Author Interview/Review/Giveaway - Eliza Green, Author of Becoming Human

 

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I go to the cinema once a week. I find it a really great way of relaxing. While I also love company, the introvert inside me wants to banish the noise. I relish silence. It’s during those moments of deep thought that the inspiration comes and movie visuals help to stir up the grey matter a little faster.

How do you cope if you get a bad review?

My heart still hammers in my chest when I see a new review somewhere. If it’s a bad one, I try to look at it objectively to see if there’s any advice I should take on board, or if it’s just personal preference that they don’t like it. Readers are entitled to their own opinion and I would be a poor sport if I challenged them on their reviews. Why would I want to do that? I don’t understand why authors attack readers if they don’t like the review they get. Chances are the authors still have some work to do to improve their story, whether it’s editing or execution.

On the flip side, readers should also show respect and not resort to personal attacks on authors, as I’ve seen happen recently. The door swings both ways. But, I’m glad to see that the majority of readers are really nice.

Occupational hazards about being a writer?

Publishing too early. Sitting back and waiting for the sales to roll in without lifting a finger. It won’t happen unless you’re really, really lucky, which most writers aren’t. Being self motivated enough to write new material. Sticking to deadlines. Very important.

What makes you laugh?

People with a dry sense of humour. I’m Irish and one of the things we seem to do naturally is take the proverbial p**s out ofeach other. It’s all good natured and you can spot the peoplewith the clever wit a mile off.

I’m a dog lover and previous dog owner and they do the silliest things. Cats, not so much. They have an air about them that says,’ I’m not bothered that you’re watching.’ Dogs are much more eager to please and hilarious to watch because of it.

Which book has been the hardest to write?

I wrote a different book in another genre. That’s going to be reworked before I publish it because I was a little too green when I wrote it. In the current Exilon 5 trilogy, I have published BECOMING HUMAN. ALTERED REALITY, book 2 in the trilogy, is in the editing stage and I’m writing the first draft of Book 3.

BECOMING HUMAN was probably the most difficult. I had no idea how to write, never mind Science Fiction, and it took me four years to iron out all the problems and to learn from my mistakes. As a result, BECOMING HUMAN took the longest to write. In comparison, ALTERED REALITY was a lot easier to write.

Any hints as to what lies ahead for your characters?

BECOMING HUMAN examines the fallout when one of the indigenous race (Indigenes) on Exilon 5 makes contact with a human. ALTERED REALITY will explore the home life of the Indigenes in more detail. The status quo has been maintained for a long time but things are about to change, for both races.

Favourite character?

In BECOMING HUMAN, I quite like Bill Taggart, the World Government investigator, and Laura O’Halloran, the woman who was involuntarily dragged into something murky.

Bill is a loner. I can relate to that. There are times when only myown company will do.

Laura is trying to do what’s best for herself and her mother. But when faced with corruption, she has to make some difficult choices.

Least favourite?

Daphne Gilchrist is the main antagonist in BECOMING HUMAN. She’s a ball breaker and she doesn’t care who she steps on to get business done. I wrote her to be a feared character, but secretly, I like her. She gets done what the procrastinators won’t.

What genres of books do you read?

My go to genre is Crime. I love Michael Connolly and I devoured Patricia Cornwell’s series. Next, I read Science Fiction, in particular dystopian. I just finished the third book in Suzanne Collin’s Hunger Games trilogy and I’m hunting for another series that grabbed me the way that one did. I’m reading more books from self-published authors, whose genres vary. Did you ever dream you would become an author?

Absolutely not. I’m not one of those people who dreamed about writing. I hated English in school, mostly because of how it was taught. I was always good at spelling, but the focus was usually on outdated books like Shakespeare and Charles Dickens, and the old world language frustrated me. Those books put me off reading when I was younger. But then I started reading at night.Now, all I do is read, as well as write.

I fell into the writing by chance. I just turned on my laptop and wrote a chapter for a different genre to the one I write now andliked the control I had over my story. Getting the story down is hard but not as challenging as learning how to weave the story together, how to structure grammar properly and how to avoid the mistake of too much back story.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Writing full time and controlling my own destiny. I work full time and spend my day thinking about what I will write in the evening. Before writing, I used to grumble about giving up free time, but now it all goes on writing-related tasks and I don’t mind. As BECOMING HUMAN gains higher readership levels, the demands on me to release the second one become greater. You can’t help feeling as if you’re letting readers down by delaying the next publication. ALETERED REALITY is due for a December 2013 release, a little later than some readers would like, but I must work to a schedule I can manage.

If I can get rid of the day job, then maybe I can write the books faster!

BECOMING HUMAN: Available to purchase from

Amazon http://smarturl.it/uo0kzr Kobo http://bit.ly/11MWcqaBarnes and Noble http://bit.ly/10Mgj1oSmashwords http://bit.ly/10ZgHOI

Sony http://bit.ly/1fbpoaX

ALTERED REALITY: Due December 2013

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Connect with Eliza

Blog: www.elizagreenbooks.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/elizagreenbooks

Facebook: www.facebook.com/elizagreenbooks

 

Review by Mary Beth Witkop

4 Stars

 

Wow! That was the first thing that came to mind when i finished this book. Obviously this story is a Sci-fi, with the futuristic setting and the amazing world Earth and Exilon 5 that we are thrown into. But don't let that scare you away, it was so much more than just the futuristic worlds that it is set in. It has mystery, intrigue, heartache, and double crossing and it left me excited about the next one.

The details of this story were amazing, everything that Ms. Green had written became a living thing. I felt as if I was watching a movie the way she detailed everything from the setting, to the clothing, and what the characters were wearing. From the important to the mundane, such as them standing in line to get a meal (which would normally seem boring and unneeded) helped add to the everyday living of our future world.

Most writers ease you into the story, but not this one, this one starts with a explosion and I mean that literally. Then fast forward 25 years after the explosion and we follow a whole slew of characters who are not only trying to live but they are also trying to find out what is really going on Earth and Exilon 5. It was a little difficult to follow at first but once the story got moving I couldn't wait to see what would happen next and to see how all of these characters would intertwine and man did Ms. Green deliver.

 

Giveaway

Comment on our blog post, or Facebook, and I will choose one person at random to win an ecopy of the book.