Cary Caffrey's Blog, page 3

WHAT TOMORROW MAY BRING BLOG SERIES: Q&A with Shelbi Wescott

Q&A Hot Seat

What Tomorrow May BringThe YA Dystopian Box Setavailable now for Kindle
For those following my blog, you might notice I've become involved with this anthology collection of dystopian science-fiction, What Tomorrow May Bring. Each week I'm featuring either a blog contribution or interview by each of the eleven authors from the anthology.
Today, author Shelbi Wescott, author of Virulent: The Release takes the hot seat for this Q&A . The questions were provided by Deborah Rix, author of  External Forces (and fellow contributor to What Tomorrow May Bring).
Enjoy!





WHAT IS THE FIRST SCIENCE FICTION BOOK YOU REMEMBER READING?I remember reading The Boy Who Reversed Himself by William Sleator in 1989 during a cross-country road trip. We were driving from Oregon to Illinois and at the beginning of every driving day my mom gave me a new present to unwrap for that leg of the trip. While sitting in the parking lot of a hotel overrun with silverfish bugs in Keystone, South Dakota, I received Sleator’s book and devoured it by the time we arrived in Cedar Rapids.Fourth dimensions, scary monsters, and something to do with ketchup as the best thing ever? I grew up in science-fiction loving house, but this is the first time I remember thinking of all the possibilities the genre offered—and it was a genuine way to escape the monotony of a drive through the Plains States.ANY MOVIE, ANY BOOK…WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE ANTAGONIST?This is such a fascinating question and I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…I can’t limit it to one. So, here are my favorite antagonists, plural:- Amon Goeth from Schindler’s List: Watching him on screen portrayed by Ralph Fiennes was the first time I had a visceral reaction to a person in a movie. He gave me a stomachache and I had to close my eyes; I was terrified of him, and even more sickened by the fact that he wasn’t an invention—this was a real man, a true monster.- Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter: I’m big on justice and the INJUSTICE of her reign at Hogwarts sent me into a rage. I needed her to be a real person somewhere in the world, so I could travel there and punch here in the face.- Honorable mentions: Johnny from Karate Kid; John Doe from Se7en; Mr. Burns from The Simpsons; Scar from the Lion King; Hans Grubar from Die Hard; Mr. Potter from It’s a Wonderful Life; Annie Wilkes from Misery.IS THERE AN AUTHOR THAT YOU WOULD REALLY LIKE TO MEET?I desperately want to have a lunch with Stephen King and Joe Hill. Actually, can it just be the whole family? I want to be invited to their Thanksgiving. Omg, can that happen? Can someone make that happen?WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND WHERE DO YOU CALL HOME? WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE?I was born in Portland, Oregon, and that is also where I currently call home. I’ve always had dreams of taking my writing life and heading off to a small, noisy apartment in NYC, but that feels like I’m cheating on my first love. (But I am taking my whole family there this summer…to write…in a noisy apartment on the Upper West Side. Then I get to come home to Oregon. So, it’s the best of both worlds.)The reality is Portland is a creative town with such amazing talent and a thriving arts community. I’m immensely proud of my city.DO YOU EVER WRITE IN YOUR PJ’S?There are people who don’t write in their PJS? Shameful.WHAT TALENT WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO HAVE?I’d always like to be a better writer—I read such talented stories and I’m insanely jealous of their wordsmithing abilities. But beyond that: I was fired by my piano teacher when I was eight or nine. She actually fired me and sat me on the porch to wait for my mom. So, I wish I could play the piano.WHAT ARE YOUR PET PEEVES?People who talk during movies; loud eaters; people who are rude to workers in service industries; bad tippers.IF YOU HAD A SUPER POWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE? AND IF YOU HAD TO GIVE IT UP TO SAVE NEW JERSY, HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN TO NEW JERSEY THEY WERE GOING TO DIE?I want the super power from that TV show “Out of this World”: to stop time by touching my fingers. Just…pause! Unpause. Pause. Unpause. And, I would definitely avoid saying anything to anyone, and just slowly back away pretending like I didn’t understand. “What? New Jersey? Can’t hear you…”WHY DIDN’T HURLEY LOSE ANY WEIGHT WHILE ON THE ISLAND?Can we just pretend that this is the only thing that doesn’t make sense about that show? Because I was a LOST devotee (I had a Dharma Initiative party and replaced all the labels on the food with Dharma labels) and it’s too soon to talk about. Too soon.ABOUT THE BOOKHOW IMPORTANT ARE NAMES TO YOU IN THIS BOOK. DID YOU CHOOSE THEM BASED ON SOUND OR MEANING?My names are important because I name characters after my students as classroom management rewards. Is that strange? Like, “Hey. Stop talking during this quiz or I’m finding/replacing your character from this book. Don’t make me erase you.” Works like a charm.WHERE DID YOUR TOMORROW SPRING FROM? IN OTHER WORDS, HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE CRAZY WORLD?There is a reservoir in Portland that is just open to the elements…recently a man peed in there and they had to drain the whole thing. (ADDENDUM: Last week’s Portland Must Boil Water fiasco because they found e-coli in the water? Same reservoir.) And it’s where a big chunk of Portland’s water comes from…so, this idea stemmed from a single thought, “How easy would it be…if a group was vast enough…to wipe out civilization by targeting water and air with bioterrorism?” From there, I had to invent and discuss the why. Why would someone want to do that? And then I thought of Noah and how the story there is that God wiped out the world to start over because people were awful. So, give someone a God complex, who wants to decide who is worthy to survive, and have him kill off the world? That is how Virulent took shape.JUST HOW FAR IN THE FUTURE IS YOUR TOMORROW?Tomorrow. Like…literally tomorrow. Today. Now. My book develops into a dystopian over the story arc. It starts as a post-apocalyptic tale that shows how our world could fall. I wanted it to feel realistic and scary.DID YOU DO ANY SPECIFIC OR UNUSUAL RESEARCH FOR THIS BOOK?Over the course of the trilogy, I have had to do some crazy research (firearms, bombs, bioterrorism). I’m on NSA lists. They don’t know what to make of me based on my Internet searches. QUOTE A CHARACTER, ANY CHARACTER."Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads."Oh! You mean one of my characters?Ms. Johnston says, “Hasn’t anyone told you? It’s the assholes who inherit the earth.”WHO SHOULD NOT READ YOUR BOOK?People who have rosy outlooks on human behavior in time of crisis. Seriously? You think everyone is going to band together and become instant do-gooders? I love people, but I don’t have a shred of faith in human nature when SHTF.ARE ANY OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS FROM THE LGBT (LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER) COMMUNITY.Absolutely. Actually, I got a one-star review because a reviewer didn’t want her pre-teen daughter reading about a woman who had a wife. [Insert eye-roll here] I like to wear that review like a badge of honor. So…we could add that into the “people who shouldn’t read my book” answer, too. If reading about humansbothers you…don’t read this book.GIVE YOUR BOOK THE BECHDEL TEST1. IT HAS TO HAVE AT LEAST TWO (NAMED) WOMEN IN IT2. WHO TALK TO EACH OTHER3. ABOUT SOMETHING BESIDES A MANMy books (especially the trilogy as a whole) passes the Bechdel Test with flying colors. But I personally think the test should be harder to pass…let’s raise the bar!WHAT SORT OF BODY COUNT ARE WE TALKING HERE?Oh, wow. Yeah. Um. Seven billion people…



