Hello everyone.

Welcome to the start of another exciting week over at the Author Interviews Series.

Today we have a special treat for you in the form of author S.A. Hoag, as she divulges more information about her sci-fi books and influences. This thing is going to get wild over here, that’s for sure!

 

Hi there Sheila, thank you for taking the time to be interviewed by me, we are very excited to hear what you have to say.

Let’s start with your novels from your Wildblood series. You are about to release Renegades (Book 2) in the series soon (20th October 2016) and also have a prequel to the series available. Fill us in some more about your characters, their challenges and the fascinating world they inhabit.

Great! Backlash is the prequel novella and The Vista: Book 1 of The Wildblood really gets going with some action and adventures in a post-apocalyptic North America. I’ve spent years exploring their world. It’s not at all like ours. There was a war, twenty years ago, a big one they refer to as World War Last. The Vista is a hidden enclave, a remnant of civilization. The weather is harsher, the world is harsher, it’s been a struggle for everyone. The people that survived are tough and resilient.

Protecting the city from various bands of wandering humans, is Vista Security. My main characters, Shannon, Mac, and Wade, comprise Team Three, and they have a dark secret. They believe they are genetically altered, a practice made illegal before they were born. They are psychically linked and extremely loyal to each other. The real trouble starts when someone else, someone dangerous and outside The Vista, discovers what they are. It leads them to learn they aren’t alone in the world. The decisions they make will decide how life in The Vista continues.

The age old adage is to “write what you know.” You are a lapidary artist (an artist who forms stone, minerals, or gemstones into decorative items), along with dabbling in astronomy too and are a voracious reader of Science Fiction. What kind of influence would you say that your passions have had on your writing and do they have a significant bearing on the Wildblood series?

My hobbies have given me the patience I needed to keep at it, keep writing when I didn’t think I could. My characters have hobbies, too. Everyone needs time for distractions, something fun, something creative. Music has also been a huge influence. Each book has a soundtrack I’ve listened to while writing.

Science Fiction – wow, always. I’ve been reading it, watching it on TV and in movies, and writing it, as long as I can remember. It’s that big question – “What if?” – I wanted to write end-of-the-world stories since before I got to high school. So many possibilities, so many ideas.

What do you find the most difficult thing about writing? And what do you find the easiest?

Finding the time is the most difficult thing for me. The easiest? Finding new story ideas. They’re everywhere.

Who are some of the authors in general that inspire you?

Stephen King, JRR Tolkien, Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven, Jules Verne, Douglas Adams, H. G. Wells, Bradbury-Herbert-Asimov-Clarke, you know, all the great and prolific writers. And female authors – Ursula K. Le Guin, C. J. Cherryh, Marion Zimmer Bradley. I’m sure I’ve missed quite a few.

What sort of research do you do to write your books?

My research for this series has been interesting. Everything from some basics in bioengineering to weapons to how much snow Montana gets per month. If there wasn’t an internet, I’d spend most of my free time at the library. Which, you know, would be all kinds of fun.

Why do you write? What inspired you to become a writer?

Why? It’s an urge I can’t control. I was inspired to write because I could, and it seemed to be something I was good at. Creating worlds full of difficulties and possibilities, and turning interesting characters loose, it’s a fun process.

What keeps you motivated during creative slumps? How do you deal with Writers Block?

If one story hits a block, I start another one. If I just can’t write, I read. My Kindle is stocked. Music helps, too.

How do you spend your free time when you are not writing?

I grind rocks into mud (lapidary). It’s amazing, what nature hides inside rocks. Astronomy, too, because the night sky is an endless wonder. And then there’s Lily, my favorite toddler in the universe. I can watch her sleep and be totally content with the world, and my life.

Tell us more about your upcoming projects. Are you working on anything specific or have plans in the pipeline?

Renegades: Book 2 of The Wildblood will be released in the early autumn (this year). Book 3 of the series is next of course, summer, 2017 with a little luck. There are a handful of novellas in the works for this series also. All are continuing stories of people introduced in The Vista.

