Q&A with J.O. Quantaman

I live in Vancouver at the mouth of the Fraser River on Canada’s westcoast. The city has been carved out of a temperate rainforest and is sandwiched between scenic mountains and the Pacific Ocean. I’ve worked as a photographer, sports-fishing guide, cab driver and software developer. At present I’m semiretired and an avid reader of history, scientific literature, historical fiction and science.

Imagine a vibrant community that rejects 5,000 years of human traditions. Imagine a society that affirms equal rights for both men and women. Imagine a society without politicians, without corporate secrets, without adverts, without disparity in the spendable wealth of its citizens. Such a community has defied the status quo. It has aroused fear and envy among the powerful elite. It needs extraordinary protection from those who would bring it down.

Narrative is fully indexed, color pictures, circa 2070s <> Blending of antipodes between utopia and dystopia <> Nyssa has spent years in virtual bondage to a Japanese pimp before she landed at Dog Breakfast, a co-op dedicated to urban security and espionage. She is welcomed despite her woeful past. She begins training as an operative and soon finds the physical hurdles almost beyond reach. But she can't turn back because the co-op has become "home" and if she fails she'd mess up her chances with Cook <> Kazuo has lost touch with the stone fox he met at the ski resort. He will meet her again, but in a way he doesn't expect.

What inspired you to write Loose Threads: Cool Assassins 1?

I would get pictures of scenes in my mind for a number of years.  One day I decided to write one of them down.

What genre would you place this book in?

Alternate History.  Within that context, readers will find elements of romance, espionage and social customs that are alien to those we cherish today.

Who are the characters in the story and what are their goals?

Jenna is a world-class aerial acrobat and mountain climber who suffers bouts of vertigo.

Nyssa Persson, former Tokyo call girl, comes to Dog Breakfast co-op, a security outfit.  Nyssa is determined to make a fresh start in her life.  She buries her libido and undergoes training in martial arts.  She never stops looking for a soul mate.

Kazuo is a former champion kickboxer.  Nowadays he's the security chief at Mishima dockside foundry.  As he prepares his team to capture an intruder, his mind reverts to memories of Miyuki, a young woman who has stolen his heart.

Meg and Subie are two gabby bisexuals who help Nyssa find a home at Dog Breakfast co-op.

Cook is the head honcho at DB co-op.  He leads from the front by example.

Shepp is Nyssa's somewhat reluctant partner and mentor.  A former Kenyan smuggler, he is DB's weapons instructor and resident hunk.

Maybe the most important character is the city of Tsawwassen.  Not just an architectural wonder, the city fosters social lifeways unlike any in existence today.

What was the hardest part about writing this book?

I've devoted 15 years to editing and learning the craft from scratch.  Yet the toughest part is cracking the eBook market.  "Loose Threads" is but one title among 4-million others.  Authors must be prepared to jump through dozens of hoops before anyone will notice.

What do you hope readers will gain from your book?

I hope readers will sense there is more to life than meets the eye.  In this age of cell phones and ear plugs, we've lost a much faster means of communication.  Superluminal messages can only happen among folks who know and trusts each other.  It seems to be a dying art.

What do you like best and what do you like least about being a writer?

I dislike the advertising.  Indie authors must shout twice as loud to get their two cents on the board.  The trouble and effort I've put into "Loose Threads" won't come back for decades.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

My favorite Indie author is Carmen Amato.  She has created a Mexican detective, Emilia Cruz who is tougher and more courageous than your usual crime fighter.  Among established sci-fi authors, I like anything written by Greg Bear and Connie Willis.  As a history buff, I'm a fan of Colleen McCullough, especially her award-winning series that features the Roman republic.

If your book would be turned into a movie, who would you imagine playing the part of the main character? (Actor can be ANYONE, living or dead.)

I haven't a clue.  I don't have a TV and haven't gone to the cinema for 20 years.  None of the vintage movies features strong female leads with oriental features.

Are you working on anything right now?

I'm working on the sequel "Hot Wheels" which has a 2nd-gen Mexican immigrant to SoCal, Tomas Redfoot who delivers gourmet foods to enclaves east of San Bernardino.

And, finally, what do you think is in store for the future of Latino literature?

English has gotten a huge head start as the digital language of choice.  I doubt it will be dislodged.  But I see more and more Latino words becoming naturalized in English.  In the future there will be as many Latino additions as there are French.

Review: INTERCEPTED by J.Q. Anderson

Meet Jake and Natalia.
Jake was once a water polo Olympic Gold Medal Winner.
Now he is an Escort. The lucky few women he selects as clients pay small fortunes for a weekend with Jake.
Natalia just graduated from culinary school in Buenos Aires. She works the ski season in Aspen. She needs the money.
The moment they meet a sudden attraction grips them.
It can’t be: She’s engaged. He’s a hooker.
A story about passion, deception and what lies hidden in the darkest corners of love.

Reviewed by: Celia

Rating: 3.5 stars

 

Review: This is the love story of Natalia and Jake. Natalia is a hotel clerk and Jake is a hotel guest. The two obviously should not mix business with pleasure. But then….what if you did?

Told in the POV of the two main characters, the story takes the reader on an awkward ride through the icy slopes of a slippery and endearing love. In the beginning, each grapples with its own drama as well as the underlying and intense attraction. It’s like we’re reading their diaries, diaries filled with hopes, fears, and dreams.