For more on the What Tomorrow May Bring box set, please visit us on Facebook, and  (of course!) check us out on Amazon where you can download your free sample to get reading.

And please visit the talented Deborah Rix (a fellow Canadian to boot).

Dystopia Blog Series: Susan Kaye Quinn

On May 1st, we launched the new anthology box set, What Tomorrow May bring, a collection of ten YA dystopian novels and bonus chapters from eleven bestselling and up-and-coming Indy authors.
Today...
Meet Susan Kaye Quinn
fellow contributor toWhat Tomorrow May BringThe YA Dystopian Box Setavailable now for Kindle

Dystopias - Forging Hope for Humanityby Susan Kaye Quinn
I’ve always read dystopian novels, although I simply thought of them as “science fiction.” Stories like I, Robot and Foundation filled my spongy adolescent brain with concepts like the Three Laws of Robotics and how utopias couldn’t happen as long as the flawed nature of humanity still existed. This is where I first understood the term dystopia as what happened when humans tried to monkey with society to make it “better.” Not only did I enjoy the mental gymnastics that went with these (usually cautionary) tales, they seemed to be “equipment for living.” They influenced my young adult thoughts about the future—what it should be, and what it should not.My novel Open Minds is a mild dystopia, although, as I wrote it, I thought of it more as a classic SF story. I sought to change one thing—what if everyone really could read minds?—and play it out. That turned into an exploration of how, as much as the world may change, human beings fundamentally remain the same.I think this is the understructure of the current dystopian trend—classical science fiction retooled for our modern era and sensibilities. Dystopias are more than a simple reflection of our post-911 world, a mirror held up to our fears of environmental disasters, terrorism, and pandemic. Our modern world isn’t solely a bleak place—it also shines with aid flowing to natural disasters, soldiers building schools, and the rejection of hatred as an ideology. Most modern dystopias search through their dark fictional world for those threads of hope. They find someone who will rebel against the wrongness of the world and attempt to set it right, or a third way through two dire world-changing choices.

