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This is the sixteenth outing of a new blog series, as I dabble my toes into the mysterious waters of author interviews! 

Having watched so many fantastic interviewers (Tricia Drammeh and her Authors to Watch, AFE Smith (see below), Katrina Jack (yes, the interview goddess herself is being interviewed this week!)  and her New Authors section and Susan Finlay’sMeet the Author to name a few of the best – please check out their wonderful blogs), I’ve always been a little reluctant to throw my hat into the ring…but here goes! 

One of my all-time favourite worldbuilding PC games, is Sid Meier’s ‘Alpha Centauri’.  So, in homage to that (and a shameless rip off of BBC Radio 4’s ‘Desert Island Discs’ and AFE Smith’s brilliant blog series Barren Island Books), here is my own author interview series – Distant Worlds. 

The Distant Worldsstrand started a few months ago, focusing on fellow fantasy and sci-fi authors from ultra-cool UK publishing house, Grimbold Books and their imprints, Kristell Ink and Tenebris Books – a bunch of uber-talented and whacky characters who I am also proud to call friends.  Check out their cool titles while they’re still at bargain prices!  hyperurl.co/GrimboldBooks

A World Of Their Own – an awesome anthology of fantasy, sci-fi and literary short stories, with ALL profits going to charity! 

But now we’re branching out and will be zoning in on an extraordinary group of people, The Alliance of Worldbuilders (AWB), who I am also VERY proud to call close friends. 

The AWB – a bunch of uber-talented fantasy and sci-fi writers and artists who met on the HarperCollins writing site, Authonomy, back in 2010.  We formed The Alliance of Worldbuilders, a friendly, inclusive and wacky group and our collective friendships have seen us through some very hard times, including the sad loss of one of our own, Lindsey J Parsons.  In honour of Lindsey, our dear friend who tragically died in January 2014, the AWB have created an awesome anthology of short stories, which was published in glorious paperback and e-book on 4th September 2015!  It makes the perfect prezzie and ALL profits go to charity, the World Literacy Fund, fighting illiteracy around the world, so grab a great book and help a great cause too!  Amazon UK & Amazon US

Katrina Jack

Katrina, YOU find yourself cast adrift in deep space, your colony pod’s life support is failing, your only chance of survival is a distant habitable world…

What 5 essentials would you choose to help you survive? 

Hmm, only 5?  Hard to choose.  Well first would have to be my laptop, so I could write about what I see.  Then there’s my cat, Meg, for company.  I’d also have to have a box of cat food, ‘cos she nags incessantly to be fed.  I’d also have to have a pad and pen to make notes about my adventure.  Oh, and several bars of chocolate. 

What 5 personal items would you salvage from your crashed ship before it explodes? 

My Kindle, can’t live without that.  My comfy slippers, ‘cos I have flat feet.  My leopard print pyjamas; alright, I’ve got no taste, but I like ‘em.  My favourite fluffy blanket, and last, but not least, a family sized bottle of diet Pepsi. 

Would you seek life-forms for help or go it alone? 

I probably would seek out other life-forms, but I’d watch them from a distance for a while, to see if they were friendly or likely to bite my head off. 

What 5 fantasy/sci-fi books would you have to keep with you and why? 

Oh it’d have to be any of Terry Pratchett’s discworld novels, because they make me laugh and his characters are fantastic.  And a book I’ve recently discovered, via the TV series, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke.  The series was fantastic.  For once the BBC had actually spent money, as the production values were superb.  The book is beautifully written, with vivid characterisation and marvellous narrative and dialogue. 

You are all alone on a distant world with little chance of being rescued…do you choose water, vodka or coca-cola to drown your sorrows? 

No brainer – vodka. 

Random comet question: If you could live in any fictional world, what would it be and why? 

I’d live in Ankh-Morpork, a fabulous city, on Terry Pratchett’s Discworld.  Why?  Because it’s a crazy, hilarious place filled with magic.  mayhem & wizards. 

You have 30 seconds (max 100 words) to tell the alien approaching you about your latest book.  Remember this is more pressurised than an elevator pitch – screw up and he’ll eat your brains!  Go! 

