Interview with author of I Am God

Today we're talking with the author of I Am God


FQ: You speak a great deal about the issues that are facing the world today and the frightening realities of prejudice, anger, and war; do you believe that perhaps the U.S will fall the way the original Rome did? Or do you still believe that Mankind can be saved?


Mankind is saved. All that remains is for each person to realize this inviolable fact and through love for and of God achieve their own personal salvation. I do not know if the U.S. will fall the way Rome did but the fate of any country or empire is ultimately immaterial because God's grace cannot fall or fail. My best guess is that the rest of the globe will rise and that will mean America comes to no longer retain its protagonist role upon the world stage. More importantly I believe that international borders will become more and more irrelevant such that history itself moves past nation-states as the world's primary actors.

FQ: There are many true “believers” in the world regarding the life and times of Jesus Christ as they are written. You do acknowledge that some may be offended by this book, and that if they are they’ve “clearly made up your own conception of me that is in total disregard of any and all historical evidence.” (page 363). Would you label this then as a type of “correction” to the accepted doctrine?


The work never states that if people are offended by the book then they have "clearly made up your own conception of me that is in total disregard of any and all historical evidence." That line was used solely to note that Jesus Chris'?s preaching is well recorded in the gospels as having gotten people and powers upset at him and if you don't believe that to be so (because who wouldn't love what Jesus has to say!) you are effectively denying he was ever crucified. Basically the paragraph that line finds itself within states that if you do not think people ever got upset at what Jesus Christ said in ancient Judea how do you explain the fact that the First Coming ended upon a Roman cross. Offense to this book is not dismissed as unfounded but entirely expected and natural. I fully and completely acknowledge the fact that the greatest -if not overwhelming- majority of initial readers will be greatly offended by the work. Addressing whether the work is a "correction" to accepted doctrine the answer is a definite no. Speaking generally I do not think that the beliefs people have of Christ and the doctrine that has sprung forth from them are incorrect. The broad perception of Jesus Christ is entirely accurate and this work is not an attempt to alter it. It is not to be altered but it is capable of being added upon and this work does exactly that. Truth does not cancel truth and this work was only created to provide more of it for people to more clearly see the most important truth that is the reality of God's love for them.

FQ: On that same note, there is a strong belief that the Second Coming is when the Lord comes back as the King of Kings and not a child once again. In your writings, you begin as a child in this particular time period. Any comments on this?

That is just not the way the Second Coming has unfolded. I think the reason why is that such an alternate reality would be too dramatic. By that I mean it would call for the 'End of Times' or some epic sundering. One of the great purposes of the work is to note that things are good and getting better. God does not need to descent down upon the world riding within a chariot of thunder while swinging lightning bolts because God is already fully immanent with the world and continually directing the universe towards its ultimate destiny. A reality of Christ reigning mightily as the 'King of Kings' would take away from the truth that the life of Jesus Christ is solely to demonstrate and exhibit God's selfless love for Mankind. Christ's life ultimately exists not to reign but to serve.

FQ: You break many of the “rules” in this book as far as swearing, and speaking about some illicit romantic desires. You also use the word hate…don’t you believe that perhaps this will also call into question your adamant label of Christ?

I think there is only the one swear written in the book that is an independent offering. That is to say there are swear words in the work but only once are they not a repeat of what others have said or written.
So for the vast majority of instances they are included in the book in reflection and discussion of the world. As such the argument that regardless they should be censored because they are unholy words would be like arguing because murder is an unholy act the Bible cannot properly include any instance of it. This thinking would demand that Cain's crime must be struck from the Biblical record. As to the one independent offering it is present because it was present. It too is an honest repeat; if of a different sort. I thought long and hard about it but decided the scale was weighted towards its inclusion as an emotional
marker. Rules are not made to be broken but they are made to serve and guide people and not reign utterly independent above them as disconnected ideals in and of themselves. There is a 'rule' against lying but as the book states I would have no problem lying to misdirect a murderer and save an innocent child's life in consequence. I do not believe in categorical imperatives reigning above human realities and my personal reality does not lie utterly dependent upon me never saying fudge in substitute for its more well known four letter counterpart just as not grabbing a few stalks of grain and violating the Sabbath was alleged to once do the same. The romantic desires were not truly illicit but merely present and that is a problem because Jesus is not normally presented as having them. While the existence of swears and sexual desire merely show that even Jesus is a man in the real world the inclusion of the word 'hate' is done for precisely the opposite purpose and its use is so abundant in the work for the express purpose of asserting a divine truth. It is precisely because of God's perfect love for Mankind that I spout so often about my utter hate for the Serpent.

