Today, we're doing something a little different. This is our 15th guest author interview on the Marie Lavender's Books! blog, and fellow author Andrea Perno is visiting us.
Hello! It’s such a pleasure to have you here. :)
Hi. Thank you for letting me visit.
Hi. Thank you for letting me visit.
My pleasure!
Can you tell us a little bit about your latest book? When did it come out and where can we get it?
My latest book, Remotely Unplugged,
was published February 22nd of this year. It’s about how people are
becoming more and more hopelessly bound by technology. The story is built on
the idea that if a society had access to all the technological information and
advice they would ever need, people could live a happy, healthy, stress free
life. That, of course, isn’t the case. This book follows the first person
perspective of a woman plugged into the grid who finds herself needing a
complete “reset.” But with the reset comes consequences.
Remotely Unplugged is nominated for
two awards, one of which is through Red City reviews. You can read the amazing
review Red City provided here: http://redcityreview.com/genres/science-fiction-fantasy/
(It’s the 9th review
down in science fiction/fantasy.)
Remotely Unplugged can be found
exclusively on Amazon in print and kindle editions.
Fascinating!
Is there anything that prompted your book? Something that inspired you?
Is there anything that prompted your book? Something that inspired you?
Remotely Unplugged was inspired by a
trip I took to Canada with a girlfriend of mine. We went to college together
and were on the equestrian (horse) team in college. When we graduated, we wanted
to take a week long horseback riding trip. We chose a remote part of Banff,
Canada for our trip. It was the most incredible horseback riding adventure you
can ever imagine. It was just the two of us. And a mountain guide. We traveled
for about six hours a day on horseback, getting more and more lost in the
beauty that is the Canadian wilderness. I wouldn’t trade the experience for the
world. No cell phones, no computers, just pure survival in its most basic form.
It was a fabulous trip, but at the same time I kept thinking, 'Man, if our guide
was a serial killer or someone who wanted to hurt us, literally no one would
know.' There’s no cell reception at the top of the mountain. Whom would you call
anyway? Who would have the skills to come find us if we could actually get in
touch with anyone? Thus the story of Remotely Unplugged was born.
Interesting!
So, tell us...
When did you know you wanted to write? Or has it always been a pastime of yours?
When did you know you wanted to write? Or has it always been a pastime of yours?
Writing has always been a pastime. My
parents used to drive myself and my two brothers all over the United States
growing up. Every summer we would camp and fish and hike somewhere different in
the USA. One of the things we did as kids was to write campfire short stories
during the car ride to wherever it was we were going. We would each have a
night to read our stories by the fire and enjoy one another’s company. I credit
my parents for really starting my writing career and then my teachers for
fostering a love of literature in school.
Oh, wow! What an inspiring tale! I credit my mother with my love of reading because she used to read to me as a very young girl. When I could read on my own, though, I was set! :)
So...do you
have any favorite authors?
I really love Michael Crichton, Isaac
Asimov, Suzanne Collins and Ray Bradury. They are what I consider true Sci-fi
writers. I look up to them and enjoy their work. One day I hope to find myself
counted among them as one of the great science fiction writers of our time.
That's great!
So, we're curious. Do you write in a specific place? Or time of day?
I usually write in my living room
(that’s on the computer itself). I work so much during the day (I’m an Art
teacher in Baltimore) that I do a lot of my writing as voice notes on my phone
while I’m stuck in traffic driving to and from work every day. My average
commute is about an hour so I have lots of time to think and record notes that
I later transcribe from the comfort of my living room in the evening. My time
of day is evening unless I’m on winter break or summer break from school. When
I’m on break, my preferred time to write is first thing in the morning.
All right.
Are there any words you'd like to impart
to fellow writers? Any advice?
Advice to fellow writers? Just keep
writing. Every day. Even if you only write one sentence or even one word. Keep
going. Before you know it, you’ll have a full length novel ready to edit and
show to the world! Make it happen each and every day. and be kind to yourself
and your work. It’s hard to write a book and there are a lot of naysayers out
there. Just remember, at the end of the day, no matter what anyone says, the
story is still your own. If you’re happy with it, that’s what’s most
important.
And thank you so much for stopping by! It was such a pleasure to have you here. :)
Readers, here is the blurb for Remotely Unplugged.
Technology is all around
us. Humanity is becoming hopelessly bound by it. What if a society were built
exclusively with dependence on technology? An existence where all the
information you need is literally plugged into your head?
Sarah finds herself within this world, craving for change, but all she sees is a mindless compliance to the technology around her. Her unwillingness to follow the status quo has landed her in trouble and there are those who have had enough of her meddling.
In an effort to correct Sarah’s mal-compliance issues, she is taken to a remote facility to be “unplugged.” “Reset” in an effort to make her conform to the world around her. But hers is not a simple reset and what she discovers once she arrives will not only put her in mortal danger, but will also unravel a truth far beyond her expectations.
Sarah finds herself within this world, craving for change, but all she sees is a mindless compliance to the technology around her. Her unwillingness to follow the status quo has landed her in trouble and there are those who have had enough of her meddling.
In an effort to correct Sarah’s mal-compliance issues, she is taken to a remote facility to be “unplugged.” “Reset” in an effort to make her conform to the world around her. But hers is not a simple reset and what she discovers once she arrives will not only put her in mortal danger, but will also unravel a truth far beyond her expectations.
Here is an excerpt from the novel.
Riveting! Readers, don't forget to check out this book!
Purchase Links:
Universal Amazon: http://bookgoodies.com/a/B00TWPZBJ4
CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/5332796
Author Bio
Andrea Perno writes futuristic science fiction. She divides her time
between being a full time art teacher in Baltimore and writing. With
very little "sit down" time to herself, she creates most of her writing
through voice notes on her phone while driving to and from work. She
grew up in Florida and Pennsylvania and now resides in Maryland where
she enjoys the company of her husband, family and friends. In her spare
time she can be found writing, creating artwork or on the back of a
horse soaking up the sunshine outdoors.
Author Links:
Website/Blog: http://www.andreaperno.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PernoAndrea
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Andrea-Perno/e/B00LQ9TDDY/
Andrea's Books:
No comments:
Post a Comment