We are pleased to present author, David Reynolds and his new book, Aware!
Where
are you from?
I’m one of the few people that was
actually born in Tucson, AZ. Other than
one semester at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff I have lived in Tucson
all my life. I enjoy the desert and
while snow is fun to visit, I have absolutely no desire to live with it.
Why
do you write?
I write for many different
reasons. Sometimes, like with Aware, I
want to explore an idea. Other times I
use writing to point a finger at the issue of the day and how I feel about
it. Sometimes I just want to play with
words, for example I’m trying to come up with a story just so I can use the
phrase “I’ve soiled my doily”.
What
inspired you to write your first book?
I guess inspiration came from people
telling me I could. Apparently, my 4th
grade teacher had me referred to be tested for special education because I had
spelling issues. (I say apparently
because I was in 4th grade and didn’t really pay attention to parent
teacher meetings. I just knew I hated
spelling bees and usually took a dive on the first word.) She noted that while I had no problem telling
stories I never wrote them down. My
mother also told me many times that I was a good writer while in school. At one point I decided to show all those
supporters in my life that their support was warranted and started
writing. Goes to show the power of
telling people they can as opposed to telling them they can’t.
What
genre do you typically write?
Most of my stories fit in the science
fiction realm. Perhaps it is a leftover
from watching Star Trek re-runs as a child, but I like how sci-fi can set up a
metaphor that explores the human condition.
Do
you feel like you have a specific writing style?
I’m fairly chaotic. Sometimes I know exactly where a story is
going and other times I am surprised as the characters I write. Some stories are all narrative and some are
more dialogue driven. That chaos is
probably why some of my stories take so long to gestate.
How
long does it usually take you to write a book?
I have a few shorts that came to me in
the night that I wrote in a few hours and I have other ideas that have been
percolating for a quite few years now.
What
do you do to conquer writer’s block?
What?
Nobody told me writer’s block could be conquered! Actually I struggle with this a lot. Sometimes when I get stuck I’ll re-read the
entire story or I may put it away for a while and pick up another story. One thing that does help for me is music,
specifically ‘80s heavy metal. I’ve
tried writing to other types of music and they just don’t work.
What
can you tell us about your favorite character from your book?
Aware only has three characters and one
of them is knocked out in the opening scene so there is not much to choose
from. I started writing Aware to explore
the idea of artificial intelligence and wanting to trace the arc of how RB3
becomes aware of itself but as I wrote I got more and more interested in
Jenkins’s journey as well. She was
originally conceived just so RB3 would have someone to interact with but she
soon took on a life of her own as I got more and more fascinated with her
growth. So while it would be hard to say
which I like better, Jenkins did take me by surprise and she sticks out in my
mind.
What
actor or actress would you like to see play your character in the movie
adaptation
It would probably drive her her nuts as
it is kinda’ type casting, but I do see Sigourney Weaver slipping into the role
of Jenkins quite easily.
What book are you reading now?
As soon
as it arrives I will be looking through Unconventional, Contrary, and Ugly:
The Lunar Landing Research Vehicle as a prelude to building a flying model of
the LLRV. I just started I Am Legend by
Richard Matheson. Before that was the Aneka
Jansen series by Niall Teasdale. Getting
Stoned with Savages by J. Maarten Troost preceded that. Getting Stoned came after re-reading The Commander
series by Randell Allen Farmer. Prior to
that was Bad Unicorn by Platte F. Clark.
Yes, I do read a lot from many different genres.
What are your current projects?
I have an idea banging around in my head
dealing with a certain angle’s fall from grace as a prequel to my story Contracts
of the Father. It’s sort of the untold
story type of thing. I am also working
on a story called The Barbie Killers that sprang up from sitting around with
friends and trading jokes about how to kill a super model. There is also a small spark that is a
continuation of Aware.
If
you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Actually, I already made the
change. Jenkins was originally a male
character and I realized all my leads were male and the more I thought about it
the more I wanted to write a good female lead.
Can you share a little of your work with us?
You can find a short sample of all my
stories on my website – www.davidsreynolds.weebly.com Some of my stories are free on Smashwords.com
as well.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Sometimes remaining focused is a huge
challenge!
Do
you have any advice for other writers?
Don’t let anybody tell you that their
way is the only way to do things. Do
what works for you.
Do
you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
First, thank you so much for reading and
please be sure to leave a review! Your
support helps me continue writing.
Second, please be sure to look me up on Facebook at Renaissance Redneck
Media and on Twitter @davidsreynolds1
An accident in space has left Navigation Specialist Jenkins alone on a ship that is dying. She is almost certain that the initial malfunction was caused by a robot, proving in her mind that all robots are useless. Jenkins finds this conviction challenged by Repair Bot 3, the last of three bots that is struggling with becoming aware. The two advisories must find a way to understand each other and work as a team in order for both to survive.
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