Crime and Punishment and Martinus Publishing

It's hard to believe it's been over 3 years now since Martinus Publishing first came into being, and our first short story anthology, The Temporal Element, hit bookshelves.  A lot has happened in that time, and not all of it good.

Today, a shocking news article was brought to my attention, which apparently involves one-time contributing author, Steven Gepp, who has a story called "Extinction" in The Temporal Element.  In the news article, it is revealed that one Steven Craig Gepp was convicted of molesting teenage girls in 2014, over a year after I published Extinction.  The individual who brought this news story to my attention claimed that my "interview" with Steven Gepp, a full year before he was prosecuted for these crimes, is "inappropriate" and that I should remove said interview.

Read my interview with Steven Gepp here.

Read the news article about Steven Craig Gepp's criminal actions here.

I will point out that my interview with Steven Gepp has nothing criminal or inappropriate in it, and I would never condone or promote any form of sexual abuse.  I will further say that while I am inclined to believe that the news article is factual, I cannot with certainty say that this is the same Steven Gepp who wrote "Extinction" for The Temporal Element.   I cannot say with 100% certainty that it is the same individual.  Mind you, stranger things have happened.

So, here is where I stand on this whole thing.  Firstly, Mr. Gepp sold me the right to use "Extinction" in The Temporal Element in 2012, over a year before this news was released.  Furthermore, his fiction has nothing sexual or inappropriate in it, nor does his interview on my blog.  As I said, the interview was published over a year prior to Steven Craig Gepp's conviction, and since he sold me his story outright, he is receiving no more remuneration for this story contribution.

I can understand where some people are coming from when they say I should delete his interview and withdraw The Temporal Element from publication.  Certain people see that allowing his fiction and his interview to remain published is somehow "promoting" him as an individual, and that he doesn't deserve that publicity.  However, I am no fan of censorship, and I also will not be held responsible for a writer's actions when I am not made aware of said actions until years after their work is published.

At this time, I have no intention of pulling "The Temporal Element" from publication, and I furthermore have no intention of deleting my interview with Steven Gepp.  I will not punish the many other contributors to The Temporal Element who deserve to have their writing read, and I don't recognize how having a writer interview on my blog is in any way inappropriate.

I am still left with a nagging question as to how many people are going to be on my side with this decision.  Personally, I would be disinclined to publish the work of a sex offender, but when you're taking open submissions from people you do not know personally, you're bound to get stories from all kinds.  Though almost all Martinus contributors are upstanding citizens, there could be one or two with questionable morality (but that's none of my business).  I'm a fiction publisher, not a prosecuting attorney or judge.  It's not my job to "punish" Steven Gepp or any other writer.

I can only be expected to know so much, and I can't allow things that happen to contributors in the future to affect my publishing decisions.  I apologize to anyone who might be offended, but what is done is done.  Steven Gepp's interview and his fictional story were both published, and that's just the way it is.

A Long Overdue Update

It has been far too long since I posted on the blog, so here is a brief update about my current writing/editing activities.

Martinus Publishing is currently taking submissions for 3 anthologies, and several more are in the planning stages.  The "Quests, Curses, & Vengeance" anthology will be coming out in August, and I'll be doing the final round of edits on the stories therein once the various authors get their final drafts in to me (right now, about half of the final versions have been received, and the rest should be in by the end of June).

With warm weather comes other work for me, so reading slush has slowed a bit.  That's not to say I couldn't rush through the slush, but I don't think that would be fair to the writers involved.  When I'm reading stories for anthologies, I do it when I can truly give those stories the attention they deserve.  If I'm too fatigued to give them my full attention, I set them aside for another time.  This weekend, I have 8 stories on tap, and I hope to find some publishable gems!

Meanwhile, The Temporal Element will be making an appearance at the American Library Association's annual convention in Chicago next month.  Hopefully, someone will take notice.  The many talented authors in that collection are worthy of real praise and publicity (not to mention the need for Martinus Publishing to be noticed).

My own writing has slowed lately, but I can report that work has resumed on "Unforsaken," the 4th book in the West of the Warlock series.  This is good news for those of you who have already enjoyed the first two volumes in the series.  I hope to release the 3rd book, "The Man Who Shot Thomas Edison," sometime next winter.

That's all for now.  As we get closer to the publication date of Quests, Curses, & Vengeance, I have some promotional specials planned, including an exciting book giveaway!  We'll also have a new shootout writing contest coming up later this year, for talented authors seeking to test their mettle.

Killing of Yesterday

Amidst the many fantastic stories within The Temporal Element, I slipped in a short piece of my own, which I wrote a few years ago.  "The Killing of Yesterday," is part time-travel, and part detective story.  The basic premise of this one is that a time travel police force would have to exist to combat criminal activity if and when we develop the ability to venture into the past.  There are some other twists and turns to this story, along with some theoretical science, though I'll stop there.  I don't want to spoil it for anyone who might not have read it yet.

This story may have further significance in the future, as I've based an entire novel on it.  "The Time Traveler's Illegal Harem" also features agent Jack Baker, albeit in a far different situation than we see in the short story.  The concept of that book involves him being framed for various changes to the timeline, and his attempts to vindicate himself with the help of some ladies he's rescued from various points in history (hence the title).  It isn't quite as scandalous as the title might imply.

The Time Traveler's Illegal Harem is currently sitting on a shelf, as I'm not satisfied with its current form.  It was my first NaNoWiMo novel in 2010, so there are a few plot points I'd like to edit, and I simply haven't gotten around to doing it yet.

I've written a lot of different time-travel stories over the years, and that is one reason I decided to put together The Temporal Element.  Everyone loves a good time travel story, but there are so few collections of short stories available on this theme.  Who knows, maybe someday there will also be room for a "Temporal Element 2."  Time will tell.

Getting Attention

Small press books rely on word of mouth.  By definition, these publishers are "small," and they don't have thousands of dollars to spend on publicity and advertising.  The main form of promotion comes from amateur reviews and everyday readers spreading the word.  That is something that is surprisingly hard to get.  It's the strangest thing; people are eager to talk about that new television show they just watched, or chat about that hot new restaurant, but when it comes to a new book from a small press?  Crickets.  What is it about small press books that people are so afraid to talk about?

As part of my ongoing attempt to spread the word about The Temporal Element, I'd like to ask everyone who reads it to spread the word.  If people could take a few minutes and tell other bloggers, reviewers, facebook friends, twitter followers, etc... about the book, that would be of great assistance.  And don't forget to post Amazon reviews.

