To Reboot or not to Reboot - it's really no question!

Today, I have the honor and pleasure of having author Pippa Jay sharing some insight, wisdom, and general literary mischief on my site. Sit back, relax, and be entertained. 

Pippa, welcome to my blog and I want to hear all about it:

Who are you and what brings you by today? Hi, I'm Pippa Jay, a girl who writes SciFi and the supernatural. Whovian, Scaper, and Sith-in-training. Come to share my new release with you, I have, hmmm. :P

What drives you to write the kinds of books that you do? Insanity? Lol. I generally blame my muse. She won't shut up once she has an idea, not until I've written it all down.

How would you describe your writing style? Lyrical. I have a tendency to lean toward the poetic, though my editor ensures I don't stray too far into purple prose.

What are your influences?  Favorite books? Mostly a diet of SciFi and fantasy books, films and TV shows since the age of three. These days I generally read and watch SF, usually read SciFi and SciFi romance by my peers, or straight SciFi from authors like Neal Asher and Jaine Fenn.

What songs would be included in the soundtrack of your life? What I've Done (Linkin Park), Sail Away (The Rasmus), Wither (Dream Theater), Don't Stay (Linkin Park), Walking In Circles (Dead By Sunrise), It's Your Night (The Rasmus)

Could you share the best advice you’ve received as an author?  What advice would you share? Actually, the best advice came from one of my favourite films - Commander Quincy Taggart in Galaxy Quest. "Never give up - never surrender!" And that's always the one thing I would tell another author. Also read, write, and research.

Can you talk a little about your writing process? Chaotic is the best description. I don't plot and I don't write linearly. Usually I start with one or more scenes in my head (not even necessarily the opening scene) and get them down. Then I go back and start filling the gaps. Not something that would work for most people but it does for me.

Tell us about your latest release! Reboot is a dystopian cyberpunk short story, although it appears utopian at the start. It's a little like Logan's Run (for those old enough to remember that) crossed with The Matrix. Here's the blurb:

Welcome to immortality in utopia! 

From the moment Damien signed up for a perfect life with ReGen Inc., he didn’t ask any questions. He didn’t want or need to know. But after he's rebooted this time, there are gaps in his memory he can’t ignore, and people he no longer recognizes are accusing him of betrayal. When someone dies, he’s determined to go looking for answers…but sometimes it really is better to forget.

You can find out more at my website here: http://www.pippajay.co.uk/#!reboot/c20an

Talk about one specific theme in your latest book. The idea that something too good to be true will come at a price, and a higher one than most. There is no such thing as a free lunch.

Can you share a passage?

 “Blinds.” The automatics obeyed, drawing gray bar blinds across the windows, but leaving the slots open. He lay on the bed, closed his eyes and went into cybermode. The Wi-Fi connection in his head instantly linked him to the internet, and he accessed Help. Options flickered past him. He selected Tools and went into Diagnostics.

“Can I help you?” The question overlaid the Tools screen, an unexpected popup.

“Er, yes. I rebooted yesterday and everything seems fine, but I’m worried one of my memory files got missed in the process.”

“That’s not possible. Instantaneous memory backup is active 24/7 and saved in three isolated locations to ensure a full copy. All are merged before reload.”

“Well, maybe it got corrupted? Maybe after upload?”

“No. But you can run a full body and memory diagnostic to check. It’ll take half an hour downtime. Is that acceptable?”

“Yes.”

“All right. Do you want entertainment while the diagnostics run?”

“Yes, please. Music.”

“Any particular artist or playlist?”

“Cruize, on audio only.”

“Diagnostics running. Enjoy your music.”

Tell us about your book’s cover! The cover was created by Misa Buckley at Scorched Flower from a rough draft I came up with. I had a very strong idea of what I wanted right from the start and went looking for some images. I really liked the intensity of the guy's expression, and I went for the double image because he's a clone. The background Misa chose is spot on - I sent her a few examples of what I had in mind but was open to alternatives.

What else can you do besides write? I can sew, dance, play guitar very badly (that's a real talent, I promise you), sing (also badly according to my family), and look after chickens.

After the last page, what do you want the reader to leave with? A sense of utter futility for our future, bwahahaaa! I have a rather bleak outlook on humanity's future myself. I guess I'd like readers to think about the way our society might be heading and what they could do about it so the future in Reboot isn't one of the possibilities.

What’s next? Well, I signed a contract for two novellas just last month - a scifi romance with cloned succubi-like assassins and a YA paranormal set in Louisiana with teen zombies. I also have a paranormal romance short story coming out in October. For some reason muse went all supernatural toward the end of last year! I also have a decopunk superhero story out on submission, and a super secret project I'm working on to self publish. This year's going to be very busy!

Where do you see the publishing industry heading in the next five years? I see a lot of changes coming fast. I think sales on eBooks have peaked now. I don't think print will die out completely. I could see the Big Five shrinking to Two or Three. The bigger publishers may buy out some of the smaller digital first presses in the hope of continuing their existence. Literary agents will dwindle, but many may adapt by changing what they do.
 

FAST FIVE QUIZ (in no particular order, meaning, or sense!)

1)      What movie could you watch no matter how many times it’s on? Warm Bodies

2)      What side of a tree does moss grow on? The other side.

3)      What would you do if you were allergic to Kleenex? Use my sleeve, since that's what my kids often do. O.o

4)      Have you ever wondered what happened to the #1 pencil? No.

5)     Can you really read a picture book? You can picture words...

And there you have it! By the way, you got all five of the last questions completely wrong, Pippa! All kidding aside, make sure you check out this fantastic author and ALL of her literary catalogue, to include her newest addition - Reboot! Follow the link at the bottom to find out more:

Pippa Jay - Adventures in Scifi
SciFi and the supernatural with a romantic soul. Double SFR Galaxy Award Winner. Readers Favorite Contest and GCC RWA Silken Sands Star Awards finalist.The Kindle Book Review’s 2013 Best Indie Book Awards semi-finalist.

http://pippajay.co.uk
http://pippajay.blogspot.co.uk/