The ever-more complicated world we live in needs more of the thought experiments found in dystopian stories, rather than less. Hope is a fundamental part of being human, and stories that forge hope out of the most difficult situations are always the most compelling.I write those stories, the ones with that persistent thread of hope, because those are the kind I want to read.

And the future I want to live in.~*~
Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the bestselling Mindjack Trilogy, which is young adult science fiction (and dystopian!). Her latest release is  Third Daughter  (The Dharian Affairs #1) which is her excuse to dress up in corsets and fight with swords. She also has a dark-and-gritty SF serial called The Debt Collector which has been optioned for Virtual Reality. That turns all her geeky gears! She always has more speculative fiction fun in the works. You can find out what she's up to by subscribing to her newsletter (hint: new subscribers get a free short story!). See all her books here.

WHAT TOMORROW MAY BRING BLOG SERIES #3: Q&A with David J Normoyle

Q&A With Debora Rix

What Tomorrow May BringThe YA Dystopian Box Setavailable now for Kindle
For those following my blog, you might notice I've become involved with this anthology collection of dystopian science-fiction, What Tomorrow May Bring. Each week I'm featuring either a blog contribution or interview by each of the eleven authors from the anthology.
Last week, we kicked things off with an interview with me, of all things. Today, author David J Normoyle takes the hot seat for this Q&A . The questions were provided by Deborah Rix, author of  External Forces (and fellow contributor to What Tomorrow May Bring).
Enjoy!





WHAT IS THE FIRST SCIENCE FICTION BOOK YOU REMEMBER READING?
Either the Foundation books by Issac Asimov, or Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. Foundation is a really cool premise, where a giant inter galactic empire has formed and a mathematician is able to scientifically foresee its collapse, so he implements a plan to restrict the fallout. Ender’s Game is still one of my favorite books. Brilliant idea, perfectly executed.

ANY MOVIE, ANY BOOK...WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE ANTAGONIST?
I’m going to go with one of the oldest villains of all time. Loki, the Norse trickster god, who is currently being excellently brought to life by Tom Hiddleston in the Avengers universe. I wrote a book that combined Norse and Greek myths, called Myth Weaver, and he was my favorite character to write in that.

WHEN YOU GO TO SEE A MOVIE, DO YOU TRY TO READ THE BOOK FIRST?
Yes, generally. Only if I have no interest in reading the book, will I’ll watch a movie based on a book without having read the book first. My list of movies -better-than-the-book is small but includes Schindler’s List, The Godfather and Silence of the Lambs. In the rest of the cases where I’ve read the book and watched the movie, the book is better.

DO YOU BUY A BOOK BY THE COVER?It’s certainly a factor. If I don’t have a recommendation and I’m browsing on Amazon, then it’s the cover that will make me click on it to check out the blurb. The cover indicates the book’s genre. Once I’ve clicked, then the blurb/sample/reviews will decide whether I actually buy.
HOW IMPORTANT ARE NAMES TO YOU IN THIS BOOK. DID YOU CHOOSE THEM BASED ON SOUND OR MEANING?
Not terribly important, but at the same time the name has to be the right one. Sometimes the first name I choose, will be the correct one, other times I have to keep trying until I find one that I’m happy with. 

DID YOU CHOOSE TO SELF-PUBLISH OR GO THE TRADITIONAL ROUTE? WHY?
Selfpublishing is the best way to go right now, and that’s only going to become clearer as time goes by. With a novel, ninety percent of what the reader cares about in the product comes from the author. The other 10% can be contracted out. So what does the publishing company do that means that they take the majority of the profits? They used to be essential when they controlled the distribution, but now that ebooks are starting to dominate fiction sales, the landscape is rapidly changing. I feel that traditional publishing will have to radically change if they want to stay relevant.
Of course that doesn’t mean the selfpublishing route is easy. Anything but.

JUST HOW FAR IN THE FUTURE IS YOUR TOMORROW?
Hundreds of thousands of years. Earth has been destroyed and the remnants of humanity have travelled across thousands of light years looking for inhabitable planets. Although, it’s actually in the far future, in a way, it’s also set in the past. That’s because this world has eschewed technology in the hope that they can avoid previous mistakes. So the technology level is medieval.

QUOTE A CHARACTER, ANY CHARACTER.
"My killing hand is a bit tired." Bowe shook his arm. "All that slashing and beheading—nothing like a bit of shopping to take your mind off the blood and gore. So, you have anything in Bellanger azure?"

GIVE US THE WEATHER FORECAST FOR YOUR TOMORROW.
It'll be hot in the morning, get hotter in the afternoon, then still be hot at night. Before long, it'll be so hot that the only way to survive will be to seek refuge in underground caverns, cooled by the sea.

