NOW AVAILABLE , Whiskey Creek Press
Click here to purchase Hope An Anthology

Hope can be found in myriad ways: from tired old men who give and receive gifts of the future and past, in new beginnings and lessons learned, and in the revision of our priorities and the acceptance of our memories.
Hope is the sifting of time like endless bits of sand, an unexpected gift of responsibility, a sad song of love and possibilities. It holds our rejections and turns them into triumphs, and it is always there to uplift our spirits.
Hope is that elusive spirit that makes us all human…
Hope is the sifting of time like endless bits of sand, an unexpected gift of responsibility, a sad song of love and possibilities. It holds our rejections and turns them into triumphs, and it is always there to uplift our spirits.
Hope is that elusive spirit that makes us all human…

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NOW AVAILABLE , Whiskey Creek Press
Click here to purchase Cyclopean Rescue

Fathers and sons… Friends and lovers… Revenge and redemption…
It is the year 2218, ten years after alien invaders have devastated much of the world and left the survivors recovering from fear and destruction. James Poole, the son of a famous military hero, gets his chance to hunt down the aliens and avenge his father’s death at their hands. With Earth’s most sophisticated warship and a secret new living computer, he flies into space burning with revenge, a powerful enemy waiting just beyond. With hatred his fuel, will his revenge be sweet, or can he find a Cyclopean Rescue?

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Love Romances' REVIEWER CHOICE GOLDEN ROSE AWARD

Interviewed by: Linda

Today I am speaking with Steven Douglas Womack.

Hello Steven! Welcome to Fallen Angel Reviews! Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit with us. The readers would love to hear something about Steven.

Why don’t we begin with you telling us something about yourself and your book, Cyclopean Rescue and your upcoming scheduled release Cyclopean Revenge? First, thanks for having me. I always enjoy doing interviews. My goal with CYCLOPEAN RESCUE was to surround a serious idea or two with an exciting and fun story with interesting characters in real-life situations. Even though I’m writing in the science-fiction genre, I was always writing CYCLOPEAN RESCUE like the traditional thrillers with lots of cliffhangers and peril. I think readers find this fun, and enjoy imagining themselves in the same situations my characters sometimes stumble and other times soar into throughout the story

Did you have fun writing these books? Absolutely! What would be the point otherwise? But it has been a lot of hard work too, and as the writer I went through the myriad of human emotions and conditions my characters experienced, which had a lot of impact on me. I’m still at the “early” stages of the sequel, CYCLOPEAN REVENGE, and I feel the pressure to repeat the success of the first book. But my characters urge me on.

What motivated you to do Cyclopean Rescue and Cyclopean Revenge? I have written since I was a little boy, and writing has always come “naturally,” if not easily, to me. I have always been fascinated by the concepts of revenge and redemption, and the complexities of father-son relationships that are never examined enough in contemporary literature. That was my “ideas” within what I believe is an exciting, science fiction thriller the reader would have fun with and enjoy contemplating my ideas.

What is your favorite genre to write when you are composing? I love science fiction and working with comedy too. I have the proverbial “dry English” sense of humor, and I love the comedy of Monty Python and the humor in the Beatles’ classic films A HARD DAY’S NIGHT and HELP! But as a high school and college student I loved to write short stories. I was extremely impressed with O. Henry. Writing short stories forces you to chose your words precisely, which in turn expands the vocabulary and helps you paint a picture and drive a story home without being too verbose.

Did you always wish to be a writer? Since I can’t remember a time I did NOT write, I suppose so. But perhaps it has always been a part of me, and not the “all” that a writing career implies. I’ve always thought of my storytelling in the tradition of the medieval traveling troubadour and not the modern image of the torching soul sacrificing all to create the great American novel to reveal the very fabric of our society. Besides, I think the ancient Greeks have already told every human story…we just change the names and settings from time to time to give it a “contemporary” feel.

Do you have a hectic schedule that prohibits you from writing more than you would like? Alas, the answer to that is yes. I have the proverbial “day” job to feed the family, and that can get rather hectic. I teach a college history class once a week too, which takes more time away from the laptop keys I don’t get to pound often enough. But I’m always “writing” in my head, and some of that effort actually makes it to the printed page.

