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What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Wandering?

As a young woman, I had this burning desire to break away from my small hometown and dysfunctional family of origin in a quest for a better life. I set out to travel alone, albeit naively, across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia without the ease of any modern-day communication. Along the way, I had the most amazing experiences that are truly not available today. When I returned, the dream of writing about those experiences haunted me every day until I had to write this story. It’s like the quote from Maya Angelou: “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Wandering, what would they be?

When I was traveling across Europe and the Middle East, Bob Dylan’s song Like a Rolling Stone kept playing in my head. I think the main characters of this book would relate well to Peter Gabriel’s song Don’t Give Up, George Harrison’s My Sweet Lord, a few of Ravi Shankar’s ragas, and The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

My favorite genre to read is historical fiction, fiction based on true stories, and good women's fiction.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Books on my TBR pile: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver; Trust by Hernan Diaz; Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari; The Gathering by Anne Enright.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

My time in Kashmir.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I am constantly jotting down highlights of my life, and what’s going on in the world; chronicling these events in journals that I have collected for over four decades now.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Enjoy the passage of time.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

Some of the most lasting memories of our lives are often spontaneous and not planned; some of which can be extremely challenging. Resolution in our lives is important and very personal; you can’t seek resolution from anyone but yourself.

Sharon Kreider is the author of the new book Wandering

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What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Descendants of Earth?

The first inspiration came when I was only twelve years old and I was given a school assignment to write an SF essay. The story grew over the next two decades, silently, in the background of my mind. Then, during a family trip in South Africa, I was so inspired by the wild vegetation in one of the national parks – which, by the way, looked exactly like the spot my main character, Dora, lands on Earth for the first time – that I started writing the first chapters right there, on the first piece of paper I could find.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I often read romance, provided that the characters are well-written, with clear motivations and goals, in a universe that is well thought through. Additional mystery or adventure is always a plus, but just following the love story unfold is more than enough for me when written well. And to the second question: yes, I write romance as well, though my love stories are often entangled in larger science fiction, thriller, or historical plots.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I am currently reading (listening to) Walter Isaacson’s “Einstein, his Life and Universe”. At the same time, I am e-reading the newest Ali Hazelwood romance “Love, Theoretically”. And Antonio Damasio’s “Looking for Spinoza” is next on my list.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

I loved the moment when Dora finally sees J for the first time in real life, after having many future Visions of him before. But I think my favorite scene was the finale of the trilogy, when Dora is captured with no way to escape, and all the other events in the galaxy are happening at the same time, which intertwine to a - I hope - rewarding closure.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

Not really quirky, no 🙂 but I have found that a specific environment – dim lights, a candle next to my laptop, and with Hans Zimmer's playlist on Headspace – puts me in a productive zone, so this is how I always write.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

My first one would be from Dan Brown, which is “Protect the process”. This basically means that if you stick to the process, for example, writing regularly and consistently, you will eventually reach your goal, meaning, you will finish your novel. The second is a more general one: treat others as you’d like to be treated. With the anonymity of the internet and social media today, some people seem to have forgotten that, and I find that sad. Being unkind to others poisons your heart; it makes you the villain in your own story.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

To treasure the Earth, and to do whatever they can to preserve it and the life (and not only theirs!) on it. In “Descendants of Earth”, people lost the Earth once and then miraculously get it back, in the process realizing how precious it is. We should take care not to lose it, only to then realize its importance, particularly because we might not get a chance to recover it as my characters did.

Tara Jade Brown is the author of the new book Descendants of Earth

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