Okay.  My latest book, still a work in progress, is called Elawyn’s Song, book one in The Songstress Trilogy.  Basically this is a follow on from The Silver Flute Trilogy.  It details the journey of Elawyn, who possess a singing voice so pure, it can cause cities to topple.  At the end of the last book of The Silver Flute Trilogy, Elawyn has been contaminated by demon blood and must find a way to cure herself. 

How would you choose to spend your time on this distant world? 

Reading, writing and eating chocolate. 

What 5 things would you miss most about Earth? 

The parks around where I live.  My brother.  My house.  My friends.  Social media. 

What 5 things would you NOT miss about Earth? 

The place where I work, although I like the people I work with.  All the bloody stupid wars that are going on.  Social inequality.  Politics.  The banking system. 

Time-traveller questions (for Dr. Who fans): What is the one thing you wish you could turn back time and change? 

The loss of my father. 

If you had the chance again to go on this deep space adventure, would you take it? 

Yes, I think I would.  They do say travel broadens the mind and mine’s on the verge of stagnation at the moment. 

What 5 indie authors and books you would recommend to any carbon based lifeform – and why? 

Your good self, as White Mountain is a wonderfully epic journey of a read.  The characters are literally magic, and the illustrations superb.  Tricia Drammeh, for the same reason.  I’ve read book 1 in her Spellbringers series, Spellbound, an absolutely gripping, paranormal story.  Jane Dougherty’s The Dark Citadel, book 1 of her The Green Woman series.  Set in a dystopian world, it’s a magnificent blend of myth and legend.  The Binding, by Sam Dogra.  An unusual tale of a girl’s struggle to lead her own life and the often traumatic journey she takes to try and achieve this.  And last, but not least, our dear friend, Lyndsey Parson’s Vortex, Return of the Effra.  A beautiful classic fantasy.  The story is split between this world and one filled with fantastical creatures that seize the reader’s imagination and carry it away into a wonderful blend of war, romance and adventure. 

What advice can you give to fellow space travellers (writers and readers) out there? 

I always give the same advice: craft your work until it shines, and most importantly, never give up on your dream.  As for readers, if you like a book, leave a review. 

Before we leave you and blast into another parallel universe, please tell us about yourself and your inspirations! 

Katrina in her own words…

Well, I’m a fifty something year old woman.  I’m single and I reside in the city of my birth, Liverpool, and the source of most of my inspiration, along with different types of music.  The inspiration for Land of Midnight Days, and subsequently the other two books, came from The Littlewoods building in Liverpool and a Jethro Tull album.  I’ve written since I was aged about fourteen and could read before I even started school.  I have three books published, by Ecanus Publishing under the Banner heading The Silver Flute Trilogy.  The genre is YA urban fantasy and they’re available from:

I began writing many years ago and Land of Midnight Day was my first published work.  A few years back I had a bit of a windfall and invested some of it in obtaining a degree in creative writing at Liverpool John Moores University. 

Although I primarily write urban fantasy, I also enjoy other genres, such as murder mysteries, romance and biographies.  My favourite authors, in the fantasy genre are: Robin Hobb, Jim Butcher, David Gemmell, Jack Vance and many more. 

I was born in October 1956, in the wonderful city of Liverpool, at the now demolished hospital known as Sefton General, which was so ill equipped in those days, that my poor mother’s drip was hung from an old broom pole!  Talk about the lap of luxury, eh? 

I still live in Liverpool, in an area rich in public gardens and parks, plus a cemetery and a crematorium – great for inspiration, believe it or not.  Included in some of the wonderful historical buildings in the area, is the mansion house known as Allerton Hall, former home of Richard Lathom, who fought as a Royalist during the civil war and is a grade II listed building.  It makes a guest appearance in my novel, under a different guise of course. 

Latest Book Blurb

Jeremiah has at last reached the end of a long road, which has led him from his native city, into the Gloaming and ended in the Midnight Land itself.  Despair, tragedy, and the precious silver flute, have accompanied him every step of the way. 

He must now face up to whatever awaits him there – good or bad.  No matter what the outcome is, he must close the gates to the Midnight Land and restore freedom to, not only his own world, but all the others weighed down by the oppression of evil. 

Will he succeed? 

Katrina’s other fabulous books:

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Thank you, Katrina.  Congratulations, you are survivor!  A passing military frigate has honed in on your distress beacon, you’re going home!!!