Title:
Caller 107
Author:
Matthew Cox
Genre:
young-adult, contemporary paranormal
Publisher:
Curiosity Quills Press
Cover
Artist: Polina Sapershteyn (http://www.polinas-portfolio.com/)
Date
of Publication: July 22nd, 2014
BLURB supplied by Curiosity Quills Press
When thirteen-year-old Natalie Rausch
said she would die to meet DJ Crazy Todd, she did not mean to be literal.
Two years is a long time to be stuck
between two people that want nothing more than to destroy each other. A tween
crush on the larger-than-life jock from a local radio station is the only trace
of a once-happy life ruined by warring parents.
Whenever WROK 107 ran a contest, she
would dive for the phone, getting busy signals and dead air every time. She
never expected to get through, but at least with her best friend at her side,
it used to be fun.
Before her parents ruined that too.
Her last desperate attempt to get their
attention, falling in with a dangerous group of older teens, goes as wrong as
possible. With no one left to blame for her mess of a life but herself, karma
comes full circle and gives her just a few hours to make up for two years’
worth of mistakes–or be forever lost.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in a little town known as South Amboy NJ in 1973, Matthew has been creating science fiction and fantasy worlds for most of his reasoning life. Somewhere between fifteen to eighteen of them spent developing the world in which Division Zero, Virtual Immortality, and The Awakened Series take place. He has several other projects in the works as well as a collaborative science fiction endeavor with author Tony Healey.
Matthew is an avid gamer, a recovered WoW addict, Gamemaster for two custom systems (Chronicles of Eldrinaath [Fantasy] and Divergent Fates [Sci Fi], and a fan of anime, British humour (<- deliberate), and intellectual science fiction that questions the nature of reality, life, and what happens after it.
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
What is your name, where were you born
and where do you live now?
I’d
hope my name is somewhere at the top of this article, feels a bit awkward to
repeat it. I was born in South Amboy, NJ, and living not too far away from it
now in Parlin.
Did you always want to be a writer? If
not what did you want to be?
I’d
always been prone to creating stories and alternate worlds in my head, though I
didn’t start off wanting to write. To be honest, in my school-age years, I was
rather turned off on the whole thought of reading because it was mandatory.
“Summer reading lists” annoyed me, being told what I had to read made me not
want to read at all. I suppose that’s fairly typical for a kid, wanting to do
the opposite of what you’re told. For me though, it left a lasting mark. Most
of my creativity went into designing worlds and characters (and later systems)
for roleplaying games. Writing started for me about twenty years (give or take)
ago, in small bits and pieces and usually in support of building on the games I
was making. As for what I wanted to be – I couldn’t decide. I dabbled in
graphic design, technology, IT, even thought of getting into computer
programming, but it never quite happened.
When did you first consider yourself as
a "writer"?
At
some point after people told me they liked what I’d written. I quipped the
other day that “there is no art without doubt” and I am speaking from
experience. I find the greatest reward in hearing someone connected with a
story I wrote, and having been fortunate enough to be told that – I imagine I
can be called a writer. It’s a difficult thing to pin down though, and subject
to a lot of opinion.
Did it take a long time to get your
first book published?
As
these things go, so I am told, it was pretty fast. From deciding to get serious
about writing to first draft to first published was a little less than two
years. If you factor in the battle of laziness vs. desire that led up to that,
closer to ten.
Do you work another job as well as your
writing work?
Yes.
But if there’s an agent out there interested in changing that for me, I’m open
to suggestions.
What is the name of your latest book,
and if you had to summarize it in less than 20 words what would you say?
Caller
107. A young girl in a bad situation gets a few hours to clean her karma or be
forever lost.
Who is your publisher? or do you self
publish?
My
publisher is Curiosity Quills Press. (www.curiosityquills.com)
Do you have a "lucky charm" or
"lucky routine" you follow when waiting for your book to be accepted
by a publisher?
Not
really. This is such a subjective business. While I may be a superstitious sort
in some ways, I queried agents with little success until someone suggested
sending one to CQ directly. They loved it (Division Zero) and signed me. Thus
far, everything else I’ve written, I’ve sent to them.
How long does it usually take you to
write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?
