Sunday, April 13, 2008

Interview with Tamara Wilhite

CA: Tamara thanks for stopping in. I have a book of yours upcoming in the next little while to review and I look forward to it! I hope you enjoy hanging out at my blog this week *smiles*!

Author Pen Name: Tamara Wilhite

CA: What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?

TW: I write everything except romance and mystery. I have an engineering degree – an engineer who can write can make more money than a writer who is good at math and science. But I’m back to technical writing to pay the bills. My passions are science fiction and horror.

Maybe it’s fate. My father is an engineer who was so much of a Robert Heinlein fan he named me for one of the character’s in Robert Heinlein’s last book. And I’m an engineer, who writes science fiction.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

TW: I read lots of books, and thought of all the ways the stories could be better. Then I was making up plots, then started writing my own stories.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

TW: I started writing science fiction when I couldn’t find any good sci-fi to read.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

TW: I write when the kids are in bed, or naptime. It’s something I do in between work, kids, etc. I have the movie in my mind of how the plot will unfold which kind of runs in the back ground while I am living my life. By the time I sit down to type up a short story, it’s already done except for being put onto the `paper’. Same thing for most frugal living articles, humor pieces, or any other genre I write.

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

TW: Anxious.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

TW: Read. Read to my kids.

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

TW: I’ve written a ton of short stories and articles. My official first book, “Humanity’s Edge”, is actually an anthology of my short stories. “Sirat: Through the Fires of Hell”, coming out February, 2008, is my first full length novel. It’s probably my favorite, because it combines all the elements I’ve wanted in a story into one long narrative. (Long for me, 275 pages, considering I write so many short stories).

Due to my father’s collection, I read a lot of Robert Heinlein growing up. He is a classic libertarian science fiction author. He wrote, among other titles, "Stranger in a Strange Land", "Starship Troopers", and "The moon is a harsh mistress". "Sirat: Through the Fires of Hell" has a few of his social conventions, like group marriages and very fluid society (no formal laws until a couple decades after the Founding). It’s in the style of Heinlein - but without the free love.

I have also had short stories published in several “Universe Pathways” anthologies, and one story in “Finis: A book of endings to give people new beginnings”.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

TW: Imagination. I don’t know think I know that many aliens / genetically engineering humans / artificial intelligences. Though there are a few suspects.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

TW: Type in “Tamara Wilhite” into http://www.amazon.com/ – you’ll see about 30 titles I’ve written there. Everything from horror to parenting humor (not really so different), science fiction and technical articles (take today, imagine it fast forwarded a couple years, and you get sci-fi).

I can be reached via tamara@wilhite.homeip.net.

CA: Thanks so much for sharing a little bit of you with the readers ;) Hugs and love, Crystal

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Starship Troopers has a prime spot on my bookshelf, Tamara. Wonderful interview. I'm happy to be sharing space this week with a like-minded author. Kudos to Crystal for bringing the best out of her authors.

Desirée Lee said...

I'll bet your job as an engineer comes in handy with your writing!

Carpe Noctem,
Des

Putting the Romance Back in Necromancy

http://www.desireelee.com

Anonymous said...

HI Tamara, Alan, Desiree! I hope you've enjoyed the interview Tamara is such a sweetie!

HOTCHA1 said...

oooooooooooooooooooooh did i see alan wrotes horror?? yippee!

i want your book too alan cuz i'm greedy and got a scrooge dh! lol

HOTCHA1 said...

mmmmmmmmmmmmmm starship troopers, was that not a movie?

HOTCHA1 said...

trying again alan! lol

HOTCHA1 said...

wanna win starship troopers! what's it about alan? is this your first?

HOTCHA1 said...

can you do a blurb that's real hawt?

HOTCHA1 said...

good night!

Anonymous said...

Reply to Alan J. Garner
My father was a big fan of his books too. I am actually named for Tamara out of "Lazarus Long" by Heinlein.

Anonymous said...

To Desiree Lee

I became an engineer in part to help create the reality I saw and wanted to see in the science fiction I read.
I still work in data management software, but now that reminds me more of horror than sci-fi.