What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?
There are a lot of threads in this particular tapestry, but the most prominent color would be “consequences.” What if you had the capacity to change one thing—what would it be? End world hunger? Cure all diseases? End war? What if you could say only one word? What would that be?
The majority of the characters in Time & Again are wizards, using magick on a daily basis. Change is at their fingertips and on the tips of their tongues—more than anyone else, they can have an impact on the world. What impact will that be? And what consequences will that allow?
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be?
That’s a tough one. For the main character, Kitt Marlow, it’d probably be between “Time in a Bottle” by Jim Croce and “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers.
What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
I read science fiction primarily. I tend to write fantasy, but within a science fiction mode. For example, in “Time & Again,” the primary antagonists are wizards whose vector is science/technology—they don’t cast spells, they have subroutines. They don’t scry, they scan. They are using the same magick as their more arcane brethren… or are they?
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Gideon the Ninth, Choose Your Enemies (Ciaphas Cain).
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
The revelation: the scene where the main character figures things out. It’s fun peppering all the pieces through the narrative, but the moment when she puts all (most?) of them together in a satisfactory way, it can be the most challenging, but as it’s the scene around which the narrative pivots, it needs to be done right. The book isn’t complete without a good dose of revelation.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
Nothing really… I do prefer to write late night/early morning, in search of that 3 a.m. miracle.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
I’ve long held that, should I ever write an autobiography (if I am ever deserving of one), then it would be called “You don’t know you’ve a hole in your shoe until it rains.” What does that mean? (What do I take it to mean?) Still trying to figure that out. Something to do with soldiering on no matter the adversity… occasionally with damp socks.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
This might be a little audacious, but… when people I know walked out of The Matrix back in 1999, normal folks with no formal understanding of philosophy or metaphysics—they stood outside of that cinema and discussed deep topics of personhood, free will, and the nature of reality. If this book invokes those sorts of thoughts in my readers, I’ll take that as a privilege and a point of pride.
