Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
My name is J Fitzgerald, I’m a writer and an entrepreneur, and I’m really from the middle of nowhere. Growing up more than 50 miles away from the nearest big city forced me to use to learn my imagination to the utmost at an early age, a skill which I never forgot. HIMILCO is my first book. I’ve always wanted to write, but I never had the courage; so one day I just decided to take the plunge! I love science fiction, and I wanted to try and write something to revolutionize the genre, so I set to work on HIMILCO, which takes place in a future world in which things like being transgender or gender non conforming are completely normal and mundane things. It’s a hard scifi book and I think that anybody, regardless of their sexuality, will love it. I’m very green when it comes to writing, but I think that anybody who gives this book a chance will be happy they spent the 99 cents to get a copy. I’m also currently working on my second book, a post apocalyptic psychological thriller and scifi novel called BEOGRAD.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my book is HIMILCO…I chose this name because one of the main themes in my book is exploration, and Himilco the Navigator was one of the greatest explorers and mariners of the ancient world. I wanted my book to be like a modern retelling of an ancient tale. A journal kept by a homesick explorers miles and miles away from home.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
My favorite authors would probably be Arthur C. Clarke, Robert A. Heinlein, Frank Herbert, Isaac Asimov, Orson Scott Card, H.P. Lovecraft, Jules Verne, and Ray Bradbury…and I think this is reflected in my works! I absolutely adore Dune, The Foundation Series, Childhood’s End, Ender’s Game, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and many others.
What are you working on now?
My second work, a novella called BEOGRAD.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Right now, Facebook.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I know everybody always says this, but DO NOT GIVE UP!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never give up. Never surrender.
What are you reading now?
Edward Gibbon’s A History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
What’s next for you as a writer?
Starting a blog and writing free material to build my fan base. I think my writing is solid and I want people to see it!
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
“The Da Vinci Code.” I would take “The Da Vinci Code,” so I could burn “The Da Vinci Code.”