Interviews - Undiscovered Gems

katerauner

KATERAUNER

<>What is the title and genre?

My latest book is a science fiction novel: Venture.

<>What makes it stand out from other books of the same genre?

The people and space station in Venture are realistic, and we may see a mission very much like theirs in our lifetime. The crew faces danger and opportunity right here in our solar system. Of course, there's one highly improbable encounter that leads them farther into the unknown.

<>Could you give a short summary of your book?

An international crew ferries a space station to its permanent home in the solar system, where an unexplained glitch in space, a portal to the Helios star system, was once found and lost. On the way they mine a comet, grow a garden in space, and visit the colony on Mars. But things go wrong and the crew must save their mission and their lives; it's an adventure plus a chance to share their life aboard a space station.

<>In your opinion, why should people choose to read your book?

The book is a fun read. You'll enjoy a near-future space adventure with a crew you can feel a part of.

<>What has been your favorite part about writing your book so far?

Letting my mind travel through space was fun, imagining what it will be like to explore and what waits for us out there. I also enjoyed learning about the cultures of my international crew; I felt like I was living with real people.

<>How did you come up with the idea behind it?

The highly-improbable part of Venture involves a glitch in space where our solar system touches another star system. That idea comes from another of my books, fittingly titled "Glitch." That book includes my vision of our near-future here on Earth as well as the discovery of the space glitch. I wanted to do more with a crew out in space. I'm posting Glitch on Wattpad now, adding a chapter each week, so it's easy to check out and I'd love to have more reads.

<>Do you have to conduct any research as you write?

Yes. I enjoy science and technology and I want my books to be believable, so writing gives me a great reason to learn new things. I have a technical background - I'm an engineer and I've worked at a nuclear weapons plant and a major copper mine - so I can draw on my own experiences, too. But space exploration leaves me feeling like a kid again so the research is fun.

<>Where can readers find your books?

I publish my books as ebooks on Amazon and Smashwords.com. Smashwords distributes in all major e-formats to all the big on-line retailers, so you should be able to find my books at your favorite outlet. My novels are also available as paperbacks from CreateSpace.com, Amazon, and other retailers. You can always check the book page on my blog at katerauner.wordpress.com

<>Is there anything else you'd like to mention? (Ex. other books you have, your updating schedule, etc.)

I also write poetry inspired by science, for fun and to stay fresh. A short collection of my poems is available as an ebook. I post new poems regularly on my blog along with items on neat science news and science fiction book reviews.

<>What would you like to say to your readers?

I hope you'll enjoy reading my books and will stop by my blog. I'm a new author, so I'd love to hear what you think and I'm happy to answer questions. I appreciate your comments and ratings. Thank you for spending time with me.