Lizzie asked Michael R. Hicks:

Is it magic or is it science; fantasy or science fiction? I still don't know how to answer that. Most science fiction provides "human" reasons for actions. How difficult was it to set that aside and create motivations for an alien species? I admire how you provide human observation of alien actions that make more sense to a child (Allison) than to an adult (Soto).

Michael R. Hicks I always feel a bit at a loss for these types of questions, LOL! You see, I don't construct the characters (or the plot) beforehand. I go into a story with little more than a vague idea of where it might take me, following "movie clips" that I see in my head as the story develops. The characters, human and alien, and their motivations develop as the story goes along, as do their relationships between one another. But I honestly have no idea what a character is going to do in a given situation until it arises, and then they just sort of take control and do their thing. It's all in the hands of my muse: my fingers are just her tools to get the words on paper. :-)

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