Today I'm talking to Rhona Long, the protagonist of MACHINATIONS and COUNTERPART. She's the leader of an underground resistance against a deadly machine uprising, and she is just the kind of badass you want on your side when the robots go wrong. A couple of months ago, I interviewed author Hayley Stone, but now I've managed to access an exclusive portal into the story world in order to ask Rhona a few questions.
Sarena Ulibarri: Okay, Rhona, here's something that's been bothering me. You and Samuel grew up in New Mexico (that's where I live — Go, Lobos!), and now you're stuck hiding in a bunker in Alaska while machines try to kill you. How do you cope without green chile? For most New Mexicans I know, that would be an apocalypse in and of itself. Rhona Long: Two words, my friend: memory loss. You can’t miss what you can’t remember, right? Though now you have me curious and… damn. Yep. Now you’ve got me hankering for this legendary chile. Thanks a lot. Though I guess that’s one good thing about having a faulty memory: you get to experience a lot of great things again for the first time. I’ll have to ask Samuel about it later. Watch him turn out to be a closet Mexican food fan. SU: How did it come to be that Alaska is the last holdout against the machines? RL: As much as I’d like to take the credit for it, everything was in place before I arrived. McKinley base was established by the US, as part of some continuity of government plan. Alaska was the perfect location because it’s so freaking cold. The ice messes with the machines, and the terrain gives their mobile units a lot of trouble. Plus, the mountain itself, Denali, protects the base from detection and aerial bombardment. So I guess you could say, paranoia, dumb luck, and the climate. That’s what’s saving the human race.
SU: The machines in your world are eliminating humans because they decided it was the logical way to stop human wars and cruelty. At least the TVs and DVD players will still obey your commands. What are your favorite films to watch while hiding out in your secret paramilitary base?
RL: Anything with Ewan McGregor. (Don’t tell Camus.) No, but seriously, Moulin Rouge is one of my favorites. What can I say? I’m a sucker for a good romance. Samuel’s also got me on a strict diet of old sci-fi and fantasy movies that he claims I used to love. He’s been right so far. All twelve of the Star Wars films were fun, and The Princess Bride always manages to lift my spirits. Zelda keeps trying to convince me to watch the second Terminator, but honestly the first one was enough. SU: Time for a serious question: You're a clone, resurrected from the DNA and memories of the original Rhona Long. What is it like to be the only clone in a world of non-clones, especially when humans are becoming an endangered species? RL: To be honest, I don’t think about being a clone as much now as I first did. I mean, I try not to, anyway. You ever hear the expression about carrying around a glass full of water? It’s like that. The longer you hold on to the glass, the heavier it gets, until finally it’s this crushing weight. It becomes all you think about. Better to set it down somewhere, and only pick it up when you really need a drink. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’m done holding that glass of water, you know? I know what I am. I know who I am. If you’re asking me if I think that cloning is a solution to the genocide of the human race, I don’t know. I’ve never really considered it. But probably not. Clones come with a lot of emotional baggage. In case that wasn’t already obvious. SU: What's next for you and the other survivors? RL: I’m optimistic about a treaty between the North Americans factions, the Chinese, the North Koreans, and the New Soviets—I guess you’d still call them Russians in your world, huh? Politics be crazy, am I right? Such a coalition should strengthen humanity, divide the load, and make it easier to carry the burden of this conflict. I believe that together we can accomplish far more than we’ve managed to while apart. Whoa, sorry. Went into full Commander mode there for a second. Habit. Honestly, I’m just trying to take it one day at a time. Who knows what the future holds in store? Though now I’m hoping the answer is green chile... About the Author
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Hayley Stone has lived her entire life in sunny California, where the weather is usually perfect and nothing as exciting as a robot apocalypse ever happens. When not reading or writing, she freelances as a graphic designer, falls in love with videogame characters, and analyzes buildings for velociraptor entry points. She holds a bachelor’s degree in history and a minor in German from California State University, Sacramento. Counterpart is her second novel, and a choice for Amazon’s Best Sci-fi and Fantasy Books of the Month for October.
