Author Interview with Kenneth Gordon ~ New Release: In My Blood

I’m happy to welcome Kenneth Gordon to my blog today. I’m afraid I owe him a huge apology. I was supposed to have him here Thursday, but with my travels and other things going on, I’m afraid I’ve neglected my blog guests.

Thank you for joining me today, Kenneth. Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?

I grew up in New Hampshire and still live here with my wife. My father is still alive, my mother died in 1991. We have two cats: an orange male named Frodo and a silver gray female named Zoe.

Where did you get the idea for In My Blood?

It’s a hint about the solution to the great plague.

Why did you choose this genre (is it something you’ve written in before)?

All my books have been science fiction. It’s a genre that is very flexible and platform to say just about anything.

Was there anything unusual, any anecdote about this book, the characters, title, process, etc, you’d like to share?

It all started when I tried to take Frodo outside (he’s an indoor cat) to take a lap around the yard. A big truck rumbled by and scared him. He tried to pull away, but I held him fast. Unfortunately, his claws did some damage to my shirt and myself. I had what looked like a reverse ‘N’ on my chest. That night I thought, maybe there is a plague on another world and emissaries were sent out to find the chosen one, which would bear this mark.

What is the most difficult thing about writing a book?

The hardest thing was to find someone to help me with the plague. I wanted to make sure it was plausible and the cure could possibly work. Like anyone would do, I tried to contact the CDC. They must have thought I was a nut, a potential terrorist or both. No one returned my calls. Finally a local HIV doctor helped me. She was instrumental in getting things right.

What was the most difficult thing about this one in particular?

It’s like a mystery novel you must start with the solution and work backward. I had to create three separate cultures.

Do you have another occupation, other than writer? If so, what is it and do you like it?

I’m a web designer, programmer, musician.

What was your first job?

Selling cards and giftwrap.

If you were stranded on a deserted island and you could have 3 (inanimate) objects, what would they be?

A pot, fire starter, Bible.

What celebrity would you most like to be stranded on an island with?

Les Stroud.

Your most prized material possession? Why?

My computer. I do almost everything on it.

Have you written any other books that are not published?

There are a few unfinished works. I hope to finish them and get them out there.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

Depends on the story. In this case, I would have to say me and my imagination.

How did your interest in writing originate?

I’ve enjoyed it since high school when my English teacher gave us time to write in a journal. I was writing more fantasy at that time. I took creative writing on college, and did some short stories after college.

Your favorite…

Movie
Don’t have any one favorite, but among my favorites are: Back to The Future, Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Arrival.

Music
Symphonic Metal is my favorite currently.

Place you’ve visited
Israel

Place you’d like to visit
Scotland

TV show from childhood
Superfriends

TV show from adulthood
Scorpion

Sports team
All the Boston Teams.

Which do you prefer: Board games/card games or television?
TV

About the Author:

Kenneth Gordon lives in Milford, NH. When he isn’t writing SciFi-infused horror novels, he plays PC games, electric and acoustic guitars, and drums. He also holds a brown belt in Kung Fu.
Ken has written five SciFi/Horror novels for Class Act Books: Dark City, Cadre of Vampires, Harmonic Convergence, In My Blood, and Dirus Sonus.

Learn more about Ken at:

Web Site: http://kennethgordonnovelist.com/
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/KennethGordonNovelist/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KennethGordon69
Publisher’s website: http://www.classactbooks.com/index.php/our-authors/manufacturers/kenneth-gordon

Blurb for In My Blood:

If you discovered your blood could save an alien people from death at a great cost to you, what would you do?

Thomas Anderson, from New Hampshire, is just about to start his third year of pre-med at Emory University when he meets a strange little man.

Tom is whisked away to the whirlpool galaxy as he starts researching the plague and begins working towards a cure. Little does he know that the cure will cost him everything! He must decide if he is willing to give up his life for a people he doesn’t know on a world that is not his own.

Excerpt:

Thom walked out of the post office and down to the dining hall alone.

This was going to be his last dinner at school for a while, maybe a long while. He hoped the food was be memorable.

Salisbury steak was on the menu. He grimaced at the thought. He selected fried chicken, okra, hush puppies, corn bread, and some kind of greens mingled on the tray. It certainly wasn’t the healthiest, but it beat the alternative. Picking up a cup, he pushed it into the bay of his selected soda. No ice, it’s better that way.

Thom selected a table in the back and took a drink from the red plastic tumbler. He took one last, long look around, trying to take it all in and remember it. He wasn’t sure if he would ever see it again. The fountain had real Coke this time. He took another drink and started in on the chicken.

Just then, Kai showed up at the table.

“Can I talk with you?”

“Sure, have a seat.”

The alien sat down.

“Why aren’t you eating?”

“Would not eat that food within one thousand parsecs.”

“Not the healthiest, I know. What did you want to talk to me about?” A bolt of fear shot down Thom’s spine.

“Need to brief you on the task, Chosen One,” Kai said in hushed tones. “We have a great plague on our world. You will come and save us. It was prophesied.”

“Whoa, wait a minute…” Thom held up a hand as if to stop Kai’s words. “Hold on…back that bus up, beep…beep…beep. A plague? You can’t be serious. I’m in my junior year of premed. I’ve only had one class, one, in infectious disease. What makes you think I can save your people?”

He moved around in his seat and inched slightly away from Kai.

“Simple, you are the Chosen One.” Kai smiled with complete confidence.

“Maybe your prophets got it wrong. You know, if a prophet gets it wrong, then you don’t have to listen to them,” Thom denied it.

“The Prophets are never wrong. You are the Chosen One, you come help save our people. I wait long time, many emissaries were sent to many worlds, but I found you. Now, you come. Yes?”

“Alright, I’ll come. Still don’t think I’m qualified, but I’ll at least take a look and see. Okay?”

“Yes, yes. We meet at six AM outside your dorm. Then we fly home.”
Kai-min stood and left the table while Thom held his head in his hands.

What am I getting myself into? Thom, you are an idiot. How can I help these people? I’m not even a real doctor yet. I don’t have the experience, but now because my cat cut me up, I’m this ‘Chosen One’?

Buy Links:
Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/My-Blood-Kenneth-Gordon-ebook/dp/B072N8R9YQ/
Paperback: http://classactbooks.com/component/virtuemart/science-fic