Kerry says he is a refugee of the
software industry. He spent more than a decade of his life flipping bits—first
as one of the principal developers of the database product FoxPro for the now
mythical Fox Software, and then as one of Bill Gates’s minions at Microsoft. He
is a husband, a father, a technophile, and a movie buff. Mask is his fourth novel.
Is
there a story behind your book Mask?
My story ideas always come from a variety of
sources. After finishing the DarkTrench trilogy, where the character was a
“thinker,” I really wanted to do a high-action story where the protagonist was
more of a “doer.”
And for a while I’ve had this germ of an idea about
a guy who is this government-backed armored people hunter, who at some point
has a change of heart. I thought something about who he was sent to collect
would contribute to that change. I even had the start of a poem that would come
to me every time I thought about the story: I am the mask. The mask is me…
Popular culture was an influence, as well. All the
things we can vote on today—from popular reality shows, to a simple “like” or
“dislike” on Facebook. Then there’s the fact that so many people now vote in
elections purely out of self-interest. The “what’s in it for me” meme.
There were many classic sci-fi stories that informed
Mask, as well.
What started you on your writing journey?
I can’t remember a time when I didn’t
have some story idea bouncing around in my head—scraps of something written on
notebooks or stored in computer files.
The pivot point came when I was still
working in the software industry. I was on a plane traveling from Ohio to
Washington and just happened to sit beside an elderly gentleman who was a
published writer. It was a great conversation—me just picking his brain about
his life. At one point I mentioned that I wanted to have a book published
someday. His response was simple: “Well, start early. You might get published
before you die.”
That was when I started thinking about
writing fulltime.
What distracts you from writing the easiest?
The Internet! It is necessary
evil in a writer’s life. On the one hand, it is an invaluable tool for
research, networking, and marketing. On the other hand, it is like a flashing
light in the periphery of your vision—distracting you when you need to focus.
What kind of books do you enjoy reading?
Science
fiction is certainly a favorite, but I enjoy all genres of books, both fiction
and non-fiction. I maintain a list of books I’ve read and reviewed here
using a Shelfari widget.
I’m
also a Vine reviewer on Amazon, and cross post my reviews on Goodreads, as
well.
So,
if you’re interested in what I’ve read lately (or over the last few years) the
information is readily available.
What is your favorite season of the year?
If it weren’t for the leaves, it would
be autumn. I just really like the outdoors when it is still warm enough to walk
without a coat, and the colors are starting to change. The mosquitos are gone,
humidity is low…it is just a pleasant time of the year for me.
Unfortunately, we live in a woods, so
much of my time in late fall is consumed with leaf collection. It is pretty
epic.
The kids like the piles, though.
Are there spiritual themes you like to write
about
All my books start with theme, really. I think it is the most important
part of the story, the thing that gives it resonance.
My earlier trilogy, the DarkTrench Saga, was all about the nature of God
and Christianity in relation to other belief systems.
In Mask, the themes are much
more subtle, because it is primarily an action piece. Ultimately, it is about
the responsibilities of self-governance, and the value of human life.
Share
a verse or Scripture passage with us that is special to you. (and why it's special)
The first verse that comes to mind is Psalm 55:22,
“Cast your cares on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never let the
righteous fall.”
Though I come across as easygoing to most people, I
inherited a tendency for worry from my paternal grandmother. That verse helps
me keep things in perspective.
It also makes it clear that there is an effort of
our own will necessary when worries come our way. We need to consciously give
them to God. It is a good thing to remember.
When is your next book due out and can you
tell us about it?
LOL. My next book is something really different: Amish Vampires in
Space.
The idea started as a bit of a
joke. Amish romances have been popular in Christian fiction for a number of
years now. They invariably get good placement in Christian bookstores, while
speculative fiction typically gets stuffed in a corner somewhere. And even then
it is usually just the Narnia novels with a Ted Dekker or Frank Peretti thrown
in for good measure.
Anyway, a few years back my
publisher made up this mock cover for the breakthrough speculative novel, and
it was titled Amish Vampires in Space.
It featured ladies in bonnets with fangs…and a spaceship.
I told him that someone should
write that book. I wasn’t sure if I could write it, because the title suggests
camp, and as a hard sci-fi guy, I would want to do it as if it could actually
happen.
Then one day I got an idea about
how it all might work. I started writing. Now I’m about 60,000 words in. It is
a bit of a challenge—quite different than anything I’ve written before—but I
think I can pull it off. Hope I can. The goal is to release this fall. (My
favorite season!)
Purchase the book:
Or ask your local library to order it in for you!
Kery Nietz has agreed to give away a copy of his novel, MASK.
The giveaway is only available to
U.S. addresses.
To be entered in the book giveaway, leave a comment along with
your email address. You can enter the
book giveaway twice--once on each spotlight post.
11 comments:
Would love to win a copy.
Looking forward to this story! I'd love to win a copy, though I suspect I'll still buy one too. :)
This book sounds really interesting! I haven't heard of it before but now I'm intrigued! I'd love to win a copy!
gatorade635(at)gmail(dot)com
Thanks for commenting, everyone! Abbi, Mary and blue--you're entered!
Kerry, your book jacket sur makes one do a double take (or as I was doing, trying to enlarge it so that I could see the "MASK" better!....ooohhhhhheeeerie....
thanks! teelayoung@hotmail.com
Amish... vampires...???
Software Programmer and writer, that's a good combination. Hopefully that's where I'll be in a year or two.
Teela, the cover was created by Kirk DouPonce of DogEaredDesign.com and I think he did a stellar job.
Aaron...:) Well, yes, anything is possible in science fiction...
Sam, thanks. There are many simularities between the two fields. More than most people would suspect. I hope you achieve your goal!
Thanks for commenting everyone!
I read the series back when it first came out, and found this giveaway when I decided to see what you were currently up to. Amish Vampires in Space is neck-and-neck with Amish Vampire End-Times fiction for genre mash-up awesomeness.
I'd love to win a copy of Mask. :) giveaways [at] fb [dot] pierian [dash] spring [dot] net
To clarify: I meant the DarkTrench series. Although you don't have any other series I could be referring to, so I suppose that was not too unclear. XD
Thanks, Kathrine. If you're on Facebook, like my author page to keep up with what I'm doing. (I try to update my website fairly regularly too.)
As for AVS, I'm hoping for some awesomeness. There really is some interesting themes to be explored there. Hoping I can do it justice.
You're entered!
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