Random Interview Saturday! Katy Huth Jones

DISCLAIMER

The H. L. Burke Random Interview is not like other interviews. The questions are all over the place. They have no purpose. Their purpose is their lack of purpose.

There are nine questions because cats, but these nine questions are subject to change without notice, so the questions one person answers may not be the questions answered by the next author.

With a flutter of wings, Katy Huth Jones descends to share with us her wisdom!

Katy Huth Jones

Author Bio

Katy Huth Jones grew up in a family where creative juices overflowed and made puddles to splash in. She has published ten books (so far), both indie and traditionally published. When not writing, Katy plays piccolo and flute in a regional symphony. She lives with her husband Keith in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. Their two sons, whom she homeschooled, have flown the nest and live creative lives of their own.

The Interview

Write me some Vogon Poetry (for those not in the know, Vogon poetry is so awful you’ll want to rip your ears off and eat them. It’s considered a method of torture in many corners of the galaxy. So give us your worst).

A Love Song by Bertie the Bard

My true love has grown a mustache

as bushy as a bristle brush.

It's like kissing a cactus or a porcupine

'cause she don't want to shave it off.

You receive a contract that allows you to have any pet you want (mythical or real) but in return you have to spend a week AS a pet to a mythical creature of your choice (dragon, giant, sphinx?). Do you take it or do you decline?

I'd contract for a dragon, because, after having chemotherapy twice, I know I can put up with ANYTHING knowing it will only last a week.

If you had to be physically one age for the rest of your life, where would you stop the clock?

I'd stop the clock at age 40, because I still had a LOT of energy and stamina then, but had lived long enough to develop a little wisdom.

You can time travel in an oddly specific way that only allows you to visit other authors. Where do you go and what do you do?

I'd visit Anne McCaffrey at her "Dragonhold" in Ireland in the late 1970's so I could pick her brain about her dragons.

If I were to invite you over, what snacks would you bring, keeping in mind that fruit and dried fruit are not snacks?

I'd bring cheesy popcorn and Dove dark chocolate. And maybe some homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Tree House or Cave? And why?

I've wanted to live in a tree house ever since I first saw Disney's Swiss Family Robinson!

If you could live inside a theme park ride, which would it be?

Since most rides make me sick, I'd have to pick a double-decker carousel, preferably one with a dragon. But horses are fine, too.

You are tasked with eliminating one letter of the alphabet. Which would it be and why?

Z, since it's the least-used letter in the English language, and we could substitute "s" like the British do. The only problem is we'd have to rename the zebra.

If this question were any question in the world, what question would you want it to be and how would you answer it?

Why do you like dragons and birds so much?

Because they're beautiful, and they can FLY! I love flying in airplanes and helicopters, and I would love to be able to ride on a flying dragon (like Valerian does) or a giant eagle (like Leandra does). I write some things for my characters that I wish I could do, too. I guess that's why I've written fantasy since the third grade!

Follow Katy on Amazon

Review: Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm a Super Villain

Please Don't Tell My Parents I'm a Super Villain

By Richard Roberts

Penelope Akk wants to be a superhero. She's got superhero parents. She's got the ultimate mad science power, filling her life with crazy gadgets even she doesn't understand. She has two super-powered best friends. In middle school, the line between good and evil looks clear. 

In real life, nothing is that clear. All it takes is one hero's sidekick picking a fight, and Penny and her friends are labeled supervillains. In the process, Penny learns a hard lesson about villainy: She's good at it. 

Criminal masterminds, heroes in power armor, bottles of dragon blood, alien war drones, shapeshifters and ghosts, no matter what the super powered world throws at her, Penny and her friends come out on top. They have to. If she can keep winning, maybe she can clear her name before her mom and dad find out.