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At the 2014 MileHiCon, I went to a panel titled "So You Want to be in an Anthology." I expected this to be a discussion of how to find and submit to anthologies, tips for making it through the slush pile, maybe even methods for approaching anthology editors who don't hold open submissions sessions. There was a little bit of that, but what it turned out to be was an exclusive opportunity to submit to a charity anthology—the only ones allowed to submit to it were the people who attended the panel that day. The topic was "sidekicks": write a story in which the sidekick, rather than the hero, is the protagonist.
I was in town for MileHiCon, but I left the convention early because my dad had bought tickets for the Chihuly exhibit at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Chihuly is an artist who does elaborate large-scale glass sculptures such as the ones pictured here. They are often set up in parks, gardens, or historical monuments, working with the landscape to enhance the effect of the artwork. These glass sculptures were set up all through the Botanic Gardens, creating a beautiful and magical scene. In the visitor's center, they showed a documentary about the construction of these installations, and as I watched, I started thinking about the people who assist Chihuly in his wild, abstract creations. And then I realized that could be my "sidekick" protagonist: an artist's assistant (in space, of course). I keep a 6x4 notebook in my purse for just such flashes of inspiration, so I pulled it out and started scribbling notes. A few days after MileHiCon was over, I wrote out a first draft, and titled it "Regarding the Incident on the Yellow Planet." To the Ladies, Gentlemen and Non-binaries of the Interstellar Arts Council: Please, I can explain. I know it looks as though I am solely responsible for the sabotage of the largest royal art commission in the galaxy's history, and, well, that's partially true. But even villains must have their motivations, and I assure you, I am not the villain of this story. By the time you read this message, I will no longer be at the address of its origin. Oskar taught me well the importance of leaving no fingerprints behind.
The story was accepted into the anthology, and I was able to meet with a number of the other contributors at the 2015 MileHiCon to sign each others' books. For many of the contributors, this was their first published story. It was something like my 40th, but it's one of the more fun publication experiences I've had. Even better, each sale of Sidekicks in either ebook or paperback goes to benefit MileHiCon, an absolutely wonderful small science fiction and fantasy convention that I haven't missed a year of since I discovered it.
Recently, Black Mirror Press released the anthology Snowpocalpyse: Tales from the End of the World, including my story "Breath Over the Mouth of a Bottle." I asked some of the other writers in this anthology to answer a three question interview about their story, their writing, and the worst snowstorm they've ever experienced. Turns out they're all witty and well-published, and their snowstorm memories will give you the chills. My own answers are at the bottom.
S.B. McCauley, "The Snow Woman"
1. Describe your SNOWPOCALYPSE story in one sentence.
Trapped in a mummified body for decades, the spirit of Yuki-onna is set free and unleashes her winter wrath upon the world. 2. What's the worst snowstorm you can remember? I live in Houston, Texas now — so snow storms don’t really happen here. However, I spent some time living in England and Virginia where I experienced some true snow. The worst snow and ice storm I can remember was when I lived in Virginia. Everything was shut down for a few days and the branches on the trees were so heavy with snow that huge branches broke and fell across our sidewalks. And the ice, which collected behind my car, was a few feet thick and couldn’t even be removed with an axe. We had to wait until it thawed to get my car out. I don’t miss the ice! 3. What else are you working on, and where can readers find you? In addition to writing short stories, which are mostly supernatural and psychological horror, I’m working on longer works of middle grade fantasy. My current novel, entitled The Breaking, which was recently nominated for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Joan Lowry Nixon Award, is about a 12-year-old boy who has the power to break his entire world apart, but he wants nothing more than to save his non-magical family from slavery. Find S. B. McCauley Online: Website * Twitter * Facebook *Amazon * Wattpad Jennifer Loring, "The Wind Whispers, 'Witiko'"
