Interview with Science Fiction Author Jeremy Robinson

The title of this post says that Jeremy Robinson is a science fiction author, but his scope stretches way beyond that. It’s actually rather difficult to pin him down into a single genre. He’s writtenthrillers with religious undertones, books with mythologicial monsters, and straight up outerspace science fiction. His latest creation is the Chess Team Adventures, a series of books about an elite military force fighting… well, you’ll need to read them to find out.

Full disclosure: I’m the narrator of Jeremy’s audiobooks, including the two Chess Team Adventures,Pulse and Instinct, which releases today. I had the opportunity to throw Jeremy a few questions his way and he was happy to answer them for us in this exclusive Geekscribe interview.

You’ve written a number of books, some of them science fiction, some of them thrillers. What is your favorite genre to write in?

My preferred genre is really a mix. There is always an element of science fiction in my books and they’re all fast-paced, technically thrillers, which is a fairly broad term. I think the one uniting feature for all my books is that they feature some kind of creature. I’ve done aliens, demons, Nephilim, sea monsters, Hydra, regens, the Nquoi Rung (INSTINCT) and man eating capybara. So I suppose my preference is creature features, not that that’s a genre.

Instinct marks the return of the Chess team, a group of Delta operators who debuted in Pulse. How is it different writing a sequel than coming up with everything new?

The sequel is a bit easier to write. There is no time spent developing characters from scratch. I know all their voices and personalities. I know all the repeated locations. The result is much more natural character interactions and greater depth in terms of the story and character development.

You seem to base a number of your characters on actual people in your life. Can you explain a little about why and how you do that?

I do it mostly for fun. People get a kick out of it. The first time I did it was in RAISING THE PAST. I killed a number of family and friends in that book. And they all thought it was fun (and still talk about it today) so I’ve kept doing it. I’ve started using names of authors I know, people I work with–even my editor. In INSTINCT you’ll see the U.S.S. Wolverton, after my editors Peter Wolverton.

You have a fair amount of technical things in your books relating to weapons and military tactics. But you’ve admitted to having never fired a gun before. How do you research the accuracy of things like that?

I have a couple of readers that are experts in their fields. For INSTINCT and PULSE I had two former Marines and a Brigadier General giving tips on military. I also have a senior research scientist who specializes in genetics advising on my science. They all make me  sound much smarter and knowledgeable than I am.  Another great resource, especially for weapons, is Youtube. You can find video of people firing almost any weapon imaginable. So while I’ve never fired a weapon, I’ve seen plenty of videos of other people waging war on imaginary enemies.

My wife thoroughly enjoyed both Pulse and Instinct, due to the relationships of the main characters. This is saying a lot since she tends to shy away from violent genres. As a writer how do you achieve that broad appeal without alienating hardcore fans?

For me, the key to any good action or horror story is solid characters. If the reader doesn’t care about them you lose tension. If the reader doesn’t relate to, or really like, the characters, they won’t care if something is about to eat them. The key, and hardest part, is to instill the relationships and characters while the plot is moving forward. You won’t find me building characters for several chapters at the beginning of a book. I do it over time as the story progresses to keep things tense and the pages turning.

Who is your favorite writer and why?
This is a tough questions because there are different answers. My all time favorite novels are THE DESCENT and DEEPER by Jeff Long because they absolutely pulled me into the world of those books and didn’t let go for several weeks later. But for sheer numbers–author’s who I read constantly, that would be James Rollins, who is perhaps the author who has had the most influence on me. His stories inspire me, he’s been a great encouragement to me over the years, and he has provided blurbs for four of my books. He’s a stand up guy and an awesome author. Can’t beat that.

Stephen King says that he goes on 3 mile walks every day because that’s when he gets his most creative ideas. What activities do you find most inspiring creatively?

I think King is on to something. It’s really the quiet times when ideas come. BUT, I have three kids, so quiet times are hard to come by, as is time for a three mile walk. As a result I tend to take long showers. When I come out, I write down a bunch of ideas. I solve a lot of story problems in the shower. I’ve also found that my mind works out things while I sleep. Last week I was editing the third Chess Team book, THRESHOLD, and there was one story element I wasn’t sure how to fix. When I woke up the next morning, I had the whole thing figured out like I spent the night working on it. Jumped out of bed and wrote it all down. My subconscious must have been motivated by the deadline.