My review

I laughed out loud in several places reading this. It's a unique take on super heroes and the world make sense without being overburdened with explanation and details. Plus the characters are believable.
It misses out on five stars because there was a short portion where I started to get incredibly frustrated with how the characters, especially the main, were sort of passively pulled from one situation to another. I think there was a theme that supervillainy was addictive or that they were out of control, something like that, but for several chapters they just seemed to get pulled or pushed along with me really understanding their  motivations for acting.
However, this slump only lasted for a bit. Not long enough that I was seriously tempted to put it down. Then they managed to get things "back on track" for the climax.

Parental concerns: while there is violence, it's not explicit and there's a suggestion that since the characters have "healing" elements, no one the kids hurt will be down for long.
Some alcohol passed around in front of and offered to the kids, though they turn it down (still seemed odd).
And some mild innuendo mostly dealing with the revealing costumes of certain super-women (not explicit).

Click to purchase on Amazon

ALSO: Remember this is release day for Nyssa Glass and the Cutpurse Kid. If you like YA Steampunk, check out the Nyssa Glass series. 

Book One

Book Two

Book Three

Goodreads Giveaway!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Nyssa Glass and the Cutpurse Kid

by H.L. Burke

Giveaway ends July 27, 2016.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

It's that time again! Time to release another Nyssa Glass novella! You can enter to win a paperback on Goodreads, but if you're not into delayed gratification click here to pre-order the book so it will be delivered to you on release day (August 27th). 

Random Interview Saturday! Bokerah Brumley

DISCLAIMER

The H. L. Burke Random Interview is not like other interviews. The questions are all over the place. They have no purpose. Their purpose is their lack of purpose.

There are nine questions because cats, but these nine questions are subject to change without notice, so the questions one person answers may not be the questions answered by the next author.

There's a wild cry and Bokerah Brumley swings in on a vine, armed with a spear forged in the blood of her enemies and answers to many questions.

Bokerah Brumley

Author Bio

 Bokerah Brumley is a speculative fiction writer making stuff up on a trampoline in West Texas. When she’s not playing with the quirky characters in her head, she’s addicted to Twitter pitch events, writing contests, and social media, in general. With three urban fantasy novella releases scheduled for 2016, Bokerah has too much planned for this year, but is happily doing it anyway. She lives on ten acres with five home-educated children, four peacocks, three dogs, two cats, and one husband. In her imaginary spare time, she also serves as the blue-haired Publicity Officer for the Cisco Writers Club. 

The Interview

Would you rather travel to the past or the future? I would definitely rather travel to the past. I want to know all the everything that I don't know now (how to can things, preserve things, how to make a dollar stretch far enough to survive the depression, how to play an instrument all evening, how to be happy with hours and hours of time in the quiet, etc). It's harder to learn these things now because they aren't a way of life for most of us.
You're the next Disney princess. What fairy tale is your full length movie and how would you use your new ability to control woodland creatures? Mulan. That was my favorite. Also, I really need somebody to sweep my floors and fold/iron laundry. There are seven of us coming in/out of this house. Dirt and crumbs are always visiting. And folding / ironing is one of my least favorite household chores.

Your life is being made into a movie. Who plays you? Who plays your love interest? (or who plays your arch-enemy?) Oh, my. Who plays me? I have always liked Marina Sirtis. I wanted to be Deanna Troi and I had the worst crush on Commander Riker. So, yeah, I guess Jonathan Frakes would play my husband. They're similar in a lot of ways (Riker and my husband). I've got a thing for beards. I don't think I have an arch-enemy... I could be wrong. Check the comments. Perhaps my arch-enemy shall name themselves. ;)

You can time travel in an oddly specific way that only allows you to visit other authors. Where do you go and what do you do? I would take a train ride with Jules Verne, play laser tag with H. G. Wells, and go sailing with Herman Melville. I would chat with all of them about referencing their work in my works. And then maybe have tea with Robert Jordan.It would be lovely to hear them tell me all the experiences that are familiar to all authors (the self doubt, the belief that the current work will never be good enough to show anyone, all those sorts of fun things).

