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Please introduce yourself, who are you and what do you do?
My name is Rodney Carlson. I grew up in Colorado, where I joined the Navy. I spent twenty years running the information systems and weapons control computers onboard fast attack submarines. Most of my career was spent in Hawaii, where I left my heart. The cost of living wouldn’t allow me to continue residing there outside of military benefits, so I settled in Virginia with my lovely wife and best friend of fifteen years. During the day, you can find me maintaining computer equipment for the Air force distance learning system. During the evening I will be playing with my two Chihuahuas, my wife, my computer, or reading/writing.
What first inspired you to start writing?
To me, books have always been somewhat spiritual. Many people have thought up or experienced fascinating things in their life. When those people passed on, the experiences and thoughts died with them. Some of those people took the time to write it down and share it with the ages. I don’t have to agree with those thoughts, but I can’t help respecting them.
And what attracted you to science fiction?
I am a mega geek. Besides the plethora of scifi titles, my bookshelves are loaded with computer, math, physics, biology, psychology and similar textbooks. Science fiction is knowledge handed out as a story.
Which author do you most admire and why?
James P. Hogan is by far my favorite author. The concepts he writes about drive my imagination wild. What would life be like if technology grew wild, and biology was created? Could a living, thinking computer with all intelligence gain wisdom too? Those kinds of questions make me sit and think about the possibilities.
Where did the idea for Misaligned come from?
December 19, 2012, I was talking with my friends. In two days the universe was bringing another doomsday, another doomsday that the world could ignore. It would be forgotten just like the others. This one was different to me, because it contained ancient civilizations, aliens, government cover-up, secret organizations, solar anomalies, and a host of other very interesting aspects. I told my friends that if we were still around in two days, I was going to write a story about it. (I didn’t want to start something I couldn’t finish, so I waited!) When the earth didn’t explode, melt, or get invaded, I started writing.
What is your favorite word?
Possibility!
Every author likes a good review - what is your favorite so far?
My favorites are the reviews from other authors that I’ve had the privilege to trade works with. This community has incredible support. I have learned so much from my fellow travelers. I am a debut author. My book has just come out, so the world has yet to sample my unique perspective. I hope they enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I’m not adverse to a bad review. I love feedback. I like to analyze it , evaluate it, see if it fits with what I want to accomplish. Maybe I can learn something, maybe I don’t agree. In the end, it’s just someone’s thoughts. I don’t have to agree with those thoughts, but I can’t help respecting them. (See above.)
What are you working on at the moment?
I am getting a healthy distance, before I try to tackle part two of this series. I am currently writing a science fiction/humor book about a common job in an unusual circumstance involving aliens. It should be lots of fun.
Tell us about your latest work and how we can find out more.
As stated above, Misaligned is a play on the doomsday event of December 21, 2012. A computer engineer (go figure) discovers that the Mayan prophecy is about an intended invasion of earth during a planetary alignment (hence the title). One of the factions of aliens involved in a galactic war is going to use the people of earth in an undisclosed way. Loads of fun and adventure! For all you puzzle fans. The book contains a great deal of “Easter eggs”. Some of the locations, names, and so forth, refer to historic references. See how many you can find, for instance the Pyramids of Giza.( The most obvious). The book can be found at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I81PWDS.
If you wish to be added to a mailing list for updates and announcements, you can email misaligned@writeme.com . There, you will get information on future works and my upcoming blog.
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