FQ: You say you are non-confrontational yet there are parts of the book that speak about war and you seem almost…elated that the losers were eradicated? Could you comment?


War is a vile scourge that afflicts Mankind but that doesn't mean all war has been sinful and God has always been indifferent to the outcome of Man's carnage. God is well recorded in the Bible as ordering the Israelites into battle and to slaughter even the children of the young tribe's enemies. This is a very complex question that the work attempts to deal with in some detail but I can say that when good and evil have met on the battlefield and good and God have emerged triumphant it is a happy historical picture for me.

I am elated that the Israelites were not wiped out and the truth of God's existence erased.

I am elated that a great Christian conquest ended the abhorrent practice of human sacrifice.

I am elated that the Axis powers were utterly defeated in the world's worst and most encompassing war and as a result Europe is no longer under Nazi rule and massive human gas chambers exist only as museums. I have no problem with these feelings even though I have such utter enmity for war itself that seeking its end is a primary focus of the work. And I am not ethically or theologically non-confrontational in the slightest.

FQ: You have seen “Heaven & Hell" – the worst and best of humanity. Is there anything you regret from this journey? Or something you would change?


I don't know how the possibility of regret can be applied to my experience that night. It just happened and to erase it as having happened would be to erase who I am. While such a change in my past is not possible I wish I were more skilled with my words in the present so that I could more powerfully explain myself such that everyone could more clearly see my story as the story of divine love it truly exists as.

To learn more about I Am God please visit our website and read the review at: Feathered Quill Book Reviews.

Travel Writers and Publisher are in the Crosshairs of Hawaii Legislature

This came from a publisher that Feathered Quill has worked with in the past (Five Star Publications).  They are trying to get word out about what is happening in Hawaii with travel writers/publishers.

– you may or may not wish to write any of the Hawaiian legislatures – or just the governor – or send press releases. The legislature deals with this Monday: HB 548. So if you or any of your authors are concerned about this and the precedent it sets you would need to respond with your politicking ASAP. This could easily become law in other states if this is pushed through. 

If one of your authors mentions a site, location, event, beach, etc in Hawaii (or possibly other states)– someone reads about it and decides to visit it and for some reason that person has to access private property (by mistake or otherwise) and gets hurt --- the property owner is not liable – the PUBLISHER is! At the very end is what I wrote everyone on the lists below: 

Travel Writers and Publisher are in the Crosshairs of Hawaii Legislature 

Hawaii is trying to revise their statutes to make all publishers open to liability if their readers get hurt or killed. Here are the bills:

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2011/lists/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=552

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2011/lists/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=548

Background:

There are people in Hawaii who resent tourists being in places "they don't belong." To some, this means anywhere other than by their resort pool or on Waikiki Beach. A bill has been introduced and is being rushed through the legislature that would open publishers to liability if a reader got hurt on private land and the publication "encouraged trespassing." It sounds so reasonable. They say it's to shift liability away from private landowners if someone uninvited gets hurt on their land and was "encouraged to trespass" by an irresponsible guidebook, web site, magazine article, Twitter, blog or any other form of publishing. But that's a red herring because Hawaii Revised Statues section 520 already protects private landowners. In reality, this bill is aimed squarely at the publishing industry.

 The way this bill is written, every guidebook to Hawaii encourages trespassing, even if they don't know it.  Here's an example:

 

On Maui, every publication, even the Hawaii Visitors Bureau, encourages people to visit Honolua Bay. It's incredibly popular. Most people assume it's a beach park. In fact, most of the surrounding land is privately owned by billionaire Steve Case. Case permits public access, always has. But inside his giant parcel are smaller parcels (called kuleana parcels) and their owners don't want anyone there. They post NO TRESPASSING signs that everyone simply ignores, because no one actually walks through their tiny kuleana parcels to get to the beach. But this law means that by sending a reader to this location, even though the landowner allows access, if someone gets hurt they can sue the publisher because someone (not even the landowner who controls the land) posted a sign. There are literally countless places like this with complicated access issues that few writers or publishers would even know about. But they would now be liable for injuries or deaths.