If I were to invite you over, what snacks would you bring, keeping in mind that fruit and dried fruit are not snacks? I would bring gummy things. When I get together with other writerly folks, I want Kombucha, Club Soda,  and gummy things... Like gummy worms, sour patch kids, you name it. I might also want smoked salmon (lox) rolled with black rice in nori sheets.

Tree House or Cave? And why? I read Swiss Family Robinson. I want that tree house with a cave nearby. After all, Wilson the Volleyball was happy and grinning up a storm in that cave while Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) yelled at him. If a cave made Wilson that happy, I figure I need at least one of those. But I want that Robinson tree house with the ostriches and zebras and the tiger pits, too. 

What weather is your writing? A dark and stormy night? A sunshiny day? Occasionally, I get in a dark streak, but usually my work is thunderstorms and tornadoes. I love the dramatics, the upheaval, and the shaking that happens when gritty, real-life events happen to my imaginary friends. In fact, come ti think of it, the weather itself happen a lot in my stories. The sun always peeks out by the end, though. Recently, I ended a novel with a less-than-happy ending, but my main character has to make it through an urban fantasy trilogy. She'll get her sunshine by the end of the series. (:

If you had to build a house without conventional materials, what unconventional materials would you use? (Gingerbread is inadvisable because it attracts snacking children) I would love to have a house built of mud and a roof thatched with peacock feathers. And if mud walls are too conventional, I would be happy enough with bamboo. Otherwise, I could live in a hammock. Weather permitting. That jello house from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs? Maybe that would be my choice. But only if the minions lived in the basement.

If this question were any question in the world, what question would you want it to be and how would you answer it? Q: If a rainbow gave you a hug, what would your breakfast the next morning be? A: Joy with a side of thunderstorms, sprinkled with a whole lotta kid-giggles.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bokerah/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/msbbrumley

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bokerah/

Dogwood Sprocket: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EGR3DPQ

Where the Light May Lead: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EGQAOMW

Fellowship of Fun ABC Character Nominations!!!!

Cover Reveal: FLARE!

Today we're hosting a cover reveal for Rabia Gale's book Flare ... And it's pretty! So pretty!

Thank you so much for having me on your blog today! I'm delighted to reveal the cover for my upcoming release, Flare, Book Two of The Sunless World, an epic fantasy series with a steampunk flavor.

 

Rafe and Isabella are back

The mages of old saved their world, but left it in eternal darkness. Now it’s time to bring back the light. After two years of training his magical gifts, Rafe returns home to a land wracked by war. Desperate states struggle to protect their resources of luminous quartz. Magic pulses and earthquakes devastate a world on the brink of extinction. Rafe's old enemy Karzov has gathered a band of prodigies obedient to his will. He seeks the power of the ancient mages for an audacious and sinister purpose. It's up to Rafe and his ally, Isabella, to stop him—and undo the mistakes of the past to put their world right again.

Flare will be out in September 2016!

The Sunless World series

"Quartz: The Sunless World introduces a rich and credible backdrop to the adventures of her characters, with a deadly political mire underlying the bright colours of high society." - By Rite of Word Reviews

"This story is fast, fascinating and highly recommended." - Amazon.com review

The Sunless World series begins with Quartz (Book One) and Flux (A Sunless World Novel).

About the Author

 

I create weird worlds full of magic and machines, and write characters who are called on to be heroes. I'm fascinated by light and darkness, transformation, and things that fly. Giant squid and space dragons appear in my work—you have been warned! A native of Pakistan, I now reside in Northern Virginia, where I read, write, doodle, avoid housework, and homeschool my children. Find me online at: Website: http://www.rabiagale.com Newsletter: http://www.rabiagale.com/thank-you/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rabiagalewriter Twitter: https://twitter.com/rabiagale

Random Interview Saturday! D.W. Frauenfelder

DISCLAIMER

The H. L. Burke Random Interview is not like other interviews. The questions are all over the place. They have no purpose. Their purpose is their lack of purpose.

There are nine questions because cats, but these nine questions are subject to change without notice, so the questions one person answers may not be the questions answered by the next author.

