Recently, Prehistoric Magazine, the publication that spawned Primal Publishing, published an interview with me in their December 2022 issue. With their consent, I’ve reposted the interview in full below for those who did not get a chance to read the interview when it appeared.
Oh, and if you haven’t already, click here to subscribe to Prehistoric Magazine! Or click on the logo above.
Anyway, let’s dive in!
Q: What kinds of creatures will we be seeing in this book?
A: Given the arctic setting, the book largely focuses on ice-age creatures. We do get our fair share of dinosaurs and mythical beasts as well. Our villain pulls out all the stops, sending everything he can at our main characters. From T-Rex to orcs and everything in between, there’s quite a menagerie on display.
Q: How have you upped the ante from Island to Tundra?
A: This time around, we kick things off with a massive reveal that I won’t spoil here, but I’ll give you the basics: A major character who died in Island of Legends isn’t dead! From there, the story is propelled forward after our main character’s infant son is kidnapped.
I wanted to tell a story that asks the question “How far is too far?”, even for the sake of saving your child. How much of you is left after you’ve given all of yourself to the fight? Questions like this drove the plot forward for me and continue to drive me forward as I work on the third book.
Q: What role do creatures play in your fiction?
A: With few exceptions, creatures can serve two roles in my fiction: First and foremost, creatures are a narrative device that drives the characters forward, forcing them to confront parts of the world and themselves they fear. Secondly, the creature itself must be a character, facing the same trials and tribulations as the human characters in its own way. It may be subtle in the best of cases, but the creature needs to be a character, and not a secondary character at that. Too many times, the monster gets top billing while the human characters end up stealing the show. Both need to be treated with equal respect when balancing the narrative flow, even if the creature is just there to fight the main character once to move the plot ahead. Even if it’s just there for a chapter, it can’t be window dressing. It needs to have a purpose and a voice in its own way.
Q: What are your favorite kinds of creatures to use?
A: I’m going to be selfish here and say Kaiju first and foremost, even though they don’t play a huge role in this story. I mainly wanted to stick to small-scale creatures in this novel that would help me build the foundation of the third entry in the trilogy, and possibly a sequel series if there’s enough demand. So, I stuck with some of my favorites: dinosaurs, ice-age beasts, and genetic monstrosities made in the likeness of famous fantasy and sci-fi creatures. All have their place in this story, even if it’s just to let you know they exist and plant seeds for more novels.
Q: This series is a departure from the usual Jurassic Park-style thriller, and it takes quite a few risks, both in content and in choice of creatures. In what ways do you feel this helps the series?
A: In the first book, I had a line of marketing that still holds true: “Island of Legends takes the work of Michael Crichton to a whole new level. Dinosaurs aren’t enough for Xmortem, and they aren’t enough for S.T. Hoover!” I always try and take the genre I’m writing in to cool and interesting places, and sometimes, that leads me to push the limits of what’s considered acceptable. Don’t get me wrong, I love the books that color inside the lines, so to speak, but that’s just not the creator I am. I can color within the lines and create a fun story, but why not doodle some cool stuff on the sidelines as well? It may not be better than the foundation of what these thrillers tend to present, but it adds interest and intrigue that my readers enjoy.
Q: Without going into too much detail, describe Mars as a protagonist. What makes readers want to root for her?
A: Everyone loves a mother trying to save her child, but I wanted Mars to be so much more than that. I wanted her to be likeable in her own right, as well as driven by more than just the desire to save her son. I wanted her to feel betrayed, abandoned, and above all else, limitless. I don’t like characters who say, “I can’t do that,” be they female or male. Even if they fail, they need to get back up again with that same attitude that got them so far already. It doesn’t always work out that way, but that just makes Mars an even more real character in my eyes. In addition, I also wanted to give her some flaws, both physical and mental. I can’t say much more about that without getting into spoilers, but suffice to say that in this book, Mars will have all her strengths put to the test.
Q: You write a wide variety of fiction, from the mysterious DenCom Thriller series to the ambitious Asher Bryant Adventure series to experimental standalones like Siron. How have you integrated the experience from writing these different genres into making the Godqueen Trilogy as unique as it is?
A: In a lot of ways, the Godqueen Trilogy is a sandbox for me. I wanted to create a universe where anything goes, so far as creatures were concerned. I could bring in anything and everything I wanted, no matter where the creatures came from. The creatures I could feature in DenCom are limited due to the in-universe “magic system”—if it can even be called that—and Siron, while fun, was a standalone with limited sequel potential, if any. And Asher was a direct response to those few limitations the DenCom universe has.
I love being able to cut loose and not having to worry about any in-universe limitations governing the MacGuffin or monster of the story. And in Godqueen, I wanted to expand on that by creating a situation where any creature imaginable could be brought into existence. Mythical, supernatural, or extinct, it could be reconstructed in flesh and blood, and that got the creative juices flowing like never before. Literally any creature could show up, any monster could appear and serve a purpose in this series, where in my other series’ universes that are much narrower, crossing the streams—so to speak—could lead to a confused and even disgruntled reader base.
From the get-go, the existence of any creature is possible in the Godqueen Trilogy, and that’s why I love it so much!
START READING!
Mars Spencer escaped the Island of Legends with barely a moment to spare. Now, she’s in a race against time through a valley full of unimaginable monsters. But nothing short of extinction will keep this mother from her son…
NEED TO START FROM THE BEGINNING?
Mars Spencer must help save an island of genetically engineered creatures of myth, legend, and the prehistoric past. Can she save them all, or will Mars and her team end up as just another meal for the insatiable monsters?
