- a writer of humorous sci-fi adventures and a huge fan of pizza
Readers, thanks for checking out another Author Spotlight Interview. Let's give a good, hearty welcome to this week's guest!
Steve is a late bloomer who waited to pursue his dream of writing, but is now working on the third book of the Jack Gripper trilogy.
He was lucky enough to have fled the big city life at the age of ten to enjoy a healthy country upbringing on a farm. Well, ok, it was his parents who moved, he just tagged along. His parents also got him reading at a young age, and as a bit of a loner, he read a lot of fiction at an early age.
After decades of dreaming about being a novelist, the Covid-19 Lockdown of 2020 became his golden opportunity to actually make it happen. A lifetime resident of the Northwest, Steve now lives in Portland Or, and looks forward to a future life in the country with a dog and several cats while writing more zany escapades.
He was weaned on the classics of sci-fi and fantasy from an early age and hopes to share his still optimistic and quirky sense of humor with others.
Steve, thanks for agreeing to be here today. Most author spotlight interviews start off with the boring stuff, but I know what readers REALLY want to know.
If you could have any pet (real/fantasy/no-allergies/no worries about feeding it) what would it be?
A servile or lynx with good dental hygiene and access to a quality feline mouthwash. OK, that would probably be my responsibility… unless the cat also had enhanced intelligence. Then it would have to navigate its own dental care. Just sayin’.
Sounds super fun! (I think you meant pegacorn)
What do you write? And how did you get started?
Currently sci-fi comedy, but I have works in progress in the genres of fantasy and straight sci-fi, as well as the third book of the comedy series. I was weaned on the classics of sci-fi and fantasy from an early age.
My favorite types!
What do you like to read?
Mostly sci-fi and fantasy, but also historical fiction and classic literature.
A nice mix.
Name one commonly accepted piece of writing advice that doesn't work for you
Don't edit as you write.
For me the beauty of writing is sculpting the words like layers of paint. They take massaging and it matters how the story is told, the feeling and texture of it. I leave as little to my editor as I can.
Oh, I leave as little for my editor as possible, but I don't edit until after the rough draft. Once I know where I'm going, massaging the story into shape is easier for me.
Name one commonly accepted piece of writing advice they can pry out of your cold, dead hands
Know your genre and limits.
I think that says it all.
Indeed! Knowing what genre you're writing lets you know what the reader's expectations will be. And that is the key to delivering or subverting their expectations.
Shameless Self-Promotion time!
Book Three of the Jack Gripper series Oops, Wrong Universe! will be out Summer 2023.
Jack Gripper’s just a normal dude who enjoys playing pranks and eating pizza. But when he’s tasked with selecting an alien species to mentor Earth for the next one hundred years, it’s up to him to make the right call or the Earth is doomed. That’s a lot to ask from a guy with a questionable past.
Can Jack overcome challenging obstacles and diabolical plots to pick the right alien? And, more importantly…can chocolate and pizza survive the alien encounter?
You’ll love this satirical sci-fi adventure for its fast-paced action, hilarious hi-jinks, and relatable characters.
Jack Gripper is worried. The LameLame have started a war. And the Council wants him to save the galaxy.
So much for enjoying pizza and peace on Earth. The problem is it’s only been three months since Jack became a washaluki. He’s just discovering the extent of his power. Yet now he must journey across the stars and battle his blobby alien foes. The ones destroying planets. Yeah, no big deal.
Space slugs? Check! Sentient spaceships? Check! Slimy supervillains? Of course! This whacky space adventure spans galaxies and dimensions, but somehow still manages to trip over the cats!
Check out Steve Heiman across the web!
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