Coming this summer to a theater near you, the epic story of ... D. W. Fraunfelder.

D. W. Frauenfelder

Author Bio

D.W. Frauenfelder began writing stories at the tender age of very young and his first novel was the critically-acclaimed (by his teacher) "Dawe and the Typhoon," about a boy from the South Pacific who has to shift for himself when his family is wiped out by a storm. Recently, Frauenfelder realized that "Dawe and the Typhoon" was probably written in imitation of the Newberry Award-winning novel "Call It Courage" by Armstrong Sperry, though he has no recollection of reading this book. Frauenfelder has followed up this homage by writing novels inspired by such diverse influences as P.D. Eastman (author of Go Dog Go), Else Holmelund Minarik (author of the Little Bear series), Ursula LeGuin (author of the Earthsea Trilogy), Homer (author of the Iliad and the Odyssey), and Hergé (author of the Tintin graphic novels). He lives in North Carolina with his family and pet pygmy hippopotamus, Etwart.

The Interview

If your favorite historical era had an ice cream flavor made in its honor, what would it taste like?

My favorite historical era is the Edwardian, from about 1901-1914, and the ice cream flavor I would choose is Swiss Orange Chip, which is an exclusive flavor of Swenson's, originally a San Francisco (my home town) ice cream parlor. I choose Swiss Orange Chip because it is a unique flavor that melds chocolate and orange and adds chocolate chunks, and the Edwardian era was a unique era as well. Swiss Orange Chip is a rich, unforgettable experience, and that's how I think I'd feel if I lived back in the early 20th century too. The only major difference between the Edwardian Era and Swiss Orange Chip ice cream is that you cannot get Scarlet Fever from Swiss Orange Chip ice cream. Not normally, anyway.

If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?

I would be a traveling storyteller and fantasy mapmaker for children. I would come into classrooms, tell stories, create custom maps for them, and then teach them how to make fantasy world maps, and they would all send me photos of their maps once they'd finished them, and I would maintain an Instagram page where all the maps would be stored and a huge bank of fan fiction would grow up around the maps and the stories I would tell and the stories the children would tell as an accompaniment to their maps. And I would get a MacArthur genius grant and donate it to literacy programs so that more people could read and write books. And as long as we're fantasizing, Princess Diana would be still alive and she would invite me to lunch.

Describe your life as a film genre.

My life is definitely a screwball comedy. Full of dumb slapstick humor, bad puns, and a story arc that doesn't make sense at most points in the movie, but with a true blue heart. Destined to be a cult classic for all total goofballs.

Fill in the blanks. I am a were____ but I only turn when the ___ is ___.

I am a werelifeoftheparty but I only turn when the party is awkward and needs someone to be charming and sparkly. Grrahhhhh!

During an alien invasion, what would be your weapon of choice?

Give me a Browning semi-automatic 1919A4 with crankfire. A lovely machine gun first used around the Edwardian Era, it would be ideal for making sure those pesky aliens got filled with hot lead. Now of course if the aliens were friendly, the weapon of choice would be a French chocolate cake with raspberry filling. Those aliens would need to see what good hosts we can be, and there is nothing more lethal to skepticism about hospitality than a warm French chocolate cake with raspberry filling.

If you could combine any two animals to make a hybrid, what would they be?

I love Napoleon Dynamite's liger. There's nothing better that's ever been sketched on a sheet of college-ruled paper that's bred for its skills in magic.

Vs movies seem to be all the rage. If you had to put one together, what on screen match up would you like to see?

I would like to see a movie called C.S. Lewis v The Legions of Hell. He would have this enormous two-handed sword and dispatch his adversaries while quoting from The Screwtape Letters. 

You have superpowers. What are they and what do you do with them?

 The only superpower I would ever need would be the power to turn away the wroth of my wedded wife when I have, in her opinion, done something completely thoughtless. That power would be so awesome, so immense and crackly with lightning bolt electricity that nothing else could stand in my path.

If this question were any question in the world, what question would you want it to be and how would you answer it?