Those of you who haven't checked out this anthology of time travel stories, you can read more about it here, and also read free samples.  Both Print & Kindle versions are up at Amazon.com now, or you can buy a print copy from the publisher for the same price as Amazon.  Either way, if you enjoy sci-fi & fantasy, this collection will not disappoint you.

Also, if you are a blogger, and you'd be interested in letting me do a "guest post" on your blog, I'd be glad to entertain your readers with some details about the anthology's creation.  Let me know!

Contributor Limits on Amazon Kindle

I ran into another mild annoyance last week.  As I was setting up the Kindle Version of The Temporal Element, I discovered that Amazon limits the number of listed contributors to 10.  Since the Temporal Element has 20 different authors, this means only half of the writers got their names on the listing.  In doing so, I made sure those who specifically asked me about adding this title to their Amazon Author Page got their name listed, though there are probably others who didn't ask me who will want to do it, as well.

I've run into this problem, myself, having a story in an anthology and not getting into the initial listing.  Fortunately, all I had to do was contact Amazon about it and get my name attached to the title.  To help any of the other authors in The Temporal Element, I made sure that each contributor name is listed in the "book description" further down the page.  This way, if they want to add the book to their Amazon Author Page, they can point right to that when requesting the addition.  The Print Version had no such limitation, so everyone is listed there.

I understand that Amazon doesn’t want to have a huge number of names clogging up their Kindle titles, but it is kind of short-sighted.  These multi-author anthologies should not be limited to only 10.  So what if 20 or 30 people are listed as a contributing author?  That's the way it is.  Please, Amazon, revise your Kindle submission form, so we can give everyone the credit they deserve!

Another A to Z Challenge

Kindle Version

It's April again, and that means I'm doing the A to Z Challenge. All throughout the month of April, I'll be composing blog posts starting with A and going through to Z. Each weekday and Saturday, there will be a new post in alphabetical order, and it's bound to be harder this time around than in previous years. With my new Editor workload, as well as various other jobs I'm doing right now, it may be hard to plan out each and every day's post, but I'll muddle through it.

For those who have been waiting, The Temporal Element officially comes out today, and the Kindle version is available at Amazon.com. 21 stories about time-travel, from 20 great authors! It's the first anthology I've edited, but it surely won't be the last.

Well, we'll just have to see what comes up next...

Saturday Night Temporal Element Chat

This Saturday night (March 30), I'll be holding an online chat party to celebrate the upcoming release of The Temporal Element on April 1.  Several of the contributing authors will be there to answer questions, and it'll be fun to speak with prospective readers as well.  From past experience, I know these things are a positive experience, so drop by and say hello.

Those of you on Facebook can click "attending" right here!

Author Interview: William R. D. Wood

Today, I'm interviewing  William R. D. Wood, the distinguished author who contributed the short story The Long View to "The Temporal Element."  Thank you for taking the time to be interviewed, Mr. Wood.

WOOD:  It's a pleasure to be here and, please, just Will.

MTI:  Okay, Will.  For starters, how about some basic introductory material.  Tell our readers a little bit about yourself.

WOOD:  I was born under mysterious circumstances the government of South Carolina has sealed away from prying eyes, including my own. I didn't know this until I was an adult, which has made it impossible to fill in the family history blocks on every medical document since. Luckily those have been few. Doctors hate that, by the way. I spent about eight years in the US Navy as an electronics technician and five years in steel mills—both are experiences I highly recommend. You haven't truly lived until you do. I'm married to a beautiful and talented physical therapist and we have four children. I spend most of my time with them or troubleshooting various problems for a small sheet metal manufacturer. Every spare moment, including those in which intelligent people would sleep, I spend plugging away at the keyboard.

MTI:  Moving on to your writing, tell us, what first compelled you to weave fiction, and what's your favorite type of story to write?

WOOD:  Honestly, I can trace it back to when I was just a little boy. My dreams were pretty disturbing and they often woke me. Rather than fade away by morning, though, mine would often stick with me. I would try to explain them to my family and friends, but so often dream logic only makes sense when you're in somno. The urge to tell those dreams was strong. By the time I was old enough to read and write that urge to relate to others what was happening inside my head was strong enough I was sitting in front of the television drawing scenes and writing myself and my friends into the latest Star Trek or Space 1999 rerun. The story had become the thing. Life happens, as it often does, and I stopped writing through my teens and twenties and so forth. Just in the last few years have I picked up the pen and begun telling those tales again. My favorite stories to write are science fiction, usually somewhere out amongst the stars. Throw in a dash of the darkness from those old dreams and—voila!—you have a story.

MTI:  Thinking back, what one author has most influenced or inspired you?

WOOD:  There are so many. Clark, Heinlein, Chalker, McDevitt, Bear, Gaiman, just to name a few. If I had to pick one, though, Frank Herbert. I read Dune in the 10th grade and I've gauged every book since then by it. So far it still wins. That's the sort of universe I want to create and those are the sort of characters I want to populate it with.

MTI:  The Temporal Element is an anthology devoted entirely to time travel adventures.  These fictional accounts are fascinating, of course, but do you ever believe that humanity will discover a viable way to travel backwards and forwards through time?

WOOD:  I think we will. As difficult as it may be to believe from my body of work, I'm quite the optimist when it comes to humanity and our ability to push forward into places we once thought impossible. Current theories are against time travel, stating even if possible, the energy needed would be near-infinite. Think about it though. If humanity is still around in, say, one million years, what are we going to be like? What will we have achieved? What answers will we know then that we don't even know the questions to now?

MTI:  Probable or not, if you could go back to any point in history, when would you visit?

WOOD:  Wow. That's a tough one. So many other factors. What kind of gear I could take, would I get to leap geographically as well? How about I pop back to Egypt and find out just how they did build those pesky pyramids?

MTI:  Yes, the pyramids would be on my list, as well.  Thinking ahead, what one piece of futuristic technology would you like to own, or have for everyday use?

WOOD:  Years ago, I would have said matter transmitters but I've started to have doubts about those things. Probably a story in that somewhere. Cell phones are already going mobile-computer on us, so I just need to wait for those to catch up. Any weapons would be just too tempting. I guess I'll go with a Doc-In-The-Box. If you ain't dead yet, it'll keep you that way!

MTI:  Back to the subject of your writing; can you tell us a little about what you're working on right now?