 Also, even if publishers stopped doing any publications for Hawaii altogether as a result, it wouldn't matter. Someone could have a five year old publication, go to a place, "trespass," and sue the publisher for injuries the way the bill is currently written.

Lastly, even if a publisher never even mentions a place, they could still be liable. Many publishers have blogs and other means for their readers to express their thoughts to the publisher and each other. If these thoughts are on their web site, they are "publishing" according to this bill and therefore liable. This law would open the floodgates to limitless litigation for publishers who, until now, have been protected by the first amendment. It would effectively kill the travel publishing industry to Hawaii.

 

This bill was introduced by James Tokioka. If you want to give him your thoughts, here is his contact information.

James Kunane Tokioka

phone: 808-586-6270

fax: 808-586-6271

reptokioka@Capitol.hawaii.gov 

Below is the link to the contact info for every member of the house:

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2011/members/house/housemembers.aspx

 Here is the senate:

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2011/members/senate/senatemembers.aspx

 The Governor:

http://hawaii.gov/gov

  

What Cass Foster wrote ALL of the above:

Aloha,

 

My name is Cass Foster and I'm a recently retired theatre professor who moved to Kauai from Arizona. My wife and I are unquestionably one of the most fortunate couples on this planet. We could not be happier with Hawaii and Kauai specifically.

I would like our situation to remain that way so I’m seeking your assistance. This is in reference to the legislative matter of HBs 548 and 552 – where if (552 – to paraphrase:) the reader trespasses onto private property to access an attraction that the publisher (not the land owner) will be held liable for injuries sustained by the reader on the private property. And at the same time 548 would exempt the property owners from liability should they be in any way negligent. And unless I'm mistaken,  Hawaii Revised Statues section 520 already provides protection to private landowners.

 

I am in the midst of writing a 90-minute comedy about the history of Hawaii. The play will include references to sites and locations on many of the Islands that could easily result in the readers visiting these places - since it is the intention of increasing tourism to Hawaii and showing off our great state.

All published works related to Hawaii would need to be revisited and all future publishing plans could be terminated if they have anything to do with writing or photography or possible film work about Hawaii. This has the potential to be a staggering economic nightmare to Hawaiians overall.

But worse, and I speak quite selfishly, my script can in no way be published or staged. Three actors portray nearly 60 characters telling the past 1500 years of Hawaii's history in a way that is informative and (we can only hope) endless laughter. This legislation will prevent this or anything related from being published, staged or aired. This is truly Big Brother in 2011 leading the charge in censorship.

 

If those of you who introduced the bill are rightfully concerned about protecting land owners from lack of control over a publisher or author possibly sending someone to their property that eventually gets hurt please revisit Hawaii Revised Statues section 520 protecting private landowners.

I hope the newly elected governor and the entire legislative body will be cautious about any influence to legislate in a manner that prevents or fears a free and open discourse to air and explore all perspectives. I have no doubt good thought has already gone into this matter. I'm just suggesting too little has been made public to believe.

I thank you for your time and look forward to your assistance.

Cass Foster

Kauai

Author Interview with Christine Sunderland

Today we're talking with Christine Sunderland, author of Hana-lani


FQ: You obviously know and love Hawaii. What is your connection with Maui?


I have had the opportunity to visit Hana, Maui and other locations in Hawaii many times over the last twenty years, and have been impressed with the welcoming spirit of the people, their sense of family, history, and faith I have found there.


FQ: Nani-lei is such a warm and inspiring character. Is she based on someone you are lucky enough to know?


Nani-lei is a blend of many elderly women I have been so very fortunate to know, primarily, I would add, in my church life. These women have given me so much and I continue to learn from these generations that go before me.

Flying to Hana

FQ: Meredith's experience at Hana-lani causes her to think about what truly matters in life. What is at the top of your list?


I would say family, faith, church, and making every day count, searching for what is true and not merely fashionable or politically correct.


FQ: Meredith's story is too familiar these days. In what ways can all of us be like Nani-lei and her family, bringing hope to those who, like Meredith, are alone?


