The Long Lost War received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Jeff Walker.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
The book is called The Long Lost War. It was first published on November 21st, 2019
What’s the book’s first line?
Chapter 1: It always starts with a dream. A dream about a woman standing on the edge of a cliff; sun-drenched sky with clouds up above, with a big rolling ocean below.
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
The book is about a clone (one of many) fighting in an ongoing war in a distant star system. John 999801 must battle against an enemy that refuses to give up, and dreams of a woman he’s never met. The life of this low-ranking clone soldier is about to take a turn, placed on a world that will question both his loyalty and the reality of his military driven life.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
What led me to be inspired to write this book was a short story idea I had created a long time ago. It was going to be just a simple story at first, a clone in a war and the daily struggles. But as I built onto the story in my head, I wondered if a clone really could be free of his (or her) conditioning and become someone new. Could they love? Who would they love? Did they have a choice? It fired up my mind and helped to shape the story further.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
If you love delving into the humanities steeped in science fiction, then this is the book for you. People should never follow the crowd and become mindless lemmings that never question the status quo. Should clones be any different? I want people to explore what it means to have a freedom of choice, but not be too preachy on the subject matter. Love is the key to this book. And frankly, it should be the key in any sci fi story dealing with humans (cloned ones at that) and how we connect to one another. I’ve heard from many who enjoyed reading this book for various reasons, that’s exactly what I hoped for when writing it. That’s what it means to be human, to have the choice and freedom to decide for ourselves.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
John has a great sense of humor. Even when in the face of danger or dire situations, he can find a slight glimmer of hilarity in the absurd. He was really a reflection of my own personality; Slightly naïve and dripping with sarcasm in any given situation. Possibly a hopeless romantic as well, I would think. Although, my wife would say that part never shows up too often.
If they made your book into a movie, who would you like to see play the main character(s)?
Tough question, who indeed could suit the role of these characters. It would have to be either one or two (actor/actress) that could be in all the roles. I hate to say it (seeing how I’m a big movie buff myself), but I really don’t know who could pull this off on screen. It would be great if someone could.
When did you first decide to become an author?
It wasn’t for a good long while. I had originally been trying to start my own comic books, but realized my writing and art wasn’t as strong as I thought. Then I broke into fan fiction for a while. It really helped to hone my writing and create better characterizations. Now I’m just hooked and want to keep cranking out the titles.
Is this the first book you’ve written?
No, this isn’t the first one but perhaps the first solo story on its own. But I’ve written a collective short story book: Distant Saga Trilogy: A Short Story Collection (my first published book), Outer Red Part 1: Off The Given Path and Outer Red Part 2: The Three Little Peggs, The Mysterious World Of Professor Darkk And Miss Shadow Book #0, and more coming on the way.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I’m working in the department of physical resources at a university in Ontario, CANADA. It pays the bills.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
Depends how much time I can get. When I’m not at work, I try to make some time, but family life dips into that as well. One must learn to make the time (and cut out any TV binge watching).
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
The best thing about it is that there’s limitless time to write out your story at a comfortable pace, the hardest part of it—knowing you’re the one responsible to get those books completed and published (if you want to be successful, that is).
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
Watch for spelling errors, learn to format correctly, and above all… get an editor.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
Depends on the right publisher. If they could help carry most of the burden of getting the book in print, advertised and helping to distribute the book in bookstores… then yeah, I’d be good with that. But, I kind of like my freedom for now.
Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?)
A sense of pride. To be able to go online or find it on a shelf, to know that I created something people could read and enjoy. That my imaginative stories have taken them on a wonderous journey into a new universe.
Which writer, living or dead, do you most admire?
I admire a lot of writers (both living and dead), but I would have to say the most current ones would be William Gibson and Dennis E. Taylor. Both have sparked the creative mind within me and challenged my imagination to go beyond.
Which book do you wish you could have written?
Oh boy, I wish for so many, but the bulk of them are Star Wars related. I’m a fan boy at heart and would love to expand (or help forge) the mythos of that franchise. But that would be going backwards in my writing career, I only want to move forward and continue to develop my own future titles.