Interview With Author Brian F. Gehling
1. What inspired you to write this book? Thought and talked about writing the book for
years. Then one day, about two years ago now, my friend Garry Strom looked at
me and said that if I didn't start I'd never get it done. I took him to heart,
since I can't do much heavy work now, and started writing about a month later.
2. What exactly is it about and who
is it written for? It's a science fiction about a converted military cruiser
equipped with a experimental FTL, faster than light drive, set about five to
six hundred years from now. The crew of the ship is technically military but
most of them are holding honorary military ranks since it was recommissioned as
a science vessel with the primary mission of exploration. Something goes
terribly wrong with the FTL drive and the crew is stranded on a planet 10,000
light years from earth with no hope of return. They discover and settle a
habitable planet in a nearby solar system and discover that the animals there
resemble those of earth's past. A series of accidents plague the colony while
they try to discover the secrets of their new home. Then the current rulers of
the planet appear to dispute the colonists precarious claim. I wrote it for
those who love a good story. Mysteries abound in the book along with romance,
adventure, action, and tragedy.
3. What do you hope readers will get out
of reading your book? Enjoyment.
There are times when the various characters in the book reflect on the
incidents happening around them and life itself. In the end there always has to
be an element of hope. 4. How did you decide on your book’s title and
cover design? The book has a military aspect to it but is not strictly a
military science fiction like some of the current sci-fi. The ships name is New
Horizon, which if Fulton Publishing is willing to publish the second and third
book, will denote the series name. A variation of the Marine Corps anthem
appears in the book and I used the first verse hence The Halls Of Montezuma to
denote the first book of the series. The second book if published will be New
Horizon: Battle Hymn and the third book will be New Horizon: Rockets Red
Glare.
4. What advice or words of wisdom do you have
for fellow writers – other than run!? Give thought and reality to what you are writing about and
attempt to make the characters realistic.
5. What trends in the book world do you see --
and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? Not sure what you want here. If you want a
better answer than that e-mail with clarification on the question. I don't want
to irritate anyone who writes... Though I'm sure that's going to happen anyway.
My friend Garry (One of my editors) and I both read sci-fi and are tired of the
Star Trek, Star Wars, and Star Gate, genre. We wanted something new and he
thinks I've accomplished that. The only scientific advances in the book that
aren't possible in the near future is the FTL drive. We're on the verge of
having fusion power and high storage batteries that I use in my writing.
There's no inertial dampeners, tractor beams, Star Trek type transporters,
light sabers, etc,... in my writing.
6. Were there experiences in your
personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? Yes. I have twenty years of military
experience to draw from along with the jobs I've held since then to draw
from.
7. How would you describe your writing style?
Which writers or books is your writing similar to? I tried to keep light humor in the book as compared to the
seriousness I see in a lot of the new sci-fi. I've always liked Robert A.
Heinlein and Larry Niven but would never presume to be on their level. A few of
the friends I have that read the book so far say they enjoy the inserted humor.
Many of them have said that they normally don't read science fiction but
enjoyed the book immensely because of the twists and turns that I took to
interweave the storyline. The book does have a main character but not
everything important to the storyline happens to him and there are chapters in
the book devoted to secondary characters that are important to the mystery
surrounding the planet and the accidents happening in the colony.
8. What challenges did you overcome in the
writing of this book? Keeping
events in order and making sense. Along with keeping track of the characters
appearing in the book. It took several rereads to ensure that things were
happening in the correct sequence and exactly who they were happening to. I'll
admit that I probably could have reread the book another two or three times to
improve the book and perhaps sometime in the future if it goes over well, I'll
take the time to do so.
9. If people can buy or read one book this
week or month, why should it be yours? If you like a good adventure and mystery tale, this book is it.
Mysteries abound along with unique characters who are all important to creating
a convincing and suspenseful tale. I would suggest they read the review Diana M
Pollard gave me on Amazon.
About The Author :
I was born 1958 and raised on a family farm in Carroll County, Iowa. Joined the
United States Navy in 1977 and served as a electronics technician until I
retired in 1997. After my military career I attended Des Moines Area Community
College and Iowa State University for around four years studying physics and
variety of other subjects. Since then, I've worked in security, construction,
agriculture, special needs, and as a business owner. I've always enjoyed a good
science fiction book and started writing about two years ago at a friend’s
encouragement. This book is intended to be the first in a series of books about
the New Horizon. The next book in the series if published will be New Horizon:
Battle Hymn.
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About Brian Feinblum
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