It takes a while before you can really get into the story, but you’ll feel the instant connection between the two characters.  A good portion of the book mainly consists of the two pining for each other. That’s probably because she is engaged and he is a…..well, a hooker. So there’s another complication.

Story is well-written for the most part. I especially enjoyed the candid thoughts of the two as it relayed to the growing attraction (Natalia was shy and reserved while Jake was more direct and confident – well, he would have to be for his “occupation”) Certain areas lagged a bit too much with superfluous scenes as well as endless assortments of looks, touches, and flirting. After a while, this gets a little weary. Of course, I was pleased with the unexpected twists and turns that came about.

Overall, this was a sweet and interesting romance. A one-of-a-kind.  It’s Pretty Woman in reverse.

Q&A with J.Q. Anderson

J. Q. Anderson is a debut author who loves stories of all kinds, cooking food from her home town, Argentina, and hanging out with friends and family. When she is not working, she is writing relentlessly, or hanging out with her husband and three kids.

Writing is a multi faceted passion. You are in love with making stuff that wasn't there before. You think, you create, you obsess, and then you obsess a little more. Before the words even get to the page they have been roaming in all corners of your mind, trying to shape themselves.

I would have never dared to write a word had it not been for the people that love and suck in those stories. Find out more at http://www.jqanderson.com/

Meet Jake and Natalia.
Jake was once a water polo Olympic Gold Medal Winner.
Now he is an Escort. The lucky few women he selects as clients pay small fortunes for a weekend with Jake.
Natalia just graduated from culinary school in Buenos Aires. She works the ski season in Aspen. She needs the money.
The moment they meet a sudden attraction grips them.
It can’t be: She’s engaged. He’s a hooker.
A story about passion, deception and what lies hidden in the darkest corners of love.  

1. What inspired you to write Intercepted?

I was working on another novel, much longer, and the editing was taking me a while. I think the creative part of my brain needed a break and to work on something new. So I put that novel aside for a while and wrote Intercepted. It was fun and just poured out of me!

 

 

2. What was your development process like?

I didn’t plot it at first, just started writing. Then as I got into it I drew a main storyline to stay on track. I wanted to see where the story went, so I built the characters and let them dictate some of the plot as well.

 

3. What was the drive that drew two characters, like Jake and Natalia?

I wanted to represent what it is like to be in a relationship today. It is difficult to connect with other human beings because people in general are not emotionally available. Jake being an Escort and detached from his own feelings is an extreme example of that disconnection, but I thought it showed it well. Natalia is a typical example of a woman that has to fight for what she wants and is faced with multiple obstacles, internal and external.

 

4. What did each character aspire to achieve?

I think it was the need for something deeper. Jake avoided interacting with people on a deep level because it connected him to painful memories of his past. Natalia was driven by the need to have control over her life, including her relationship with her fiancée, so she didn’t give in to feelings that could make her lose that feeling of security.

 

5. What do you hope readers will gain from your book?

I want them to have fun reading the story. This novel was meant to be fun and light, but with characters you can connect with on a deeper level. Natalia wasn’t afraid to dive into another culture and make it her own, without forgetting who she is and where she came from. I wanted to show what that is like as well.

 

6. What do you like best and what do you like least about being a writer?

I LOVE that there are no restrictions as far as what kinds of stories I can write. My next story can always be whatever I want it to be without any limitations whatsoever. I write the stories that I want to read, and hope others will like them as well, but it is a very personal journey. Real life is full of obligations, restrictions and yellow tape blocking the way. The world of books opens the door to wherever you want to go, and that is truly amazing.

The hardest thing is when I realize a turn I took with the story isn’t working and I have to do it all over again, but I have to say, those are the times when I grow the most as a writer.

 

7. Who are some of your favorite authors?

Gosh, I have so many. Two of my absolute favorites are Carlos Ruiz Zafón (El Juego del Ángel), and Jorge Fernandez Díaz (El Puñal), for fiction that takes you to another world. I also like contemporary romance ones, many from the U.S. like Colleen Hoover or Stephenie Meyer. I love different authors according to each genre. My likes are very diverse. I read one or the other depending on what I enjoy, but also what I think I need to learn. Reading is a great way to grow as an author.

 

8. If your book would be turned into a movie, who would you imagine playing the part of the main characters? (Actor can be ANYONE, living or dead.)

I am not going to pretend I didn’t think of that! I would love Natalia to be played by professional ballerina Julie Doherty and I’d like Jake to be someone unknown but super hot!

 

9. Are you working on anything right now?

Yes! Always! I went back to my original novel, Kings of Midnight, and will be done editing soon. I want to publish it by spring. That is the first of a two-book saga. The second book is also almost finished. After that, I have a very different fiction novel in the works about trafficking. It is darker, but I hope it will be a compelling story that will show the readers what trafficked women endure and how many of them there are everywhere.

 

10. And, finally, what do you think is in store for the future of Latino literature?

I believe Latinos are smart, educated and cosmopolitan people. Their knowledge and awareness of the world goes way beyond what is around them. In that respect, they are different from other readers and expect more. They also have to interact with different cultures and leave their mark. Latinos feel deeper and make their decisions based on their personal values and not some trend. I think that also reflects what is inside of the books we read. They have to be relevant to our lives and we have to feel that deeper connection. But we also like having fun!