WOOD:  I just finished an online class through Odyssey so I'm eager to shine some of what I learned on a few trunk pieces as well as a few pending projects, all short stories. Everything from a science fiction comedy to Lovecraftian horror. In the next few weeks I'll be pushing ahead with my first novel—a promise I've made to myself and others time and again but will actually follow through with this time! I swear. As for right now, tonight, as soon as we're finished here, a steampunk short story is in sore need of an ending.

MTI:  Other than The Long View appearing in The Temporal Element, do you have any other stories planned for publication in the near future?

WOOD:  "House Hunters" will appear in the Use Enough Gun anthology from Emby Press. Use Enough Gun is the third volume in the Monster Hunters series, edited by Miles Boothe. All good stuff. A reprint of my story "Beginning of Days" is included in the Apocalypse Special edition from Morpheus Press as well.

MTI:  You seem to have a knack for writing "doomsday" type stories; end of the world stuff.  Tell me, what sort of Armageddon scenario do you foresee as being the most likely and logical ending for Planet Earth?

WOOD:  I do tend to do that, don't I? There are so many possibilities when you consider just how small and fragile this planet is. One of my favorite doom and gloom mantras around the house is "Get me off of this rock!" With all the little asteroids whizzing around lately, we're bound to take a punch or two sooner or later and Heaven help us if it’s a big one. There's also the possibility of doing ourselves in with rogue nanomachines or GMOs gone wild. The most horrible end, to me, isn't so dramatic. I fear that time is going to trudge ahead and we're not going to get ourselves in gear in time to make it to the stars before we've lost the ability or the drive. That we're going to squander our resources, collapse our ecosystems and slowly wither away, species by species, gene by gene, trapped in our own gravity well. A few billion years are going to pass and the last thing left alive on this ball, as a blood red sun swallows us up, will be microbial extremophiles. Wow. That's pretty grim. I'm really an optimistic guy! I swear. I, personally, think we ARE going to pull it all together in time—that humanity is in this universe for the long haul.

MTI:  I share your concern and optimism about humanity reaching for the stars.  Really, the Earth is going to die sooner or later, regardless of mankind's actions, and we have to get out there, into space, if we expect to save anything of our species.

Okay, let's try something lighter now.  When you have the time, what sort of television programs do you like to watch, if any?

WOOD:  Not much television in the Wood household these days and the only thing I watch live is, oddly enough, The Walking Dead. The rest are bygone seasons of series such as, most recently, Fringe, Arrested Development, How I Met Your Mother, Game of Thrones, and various History Channel offerings. I've watched every single episode of Big Time Rush too, but only with my seven-year-old daughter, I swear.

MTI:  Yes, most of my television viewing is via DVD these days.  Have you listened to any good music lately?

WOOD:  I'm an audiobook junkie so most of my listening time is spent there and when I'm writing, I usually need silence. On the rare occasions I do listen to music, I'm never disappointed with Carbon Leaf's original work, Vernian Process, Nickelback, and some good old Billy Joel. What can I say, my tastes vary.

MTI:  Before we go, do you have anything in particular that you'd like to say to potential readers?  Something to spur their interest in your writing, perhaps?

WOOD:  I tend to write a blend of science fiction and horror. You'll usually find high stakes, a lot of action and—I hope—a story that makes you think. And, like most writers, I want all the feedback I can get. Love me or hate me, I want to hear from you!

MTI:  One last thing; would you be kind enough to share a few fresh paragraphs of fiction with us?  The readers would love a free sample.

WOOD:  I'd love to. Here's the current opening to a piece I'm calling "The Barefoot Bride."

Why was she always dead?

Nathan stood motionless in one rut of the mountain road, sequoia towering to either side.

Fumbling the satellite phone from his pocket, he pushed and held the number six, praying silently that his best friend hadn't switched numbers or blocked his calls again. He wanted to scream but the thought of his voice echoing through the forest gave him flashbacks of similar echoes in long, poorly lit hallways. A ray of midday sun found a gap in the canopy above and stabbed him in the eye. The twinge in the back of his skull dulled his vision before he could look away.

She was back and that was all that mattered.

           

The phone rang several times before an angry slur attempted, "Hello.”

"Wade? You were sleeping?"

"Working third shift," said his friend.

Nathan fought the urge to look into the unforgiving sky and directed his gaze at her body not ten yards away resting face down in the bracken and sorrel. "She's back."

"Who is this?" The voice was steadier, clearer, and an octave deeper as he woke.

"She's back again," said Nathan.

"Nathan." His friend spat his name like a curse. "You've been drinking again. Take your meds and leave me alone, okay?"

Nathan's face grew hot. But Wade was right. Amber bottles formed a tiny graveyard by the open door of the Cherokee. All stood in haphazard rows, their decapitated necks canted this way and that. One lay on its side apart from the others, unopened.

"She's back, Wade. I need you—"

"Dude, I'm gonna go now. Don't call back, okay."

"Just come up here so I can show you—"

"Are you up on the trail again? Damn it, Nathan. Do you want to start this up again? Do you want to be locked away again?"

"I've got no one else."

MTI:  Certainly a sample to think about!  Thank you, Will, for this great interview.  It was a genuine pleasure.  Those who would like to read more of William R.D. Wood's work can check out Martinus Publishing's Hit of the Month throughout March!  And don't forget to pick up a copy of The Temporal Element for more great time travel tales.

Author Interview: A.C. Hall

Today, I'm interviewing the highly talented author A.C. Hall, who contributed the short story I'll Come Back for You to "The Temporal Element."  Thank you for taking the time to be interviewed, A.C.

MTI:  Let's begin with some basic introductory material.  Could you tell our readers a little bit about yourself?

AC: I live in my hometown of Fort Worth, TX where I’m the News Director of a local newspaper.  When not writing the news, I’m writing fiction, and on the rare occasion I’m not doing that I can usually be found hanging out with my three nephews. 

MTI:  Now, let's get down to business; what first compelled you to weave fiction, and what's your favorite type of story to write?

AC: I don’t have that “aha! moment” when I realized I wanted to write, it’s just something that I’ve always done.  I was writing stories as early as the first grade, so just about as soon as I figured out how to write I was creating fiction.  I dabbled with it all through high school, and after drifting a bit after graduation I made the decision to get serious about my fiction and I’ve never looked back. 

