Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an “Ancient Geek” — been working with computer technology since… well, since before there was such a thing as a “personal computer.” I’ve also been writing Science Fiction for almost as long, mostly for my own enjoyment; but with encouragement from friends, I am now publishing. I’ve got one book out — entitled “The Moon and Beyond” (published November 2012) and a sequel entitled “Someday the Stars” being published now (due on Amazon, B&N, etc. May 16th) The third book is more than half written now and will probably be out early next year.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Someday the Stars” is a sequel to my first book, “The Moon and Beyond”; and I actually wrote both of these many years ago (and kept rewriting them and rewriting them and… well, they are near future SF, and have to be updated to reflect recent history). I finally told myself enough… time to publish, and here they are.
How would I categorize these two books? Well, to start with, I guess you could call them “Space Opera” (since they deal with human space exploration), but they are also “Military SF” since they involve space warfare (though that isn’t the primary story line). Political / Social? Yes, some of that, too, and some Action / Adventure in the mix.
I write what I like to read, and right now some of my favorite current authors include David Weber, John Ringo, and Elizabeth Moon. If you like their work, I hope you’ll like mine.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Hmmm… define “unusual.”
A Web Talk Radio host told me he was intrigued by an occasional habit I fall into: a significant event happens, and you see it from several different points of view (via several different characters) — just a little paragraph or two of what this person was doing and how he/she reacted to the event, then switch to another character experiencing the same event from another point of view.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I go WAY back in SF, grew up reading the works of Heinlein, Asimov, and Arthur C. Clarke. One of my all-time favorites is Heinlein’s “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress” (1966), so much so than the protagonists in my first book name their new nation on the Moon the Lunar Free State (the name chosen by Heinlein’s protagonists after their rebellion against the hated Authority. My characters get to the Moon under very different circumstances (Heinlein’s characters were living there as inhabitants of a penal colony); but they probably share something of a kindred spirit with Heinlein’s “Loonies.”
More recent influences… well, I’d have to tip my hat to David Weber, particularly his Honor Harrington series. I certainly admire Weber’s attention to the science of his “universe” and I’ve tried to make mine equally consistent and plausible. Despite what Hollywood movie producers might think, real SF writers are not allowed to violate the laws of physics.
What are you working on now?
While I’ve got a couple of other projects in mind, right now I’m sticking with the Lunar Free State series — just because I like the universe I’ve created there, and the characters that populate it. I don’t like serial “cliffhangers” so I am trying to make each story a worthy read unto itself; but it is definitely a series — same world, same characters (or their children — book three moves on to a new generation), but a new and different story.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve been pretty active on Goodreads — mostly because I enjoy getting involved in the discussions there. I’ve also done a Goodreads book giveaway for my first book, and will soon be doing one for the second book as well.
I also have my own website at http://www.lunarfreestate.com, where prospective readers can read excerpts from the books and follow my blog — and can also buy the books (in hardcover, softcover, or any of the common ebook formats) at a discount through a link to MyBookOrders.com.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just WRITE!!! Write for yourself, write what you would like to read. You can never please everyone, but there will be readers out there who will like it, and if you publish it, they will come. The world of publishing has changed, and anyone with a will to do so can get a book published; but first, you still have to write it, so get busy and DO it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
What are you reading now?
David Weber’s “Shadow of Freedom”
What’s next for you as a writer?
Lots more books in this series, and maybe a few others. Who knows what the future holds.
What is your favorite book of all time?
Robert Heinlein’s “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress”
Author Websites and Profiles
John Siers Website
John Siers Amazon Profile
John Siers’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile