Sunday, July 27, 2008

Saving Tampa by Jo Webnar


Why did you pick the setting you used in your story? I'm not looking for -- "because I live there". I want you to dig deep and tell us...
I picked the Tampa Bay Area because my husband worked for the County and knew what was vulnerable to attack. It was important for the book to be believable.

Why you chose that particular setting?
I picked the marina setting because I was familiar with the area. It is also very beautiful but vulnerable. Everything had to work together like pieces in a puzzle.

What does the setting add to the story? It makes the story more interesting because you want to know more about the area, and everyone loves boats.

Could you write the same story in a different setting? Yes. I could have used any other major city, but I wouldn’t have had the inside knowledge that makes “Saving Tampa ” so believable.

Why or why couldn't you use a different setting? If I used a different setting it would have required a lot more research, and I’m not sure I could have gotten the inside knowledge that I had of Tampa.

Did you use a real place as a basis for your setting? Yes and No. The setting of the marina is similar to one in the area. The site of the attack is very close to the water system for Tampa .

Or, did you create the setting from scratch? No. I based everything on places I knew. In my opinion, when you write about things you know, the book is much more interesting. It’s all in the little details.

Is there anything else about your setting that we need to know? Feel free to share. I feel that the condo communities are ruining the ecology of Florida . My heroine never realized it until she was educated by my hero.

Please provide your website link. www.jowebnar.com

What is the link to buy your book? http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Jo+Webnar

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=Jo+Webnar

Tell us some specific details about your setting. What would we see? What sort of people are there? If we were traveling to your setting, what should we bring with us? For visitors, what do they need to know to visit your setting? You would see beautiful condos and houses surrounding a man made lake that flows into the Manatee River . Everything is high priced and luxurious. The landscaping is beautiful, but not with native plants. There are blue herons, egrets and other birds hiding in the grass on a strip of land that juts into the lake. As soon as more condos are built, they will leave for a quieter place. The people who live here bought their homes for the view and have no idea what the real Florida is like. There is an expensive five star restaurant and two swimming pools. People from the restaurant and bar walk down to the marina, and like peeping toms, look in the windows of the boats. It’s a form of entertainment and many of them are drunk. The people aboard pull their curtains and try to ignore them.

Thank you for sharing details about your book setting. Now, what's the title of your book and where can we buy it?
Saving Tampa - Local book stores, www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnobel.com , or any place books are sold.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Vengeance by Colin Harvey


1. Why did you choose that particular setting?

I chose a future earth that's a squalid, overcrowded refuse tip because on the one hand I feel deeply cynical about what we're doing to our world as a species. On the other hand, at least I suppose we have a future.


2. Could you write the same story in a different setting?

I could write a version of the story, but it wouldn't be the same story. All my books are deeply influenced by their setting.


3. Did you create the setting from scratch?

Pretty much. One of the nice things about SF is that you can start from scratch, as long as you're consistent.


4. Please provide your website link.

http://www.geocities.com/colin_harvey


5. What is the link to buy your book?

http://www.amazon.com/Vengeance-Colin-Harvey/dp/1934041254/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215289128&sr=1-1


6. Tell us some specific details about your setting. What would we see?

Refuse tips the size of cities, elevators rising twenty-two thousand miles high into orbit, undersea cities, seven mile wide ribbons running round the world and Disney-esque recreations of ancient Egyptian cities run by women.


7. What sort of people are there?

Hucksters and grifters, wizards and zombies, aliens and assassins. They're not a pleasant bunch, by and large...


8. If we were traveling to your setting, what should we bring with us?

Money to hire someone to act as a bodyguard and body armour!


9. For visitors, what do they need to know to visit your setting?

Don't stay too long -- it isn't safe....



Novels from Swimming Kangaroo Books:
Lightning Days -- SF, Finalist for the USA Book News Awards
The Silk Palace -- "compelling" Library Journal
"Intrigues, betrayals, murders, love affairs, transformations, and
revelations," Bruce Boston, author of The Guardener's Tale