As for my favorite story to write, I’m not really sure.  I’m a big believer in the “write to entertain yourself” philosophy.  I may find more success writing courtroom thrillers, but that’s not what entertains me.  I suppose what entertains me, and thus what I usually end up writing, is epic, action packed, character driven adventures, usually with at least a little bit of romance sprinkled in.  I’ve done sci-fi, I’ve done some hard boiled police type stuff, but I think I probably fall mostly into the speculative fiction genre on what I like to write. 

MTI:  Well put.  If you had to pick the one author who has most influenced or inspired you, who would it be?

AC:  I have to say Robert A. Heinlein.  I discovered him when I was in the 6^th grade when I picked up Starship Troopers at the library.  His work really blew me away, just from the grand ideas and also by showing me that even something spectacular and out there can have a message.  It’s not something I necessarily adopted, my work rarely has the sort of social weight that Heinlein so masterfully included, but just knowing it was possible and seeing him be such a wizard at doing it showed me that fiction, even science fiction, wasn’t just nerdy indulgence, but could have a deeper meaning.  That’s something that always stuck with me.  Plus, he’s also a masterful short story writer, which is something I’ve always wanted to be great at, so he inspired me a lot to focus not just on novels, but on short stories as well. 

MTI:  You can't go wrong with Heinlein!  Now, as you know, The Temporal Element is an anthology devoted entirely to time travel adventures.  These fictional accounts are fascinating, of course, but do you ever believe that humanity will discover a viable way to travel backwards and forwards through time?

AC:  I actually do think that we’ll eventually find a way to monkey with time.  I’m not convinced it’ll be anything like the time travel we see in our entertainment, but I’m fascinated by the idea of alternate timelines and branching timelines and things like that.  I think it’s entirely plausible that mankind will eventually find a way, either intentionally or unintentionally, to gain some sort of ability to manipulate time.  What form or fashion it’ll take on, or how it can/will be used isn’t something I have any clue about, but yeah, I think if you give science another hundred or so years they’ll get there, barring any cataclysms or armageddons.  Of course, maybe their messing with time will be what causes the cataclysms or armageddons…

MTI:  Regardless of the odds, if you could go back to any point in history, when would you visit?

AC:  I’m a big believer in the time travel theory of being hands off on the past.  As much as you might want to go assassinate a young Hitler, the unknowns of how that will impact the present are too great.  So I’d probably do something much more low key.  I’d like to go back to biblical times and hang out somewhere and watch Jesus speak, that would be pretty rad.  I’d go to the parable of the sower speech he gave from Matthew 13:1, when the crowd was so large he went out on a boat and spoke from the water.  That particular parable has always inspired me to try to do good in the world, and it would be amazing to be there to see it originally spoken. 

MTI:  That sure would be something to see firsthand.  Thinking ahead, what one piece of futuristic technology would you like to own, or have for everyday use?

AC:  Everyone says teleporter, but I’m a big fan of driving.  I’m gonna go with a universal translator, something that automatically translates any language.  I think it would be pretty cool to have the ability to freely communicate with anyone at any time no matter what language they spoke. 

MTI:  Returning to the subject of your writing, can you tell us a little about what you're working on right now?

AC:  I am on the final few chapters of a standalone sci-fi novel about terraforming.  It’s been a lot of fun, and since most of my novel work so far has been book series that are ongoing, it’s been liberating to know it’s a one-off book.  It frees you up to just dump a bunch of crazy and over the top ideas into it without having to worry about how it impacts any future books or storylines.  Plus, it’s been a blast to create the industry of terraforming, and imagining how that might operate and what kind of people would choose it as a career. 

MTI:  Other than I'll Come Back for You appearing in The Temporal Element, do you have any other stories planned for publication in the near future?

AC:  My focus has been primarily on finishing up the novel and then on a few other novels that I need to write immediately after, so I haven’t done much else in recent months.  I tend to work in cycles, where I’ll go non-stop for three months and write a book and several short stories, and then I’ll follow that up with a month or so of only a small amount of writing while I recharge.  I’m just now ramping up into another busy cycle, so I’m excited to see what comes out of it. 

MTI:  As a journalist and news director, you have a lot on your plate.  Tell us a little about your job.  What's it like?

AC:  My job is awesome.  The media doesn’t have the best reputation, and when it comes to the mainstream media I’d agree that it’s pretty well deserved.  But being at a community newspaper in my hometown, I feel like we’re doing noble work informing the citizens and entertaining them.  I’m a pretty big introvert, so why I got myself into a job that forces me to be out in the community on a daily basis is beyond me, but I love it.  Just getting to know more about my city, who the people are that live here, how the local government really works, it’s been amazing. 

As for my day to day, it varies wildly.  I don’t have any kind of schedule, I’m just on when the news is happening and off when it’s not.  It can be maddening at times, never knowing if you’re going to have an easy week or if you’re going to be spending 13 hours a day covering a case in District Court, but it’s also exhilarating.  Plus, if I’m being honest, the sort of behind the scenes access you get as a media member is awesome.  I’m naturally curious, and as a part of my job I get to see behind the curtain of governments, businesses, sports, and many other things.  It gives you a unique view and understanding of the world around you.

MTI:  As busy as you are, you probably don't have a lot of time for entertainment, but when you get the chance, what sort of tv do you like to watch?

AC:  I’m a television fanatic.  Well done TV shows almost always capture my attention, as I’m just such a fan of character progression and ongoing story arcs.  I’ll watch anything from lawyer shows like The Practice to cop shows like The Shield to sci-fi stuff like Battlestar Galactica or even more romance/coming of age stuff like Felicity or Everwood.  My current favorites are Person of Interest, Suits, Elementary, The Americans, Justified, Dexter, Banshee, Being Human (USA version, never seen the BBC one), and probably a few others I’m not remembering.  I’m also a closet pro wrestling fan, and watch just about every wrestling show that comes on each week.  It’s an obsession from my childhood that I never shook.

MTI:  Is there any particular form of music you're listening to right now?

AC:  It’s become a cliché answer over the years, but I really listen to everything.  Rock, metal, country, jazz, classical, rap, I’m up for just about anything.  When writing, I tend to go towards music that can get an emotional response out of me, as it helps me to write dialog.  I actually have several playlists of just sad or dramatic music that I’ll put on repeat that helps me stay in a vulnerable state while I write.  I’m not sure when I developed that approach, but it helps me and so I stick with it.  Some of my favorite bands are Dream Theater, Joe Satriani, Led Zeppelin, Manchester Orchestra, Louis Armstrong, Little Hurricane, We Were Promised Jetpacks, Silversun Pickups, and Editors, just to name a few. 

