Interview with Author Liana Brooks

It is a pleasure to welcome author Liana Brooks, author of Convergence Point.

Welcome Liana to The Adventures of the Everyday Fangirl and thanks so much for taking the time out your busy schedule to help us get to know you and your story better.

What does the title of this novel signify?

The title is CONVERGENCE POINT, and it is about literal convergence points, places in the space-time continuum where two or more realities meet. In this instance, the main character finds she’s being hunted by a serial killer from a parallel universe while another version of herself hunts the killer.

Do the names of the characters in your novel have some sort of significance or importance to you?

Agent Sam Rose is the main character and her name is stolen from a dear friend who inspired the series. And Hoss the Dog is got his name from Harry Dresden. Originally Sam was going to name the dog Bothari (after the character created by Louis McMaster Bujold) but when I shortened the name it didn’t work. So I changed Bothari to Hoss because he’s the same size as a small horse.

What prompted you to write in this genre and who or what inspired you to?

I grew up reading fantasy, and then one of my friends gave me a copy of the STAINLESS STEEL RAT by Harry Harrison to read, and I realized there was a genre like fantasy but with more explosions. I was hooked.
When I started writing I did dabble in fantasy, but I had Anne McCaffery Syndrome. Every fantasy novel I started wound up with spaceships in it.

What are the most important attributes to remaining sane as a writer and do your characters reflect some of these attributes?

… this questions implies that I am sane. I’m not. Authors are not sane. We spend most the day in made-up worlds talking to our imaginary friends. My characters are much more grounded than I am. Sam eats healthy, exercises, and strives to have a good work-life balance. Of the two of us, she is much better at this whole Being An Adult thing.

What kind of research did you have to do for the novel that was different from others?

CONVERGENCE POINT is set in New Smyrna, Florida, a little bit north of where I went to college, so I had a head start on world-building. I enjoyed setting a book in what is essentially my home state (adopted… but let’s not be picky!). There are quirks to Florida that make it a fun place to write a book. The mangal swamps are one of my favorite places to go in college; forcing my characters to hike through there amused me. It might have scared some of my readers though, even after I took the spiky spiders out.

What makes you laugh?

Well-delivered one-liners. I love when someone can see the humor in an otherwise awful situation.

What makes you cry?

Sick babies, dead animals, being away from friends… all of those make me sad.

What are you a fan of and is this reflected in your writing?

Are you asking about Easter Eggs in the book? I’m trying to remember what I snuck into CONVERGENCE POINT… the last book in the series – DECOHERENCE – comes out September 13 and has a reference to Hamilton in it. But I don’t remember if I managed to sneak a musical reference into CONVERGENCE POINT. There is probably a Firefly reference, and maybe an allusion to Tolkien or Jim Butcher. I am a Geek, and I like everything geeky. I’m more Trekkie than Jedi, and it all sneaks into my writing.

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Again, thank you Liana for answering these questions and helping us to become better acquainted with you and your story, Convergence Point.

More about Liana…
Liana Brooks writes science fiction and sci-fi romance for people who like fast ships, big guns, witty one-liners, and happy endings. She lives in Alaska with her husband, four kids, and giant mastiff puppy. When she isn’t writing she enjoys hiking the Chugach Range, climbing glaciers, and watching whales.

You can find Liana on the web at www.lianabrooks.com or on Twitter as @LianaBrooks.

You can learn more about Liana and her stories by visiting GoodReads | Amazon Author Page | Liana’s Newsletter

Convergence Point, A Time & Shadows Mystery

Agent Samantha Rose has already died once…and knows the exact date she’ll die again.

Having taken down a terrorist organization bent on traveling through time to overthrow the government, Sam figured she was done dealing with the unbelievable. Finally out of backwater Alabama, she’s the senior agent in a Florida district, and her life is back on track.

Until a scientist is found dead. And then an eco-terrorist. And then a clone of herself…again.

As the pieces start to fall together, they paint a picture that seems to defy everything they know about time and physics. But the bodies are all too real, and by partnering up with Agent MacKenzie once more, they might just figure out what’s going on. And when.

Available at: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | HarperCollins | iTunes | Google Play