You published a few audio books on Podiobooks.com and essentially gave them away as a part of your marketing strategy for Pulse and Instinct. How’d that work out for you?

It’s hard to say. I know I’ve had perhaps 15,000 listeners between the two books, but how many of them have translated to sales of the physical books? I have no idea. It’s impossible to track. What I can say for sure is that I do hear from people who found me on podiobooks and have since read the print books. So some of them are definitely buying the book, but who knows how many. I’m hoping to do more of these–I have four previously published novels I’d like to do, but the Chess Team books need to take off for it to be possible…which is all the more reason for the podiobook listeners to pick up the print books. It’s a lovely circle of story production.

Any advice for aspiring writers out there?

I think it was James Rollins who first said this, but I like it and always repeat it. Write what you LOVE. Traditional writing advice is “Write what you know.” But that’s hogwash. If a lawyer is trying to become a writer it’s probably because he doesn’t enjoy the business. And that will show in his writing if he decides to write courtroom dramas. And what about people like me? I’ve never been anything but an artist and a writer. Should I write thrillers about artists? Please no. My passion is with archeology, science, history, monsters, mythology and exotic locations. I’ve never held a profession in any of these fields, so how can I write what I know? I don’t. I write what I love and my passion for the subjects comes through in my writing and helps excite the reader. It also helps me get trough 90 – 115,000 words!

The hardcover version of Instinct releases today. Care to plug it?

Check out the sample on my website: www.jeremyrobinsononline.com. This book is crazy from the first chapter. As far as the story goes, the team heads to Vietnam in search of a cure to a disease called Brugada Syndrome. This genetic disease is typically only passed down from parents to children. It kills perfectly healthy people by stopping their heart, without warning. Victims simply fall over dead. And the only way to be diagnosed with Brugada is to die, and be brought back.

In INSTINCT, this killer disease has been weaponzised and used in an assassination attempt on the president’s life. But it also spreads into the general population. So, as the pandemic spreads, the Chess Team returns American boots to the Ho Chi Min Trail in search of a cure, but they’re not alone. The Death Volunteers, Vietnam’s Special Forces are waiting for them and something much worse, something from mankind’s dark past, is hunting them–something that may just have the cure, but won’t let them leave the jungle alive. INSTINCT is without a doubt my best book yet. Even the critics agree!

Chess Team adventures book 3. Give us a sneak peek!

The third Chess Team book is titled THRESHOLD, here’s what it’s about!

After an apparent terrorist attack on the Siletz Reservation in Oregon leaves more than three thousand Americans dead, Jack Sigler, call sign King and his Chess Team—Queen, Rook, Bishop and Knight—are tasked with protecting the only survivor, Fiona Lane, a thirteen year old girl. While King is away, mourning the death of his mother, and the rest of the team chases down leads, Fort Bragg is attacked by a strange and overwhelming enemy. When the dust settles, Fiona is gone.

But the attack on Fort Bragg was part of a larger offensive. All around the world, the last speakers of ancient languages are being systematically exterminated. The team takes action to protect potential targets in exotic locations around the world while King launches a furious search for Fiona that takes him to the Roman Forum, Stonehenge, Israel and Babylon.

Along the way, the team is hunted and attacked by strange creatures that defy explanation—living statues, genetically modified monsters and walking megaliths—sent by an enemy from their past.  Using ruthless methods, their enemy has unlocked the secrets of the pre-Babel mother tongue: the language of God. If not stopped, he will be able to remake himself, and the world.

Calling on help from old friends and ancient heroes, the team fights their most desperate battle yet, not just to save the world as we know it, but to rescue a little girl who wants nothing more than to call King: Dad.

For more about Jeremy, visit his website at http://JeremyRobinsonOnline.com and check Amazon for all his titles. If Audiobooks are your thing, you can get more info here. Thanks for reading!