Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I am a dystopian, science fiction novelist who writes about global warming and our relationship with technology through a cyberpunk lens. I inform the conflict in my books with a sociological perspective that focuses on the predatory relationship that the rich have with the poor. My short stories have been published beside authors such as Cory Doctorow, Cat Rambo, and Walter Jon Williams.
How many unpublished and unfinished books do you have?
I have written four novels. My latest book is Inertia, which is about a young woman, Ash, who lives on a flooded planet Gliese 581g where the sun sets faster each day due to the planet’s rotation being out of whack. Ash hacks into corporations to uncover who is profiting off the environmental destruction and ends up knowing too much. Soon, her life is at risk and she has to rely on her father, Severum, for support. Trouble is, the reknownterraformer and mercenary doesn’t know she exists, so it’s also a family drama in this sense.
Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?
My wife came up with the basic idea for the series, which began with Hemispheres – though I think Inertia is the best starting book. Tidal locked planets intrigue me, that is, planets that have one side that is always dark and one side that is always daytime. Throughout the series, as the planet’s rotation changes, the politics change, as does the culture of tribes such as the Florinik – an alien species who think they’re plants. Showing our connection to the natural environment this way is very Victorian from a literary perspective, and cultural materialist from an anthropological perspective, so it interests me.
How did you develop your plots and characters?
When characters are given realistic motivations, their character arcs naturally fall into place, but over the years I have resorted to plotting more in advance. Working with plots as complex as my newest novel to be released this year, Killswitch Overkill, you have to map things out. In that book, the anti-hero Sabrina must wrestle with an A.I. that has taken over part of her mind. Soon, she ends up with a host of sentient software living in her head, as she outsources her emotional processing to these constructs. Those are hard characters to write!
How do you get inspired to write?
I’m not inspired. I have to write. I have to create. Perhaps it’s some unconscious way of thinking I will avoid falling into the anonymity of death. Humans are creative by nature; even the most primitive humans have drawn and created jewelry for tens of thousands of years if not longer.
What are you currently working on?
Killswitch Overkill, the sequel to Inertia. It’s a book about jealousy, redemption, and the cycles of negativity we get caught in, told through the eyes of action-packed, female-led cyberpunk.
What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
First, start building your author website and platform two years or more before your first publication date. Second, expect to work about an hour for each sale you make. It’s a constant, hands-on process, and being published with a big house doesn’t prevent you from having to self-promote nonstop, as the public has a short memory. You can be a bestseller one day and fade into obscurity the next without constant work.
What is the best thing about being a writer?
It’s engrossing to be in your own world creating all this and emotionally expressing yourself, empathizing with your characters. When a book is over, my readers often miss the characters, but I do as well. It’s a heartbreaking loss of a friend when a character you love dies, but it’s great to know them while they’re on the page. Everything we create is a part of us.
Will you have a new book coming out soon?
Yes, Killswitch Overkill this year.
What is your preferred method for readers to get in touch with or follow you?
On my website I review cyberpunk and fantasy literature, and interview the greatest sci-fi authors of the 80’s and beyond. You can find all about my cyberpunk books as well, and related works such as the more spiritual Song of Kitaba. It’s available here: www.markeverglade.com
What would you like to say about our website?
It’s neat to see a mix of not only books but I.T. info and even articles on Hinduism. As a Buddhist, I have a profound respect for Eastern Philosophy.
What would you like to say about my book “The Effort” and “Life Of Love”?
Life of Love shows the timeliness of romance novels with all the hallmarks we want to believe in – love at first sight, serendipity, and having a deep emotional connection with that special someone.