Join us today as we interview Judy Lynn, author of our newest book: Veil of Deceit
(Note: Veil of Deceit is no longer published with Authors 4 Authors Publishing. We encourage your continued support of Judy and you can look for updates on her work through her Twitter.)
Judy, thanks for joining us today! Why don’t we dive right in? What inspired you to write Veil of Deceit?
Some writers can give you some long flowery description of why they write and why they chose a particular story...I’m not one of them. This is a question I’ve been dreading since I sent the story to publication, because I really don’t have an answer except to say that it’s the story that came into my head, so it’s the story I wrote...and rewrote...and in the case of some chapters, rewrote again.
Don’t worry, I’m sure a lot of people dread being asked that question, as well as this next one: are there any themes, symbols, or motifs in your story?
I guess you could say the theme of rooting out corruption is there. But please, don’t look for any connection to real life. It is a purely fictional story in a fictional future world.
I’ve never been big on symbolism (you can ask my high school English teacher if you have any doubt of that). Everything is as it’s described. No deeper meanings.
I would say that getting justice is a big them for you. I’ve got my own, but tell me, who is your favorite character?
Either Craig or Ethan. Both are honorable men who do what needs to be done. Both are dating strong women, and neither are intimidated by them. They care enough to protect, without being overbearing. My goodness, did I write the same character twice? *sigh* Well, there’s always Book Two, right?
It is really important in fiction to see strong female characters with men who appreciate their strength rather than resent it. Your world is set partially in space and partially on Earth, so how did you craft your world as a whole?
I made it up as I went along. I’m not one for planning ahead (at least not for my writing). It requires more editing to make sure things remain consistent, and I’ll need beta readers for the next one who have read Veil of Deceit to make sure I stay consistent. But the world develops as the characters encounter problems and need solutions to those problems (or to make things more interesting for the reader, more obstacles to turn little problems into big ones).
Ah, you’re a pantser, then. A lot of great authors are, though. How did you decide on a setting? Is it based off of anywhere you’ve been in real life?
Every city visited in Veil of Deceit that is on earth is a real city, though not all the military bases are. Some of the cities I’ve been to, some I haven’t. But even those I have, there is very little that I pictured as a real place. The one exception would be seeing Alcatraz in the middle of San Francisco Bay. There are certainly some very real environments that I enjoy, however. I love camping, and Lake Tahoe is beautiful for it. I love the west coast, and I think my love for the outdoors is reflected in Jayla, even though it’s not a prominent theme.
The only off-world city that’s named has a significance to the name. I’m wondering if any readers will pick up on it.
I’m sure they’ll keep an eye out for it after that answer! Were there any SciFi writers whoinspired your desire to write in the genre?
I love Star Trek. Not every incarnation of it, mind you, but I’ve seen every episode of TNG, DS9, and Voyager. I think that’s where my love for SciFi started. Any space stories, most tech stories. It’s too many to narrow it down to say what specifically sparked the desire to write it.
Funny thing, the first novel I finished writing was fantasy, without much of a SciFi aspect. Yet, when I finished Veil of Deceit, it just “felt right” that my debut novel should be science fiction.
Star Trek has inspired a lot of people, not only in writing science fiction, but making futuristic technology a reality. I’m sure a lot of people will want to know: Who are your favorite authors?
UGH! Not a fair question! If I named one or two today, tomorrow I’d have a different answer for you. I loved the Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne MacCaffery. I also love the literary fiction of Francine Rivers. It’s too hard to pick a favorite.
It is hard to pick a favorite, especially when you’re asked! Once the readers finish Veil of Deceit, I have no doubt they’ll be dying to get their hands on more of your fiction. What can we expect next from you?
I’ve finished the first book in the fantasy series Tribes of Chalent. Book two is going through a spit polish. Then I’ll be ready to focus on book three, which currently has a rough draft but has yet to see the light of day (by “light of day,” I mean wonderful critiquers for whom I’m so grateful).
Will Veil of Deceit have a sequel? You bet. It’s not nearing completion just yet, but it’s in the works.
Veil of Deceit
By Judy Lynn
Prisoner 7578359, Commander Jayla Sans, is innocent. Framed by her own godfather and convicted of treason, she’ll spend the rest of her days on the prison spaceship Tarsha—however few she has left. During her last investigation for the military, she found a vast and insidious conspiracy, and now various factions will kill to acquire or destroy the information in her head. Jayla must protect the truth at costs, even if that means severing ties with her loved ones. But is Jayla truly alone?
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