Jonathon Fletcher's Blog: Captain's Blog - Posts Tagged "scifi"
The Captain's Blog welcomes Jenny Burnley...
Today, the Captain's Blog welcomes Jenny Burnley, author of Zenzoris Returns. Here is a little about her:
I have always loved reading and writing, from as far back as I can remember. I loved both stories, poems and non-fiction as a child and it is the same for me now. I almost always have a novel, a biography or some non-fiction book on the go at the same time. And of course, my beloved Kindle, packed with dozens of books, goes everywhere with me. I have a fairly eclectic taste in reading, depending on my mood or how busy I am at any one time. I do love a good thriller or crime novel, though, especially when snuggled up in my bed on a cold winter’s night, with the wind howling outside for good, atmospheric effect. There’s many a night I’ve been too scared to turn out the light and that’s only with Harry Potter, so forget Stephen King.
My father was a writer and he would often write stories and poems for us. In those days, he wrote everything by hand, so it’s hard to imagine in this technological age what it must have been like to write, then edit, using pen and ink. It’s bad enough nowadays with word processing being so comparatively easy. I can’t begin to think of editing by hand. Shudders. My dad died many years ago, so I often think what he would make of all the changes in book publishing today. He was far more interested in the writing, rather than in recognition or monetary gain, especially with his plays, some of which were performed on the BBC radio drama hour in his day.
Like my Dad, novel writing is a very enjoyable hobby for me, rather than a career. In my ‘real’ job I do a tremendous amount of writing, but in a more academic, (yes, some might even say boring!) field. I find writing to be a great escape from all the things that annoy/bug/stress me in the real world. It is pure therapy and I love it. Also, I think fiction-writing is great because you get to make up stuff, a bit like lying, but you get away with it under the guise of artistic license.
A few people have asked why I do not have a photograph on my Twitter avatar. Well, first of all I am extremely ugly and can scare babies from as far as a hundred paces away. However, the main reason is my job, which precludes me from divulging who I am or where I work. I will therefore have to remain mysteriously anonymous under my author name (at least until I give up the day job!)
...and here is her book blurb:
"Sophie Radcliffe, a feisty, Texan intergalactic agent, is a brilliant computer programmer with a phenomenal photographic memory. She has worked for the Intergalactic Law Enforcement Agency for ten years and is considered to be the best human agent on the team. She works alongside two other humans, Tom Logan, a tough, ex-police cop from Chicago and Justin Adams, a talented British linguist, whose arrogant, superior ways get right under the skin of his colleagues. When the agents discover their nemesis, a Drogg named Zenzoris, has escaped his prison pod and is seeking vengeance; the mission to recapture him takes the agents on a terrifying, roller-coaster adventure. Will the Drogg succeed in overthrowing the Intergalactic Council this time? The agents battle against time to find Zenzoris before he exacts his terrible revenge."
Jon: How did you come up with the idea for Zenzoris, what was your inspiration?
Jenny: Sophie Radcliffe, the heroine of the series, is a tough, brilliant intergalactic agent from Houston, Texas. The idea for Sophie came to me when I lived in Houston, where the inspiring Johnson Space Centre was a second home for me. Sophie somehow came to life for me when I was there. I I love the idea that somewhere up there in the universe, other life exists, so with a bit of imagination and creative licence, along with a dollop of quantum physics, mixed with the odd wormhole and the magic of anti-gravity, all the intergalactic characters were born. Once I had outlined the basic plot, the characters unfolded naturally and of course sci-fi is a wonderful genre that allows your imagination to fly. Zenzoris, the Drogg, is a wicked character with a vengeful spirit. I enjoyed creating him because he allows Sophie to show how tough and clever she is in her quest to find and defeat him.
Jon: Why did you spend so much time at the Space Centre?
Jenny: It allowed me to feed my huge fascination for space exploration and the study of our amazing universe. It was also quite near to where we lived in Houston and was always a place I dragged visiting rellies/friends/kids etc. to (possibly against their will when I think about it.
Jon: What's a Drogg?