I think we can all slow down and take the time to listen to and love one another. We begin with our family members – husband, wife, children. Then we consider friends and those who cross our path day to day. Every person is worthy of respect and love, and the gift of time, of paying attention, is probably the greatest gift to those alone. Of course giving one's time means sacrificing one's own time, being a little less selfish, a little more self-less.

Hana Bay

FQ: Henry and Maria's project, A History of Ethics, seems to be a topic you have thought much about. Is this a side project of yours?

Wananalua Congregational Church

I have long been concerned about how we decide what is right and wrong. With the demise of the Judeo-Christian ethical influence in the public square, our culture has been hard pressed to determine what authorities to use to decide right and wrong. Abortion, stem cell research, euthanasia, cloning, the definition of marriage, are questions of serious moral impact for many of us, as well as the boundaries of free speech and the parameters of artistic expression.

Fagan's Cross, Hana

FQ: Do you share Henry's love of poetry? Which poets, along with T.S. Eliot, do you admire?


I love the poetic more than poetry itself – the phrase or metaphor that catches some otherwise indescribable truth about our humanity. I admire greatly Gerald Manley Hopkins, Shakespeare, Elizabeth Browning, among others. The Psalms are wonderful expressions of man's yearnings and angst as well as joyful and thankful moments. Poetry helps express who we are, gives us voice. My sister Barbara Budrovich is developing into a fine poet, catching unique family moments we experience as women and mothers.


FQ: Without giving away the ending of the book, I will say that it was not the “happily ever after” ending I was expecting. Did you know as you were writing the novel that it would end this way?

Hasegawa General Store, Hana

I knew it would have to end with a degree of realism, since I didn't want to write a "romance." I wasn't sure about the specifics, but the ending became clear as the characters became more real, and I soon knew what they would do, even what they needed to do, to reflect the themes of the novel. So I wanted the ending to be both challenging and yet hopeful.

To learn more about Hana-lani please visit our website and read the review at: Feathered Quill Book Reviews.

Friday Finds

Friday Finds is hosted

by Should Be Reading

Life with Ben: A Story of Friendship and Feathers College was supposed to be a time of excitement and freedom. For one young woman, however, it became the source of entrapment when her anxiety disorder spiraled out of control and threatened to end her life. Desperate for a way out, she turned to an unusual place for help and ended up discovering the one thing that would allow her to find happiness...a parrot named Ben. Through the challenges and laughter of living with a parrot, Jessica found a way to live life once again.


The Passover Zoo Seder How would the animals celebrate their Seder? There's mayhem at the zoo when not a single animal can find a Haggadah that isn't too worn to read. Then, Shari Elephant remembers the ceremony and soon each animal has its own role in the Pesach celebration. This fanciful and funny Passover verse invites all to share a tongue-twister, chant the Dah-yaynoo with Horsey, steal the Afikoman with a Baboon, and end the meal with Lion's Ma-Roar.


Quick Fall of Light Quick Fall of Light is a novel of a bird flu pandemic, a woman and an "extinct" bird who are caught in its deadly approach, and the extraordinary relationship between them. The bird in the story is America's passenger pigeon, historically extinct for almost 100 years. Yet, in Quick Fall, a colony has been harbored safely and secretly for many years in the Olympic Rain Forest of Washington State. It is here where the story begins, and the mystery of the bird's survival becomes the key to saving mankind. I've been told the premise is profound and moving with advance praise from writers and naturalists, including Sy Montgomery, Jeffrey Masson, and Rachel Carson's biographer, Linda Lear. Highly recommended for readers who've considered the probabilities of a biotechnical disaster up against the unpredictable turns of nature--this time a spellbinding bird. I hope you find it an interesting, inspiring read.


The Long Tail from SmarterComics Based on the The NY Times bestseller and Winner of the Gerald Loeb Award (Best Business Book of the Year), The Long Tail from SmarterComics is the Graphic version of the most important business book since The Tipping Point. Anderson shows how the future of commerce and culture isn't in the high-volume head of a traditional demand curve, but in what used to be regarded as misses--the endlessly long tail of that same curve.


Mi Barrio from SmarterComics Don't let where you came from dictate who you are, but let it be part of who you become. Successful entrepreneur Robert Renteria grew up sleeping in a dresser drawer. This hard-hitting comic memoir traces Robert's life from a childhood of poverty and abuse in one of the poorest areas of East Los Angeles, to his emergence as a business owner and civic leader today.