The question would be, "What you are about to do is embark on an adventure. It will be frightening at times, furious fun at others, but never boring. Do you accept the challenge?" And I would say yes. 

Main site: http://www.breakfastwithpandora.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6801887.D_W_Frauenfelder

Twitter: @truenorthwrite

Amazon for The Master Mage of Rome series: https://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Mage-novel-Ancient-Master-ebook/dp/B00NJVZ9SK

Amazon for The Borschland Hockey Chronicles series: https://www.amazon.com/Skater-Strange-Borschland-Hockey-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00A1QFSKU

Review: Circumnavigation of Shatterworld

Amazon

Circumnavigation of Shatterworld

Lelia Rose Foreman

Redemptive Fiction Award of Excellence winner 

When sixteen-year-old Rejoice returns from her mission in space, she discovers her boyfriend is only a friend. She flees the pain by volunteering to join her family in a year-long sea voyage around New Earth. Too bad the creepiest boy in the colony also volunteers. In their search for surviving native species, they encounter storms, monsters big and small, and a new threat to the fragile peace between human and alien. 

My Review

In this character-driven and thought provoking follow up to Shatterworld, both the story and the characters have matured. The world building is well-crafted, leaving you with a completely foreign but believable landscape, and the characters … they are so real as to sometimes be frustrating. At times lovable, at times making me want to shout at them with the heroine. I struggled along with Rejoice to know exactly what I felt about everyone present, as my feelings changed with the revelations and the growth of both Rejoice and her companions. Everything builds to a dramatic revelation that both satisfied and left it open for a potentially dramatic sequel.

I received a free copy in return for my honest review. 

Click the image to purchase on Amazon

Preorder Nyssa Glass and the Cutpurse Kid!!!

Available August 3rd

Nyssa Glass and the Cutpurse Kid

This is the third entry in my Nyssa Glass novella series. I'm doing kind of an odd little thing with these books. While they are all Steampunk with the same characters, each is an homage to a different subgenre.

Nyssa Glass and the House of Mirrors takes inspiration from old school horror, not the modern gore fests, but classics like Frankenstein and tales of creepy abandoned mansions with skeletons (sometimes literally) in the closets. 

Nyssa Glass and the Juliet Dilemma owes more to classic mysteries, like Murder on the Orient Express or even Clue. A crime has possibly been committed in an enclosed environment. Nyssa must work out who to trust in order to get out alive. 

Well, Nyssa Glass and the Cutpurse Kid is more Victorian melodrama. I jokingly describe it as Oliver Twist if handled by Tim Burton. Nyssa struggles to overcome her criminal past which is brought once again to the forefront by her abusive former guardian, Uncle Al. When a young pickpocket is thrown into the mix, Nyssa finds herself mentoring the boy, but Uncle Al lurks like a spider in the corner, waiting to strike. He won't let Nyssa escape his web so easily. 

The Blurb

Like clockwork, the past always comes back around. 
When larceny is the family business, it's hard to make a clean break. Reformed cat-burglar Nyssa Glass has finally gotten her life back together. She has her own electrical repair shop, a boyfriend who adores her, and for once, no one is trying to have her arrested. When the shop door rings, though, a man she hoped to never see again threatens to ruin everything. 

Uncle Albert forced her into a life of crime and now he's convinced she owes him for her success. Nyssa would rather die than give her uncle a penny. But with her reputation on the line and a thieving orphan in the mix she finds herself stuck between the gears. Will Nyssa free herself from the clutches of the past or is everything she’s worked for going up in smoke?

Pre-Order NOW on Amazon! 

Random Interview Saturday! A. J. Bakke

DISCLAIMER

The H. L. Burke Random Interview is not like other interviews. The questions are all over the place. They have no purpose. Their purpose is their lack of purpose.

There are nine questions because cats, but these nine questions are subject to change without notice, so the questions one person answers may not be the questions answered by the next author.

