Author Interview with Simon Rose

My guest today is Simon Rose, author of science fiction and fantasy novels for children and young adults. Simon’s books include The Alchemist's Portrait, The Sorcerer's Letterbox, The Clone Conspiracy, The Emerald Curse, The Heretic's Tomb, The Doomsday Mask, The Time Camera, The Sphere of Septimus, Flashback, and the recently published Future Imperfect.  

Tell us about your latest novel.

Future Imperfect is an exciting technology-driven adventure featuring teenage geniuses, corporate espionage, and mysterious messages. In the novel, we’re introduced to Andrew Mitchell, who was one of the leading experts in highly advanced technology in Silicon Valley, until he vanished following a car accident, which also injured his son, Alex. When a mysterious app later appears on Alex’s phone, he and his friend Stephanie embark on a terrifying journey involving secret technology, corporate espionage, kidnapping, and murder in a desperate bid to save the future from the sinister Veronica Castlewood.

This sounds very exciting. Why do you think kids will enjoy Future Imperfect?

The story will appeal to all young readers for whom technology plays such a large role in their lives, whether it’s cell phones, laptops, tablets, gaming, or the online world, but it’s also a very compelling adventure story, with lots of cliffhangers, twists, and turns. There might even be a couple of sequels, but we’ll wait and see what the future holds, I guess.

Where can people buy the book?

Future Imperfect is available at local bookstores, online at Amazon Canada, Amazon USA, Indigo/Chapters, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK, and other locations, and autographed copies can also be purchased directly from me via my website.

Future Imperfect is very much in keeping with the themes you’ve explored before in science fiction and fantasy, but very different to your last novel.

Yes, my previous novel, Flashback, is a paranormal adventure involving psychic phenomena, ghosts, imaginary friends, mind control experiments, secrets, conspiracies, and time travel with a difference. The story was inspired by numerous ghost stories, books, and movies about psychics and the paranormal, past lives and hypnosis, and the concept of going back into your own life armed with your current knowledge to somehow attempt to change the previous course of events, for better or worse. Flashback has two sequels coming out in 2017, one in the spring and the third installment in the summer.

Is all of your work for young adults?

In addition to the novels, I’ve written more than 80 nonfiction books for children and young adults, but have also written books for adults. These include The Children's Writer's Guide, The Working Writer's Guide, The Social Media Writer's Guide, School and Library Visits for Authors and Illustrators, and Exploring the Fantasy Realm. These titles are all available as ebooks or as paperbacks. I’m also a contributing author to The Complete Guide to Writing Science Fiction and have written some picture books for younger readers.

What do you do to promote yourself and your books?

I’m in all the usual places online and on social media but I’m also active in the local writing community. I conduct book signings at bookstores on a regular basis in Calgary, most often at Indigo Signal Hill, Chapters Crowfoot, and Chapters at Shawnessy. This spring I’m also at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo and will be connecting with readers at schools and libraries in Montreal and Quebec City during Children's Book Week.

What other work do you do?

I work as an instructor for adults at Mount Royal University and the University of Calgary. These classes and courses focus on writing for children and young adults or preparing your work for publication. I also offer coaching and editing services for writers in all genres and conducts online writing courses, such as Writing for Children and Young Adults and Writing Historical Fiction. I write screenplays, articles for magazines, and offer copywriting services for websites, blogs, social media, and businesses.

Where can people learn more about you and your work?

You can visit my website at www.simon-rose.com or subscribe to my newsletter, which goes out once a month and has details of my current projects and upcoming events. 

Thank you Simon for a great interview and telling us about your books! Can't wait to read your latest novel Future Imperfect!

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Reading by the Fire with The Adventurers Troll Creek

Interview with Author Richard Herr

Invasion From Fred!

I'm thrilled to share with you a very funny new book by my author-friend, Richard Herr!

Invasion from Fred is a humorous sci-fi story of a young boy and his friends who encounter an alien in the forest disguised as a fire hydrant. Hilarity ensues as they try to help the alien find its new look and stop an invasion to boot.

Richard and I met through a writing group called The Write Group in Montclair, NJ. We have shared many an adventure with critique groups and workshops along the way.

Richard, can you tell us about yourself?

