Interview with Author John Allyn

 

 

 

1.      What Inspired me to write this book?  I am a lifelong fan of the original Star Trek. I had a monotonous job which gave me a lot of time to stretch my imagination. I have two Star Trek novels still unfinished. The idea was to create my own story in hopes of having success with it to get the other two on the market. My book took on a life of its own. The idea grew and I became immersed in the new characters and original storyline. I have started book two and three. There may even be a fourth.

 

2.      What exactly is it about and who was it written for? The book is about a young research technician ( Terrance Newton Tupnic) who accidentally activates alien technology from the Roswell crash. It alters him genetically in order for that device function after bonding physically with him. To call the device "smart" is far past an understatement. Tupnic learns that he can travel in time and into other dimensions by trial and error. As he gains power sources he expands his travels and control over the reality he chooses to live in. The government agency A.R.G.O hunts him and his associates in order to find out how to use the technology they can't seem to make function.  The book was written for my family. I never thought it would be the great American novel but hoped it would be a dime store paperback that might make retirement a tiny bit better.

 

3.      What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?  I hope they get a smile and be entertained. I also hope that they get a moment away from daily life and enjoy the story.

 

4.      How did you decide on your book's title and cover design?  The title came to me on my way to work one night like several things related to design and storyline. It would be a seed that I would develop over a few days. The title started out as just Time Trials. I would print what I wrote each session and put it in a binder. One that I had been given at work and it was for unit H333 so I added it to the title. The cover started with my reading news releases about the latest space news and looking at the photos with the reports. I liked the spiral galaxy and the thought was that Tupnic was spiraling out of control into space. That was the basic idea. A few other story related pictures were added.

 

5.      What advice or words of wisdom do you have for your fellow writers-other than run!? Run would be first! Do not think this is easy in any way. Be sceptical of everyone and everything. There are more scams out there that there are people that will help in any way. Being published is just that your book is for sale and only for sale. Never think published means sales.

 

6.      What trends in the book world do you see--and where do you think the book publishing  industry is heading? While I am not very well informed  I see the industry heading more to a social media type industry. There seems to be little way to get a book published by the large companies but there is among all the scams some legitimate possibilities for success. I have had a few that I think will generate sales once I start taking advantage of them. 

 

7.      Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? A lifetime love of science fiction to start with. A thirst for that story that  makes you go wow at the end and makes you want more. Being fortunate enough to have a good boring job that allowed me to think about more than just the job. Allowing my mind to wonder. Being blessed with a wonderful supportive family that allowed me to spend an enormous amount of time on this project with all its failures.

 

8.      How do you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to?   My two favorite authors are Edmond Hamilton and Clive Cussler. As a child I read most of the Captain Future series and that sold me on science fiction. I try to write in a similar style as Hamilton. I like the story to be simple and clean but still sort of twisted so as to be unpredictable. Cussler keeps the plot interesting with twists and unforeseen turns but I choose not to try to write like him but try to be unpredictable.

 

9.      What challenges did you overcome in writing this book?  I have been writing but not completing books since I was in elementary school. Finishing anything is the hardest part of any task whatever it is. Finding the time to simply write was a challenge. Developing the mindset to create an original idea was harder. And of course, all the things life throws at you when you are just trying to survive let alone do something extra. I think that is the most difficult.

 

10.  If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours?  It is an easy, quick read with a unique take on the Roswell crash and is entertaining. 

 

About The Author: John Allyn was born in the mid-fifties on the North side of Houston Texas. He had a normal childhood and started college. His love of music took control of his life and for several years perused one of his great passions. During this time, he found the love of his life and they were soon married. With only local success in music, he entered the job market and found a career in transportation management. The idea for Time Trials: H333 and the series is one that sprang from another of his passions, science fiction. Writing was always part of his life from music, short stories, and unpublished novels.  The Time Trials novels is the result of seeking an original path to successful publishing.  John still lives in the Houston area with his family. Please see for more info: (20+) Facebook and Recent updates | Goodreads.

 

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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.