WHO SHOULD NOT READ YOUR BOOK?
Those who would prefer a nice book without much death and violence. Those who would like a story and world that isn't too complex. 

YOU CAST YOUR CHARACTERS FOR A MOVIE. WHO MAKES IT?
That’s an easy one. Josh Whedon. I love his storytelling ability. I’m a huge Firefly fan--each time I watch it I’m ever more amazed that such a great show could have been canceled after one season. In virtually everything Whedon has done, he weaves character and plot, action and humor into a superb story.

WHO WOULD PLAY YOUR MAIN CHARACTER IN A MOVIE?
This is tougher. There are many great actors for older characters but not as many for teens. I would go with Asa Butterfield, who did a great job of showing Ender’s vulnerability in Ender’s Game. 

WHAT FIVE SONGS/ARTISTS WOULD FEATURE ON THE SOUNDTRACK OF YOUR TOMORROW?

Hurt, Johnny Cash
One, U2
The Whole of the Moon, Waterboys
Blister in the Sun, Violent Femmes
Rains of Castamere, The National



For more on the What Tomorrow May Bring box set, please visit us on Facebook, and  (of course!) check us out on Amazon where you can download your free sample to get reading.

And please visit the talented Deborah Rix (a fellow Canadian to boot).

WHAT TOMORROW MAY BRING BLOG SERIES #2: Author Jenni Merritt

On May 1st, we launched the new anthology box set, What Tomorrow May bring, a collection of ten YA dystopian novels and bonus chapters from eleven bestselling and up-and-coming Indy authors.
Today...
Meet Jenni Merritt
fellow contributor toWhat Tomorrow May BringThe YA Dystopian Box Setavailable now for Kindle

What ‘dystopia’ means to me by Jenni Merrit

We, as such beautifully imperfect creatures, crave perfection.  We long for that perfect existence where everything is ideal and fair and safe.  So we try.  We create laws.  We enforce rules.  We embrace change, fight change, dream of change.  Then, when the bad things still happen, we question everything.  Can we make utopia?  Who knows if the answer will ever be found.  That is why we create dystopian stories.  To read, work out, understand and even enjoy the idea of society gone wrong.  Perfection would be too boring.  We need imperfection to fight, to live, to learn and grow.  
Dystopians are not only about society gone wrong.  They are about the people living in that society who choose to stand up and do something about their existence.  They are beautiful.  And imperfect.  Some fight and fail.  Others rise to the top and succeed.  And in the end, we all learn that even at its worse, life is worth living.  That is a dystopian.  And I love it.
PRISON NATION was inspired from one little moment that grew into an entire world.  Many say this story is frightening in the sense that so much of it is already happening.  Laws are intense and getting more strict every day.  Prisons are overfilled and growing.  We fear we have all lost control.  In PRISON NATION, that is the world.  Prisons and control and laws, all the way to the point that children are raised behind bars and freedom is just a dream.  So what would you do?  How would you survive in a world where near everything is illegal?  From an inspiration to a project to a debut novel, PRISON NATION is a journey I fell in love with every word of the way.  I hope you do too.


-Jenni

WHAT TOMORROW MAY BRING BLOG SERIES

On May 1st, we launched the new anthology box set, What Tomorrow May bring, a collection of ten YA dystopian novels and bonus chapters from eleven bestselling and up-and-coming Indy authors.
Today...
Meet David Estes
fellow contributor toWhat Tomorrow May BringThe YA Dystopian Box Setavailable now for Kindle

What ‘dystopia’ means to me by David Estes

I love dystopian novels. And I don’t just mean The Hunger Games, although I love that one, too. I’ve read dozens of dystopian novels and I never seem to get tired of them. For me, dystopian novels capture so much of what makes reading awesome. They explore real social issues and imaginative futures that may be only decades, or even years, from coming to pass. They are dark and suspenseful and funny and interesting, and, most of the time, scary.

But what I love the most is that they almost always contain an element of hope. The characters, who are many times thrust into terrible situations, endure and persevere and usually accomplish what they set out to do, against challenging odds. Hope.

Do I think any of the themes in dystopian novels will actually come to pass? Absolutely. Hopefully not in my lifetime, or my children’s lifetimes, but bad things will happen and new heroes will have to rise to the forefront and meet the challenges of their day.


But for now, I’ll imagine my own futures and the heroes that live them, and do my best to entertain my readers with stories of hope. Starting with my first dystopian novel, The Moon Dwellers. For this series, I’ve created two different societies, one living underground (three books: The Moon Dwellers, The Star Dwellers, The Sun Dwellers), one living aboveground (three books: Fire Country, Ice Country, Water & Storm Country), which then come together in a final epic 7th Dwellers, where the characters and plot lines smash into one story. 
I hope you enjoy the dystopian world I’ve created!

