shut. There are enough people on the street that I feel safe.

“But her legs, man,” the other one responds. “Think how those long legs would feel wrapped around your neck.”

I do my best to shut out their words. I speed up, but they keep pace. Men and women on the sidewalk give them a wide birth.

At Garvey Avenue, they turn left after shouting obscene good-byes that describe what they would do to me if they ever got me alone. When they disappear down the street, I feel the tension release from my shoulders.

Only neighborhood people are sitting about on their porches when I reach Magnolia, my street of small, pinched, two-story stucco houses, with iron-barred windows and doors, secure behind chain-link fences. Our little house, two in from the corner, is my father’s pride. Even though it's rented, he always has the best-looking lawn and garden on the block. At Christmas, our house is a riot of blinking colored lights, competing with the neighbors’ over-the-top decorations for the gaudiest display award.

A boy in a navy watch cap straddles his bike on the corner, chatting up three girls. They are twelve- or thirteen-year-olds, heavy with makeup and budding breasts, competing with each other for the boy’s attention.

Across the street, an older couple sits in folding chairs by their front door. Protected by their chain-link fence, they watch the teenagers while tending a small hibachi on their front stoop.

“Hello, Mama,” I call out in the direction of the kitchen, heading for the staircase. “You home? I smell dinner.”

“Teresa Maria, come back here.”

My mama hurries into the hall. Wiping her hands on her apron, she comes to the bottom of the stairs. “Your papa not home yet.”

“Probably stopped for a beer with the men, Mama. I’m late for work.”

“You eat with us when he gets home,” she scolds.

I continue to the top of the stairs. “I have a test tomorrow, Mama. No time to eat anyway. Hey, you,” I call out as I go past my brother’s room. I get a grunt in return. I stop and backtrack to his doorway.

“How was practice?”

“I did good, Teri. Coach says some guys from the junior college will be lookin’ at me during the season.”

“You, the man,” I say. Then give him a more serious look. “How was the math test?”

“Not so hot.”

“I can help.”

“Yeah. Maybe.” It’s Rico’s standard response.

Connie and I share a room. Busy with scissors and paste on a school project, she looks up and greets me with an ear-to-ear smile, showing missing front teeth.

“How was school?”

“I’m making a hand puppet, Teresa,” she squeals with glee, sweeping her dark bangs out of her eyes with the back of her hand. “We’re having a puppet show in class tomorrow. Do you like my wolf?”

“Cool,” I tell her. “He looks big and bad.” 

I change into my uniform, throwing my hair into a ponytail and fastening the red and gold baseball cap around it. Before leaving the room, I kneel by the side of the bed, facing the icon of the Virgin on my night table. I whisper a prayer for Antonio. Connie stays respectfully quiet. When I finish, I hurry back downstairs. Opening the front door, I call over my shoulder, “I’ll eat at work, Mama. Tell papa hello.”

“No good for you,” I hear from the kitchen. I start back up the street.

I get off work at eleven. Dreading two hours of cramming still ahead, I hurry home. I keep throwing quick looks over my shoulder, thinking about the gangbangers. Turning the corner onto Magnolia, I’m startled to see my house ablaze with light. I stop for a moment and stare. The house should be dark, with everyone in bed. I run. The front door is open. Silhouetted just inside the living room, Mama sits hunched over on the edge of the couch. Coming closer, I can see she’s crying.

“Mama…” I run the last few steps to embrace her. “What’s the matter?”

“He don’t come home, Teresa Maria.” A sob escapes her throat.

I start to feel apprehensive. My father doesn't hang out drinking with other men “Did you call around, Mama? That’s not like him.”

“No one see him.” She starts crying again. I put my arms around her, holding her until she stops crying. We talk about what to do.

“Don’t call the police,” she warns me.

She agrees to let me call County Hospital. I ask the woman who answers if José Diaz has been admitted to the Emergency Room. She is impatient, telling me there are four Diazs in her computer just now, and it would take her several minutes to pull up each one to see if any are in Emergency. “I’ll wait,” I tell her, adding a little attitude to my voice. “This is important.”

Papa was not there.

What exciting story are you working on next?

Don’t know. Could be a sequel to La Paloma if readers like that story enough, or an historical fiction set in California 1820-1910 with a young woman and her sisters as the leading characters.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Well, it’s always what I wanted to be. But life, marriage, supporting a family get in the way for a while. I got serious about 20 years ago and started writing just about full time and have never looked back. It hasn’t been easy and not very lucrative, but it’s been a rewarding life nevertheless.

