Author Interview- S. Evan Townsend

Hey, peeps! Please join me in welcoming author S. Evan Townsend to my blog!

Let's go ahead and get started with the interview!



1.     Congratulationson the release of your latest work, RockKiller. Can you tell us a little bit about it?
It's a science fiction novel setin the not-too-distant future when asteroids are being mined for their valuablemetals without degrading Earth. But some are even opposed to that and they resort to violence to reachtheir political ends.  That is,they are terrorists.  AlexanderChun, literally a million miles from help, and without armaments, must stopthem before they kill him and his multi-national crew.
2.     Whatprompted you to write this particular story? Was there a special event,occurrence, song etc. that sparked an idea?
In the early 2000s there was aspat of eco-terrorist attacks in the Pacific Northwest where I live.  And I got to wondering what motivatedthese people because some of their targets were actually helping theenvironment.  And I wondered whatwould happen if in the future, such people decided to make terrorist attacks onpeople who are mining asteroids because they aren't against mining asteroids,they're against anything that advances human progress.
3.     Whichof your characters do you relate to the most, and why?
Alexander Chun is aKorean-American who used his brains and ambition to get to where he is.  And he's a little unsure he's ready forit.  And I can completely relate tohis insecurity.  I think we allhave insecurities about being ready to handle what life throws at us.  And Chun gets more than he bargainedfor when he and his crew are the targets of a terrorist attack.   Back when I was working for aliving, I'd often feel inadequate to the tasks at hand and have to find a wayto get through them.  And sometimesI'd get more than I bargained for, usually in the form of a customer with asudden new demand.
4.     Didyou have a character or scene that you struggled with? How were you able topush through?
I hated writing the scene whereone of my female characters, Charlie Jones, gets raped.  So like my character, I didn't dwell onit.  I just got through it.
5.     Ifyou were able to spend an evening with one of your characters, who would youchoose, and why?
Charlene "Charlie"Jones.  She's a beautifulAfrican-American woman who is strong, intelligent, and resilient.  I put her through hell in this noveland she came out a better person in the end.  And yes, I'm just a wee bit in love with her.
6.     Doyou have any writing quirks?
Well, when writing Rock Killer I sort of wrote it from theinside out.  I wrote the terroristattack in the middle of the book, then went back and filled in the backgroundof how everyone got to that point, then I finished the rest of the book.  And then I added Charlie Jones as amajor character and her story arc.
7.     Favoriteauthor?
Hands down: Robert Heinlein.
8.     Favoritebook?
It's been too long since I'vere-read it: The Moon is a Harsh Mistressby Robert Heinlein.
9.     Whatare three things your readers don't know about you?
I have a very bad habit of drivingfast.  I've done it on a race trackwhich is most fun I've had with my clothes on.  I love politics almost as much aswriting.  I'd love to be aCongressional staffer or a White House aide.I love spinach, raw, cooked,canned, it doesn't matter.  Ingrade school you couldn't go back for seconds in the cafeteria unless you'deaten all your food.  ON days theyserved spinach I'd eat other kids' spinach so they could go back for secondsand I'd charge them their dessert. Which was a win-win for me 'cause I got both the spinach and thedessert.
10. What isthe strangest thing you've ever eaten?
Snails, probably.  Although geoduck sushi has to be highon the list (geoduck is a type of Northwest clam with a rather phallicappendage).
11. What isthe craziest thing you've ever done?
I once jumped out of a perfectlygood airplane.  Once was enough.
12. If Rock Killer were made into a movie, whowould you like to see cast?
Daniel Dae Kim as Alexander ChunKate Hudson as his wife KirstenHanna-ChunGabrielle Union as Charlie Jones
Thank you so much for joining us today!
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