Fascinating Authors

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What excites you most about your book’s topic? Why did you choose it?

Author: The intrigue and the many enigmas of ancient civilizations provide the backdrop for the adventure and excitement of The Days of Peleg.

Initially, my decision to address these topics was brought about by my concerns with “establishment” archeology, and their refusal to ascribe intelligence to early man, even in the face of advanced, sophisticated finds like the Antikythera mechanism and the Buache Map of Antarctica.  Traditional archeology ignores the implications of these OopArts (Out Of Place Artifacts), while less conventional researchers invoke extra-terrestrials to explain the obvious intelligence behind these finds.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: How long did the book take you from start to finish?

Author: I spent almost four years writing and researching the history, Sumerian Mythologies, and Hebrew Midrashim that provided the cultural and historical backdrop for the book.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What aspect of writing the book did you find particularly challenging?

Author: The most challenging aspect of writing, for me, is the discipline.  Unlike most writers, I don’t find the process enjoyable, and must dedicate time and willpower to complete each chapter or section.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What surprised you the most about the book writing process?

Author: I found there was a great serendipity to many of the plot threads and details, in that they often fell together in accurate, yet unexpected, ways.   Also, I would found that speculations, which added to the story’s interest, often turned out to be historically true.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: Did you have any favorite experiences when writing your book?

Author: Probably one of the most exciting moments came from my cover artist, J. A. Zucker, who approached me after reading about halfway through the manuscript.  He was genuinely upset that one of his favorite characters had died, and this indicated to me that my characters had created a real attachment and life of their own.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What do you hope your readers will gain from reading your book?

Author: I guess my biggest hope is that my readers, in addition to enjoying the story, will come away with a willingness to challenge the reigning paradigm in many areas of human endeavor—whether it be scientific, religious, or archeological.  As Molly Simms of Kirkus Reviews stated about The Days Of Peleg, “[It is] a gripping, first-rate epic that challenges current dogma.”

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What projects are you currently working on?

Author: After finishing The Days Of Peleg, I could not imagine doing another work for some time.  However, I have received a great deal of pressure from my readers to write a companion novel, and to that end, I am now working on a prequel which is due out in late spring of 2010.  It is entitled, The Days Of Lamech, and will allow readers to discover more about the antediluvian Family Wars, Nephilim slave camps, and the background of Amoela and her historical chronicles.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: Is writing your sole career? If not, what else do you do?

Author: I am a web developer/programmer and IT Network administrator for my day job.  I also play piano for my church and am an avid chess player.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: Did you do any research for your books, or did you write from experience?

Author: Since this was a work of historical fiction, almost anything that was not part of the speculative narrative had to be researched.  I also had to do some scientific research to determine the viability of certain events in the story.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: How did you come up with your title?

Author: The title comes from Genesis, chapter 10, verse 25, which states, “And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided”.  Hebrew chronology places this at the time of the Biblical Tower of Babel, and since this was roughly the time frame of my book, I selected the name Peleg for my main character.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What books have influenced you the most?

Author: I grew up reading copious amounts of science fiction, and I would have to say my most influential authors would by Isaac Asimov, Samuel Delany, and Robert Heinlein.

I have also become a great fan of Tom Clancy and Michael Crichton, along with any fiction that deals with political and scientific intrigue.

Various reviewers have compared The Days Of Peleg to Clancy, Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Jean M. Auel, Indiana Jones, and even Homer’s Odyssey.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: Who was your publisher and why did you choose them?

Author: I had to decide whether to spend thousands of dollars pursuing a traditional publisher and wait several years to sell my book, or spend considerably less and get my book available much sooner.  However, I did not want some indiscriminate vanity press which would force me to buy lots of books and leave me with a basement full.

I selected Outskirts Press because they allowed me to retain all intellectual control, and also provided full distribution through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Ingram, Baker & Taylor, etc.  Also, their print on demand nature did not require the pre-printing of hundreds of books.

Finally, among the numerous POD publishers, Outskirts did not require that I accept an excessive retail price (which most do) and allowed me to set my own within their parameters.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: Tell us a little bit about your book.

Author: The mysteries of ancient history and pre-history come alive as readers are taken on an exciting journey that begins in the newly established city of Ur in Mesopotamia, the “land between the rivers”.  There, the leaders of the Citadel commission a group of explorers to learn the fate of the many factions of humanity who left to establish new settlements, but have not been heard from since the “Great Awakening”—a cataclysmic, psychic event which afflicted humanity one hundred years earlier.

Although The Days of Peleg borrows deeply from actual history, it also utilizes Sumerian mythology, Hebrew Midrashim, and modern archeological discoveries of ancient technologies; weaving them together in an amazing, adventurous epic tale of faith and discovery.  Readers will encounter historical figures like Sargon and Queen Inanna, but will also come face to face with the Nephilim, Ušem, and other mysterious entities from Mesopotamian lore.

Heavily researched, with Glossary, Bibliography, and numerous appendices, The Days of Peleg offers a fresh, original, and unprecedented vision into the lives of the ancients—and also offers insight and enlightenment into modern humanity and its future.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: What inspired you to create a work of fiction?

Author: I felt that an adventure narrative with exciting characters would be the best venue for presenting many of the deeper issues and philosophical endeavors covered in this book.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: Is there anything we haven’t covered that you would like to include?

Author: I would just like to say that the background for The Days Of Peleg is very unique, and that I have yet to find another fiction novel that deals with this time period. The setting is early Sumerian civilization, which seemed to peak almost at its inception, followed by centuries of decline, both socially and scientifically.  The ancients were amazingly advanced in three primary disciplines: astronomy, mathematics, and chemistry.

FASCINATING AUTHORS: Thank you for taking the time to be part of this interview!

To learn more about the book and Author, please visit – http://www.daysofpeleg.com/index.php