Dystopian Q&A With Deborah Rix, Author of External Forces

Q&A With Debora Rix

What Tomorrow May BringThe YA Dystopian Box Setavailable now for Kindle
Deborah Rix, awesome author of External Forces (and fellow contributor to WTMB), was kind enough to bombard me with this really fun Q&A. Here's the result (her questions are in blue, my answers are in black). Enjoy!





DID YOU CHOOSE TO SELF-PUBLISH OR GO THE TRADITIONAL ROUTE?  WHY?
Indy-publishing all the way! Going Indy is the best (and I believe the smartest) route for any new writer in today’s market.
I’ve been very lucky in that I’ve worked in and around the entertainment industry nearly all my life. I’ve worked for publishers, and I’ve had publishers working for me. Both experiences made me want to go the independent route. It’s wonderful time to be an independently published writer.

HOW DO YOU OVERCOME WRITER'S BLOCK?
When I figure it out I’ll let you know!

Seriously though, the key for me is to never let myself get bogged down, and to make sure I keep slogging along. I wage a daily war with my confidence (or lack thereof). I’m not sure if that’s writer’s block or anxiety. What came as a surprise to me is that this anxiety got worse, not better, after the success of my first novel. Perhaps that’s the pressure of added expectations (expectations I put on myself, not from readers). My readers have been great. Super-supportive. They’re my main source of inspiration to keep moving forward. Readers are my cure for writer’s block.


WHAT BOOKS HAVE INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING?
Anything by Harry Harrison! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read Deathworld, Homeworld or the Stainless Steel Rat.


ANY MOVIE, ANY BOOK...WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE ANTAGONIST?
Do comics count? It’s a toss-up between Mr. Freeze or Clayface. Two of the most tragic villains in the history of literature!


DO YOU BUY A BOOK BY THE COVER?
Absolutely. I freely admit I’m attracted to shiny things. I’m a very visual person. I love visual arts. Painting, photography, graphic-design, I love it all. I’m constantly drawn to great cover art, and I have a particular weakness for bold covers featuring powerful, swashbuckling heroines.


HAVE YOU EVER WRITTEN ABOUT YOUR OWN BAD HABITS?
Always! I wouldn’t trust a writer who wasn’t willing to put the worst of themselves on the page. Someone asked me once (about writing): aren’t you worried that people will think it’s you? My answer was: if you’re not worried about that—if you’re trying to hide, or disguise yourself—you’re not doing your job.
WHICH WORDS OR PHRASES DO YOU TEND TO OVERUSE?
Apparently in the first edit of TGfA I used the word ‘managed’ nine-thousand, four-hundred and fifty-seven times.


DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER JOB BESIDES AUTHOR?
When I saw the Indy-eBook explosion I decided it was time to take the plunge and do this full time. I don’t know how people write and hold down a day-job. If I had a job I’d be a terrible employee. Or worse, a terrible writer!


WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Risk everything (they can’t say “yes” if you don’t ask).


WHAT TALENT WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO HAVE?
I always wished I was a better guitar player. I never got beyond ‘passable-hack,’ but I know in my heart I wanted to be a guitar hero.


WHAT’S THE BIGGEST LIE YOU’VE EVER TOLD?
That I’m really a woman. I can’t help it. I have clothes envy. Dresses, high heels… I would have made an awesome drag queen (if only I were taller!).


HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN TROUBLE WITH THE AUTHORITIES?
Let’s just say, spending a night in the “slammer” was a life-altering experience.  It definitely made me stop and take a hard look at myself—who I was, what I was doing and where I was going.

I almost think everyone should go to jail at least once. Nothing makes you appreciate freedom more than having it taken away.


DO YOU THINK THE UNITED STATES IS SECRETLY A MIRROR UNIVERSE OF CANADA, LIKE THE STAR TREK EPISODE, WHERE THE UNITED STATES IS THE EVIL DIMENSION?
Full disclosure: I’m Canadian. 

There may have been a time when the US was the evil counter-verse of Canada, but unfortunately Canada’s conservatives appear extremely eager to adopt all of the worst traits of American Tea-Party/Republicanisms. Our conservative government is currently under fire for trying to adopt such popular Republican policies, as voter suppression, for-profit prisons, and they’re doing everything in their power to dismantle our public health-care system and de-fund education.

And let’s not forget oil (Keystone pipeline). The Cons want to pump as much oil as they can, as fast as they can, through the United States, even though the pipes are leaking all over the place.

If anything, it appears a giant wormhole has opened up in the space-time continuum and plunked Canada right alongside the US in that mirror universe.


HAVE YOU SEEN MY SHOES?
No, but would love to! I should imagine they are quite lovely. I’m picturing a pair of shiny black pumps, perhaps with those fancy red soles you see everywhere these days.


