Today I’m pleased to announce an interview with author Natasha Bennett, whose science fiction novel “The War of the Soulites” will be published in May by Lyrical Press.
NGB: Welcome to the site.
Natasha: Thank you! It's great to be here.
I’m really excited about having you with us today. Let’s get rolling.
Tell us, this is your first book of a planned trilogy, is that correct?
Yes, it will be the first book of three.
Based on the synopsis of your book, it sounds like you have constructed quite a galactic saga.
Thank you! Not all of it was created at once, of course. It was more like one idea building on top of another. I created the plot of War of the Soulites six years ago. A lot of ideas changed during that time, but I'm more proud of it than ever.
To give our readers the basic premise, War of the Soulites is a science fiction novel taking place in the year 2158. Earth is unified and controlled by a government called NAVA. After Earth is attacked by a race of mysterious aliens, a ship called the Vigilant is crippled and transported into hostile territory.
Can you tell us a little about the main characters Renolds Osirus and Marcus Collingway?
Renolds Osirus is the captain of the Vigilant, however he is also very different from the typical hero. Renolds is an older man, who spent most of his life as an accountant. Most of the time he is out of his league. Consequently, he makes some cowardly and naive choices.
Marcus Collingway is the first officer of the Vigilant, and at the same time, he's also considered a mass-murderer and a terrorist. During a failed uprising of NAVA, he killed thousands of people. Yet, years later, NAVA places him on the Vigilant for reasons unknown. He is hated by the crew, but at the same time, he is also desperately needed because of his experience.
Without going into too much detail, both characters represent a great deal of what the other despises.
Give me some background on how NAVA came to be the controlling government of Earth.
This will be explored more over the next two novels, but for many years NAVA was planned in secret by a group of people with a lot of intelligence, wealth, and power. While NAVA has arguably done a lot of good things on Earth, such as getting rid of disease and homelessness, it has also done a lot of bad things, such as destroying individual businesses and the environment. Even popular concepts like religion are hit pretty hard.
Marcus seems like he has a long history, one that seems to haunt him throughout the book.
Haunts him, and everyone else too.
Where does the abused telepath come into the story?
In my novel, all telepaths have lived as slaves to NAVA for many years. A lot of people fear their power, so very few protest their enslavement and torture. After the Vigilant is lost in Soulite territory, the telepaths find themselves in a unique position to take control of their lives. Some of them want to leave the Vigilant, others want revenge. Elizabeth Dawson is one of the very few who wants to help Captain Osirus, which puts her at odds with the other telepaths.
How did you come up with your characters and their abilities?
Again, it started with one idea on top of another. For example, let's take Marcus. He's a terrorist. I need a type of captain who won't outright kill him. Then I need someone who can keep them both in line so Marcus doesn't walk over Renolds. Now it's starting to become a bit tense between the characters, so I need a normal guy who's a calming influence to everyone. After I made the basics, the characters slowly developed on their own and interacted in ways I didn't expect.
Are there any books that you drew upon for inspiration, or that influenced your writing?
Any of the older books by Stephen King.
Why?
I've always admired the sheer amount of detail Stephen King can pack into a novel. Even a simple scene like having someone walk down a street can have you immersed because King takes the time to write a couple of pages about everything happening on that street.
You are from British Columbia and currently live in Victoria. Is there a good writing community there?
Oh, definitely! There are several writing communities in Victoria, and a lot of bookstores/coffee shops that encourage local writers.
What is a typical writing day like?
Usually I'm also working full time at a retail store. So, a typical day for me is getting up, jotting down a few pages on the bus, work, coming home, and putting those notes on my laptop. The weekends are usually spent on promotion but I try and make the time for writing too.
War of the Soulites is part of a trilogy, are you working on the following two books?
There are a couple of projects that I'm working on right now, however the second book is first and foremost.
Can you give us a sneak peak into what might take place?
The first book spends a great deal of time establishing the characters and the premise of the novel. In my second novel, the stakes will be a little bit higher as the crew of the Vigilant will face enormous pressure to destroy the Soulites. To give a little spoiler, in my first novel the Vigilant is severely damaged and can only support critical systems. In other words, no weapons, no shields, and only basic propulsion. This problem will get worse in the second novel as the ship will finally degrade to the point where it cannot be repaired.
What else have you written?
I've written a few stories for Cemetery Moon, Static Movement, Fear and Trembling, and the Tiny Globule. I also have a few novellas that will be released shortly.
What are you plans for the release of the book? Do you have any planned book signings or speaking events that people might be able to find you at?
The book will be released on May 4th as an electronic book only. If sales permit, it will also be released as a print book soon after. I will be hosting a live author chat on the day of the release. More details about upcoming events can be found on my blog: http://tashabennett.blogspot.com/
Where can people order your book or get a copy?
Anyone interested in buying War of the Soulites can order it from Lyrical Press at this address: http://www.lyricalpress.com/war_of_the_soulites. They will also be able to order it from Once Upon A Bookstore at this address: http://www.onceuponabookstore.com/
Well, best of luck with your book and writing, it was a pleasure having you.
Thank you!