What would your readers be surprised to know about you? Besides family and faith, I still have three great passions from my childhood, The Beatles, the original Star Trek series, and Coca-Cola. All three sneak into the 23rd century world of CYCLOPEAN RESCUE, and that made it extra fun for me. I also have a great admiration of George Washington, who was an actual, living, vital person once and not just a place on the map that gets stranger and stranger with each passing year. I’d love to write a screenplay of Washington’s incredible adventures during the French and Indian War, but Hollywood, I suspect, just wouldn’t “get” it…

Do you get many interruptions during your writing process? And if so, how do you stay focused so not to lose your train of thought in your writing? I can’t handle interruptions very well, so I tend to write at night. I often have something by Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, or Starr playing through the headphones as I write, or spiritual music that helps rejuvenate my soul.
Who is your favorite author? I love the early Greeks and Greek Mythology and the Arabian authors of the THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS period. The recent biographies of David McCullough are incredible reads by an amazing author. But once I read the FOUNDATION series in college, I was completely hooked on Isaac Asimov. He was certainly a Renaissance man in the truest sense, and I wish we still had his pen working for us all.

What plans for writing do you have for the future? I’m still working on the second book in the CYCLOPEAN trilogy (but don’t tell my publisher or my editor). I’m also re-working a screenplay into a novel that I co-wrote with my brother Tom, TO CATCH THE WIND. It’s a thriller about a special Ford Mustang, several shady characters, and an estranged father and son forced to become heroes.

What do you like most about your writing? Finishing! I’m not a quick writer, and I do a lot of rewriting. I spent ten years and twelve rewrites on CYCLOPEAN RESCUE before I was happy with the effort. But I won’t spend that much time on the two sequels…the characters are demanding I finish their story soon!

What advice would you have for those just starting out writing? Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite, edit, edit, edit! Keep it interesting, and remember the reader is giving you their valuable time when they pick up your book, so make it worth their while.

Do you get along well with your publisher and editors? I believe I get along with everyone, or, if not, I avoid him or her. Life is too short…

Do you have any upcoming projects that you would like to share? The above mentioned, and my wife has asked for some topic-specific short stories I’m tinkering with. I have a short story coming out in an anthology with other Whiskey Creek Press authors in late 2006. I’m a little proud of it, an effort to please O. Henry, a story called THE LEGACY.

Do you start from scratch when writing or do you have an outline already started before you start your stories? I write nothing on paper, but start out with a strong road map in my head. But after a few pages my characters decide when and which way to turn.

Have you ever written a screenplay or considered writing one? Yes, I’ve worked on three or four with my brother Tom, who is incredibly creative. At one point we had a comedy we wrote about two brothers nearly produced by independent film investors, but the deal fell through, in great Hollywood tradition, at the last minute. Tom has been in declining health the past few years, so he doesn’t get the chance to write very often.

Have you ever suffered from Writers block? And if so, how do you deal with it when it happens? I’ve never had trouble writing SOMETHING, but writing something good can be a struggle. I’ve edited a week’s worth of writing effort down to a single sentence, which is why I guess CYCLOPEAN RESCUE went through a dozen rewrites over ten years (I think it started out as a Broadway musical set in the 1930’s).

Can your readers still visit this website to hear more about you and your works?
http://www.stevendouglaswomack.com/ Maybe not “too much” more…writers need a touch of mystery about them, or else everyone would try it (oh, that’s right, everyone DOES try it…).

Do you have a link where anyone can buy your books that you would like to share with us? Just visit my publisher at www.whiskeycreekpress.com for my science fiction thriller CYCLOPEAN RESCUE, and find lots of other great books by some incredible writers. Thanks for the interview. It was indeed fun!

Thank you so much for stopping by Steven and allowing the readers to know a little more about Steven Douglas Womack. Anyone interested in reading more about Steven and his books, please visit his website or his publishers website to read more about his exciting works. It has been a pleasure having you with us here today, Steven, and I wish you the best in your writing career. Stop by www.whiskeycreekpress.com and order a copy of Steven’s book today. http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/chapters/CyclopeanRescue_StevenDouglasWomack.shtml