I never would've thought that I get an opportunity like this, considering that I'm just an ordinary blogger who constantly lurks and interacts with people on Twitter. And now, it's a great honor for me to be able to interview an author.
Braxton A. Cosby, the author of The Star Crossed Saga: Protostar, gave me this experience. I interviewed him recently through email. I sent him up a couple of questions and waited for him to be able to reply to it. I'm really happy with this interview thing that I've done with him.
So, I now give you the full interview!
ME: First and foremost, can you tell us more about yourself? Who’s your favorite author?
B.C: Right now, I’m really digging Veronica Roth. I am a huge fan of Sci-Fi writer Fred Saberhagen, although many may not know him.
ME: What kind of music do you prefer?
B.C: Christian contemporary, although R&B (slow jams) are always welcome, along with anything John Mayer.
ME: How did you end up becoming an author?
B.C: It just kind of stumbled upon me as I was sitting in church one day. The Bishop was preaching and said that God was calling for someone to answer a “calling”, but He waiting for someone to step forward out of faith and ask what it was. The Bishop said that it may be something that you never even tried before. So I immediately began praying and asking God to speak to my heart and He told me to write this book. I began sketching out the plot right there in church. I completed the outline a short time later and 3 months down the line, there Protostar was.
ME: Any person who inspired you in creating your own line of books?
B.C: Stephenie Meyer, J. K. Rowling, and James Patterson are huge influences. I appreciate their talent for creating worlds of their own and capturing visions that no one else followed through with.
ME: The Star-Crossed Saga: Protostar; how did this book came about?
B.C: Well, after my vision in church, I went home that day and began researching on how to even get started. I looked into all the “success stories” of writers that made it big and it was truly motivating. I started fleshing out the storyline; I needed a large story-arc to capture a timeline that I could easily plug characters in and out of. I’ve always been intrigued with the universe and the galaxy, so I wanted to put infuse that into my story. So as you read, you’ll find out very interesting facts about space and the planets; real science fiction if you will. My background as a physical therapist drove my ambition for creating original weapons and technology, utilizing details from the very modalities I use to treat my patients.
ME: When did you start writing this?
B.C: My journey began roughly around September of 2010. I had the manuscript ready by the end of the year.
ME: Is there any dream behind it (just like the birth of The Twilight Saga) or any inspiration for this?
B.C: Sort of…I feel that God gave me the vision and He continues to provide the revelation of the book, the characters, and the meaning behind it. As I got more involved in the creative process, I envisioned the characters and the world of Fabricius. The dialogue between the characters, the fight scenes, and the set pieces jumped into my mind and I fought to find pieces of paper to transpose the ideas to before I lost them.
ME: Any hardships you faced in getting this book published?
B.C: Yes and no. I queried many literary agents in an attempt to land a big publishing deal, but the process was exhausting. I then decided to query one of my own. That’s when I searched and found out about Firefly Entertainments and Publishing. I sent them my first 5 chapters and they were really interested. Once they got the entire manuscript, the rest was history.
ME: Why did you decided to have a title, “The Star-Crossed Saga: Protostar”?
B.C: It’s two-fold: Classic Romeo and Juliet: the tale of two star-crossed lovers that must fight destiny in order to secure a doomed love and achieve ultimate happiness. And, it describes the process by which Torrians travel through space and tie by harnessing the power of stars to fold themselves from one end of the galaxy to the other.
ME: How many books do you plan to write for this series?
B.C: It’s a planned trilogy, with spin off books in the works.
ME: What sets this apart from the other YA novels around?
B.C: Um, I really feel that the level of detail is great. I wanted the scenes jump off the page and paint an image in the mind of readers so that they can see and feel each scene. I also think that the story is very fresh and new. There is nothing else out there quite like The Star-Crossed Saga right now, mixing Science-Fiction and Romance: Sci-Fance.
ME: For those who haven’t read this book, can you give them a little preview of this book?
(from the book...)