Today's guest rides in on a sleigh pulled by cats. The cute and awesome is overwhelming. Welcome, A. J. Bakke!!!

A J Bakke

Author Bio

A. J. Bakke works as a Companion Home Provider for an individual with autism. She is owned by six cats which can be terribly exhausting answering to so many whims. She enjoys horseback riding and playing Guild Wars 2 in her free time. She writes every morning with cats piled on her lap and a large mug of coffee nearby. She writes humorous fantasy adventure. Her Worlds Akilter series is fun for the whole family! The Hidden Level Trifect is for ages 13 and up, especially entertaining to those who like video games.

The Interview

Congratulations! You are now president of this blog post. What's your first executive order? Bring me a latte, stat! Sum up your life in five words and two punctuation marks. The more cats the better!! You can rescue a fictional character from certain death or resurrect them to live again. Who do you save? Alternately, is there a fictional character deserving of death who you would like to destroy? Tybalt in Guild Wars 2. I'd prefer to resurrect him into the real world. Then I would have a really BIG cat with a great sense of humor around the house. I can't think of anyone off hand. Most shows and books I watch/read, eventually, the bad guy gets their due. On a scale of 1 to 10, what do you think your chances are of surviving the zombie invasion? Why bother surviving it if I can lead it?! Trying to survive would be too stressful. I figure I'll get bit near the beginning, get it done and over with and lead the chase! You find a talking animal. What sort of animal is it and what’s the first thing you do? Knowing me, it would be a cat, but I would prefer it to be a horse. Then we can easily communicate the best strategy to keep me from falling off. As you can see, Tannim scoffs at that idea.

What’s the most important lesson you ever learned from a cartoon? Let's get dangerous! From Darkwing Duck. Okay, maybe not the wisest plan of action. If you were the captain of a space ship, what would its mission be? Exploration? Colonization? Partying? Exploration! Especially of beautiful, mysterious places that are preferably devoid of human-eating plants and wildlife. If you had to get stuck inside a television show, what would it be? My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. If I'm gonna be stuck in a TV show, I want it to be a tame one with lots of hilarity and happy endings. And, I wanna be a pegasus. 😊 If this question were any question in the world, what question would you want it to be and how would you answer it? Would you want to live in a big city or out in the country? The country. I love being surrounded by nature. I could spend hours upon hours wandering fields and forests if given the opportunity. I do appreciate the many interesting people and shiny things in a big city, but I would only want to visit.

Connect with A J!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/headintheskyhalfatoeinreality/

Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/A.-J.-Bakke/e/B00J73E1AQ

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sparrowchild

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a.j.bakke/

Review: The Wrong Enemy

The Wrong Enemy

The Wrong Enemy

Jane Lebak

No one knows why Tabris, a guardian angel, killed the child he vowed to protect. The boy Sebastian got into Heaven, but the angels don't understand why Tabris isn't in Hell. Instead God's given him a second chance. 

Another assignment. Another guardianship. 

Although he struggles to help this new child, a ten-year-old girl named Elizabeth, Tabris can't escape what he did with Sebastian. Elizabeth's co-guardian doesn't trust him at all, which makes sense because even Tabris doesn't trust himself. Everywhere he goes, the angels all know what he's done, and the only angel who seems to want him is a friend from long ago, now a demon. 

Shame and guilt follow Tabris like a shadow, but it's only the memory of the dead boy, and even though Sebastian still needs him, Tabris cannot face him. After what he's done, there's no way he can make it right. But his bright spirit is growing darker, and the other angels have realized that if Tabris can't accept the mercy he's been given, then he's going to fall forever 

My Review

Though I've been a Christian since childhood, I've mostly avoided the Christian book sections since high school. I just got tired of stories that were safe, trite, or predictable. The Wrong Enemy is, thankfully, none of those things. This book was a breath of fresh air, or maybe of grace, with constant driving tension as various characters search for a motive (was it justified? Is that why the angel has been forgiven? Is there something darker at play?).
The angels manage to have unique characteristics, even ones that might be perceived as faults (but what is a fault if not a positive trait taken too far or ill-used?). I really enjoyed this book. 