WHY DIDN'T HURLEY LOSE ANY WEIGHT WHILE ON THE ISLAND?
What! Oh, my goodness, this is too easy. Because the dead don’t lose weight! In fact, it was Hurley’s bulk that gave away the whole ending back in season two. 


BONUS QUESTION: WHY DO VILLIANS PREFER LONG HAIR CATS INSTEAD OF
HAIRLESS CATS? HAIRLESS CATS ARE MUCH MORE EVIL LOOKING. SEEMS LIKE A
MISSED OPPORTUNITY.
Ah! But you see, you’re approaching the question from the wrong angle. Villains (oh, sorry—villians) are almost always misunderstood. After all, the best villians are really heroes trapped in the wrong story. And they don’t see themselves as evil at all, so, when you think about it, the fact that they prefer fluffy kittens only makes good sense.


ABOUT THE BOOK

IF YOU GAVE ONE OF YOUR CHARACTERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES, WHAT WOULD THEY SAY?
“Sorry about your face!” 

Actually, that’s a line from Borderlands (something Paige says), but I really wish I’d written it for Suko. It’s definitely something she’d say, probably after laying the smack down on some unsuspecting thug.


WHERE DID YOUR TOMORROW SPRING FROM? IN OTHER WORDS, HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE CRAZY WORLD?
That one’s easy too. I feel as though we’re already living in a crazy dystopian future. A study came out recently showing how Americans are actually already living in an oligarchy and not a democracy (https://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/04/14). The study showed extremely specific examples of how public policy in the US is dictated, not by overwhelming public opinion, but by the whims of a very small minority of wealthy and elite corporatists. Take gun control, for instance. 88% of Americans want stricter gun laws, but even with that overwhelming support nothing’s been done. If anything, we keep moving toward more liberal gun-laws, as evidenced by what just happened in Georgia (guns in schools and bars! Yay! What could go wrong?). And how about what happened last week with the FCC? They actually killed net neutrality, paving the way for internet monopolies (say goodbye to freedom of the online press as we know it). These are just two examples of a globally unpopular policies that are turned into a laws to service a very small number of people in the upper-fringes of society.

Call it a corporatocracy, an oligarchy or plutocracy, this is not how democracy is supposed to work.

Oh, and before you label me a conspiracy theorist, remember what Noam Chomsky said (and I’m paraphrasing): It’s not a conspiracy theory. It’s just good observation.


HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR THIS STORY?
See above! 

Actually, the idea came about completely by accident. The original draft was quite different. Sigrid Novak (the main character), was supposed to be a secondary character, but the moment she hit the page (in the original, she doesn’t appear until page 56!) I fell in love with her. I knew I had to learn absolutely everything about her. Who was this incredible woman, what drove her, and how the heck did she get the way she was? I immediately I tossed the draft I was working on and started writing Sigrid’s story.


DID YOU DO ANY SPECIFIC OR UNUSUAL RESEARCH FOR THIS BOOK? 
I had to do a lot of research into martial arts. I spent a great deal of time reading about jujitsu and watching lots of videos. It was very important that the more physical acts of combat be real. I was fortunate that one of my early alpha-readers was experienced in Jujitsu, as well. She came to my rescue on a number of occasions.


DID YOU HAVE TO CONDUCT ANY EXPERIMENTS FOR THIS BOOK?
Only for the naughtier parts.


IS THERE ANY SUPER-COOL FUTURISTIC TECHNOLOGY/WEAPONRY IN YOUR TOMORROW?
What’s scifi without cool tech! TGfA features some seriously overpowered ballistic weapons. Who doesn’t want a hulking 18 mm recoilless sidearm strapped to their thigh! I mean, that is hot.

Who should not read your book?
Bigoted, intolerant, ideological, hateful people. These people would best be served by avoiding my book at all costs. Judging from some of the angrier responses I’ve received since publication, there are still certain people in this world who do not like to think about 'non-traditional' relationships. Apparently, even 350 years into the future, such things are still 'ew, icky gross!’
   
ARE ANY OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS FROM THE LGBT (LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER) COMMUNITY.
I think that falls under the category of ‘yes,’ though one of my favorite things about the book is that, at no time ever, does the subject of sexuality or gender come up. No one is ever labeled gay or lesbian, and you’ll never find any of the characters questioning or struggling with their sexuality. No one’s ever worried about what *gasp* their friends or family might think. Gender, sexuality, it’s a non-issue. And I’m just so tired of books or movies that play coy with a character’s sexuality, making readers guess “are they? aren’t they? Will they? Won’t they?” It’s just silly. Let them be out and about. And for goodness sake, let them be happy!