“There’s nobody special at this time. I mean, I used to have somebody, but he turned out to be a complete jerk. So I got rid of him and now I’m just waiting for the universe to open up and send me Mr. Right.” Sydney said, giggling out loud as she watched William’s confused expression.
“Who is Mr. Right?”
“You know how we girls are, no one in particular. Just that certain someone that comes in your life, sweeps you off your feet and takes you to a whole new level of living, another world.”
Now it was Sydney’s turn. “What about your personal life, anyone special waiting for you back home?” She asked with a bit of hesitation in her voice, faintly hoping for a specific answer.
“There is or was someone. But you can say that it wasn’t about Mrs. Right or anything like that. Perfect for many reasons, but not for the right reason.”
“What do you mean?”
The two of them stopped walking momentarily and faced each other.
“Have you ever been with someone, but they lacked that certain something that you felt was necessary to keep you alive? You can’t put your finger on it, but you know that if you are going to be with them forever, it has to exist.”
William looked passionately at Sydney.
“Yes. I have been there before, but I truly believe that there are no mistakes in love. Love is faithful, strong, and pure. Love is not proud or arrogant; it does not envy, doubt or cause pain. Sarah says that true love is harder to find than anything in the entire universe. One could travel across space and time, search each planet, star, and galaxy; and still never find that one true thing, love.”
“Beautiful!” William responded.
“It’s quite a frightening concept actually.” Sydney said as she resumed walking again.
Sydney and William continued their work surveying the rest of the buildings and structures on the list. They were both very grateful that nothing suffered considerable damage beyond simple repair. Confident that they had done a thorough job, they decided to grab something to eat after a long days work. Sydney volunteered to pay for William, figuring that everything he had was still with his friends back home. They made their way to a quaint Italian café that sat square in the middle of the library and the convenience store. It was a small intimate spot that many people flocked to during the late afternoon time. Friends, family, and even business partners frequented the location, making it the perfect spot for two people to get casually acquainted without the uncomfortable feeling of being on a date, especially if you sat outside. As they walked in the front door, they were met by a young waitress that was already checking out William from outside. She deliberately pulled two menus and asked how many were in the party, hopeful it would reveal that they were not together.
“Where can I seat you two lovebirds?”
“Oh, we are not together. Anywhere outside will do.” Sydney was quick to respond to the young ladies question, casting doubt on her interest in William. Although she studied him afterwards for any sign that he may have had other plans.
“Yes. It would be a shame to waste the beautiful day we have before us by staying inside.”
They ordered a round of sweet tea and dinner rolls as they perused the menu for something satisfying.
Sydney could not make up her mind. Looking down at her menu and then towards William she asked, “So what will you be having? Certainly, something here has to catch your eye.”
Suddenly and without reason William ripped himself from the table, took two steps away from Sydney, and then returned to her.
“Um, I’m really feeling sick right now. It must be some weird layover from the accident. I must be going. I’ll meet you back at the house. Please forgive me.”
Before Sydney could respond, William tore out of the café, jumping over the small gate surrounding the outside patio, leaving Sydney behind. All she could do was gaze at him in the distance, a feeling of disbelief poured upon her as his image disappeared into the horizon.
ME: Message for the fans and soon-to-be fans.
B.C: Pick it up. I guarantee that when you get into the meat of the story, you will be hooked and I promise that the sequel is going to be totally bananas! I am about to begin writing it towards the end of the month. You will not want to miss out on this Saga.
ME: Message for aspiring writers and authors.
B.C: Stay with it! Find the vision, pray on it, and believe in it. Once you’ve truly bought into it, sky’s the limit.
Thank You very much, Mr. Braxton Cosby!
What are you waiting for? Go check out his book on the nearest bookstores and grab your own copy.
Braxton A. Cosby
Author of the YA, romance sci-fi novel the Star-Crossed Saga: Protostar.
More About Me:
www.braxtonacosbygodson.com
http://braxtonacosby.
http://www.goodreads.com/
~mandalovesrobsten :D
2 comments:
Cool interview! The book sounds really interesting!!!
Yes! It was really great interviewing him online. Hahaha :D You should check out his book if you like. :D
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