Writing Interview Questions.
Why did you choose to write your book in this era?
I was attracted to the Library of Alexandria, and everything began there. Outside of deciding to focus the book on Cleopatra, the next greatest influence was Hero of Alexander who invented the world’s first steam engine in the first century CE. The draw was the enigmas of history, and the lost science of Egypt was a potential solution.
What is the most surprising thing you discovered while you were researching this era?
I was constantly in awe of the technology and discoveries attributed to those who worked and studied at the Library of Alexandria. In the opening chapter, Philostratos watches a fire being beaten back with water cannons, and this was not a fantasy addition. The canons existed.
They built devices that played music on their own and giant automatons they moved independently through complex actions. There’s just so much more there than we imagine.
Can you share something about the book that isn’t covered in the blurb?
The story covers a large section of the Mediterranean world from Egypt to Rome, Cyprus, Jerusalem, and Kush. Wherever possible, the characters are historical figures. Between research and writing, I spent two years on Steampunk Cleopatra to bring you the most historically accurate fantasy possible.
If you had to describe your protagonist, in three words, what would those three words be?
The story’s point-of-view character is Philostratos, Cleopatra’s tutor, but the main character is her childhood companion, Amani. She is brilliant, kind, and good, and it is her goodness that makes her a threat to Alexandria. Power requires good disciples of the system, not good people.
What are you currently working on?
At the moment, I have six projects at various stages of development. Detective, 26 AD will be available by the time this interview is published. That will be followed A Fiction Writer's Guide to Deeper Stories, my philosophical treatise on the craft. After that, I have three more novels and an episodic project for Amazon Vella. One of these, roughly scheduled for early 2022, will begin a branching series that introduces the Italian Renaissance to an underworld based on Greek mythology. By “branching”, I mean the two or more short series will share the same first and final books.
Personal Interview questions.
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I'm on Twitter way too often. Either that or I'm watching movies, and when I tire of those, I'll pull out whatever book I'm currently reading. Right now it's The Last Memoria by Rachel Emma Shaw and Ulysses by James Joyce—but Ulysses I've been working on for a little over a year.
What is the best part of your day?
After work, I sit out on my balcony overlooking a tiny tourist town and the Mississippi River. It's a perfect moment to relax, catch up with my wife, check-in with Twitter, read, or even take a nap.
Either or.
Tea or coffee: Coffee
Hot or cold: Cold
Movie or book: Movie
Morning person or Night owl: Morning person
City or country: Country
Social Media or book: Social Media
Paperback or ebook: Paperback
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