Shut Up, Stop Whining & Get a Life from SmarterComics: A Kick-Butt Approach to a Better Life This book forces all responsibility for every aspect of your life right where it belongs-on you. Internationally renowned success philosopher, business speaker, humorist, and NYT and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Larry Winget won't let you escape to the excuses that we all find comforting. Larry attacks the importance of a positive attitude, the sanctity of marriage, sex, religion, fitness, friendship, money, stress, and happiness.


How to Master the Art of Selling from SmarterComics After failing during the first six months of his career in sales, Tom Hopkins discovered and applied the very best sales techniques, then earned more than one million dollars in just three years. What turned Tom Hopkins around? The answers are revealed in How to Master the Art of Selling from SmarterComics, as Tom explains to readers what the profession of selling is really about and how to succeed beyond their imagination!

100 Books in 2011

I've just added a button to our blog that links to a reading challenge for 2011.  We're all big readers here so come on and join in the challenge.  Just click the button and you'll land on the site that has all the details.  Enjoy!

Author Interview with Gareth Crocker

Today we're talking with Gareth Crocker, author of Finding Jack


(Note: All photos reproduced courtesy of the U.S National Archives)




FQ: You mention getting the idea for Finding Jack while visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. What originally brought you to the memorial?

I was visiting the memorial during time off from a writing seminar and was crouched down on my haunches when a Vietnam veteran, dressed in full military gear, pulled up alongside me. After a few emotional minutes he saluted, reached into his jacket, and withdrew an old dog harness which he placed against the foot of the wall. As he began to walk away, my curiosity got the better of me and I asked him about the harness. He explained that he had been a dog handler during the war and that his dog had saved not only his life, but those of his entire platoon on no less than three occasions. He told me that not a week passes that he doesn't think of his loyal and brave friend and what became of him. When I asked what he meant by that, he told me the harrowing story of the Vietnam War dogs. He described how, at the end of the war, the government declared the dogs 'surplus military equipment' and ordered that they remain behind in Vietnam. It was simply costing too much to repatriate them. Some of the dogs were handed over to the South Vietnamese, but most were left to fates unknown. Many would have succumbed to hunger and disease while others would have no doubt been captured for food. It is widely estimated that the dogs (approximately 4000) saved the lives of more than 10,000 US and Allied troops. Yet barely 200 of these K-9 soldiers ever made it home. Unfortunately, and regrettably, I never asked the man's name. His account, however, and the Vietnam Memorial became my inspiration. Finding Jack is a simple and pure story about one man's love for his dog and his refusal to abandon him in Vietnam. It's also a metaphor for the healing powers of hope and that no matter how lost we become in this world, we can almost always find our way back to the light.

FQ: What sort of reactions did you get from friends when you mentioned your desire to write a tribute to these wonderful dogs?

To be honest, I kept it largely to myself. Until I was sure I had done a reasonably fair job of it, I didn't want anyone to know. Fortunately, friends who have since read the book have been very kind in their feedback to me. But friends are like that, aren't they? They'll seldom give you a completely honest response. I much prefer the feedback I get from general readers.

FQ: What sort of research went into writing this book? Did you meet/interview any vets who had worked with dogs during the Vietnam War?

Together with my father, we spent months doing typical academic research before we approached formal institutions and soldiers for more personal accounts of the war. I've tried my utmost to create an authentic Vietnam but, if I'm honest, what was more important to me was understanding the emotional bonds that existed between the soldiers and their dogs. I dedicated many weeks to this, downloading stories from War Dogs sites and interviewing as many dog handlers as possible. As a South African, born only in the mid-seventies, I tried to be as 'respectful' as possible in dealing with the facts and emotions surrounding the conflict. I tried also to be as non-judgmental as I could when it came to the decisions that ultimately
sealed the fate of the Vietnam War Dogs. That was very important to me. It was not my war. I was not there. Who am I, a voice kept telling me, to point fingers?

FQ: While reading about war dogs in the book, we learn that German Shepherds were the most commonly used breed during the War. Why then did you decide to make Jack a Yellow Labrador? 