Jenny: A Drogg is an extra-terrestrial member of a sub-civilization from the planet Sentinart. They are not true Sentinartis and look different from them; they are taller with short necks, leathery skin a shade of purple/brown with 3 red eyes! They speak the Sentinarti language (Gorsayi means Greetings) Zenzoris, Sophie Radcliffe's nemesis, is an evil Drogg, who inexplicably escapes his prison pod and seeks revenge on Sophie who describes him as 'dastardly and alarming'.
Jon: How much of an influence on your writing is your Dad! Do you feel like he's looking over your shoulder while you're writing?
Jenny: I don't think my Dad influenced me too much in terms of what I write because I write about completely different things, but I know I have inherited my love of poetry and wacky imagination from him. (He was very creative, but nuts too like me)
Jon: How much of your personality is in Sophie? What aspects of yourself do you see in her?
Jenny: I'd like to think I had Sophie's personality; she's a very smart scientist with a photographic memory. She is a loud Texan gal, while the real me is more the quiet, English reserved, not over-confident type. Sophie is explosive and fond of uttering expletives, but I rarely get rattled and only ever say words like that in my head, so maybe there's some subliminal Tourette's going on there with me. She's a lot more serious than me too. I find it hard to be serious for more than a few minutes-(I think I must drive everybody mad). I was always the class clown as a kid, probably the way I coped with my shyness.
Jon: Are you working on a new book at the moment?
Jenny: I am editing at the moment. There are three Sophie Radcliffe books and the last two are roughly finished. It's hard finding time to write sometimes when juggling a demanding job, big family, garden, blog and social media (blah blah blah!) I'm not complaining, though, because I thrive on plate-spinning, even if I do drop one or two occasionally. I love being busy and have my fingers in so many pies it's a wonder I'm not covered in pastry!
Jon: If there was a book that you wish you had written, what would it be?
Jenny: I enjoy so many different genres from classics to modern/crime/scifi novels, but I love K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat, The Lord of the Rings and Wuthering Heights.
Jon: Is there anything else that you would like to tell the readers?
Jenny: My website link is:
jennyburnley.co.uk
Zenzoris Amazon links are:
http://goo.gl/4SAq9 UK
http://amzn.to/18Jzhvd US
Jon: A big thank you to Jenny for appearing on the Captain's Blog!
I have always loved reading and writing, from as far back as I can remember. I loved both stories, poems and non-fiction as a child and it is the same for me now. I almost always have a novel, a biography or some non-fiction book on the go at the same time. And of course, my beloved Kindle, packed with dozens of books, goes everywhere with me. I have a fairly eclectic taste in reading, depending on my mood or how busy I am at any one time. I do love a good thriller or crime novel, though, especially when snuggled up in my bed on a cold winter’s night, with the wind howling outside for good, atmospheric effect. There’s many a night I’ve been too scared to turn out the light and that’s only with Harry Potter, so forget Stephen King.
My father was a writer and he would often write stories and poems for us. In those days, he wrote everything by hand, so it’s hard to imagine in this technological age what it must have been like to write, then edit, using pen and ink. It’s bad enough nowadays with word processing being so comparatively easy. I can’t begin to think of editing by hand. Shudders. My dad died many years ago, so I often think what he would make of all the changes in book publishing today. He was far more interested in the writing, rather than in recognition or monetary gain, especially with his plays, some of which were performed on the BBC radio drama hour in his day.
Like my Dad, novel writing is a very enjoyable hobby for me, rather than a career. In my ‘real’ job I do a tremendous amount of writing, but in a more academic, (yes, some might even say boring!) field. I find writing to be a great escape from all the things that annoy/bug/stress me in the real world. It is pure therapy and I love it. Also, I think fiction-writing is great because you get to make up stuff, a bit like lying, but you get away with it under the guise of artistic license.
A few people have asked why I do not have a photograph on my Twitter avatar. Well, first of all I am extremely ugly and can scare babies from as far as a hundred paces away. However, the main reason is my job, which precludes me from divulging who I am or where I work. I will therefore have to remain mysteriously anonymous under my author name (at least until I give up the day job!)