Random Interview Saturday! Vincent Trigili

DISCLAIMER

The H. L. Burke Random Interview is not like other interviews. The questions are all over the place. They have no purpose. Their purpose is their lack of purpose.

There are nine questions because cats, but these nine questions are subject to change without notice, so the questions one person answers may not be the questions answered by the next author.

Today we have Vincent Trigili, who has trekked from afar to regale us with his tales of wonder!

Vincent Trigili

Author Bio

Vincent, father and husband of nearly two decades, holds degrees in both Math and Computer Science. In addition, he has published an astronomy journal, numerous articles, poetry and other works.
He got his start in writing fiction as a small child, losing himself in the worlds he dreamed up in order to escape the doldrums of normal life. Now, using his formal education and extensive career experience, he excels in creating fictional worlds of depth and rich fantasy, while maintaining a foundation of reality based on science and technology. 

His Lost Tales of Power series is a clean Space Opera that one reviewer called "Harry Potter mixed with Rambo"  is similar to Star Wars with a much stronger fantasy element. 

His The Dragon Masters series follows the life of Silverleaf, a dragonmaster who was born into a world without dragons, and doomed to die as a madman alone in the wilderness until a young woman enters his life, and a mysterious army marches across the land destroying all in its path. 

The Interview

Congratulations! You are now president of this blog post. What's your first executive order?
And end to daylight savings time. All clocks are returned to reading the actual time of day as per the permanent astronomical clock in the sky. Anyone caught violating this order will be forced to listen to Vogon poetry all the days of their lives.

Describe your life as a film genre. Probably an Action -> Comedy -> Crime ->Thriller -> Feel Good Movie.

Tree House or Cave? And why?
Having grown up on the coast where hurricanes routinely show trees how weak they are, a cave. Besides, with a cave, you can draw on all the walls! No to mention you can tunnel down to an underground river for a swim, and have vampire bats for guards.

During an alien invasion, what would be your weapon of choice? 
Well duh! Did you not see Independence day? A Mac Book computer, obviously!

On a scale of 1 to 10, what do you think your chances are of surviving the zombie invasion? 
Pretty darn good. At least an 11 or 12. See, I know this because all of those Facebook quizzes about who will survive a horror movie say that I am the lone survivor. Given that they are highly accurate and trustworthy, I feel sure I will be fine in any such scenario.

If you could combine any two animals to make a hybrid, what would they be? 
It would have to be something plus a tardigrade. Maybe a peregrine falcon and tardigrade! Think about it. The fastest animal alive, and the toughest combine forces. Man, I think I want to be one. Would make Iron Man look like Paper Boy. :)

What’s the most important lesson you ever learned from a cartoon? Zen Pencils did a take on Bill Watterson's advice that basically says - Do not let your job define your life, find your own meaning. The cartoon talks about taking other jobs so that you can build up to the career, the life you really want. I think there is a lot there in for all of us. You can either work a job you hate all day long and have no emotional energy left to give your family and your night, or you can choose a career that allows you to enjoy life. That is second only to watching out for falling anvils. Man, those things can come out of nowhere!

If you were the captain of a space ship, what would its mission be? Exploration? Colonization? Partying? Exploration. Probably too serious of an answer for your interview, but as an amateur astronomer, I have seen many beautiful sites from afar. I would love to visit them. I want to see the star nurseries and where planets are born. I want to race a comet around a supernova. But, I will have to settle for just writing about them for now...

If this question were any question in the world, what question would you want it to be and how would you answer it?
What advice would you give to a new author coming up? - Persistence over skill, every time. Start small, pick small goals, and achieve them. Then go a little bigger. Then a little bigger. Keep feeding the next step with the out of the prior step. Forget flash in the pan success and think multi-year or longer. But mainly, persistence over skill, every time.

Connect with Vincent on...

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorVincent

Website: http://www.losttalesofpower.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/VincentTrigili