Well, partly because there were many Labs working in the war, but mainly because the 'Jack' in the novel, is the same yellow Lab that lay at my feet every night as I wrote the book. I own two Labradors - or they own me, I'm not terribly sure on that point - and they are simply proof that there must be a God somewhere, probably with his own Labrador at his feet. They are remarkable animals and I adore them. Sadly, Jack is 11 now and starting to struggle with his joints. I cannot tell you what that is doing to me. To know that Jack's clock is running out is almost unthinkable. I'm doing everything medically possible to try and keep him comfortable, but I can hear the clock ticking in me head. It's murder. Plain and simple.

FQ: There are some very powerful (and realistic) scenes of searching out the enemy in the jungles of Vietnam in Finding Jack. Were these scenes a product of your imagination or were some (all?) based on various veterans' experiences?

I suppose it's a bit of both. While the narrative thread and the subplots stem from my imagination, much of the emotion and dialogue style comes from what I picked up from the soldiers. I tried to convey that one of the worst aspects of Vietnam was not the fighting, but waiting for something to happen. Waiting for a bullet to be fired, a trap to be sprung. The wait was torture for the soldiers.

FQ: Part of what really moved me in your book is the profound effect Jack had not just on his handler, Fletcher, but on the whole unit. Would you tell our readers a bit about how the real war dogs helped save so many, not just physically, but emotionally, during the Vietnam War? 

The Vietnam dogs were more than just tools of war. They were daily reminders of the soldiers' lives back home, of their own dogs that were waiting for them. They were loyal companions who never judged their handlers, never tired of them and were literally willing to lay down their lives for them.
In real terms, they were classified as either tracker, sentry, scout or combat dogs and they were used to sniff out the enemy (patrols, installations, etc), detect booby traps and explosives, to engage the enemy
directly, to protect bases, etc. It's estimated that they saved the lives of more than 10,000 US and Allied soldiers. Based on my interviews and the accounts I've read, I suspect the number is a great deal higher. Either way, the Vietnam Wall, carrying the names of the 60,000 or so American soldiers who were lost in the conflict, would have been at least another 100 feet long were it not for the dogs. That's a hundred feet of wives who would never see their husbands again, fathers who would never see their children and, most poignantly, children who would never again see their dads.

FQ: While the protagonist, Fletcher Carson, was a character I truly enjoyed, I admit to favoring tough, hard-as-nails Lieutenant Rogan. Without giving the story away, I loved what you did to him as the story progressed. Is he based on a real person?

If I'm honest, Fletcher is based loosely on myself - a pretty normal family-orientated guy who would be absolutely lost if anything happened to his family. I needed a strong character to initially bump heads with Fletcher, and Rogan just emerged. In many ways he is a composite character. Don't laugh, but he is part Sylvestor Stallone, part one of the soldiers I interviewed and partly my father, from whom I drew his inner resolve.

FQ: Finally, fess up - do you have a dog? If so, would you tell us a bit about him/her?

We have four dogs. Jack, as mentioned before. His sister, Jill (Jack and Jill ... get it?). A third 'pavement special' named Rusty and a tiny Yorkie which my daughters have named Hannah. They are all very precious to us. Jack and Jill love swimming and can often be heard doing laps in our swimming pool in the middle of the night while the rest of the world is lying beneath layers of duvets and blankets, teeth chattering. They seem entirely oblivious to the cold. They are two of the finest creatures I have ever had the honor of knowing. They are strong and protective, yet as gentle as lambs with our small children. They allow my girls to dress them up, balance toys on their heads, cover them with bright pink blankets and generally do with them what they will. Rusty, a kind of Lassie meets Benji, has one job in life - that of watch dog and family protector. She patrols the front gate every hour of the day and, even when it rains, refuses to seek shelter in the garage. This will sound crazy, I know, but my wife and I rescued Rusty from quite a nasty situation and I can't help but think that she feels indebted to us. That she has to somehow repay us. And, sadly, I think she feels it's a debt for which she has to spend her life trying to pay us back. I keep trying to pull her away from the gate, from her duty, but she always returns. As soon as I'm not looking, she's back there, her nose twitching, her eyes scanning the road. It saddens me, but I love her to bits for it as well. Hannah, the mighty Yorkie, could easily fit in my pocket and is a delight. Growing up we never had small dogs and, to be truthful, they were never my favorites. But she has wormed her way into my heart, that much is for sure. Weighing barely three pounds she often launches off the couch and barks bravely at some large predator trawling across our television screen. We can all learn a great deal from our dogs. Hannah is probably the size of my shoe, but she acts and lives entirely without fear. There's a lesson there, I can sense it...