This
varies a bit, though I have been told I’m fast. Virtual Immortality took about
three months to draft, and about six to edit. Division Zero took about two
weeks to draft and a month or two to edit. Prophet of the Badlands, I drafted
in fourteen days, not counting a week of outlining first. (That story wanted
out). I guess on average about two to three months.
Which of your books were easier/harder
to write than the others?
Prophet
was the easiest. Grey Ronin took the longest so far, as I was wound up and
distracted by the excitement of Division Zero being released and had some focus
issues around that time… Caller 107 started as a thing that was too long to be
a short story and too short to be a novella. CQ suggested building on it and
making it a novel. I’d say that was the most “difficult” thing I’ve done so
far, since I didn’t have an outline for it and I didn’t want to add “filler.” I
think starting from scratch with a concept is easier than taking a nugget or
proto-story and massaging it out to a full length book while keeping the tone
of the original intent.
What can we expect from you in the
future? ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?
I’m
working on more of the Awakened series now, which takes place in the same world
as Division Zero and Virtual Immortality. Also, an anthology of short stories
that are a mix of Sci Fi, horror, and one fantasy. I’m excited about a MG
fantasy currently on submission to CQ. Going forward from there I have ideas
for some post apoc stuff, maybe a full-length fantasy, and possibly some
contemporary paranormals.
Do you have plans for a new book? Is
this book part of a series?
Caller
107 is standalone, the events depicted within are not the sort of thing that
recurs. I do have plans for new books. Perhaps more ideas than I’ll have time
to write.
What genre would you place your books
into?
Science
Fiction, Cyberpunk with a trace of paranormal for the most part. Caller 107 is
contemporary paranormal, while Emma & The Banderwigh is MG fantasy.
What made you decide to write that genre
of book?
It’s
the story I had. I didn’t much think of “genre” while writing it.
Do you have a favourite out of the books
you have written? If so why is it your favourite?
So
far, I’d have to say Prophet of the Badlands by a narrow margin. I’m quite fond
of the main character as well as the setting. (Most of it takes place in a
post-apocalyptic area.)
Do you have a favourite character from
your books? and why are they your favourite?
It’s
a close call between Althea, from Prophet and Kirsten from Division Zero. Both
are innocents caught in a cruel world that are mostly concerned with helping
others rather than looking out for their own interests. Althea is more innocent
and took a long time to get the nerve to stand up for herself. Kirsten is
resilient, confident, and despite a horrible past, has not given up.
If you had to choose to be one of your
characters in your book/books which would you be? and why?
This
feels like a repeat of the last question, but I’d have to say Althea. If only
because she has the ability to heal others.
How long have you been writing?, and who
or what inspired you to write?
On
and off for about twenty years. As far as inspiration to write goes, I’d have
to say William Gibson for the most part, as well as various animes, movies, and
other games with a sci fi element. My love of post-apoc came from Wasteland (old
computer game).
Where do you get your book plot ideas
from?What/Who is your inspiration?
I
can’t really pin an exact answer on this one. They just come out of nowhere.
Sometimes I’ll see something in the news or catch a snippet of conversation and
days or weeks later it bubbles back to the surface in the form of an idea. More
often than not, I’ll come up with a character concept, stick them in a world,
and work outward from a short idea.
Do you have a certain routine you have
for writing? ie You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?
While
I’m drafting, I can’t listen to music with lyrics. I find it distracting. When
I’m editing, I don’t mind music. I sit in a certain chair because I only have
one computer chair, but it’s not any kind of ritualistic voodoo or anything.
Do you have anybody read your books and
give you reviews before you officially release them?ie. Your partner, children,
friends, reviewers you know?
I’ve
a circle of friends, co-workers, and people I’ve met online that read stuff
before I send it over to CQ.
Do you gift books to readers to do
reviews?
Yep.
Do you read all the reviews of your
book/books?
So
far, yes.
What was the toughest/best review you
have ever had?
The
best review I’ve had wasn’t one that was posted. A woman I know read Virtual
Immortality and had a personal connection with an issue facing the main
character. Having the same issue (though for a vastly different reason) it
resonated with her. As far as bad/critical reviews… Division Zero has received
some, one from a religious person that objected to Kirsten’s atheism (though
she does soften up as the series goes on) and another from someone who seemed
annoyed that there wasn’t more detailed explanation of everything that
happened. I don’t like info-dumpy books and tried to strike a balance between
giving too much information and leaving enough room for the reader to think a
bit.
