Pirates of Mars by Chris Gerrib

PIRATES OF MARS


by Chris Gerrib


Sci Fi
Hadley Rille Books
www.PrivateMarsRocket.net

3 autographed copies will be given away on Friday, January 25, 2013!




About the Book:

The pirates holding the containership Charles S. Price have a problem - with the ship's engines dead, they'll soon be just another crater on the Martian surface. Their solution? Call the Volunteer Space Rescue Service for help and steal Space Rescue's ship! But this fight is over more than just a ship and her crew - a secret cargo may hold the keys to the fate of Mars!

Exclusive Interview with the Author!

1) How did you get the idea for the novel?

I've been reading science fiction for decades, and in most books, The Fleet (StarFleet, whatever) has been around forever. But I always wondered why. I mean, nobody builds a fleet because they got bored one slow Tuesday! So, I had to figure out why anybody would build armed spaceships. Pirates proved to be a convenient threat.

2) Who's your favorite character in the book and why? Who was the most fun to write?

I like all of my characters. They probably don't like me, considering what I put them through, which means it's a good thing they aren't real! Having said that, I think the characters that were most fun and interesting to write were the sisters Arminta "Minty" and Rachel Storey. Minty is sixteen going on sixty, and thinks she can handle everything. This makes her a handful for her older sister Rachel to deal with. Rachel, on the other hand, has problems of her own, including a problematic past and an inflated sense of her own competence.

3) What kind of research did you have to do to bring Pirates of Mars to life on the page?

Not only have I been reading science fiction for decades, I've been reading about Mars for at least that long. So a lot of the research I would have to do is already in my head. But I do have to look stuff up, and I've found Robert Zubrin's book The Case For Mars to be invaluable.

4) Considering a book from the first word you write to the moment you see it on a bookstore shelf, what's your favorite part of the process? What's your least favorite?

Writing takes a long time, and it's a very solitary pursuit, so I have to say talking about the book is the best part. That's followed closely by the part where the publisher sends me the finished copies, so I can send them to friends and reviewers.

My least favorite part is editing the first draft. Every time I read anything I've written I find myself making changes to it. It's real hard for me to just leave it be, and move on to the next page. But that's what you have to do if you want to finish a book.

5) How do you come up with your character names?

In science fiction, we have a tradition called "Tuckerization," after an early SF writer named Wilson Tucker who would use the names of friends as minor characters in his books. I do that a lot. Every year, Parade Magazine, which is the weekend supplement in most major newspapers, puts out a "What People Make" edition. That's chock full of real names, and very handy.

About the Author: 

Chris Gerrib's first novel, Pirates of Mars, comes out from Hadley Rille Books in March, 2012. He admits to being a bit obsessed with Mars, but in a healthy way. Chris still has a day job as the IT director at a Chicago-area bank, and holds degrees in history and business from the University of Illinois and Southern Illinois University. He also served in the US Navy during the First Gulf War, and can proudly report that not one Iraqi MiG bombed Jacksonville, Florida while he was in the service. In his copious free time, Chris is a past President of and currently active in his local Rotary club.Visit the author online at: www.PrivateMarsRocket.net.

**Hi FBF Friends!  We've switched to a new entry system that gives you more chances to win and better promotes our authors! Please use the Raffle Copter widget below to enter for this week's book. 


PLEASE NOTE: If you already follow us on Twitter, or Like us on Facebook, there is no need to unfollow/refollow or unlike/relike to get your entries. Just follow the directions in the raffle copter widget to verify you already follow/like us and it will count your entry. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway