Interview With Sci-Fi Author Christopher Loric
1. What
inspired you to write this book? I wanted to
tell a story about the US military exploring deep space. What would an
encounter with an alien intelligence possibly be like?
2.
What exactly is it about and who is it written for? It
is a sci fi military novel. A fleet of seven ships is sent into deep
space to initiate contact with an intelligent lifeform. The fleet
encounters hostile aliens on their way to the Kammorrigan home world.
Once there, they discover the Kammorrigans are hostile and desire to conquer
new worlds. I wrote for persons who enjoy science fiction. Since I
from the Navy, I became interested in enticing young people to join the Armed
Forces, in particular the new Space Force along with the Naval services.
3. What
do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? Adventure
with a sense of realism. How does Humanity work with current and near
future capabilities and how we can achieve goals with our minds and not just
with technology. We don’t need futuristic technology to achieve greatness
today in our lives.
4. How
did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? I
chose Explorer since the book is about exploring space and what may be out
there. The SESG or Space Expeditionary Strike Group, comes from the early
2000s, when I served with the 7 th Fleet. The Navy
augmented the Amphibious Readiness Group (three ships which carry Marines to
perform land operations from the sea) with surface ships (cruiser or
destroyers) adding to their combat power and designated the group as an
Expeditionary Strike Group. Therefore, I chose the title to be SESG
EXPLORER. The cover design of the book came to me in collaboration with my
wife. I chose the action scene from the first paragraph of the story to
be the cover. The green color of the planet comes from the polluted
environment which the Kammorrigans enjoyed. We both enjoyed the color
patterns denoting an alien world with combat action.
5. What
advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than
run!? As a first-time published author, have someone
else read the novel prior to publication. If need be, pay an independent editor
to review the novel. May take more time but it is worth another set of
eyes on the project which aids in preventing revisions.
6. What
trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book
publishing industry is heading? A lot of
competition. Traditional houses are attempting to keep a lock on their
market which requires authors to have agents. However, the advent of
different writing and design software and online self-publishing entities like
Amazon, the requirement for the traditional houses is losing some ground.
This place traditional retailers in a bind. They have limited shelves for
books and desire sales from those books. Which self-publishing authors
cannot guarantee. If they work with authors for consignment selling, then
there are opportunities for the retailer and authors to achieve profits.
If not, then new authors must find ways to compete. Traditional houses
either become niche and premium producers or they may see a decline in their
sales. In the end, it will be the readers who will determine how the
industry evolves.
7. Were
there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when
writing this book? Most definitely. I deployed with the 15 th Marine
Expeditionary Unit and served with 1 st Marine Division,
spending one year in Iraq (2006). Also, I served on the staff of 7 th Fleet
during 9/11. My other tours of duty exposed me to the Air Force, Army and
the Special Forces. All these experiences impacted this novel and the
follow-on books. SESG EXPLORER is the first of three books. I am
currently editing the second book.
8. How
would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is
your writing similar to? My style is semi organized and free flowing
during the actual writing. As an example, during a fire fight a Gunnery
Sgt was created during the writing, I had no plan for him. The same Gunny
dies in the fire fight which I had no intention of him dying when he was
created during the writing. He just came to me during the writing
phase. Regarding another author’s writing style, I cannot say. I
have been inspired primarily by Robert A Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, JRR Tolkien
and Stephen R. Donaldson.
9. What
challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? Myself
primarily. I began the work when I was deployed to Iraq in 2006. I
did some work on the novel after the deployment but the military programs I was
involved with demanded all my attention. I didn’t finish the novel till
after I retired and was taking care of my wife during her battle with breast
cancer. The book enabled me to focus my mind and not worry about her
during the periods she didn’t require my assistance.
10. If
people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? Adventure
with realism. In a world of UAP and various movies about aliens, things
can seem fantastic and beyond us. The novel gives an insight in how we
would deal with hostile aliens. It shows Human ingenuity and provides
hope for our future. They would find adventure, sound decision making and
always a sense of victory over the odds.
About
The Author: Retired from the US Navy after twenty-eight years of
service. Service includes the US Marine Corps (twice), deployed to Iraq
in 2006, 7 th Fleet, US Forces Korea, US Strategic Command, US
Africa Command, NATO and multiple other commands. I hold an MBA and a MA
in Strategic Policies. Married to a beautiful Lady, Sirirug. For more
info, please see: Facebook
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