MTI:  This has certainly been a thrilling interview.  Before we go, do you have anything you'd like to say to potential readers?

AC:  Contact writers.  It’s simple advice that so few people follow, but I think that if readers knew how impactful it can be when a writer hears from a reader, more of them would do it.  Writing is such a solitary experience.  You sit alone for months, sometimes years depending on the writer, pouring your heart and soul into a book.  The amount of people you get genuine feedback from is very limited, maybe a few test readers and an editor, and in the end, these are people who you’ve drafted to help you, so they’re required to tell you their thoughts.

You’d be shocked how deafening the silence can be when you release a book, even if you have the sales data that shows fifty, sixty, seventy people have bought it, you hear so little feedback.  Did they love it, did they hate it, do they want more of those characters, it’s so difficult to gauge that.  So without fail, every time I read a book, the first thing I do upon completion is get online, find the author’s website, and send them an email.  I usually keep it brief, and just say thanks for writing the book, I’ll tell them what I enjoyed about it, and that’s that.  You wouldn’t believe the responses I get, even from bestselling authors, who have emailed me back (every single author I’ve ever contacted emails me back, by the way, which is very cool) and just thanked me so profusely for the feedback.

Writers live in a desert, in a manner of speaking, and feedback from readers is the water they so desperately need and crave.  So I would just encourage everyone to take three minutes of your life when you finish a book, and shoot off an email to the author.  That small amount of encouragement carries a humungous amount of weight. 

MTI:  On that note, I think you'll agree that readers posting online reviews are big help too.  If even a tenth of the readers who read a book posted a review of it somewhere, life would be so much easier for up-and-coming writers.

As we close out this little chat, do you happen to have a few paragraphs of fiction you'd like to share? Perhaps something recently written that nobody's seen before?

AC:  Sure!  This is from chapter twentyish (chapter numbers will shift in the final edit) of my as yet unnamed terraforming sci-fi novel, which should be out in late Summer of this year. 

      A man in heavy golden armor started to emerge from the wormhole.  In his hands was a long black scythe.  Before he fully emerged, Brushfire slammed into him, driving the barrel of the mini-gun into the Legionnaire’s chest.  The Legionnaire fell backwards, disappearing into the wormhole. 

      Brushfire shoved his mini-gun into the wormhole and pulled the trigger.  The air around them was filled with screams as he cut down the Legionnaires who were gathered on the far side of the wormhole.  They couldn’t see what was happening, but as Brushfire slowly swept his gun back and forth, it was clear it was a massacre.  

      Soon bodies started falling out of the wormhole.  Golden armor was covered red with blood as Legionnaires tried to find safety by rushing out of the wormhole.  Those who made it were already badly wounded or dead, and a pile of golden bodies started to build up at Brushfire’s feet.  He had most of his gun shoved into the portal and wore a grim expression upon his face as he dispensed death at five hundred rounds a second.   

      The wormhole abruptly closed, leaving a fresh pile of corpses and very little of Brushfire’s gun behind.  The entire barrel had been cut away when the wormhole closed, and Brushfire held up what was left of his ruined gun and inspected it.  He threw it on the pile of bodies, then turned towards Nelson. 

      “I’m going to need a few of your pistols.” 

      Nelson pulled two of them free and handed them over without a word of protest. 

MTI:  Intriguing stuff.  Thank you, A.C., for a great interview.  Those who want to see his latest story publication can pick up a copy of The Temporal Element.

Author Interview: Arthur M. Doweyko

Today, I'm interviewing Dr. Arthur M. Doweyko, an exceptional author who contributed the short story Harry and Harry to "The Temporal Element."  Thank you for taking the time to be interviewed, Dr. Doweyko.

MTI: Starting off, could you tell our readers a little bit about yourself?

DOWEYKO: Ever since taking a vocational aptitude test in high school that told me I had an equal chance of success in science or art, I've opted to use creativity as a central force in my life. It's been a key to my success in science (from a PhD in bioorganic chemistry to drug-discovery research culminating in the discovery of a new cancer drug) and the arts (from a one-man art exhibit to a number of awards in writing). I am now a writer of science fiction tales which draw upon real science. Of course, I don't mind inserting some fantasy here and there, just to keep the reader guessing.

MTI: Fascinating.  Now, getting down to business; what first compelled you to weave fiction, and what's your favorite type of story to write?

DOWEYKO:  It's hard to pin down the first compulsion to tell tales, but I can say that as a child telling stories to my friends, I'll never forget seeing the twinkle in their eyes as I drew them deeper into a particularly dramatic scene. I love that feeling. I think the best story is one that the reader accepts as possible. A believable situation gets the reader into the story quickly, and once in, they are compelled onward to, hopefully, a satisfying conclusion. 

MTI:  Tell me, if you had to pick just one author who has influenced or inspired your fiction writing exploits, who would it be?

DOWEYKO:  This is a tough one to answer with one author. However, I could be sly here and say that my favorite author was 1/3 Asimov, 1/3 Crichton, and 1/3 Serling—Asimov for the pure science, Crichton for the believable hook, and Serling for the nostalgic fantasy.

MTI:  Now as you know, The Temporal Element is an anthology devoted entirely to time travel adventures.  These fictional accounts are fascinating, of course, but do you ever believe that humanity will discover a viable way to travel backwards and forwards through time?

DOWEYKO:  Of course, there are lots of theories of time travel, and they all require either a tremendous amount of energy and mass, or a convenient wormhole. These approaches seem theoretically sound, but incredibly difficult to pull off. Having said that, I think the first tractable forms of time travel will be to the future (one-way), simply by using Einstein's space-time effects at velocities approaching the speed of light. Travel to the past is a lot more problematic, but an existing wormhole might allow it (assuming different space-time at either end). The CTC (closed time curve) device mentioned in Harry and Harry, is a fictional example of a real scientific effort underway at the University of Connecticut, wherein spinning laser beams will be used to establish a space-time distortion sufficient to allow particles from the future to arrive in the present. In theory, the CTC works only as long as it is kept running.

MTI:  If you could go back to any point in history, when would you visit, and why?

DOWEYKO:  If travel to the past is made possible, then I'd opt to show up just before the universe appeared. Now that would be a trip.