1. Describe your SNOWPOCALYPSE story in one sentence.
The disappearance of a man's unstable wife into the wilderness leads him to a legendary monster and the reason why the snow won't stop falling. 2. What's the worst snowstorm you can remember? We've had some bad ones in the nine years I've lived in Philadelphia, but one of the worst happened just after my husband returned home from a trip with his friends. He had an allergic reaction that required a hospital trip — we lived close enough to walk, but all non-essential vehicles had been banned from the streets. It was eerie to walk through the city in the middle of the day in complete silence, with everything covered in white. We had to make our own paths through knee-deep snow that seemed like it was never going to end. 3. Where can readers find you? Find Jennifer Loring Online: Website * Twitter * Facebook * Amazon Walt Socha, "Let There Be Light"
1. Describe your SNOWPOCALYPSE story in one sentence.
After a technical fix to global warming fails and plunges the world into a snow-covered apocalypse, a small band of ex-NASA survivors frantically search for a solution while under the scrutiny of their dystopian overlords. 2. What's the worst snowstorm you can remember? I can’t remember any particular snowstorm, but I grew up in eastern Ohio (properly pronounced by us former natives as “Ah-hi-oh”) where several feet of snow is normal during the winter. But now-a-days, I live in the Pacific Northwest (Portland, OR) where a half-inch of snow brings civilization (and traffic) to a complete stop! 3. What else are you working on, and where can readers find you? I’m a bit of a history buff, especially with regard to the factors that enable one civilization/culture to dominate others. In my first novel (Conflict coming out November 1st), I explore what happens when the knowledge of “guns, germs, and steel” (Yes, that is a spoiler reference to Jared Diamond’s famous non-fiction book) is introduced into 11th century North America. My elevator blurb for Conflict: While working on a dude ranch in present day Montana, Joe Kuruk saves a young girl from a club-wielding warrior. His confusion is intensified when he realizes that the girl, Alta, has crossed over from another time and place. And the only way to reunite her with her family is to cross back with her. Accompanied by a few friends, Joe crosses into Alta's world only to find her home destroyed by a savage war chief. Then the gate closes behind them. Stranded in the Eleventh Century, in the lands around the present day Susquehanna River, Joe and his band fight to create a safe home for the refugees they've gathered. And to prepare for future European contact. This is the first of a five book series. The second book, Contact, is due out February 1st, 2017. Find Walt Socha Online: Website * Twitter * Facebook * Newsletter Eddie Newton, "White"
1. Describe your SNOWPOCALYPSE story in one sentence.
My short story, "White”, is about driving on an endless wintry road, tense with dread, surrounded by blizzard in every direction, when one slide of tire or slip of steering wheel can be the difference between two very different futures. 2. What's the worst snowstorm you can remember? The winter of ‘96-‘97 in Fargo, ND was like one long snowstorm, a record eight feet of fluff accumulating over the season. Every time I drove down the streets of the city, I marveled at white walls cut into caverns like alabaster trenches as tall as trees. Every time I drove anywhere, I felt like an X-wing pilot on a mission to destroy the Death Star: “Stay on target. Stay on target!” 3. What else are you working on, and where can readers find you? If you like political thrillers check out my e-novel, American Herstory, available on Amazon. Have you ever wondered what it would be like if women ran the world? (I mean officially. I know they already REALLY run the world.) It follows a D.C. cop in 2016 as she tries to prevent the assassination of the first MAN to run for President of the United States of America. John Palisano, "All These Things We Didn't Believe"
1. Describe your SNOWPOCALYPSE story in one sentence.
In "All These Things We Didn't Believe," a father must beat near impossible odds, and a nearly unbeatable trio of creatures, to find his son. 2. What's the worst snowstorm you can remember? I was very small, but in the winter of '78 my hometown of Norwalk, Connecticut had so much snow my grandfather and father and uncles made us massive tunnels through the snow drifts. I still hear echoes of their voices and our laughter. 3. What else are you working on, and where can readers find you? Working on getting the next novel, as it always seems to be. Just released a Halloween mini-collection. Lots more coming out soon. www.johnpalisano.com DJ Tyrer, "Dead England"