Would you ever ask a reviewer to change
their review if it was not all positive about your book/books?
Everyone’s
entitled to their opinion. The only thing that would tempt me to contact a
reviewer and ask them to change it is a spoiler reveal. Granted, the type of
person who posts spoilers in reviews is also likely to react poorly to any
attempt to contact them at all. It’s often best not to bite on troll bait and
just let other reviews counteract them organically.
How do you come up with the Title and
Cover Designs for your book/books?Who designed the Cover of your books?
I
think of suggestions and send them to CQ. Alexandria Thompson designed the
cover for Division Zero, Dean from Conzpiracy Digital Arts did the cover for
Virtual Immortality, and Polina Sapershteyn did Caller 107. Other titles have
yet to get their covers.
Do you choose a title first, or write
the book then choose the title?
Usually
I’ll have a title first. Virtual Immortality was the exception – I had the plot
first and started writing it. The file was called “Book” for quite awhile. With
titles, I’ll either get one I love immediately, or I’ll slap one on and then
hate it and stew for days, weeks, or months trying to change it. My original
title for Caller 107 was “Natalie” but CQ asked me to change it for search
reasons. (Type “Natalie” in a web search and you’ll get anything and everything
but a book.) Caller 107 hit me in seconds of being asked for a new title, and
they liked it.
How do you come up with characters names
and place names in your books?
Sometimes
a name will hit me at random, like Natalie from Caller 107. That story came to
me as a vivid dream, and the girl was named Natalie in the dream. Althea
(Prophet of the Badlands) I found on a baby name site and chose it because it
meant healer. Nina from Virtual Immortality, I named because I liked the sound
of it. Sometimes I’ll look for a name with a cryptic or hidden meaning… In
Division Zero, the main character is Kirsten Wren, and her last name plays on
the name of the primary antagonist. (So far only a few people have gotten
that.)
Place
names… I usually just stare at my ceiling until something hits me. In Archon’s
Queen, the area where the MC lives in the beginning (Coventry Tower) is named
for the British saying “sent to Coventry” as a euphemism for being put
somewhere far away with the rest of the undesirables.
Are character names and place names
decided after their creation? or do you pick a character/place name and then
invent them?
Character
names I always have beforehand. Sometimes place names will happen during the
writing, or change.
Do you decide on character traits (ie
shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?
For
primary characters, I have their personality and quirks planned ahead of time.
Sometimes minor characters (one scene background characters) will pick up an
unexpected quirk while writing.
Do you basic plot/plan for your book,
before you actually begin writing it out? Or do you let the writing flow and
see where it takes the story?
I
outline. I’m not following any kind of structured thing like the “three act
story” or whatnot. I lay out important scenes and events, mix in some of the
clues and minor things that need to happen, put them in the order I want them,
and then start writing.
How do you market/promote your books?
Since
the homing-goats thing was an abject disaster, I’ve fallen back on
facebook/twitter/G+ and blog tours.
What do you think makes a book a really
good/bestseller ?
I
think those things are not necessarily connected. A really good book can
languish in obscurity, and a bestseller isn’t always a good book. What makes a
book good? Believable characters that the reader identifies/empathizes with and
a plot that pulls the reader in and makes them forget that they’re reading a
book and puts them right into the story. A bestseller is one part marketing,
one part luck, and one part who you know.
Have you ever suffered from a
"writer's block"? What did you do to get past the "block"?
So
far, I have been fortunate enough not to experience this. However, I do sometimes
take awhile to get the first sentence started.
What do you do to unwind and relax? Do
you have a hobby?
Yes,
writing. Aside from that – still do some tabletop gaming and some computer
games, though nowhere near as much as I used to.
Have you ever based characters on people
you know or based events on things that have happened to you?
Sometimes.
Captain Eze (from Division Zero) is based on a supervisor I used to work with.
I’ve based some minor characters on co-workers (at their request). The
antagonist in Archon’s Queen is also loosely based on someone I worked with.