GIVE YOUR BOOK THE BECHDEL TEST
IT HAS TO HAVE AT LEAST TWO (NAMED) WOMEN IN IT: Check.WHO TALK TO EACH OTHER: Definitely!ABOUT SOMETHING BESIDES A MAN: Who are these ‘men’ of which you speak? This is The Girls from Alcyone.

PICK ONE OF YOUR CHARACTERS AND APPLY THE SIX DEGREES OF KEVIN BACON. GO!
I don’t know how to connect those dots, but I know that I have a six degree connection with Mr. Bacon (but doesn’t everyone). My connection is thanks to a song I wrote and a TV show featuring Rick(y) Schroder. It’s a crazy six-degree world.

WHO WOULD PLAY YOUR MAIN CHARACTER IN A MOVIE?
Easiest question on the planet! Elle Fanning (

YOUR MAIN CHARACTER VS BATMAN, WHO WOULD WIN?
No contest. Sigrid Novak would kick Batman’s butt. It’s not Batman’s fault. After all, Sigrid Novak has all the genetic and bionic advantages, as well as the kind of years of training that would leave Bruce Wayne envious. I believe Batman would literally never see her coming.

On a scale of 1-5 what would your book get for these actual MPAA rating descriptions
Violence: Five!Language: I’d give it a two, but apparently TGfA is full of cussing. Let’s go with three. Drug Use: While TGfA gets a one for recreational use, it definitely scores an eleven when it comes to pharmaceuticals. Hey, we’re talking full-on genetic recombinants here!Sexual Content: Yes, please — I mean, five!Non-stop Ninja action: Ooh! Definitely a five. Yes. Five.

MILD PERIL
Salty language and innuendos: CheckJungle adventure terror: Does a forest count? How about concrete jungle?Brutal and bloody Viking combat: Sadly, no vikings. *sighs*Comic horror, violence and grossness: What’s an adventure without a stomach churning moment or two?Swashbuckling action: Check!Sexy dancing: I’m happy to say, yes!Intense sequences of bat attacks: Ooh… No. No bats.Demented mayhem: Um, hell ya.Scenes of dental torture: Thank goodness, no!

If your book were rated like a romance novel, the heat level would be
1) None
2) Sweet
3) Mild
4) Hot
5) Wild Ride6) Blood Thirsty 
I would very much like to think (hope) that it is both sweet & hot.


For more on the What Tomorrow May Bring box set, please visit us on Facebook, and  (of course!) check us out on Amazon where you can download your free sample to get reading.

And please visit the talented Deborah Rix (a fellow Canadian to boot).

What My Tomorrow May Bring

IntroducingWhat Tomorrow May BringThe YA Dystopian Box Setcoming this may to Amazon

Science-Fiction presents a terrific opportunity for any writer. At its most basic it’s a chance for us to wonder about what could be, what might be, or warn of dangers that might come to pass. But when it’s at its best (possibly most subversive), great science-fiction is really all about “what is.” It’s about the here and now. It’s about us.I could have set The Girls from Alcyone in the present (I almost did). After all, the story takes place in a world where the corporatocracy has finally supplanted all democratic forms of government, where indentured servitude and bonded laborers are the norm, and where the world’s populations have been neatly divided into the haves and have-nots. Kind of like today!But I knew if I did (set the story in present day) it would have radically changed the tone and turned the novel into something I didn’t intend. Politics might be very near and dear to me, but I didn’t want TGfA to become a treatise on the rise of the new industrial imperialism. That wasn’t the novel I wanted to write. I wanted to write an adventure.More than that, I wanted to write a story about the endurance of friendship, unwavering loyalty and love (yes, I am that much of a sap). I wanted to show a possible future where inclusiveness and acceptance were the norm, not the exception—even in a world where 99% of the population lives in abject poverty. I wanted to give my characters a chance to live without the burdens of prejudice, where no one cares about your nationality, your sexuality, or gives a second thought to who you date or who you love. All with no questions asked. Because they have bigger things to worry about. Like survival.And, goddammit, I wanted the story to be fun!Setting a story like this in the present day would be impossible. Who would believe it? But, that’s the beauty of science-fiction, and that’s why I love it so much. When we look to the future—in the case of The Girls from Alcyone, three hundred and fifty years into the future—absolutely anything is possible.
It's been a pleasure and a privilege to be included in this box-set of terrific dystopian science-fiction (by an amazing group of writers!). I hope you enjoy it as much as me.
Cary Caffrey.

THOUGHTS ON INDY PUBLISHING: Part One: It's Time To Step Up!

I thought I'd share some thoughts on marketing/publishing this morning.

If you don't have a goal, you're probably not going to reach it. If you don't have a plan, you're probably not going to realize it.