MTI:  Indeed, and then we would have to redefine Planck's constant, I believe.  Now, looking forward, what one piece of futuristic technology would you most like to own, or have to use today?

DOWEYKO: In keeping with the theme, the obvious answer is a time machine—one that goes in both directions. Second to that, assuming that future tech works out the kinks to the development of reliable nerve-cpu connectivity, I'd be interested in linking my mind directly to all the data available in the world, perhaps a form of the internet. Such a link could represent the next big thing in the evolution of man.

MTI:  Shifting back to your writing, can you tell us a little about what you're working on right now?

 

DOWEYKO:  I am in the midst of writing a new novel, Angela's Apple. It's a story about a guardian angel, who is not an angel, that assumes a human form because of love for the man she (it) is supposed to worry over. Together, they stand up to the greatest conspiracy ever to face humankind. So, it's a story about who we are, about aliens, and about secrets.

MTI:  Thought-provoking stuff.  Other than Harry and Harry appearing in The Temporal Element, do you have any other stories slated for publication in the near future?

DOWEYKO:  I generally write short stories on a continual basis, taking the opportunity during breaks while working on the novel. There are a couple of shorts in the publication queue:

            Cherry Creek - In the late 1800s this town was a thriving mining center. Now it's a ghost town, I mean a real ghost town. The story was a Finalist in 2012 Royal Palm Literary Award Competition. To be published in the Dead Rush Anthology, Wicked East Press, ed. Jessica A. Weiss, 2013.

            Flib734 - A story of dementia, a story of friendship. Fred copes with loneliness by discovering an intelligence in the mainframe. To be published in the Abandoned Towers Magazine, ed. Karin Abel, 2013.

MTI:  Ah, yes, I'm familiar with Jessica A. Weiss.  We both participated in a writing competition/exercise years ago, hosted by Pill Hill Press.  Good fun.

From reading your bio and website, it appears you have some fascinating ideas about fictional alien encounters.  Tell me, do you have any thoughts concerning the works of Erich Von Däniken, or the "Ancient Astronaut" theories?

DOWEYKO:  I am an avid follower of the Ancient Aliens TV program, and have read Von Däniken extensively. I think there is viable evidence that something odd occurred in the past, although I doubt all the claims the show or Von Däniken makes. The most compelling evidence is in the form of carved stone, wherein the best example is in Puma Punku, Bolivia, where the stone work was clearly cut by machine at a time when that was impossible based on our current understanding of history. I also am a fan of the recently deceased, Philip Coppens, who made some outstanding contributions to our understanding of really ancient civilizations.

MTI:  Excellent answer.  Okay, let's take a breather and try something a little lighter, shall we?  When you have the time to sit back and relax, what kind of tv programs do you like to watch, if any?

DOWEYKO:  Science fiction is my favorite genre, but there are few TV programs that have intelligent plots and believable characters. I must say a few recent shows were enjoyable: Fringe and Battlestar Gallactica had some level of real science embedded which made the stories credible. I still don't like hearing rocket blasts in the vacuum of space, but what the heck.

MTI:  Any particular music that you enjoy?

DOWEYKO:  Any music which departs from the usual formula. Two groups come to mind: Queen and Pink Floyd.

MTI:  As we get near to the end of our interview, do you have any thoughts of wisdom you'd like to share with potential readers?

DOWEYKO:  Wisdom is located between the ears of the listener, thus difficult to impart. Readers of science fiction should demand that we move away from the cult status of dystopia, vampires, zombies. Get away from comic book heroes with flat, untextured personalities, clichéd behavior, and plots heavy on violence. Much of what we see in movies has also penetrated the writing world—lots of action, little intelligence. As I get older, the most interesting questions are the ones we seem least able to answer: who are we, why are we here, does something happen next? If you're going to read or write, give these questions a try. Like issues of morality, there are no easy answers, but the exploration of possible answers can be quite a thrill.

MTI:  To wrap things up, I'm sure our readers would love to see a few paragraphs of your recent work.  Dare we ask for a brief sample?

DOWEYKO:  Here is a sample of a recently completed short story, Little Snowy Mountains:

Dr. Armstrong Pearl reached beneath the fossilized remains of the sauropod's tenth cervical vertebra, and ran his fingers over the smooth surface of what felt like a cranium. Beads of sweat coalesced into streams that ran along his temples, seeped into the gullies and rills of his weathered neck, and emptied into a marsh on his tan khaki shirt front.

            He was part of a group of intrepid souls interested in paleontology and willing to donate time and energy to one of the Little Snowy Mountain Institute's summer digs. The sixty-five million year old sauropod fossil was this year's focus—which put it about fifty-five million years ahead of the first hominids. What exactly were his fingers caressing?

            "Whatcha got there, Armstrong?"

            He brushed a handful of dirt back onto the skull. "Nothing. Just trying to get under this verterbra, Johansen."

            "Careful you don't get stuck and make us dig you out." Johansen chuckled at his remark. "We're closin' shop in a few minutes, so wrap things up."

Armstrong watched the man wander off. Long shadows caressed the exposed verterbrae. As he reached down and slipped his finger below the nasal bone, he saw other team members rising to join Johansen. The skull could be the find of the century. He clawed away some more loose dirt, wincing as his hand wedged between rock and bone. He pushed down and ran a forefinger along the smooth edges of an alveolar margin which preceded the upper teeth.

            The group following Johansen was nearly out of sight. His fingertip curled around a tooth, and tugged it loose. He tossed a scoop of dirt over the skull. When he held up the specimen for a closer look, he squeezed his eyes shut, took in a deep breath, and looked again to be sure. It was a human canine, and it sported a ceramic crown.

MTI:  Thank you, Doctor, for taking the time to be interviewed, and for giving such insightful responses.  I certainly enjoyed it, and I'm sure our readers have, too.  Those who want to read more of his work can pick up The Temporal Element.

Author Interview: Bruno Lombardi

Today, I'm interviewing Bruno Lombardi, who contributed A Thursday Night at Doctor What's Time and Relative Dimensional Space Bar and Grill to "The Temporal Element."  Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions, Bruno.

MTI: First of all, tell our readers a little bit about yourself?  Nothing too personal, or anything, just some introductory stuff.

LOMBARDI:  Remember that guy in university who everyone agreed was really bright but was also really, really unfocused? The guy who could get straight B’s in courses by writing a 15 page paper the night before it was due but couldn’t be bothered to put the effort into getting an A plus? The guy who switched his major more often than most people switch jobs? The perennial ‘professional student’?

