I had the pleasure of inviting MD Neu over, for a cup of Tuma (read his books to find out what this is), and to ask him a few questions about his new release, Conviction, A New World #2, which is published through NineStar Press and coming out today, March 25, 2019!
For those of you who don't know MD, he's a prolific Sci-Fi/Fantasy writer with several works published with NineStar Press. I had the pleasure of first meeting MD on the writer's forum Scribophile, where we quickly became good friends. MD makes his home in the San Jose area of California and lives with his husband.
Here's a look at MD's newest book (Cover and Artwork by Natasha Snow: http://natashasnow.com/)
JP Jackson: "Hi, MD! Thank you so much for coming over. I have so many questions for you, so let's get started. Tell me, your first book in the A New World series, Contact...how'd that go over?"
MD Neu: "You know, the reviews were actually pretty good! 4.04 on Goodreads and 4.6 on Amazon, so I can't complain."
JP Jackson: "And you shouldn't! Those are fantastic. I have to tell you, I read Contact and absolutely loved it. It's a fun read, and your main character, Todd, he's so relatable, I felt like I was reading about myself. But tell me, I know that every author goes back over old works, rereads them and then has those 'cringe' moments. What was that moment for you in Contact?"
MD Neu: "I think I would have expanded more on the relationship between Todd and Brad. Flesh it out a little more. Their brotherly relationship was really on the rocks, and I don't think I spent enough page time showing that or telling their history."
JP Jackson: "I really hated Brad, and for the record, I still don't trust him."
MD Neu: "Oh, he's not that bad. You know, family dynamics and sibling rivalry and all that. Give him a chance."
JP Jackson: "No promises, but I'll try. Okay, now tell me, what was the most surprising thing you heard from a reader of Contact? As authors, we all want our stories to stick with people, and we hope our books leave an impression, so did you have a reader say something that shocked you? Or perhaps was there one reader who just really 'got it'?"
MD Neu: "There were several, but I guess the one that really stood out was from one reader who said they were really happy that through my novel, I was able to address issues around immigration and refugees, and how important it was to highlight those topics given the world we live in right now."
JP Jackson: "Oh I can definitely see those threads in Contact. And I couldn't agree more. It would seem our world is a little messed up at the moment. I think people forget that even though we're fortunate enough to live in the countries we do, and how free we are to do whatever we'd like, that's not the same for everyone else around the planet. It's hard for us to imagine what it would be like to have to leave everything behind and flee in order to survive. I don't think most of us in the US or Canada really get that, in a heartbeat, the stability that we have become so used to could be completely turned on its head. You really captured that in Contact. It was one of the things I quite liked...that sense of tension, panic and impending chaos. Can you imagine...Aliens are coming?"
MD Neu: "Which is exactly what I was going for!"
JP Jackson: "You nailed it! But I have to ask you...The Nentraee species in Contact and Conviction are bipedal. They're very humanesque. Why did you go with aliens that were so close to humans? Why not something more...well, alien?"
MD Neu: "I toyed with that, but in the end, it's hard to tell a story about human relationships and making contact with another species without them being at least relatable to what we are ourselves. It's not to say that there aren't other aliens out there who would be more...dissimilar to our own form, but for this tale, I needed the aliens to be more similar to us than not."
JP Jackson: "That's fair. I would think too that the less humanoid the aliens, the less likely we'd be to accept them. But then that says a lot about us, doesn't it?"
MD Neu: "It absolutely does."
JP Jackson: "So, tell me, how many books are there in A New World series?"
MD Neu: "I have four planned out."
JP Jackson: "Awesome! I can't wait to see how this all unfolds. Okay, one last question about the books...What do you want readers to walk away with after reading Contact and Conviction?"
MD Neu: "I'm hoping readers will see the potential we have as a group of people when we put all the stupid stuff aside, the racism, the bigotry, the ideologies. We have the ability to create such beauty and wonder if we just got out of our way. You know what I mean?"
JP Jackson: "Completely. Something for us to look forward to, right?"
MD Neu: "We can hope!"
JP Jackson: "Okay, rapid-fire question time. You ready?"
MD Neu: "Oh god, I didn't sign up for this!"
JP Jackson: "You'll be fine. Okay, What's your 'go to' food to munch on while writing?"
MD Neu: "Chips."
JP Jackson: "What time of day do you find yourself doing your writing?"
MD Neu: "Morning or early afternoon, or in the middle of the night."
JP Jackson: "Oh your husband must love that. Okay, how about this... When you're writing, do you prefer silence or music?"
MD Neu: "Oh, that one depends on my mood."
JP Jackson: "Fair. I have to have music. Silence is too...quiet...and then the demons come out and start whispering. Moving along...who is your favorite author and why?"
MD Neu: "Stephen King. Because his books got me into reading for fun."
JP Jackson: "You find Pennywise fun? Damn, MD, that sheds a whole new light on you! Alright, how about this, if you could sit down and share a cocktail with anyone, who would it be?"
MD Neu: "Easy. Queen Elizabeth II."
JP Jackson: "Really? I didn't take you for a Royalphile. But I bet she would have many tales to tell. Tell me, I know you and your husband like to go to Disney, and let's face it, who wouldn't if you lived that close - but what's the furthest you've ever been from home?"
MD Neu: "Seoul, Korea."
JP Jackson: "You're gonna have to tell me that tale one day."
MD Neu: "Okay, deal."
JP Jackson: "Sweet or Salty."
MD Neu: "Yes."
JP Jackson: "HA! I get that. Okay, serious question. If you could hold one precious thing in your hand, what would it be?"
MD Neu: "Love"
JP Jackson: "Awww...see? That's why you're a nicer person than me. I never would have come up with that! Great answer. Last question, are ghosts real?"
MD Neu: "YES!"
JP Jackson: "Oh, see, there's another story there too isn't there?"
MD Neu: "Quite possibly."
JP Jackson: "MD, that's the last of the questions! Thank you so much for dropping by. But how about you give the readers out there a little tease...what's next after Conviction? Care to let us know the title of the third book in the series?"
MD Neu: "Oh, I don't know if I should. Should I?"
JP Jackson: "Oh yes, you most certainly should."
MD Neu: "Okay, here you go. The next book will be called, Conspiracy."
JP Jackson: "Well that just opens up a whole bunch of more questions. Hey - would you come back and talk to us about that?"
MD Neu: "Sure! I'd love to."
JP Jackson: "Great! I'll have my people call your people."
There you have it! Hope you had fun getting to know MD. He's such a great guy. Be sure to pick up Contact if you haven't read it yet, and then there's Conviction...released TODAY and now we can wait with eager anticipation for Conspiracy!
Oh, and before I forget, here's a contest below to help promote MD's book Conviction where one lucky winner will receive a $10.00 NineStar Press Gift Code!. Follow the instructions and go get MD's book, and enjoy!