Sounds obvious, right? It is. But the strange truth is, most of the artists I meet don't have much of a plan beyond creating their art (writing, painting, photography, whatever).

I can't say I blame them either. As artists, we typically shrug our shoulders at the idea of treating our art as a business rather than just a creative outlet. I can't tell you how often I hear writers say (when I talk to them about publishing) "wow, that sounds like a lot of work." Well, it is. But so is writing a novel. No one said this was going to be easy.

I also get this a lot: "Oh, I just want to write." And why not? After all, we do what we do. We write. And we figure the business side will be taken care of by others once we're 'discovered.' Publishers, agents, managers -- they'll handle the business for us.

I've always found this an unfortunate mistake to make. The way I see it, why would anyone want to put in the time and effort to make you successful if you're not willing to do it yourself? Maybe this is where I got lucky -- and I don't mean by getting discovered. I'm far too cynical to think that anyone would publish me, especially in this day and age where the mid-list writer has all but vanished from traditional publishing. Or maybe I suffer from such low self-esteem that it never occurred to me that anyone would want represent me or take me on as a partner. Either way, I knew it was up to me to step up and get things done.

It's still a struggle, and it's a lot of hard work, but the rewards definitely make it worth it. I think that's why I'm always urging other writers to step up, take more risks, and set their sights WAY higher than where they are now. You're allowed to want success, and there's no reason why you can't have it. So have a goal. Set the bar higher.

The first step to success is realizing that you can be successful.


Next Week, Part Two: Okay, I'm ready to work. Now what? 

THOUGHTS ON INDY PUBLISHING: It's Time To Step Up!

I thought I'd share some thoughts on marketing/publishing this morning.

If you don't have a goal, you're probably not going to reach it. If you don't have a plan, you're probably not going to realize it.

Sounds obvious, right? It is. But the strange truth is, most of the artists I meet don't have much of a plan beyond creating their art (writing, painting, photography, whatever).

I can't say I blame them either. As artists, we typically shrug our shoulders at the idea of treating our art as a business rather than just a creative outlet. I can't tell you how often I hear writers say (when I talk to them about publishing) "wow, that sounds like a lot of work." Well, it is. But so is writing a novel. No one said this was going to be easy.

I also get this a lot: "Oh, I just want to write." And why not? After all, we do what we do. We write. And we figure the business side will be taken care of by others once we're 'discovered.' Publishers, agents, managers -- they'll handle the business for us.

I've always found this an unfortunate mistake to make. The way I see it, why would anyone want to put in the time and effort to make you successful if you're not willing to do it yourself? Maybe this is where I got lucky -- and I don't mean by getting discovered. I'm far too cynical to think that anyone would publish me, especially in this day and age where the mid-list writer has all but vanished from traditional publishing. Or maybe I suffer from such low self-esteem that it never occurred to me that anyone would want represent me or take me on as a partner. Either way, I knew it was up to me to step up and get things done.

It's still a struggle, and it's a lot of hard work, but the rewards definitely make it worth it. I think that's why I'm always urging other writers to step up, take more risks, and set their sights WAY higher than where they are now. You're allowed to want success, and there's no reason why you can't have it. So have a goal. Set the bar higher.

The first step to success is realizing that you can be successful.

SFR BRIGADE PRESENTS: TGFA II: CODENAME WHITE PRINCESS (Flora, part II)

Posting from my WiP
TGfA III: Codename: White Princess (working title)

The Girls From Alcyone is the continuing story of two very special young women who find themselves at the heart of a conflict spanning more than forty worlds.



LAST WEEK: we met Flora who was waking from a terrible nightmare.

THIS WEEK: Flora tries to come to grips with what's happening to her.







Flora, Part II


The dreams were more graphic now, vivid. And they no longer faded away when she awoke. Not immediately. Like an oily residue, they clung to her, filthy and sticky. The metallic scent of gore and blood—even imagined—stung her noes. She could no longer shake the memory of things she'd done. Horrible, unspeakable things; violent and brutal. She'd killed. Countless times. Cold blooded and merciless. Man or machine, it mattered not. All fell before her. But there was pleasure in those dreams, as well. Once again, the woman had come for her, and when Flora closed her eyes she could still see her face, stark and beautiful. But this time—this time the woman spoke to her.Flora shivered at the memory, fading now in the dim light of early morning. In all those nights, in all those dreams, the woman had never spoken to her, ever.Not until last night.She'd called to her. By name. No, not by name—not hers. It was another. But it was her. It was…Flora pounded at her temples, trying to remember. What had she called her?Sigrid.

Oh, and don't forget to check out snippets from other SFR Brigade authors here: http://sfrcontests.blogspot.ca/p/sfr-brigade-presents.html?spref=fb!


Cheers, Cary!