Virtual Immortality started off as a plot for a tabletop game I was running for
friends. (Though the book is pretty different than the way that campaign went.)
Are there any hidden messages or morals
contained in your books? (Morals as in like Aesops Fables type of "The
moral of this story is..")
If
there are, it’s largely unintentional. I suppose one could think of Caller 107
as a story of good karma coming full circle.
Is there a certain Author that
influenced you in writing?
Feels
like I answered this already, but William Gibson.
Which format of book do you prefer,
ebook,hardback, or paperback?
Hardcovers
are cool. Paperbacks are good too. Ebooks are handy. Depends on what I’m doing.
If I’m going out with it, ebook. To have for posterity, hardcover.
What is your favourite book and Why?
Have you read it more than once?
This
is a hard choice between Neuromancer (technically the Sprawl trilogy) and Lord
of the Rings. Given most of my writing is closer to Neuromancer, I’d have to
give it there.
Do you think books transfer to movies
well? Which is you favourite/worst book to movie transfer?
Depends
on the book and the time/effects. Some things they are doing now wouldn’t have
been possible years ago. My favorite book > movie transfer is probably Blade
Runner, even though it changed a bit from the book. So far I haven’t seen a
movie that I disliked for deviating from the book – I just look at it as a
different thing entirely.
What are you currently reading? Are you
enjoying it? What format is it?(ebook, hardback or paperback)
The
Law of the Wolf by Sam Hunt. Ebook.
Do you think ebooks will ever totally
replace printed books?
Perhaps
when we run out of trees.
Do you think children at schools these
days are encouraged enough to read? and/or do Imaginative writing?
Hard
to say. I don’t have kids and it’s been awhile since I’ve been in school. I do
remember the forced summer reading lists having the inverse effect on me and
making me resent reading. I don’t know what they’re doing now.
Did you read a lot at school and write
lots of stories or is being a writer something newer in your life?
As
I said last question, I didn’t read much in school because of the whole required
reading thing. When it became something I “had to do for school” rather than a
fun/relaxing activity, the urge to do it went into the toilet. Serious writing
is something fairly recent in my life, but the seeds have always been there. (I
wish I realized that twenty years ago.)
Did you have a favourite author as a
child?
Either
Ray Bradbury or Tom Clancy. Fahrenheit 451 was one of those required reads that
I didn’t hate.
Do you have a treasured book from your
childhood? If yes, what is it?
I
don’t. All the books I had as a kid got lost somewhere among several moves.
Do you have a favourite genre of book?
Cyberpunk/Sci
Fi or Fantasy.
Is there a book you know you will never
read? Or one you tried to read but just couldn't finish?
If
there is, I haven’t found it yet… though some have been painful, I’ve always
finished.
Are there any New Authors you are
interested in for us to watch out for? and Why should we watch out for them?
I
still consider myself a new author, and aren’t sure I’m in much of a position
to comment here. However, based on what I’ve seen, keep an eye out for (in no
particular order) Krystal Wade, Wilbert Stanton, Richard Roberts, Jason King
(no relation to Stephen), Andrew Buckley, and James Wymore – depending on your
tastes. I also read a compelling historical fantasy by Gail Strickland that was
quite good (Night of Pan)
Is there anything in your book/books you
would change now if you could and what would it be?
I’ve
seen some bad habits in my earlier writing that I’ve since gotten over (echoes,
and some overused words) that I’d perhaps tweak
What do you think about book trailers?
No
idea. I’m not sure if they help at all, or where to get one.
What piece of advice would you give to a
new writer?
There
will be doubt. If you don’t doubt yourself, you’re doing something wrong. Push
through it. Keep writing. Also, buy a copy of “The Elements of Style” by Strunk
& White, as well as “Self Editing for Fiction Writers” by Browne &
King. On Writing by Stephen King is also high up on the list.
Do you or would you ever use a pen name?
I
haven’t. I’m not sure I would.
If you could invite three favourite
writers to dinner, who would you invite and enjoy chatting with?
While it’s more likely to rub elbows with my CQ associates,
I assume you’re asking for the pipe dream choices… So: William Gibson, Chuck
Wendig, or Cory Doctorow.
AUTHOR LINKS
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