To learn more about Finding Jack please visit our website and read the review at: Feathered Quill Book Reviews.

Author Interview with Elizabeth Lang

Today we're talking with Elizabeth Lang, author of The Empire
 

FQ: I see in your bio that you have a background in the IT industry. Did you pull this story or draw on your background to create the very interesting dialogue regarding the scientific aspects of this novel?

 
Being in the IT industry and a computer analyst has a great deal to do with how I think and write. Being analytical, or over-analytical, is a blessing and a curse.

FQ: Have you been or are you attending the local, regional sci-fi conventions? I know that Dragon*Con, which is the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy will be held Labor Day weekend. Will The Empire have a booth?

 

Surprisingly, I've never attended sci-fi conventions, though I've always been a sci-fi fan. That is about to change. A friend of mine, who is familiar with the convention scene, and was involved with Ad Astra in Toronto many years ago, will be introducing me to a few this year. I will be attending Ad Astra in April in Toronto and Polaris in July in Richmond Hill. Whether I will have a booth…not at Ad Astra, but I will be checking out Polaris.

I am also scheduled for a book-signing at BEA North America in New York this year at the IFWG Publishing booth.

FQ: In a way this book is extremely political and mirrors some of our own real every-day problems (i.e. Republican vs. Democrat). Such as when the Admiral speaks about the fact that humanity cannot afford mass freedom, does this ring a bell with you politically in our own culture?

 

When I wrote the book, I didn't have any particular political agenda, but I was interested in exploring the idea of 'the end justifies the means' from various angles. Perhaps, unconsciously, I was influenced by what was happening in our world.

FQ: When Adrian is speaking about the project, it is very Oppenheimer-'esque.' Were you thinking that perhaps Adrian was the next...bringer of death?

 

Certainly. Oppenheimer and other scientists who advance humanity's understanding of the world around us, but their research is used for terrible things. In the pursuit of progress, do we think about the implications of what we're doing? In the book, Adrian was brought in to finish the neutron wave project, but from the beginning he personally objected to its purpose. Unfortunately, in the Empire, scientists have no say in how their research is used, so he decided to do something drastic.

FQ: How did you decide to go for the sci-fi? What do you find especially rewarding about writing in this genre?

 
I've always been interested in the sci-fi and fantasy genres. I like the freedom to create alternate worlds in order to explore different themes. For instance, the Empire isn't an evil regime, at least it didn't start out as one. The people behind it had the best of intentions because of the situation they found themselves in. But in fighting evil, issues arose and they chose a certain path, slowly and inexorably.

The leaders didn't wake up one day and decide to oppress their own people. The decisions started subtly, unavoidably and for the purpose of saving humanity, but centuries later, that slide has resulted in the Empire that Adrian knows.

FQ: You were able to weave so many different characters into this book, from romantic (Kali and Adrian) to hysterical (Bryce), to frightening (Sester)...can I assume that you are an avid reader to include so many genres?

 

I used to devour books as a kid, but when I write, other than for a sci-fi backdrop, I never have any specific genre in mind. I create the characters and the scenarios and drop them in and see where they lead me.

FQ: Your characters and dialogue, theme and plot, were so engaging I have to know when Book II will be on the shelves!?

 

I am actively working on Book II, which is called, The Rebels, and Book III, The Andromedans. I am aiming to finish The Rebels by the summer and The Andromedans by the end of the year. As for when they will be published…that will depend on my publisher.

Each sequel will explore the Empire from different perspectives and through the eyes of the three main characters, Adrian, Kali, and Bryce. One new main character will be introduced in The Rebels who will be at loggerheads with Adrian. But, of course, who isn't he at odds with…

FQ: Thank you for your time. Again, I was very much pulled in like a tractor beam to your story from page one and I wish you the best of luck with the continuing Empire saga.

 
You're very kind and thank you for your interest. It was a pleasure.

To learn more about The Empire please visit our website and read the review at: Feathered Quill Book Reviews.