I like walking on the beach in the moonlight...No, I’m sorry! Wrong frame of reference! Where have I been on my travel through life? I’ve had a number of jobs along the way: actor, musician, stage manager, AV technician, business owner. I’ve got two daughters and four grandchildren. ...and OK, I do like walking on the beach in the moonlight. 

Sounds like you have had lots of experiences to draw from. So tell us, what is Invasion from Fred about?

The main thing that it’s about is the three generations of characters. A grandmother who is a former Flower Power pacifist; a father who’s an investment banker; and a 12-year-old boy trying to figure out what he’s going to do with his life. He’s mirrored by an alien who’s visiting Earth, trying to figure out what to do as an adult. Boy, that all sounds very heavy. This is actually a funny book. 

It is a funny book! And I loved the interaction between the alien and the kids. And the relationship the boy has with his grandmother. What inspired you to write Invasion from Fred?

I wanted to write to young people in a simple, direct way, not preach to them. I wanted to use everyday language. That is, if you include ‘Who’s-On-First-style’ dialogue as everyday talk. 

Have you ever met any aliens? 

Better than that. I’ve been an alien. I’ve also been a mother, a father, several cats, and every character I’ve ever written about. As a writer, you’ve got to know how all of them think. If you’re writing a scene where two people have an argument, you’ve got to argue both sides for them. 

Now that makes for very interesting points of view! Can you describe the genre you write in?

This is a science fiction book. After all, we are getting invaded from a planet called Fred. Its main genre is humor. The sci-fi and the fantasy genres are very good for humor writing. You can have things be totally outlandish and simply explain that’s how things are on that planet.

In the sci-fi genre you have created a whole new world. How did you accomplish that?

You start out asking the question, “What if?” Everything follows from there. What if the planet these aliens in your book came from was a gas giant? I guess they’d have to be made out of gas themselves. What if there were elves, and trolls, and wizards, and humans, and unicorns? I guess there’d be some inter-species arrangements for co-existence. What if an alien came to this planet to decide what to do as an adult? I guess you’d wind up with an invasion from Fred. 

Can you tell us about your writing process? 

There are many writers who carefully outline their books, using 3 x 5 cards, and flow charts, and probably have a form of the outline that’s a PowerPoint presentation. That isn’t me. I usually come up with some overall idea, figure out how things start, then sit down at the computer and start writing. The exciting thing about working that way is that characters will suddenly take the story in a brand new, exciting direction I couldn’t have thought about. 

How long have you been writing?

I started out about a dozen years ago. I was staring at a blank computer screen and decided to fill it with words. 

What about writing do you enjoy most?

I’m enjoying doing something entirely different. Prior to writing, I was a technician. Now that’s changed. It was like washing my brain. 

You have two other adult books as well. Can you describe them?

My second book is the first book in a new series called Dog & Pony. This is Volume I, and it’s called “Aloha.” The Dog & Pony part has to do with the setting for the book. The protagonist has a company that produces corporate presentations, otherwise known as Dog & Pony shows. But the story really involves schemes to take over the worlds, two of them: our own, and the one of the Fair Folk. Harry, the narrator, is a reluctant hero who gets dragged into all sorts of adventures, protesting every step of the way.


And your third book is also a sci-fi humor story. Can you tell us about that?

Yes, Tales from the Starboard Café encourages you to belly up to a bar next to a Spacer in most any location in the galaxy, and you can expect to be plunged into a brawl, or worse. However, you might also find yourself the involuntary audience to a story. The Café holds a yearly storytelling contest, and Spacers love to tell stories. The individual tales in the contest might reveal that strange happenings are stirring the galaxy-wide civilization. These problems might involve that recently-uplifted, disruptive breed known as the Humans; or the vanished Wistrani, the highly advanced founders of the Amalgam? Whatever the stories are about, they promise to be most prankish!

Now that promises to be prankish indeed! Who are your favorite books and authors?

Terry Pratchett, Christopher Moore, Douglas Adams, Jasper Fforde, Tom Holt, Dave Barry, Carl Hiaasen, and Janet Evanovich. 

I think Invasion From Fred is a great addition to the science fiction and humor genres for young readers. Can you offer any advice for aspiring authors? And what advice helped you the most?

Follow your heart--but keep your head in the conversation. 

Wise words. Richard, thanks so much for doing the interview and telling us about your book and writing process.

Richard and his grandchildren reading an Invasion from Fred

You can visit Richard's website here

Invasion From Fred available Amazon and Barnes and Noble