I’ve been running a series of interviews with authors that are releasing new books. I hope you’ll take the time to check out their work. Today, please welcome author, Valmore Daniels.

————

To start, can you tell me a little about yourself.

Having grown up in a military family, we moved around a lot, and I still have that nomadic spirit in me. Although I've settled down now, I enjoy traveling and meeting people of different cultures. Last summer my wife and I visited Alaska, and this spring we went to the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Turks and Caicos. Some of the more exotic locations I've visited include Greenland and Nunavut.

How long have you been writing and how did you get to this point in your career?

I've always had an active imagination, and even as a child, I would write short stories and poems. It's something I've done so long it is second nature to me. It was only as an adult that I began to think other people would enjoy my writing. Real life, family, mortgage, and all that entails have taken most of my time up until now. With a little more time on my hands, I've become serious about telling my stories, and seeing if I can build a readership for my tall tales.

Tell me what inspired you to write this particular novel?

I've always been a space aficionado. As a teenager, I watched the maiden voyage of the Space Shuttle Columbia, and my first thought was that I wanted to get on a flight. Then I wondered how a teenager, such as myself, get on one of those flights? Simple, hijack the shuttle! And with that kernel of a story, I began to plot Forbidden The Stars.

I have a keen interest in dark fiction. Tell me how you would classify this book and what's dark about it?

Forbidden The Stars is firmly entrenched in the Hard Science Fiction genre. There is a hint of Space Opera in it, but some of the themes I examine are more scientific in nature: are there undiscovered elements in our solar system that would provide fuel to give us faster-than-light speed? If we are not alone in the universe, how and when will those alien cultures make first contact with us?

For the darker elements, I asked the question, How will faster-than-light travel change humankind? At what lengths would people go to in order to control this technology? Would they steal for it? Would they kill for it? Yes they would.

Your first novel was a YA fantasy, this one is Hard SF; how do feel about writing in different sub-genres?

First and foremost, as a reader, I'm a huge fan of all sub-genres of science fiction, fantasy and horror. As a writer, I have a similar desire to explore all of these categories in my fiction. Each genre provides a writer with a unique opportunity to examine the human condition in diverse settings.

Sometimes we have to be ruthless in writing/editing. We cut scenes, eliminate characters or even kill them off. Tell me what was the hardest of these in this book.

The character of Klaus was initially outlined as a foil for Alex, but as the first draft came together, and the main theme of the story was the race for control of faster-than-light technology, I felt that conflict drew the focus away from the plot, and I had to shorten his character's involvement in the plot to the last half of the novel.

This blog is called Random Musings, so give me a random quote from the book – something you’re particularly fond of.

An alien chill walked icy fingers up Justine’s spine.

Humankind was not alone in the universe…

What can we expect from you next?

Currently, I am penning the first draft of an urban fantasy/drama called Angel Fire. It's about a woman who is cursed with pyrokinesis and accidentally kills her parents in a house fire when she was younger, and how she re-integrates with her small-town family ten years later. I'm hoping to release it early 2011.

Where can we find you on the internet?

I am more than happy to have anyone visit me on my website, on Facebook, or on Twitter. You can watch the trailer for "Forbidden The Stars" on YouTube.

Any final comments or thoughts you’d like to convey that you haven’t covered?

I like to thank you for providing this platform. I am a frequent visitor, and have been for several months. It is an honor to be a part of this community.

————

Thanks! I’m glad to have you drop by and visit!

Thank you very much for the interview and good luck with Forbidden The Stars. I certainly hope you can come back again when you release Angel Fire!

Purchasing information:

Amazon – Trade Paperback
Amazon – Kindle
Smashwords