What’s the name of your company? What exactly does your company do, how do you help people?
My indie press is called Chromosphere Press. It’s just me, with my husband helping with cover art and print layout, but I enjoy it.
I write mostly fiction, usually science fiction/mystery, and about once a year I write a popular science book or ebook. How do they help people? Well, I cram the popular science books full of information, and if the subject matter impacts people’s lives, or could, I throw in “this is what you can do to mitigate the impact.” My fiction books teach, as well, because I try to have a scientific basis for the things I do, even when it’s space opera — because my background gives me the ability to brainstorm how it might really work. I often get feedback from readers that they learned something from reading one of my novels! And then there’s the pure entertainment value. The world is a scary place these days, and a few hours’ escape to someplace more fun never hurts.
What were the biggest challenges you have faced and how did you overcome them?
I think I’m still working on that overcoming business. See, I was trained as a SCIENTIST. In all my education, nobody ever taught me about business stuff, or marketing and promotion. I can calculate the diameter of a black hole’s event horizon, but I’m still learning how to best market and promote my books!
What piece of advice do you wish someone had given you at the start of your career?
I really wish someone had insisted I take more business classes in college.
Who are your biggest influences and people you admire and why?
I suppose I’d have to give a long list of scientists and authors, many of whom have long since passed on. People like Pierre and Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, or George Washington Carver; H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, Arthur Conan Doyle, Ray Bradbury, or Isaac Asimov, just to name a few.
Name a person who helped you along the way?
Dr. Travis S. Taylor. He’s not only a scientist in multiple fields (and a good friend), he’s a NYT-bestselling author. He helped me polish and sell my first novel, and since then, we’ve co-authored several books together.
