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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Interview with Author Len Berry


I had the honor to interview the author Len Berry today.  His answers are below: 

What is your writing experience? My first short story, "Dreams of Freedom," was published last summer as part of the steampunk anthology Dreams of Steam II: Brass and Bolts. It was actually my first trip in writing steampunk, but it was a lot of fun to write, enough that I wrote a sequel.
What is your book and it’s genre? Vitamin F is a dystopian science fiction in the direction of Orwell's 1984 and Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale.
What is it about? A young woman named Bridgett trying to live her life in a world that's 88% female and ruled by genetic controls. She wants simple things like to pass her classes and go out with a girl she has a crush on. Bridgett also has a minor genetic condition, so she takes the titular Vitamin F.
Who are your favorite writers, your favorite book, and who or what are your writing influences? My favorite writers--at least at the moment--are Greg Rucka, Brandon Sanderson, and Neil Gaiman. Dune is still my favorite book. I consistently come back to thinking about the ideas Frank Herbert introduces there, as well as the richness of character and setting.
When did you know you wanted to write? I've always been imaginative. I've made up stories ever since I was a little kid. I tried typing a few things out when I was in high school, but nothing really came of it. In college, I started tinkering with some ideas and, in typing just a little each day, I wrote a draft of a book in just under a year's time. Aside from that, there was never one single point where I suddenly thought, "This is what I want to do." It was a slow shift from simply being imaginative to actually applying that imagination with writing.
How long did it take you to write the first book? Even if I don't count the draft I wrote my first year of college, it took me a year to get through. I'm faster now, but the first draft is often the longest for me to get through.
What did you do to promote the book? I'm running a series of blog posts comparing modern society to the world of Vitamin F since there are a lot of similarities. I'm also arranging a blog tour. Overall, since it's an ebook, I'm just going to try to mention Vitamin F in good company and hope word will spread a little about it. I'm still new enough to the idea of book promotions that I'm willing to be flexible on the subject.My blog: http://lentberry.wordpress.com
My twitter: @sithlordlb
Me on Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/108047355615324602084

No pages to order books yet, since it won't be available for Nook and Kindle until July 12. When I do have pages for those, I'll gladly send you links.


    Len Berry                                                His book

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