Guyot - Sci fi women interview the 2015 collection

Sci-Fi WomenInterviews

The 2015 Collection

(SmashwordsEdition)

Natacha Guyot

Copyright

Text Copyright 2015 NatachaGuyot.

All Rights Reserved.

Cover Design by Jennifer A. Miller .

Table of Contents

A cknowledgements

As always, I would like to express mygratitude to two people who make my writing projects possible: myeditor Jaime Krause and my cover designer Jennifer A. Miller. I amso glad that both of you have been with me since I embarked on myindie publishing journey in 2015. I wouldnt be the same authorwithout you two!

This compilation of interviewswouldnt have been possible without all my amazing guests:Johnamarie Macias, Yolanda I. Washington, Saf Davidson, Neelu Raut,Natalie McKay, Tricia Barr, Rose B. Fischer, Jo Robinson, PattyHammond, and Laura M. Crawford. Thank you all for putting the timeand effort in answering my questions, especially with everythingelse you all have been working on.

Of course, I cannot forget everyoneelse who has supported this project since it started as a monthlyblog feature in March 2015. Without you, I would not have been ableto develop this project.

Sci-Fi Women Matter

I was introduced to Science Fiction at a youngage, and have since been a female who enjoyed the genre with fierceappreciation. Looking to thrive in it has always been natural tome. My own mother had liked Science Fiction from a young age aswell, which made the genre even more meaningful.

It saddened me to discover that Science Fictionwas often viewed as a male-centered territory despite there beingamazing female authors and well-written characters. There is somuch creativity from women in the genre that the mere thought ofthinking we dont belong in it is counter-intuitive and harmful toeveryone.

My deep love for Science Fiction andmy enthusiasm and support to other women who enjoy, write, andcreate within this versatile genre are what inspired me to create anew blog series in 2015. This monthly feature is called Sci-fi WomenInterviews and seeks to celebrate my fellow female Science Fictionamateurs and artists. I have been honored to meet several of themacross the years and the continents, and I am grateful that theyaccepted to partake in this project, which has so far had awonderful reception.

The support this project has received led tothe creation of this eBook collecting all the 2015 interviews asthe feature reaches its first anniversary in March 2016. I amlooking forward to the future interviewees and connections we willcontinue to forge with our audience and fellow artists, for Icertainly hope this series will carry on for severalyears.

Women dont own Science Fiction nor shoulddesire to conquer it. Women are simply equally important in thegenre as any other creator and fan. This is why they need to be tobe celebrated for their love and contributions to this significantliterary and media genre.

John amarie Macias

Born in Puerto Rico and raisedin New York City, Macias grew up under the care of a loving andsupportive family. She later attended Cornell University and QueensCollege, where she respectively earned a Bachelors degree in Archaeologyand a Masters degree in Library Science. Growing up, she was afangirl of many productions, including DuckTales , Star Wars , MacGyver , and Stargate SG-1 . Macias also loves comic books, in which herfavorite characters are Bobbi Morse and the Vision. What reallybrought her into the thick of fandom was Star Wars: The CloneWars , ananimated series that made her a very dedicated Clone Trooperfangirl. She enjoys regularly updating her Star Wars -inspired blog, The WookieeGunner ,and contributing to Fangirl Next Door . You can also find Macias engagingwith fans on Twitter as @BlueJaigEyes and on Facebook under the community name The WookieeGunner.

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NG: What place does ScienceFiction have in your life?

MACIAS : Years ago, one of my teachers told mymom that I have a highly active imagination, and I like to thinkits because of my love for Science Fiction. It was the first genreI remember being exposed to as a child, and I never shied away fromcreating my own worlds or contraptions, and thinking of a futurefar more advanced than the world we currently live in. I also mayhave had a few imaginary alien friends along the way. Even though Ididnt possess the confidence to pursue a career in math orscience, Science Fiction did much for me in terms of keeping myinspirations alive and creatively flowing over theyears.

NG: How did you get the idea tocreate The Wookiee Gunner?

MACIAS : Several blogs had inspired me to pursueand create my own space to share my thoughts, but at the time, Ifound it difficult to focus on a topic. It wasnt until I stumbledupon Tricia Barrs FANgirl Blog and Lillian Skyes Fangirls in the Force that I really tookup an interest in writing about Star Wars . Im also an extremely passionate fanof StarWars: The Clone Wars . That propelled me forward into being more involved withthe fandom and communicating my thoughts in the way I knew best:writing. Coming up with a name for anything is a difficult task,but The Wookiee Gunner came easily to me, since it appeared inone of my favorite Star Wars books, No Prisoners by Karen Traviss. So, in the end, the blog wasborn out of the need to write and wanting to find my niche in athriving community of Star Wars fans.

NG: Do you have other current orfuture Science Fiction related projects?

MACIAS : My goals and plans tend to be all overthe place, since my mind is a whirling mess of fangirl thoughts.However, I am working on a personal Science Fiction story that Ihope to develop as a novel someday. It takes place in Earthsfuture and on the moons surface. It also contains a diverse groupof characters (Latina, Native American, and Maori, just to name a few), aradical race of aliens, and a sister and brother caught in themidst of a war. I like to think it will be a good ol spaceadventure!

NG: How were you first introducedto Science Fiction?

MACIAS : Growing up, I watched unhealthy amountsof television and movies. Some parents may frown upon that, but itwas the only solid way to keep me entertained for long periods oftime. From Star Trek: The Next Generation to X-Files , I was exposed to my parents favoritesat a very young age, so I ended up adopting a lot of their tastesand preferences. One of the few vivid memories I have as a childinvolved me sitting in front of the television set on Sundayafternoons and watching Star Wars: A New Hope on the WB channel.

NG: What are your top three favorites forScience Fiction books, TV shows and movies?

MACIAS : Sadly, reading wasnt my favoriteactivity as a child. I remember the difficulties I had when it cameto reading comprehension. I ended up going to summer school for itonce, and Ill never forget when the teacher gave me a Hooked on Phonics case and left me alone in theclassroom to learn on my own. Frustrated and angry, I hated readingeven more because I was never properly taught, until some morepositive experiences in high school. I do have a few favorites,however, such as A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine LEngle, The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, and Flowers forAlgernon byDaniel Keyes. Im more of a visual learner, so I was naturallyattracted to television and movies as a child. At the time, I foundmore enjoyment watching a story unfold on the screen than goingcross-eyed while reading pages filled with text. My preferenceshave changed since then, but when I was younger, the relationship Ihad with my television helped my imagination grow and eveninfluenced my career path later on. My top three favorite ScienceFiction television series include Earth 2 , Stargate SG-1 , and Stargate Atlantis . For short bursts of inspiration, I lovegoing to the movie theaters. My comfort zone is at home, but Ienjoy stepping into a theater for the occasional escape, andbringing that movie home months later to continuously watch. Thatsaid, my top three film franchises are Tron , Jurassic Park , and of course, Star Wars .