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What can you tell us about your new release, Supertide?

It’s a breath of fresh air, a disaster thriller that keeps the best elements of the genre and discards the clichés. The pace is strong out of the gate and accelerates as the story progresses. The story is told from the point of view of not only the main character but also from people living (or dying) through the tragedy.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

My mom and sister. They’d been “encouraging” (bugging) me to write for years. Once my daughter acquired her driver’s license, my taxi services were no longer needed and my schedule at last accommodated writing. I took a flyer on penning a thriller and discovered I loved it.

What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?

Gosh, it’s hard to narrow down, but here’s my list: David Copperfield (Charles Dickens), Kiss the Girls (James Patterson), The Complete Sherlock Holmes (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle), The Foundation Series (Isaac Asimov), All Creatures Great and Small (James Herriot)

Say you're the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask

Assuming I could invite anyone living or dead, I’d interview Charles Dickens. I would ask to what extent his characters were inspired by actual people he knew versus his imagination. His ability to present a cast of believable characters who are easy to love or hate is a hallmark I strive to emulate in my own books.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

Unlike the real world, when writing I’m constrained only by my imagination. The best part of writing is creating a story that evokes a strong reaction from the reader, even though the reader knows it’s fiction. Accomplishing that is a thrill.

What is a typical day like for you?

It varies quite a bit. I have a “day job” as a manager at a tech company, so on workdays, I’ll often wrap up and turn immediately to writing. On weekends and holidays, I’ll often settle down to write not long after breakfast. This schedule isn’t inviolate, but by using it, I’ve managed to crank out one or two books a year.

What scene from Supertide was your favorite to write?

Definitely the climax. I don’t want to spoil my own book, but delivering the epic disaster in a disaster novel is a blast to write…the payoff the reader has been expecting.

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

Definitely: “regret avoidance.” This means giving deep thought to the choices we face today in order to avoid regret later. It’s a theme I’ve weaved into several of my books.

Steven F. Freeman is the author of the new book Supertide.

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What can you tell us about your new release, Battle for Earth: Journal One?

The book is an exciting mix of Science Fiction and Fantasy with plenty of twists and turns along the way. I tried very hard to add some new concepts and storytelling techniques to make the book just a little unique.

This first book in the series has a young adult feel, though the storyline in general should be compelling to a broad age range. The principal narrator and the main characters are teenagers at the time of the alien invasion. As the series progresses and the characters age, the young adult feel will shift a bit.

I made sure to incorporate plenty of action as the Shockwave world-building develops. Come, explore the worlds of Hammer Trollkin. 🙂

What or who inspired you to become an author?

The inspiration comes from my grandchildren and many years observing the general state of planet Earth.

As a child, it was easy to daydream, to become immersed in make-believe worlds of my own construct. Perceptive grownups no-doubt thought, that child has an overactive imagination. Alas, the dreams all faded away as the realities of life settled in. I’m sure something like that happens to most people. Responsibilities. But, no kidding, my grandchildren reignited the spark. All those imaginary worlds rattling around in my head had to find a way out. What better way than to become an author? There are so many worlds to explore, and what fun, my readers can come along if they want.

Then, there’s the state of the world around us. The world can be a wonderful place. It can also be lousy. We all face our share of heartache and trouble. It’s nice to catch glimpses of hope in the midst of hardships.

Somewhere along the line I felt a nudge to write a book series that would shine a little light at the darkness. We all want good to triumph over evil, right? Throughout the book series there is plenty of conflict, at every level. Just like in the real world. Conflict usually does have a way of resolution. And moving along through such an experience, even in a book, can bring actual encouragement. It can bring hope. I hope.

What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?

That’s a hard question. Only five? I’ll focus on works of fiction. The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. The Stormlight Archives by Brandon Sanderson has been good so far. Let’s include Ender’s Game; 1984; The Puppet Masters. Ughhh, it really is a hard question.

Say you're the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask

I’m probably not allowed to use a time machine? Then, let’s talk to Brandon Sanderson. I’d ask about his technique for world building.

Do you formulate your worlds ahead of time, in intricate detail?  Or, do the worlds form even as you are writing about them?

What's your favorite thing about writing?

Writing, for me, is fun, and it’s liberating. I suppose it’s cathartic. I can sit at the keyboard, and, just write. Most often a book scene will flow without the need for any sort of concentration. It just happens. I’m set free. That doesn’t necessarily mean what pours out from the keyboard is good writing. I hope it is, most of the time.

What is a typical day like for you?

These days, writing is my business as well as my hobby. I get up fairly early; have breakfast while going through emails and such. Then I write throughout the day. I do take breaks in order to stretch and take in some exercise. Our dog is kind enough to take my wife and I on a good long walk most days. I’ll usually have opportunity to write into the late afternoon. By that time my imagination supply is exhausted and it’s time for some chores; a bit of gardening perhaps. There are opportunities for some civic minded work too, such as being involved in our local youth center. It’s good to stay a little busy. I think I might have a type-A personality.

What scene from Battle for Earth: Journal One was your favorite to write?

The alien invaders have finally figured out there is one special operations team that is threatening their entire invasion plan. Shockwave. The High Queen of the Invasion orders a commando raid to take out the team. I had opportunity in the scene to focus on one team member in a desperate fight to save one of his friends. There is despair as the rest of the team returns to find their base of operations destroyed with no chance of anyone surviving. Not even Para could have survived that! Are they actually dead and gone? The scene also provides a focal point from which we learn that not all of the invaders are evil monsters. Some had actually tried to help us.

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

Yes, though it may be a little more try-to-live-by than always-live-by.

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

The Golden Rule. It’s remarkable in that it is so action oriented. Do to others. The philosophy of Jesus is like that. Action oriented love. Love one another…

Hammer Trollkin is the author of the new book Battle for Earth: Journal One.

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