Yeah—that was pretty much me during most of the 90’s.

It wasn’t a complete loss, mind you; I ended up with a double major in psychology and anthropology, with a certificate in addiction studies thrown in for good measure. I also ended up with an amazing collection of friends, as well as an equally amazing collection of stories and adventures. After bouncing around in the ‘real world’ for a while, I ended up by pure dumb luck getting a job working as a civil servant for the Canadian government in September 2001. Been working in various positions in the civil service since then.

MTI:  You're relatively new to the "published" world.  How long have you been writing fiction?

LOMBARDI:  I have been regaling friends and family with numerous stories about my various travel adventures and general day-to-day silliness since at least my college days, but I’ve only been writing fiction for about seven years or so now.

MTI:  What first compelled you to write fiction, and what's your favorite type of story to write?

LOMBARDI:  That’s an interesting question. Back in January 2004, I signed up on an alternate history forum, mostly because I started reading up on some of Harry Turtledove’s work and wanted to see what else was out there plus to chat with other fans. I quickly became friends with various other online people there and they used to be amused/bemused by my ‘Bruno-esque’ stories, as they called them, of my various (mis)adventures.

The general consensus of the people there was that a) I was a talented story-teller, able to regale people with seemingly mundane things as just the simple act of going to a pub or travelling on a train; and b) I was ‘wasting’ my writing skills by not writing any actual (fiction) stories.

As a favor to a member there, who had devoted quite a bit of his time to developing an ‘alternate China’ timeline for the site, I was asked to write a short story based on his timeline. That was back in 2006. Since then, I’ve written a total of nine stories based in that ‘universe,’ with the longest story being more of a novella, at just shy of 33,000 words in length.

I got seriously bitten by the writing bug after that first short story, trying my hand at everything from post-apocalyptic to horror to alternate history—but my favorite genre still remains that vaguely defined and nebulous ‘speculative fiction.’

MTI:  If you could name just one author who has influenced or inspired you, who would it be?

LOMBARDI:  When I was at the ripe old age of eight years old, my older sister went off to college. Bless her heart, but rather than chuck out all her old books, she decided instead to dump them all on her very bright but shy and bookish baby brother. As a result, I was introduced to the nearly complete works of Ray Bradbury.

I think I went through the entire collection in under six months.

Seeing how voracious my newfound interest was in science-fiction, my sister gave me all of her old Amazing Stories, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Analog and Asimov’s Science Fiction magazines the following year. Thirty plus years later, I still have some of those magazines on a shelf on my bookcase.

I was inspired by quite a few authors since that time, obviously, but I can safely say that if it weren’t for Bradbury I would never have become interested in science fiction.

MTI:  Yes, Bradbury was one my early influences, as well, and his passing last year was very sad, though he had a good long life.

Your story, A Thursday Night at Doctor What's..., appears in "The Temporal Element," a Martinus Publishing anthology devoted entirely to time travel adventures.  These fictional accounts are fascinating, of course, but do you ever believe that humanity will discover a viable way to travel backwards and forwards through time?

LOMBARDI:  I say yes—although if that would be a good thing or a bad thing is the 64 million dollar question.

MTI:  With that in mind, if you could go back to any point in history, when would you visit?

LOMBARDI:   Just like every kid, I went through a big ‘dinosaur freak’ phase. Unlike most kids though, I never really outgrew that phase, so I would love to go back to that time period and just observe them—hopefully without ending up in someone’s stomach, of course!

MTI:  I believe Steven Gepp's Extinction will be right up your alley in that regard.  On the flip side, what one piece of futuristic technology would you like to have right now?

LOMBARDI:  Faster Than Light drive. I haven’t the faintest idea what form it will take—be it warp engine or hyperspace or jump gates—but that device will be the one thing that will alter the course of humanity forever. We humans are defined as a curious species, and to have the universe finally opened up to us would be the ultimate transformative event in human history.

Mind you—to paraphrase P. J. O'Rourke—that may very well be like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys...

MTI:  In your bio, you mention that a lot of weird things have happened to you in the past.  What's one of the strangest things you can recall (and that you're comfortable enough to admit)?

LOMBARDI:  A bit of background. I take the train everywhere and Via Rail has a ‘Via Points’ program, which works pretty much the same way as air mile points work. Back in 2007, I was curious one day as to exactly how many points I actually accumulated on the card, so I called up the customer service line and gave her my number.

The girl on the line laughed hysterically for a full ten seconds.

When I inquired as what was so funny, I was informed that I possessed one of the ‘very first cards ever issued’ and that this was the first time she’s spoken to someone like that. It had totally made her day. When I asked just how many points I had, I was given a truly ridiculously high number—27,000 IIRC. Asking what exactly can I do with so many points, I was informed that I could go first class from Ottawa to Toronto, then take the cross country train from Toronto to Vancouver, with my own cabin and all meals and booze included, and then take the return back from Vancouver to Toronto and first class from Toronto to Ottawa.

All for free.

Since I had some vacation time coming up and had a friend from university that I had not seen for a while living in BC and it was my birthday soon, it’s pretty easy to guess what I did at that point.

So a few months later, I’m travelling my way across Canada and the train stops in Jasper, Alberta for a quick stopover.

I get out to stretch my legs, check out the scenery (the town is located at the base of the Canadian Rockies), grab a bite to eat and so forth—when I spot someone.

On that alternate history website I mentioned, I’m friends with a Brit. We’ve collaborated on a few stories together but all of our interaction has been online, either through the board or e-mail. We’ve never actually met before but both of us have posted a few pictures of ourselves over the years.

Guess who just happened to be travelling with his family on a Rocky Mountain trip that particular week?

My friend was vaguely disappointed; he always felt that we should have exchanged black suitcases on a park bench someplace just to complete the surrealism of the whole meeting. Instead, we spent an hour in a coffee shop discussing politics, upcoming writing projects and Atlantis—which I suppose was probably just as surreal to whoever was eavesdropping on us.

MTI:  Back to your writing, you recently had a novel published called "Snake Oil."  Give us the scoop on that.

LOMBARDI:  It’s an amusing take on the ‘First Contact’ premise. Rather than coming here to destroy us or give us enlightenment or test us in order to bring us into the Federation or whatever, when the aliens do show up they come as the interstellar version of used car salesmen, offering humanity a plethora of deals—all for the right price, of course.

