Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Author Interview: Sean C. Sousa

This week I would like to welcome Sean C. Sousa, author of The Forever Saga: Flash (review here), with more books to come.

About The Forever Saga: Flash

Long ago, the first reign of Grigori Geist nearly destroyed the Earth.

Returned from exile, Geist is secretly rebuilding his kingdom beneath Antarctica, assembling his robotic Vaucan race to war against mankind. Only one obstacle remains: the war hero known as Brian Renney.

Yet Brian is losing a battle against his fears. Scars of heart and mind linger from his days in Vietnam, fueling his failures as husband and father. This embitters his youngest son, Jason – a star athlete torn between pursuing the love of his life, and meeting the demands of a father who is far from the storied army captain he once was.

And all the while, Geist is coming for them.

In this dark hour, Brian and Jason encounter a war to end all others… and an unexpected ally who, once meant for evil, shall forever be a force for good.
The questions:
Describe your ideal writing space. How does it compare to reality?
I would love a giant white desk that wraps around three walls of my office, adorned with a shiny new iMac, nifty office supplies, and files stuffed with story ideas. The walls would be covered in posters of games/movies, and shelves filled with my Transformers toy collection.
Right now, I have a clear glass Ikea desk that is (unintentionally) covered in the word "love" translated into multiple languages. It makes me feel multi-lingual, but also a tad less manly. My Transformers collection sits on a shelf above the desk, and video game art my wife made for me as Christmas presents sits to my right. All in all, not too far off from the ideal!

What is the first story you remember writing and what was it about?
One day, I took this electronic word processor (several years before PC's became household items) and told this sweeping story, about my friends and I receiving super powers and saving the world. It was the first fully-formed story I had told aside from school assignments, and I threw in as much 80's/90's amazingness as I could into that story. I believe I eventually printed it and gave it to my teacher, who praised my imagination; whether she finished it or not is another story. For all I know she gave it to a screenwriter friend and it eventually formed the basis for The Avengers. If so, I'm still waiting for a royalty check.

Name a memorable book from your childhood. Why is it memorable?
One that sticks out to me is The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton. The possibilities for what the mysterious illness was made my mind come alive - it seemed like an act of God, for all I knew. But it was Crichton's writing style that gripped me. He could explain heady concepts, then turn on a dime and write action scenes rife with punchy, suspenseful dialogue. I since moved on to Sphere, Jurassic Park, The Lost World, and Congo, and Crichton keeps influencing me whenever I sit to write.

If you could ask any writer (living or dead) a question, who would it be and what would you ask?
Without a doubt, I'd ask Jules Verne where he got his imagination from! The guy seemed to have a prescient mind when it came to future technologies and innovations. I admit, I try to emulate that by studying current technology and trying to maximize its potential in my mind. That way it's rooted in the believable - something important for The Forever Saga,which is filled with giant robots and even larger creations.

If you could pick any of the worlds or characters you have created, which would you want to visit or spend a day with?
The Realm of Regnum Aeturnum from The Forever Saga: Flash. To the untrained eye, it is paradise on our present-day Earth. Look closer, and you see that it's ruled by ancient tyrants who seek to use their utopia to deceive the world as they subjugate it. Much of the conflict in The Forever Saga is the heroes' dream to see Regnum Aeturnum freed from its rulers, and have it become the idyllic place it was originally meant to be.

What is one thing you like to do when you are not reading or writing?
Shelley, my wife of over 7 years, is my biggest fan, and we work to make time for each other when we're not working. We've had a great adventure thus far, and we both support each other in achieving our dreams. She just recently stepped into her dream job, and I'm looking forward to achieving the level of success with The Forever Saga that I've always dreamed of. She keeps me encouraged, gives me honest feedback about my writing, and also makes sure I stop to eat and live life when I'm threatening to go into hermit-mode while writing.

What are you currently working on?
Right now, I'm promoting my debut novel, The Forever Saga: Flash. In a few months, however, I'm going to switch gears and write the second novel in the series. So far, reader reviews for Flash have expressed a strong desire to get the next installment as soon as possible. It's wonderful to hear that feedback, and it's a great privilege/challenge to push myself to grow as an author, and answer that question: "Can I outdo myself this time?" I greatly look forward to taking all the feedback, putting on my brainstorming cap, and producing a series that will entertain a mainstream audience. Readers can find out more about The Forever Saga atwww.theforeversaga.com.Thanks for reading, everyone!
books to come.


About the author:

SEAN C. SOUSA never planned on writing a novel – that is, until the idea for The Forever Saga came along. He first conceived it as a video game design concept, then a screenplay, and finally a written work of fiction. His debut novel, The Forever Saga: Flash, marks the end of one six-year journey toward publication, and also the beginning of another: to bring his stories to a worldwide audience.

His dream is to see fiction inspire positive social change in the world, calling attention to issues of social justice and mobilizing his readership to meet the needs of those afflicted.

Mr. Sousa resides in Southern California with his wife, Shelley, and when he is not writing further adventures about the Renney family, he is usually up to socially acceptable mischief with his friends and family.

Where to find him:
Website
Twitter
Facebook
Google+
Goodreads



Get the book:


1 comment:

  1. Great interview!! I love this book can not wait to read the next one!!!Glad to see others also like it! I like robots too, especially ones that think for themselves!

    ReplyDelete

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