Too bad these arrived too late for #BayCon, I think they turned out great! They were ordered in plenty of time, but for some reason the package decided to take a tour around the country before landing in California. At least we're ready for next year. 😁

Huge thanks to Water Dragon Publishing for designing and ordering them.

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#WritingWonders Day 13: When did you start writing and what inspired you?

I started writing in 2010. I’d had a burning story idea about about technology-vs-vampires for years. Then I read an urban fantasy book of… questionable quality that seemed to be doing well regardless, and thought maybe I could do better. That was the spark I needed to give writing a try. 5 years and a cubic-ton of revisions later, I published my first full novel, Angels in the Mist.

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#WritingWonders Day 12: What is the best compliment or review you’ve got about your writing?

Oh gosh… I’ve received many flattering reviews, but this private message from a giveaway winner I think tops them all:

“Just finished Angels in the Mist. All I can say is WOW. I will do a review once I find the words to write it. All I can say is it was a powerful hold it had on me. Could not put it down. I hope there's more to this story to come.”

All the feels!

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#WritingWonders Day 30: Do you have a playlist for your work or MCs that you’d like to share?

Yes! I listen to music constantly while writing. Here are a few that really inspired The Z-Tech Chronicles and/or resonate with the series:

Shock – Brother Firetribe
1000 Doves – Lady Gaga
Holding Out For a Hero – Bonnie Tyler
Running Up That Hill – Kate Bush
Jenny – Studio Killers
Titanium – David Guetta
Somewhere Out There – Linda Ronstadt

Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzE3Ve0RCReV9smT5xj53FxiNaI44kN3n

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#WritingWonders Day 29: How would you feel if your book got banned?

Upset because… oh boy, this is going to be a multi-parter.

First, I don’t believe in book banning. Social media is a different beast that requires different measures to keep from becoming a rabid hate monster, but that’s a separate topic I’d be happy to debate elsewhere. Bringing it back, I’d be just as angry about my book being banned as I would anyone else’s.

1/3

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#WritingWonders Day 28: If your MC could live anywhere in the world, where would they choose?

Exactly where she is. Would Anne like to visit other places? Sure, somewhere tropical would be nice. But at the end of the day, San Francisco is where she feels most comfortable. Her home is exactly the way she wants it. She knows the bus schedule. Knows her workplace. Has her best friend, Doris. And most importantly, her established routine minimizes her triggers.

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#WritingWonders Day 27: Antagonist POV: What do you care about?

WILLIAM (realistic answer): None of your fucking business.

WILLIAM (candid answer): I want to feel something other than contempt. The only way to do that is to hurt the people I disdain. Their screams are my only relief. My only joy. So I will make every last one of them scream, beg for their lives like the pathetic bitches they are.

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WILLIAM (realistic answer): None of your fucking business.

WILLIAM (candid answer): I want to feel something other than contempt. The only way to do that is to hurt the people I disdain. Their screams are my only relief. My only joy. So I will make every last one of them scream, beg for their lives like the pathetic bitches they are.

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#WritingWonders Day 26: Does your book pass the Bechdel Test?

Yes. Screamingly, unequivocally yes. Three of Anne’s friends (also major characters) in the story are women. They have a bajillion 1-on-1 scenes and talk about many things other than men.

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#WritingWonders Day 25: Do you have any characters over 50 in your book(s)?

Only one. Master Wung is the foremost chi expert in the world. He is of “unknown age,” although definitely over 50, with white hair and a long, wispy beard. He features prominently in Book 3, then has repeated appearances and an important role through the end of the series.

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#WritingWonders Day 24: Antagonist POV: What do you think about the MC?

WILLIAM: She’s a useless, manipulative bitch, just like all the rest. I can’t wait to make her scream.

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#WritingWonders Day 23: Would your MC stand out in our world?

In the first book, not really. The Z-Tech Chronicles takes place in modern-day San Francisco. Anne dresses in earthy colors, preferring a modest look over anything flashy, and generally keeps her head down. She’s perky and friendly on the job, which draws attention from restaurant patrons. A particularly bad flashback might make her scream, which… yeah.

In later books? Yes, she stands out a lot. Not saying why. 😁

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#WritingWonders Day 22: What sort of transportation or vehicles does your MC use?

Busses, BART, and her feet. Like most San Franciscans, Anne doesn’t own a car because parking is way too expensive for her waitress salary; a dedicated parking spot would cost half her rent. Public transportation in the City is good enough that she’s never needed one. Neither does she have a driver’s license.

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#WritingWonders Day 21: How does your day job or life affect what you write?

The fictional Z-Tech factory is located 4 blocks from where I used to work in SoMa. 😅

I’ve been a CTO, software developer, scrum coach, radiation therapist, am a father of 2 children, and husband to a wonderful wife, living happily in the Bay Area. You’ll find aspects of all these in my writing, from leadership styles to coaching habits to realistic technologies to healthcare mindsets.

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#WritingWonders Day 20: Do you have any LGBTQIA+ characters in your story?

Yes! The MC, Anne Perrin, is courted by a man and a woman at the same time. She had never acknowledged those “other” feelings before, and so Book 1 triggers a realization for her that blossoms throughout the series. I hadn’t intended her to be bisexual, but as the first book progressed, it became increasingly clear that she was, which drove the story to unexpected and wonderful places.

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#WritingWonders Day 19: Who was your MC’s first friend and how did they meet?

Anne’s first true friend was Doris. Anne struggled with alcohol abuse when she first moved out to San Francisco. She was about to lose her 20th job, but her coworker Doris stepped in, asked the restaurant owner to give her another chance, then helped her get clean by taking her in and reintroducing her to the fun side of life.

That was 18 years ago. They’re best friends to this day.

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#WritingWonders Day 17: MC POV: Someone threatens your loved one’s life. How do you respond?

ANNE (beginning of series): Seriously? I scream for help, or maybe… I-I honestly don’t know. What could I do? It’s such a horrible thought.

ANNE (later in series): I calmly try to talk them down. If that fails, then I make them not a threat. No one hurts my family. Never again.

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#WritingWonders Day 16: What was your process to create this setting and make it realistic?

I worked in San Francisco for 7 years, and have lived in the Bay Area since 1992, so rendering that onto paper was easy.

For the part of Book 5 that takes place on an Arleigh Burke missile destroyer… I spent months researching online, watched all 5 seasons of The Last Ship, had an E6 Navy friend proofread, and ultimately booked a tour on one of the ships. I take realism seriously. 😅

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#WritingWonders Day 15: What’s your setting?

Mostly urban. The Z-Tech Chronicles 1-3 take place in San Francisco. #4 wanders to another town, but the series doesn’t really depart from urban until #5, which partly happens on a US missile destroyer. #6 is the only story that takes place entirely outside of a city.

Why urban? I’m a nature lover, so I honestly don’t know. I guess it’s where the story needed to be. I did make up for it in Enigma.

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#WritingWonders Day 13: Is there a corruption arc in your story?

Three in the first book. More in others, but I’d need to inventory for a count. 😅

One arc revolves around the antagonist, William, who’s a sadistic misogynist to begin with. Making him even worse was a fun exercise. One reader commented that the book generally has a light, airy feeling (mostly because of the protagonist, Anne), except for his chapters, where they suddenly felt dark clouds all around. Love it!

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