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 7th 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 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and served with 1st Marine Division, spending one year in Iraq (2006). Also, I served on the staff of 7th 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, 7th 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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has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence
College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association,
Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut
Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been
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