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

A writer! I wrote my first novel at age 13, seeing myself as a midshipman at Old Ironsides in the war of 1812.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I hope they will read La Paloma and my other novels: Dream Helper, Delfina’s Gold, Their Golden Dreams and The Girl from the Lighthouse and let me know what they thing by going to my web page.

Links:

Website | Kindle | Amazon

Thank you for being a guest on my blog!

Thanks for having me.

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Interview with mystery author Travis Haugen

Today’s special guest is novelist Travis Haugen. He’s here chatting with me about his new mystery thriller, SOUP: The Future Is Past and Present.

During his virtual book tour, Travis will be awarding a $30 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit his other tour stops and enter there, too.

Bio:

Travis was born and raised in the prairies of Saskatchewan, lived in Calgary for over 25 years and presently lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Travis Haugen has spent forty years of his life touring on the road as a musician and has spent hundreds of hours in recording studios. Travis spends much of his time writing songs, writing stories, playing music and spending valuable time with his family and close group of friends.

Welcome, Travis. Please share a little bit about your current release.

The story spans 20 years from 2001 to 2021. It is the continuing story of the second generation of the Yonge family. They are a family in search of themselves while dealing with the premature death of their musical father. They find that answers come hard in this period of political unrest, an unrest that contributed to their father’s demise.

What inspired you to write this book?

Music. The writing of one song in 2001 started the process that led to SOUP.

Excerpt from SOUP: The Future Is Past and Present:

March 30, 2001 – Calgary

The melancholy sound of lonesome piano blues wakes Michelle from a restless sleep. She throws on Scott’s old faded black and white striped cotton robe and makes her way through the darkness to the living room. She takes her place beside him on the piano bench, his face partially lit by a solitary low wattage lamp sitting to the left, on the mantle of the old antique acoustic piano. He shows her a sad smile and continues playing an old blues tune she can’t place, but knows she’s heard somewhere before. “Scott, are you okay?” she asks.

He stops and turns to face her, patting her bare leg. “I’ve been better,” he replies with a wry grin.

“You’ve been crying,” she says softly. “What’s wrong?”

“The dream woke me again, same one. I remember more this time. A little, anyway. I’m a kid outside a blonde wooden door in a long white hallway. The door has number 519 stenciled in black on its surface. I don’t want to open that door, Michelle.”

What exciting story are you working on next?

My niece, Candy, and I, are working on bringing the second book in the ‘One Song’ series, Hedley, from the editing stage to the publishing stage. We are also working on music and prose for the 4^th book in the series, so stay tuned.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I have been writing songs since I was 15 years old. Writing one particular song on one particular lonely night in late 2001 led directly to me writing the ‘One Song’ series.

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?

When I write, I write full-time. Once I start writing, it flows and flows and flows until it stops. However, I also work as a computer consultant, play in numerous bands, do session work at ‘Bedside Studios’ in Winnipeg, and conduct philatelic on line auctions for ‘Bow City Philatelics in Calgary, Alberta. So, you can see, when the writing urge hits me, my life is not busy at all, lol. This is why Candy has become invaluable to me in this process, we are a team.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I do most of my writing while I am not writing. I have not driven since 1980 because of my eye sight. I get around, snow, rain or shine 365 days of the year on a bike. I do most of my writing, be it music or prose, while I am riding. When I get home, I sit down to a piano or a guitar for the music, or a computer for the prose and I put down what came to me during the day.

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

A Mad Scientist!

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

If you are an e-book reader, I strongly recommend this format for you. The links to the music are embedded in the book so the music is a simple click away. If you prefer the hard copy, the interactivity between the music and the website is a simple thing. Instructions are in the book itself on the very first page on The Note From The Author. I hope you enjoy our Interactive Musical Thriller.

Links:

Website | Online Bookclub | Facebook | YouTube | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | Amazon

Thank you for being a guest on my blog!

Thanks for having us.

--Travis Haugen and Candy Haugen

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Interview with novelist James Vella-Bardon

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Author James Vella-Bardon helps me wrap up the week by chatting with me about his new novel, The Sheriff’s Catch.

Bio:

James was born and raised in Malta, an island nation steeped in the millennia of history. As a boy he often caught a rickety old bus to the capital of Valletta, where he would hover around the English bookshops to check out the latest titles in fiction.