Another unrelated sci-fi is in it’s first draft. It’s an apocalypse/time travel/dimensional travel thing. Plus whatever else sneaks onto my computer.

Finally, are there any nuggets of wisdom that you can impart to other aspiring writers?

Keep writing! Don’t talk yourself out of it because you’re too busy or too tired or the laundry needs done.

And that’s a wrap! Thank you for sharing your writing habits with us Sheila, we can’t wait to get stuck into the worlds of your books 🙂

Bio:-

S. A. Hoag is an author, lapidary artist, very amateur astronomer (“I just look at the stars, I can’t tell you their names.”), hockey fan, and accidental desert-dweller. Born in the middle of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, she has lived in a number of cities, in a number of states, before crash-landing in the New Mexico desert. Not Roswell, however. Science Fiction has always been her first interest in reading and writing; many other genres sneak into the novels and that’s alright with her.

You can connect Sheila on the following Social Media channels:-

Facebook:– S.A. Hoag – Author (FB)
Pinterest:– S.A. Hoag – Author (Pinterest)
Twitter:– S.A. Hoag – Author (Twitter)
Website:– The Website of S.A. Hoag – Sci-Fi with a streak of rebellion

You can buy her books here:-

Buy S.A. Hoag’s books in Canada

Buy S.A. Hoag’s books in the UK/Europe

Buy S.A. Hoag’s books in the US/Rest of the World

Still want more? Well as it so happens, Sheila mentions that she now lives in the New Mexico desert. Over at The Daily Post, there is a theme relating to the ‘Desert’. For more articles specifically relating to the desert prompt then click on the links below:-

