Interview With Edward McKeown...

Hey everyone! I'd like you all to give a hearty hello to Edward McKeown, author of 'Was Once A Hero', which I reviewed last week. You can find that review here.

Edward is a fellow author over at Hellfire Publishing and it was a great pleasure to read his book, review it and now interview him. So without further ado:

Mel: What is your favorite genre? Is it also the genre you write in?


Edward: Yes SF is my favorite genre and in it I like the broad star-spanning far future stories of Andre Norton, CJ Cherryh, and Larry Niven. I am less fond of cyberpunk or near future or dystiopia stories. I want starships and aliens

Mel:How much research goes into writing a Sci-Fi story?
 
Edward: As you would imagine it is highly variable. I tend to take as few liberties with the laws of pyshics as I can. My stories are character centric and less concerned with the technology. While I do not want to be busted by “mythbusters” I have an educated layman’s version of the sciences and do the best I can. Sometime I get lucky when I got bonked with the difference between the rotation interval of a pulsar and my story needs of my work, the great Catherine Asaro (scientist and SF writer married to a rocket scientist) told me to use a Preon Star because as she put it, “No one knows how those things work.”

(I wouldn't want to get busted by 'mythbusters' either!)


Mel: How long have you been writing? 

Edward: On a serious basis about 10 years.

Mel: What made you start writing? 

Edward: I was finding it hard to find the sort of book that I liked and one day I was reading a work by a major author (and torture will not get the name out of me) who I normally like and I felt it was a bit of a dog. I thought maybe I could do as well. Fortunately I did not know how hard it would actually be….

(I hear you. But it is a labor of love.)

Mel: Do you read in the same genre you write? 

Edward: Yes, though less now as I am afraid of being overly influenced which is kind of silly as there is nothing new under the sun. I draw most of my influence from anime, and actual history books I read.

(No, that's not silly. I'm afraid to read fantasy sometimes as I dread finding a story too similar to my own.)

Mel: What part of the writing process is your favorite? (Plot development, character creation, etc.) 

Edward: My process is a spontaneously creative one. I preplan nothing, I sit down and I write, it pours out of me like wine from a bottle. So I don’t section my work or think of that way. My characters tell me what happens and I write it down.

Mel: Do you have a routine you do after completing a book?
 
Edward: Yeah I work like heck trying to promote the book and get the word around. 

Mel: And now for something totally random: What would you ask for as a last meal if you were on death row?

Edward: Something that would take a really long time to eat, maybe a Scottish dish as they take a long time to choke down and digest…

Well maybe a Hawiian Pizza? 

Thanks for all you do Mel.


Mel: You are most welcome, Edward! And all I can think of now is Haggis... lol! Have a great week everyone.

Book Review: 'Was Once A Hero' by Edward McKeown...

Title: Was Once A Hero

Author: Edward McKeown

Publisher: Hellfire Publishing, Inc.

Pages: 356 (Print), File size: 431 kb

ASIN: B006UMTBY8

Purchase: Amazon

Summary from Amazon:

Reluctant privateer Robert Fenaday searches the stars for his lost love, Lisa, a naval intelligence officer whose ship disappeared near the end of the Conchirri War . He’s joined by the genetically engineered assassin, Shasti Rainhell, whose cold perfection masks her dark past. Both are blackmailed by government spymaster, Mandela, into a suicidal mission to the doomed planet Enshar. Leading a team of scientists and soldiers, they must unravel the mystery of that planet’s death before an ancient force reaches out to claim their lives.

My Thoughts:

Sometimes it is difficult for me to get into a science fiction story. Some of the terminology used can be quite confusing. Not this time around, though. It was an easy read for someone like me who isn't a hard core sci-fi fan.
Robert Fenaday's loss of his wife is heartbreaking and his search for her seems fruitless. Now, with the Conchirri War over, funding his search becomes a bit of a problem. Enter the little Enshari who is about to change all of that. Granted, the government wants to see Fenaday go on this mission ... and not come back, but this isn't why Fenaday chooses to accept.
Shasti Rainhell is definitely not a woman you want to mess with. She lives up to her surname in lots of ways. Always by Fenaday's side, she isn't about to let him go to the Enshar planet without her.
This book contains a myriad of aliens and robots, cyborgs and intrigue. Enshar was attacked by an unseen force and McKeown keeps you guessing until the end as to what exactly wiped out almost an entire species and then some. Very well written, great plot and strong characters. I would definitely read more from this author.

My Rating:

5 out of 5 skull and crossbones