I am so excited to have you visit with us today Tracey. I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed these two books in your series.
What inspired you to write the Epherium Chronicles Series?
I’ve been a sci-fi/fantasy fan since I was about 10. I loved Star Trek and Star Wars. As more fantasy stories and sci-fi movies/tv shows came around, I always wondered what it would be like to create something like that. I’m also a technology guy, so translating techie stuff to a broader story base was easy.
I had lots of ideas for stories and tried to create a few books after college, but I was too distracted and they didn’t go anywhere. One my short stories was called “Into the Black.” It was basically a more grisly version of humanity’s first encounter with the Cilik’ti as described in the Prologue for Embrace, but focused more on the Apollo and their encounter than what went on at the station.
I wrote it a long time ago and had forgotten about it. One day, I was helping my parents move some boxes out of their garage, I came across one with some of my old books and trophies. Sitting on top of the books, was my old short story. I picked it up and decided I was going to map out a larger story. Took me a few years, but it’s been a fun adventure.
Which is your favourite character and why?
Hood is my favorite, but many of the characters have some fun characteristics that you can relate too. Hood’s tactical mind, his love of chess, his faith in God, and humble, but strong leadership role are qualities I find most appealing.
Major McGregor is kind of Scottish “Gunny” Highway from Heartbreak Ridge. Mr. Whitaker, I modelled after Thomas Edison. I emulated the character type of the motor pool Sergeant in Black Sheep Squadron to create the styled persona for Lieutenant Commander Walsh. So you can see many characters and even settings can be related back to things I’ve experienced. I’ve found those experiences make the characters so much more three dimensional.
I know that Maya Greywalker is a big fan favorite. The idea for her originated when I was having an open discussion with some of my friends one day about tough female comic book characters. She is pieced from some many different personas, but what she has become is truly remarkable and there is so much more to be revealed…
What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?
I did some research on much of the technologies I planned to use. Rather than just saying this is what they are, I wanted to weave in a little bit of how they worked. I also felt that you explain something, it helps the person you’re communicating to visualize it. It becomes real to them and the enjoyment factor can be enhanced.
For air and space combat, I talked to a few combat and test pilots. We walked through scenarios, like a battle in the asteroid belt. It was fun putting it all together. My brother is a martial artist, so when I needed some extra info a hand to hand combat scene, I could always talk with him about how it would progress.
If your book was made into a TV series or Movie, what actors would you like to see playing your characters?
I get asked this a lot. When I created Admiral Tramp, my first thought was Tommy Lee Jones. If anyone could bring that kind of attitude to his character, it was him. As for Captain Hood, Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye from Avengers) would be a good fit and I was thinking Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian in Chronicles of Narnia) would be a good Sanchez.
Jeremy Renner Ben Barnes
Gerard Butler might be a good Major McGregor. For Maya, I once thought Emma Stone, mainly because of the eyes, but she isn’t tall enough. Rachel Nichols (Scarlett in the GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra)or Adrianne Palicki (Lady Jay from GI Joe: Retaliation) might work.
Adrianne Palicki Rachel Nichols
And now, a few fun facts about you:
Do you have any unique talents or hobbies?
I have a degree in Electrical Engineering, but I work as a Network Architect/Systems Integrator/Project Manager in support of some of the largest Supercomputing sites in the world. It’s really exciting to know that your work helps to generate studies of world weather patterns, deep space mapping, genetic code mapping, complex chemistry, and even the design of foods we enjoy.
I am love sports, especially baseball and football. I’ve helped to coach my two boys over the years and I am thrilled to watch them play.
I was an old table top RPG gamer, but these days I usually stick to the online or console games. My boys love to play Lord of the Rings Online and we get together with my brother every now and then to have a blast.
Where is one place in the world (or out of this world) that you would really love to visit someday?
Mars. Without a doubt, but I’m sure once I got there I wouldn’t want to stop exploring the rest of the solar system.
What is your favourite book and why?
So many, but from a fiction perspective, it has to be Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein. My first book I every bought on my own was the complete works of Sherlock Holmes. I loved it, but in college, I had a Great Books of Literature class. Frankenstein was the 4th book we studied and it was glorious. You truly understand Frankenstein and his creation. Why the monster was, how he learned, and because of what he learned, how it turned out. Movies twisted the story so badly. The book is a classic.
What inspired you to become a writer?
Even as a kid, I love to read and tell stories. By comparison, I feel I’m more of a storyteller than a writer. I wanted to create something and now, I wanted to write something my kids would enjoy. I count myself very blessed that someone took the time to read what I wrote and think it would be worth their effort to publish it. God truly opens doors for us. We just have to have the courage to take the first step.
The Epherium Chronicles: Crucible (Book 2)
By T.D. Wilson
Publisher: Carina
Press
Published: May 26,
2014
ASIN: B00I66AA00
Amazon Synopsis:
January, 2155
Earth Defense Forces Captain James Hood is on the mission of
his life. The Cygni solar system is just one space-fold jump away. One more
jump and they'll have reached the fledgling colony that Earth desperately needs
if the human race is going to survive. But a plot to derail him has already
damaged his ship, threatened the lives of his crew and cost him time. Time the
colonists might not have.
So much depends on him now, but Hood's confidence is shaken.
It's self-doubt he thought he'd buried, a brutal mind-killer for all military
commanders. Yet danger surrounds his team; a brutal insectoid alien race is
still out there, intent on eradicating humans, and a greater threat from an
unknown, elusive enemy has emerged.
The forces at work on Cygni are like nothing Hood has
trained for, tactically or emotionally. When put to the test, he must choose to
either trust the unlikeliest of allies, or run and seal the fate of the Cygni
colony forever.
Book Links
About the Author:
T.D. Wilson was born in 1968 in Troy,
Ohio and has been an avid fan of science fiction and fantasy from a very young
age. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and has supported
the systems and networks in several of the largest Supercomputing data centers
in the world.
His early thirst for adventure in
reading began as he explored many of the great stories of Sherlock Holmes by
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. As his reading scope expanded, Mr. Wilson was
fascinated by strange new worlds from the magical of Middle Earth and Narnia to
the far reaches of space in Star Trek and Babylon 5. As a science fiction
author, he strives to integrate a realistic flavor to his worlds by providing
his readers a feel for the real science in science fiction. A topic he loves to
discuss with his friends and readers.
Mr. Wilson still lives in Ohio with his wife
and their two sons.
Author Links
It sounds like I need to read this series. Nice interview.
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