1. The yearning for desert – greyandgreyer
2. Deserted by Inspiration, Inspired by the Desert – Bun Karyudo
3. Lemurian Light Oracle – Magic Clouds
4. Desert’s Love – mySestina
5. Desert Musings – thealcoholicpoet
6. shame – Closure
7. Word Shamble – #tuesdayuseitinasentence: Bugs on the horizon
8. ch4rl13sm1th – Desert
9. bend branches – Desert Bitterroot Oasis
10. Sound Mind Journey – Left alone: a haiku
11. My Mixed Blog – Lost In The Mojave
12. Poem: Italian Sonnet – “Desert and Oasis Art” – Mandibelle16
13. Deserted – Pen Pals…
14. Living FreeLee – Desert
15. Sacrificial Chain Breaker – DEAR JOHN
16. The Idealist – The One Scripturient
17. Unrequited love – writealineblog
18. BunKaryudo – Deserted by Inspiration, Inspired by the Desert
19. Desert – Scott’s website
20. frankgalatas – Great Sand Dunes
21. Fluffy Pool – True Deserts
22. Emily’s Poem – short story – Writing Beyond Ordinary
23. Awash With Ponderance – Sunken Thought
24. XingfuMama – The desert
25. Daily Post One Word Prompt – Desert – A Writer’s Life
26. “Desert, which one?” – A Pre-Published Indie Author
27. artifiswords – DESERT
28. Don’t Desert Me Now – Shelby’s Starlit Crossing
29. Insane Savings N More – Desert Life
30. Purposive Writer – A Journey In The Desert
31. The yearning for desert – greyandgreyer
32. Loin de zanzibar – Desert
33. Word Shamble – The cockroaches are on the march
34. onthebarge – walk to the store
35. True Colours – Sanch Writes
36. Joy Write – Dust to Dust
37. Frank Prem – yellow mellow; desiccation north
38. Look up- Treetops in the park! – Hi India
39. Desert: Lost in my Memories – Voyage
40. Monday desert! – iamioana
41. C.A. SANTIAGO – STOP.
42. earning desert (tanka) – Tournesol dans un Jardin
43. Desert: Trial of Strength AND perseverance – Aastha
44. Leanne Murphy – Ten words #8
45. Desert-Rain – StrangeLander2015
46. Sands Of Night – Blog of Hammad Rais
47. Desert – calliemm
48. Blackbird’s Nest – Fire Ice Wind and Stone
49. To Wear A Rainbow – oasis
50. helen meikle’s scribblefest – Daily prompt: Whatever
51. Faithmillie – Green desert
52. a contemplative heart – Desert
53. “Desert” – YOLOcruz
54. Desert – Inside The Writer’s Closet
55. Australia – Born to Challenge
56. XingfuMama – I am on a Journey…
57. It’s A Dry Heat – CecesTravelingStars
58. Following Him Beside Still Waters – He Saves
59. Desert – My Garden Bio-Diversity
60. Daily Prompt – Desert – Short Story – Brandon’s Rambling Writing
61. witchlike – Women in the Desert
62. Doodleday – ink and toast
63. There was an idiot who booked a ticket… – Ramblings of a crazy author
64. Sarcasm: – Stokespeare
65. dih-zurt’ – It Is Still Real
66. samanthastanleyblog – Bring me into the wilderness
67. MY ENDURING BONES – The End
68. Beat the Heat – My Adventures with Essential Oils
69. Wonderment – Life at the Edges
70. Finding Hope Ness – Oh, to be young again
71. inspiration in progress – Spelling Matters, a Limerick
72. Deserted – Sundragonlady’s House of Burgesses
73. quiet time journal – Desert – the verb
74. Scavanger – A Writer’s Mind
75. Today’s Tomorrow – The Voice.
76. Serendipitousbloom.com – The Bunker
77. Writing Web – Daily Prompt – July 10, 2016
78. Life Around Jiading, Shanghai – My Crazy Graced Life
79. Desert – z a y n e e a . n e t
80. Of pens and pals – Meow
81. Obscurity – A lot from Lydia
82. Desert – wordsareallihavesite
83. Desert: Hot, dry but full of sounds – persuasion2015
84. another quiet muse – Desert Rose
85. A Moment To Reflect – Rain In The Desert
86. Jacki Kellum Juxtapositions: Read My Mind – Talking about Deserts – Louis Sachar Said it Best in Holes!
87. The dry air – thegreeneyedcuriousity
88. Lost Property Repository – Desert
89. Deserted – blackcattwriting
90. Brendon Ward – Like a Desert
91. LINES of SHADEAU – Maternal Desert
92. Cage Dunn: Writer and Author – Empty
93. Barren – Nobody In Particular
94. Just Deserts – The Oubliette
95. My Simple Blog – Cappadocia
96. Partying in Desert – world4womencom
97. Biblical References – Desert
98. Just Like No One Else – Desert
99. Daily Post Prompt: Desert – The Happy Wordcrafter
100. The things we forget to appreciate  – Painted in words
101. Stolen- A letter to my Captor (Lucy Christopher) – firelight
102. HarlemATL Inner City Blues – Paying It Forward