Needless to say, I had a lot of fun writing it, with tongue-in-cheek references to pretty much every science fiction cliché and cultural reference out there.

MTI:  If I may take a moment to stroke my own ego a tad, I'd like to share with our readers that I was pleased to "discover" Bruno even prior to his novel acceptance, by accepting "A Thursday Night at Doctor What's Time and Relative Dimensional Space Bar and Grill" to The Temporal Element.  Do I know talent when I see it, or what?

Okay, enough of that.  Let's talk about the future, shall we?  Can you tell us a little about what writing project you're working on right now?  Or is that top secret?

LOMBARDI:  I’ll be happy to tell you about it. It’s a novel titled ‘The Coin.’ It’s a bit of a different take from my usual style, much ‘darker’ and serious.

The basic premise is that the thirty pieces of silver that were given to Judas to betray Jesus have become, essentially, both evil and sentient. The novel has two parallel plots; the first follows the pieces of silver—and the people they’ve interacted with—through the last 2000 years of history. The second is centered on a young man who can best be described as a ‘nice but slightly messed up loser’ trying to get his life back together again and opening up a bed and breakfast in a small town in present-day Newfoundland.

I’m not giving anything away when I tell you that there’s a connection between him and the coins.

MTI:  Well, my curiosity is certainly piqued.  I can't wait to see that unique story on the market!  Now, on a lighter note, have you watched any good tv lately?

LOMBARDI:  I’ve become totally addicted to Person of Interest and The Walking Dead. The Walking Dead because, well, zombies and post-apocalypse, d’uh! Person of Interest because it’s a brilliant multi-layered show where, for once, you’ll find yourself actually happy that ‘Big Brother’ is watching out for you...

MTI:  How about music?

LOMBARDI:  I’m a big fan of blues and jazz—I even worked as a volunteer on a jazz festival in Toronto one summer—but lately I’ve been buying up some CDs that can best be described as ‘globalization blues/jazz’. Basically blues/jazz but interpreted by artists from Cameroon to Brazil to Taiwan. It’s fascinating seeing ‘normal’ music get a different spin done to them.

MTI:  We're almost out of time, so before we close I'd like to ask if there are any words of wisdom you'd like to share with potential readers?  Either that, or you could just give us a good sales pitch to get people reading.

LOMBARDI:  Three pieces of advice.

‘Perseverance pays off’ would be the first major piece of advice I could give to any would-be writers in the audience.

The second piece of advice would be to all those naysayers that say that they have no stories to tell. That’s a lie. Everyone has a story to tell. Everyone. The world is full of people—and therefore, full of stories to tell.

The third piece of advice would be a piece of great advice that Ray Bradbury gave to both writers and readers alike: You must stay drunk on writing so reality can’t destroy you. No truer words have ever been spoken.

MTI:  And finally, do you have a paragraph or two of fresh writing material that you'd like to share with our audience?

LOMBARDI:  I’ll be happy to. Right now I’m working on a short story for a possible anthology. Here’s a small snippet of it:

The road was lit with Moon and star…

The Road was lit with Moon and star —
The Trees were bright and still —
Descried I — by the distant Light
A Traveller on a Hill —
To magic Perpendiculars
Ascending, though Terrene —
Unknown his shimmering ultimate —
But he indorsed the sheen —

- Emily Dickinson

July 20, 1970 – Cocoa Beach, Florida

David finished off his third bottle of beer and threw it into the ocean. With a loud splash, the bottle vanished beneath the waves, the ripples of its demise into the deep reflecting the moonlight like a cracked dark mirror.

With a cackling laugh, David looked up at the full Moon. Cocking his hand into the shape of a gun, he careful squinted one eye and sighted his index finger at the center of the Moon—and made a ‘bang’ sound.

“Got you, you mother,” he whispered to the universe at large.

Cracking open his fourth beer of the night, David Daniel Thomas Patton—'General DDT’ to his friends; Commander (Retired) Patton to his former Navy crew; ‘Dave’ to his family—proceeded to celebrate.

He was going to be the first man to walk on the Moon.

It was sometime after 3 a.m. when David—having finished his sixth beer of the night—decided to stagger home.

‘Home’ was about three miles away from the point on the beach where he had unceremoniously commended a six pack of beer to the ocean depths. Under normal circumstances, the walk would have been a rather pleasant forty-five minute journey.

This evening, however, in light of his rather advanced state of inebriation, it appeared that the journey home would take about an hour and a half instead, as his feet—against all protests to the contrary by what remained of his conscious brain—were intent on taking him the ‘long’ way home.

He came to a sudden stop as he realized where his wanderings had taken him.

Of course—where else would he be, especially today of all days?

Taking a deep breath, David walked into Apollo 11 Memorial Park.

He always hated the statue.

The statue—two astronauts standing side by side as they gazed towards the west—were completely nondescript. It was impossible to tell which one was Armstrong or Aldrin. The artist and the politicians had all given speeches about how that had been the point—something about ‘symbolizing the unity of man’ or some such nonsense—but David still hated it nevertheless.

The plaque, on the other hand, never failed to bring a tear to his eye. As he read it again, for the umpteenth time, he felt his eyes begin to water.

Fate has ordained that the men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay on the moon to rest in peace.

These brave men, Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, know that there is no hope for their recovery. But they also know that there is hope for mankind in their sacrifice.

These two men have laid down their lives in mankind's most noble goal:  the search for truth and understanding.

They will be mourned by their families and friends; they will be mourned by their nation; they will be mourned by the people of the world; they will be mourned by a Mother Earth that dared send two of her sons into the unknown.

In their exploration, they stirred the people of the world to feel as one; in their sacrifice, they bind more tightly the brotherhood of man.

In ancient days, men looked at stars and saw their heroes in the constellations. In modern times, we do much the same, but our heroes are epic men of flesh and blood.

Others will follow and surely find their way home. Man's search will not be denied. But these men were the first, and they will remain the foremost in our hearts.

For every human being who looks up at the moon in the nights to come will know that there is some corner of another world that is forever mankind.

“We’re coming, guys,” whispered David. “Just you wait—we’re coming.”

Still swaying, David turned and continued his way home.

***

MTI:  Wow.  I've got to read the rest of that one sometime!  Thank you, Bruno, for giving us a glimpse of such a fine story, and for an all around fine interview.  Those who want to read more of Bruno's work can pick up a copy of The Temporal Element.