Today our guest is Eileen Schuh, author of yesterday’s book Dispassionate Lies. Here is a link to the post if you missed it.
Let’s find out more about Eileen.
1) Where is your home town?
I was born and raised as Eileen Fairbrother on a small farm near Tofield, Alberta, Canada and have lived within a 150 km radius of that town ever since. I currently live with my husband, Alvin Schuh, in the County of St. Paul in north eastern Alberta.
2) How long have you been writing?
I learned to read before I started school and have been writing ever since. I pursued a journalism career in my younger years but always dreamed of publishing novels. It took me over a half-a-century to make that dream come true. In 2011 my first novel, THE TRAZ, was released. Making up for lost time, as of the release of DISPASSIONATE LIES last month, I now have six published books to my credit.
3) Are books with a sci-fi theme your preferred genre to write in?
I really enjoy weaving scientific facts, theories and discoveries into my stories. I feel like I’m doing a service to humanity by exploring the potential effect science will have on our future. However, I also love writing crime fiction so I generously mix the two genres. My Crime novels contain lots of science and my Science Fiction always has at least one crime.
4) Can you tell the readers what happened to the internet in Dispassionate Lies?
In DISPASSIONATE LIES the internet collapses after criminal hackers hijack the web, compromising all digital data and throwing the global economy into chaos. I based this scenario on current events and include a list of relevant cybercrime headlines in the back of the book. From the Snowden and Assange data leaks, to computer assaults on nuclear reactors and jet engines, and including government espionage and corporate attacks—the vulnerability of today’s internet is very apparent. In DISPASSIONATE LIES, I took a guess as to where it will all end up and…it’s not a rosy future for cyberspace.
5) How does Ladesque feel about her sexuality?
Ladesque’s feelings about her sexuality shift throughout the novel. At various times she struggles to understand the purpose of libido, is in awe of the powerful effect sex has on individuals and societies and ponders whether the sex drive is a gift or a curse. Although these are issues we likely all think about from time to time, Ladesque’s unique personal experiences give her special insight into female sexuality.
6) What is the role of the workers from the tenth floor of Global Construction?
The Tenth Floor employees are so tightly bound to secrecy, they aren’t even sure who they are working for. Despite that, they dedicate their lives to pulling the world out of economic and cyberspace collapse…and are very proud of their moderate successes.
7) How will new Nano-technology help with future security of the internet?
Nations are dangerously focussed on defending against traditional weapons and symbols of power such as the possession of natural resources and monetary allocation. We must increase our awareness of scientific research happening around the world in nanotechnology, meta-materials and quantum computing. Developments in these fields have the potential to generate more power than nuclear energy ever did. Who will control that power and whether or not these developments will make our world more secure or more dangerous is yet to be determined
8) Why is the new super computer called Skinner’s Box?
I start the novel with a quotation from B.F. Skinner (1904 – 1990) . He was a famous psychologist who developed ways to scientifically study behaviour using an operant conditioning chamber, or “Skinner’s Box”. Since he was also very interested in artificial intelligence and computing, I felt Skinner’s Box was a good code name for the top secret computing project.
9) Tell the readers briefly about some of your other books.
SCHRODINGER’S CAT is my other adult Sci Fi. It explores the dilemma of Chorie, a woman caught between lives in two alternate universes. I also have three BackTracker novels published in my gritty contemporary teen series, THE TRAZ, FATAL ERROR and FIREWALLS. THE TRAZ also comes in a school edition with a Teaching Guide.
10) What are you working on at the moment? Where can readers find out more about you?
Aside from promoting my new releases, I am currently polishing an adult crime novel about a woman trapped in an abusive relationship. I have also started writing another adult SciFi that will explore the science of death.
Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Thank you Eileen, Good luck with the new book.
Rosie Amber 