1. Describe your SNOWPOCALYPSE story in one sentence.
The final survivor of a nation consumed by winter is left wondering if there is anywhere to run to and, if he's alone, who's out there? 2. What's the worst snowstorm you can remember? I remember winters as a child when the drifts were deep and the insides of the windows were covered in ice. Wonderful! 3. Where can readers find you? Find DJ Tyrer Online: Website * Facebook Matthew Shoen, "The Last Winter Buck"
1. Describe your SNOWPOCALYPSE story in one sentence.
"The Last Winter Buck" essentially asks what if winter never ended in my hometown and what would my father do in that situation? The answer is he would stay, cut wood and make a living out of the inhospitable circumstances. 2. What's the worst snowstorm you can remember? The worst snowstorm I remember was the Ice Storm of 1998 which left my house without power for two weeks and killed 35 people. 3. What else are you working on, and where can readers find you? Readers can find some of my published works in anthologies published by ACA Books, Sixfold Magazine, and an upcoming Cryptid anthology published by Bards and Sages Publishing. Ron Wade, Cover Designer
1. Describe the SNOWPOCALYPSE cover in one sentence.
The cover is more a question than a story, what lies down that path, past the snow, beyond the trees? (The real stories of course; literally and metaphorically). 2. What's the worst snowstorm you can remember? The worst (and best) snowstorm was the blizzard of ’78. I lived on my parent’s farm, only went to school about 5 days the entire month of February, and spent days either digging through the huge snow piles that had accumulated from clearing the LOOOONG driveway to the house or sledding the hill that fronted the house. The nights, well reading some of the stories in the book brought back memories (at least in my 14 year old imagination) of the nights. 3. What else are you working on, and where can readers find you? I am working on a couple projects, I have another cover for Ian page set, and waiting for release, have been talking to Clint Collins [of Black Mirror Press] about a couple of projects. Aside from covers I have a line of zombie targets that just released, each zombie with their own unique backstory, and am working on motion graphic pieces that dovetail into those products. You can see what I am up to at: ourzombieapocalypse.com Sarena Ulibarri, "Breath Over the Mouth of a Bottle"
1. Describe your SNOWPOCALYPSE story in one sentence.
Aliens from a snowy planet are trying to terraform Earth, and a girl trapped in a snow-buried house with her dysfunctional family is the last human holdout that might be able to stop them. 2. What's the worst snowstorm you can remember? I've spent a lot of my life in Colorado, and it used to be that they never cancelled school or shut anything down until the snowplow got stuck. (Now, well, every storm gets called a snowpocalypse.) The worst I remember was probably in the early 2000s during Spring Break, when my dad, my cousin, and I got snowed in with no power for several days. Though the characters and conflicts are different, I pulled quite directly from that experience for my Snowpocalypse story. 3. What else are you working on, and where can readers find you? You've found me! I hope you'll poke around and read some of my other blogs, and check out my other published stories and the small press I run. I'm always working on several short stories in various stages of disarray, and there's that science fiction novel I keep giving up on and coming back to. Thanks for reading these three question interviews!
From now until September 28, 2016, you can enter to win one of three copies of STARWARD TALES, a collection of short stories, poems, and visual art retelling legends, myths, and fairy tales as science fiction. This collection, published last month, features my story "As Dust Rolls Toward the Mountain," a Cassandra retelling set in the Colorado mountains as an asteroid hits the Earth.
(What's the Cassandra myth? Read about it here.) Other contributors include Danielle Airola, Francis W. Alexander, Patrick Baker, Lana Bella, Kimberly Y. Choi, Rachel Cohen, Jennie deBie, CB Droege, Josh Gaines, Ashleigh Gauch, Bob Hilger, Andrew J Lucas, JBMulligan, John Reinhart, Nick Romeo, Monica Rose Song, Marcelle Thiébaux. Goodreads Book GiveawayStarward Talesby C.B. DroegeGiveaway ends September 28, 2016. See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
I set up this giveaway, so I'll scribble a little autograph next to my story. If you don't win (or you don't do Goodreads), the book is available on Amazon for $9.99 in paperback or only $2.99 in ebook (or free if you're on Kindle Unlimited).
