Interview: Alan Tucker author of Knot in time and Giveaway

Today we have Alan Tucker visiting with us today. He has a new book out called Knot in Time. Check it out if you have the chance.

 

 

    Here is our interview:
1. How did you come up with the concept for this book?
    I've always loved the idea of time travel. Back to the Future is one of my all-time favorit movies. It  had a great mix of adventure and humor, which are elements that I wanted to incorporate into this book and series. I also wanted to blend in some very modern theories of physics, like aspects of string theory, in a way that made sense and give readers something a little different from what they traditionally think of in a time travel story. The science, though, definitely takes a back seat to the action and adventure.

2. How did you come up with the names for the characters?
   What's not to love about a hero named Dare? Everything kind of came at once with this project — the concept and the name really went hand in hand. I remember studying and being fascinated with the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle in high school and college and started thinking about stories and characters spun from that idea.

3. How much are you and the characters alike?
   I'm pretty sure, like all writers, that there are little pieces of me in all my characters. Dare and I are probably more alike than I'd care to admit!

4. Do you read a lot and what are you reading now?
   I do read a lot! I think it's very important as a writer to be a big reader as well. I just finished with the latest Dresden Files book, Cold Days, by Jim Butcher and enjoyed it very much. I have a large TBR pile that it's time to sift through and decide what's next!

5. How did the cover come about?
   I wanted something that was clearly "science fiction-y" so the shot of the Earth and the nebula fit well. I had a picture in my head for Dare, but it took looking through literally thousands of photos of hundreds of different models to find one with the right look and expression on his face. I was very relieved when I finally discovered this one! I think it fits the character very well.

6. So what is your next project and when is it due out?
   Next will be the follow up to this story, which I'm plotting and outlining now. I hope to have it finished in late summer or early fall of 2013. No title as of yet.
7. Do you have a daytime job or are you a full time writer?
   I work as a graphic designer and also as a tutor besides writing, so I keep pretty busy. I would love to be able to pursue writing full time, but it takes quite a bit of time to develop a following. The fan base for my first series, Mother-Earth, is growing and I hope to reach a new audience with these time travel stories.

8. How did you get into writing novels and were you worried about peoples reactions to your books?
   I've written on and off ever since I was little, but had never finished a novel project until a few years ago. A Measure of Disorder, the first book of the Mother-Earth series was my first, and to be honest, I didn't really expect to publish it. It was only after strong, positive reactions from the people I showed it to that I decided to polish it up and give it a go. It's always hard to present something creative or artistic to someone else. Deep down we're all afraid of rejection. But I try to always go into a project with the idea that I'm creating something that I'd enjoy reading myself, so if other people aren't interested in it, that's okay. Nothing in this world is universally liked — not even ice cream — so when someone says, "That's not really my thing," it doesn't bother me. I don't like everything either, so how can I expect everyone to like my work?

9. One last thing do you collect anything personally?
   When I was little I collected all sorts of things. Stamps, baseball cards, comic books, you name it, I probably collected it at one point. I still have a box of comics from the seventies and eighties, most of which are probably worthless, but most everything else has been sold or given away over the years. I do have a collection of books, of course, but since I got a Kindle this past year, I have only purchased one or two paper books. Reading on the Kindle was surprisingly easier on my eyes and I'm so glad I took the plunge and got one!
 
Thank you so much for having me here today!
Thank you so much Alan for joining us today.
If you would like to know more about Alan or his books you can find him here:
Goodreads
Alan's website
Facebook
Twitter

Find Alan's new book Paperbook and Kindle on Amazon HERE!
                                                      
                                                    Find the Giveaway HERE!