1. What inspired you to write this book? Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been a huge
fan of all things sci-fi and fantasy. Be it books, movies, shows, video games,
comic books, or any other medium, really. I’ve also always had a propensity for
storytelling. Couple those two things together, and I think writing this book
and by extension—series—was all but inevitable. This is the first novel I’ve
ever written, but the original concept had been floating around inside my head
for many years prior to writing it. The main character: Powder, was one I
actually designed for an entirely different project, wholly unrelated to the
industry or even sci-fi. When I ultimately scrapped that project, I kept her,
knowing how well she’d fit into this series.
2. What exactly is it about and who is
it written for? In
a nutshell, Red Alpha—both the first book and series as a whole—are social
commentaries from my own perspective, wrapped in a futuristic setting. It
explores concepts of existentialism, self-actualization, socioeconomic
hierarchies, and unregulated scientific progress, just to name a few. I think
anyone with any interest in sci-fi, would enjoy this series. Especially if you
like bits of light cyberpunk and hard sci-fi mixed in. The broader social
commentary and exploration of themes might grab much more general audiences as
well. There is of course plenty of action, adventure, drama, political
scheming, and some comedy and romance as well.
3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your
book? I’ve written the book
in a very intentional way that doesn’t hold the reader’s hand. I trust my
readers. I’d really like them to engage with the story, and I hope the way I’ve
structured the book is conducive to that. I hope people can enjoy the story
being told while also triggering larger scale, more meta contemplations on the
themes and commentaries. I’ve worked very hard on balancing the telling of a
compelling story without being too ham-fisted or in-your-face with said themes.
4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? I had a working title for the project only
briefly. It was while writing chapter one that I settled on the final title.
Not just for the first book, but for the series as a whole and each book within
it. Red Alpha is a term in the setting that has multiple meanings, and its own
mystery which will play out in future installments. As for the cover design—I
worked alongside my publisher to create that. It was a collaborative effort
that I hope catches people’s attention.
5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow
writers – other than run!?
One word—persistence. Having a great idea is good. Being a
skilled writer is better. But none of that means anything if you don’t have the
discipline and persistence to carry the entire project through to the end and
bring it to market. Believe in your own work and never stop making moves to
actualize it.
6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do
you think the book publishing industry is heading? I have to admit, I don’t really follow trends
in the book world. If I see a book that looks interesting, I’ll read it. My
writing is the same way. I don’t try to chase trends, because I genuinely don’t
really know what they are. I did however work to develop my own writing style
and then simply wrote what I liked and knew. I really hope that comes across to
my readers.
7. Were there experiences in your personal life or
career that came in handy when writing this book? I’m a learner by nature. I’ve always loved
learning, both in formal settings and otherwise. I’ve studied many forms of
academia in both settings, including especially, STEM fields. Knowing same
higher-level math and science and engineering at a basic to intermediate level
has really helped in keeping my sci-fi world grounded. From knowing the basics
of quantum mechanics to knowing the proper vernacular of an airline pilot and
many things in between, I believe these things really help in writing
compelling sci-fi.
8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers
or books is your writing similar to? I worked specifically on developing my own style. Early in the
project—this being my first book—I had to constantly stop myself from falling
into a very general way of writing. Eventually, it just became second nature
and if I choose to change things up on a future project, I will likely need to
re-train myself. I would say that my style is tightly paced and very
intentional. I leave certain things vague while highly detailing others, and
usually utilize snappy dialogue with a keen eye on pacing. My goal was to have
my own unique way of writing that is engaging, and I hope that resonates with
readers. I do sometimes question whether or not I should have done things in a
more traditional style. It likely would have been twice as long but perhaps not
as interesting.
9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this
book? As a first-time author
I faced nothing but challenges 
. The largest of
which actually came after I was finished with the manuscript. The process of
navigating the publishing industry as a new author without an agent is nothing
but perilous. Actually, landing an agent is even worse. There are plenty of
options out there for publishing, but each has its own set of challenges and
quirks.
10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month,
why should it be yours?
Red Alpha Awakening is the first book of a five-part science fiction series that focuses on weaving together multiple viewpoints and story threads with strong theming and social commentary. If you like shows like Black Mirror or books like Altered Carbon or Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? I think this will be right up your alley. If you like tightly paced, character driven stories, with action, adventure, and drama, regardless the genre, this will likely also appeal to you. If you’ve already read it and can’t wait for more, or you’re interested in reading it, but don’t want to start an unfinished series—know that the first draft of the second book is complete. I’m working to get that out while simultaneously writing the third book.
California. Link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/23127409.Mark_Arntson
Publishers landing page: http://pagepublishing.com/books/?book=red-alpha-awakening
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The business of publishing, marketing, &
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Here is a discount link for a three-day pass
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Need PR Help?
Brian
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sell their book, and grow their brand. He has over 30 years of experience in
successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your
advocate, teacher, and motivator!
About Brian
Feinblum
Brian Feinblum should be
followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is
copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now
resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue
dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The
Writer and IBPA’s The Independent. This
award-winning blog has generated over 3.9 million pageviews. With 4,900+ posts
over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by
BookBaby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018
as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by
www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades,
including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book
publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses,
Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres,
right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark
Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay,
Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan
RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He
hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and
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 published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY
Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington
Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, &
Co-Op Association Handbook. It was featured
in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.
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