Many thanks to everyone who has ever taken the time to read any of my stories. If you enjoyed any of them, leave a little note on Amazon or Goodreads so others might be able to find them, too.
Many thanks to Scott Woodward and Clint Collins of Black Mirror Press for including my story "Breath Across the Mouth of a Bottle" in their debut anthology, SNOWPOCALYPSE: TALES OF THE END OF THE WORLD. It's available now from Amazon in both ebook and paperback.
The full table of contents: "White" by Eddie Newton "The Last Winter Buck" by Matthew Shoen "The Wind Whispers, 'Witiko'" by Jennifer Loring "Dead England" by DJ Tyrer "The Snowman" by Llanwyre Laish "Snoe" by Mark Lynch "The Snow Woman" by Susan McCauley "All These Things We Didn’t Believe" by John Palisano "Thaw" by David Sakmyster "Locusts in the Snow" by Richard Barber "Breath Across the Mouth of a Bottle" by Sarena Ulibarri "Snow and Ashes" by Zoe McAuley "Let There Be Light" by Walt Socha "The Snow" by Cheryl Pearson "St. Michael’s Parish" by Nicole Shelton "A Chill Subterfuge" by Barry Rosenberg "Snow Day!" by Clint Mesle
I look forward to seeing how other writers interpreted the theme of this anthology. Here's a brief excerpt of my story, "Breath Across the Mouth of a Bottle," which is part Weird Horror, part Science Fiction.
My dad and my cousin Brooke were fighting about the thermostat just before the power went out. Rather than weather the blizzard alone, I had abandoned my apartment and come to my dad’s house, and had convinced Brooke to do the same.
And look! Black Mirror Press made this awesome creepy book trailer. Check it out:
The anthology STARWARD TALES is now available, featuring my science fiction Cassandra retelling, "As Dust Rolls Toward the Mountains." STARWARD TALES is a collection of short stories, poems, and visual art retelling legends, myths, and fairy tales as science fiction, published by Manawaker Studio.
Below is an excerpt of my story, "As Dust Rolls Toward the Mountains." This story was originally published in Kasma SF Magazine in April 2014, and I'm thrilled that editor CB Droege thought it was a good fit to reprint in STARWARD TALES. It will be a real treat to receive the physical copy of this book (though of course, it's also available in ebook). Apparently there will also be an audiobook version? I'll post about that when more details are available.
Cassie went blind the day before the asteroid struck. There had been no warnings from NASA or the White House, just as Cassie's loss of sight had not been foreshadowed by blurriness or headaches. Once blind, though, Cassie warned our mountain town about the asteroid. No one believed her, of course.
If you pick up a copy of STARWARD TALES, please leave an honest review! Books without reviews tend to sink into Amazon's black holes. Help keep this one sailing through space?
I know Hayley Stone because we both participated in a very cool writing mentorship program called PitchWars, in which aspiring writers are paired up with a more established writer to work on their novel manuscript and get it ready to submit to agents. Alas, my satirical science fiction novel,The Edge of the Universe, did not find an agent through this contest (in fact, I'm still working on ironing out the kinks my mentor helped me uncover), but Hayley did find an agent and a book deal. She's even paying it forward by volunteering as a PitchWars mentor in this year's program.
I had the chance to meet Hayley in person briefly at this year's San Diego Comic Con, where I secured a limited edition signed paperback copy of her robot apocalypse novel Machinations, available in ebook from Hydra, a digital-first imprint of Random House. Hayley was signing alongside Jason Hough, author of The Dire Earth Cycle. I'm sure that the publisher and event organizers thought pairing her up with an established author would increase Hayley's exposure. No doubt it did, but here's the thing: while I was waiting in line, I heard as many (if not more) people chattering about Hayley as about Jason. People weren't coming up and asking "Is this the line for Jason Hough?" They were asking "Is this the line for Hayley Stone?" True story.