103. Chaotic beauty – Spilled Ink
104. snapshotofamuser – Naye gwe ssebo!
105. HarlemATL Inner City Blues – A Black and Blue Desert
106. HarlemATL Inner City Blues – Weathering The Desert Storm
107. Petra Omoregie Caroline – Five quotes for you when you feel lonely even when you have a partner
108. Haunted – Fantasy Raconteur
109. Girl who didn’t get anything – carolandsite
110. Chronicles of an Orange-Haired Woman!
111. Copper Cranes – Oblique
112. Zombie Flamingos – Classic Beauty
113. Desert – Awordseeker
114. The Sleeping Reading Beauty ~ book reviews – You Know What You Leave…
115. ATG Successful Living – When Blood is Not Thicker Than Water – What Do You Do?
116. B_ up to date – Dessert overruled
117. Beach? – Sascha Darlington’s Microcosm Explored
118. Giggles & Tales – Desert – The Daily Prompt!
119. A Deserted Life – Words of Wisdom
120. Tempest – Views From Around the Corner
121. myfavouriite – Desertification
122. Peaceful Journey – Can Dry Bones Live?
123. Jibber Jabber with Sue – Cola, Beer or Wine?
124. Prompt for the Day: “Desert” – Saint P. Blogging
125. Unfold The Sky – The Day I Died
126. My Hands: – TheTattooedBookGeek
127. Prompt for the Day: “Desert” – saintpblogging BlogJob site
128. multiplemyelomaandme – Jordan over there…
129. Prompt for the Day: “Desert” – Saint P. Blogging
130. Talking Stars – Movie Review Podcast Wants Movie Bloggers – Damien at the Speed of Life
131. The Gad About Town – Starved for Attention
132. Dessert in the Desert – Daniel Amatiello
133. SERENDIPITY – THE DESERTED DESSERT
134. Charron’s Chatter – Succor (not born every minute)
135. Desert – Inner Whispers
136. Daily Prompt – Catherine’s Blog – Wandering in the Desert
137. Infertile Spaces – Some More Fiction
138. The Shadow of His Presence – writealineblog
139. Travelling Deserts – travelmusicweb
140. lifelessons – a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown – Desert
141. Le Drake Noir – No cable TV for miles around
142. Mirage- Real or an Illusion? – clumsyandsilly
143. Desert – Freya Writes…
144. Desert Queen – She Who Hears
145. The Last Blog Available – ‘Sand’
146. Your Nibbled News (c) 2016 – Deserted street dominates chatter
147. Enjoyment With No Boundaries! – littleflamesblog
148. Growing Toward the Sun – Which Glasses Will It Be Today?
149. Desert – Daily Prompt – ladyleemanila
150. 5 items to survive a desert island – Geek Ergo Sum
151. coldhandswarmheartsblog – I rise out of the Desert
152. Desert Diary – rupalislale
153. LONGLEAF STORIES – If a Desert Could Bloom, Why Couldn’t I?
154. I Heart Deserts – Where’s the Windmill?
155. rhymeagination – THE DESERT OF MY MIND
156. myfavouriite – Ophidiophobia
157. kristinakoti – Shelter the desert
158. The Desert That Devoured – The Rantings of a Bookworm
159. Daily Prompt; Desert – tnkerr-Writing Prompts and Practice
160. Haiku: One Deserted Beach – whippetwisdom.com
161. Plan B – Uprooted.
162. Musings and My Two Cents – More of Him
163. False Promises and Deserted Hopes – hashtagtrustyourinstincts
164. kStan(ly) kSays – when a simple thank you isn’t enough
165. Montana, Big Sky Country – Savory, Spicy, Sweet
166. The Girl Who Wanted To See Forever – Inhospitable Landscapes
167. Rebirth – zorazebic
168. Frozen in time – sci.casual
169. deserts..not desserts ⋆ Obsolete Childhood
170. squareonewriter – Desert Prompt/Treasure
171. kStan(ly) kSays – how real is your love
172. myfavouriite – Cholistan
173. he wished – Singledust
174. Frozen under ice, frozen in time – sci.casual
175. Awl and Scribe – Desert
176. Desert – Jane Dougherty Writes
177. BeardedBurbler – In the desert, you don’t remember your name
178. Desert’s Love – each Soul to learn from – mySestina
179. thelonerose – The week that was…
180. Desert – He is.
181. The Secret Desert – Daily Prompt – A Book Nerd
182. devildollmusings – Pain
183. Desert Island Choices – Teaching Oneself
184. Desierto – apserranoblog
185. Martha L Shaw – You Are the APPLE of His EYE
186. Joes-Fotowelten – Desert in Mars
187. The Daily Post – Progressing into Solitude – Desert
188. Passion through Poetry – Desert
189. Vexing Point – Desert
190. The Inkwell – Desert
191. Designer Sophisticate – It needs an extra ‘s.’
192. Lantern Words – Even In The Desert