...and here is her book blurb:
"Sophie Radcliffe, a feisty, Texan intergalactic agent, is a brilliant computer programmer with a phenomenal photographic memory. She has worked for the Intergalactic Law Enforcement Agency for ten years and is considered to be the best human agent on the team. She works alongside two other humans, Tom Logan, a tough, ex-police cop from Chicago and Justin Adams, a talented British linguist, whose arrogant, superior ways get right under the skin of his colleagues. When the agents discover their nemesis, a Drogg named Zenzoris, has escaped his prison pod and is seeking vengeance; the mission to recapture him takes the agents on a terrifying, roller-coaster adventure. Will the Drogg succeed in overthrowing the Intergalactic Council this time? The agents battle against time to find Zenzoris before he exacts his terrible revenge."
Jon: How did you come up with the idea for Zenzoris, what was your inspiration?
Jenny: Sophie Radcliffe, the heroine of the series, is a tough, brilliant intergalactic agent from Houston, Texas. The idea for Sophie came to me when I lived in Houston, where the inspiring Johnson Space Centre was a second home for me. Sophie somehow came to life for me when I was there. I I love the idea that somewhere up there in the universe, other life exists, so with a bit of imagination and creative licence, along with a dollop of quantum physics, mixed with the odd wormhole and the magic of anti-gravity, all the intergalactic characters were born. Once I had outlined the basic plot, the characters unfolded naturally and of course sci-fi is a wonderful genre that allows your imagination to fly. Zenzoris, the Drogg, is a wicked character with a vengeful spirit. I enjoyed creating him because he allows Sophie to show how tough and clever she is in her quest to find and defeat him.
Jon: Why did you spend so much time at the Space Centre?
Jenny: It allowed me to feed my huge fascination for space exploration and the study of our amazing universe. It was also quite near to where we lived in Houston and was always a place I dragged visiting rellies/friends/kids etc. to (possibly against their will when I think about it.
Jon: What's a Drogg?
Jenny: A Drogg is an extra-terrestrial member of a sub-civilization from the planet Sentinart. They are not true Sentinartis and look different from them; they are taller with short necks, leathery skin a shade of purple/brown with 3 red eyes! They speak the Sentinarti language (Gorsayi means Greetings) Zenzoris, Sophie Radcliffe's nemesis, is an evil Drogg, who inexplicably escapes his prison pod and seeks revenge on Sophie who describes him as 'dastardly and alarming'.
Jon: How much of an influence on your writing is your Dad! Do you feel like he's looking over your shoulder while you're writing?
Jenny: I don't think my Dad influenced me too much in terms of what I write because I write about completely different things, but I know I have inherited my love of poetry and wacky imagination from him. (He was very creative, but nuts too like me)
Jon: How much of your personality is in Sophie? What aspects of yourself do you see in her?
Jenny: I'd like to think I had Sophie's personality; she's a very smart scientist with a photographic memory. She is a loud Texan gal, while the real me is more the quiet, English reserved, not over-confident type. Sophie is explosive and fond of uttering expletives, but I rarely get rattled and only ever say words like that in my head, so maybe there's some subliminal Tourette's going on there with me. She's a lot more serious than me too. I find it hard to be serious for more than a few minutes-(I think I must drive everybody mad). I was always the class clown as a kid, probably the way I coped with my shyness.
Jon: Are you working on a new book at the moment?
Jenny: I am editing at the moment. There are three Sophie Radcliffe books and the last two are roughly finished. It's hard finding time to write sometimes when juggling a demanding job, big family, garden, blog and social media (blah blah blah!) I'm not complaining, though, because I thrive on plate-spinning, even if I do drop one or two occasionally. I love being busy and have my fingers in so many pies it's a wonder I'm not covered in pastry!
Jon: If there was a book that you wish you had written, what would it be?
Jenny: I enjoy so many different genres from classics to modern/crime/scifi novels, but I love K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat, The Lord of the Rings and Wuthering Heights.
Jon: Is there anything else that you would like to tell the readers?
Jenny: My website link is:
jennyburnley.co.uk
Zenzoris Amazon links are:
http://goo.gl/4SAq9 UK
http://amzn.to/18Jzhvd US
Jon: A big thank you to Jenny for appearing on the Captain's Blog!
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