Hayley was nice enough to answer a few interview questions for me. Check out her answers, and then go pick up her book!
SU: Even though your book is (currently) ebook only, your publisher printed up some bound galleys so you could do a signing at San Diego Comic Con. How awesome is that?! What was your experience giving a signing at such a big event? HS: It was tremendously awesome! Seeing my book in print for the first time was a thrill, and I’m hoping the ebook does well enough to justify a print run in the future. As for the signing itself, I was seated at the table the whole time, meeting with readers, but I was told after that the line for the signing was huge. Everyone at the Del Rey booth was supportive, and my editor helped keep things moving. I was also fortunate to get to sign alongside Jason Hough (The Darwin Elevator) who made me feel welcome and like I was already a member of the SFF authors crew. The highlight of the signing, though, was definitely when a fan came through the line. She’d already read the book via NetGalley and was so enthusiastic about it! She even went as far as to recommend it to the other people standing in line. It felt like such an honor, and reminded me why I want to do this for a living. Having a reader make such an emotional connection to your story is wonderful. SU: How was your Comic Con experience overall? What did you do when you weren't signing books? HS: Attending Comic-Con for the first time—and as a published author, at that!—was one of the most surreal experiences of my life, and I won’t be forgetting it anytime soon. As far as what I was doing the rest of the time: I walked around the convention a lot, inspecting all the cool merchandise, and talking with other exhibitors. I also bought some Legend of Zelda fanart because of course I did. Gotta remember my humble LoZ fanfiction origins.
I was also invited to a party for Penguin Random House authors and other industry professionals which was as awesome as it sounds. At the party, I met Terry Brooks, Andy Weir, Kevin Hearne, Chuck Wendig, Victoria Schwab, and Indra Das, among others. In case you’re wondering, they’re all just as cool as their books and online presences suggest! As an up-and-coming author, it was incredible to be able to speak with them and get their thoughts on the industry and their own writing.
SU: Do you have any other readings or signings coming up? Where can readers find you? HS: I’m considering attending New York Comic-Con in October, around the time my sequel releases, and quite possibly Emerald City Comicon next year. You can usually find me on Twitter (@hayley_stone), which is also where I’ll post any upcoming news in addition to my website, of course. And if Facebook is more your thing, I have an official author page here. SU: What kinds of things did you learn from your PitchWars mentor when you were getting MACHINATIONS ready to query to agents? HS: My mentor, Eden Plantz, provided great guidance on who to query, how to personalize, and how to respond to certain querying situations. With regards to the manuscript itself, I got into Pitch Wars as an alternate mentee, back when that was a thing, so we only did minor line edit touch-ups. I did learn that “There” is a vague/weak word to use when not referring to an actual physical location. It’s something I still keep in mind while writing. SU: What books, authors, or films most influenced you in writing MACHINATIONS? HS: Regarding books, if I recall correctly, I think I’d just finished Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins and was reading the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin (A Storm of Swords, to be specific). I love Collins’ crisp first person and Martin’s characterization, as well as his knack for narrative escalation. All were qualities I adapted and drew into my own writing. Ironically, when I wrote the first draft of Machinations, I hadn’t actually seen any of the Terminator movies yet so it’s always funny to me when people compare the two. Instead, Doctor Who had more of an influence on me, in terms of humor and personal taste, which might explain why the book has a more jovial feel to it than The Terminator. SU: We know there's at least one sequel to MACHINATIONS—will there be more? HS: All I can say at the moment is that I do have plans for a third book to conclude the series; however, it will depend on how well the first two books perform. But yes, I hope to write at least one more!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Pinterest Hayley Stone has lived her entire life in sunny California, where the weather is usually perfect and nothing as exciting as a robot apocalypse ever happens. When not reading or writing, she freelances as a graphic designer, falls in love with videogame characters, and analyzes buildings for velociraptor entry points. She holds a bachelor’s degree in history and a minor in German from California State University, Sacramento. Machinations is her debut novel from Hydra/Random House. Its sequel, Counterpart, releases October 11th, 2016.
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