Growing up he was an avid reader and a relentless day-dreamer, with his standout subject at school being English composition. He also won a couple of national essay competitions. Although he spent seven years studying and obtaining a doctor of laws degree, this did not cure him of his urge to write stories. So, after emigrating to Sydney in 2007 he resolved to have a proper stab at writing his first novel.

The result of this decision is an epic, sprawling five-part historical fiction series called The Sassana Stone Pentalogy. It is the product of nine years of intense rewriting and research, and tells the story of a Spanish Armada survivor who is shipwrecked in Ireland.

The first instalment in the series is a rip-roaring, myth-busting page-turner called The Sheriff’s Catch. Its anti-hero protagonist Abel de Santiago is an Armada survivor who finds himself on the run across Connacht, whilst being pursued by English troopers who want him tortured and killed.

Please tell us about your current release.

It’s very cross-genre: thriller, mystery, horror, action, adventure, suspense, and historical. It’s got a pinch of black humour in it and one reviewer even said that it contains romance!

It’s a breakneck action thriller set in 16^th Century Ireland. An edge-of-your-seat page turner which will leave readers white-knuckled so that it has drawn comparisons in terms of its pace to ‘The Da Vinci Code’. The protagonist is a deadly sniper named Abel de Santiago, a Spanish solider who is stationed to the Spanish Netherlands. When his treacherous army comrades kill his pregnant Dutch wife, Santiago deserts the army and hunts them down to Seville. Before he can achieve his revenge he is captured by the men he hunts who sell him as a galley slave, leaving him to row aboard one of the ships forming part of the Spanish Armada. Yet his real troubles start following the Armada’s defeat at the famous Battle of Gravelines, when he finds himself shipwrecked upon the coast of Ireland. For Ireland is a country terrorized by mounted English troopers called Sassenachs, who have orders to find, torture and kill all Spanish castaways. Santiago’s fate appears sealed, so that the reader is instantly confronted with a pressing, life or death question: can Santiago outrun his own fate? I should also add that The Sheriff’s Catch has earned incredible reviews to date on Goodreads and Amazon, and is also the first instalment in a five-novel series called The Sassana Stone Pentalogy.

What inspired you to write this book?

I read Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code when I was 23, and it was the first novel I could not put down until I finished reading it. Henri Charriere’s Papillon was another novel which greatly inspired me, a highly intriguing thriller which is recounted in the first person. I wanted to write something as addictive as those two books, and when I read the first chapter of Q by Luther Blissett, I knew that I could do it in an original and largely unexploited setting like 16^th Century Europe.

The spark of inspiration occurred a year later when I read a small non-fiction book called Ireland: The Graveyard of the Spanish Armada by T.P. Kilfeather yet another book which I could not put down until I had finished reading it cover to cover. The adventures of the Spanish castaways in 16^th C Ireland blew my mind, and I knew I finally had a setting to write an incredible novel to rival my favourite historical thrillers which have been a great inspiration to me like Arturo Perez-Reverte’s The Adventures of Captain Alatriste, Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe’s Tiger, Tim Willocks’ Tannhauser Trilogy, Q and Altai by Luther Blissett / Wu Ming, J.B. Pick’s The Last Valley, Robert E. Howard’s The Adventures of Solomon’s Kane and Robert Low’s The Whale Road. I was definitely also inspired by fantasy series like Tolkien’s and Stephen Donaldson’s trilogies and David Eddings’ pentalogies, which were part of the reason I wanted to write a lengthy yet pacey epic that a reader could be happily lost in.

Excerpt from The Sheriff’s Catch:

‘Take his keys!’ I yelled out in Sabir, feeling like I spoke the thoughts of most present. ‘Take his bloody keys!’

Dimas’s eyes widened as I stood off the bench and pointed at him, still shouting at the other slaves to act. As the overseer made to speak, a brawny arm suddenly curled about his throat, which belonged to a hefty Berber strokesman. The enormous slave nodded at me once, before he spoke to the rowers alongside him.

‘Get the keys.’

He then bent over sideways and shoved the stunned Dimas underwater. The crazed overseer kicked with his feet and twisted and turned, yet it was all in vain as the bulging muscles rippled in the arm of his victim turned aggressor. Meanwhile another slave had already reached Dimas’s side and undone his huge belt, with the heavy clanking keys passing through many hands even before the overseer had stopped kicking. The large Berber then pulled Dimas’s head from the bilge water and wrung his neck for good measure.

‘Be silent,’ he boomed across the benches, ‘and let none escape without my command!’

