Author Interview: Science Fiction Author Ted Cross

The Immortality Game:

(Blurb): Moscow, 2138. With the world only beginning to recover from the complete societal collapse of the late 21st Century, Zoya scrapes by prepping corpses for funerals and dreams of saving enough money to have a child. When her brother forces her to bring him a mysterious package, she witnesses his murder and finds herself on the run from ruthless mobsters. Frantically trying to stay alive and save her loved ones, Zoya opens the package and discovers two unusual data cards, one that allows her to fight back against the mafia and another which may hold the key to everlasting life.

Book Information:

Publisher: Breakwater Harbor Books (November 24, 2014)

Genre: Science Fiction

Age: Adult

Length: 328p

Tell us a little bit about yourself. 

I'm originally from Arizona, splitting time between Phoenix and Tucson. Once I graduated from college I left to work overseas and have been doing that ever since. Other than reading and writing, my biggest hobbies are chess, guitar, computers, traveling, and watching movies. I met my wife while living in Moscow, Russia and we've been married for nearly twenty years now. We have two teenage sons and a parakeet.

How long have you been writing?

About eight years now.

Is authoring your first job? If not, please tell us what you do when you’re not typing or writing away.

No, I only get to write when I find some free time. I work as a diplomat as my career. I'd love to write full-time, but that will have to wait until I can retire.

What was the trigger for your most recent book?

I was creating backstory for a character in the first book I wrote, and the backstory kept becoming more complex and interesting, so I ended up using some old story ideas I'd had for years and mixing them into one great backstory that turned into a novel.

When did you decide that it was time to take your writing public?

When I believed I had a story good enough that I believed it could be a bestseller if it only gained attention. I could tell that my second book was far stronger than my first, and I got a rave review from a HarperCollins editor. That made me overcome my natural tendency to doubt myself.

What was the hardest part about writing this book? 

The hardest part was that I didn't have an ending. Even as I approached the end of writing it I still couldn't figure out how I wanted it to go. Finally I took several months off from writing it just to let it simmer and eventually it came to me.

Do you develop characters from your personal experiences or draw from that of others?

I get minor traits from people I know, but the overall characters seem to just come from my imagination in some way that I don't fully understand. I usually have a few scene ideas in my mind before I have characters, and then the characters some to life on their own.

Is your writing genre one that you read a lot of? Why or why not did you decide to/not to write in this genre?

I read a ton of both fantasy and sci-fi, so it's natural that this is what I wish to write, especially since there are aspects of each that I don't see any other writers doing. 

Are your comfortable writing in different genres? What is your go-to genre?

I've written two books so far and both were very different. One was epic fantasy and the other is cyberpunk thriller. I found out right away that I couldn't approach writing the thriller the same way as doing the fantasy. The voice and pacing had to be completely different. In the past I would have said that fantasy was my go-to genre, but now it seems like it will go back and forth between that and sci-fi.

Do you have a favorite writing theme?

I suppose if I have one it's the idea of creating characters who are not particularly special, at least not in any obvious way. They are ordinary people who end up having to do extraordinary things.

Writers block is inevitable. Either a plot is not developing how you want or something about your character(s) feels missing. What’s something that you do to help find new inspiration?

I just stop writing. For me writing isn't just about typing. I consider it writing even when I'm just letting ideas percolate in my mind, so I can go weeks or even months between writing a new chapter, just waiting until I feel I have it right in my head.

What is your next writing project?

I have a great idea for a far-future sci-fi that I think can be huge, as long as I pull it off right. I'm very excited about it and can't wait to start, though I actually do have to wait because I'm finishing up edits on my old epic fantasy so I can publish that next year.

Now for one of my favorite requests - tell us a random fun fact about yourself.

I've played chess against four world champions, and in 2001 I tied for 1st place in the US Amateur Championships in Tucson.


Connect with Ted:

My blog: http://tedacross.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23548914-the-immortality-game
Twitter: www.twitter.com/tedacross
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Ted.Cross.Author

Purchase Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Immortality-Game-Ted-Cross/dp/099098771X/ref=tmm_pap_title_0
Barnes&Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-immortality-game-ted-cross/1120815708?ean=2940150505803
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-immortality-game
GooglePlay: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Ted_Cross_The_Immortality_Game?id=0VBIBQAAQBAJ


(It's on iTunes as well, though I can't link to it)