Having declared himself the leader of the slave revolt, the giant then turned his tattooed face towards our side of the deck, waiting for us all to be freed. When the last shackle was undone he strode towards the steps before us, crying out to the surviving rowers who already milled behind him.

‘Whosoever craves freedom, join with us now!’

A roar was returned as most hurried after him, with only a handful still clinging to their benches in fear. I flung Esteban away as Maerten and I hurried out, scarcely believing our luck as we ran after the fleeing rows of slaves. A swish of bilge water was heard at our feet before we ran towards the steps. As we hurried through the infirmary I could see that it was choked with countless wounded men, who groaned aloud at our passing while the physicians and surgeons stared at us in disbelief.

Upon reaching the main deck we were greeted by a flash of lightning, which streaked the nightly heavens. The sight left us startled before our ears were deafened by a roar of thunder. Our galley continued to lurch leeward as the end of great waves spattered our decks. The scent of the open ocean left me feeling half-revived, as I took in the chaos which Costa had mentioned. Ahead of us, guards beat back mutineers before they too were set upon by the Berber and his freed cohorts. We all swayed to the growing throes of the ocean, and at the prow a despairing nobleman flung gold doubloons overboard and cried out in despair.

What exciting story are you working on next?

My next story will be ‘A Rebel North’, the second instalment in ‘The Sassana Stone Pentalogy’ and sequel to The Sheriff’s Catch. People have asked me to describe it to them, and my reply has always been that while ‘The Sheriff’s Catch’ is more of a rollicking ‘man on the run’ story like Mel Gibson’s movie ‘Apocalypto’, ‘A Rebel North’ is more about a stranger in a strange land trying to assimilate into a different society. So it’s more like Kevin Costner’s ‘Dances With Wolves’ or Richard Harris’ ‘A Man Called Horse’. I’ll stop there because I don’t want to give much more away, except to say that 16^th C Gaelic culture is staggeringly interesting, especially when it comes to the status which was afforded to women!

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When experienced structural editors Jessica Hatch and Craig Taylor told me that I could write. And especially a couple of weeks ago when legendary New York literary agent Albert Zuckerman told me that I had talent and lots of energy.

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’ve only written full-time once in my life, back in 2010 when I took eight months out to rewrite my first draft of The Sassana Stone Pentalogy, during which time I was financially supported by my then partner (now my wife). Otherwise it’s always been free time. I estimate that part-time writing is 6 months of a full-time year and that free-time writing is 3 months of a full-time year. All of which makes my final wordcount north of 450k words at the end of 2016 quite silly. I don’t know how I managed it.

My Monday is as follows: drop kids off at school, commute to work, commute home back from work, do homework with kids and put them to bed. Then I crumple on the sofa for five minutes, playing this silly computer game on my iPhone to clear my brain. If there’s any drops of energy left in the rag I then peel myself off the couch and plonk myself on the kitchen table, open my laptop and start to write.

I try to write at least two lines, which most days leads to writing until midnight or 1am. I then pass out on the bed and it’s Groundhog Day again for the following four working days of the week. On weekends I’m sometimes too shattered after a whole day with young kids to do anything at night, but it’s getting easier as my younger one grows older. Needless to say that given this highly busy routine (sometimes my evenings get taken up by admin etc.) I write and read a lot on my iPhone on the train and during the lunch break. Although I hate smart phones which are such an intrusion on our lives, without the iPhone I’d not have been able to do what I’ve done, that’s for sure.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

When short of time I record ideas on my video app on the iPhone, then email the recordings to my author email. I type them out later on at night. I’m a big believer in writing down your idea there and then, which sometimes leads to awkward situations during the day.

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

An Australian author. Tick, tick.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Check out the ratings and reviews of The Sheriff’s Catch by real (and I mean real) readers on Goodreads and don’t be put off by the ‘historical fiction’ tag. I hate calling my novel ‘historical fiction’, because it’s not - it’s actually a thriller set 500 years ago. So much love and attention to detail has gone into this novel, it’s definitely not your usual airport quick-flick, although it’s as pacey – one reviewer aptly described it as ‘a blockbuster with depth.’ It is a really authentic and original piece of work.

I also wanted to add that the novel trailer for The Sheriff’s Catch (which I created) has been recently nominated in the ‘Best trailer for a book or novel category’ at the 19^th Golden Trailer Awards to be held in Los Angeles on 31 May 2018! Still pinching myself and can’t wait to attend this prestigious ceremony.

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Thanks for stopping by today, James.