Welcome to WOLF NOTES, where interview questions stray from the rest of the pack. It’s nice to know the usual stuff like where an author gets their inspiration and why they write, but sometimes we need a little fun in our lives.
Wolf: Welcome to Wolf Notes, Ken. Tell us a little about yourself.
Ken: I am a science fiction and fantasy writer, a shameless Geek, a huge fan of the Oxford comma, and I make housing decisions based upon the space available for bookshelves. I collect books, movies, and music.
I sing out loud when I think there’s no one around, and I try to get a blog post up once a week – both with varying degrees of success.
I love music of all kinds, books, the big sky off my front porch, Star Wars, Firefly, Blind Guardian (to which, I write almost exclusively), Rugby, star gazing, jasmine tea, and the smell of rain on the air.
My favorite flavor of ice cream is chocolate. My favorite food is a grilled steak, and I can suspend disbelief embarrassingly quickly.
I live in Michigan, am co-owned by several dogs (especially the Border Collie), and I am one of the rare breed of folk that enjoys mowing the lawn.
Wolf: Wow, we have many things in common. Too many to list. If you had to pick a weapon, what would it be and why?
Ken: A lightsaber. Because it’s not as clumsy, or random as a blaster. Also, because it is a sword that can be turned off.
Wolf: That is kind of cool. Makes your sword much more portable. You’ve just been turned into a plant. Describe yourself.
Ken: Oh, I’d be an orchid. Long, thin stem, pinkish-purple flowers.
Wolf: Sounds beautiful. Purple is one of my favorite colors. Do you consider yourself a cat person, or a dog person?
Ken: Dog person. I can’t imagine my life without having at least one dog in it.
Wolf: Same here. While walking in the woods you come across…
Ken: A pair of standing stones. Tree limbs, and vines, growing across the top to form an arch. Beyond the arch is…somewhere else. Somewhere you can’t quite see in detail, but feels warm.
Wolf: I sense an adventure coming. If you could have a super power, what would it be?
Ken: Immortality, with a dash of Wolverine’s healing factor. So many books, so little time…
Wolf: Agreed. I have a huge stack of to be read book. There is a door at the end of a dark, damp corridor. You hear rumbling. What do you do?
Ken: Oh, I open that thing and peer inside. No doubt about it.
Wolf: You are definitely a true adventurer. What is your favorite body of water and why? (river, ocean, waterfall, puddle, bottle…)
Ken: The “pond” in my front yard. It’s not really a true pond, but for ¾ of the year, it’s under water and, in the spring/summer, the Peepers sing at night. I love my Peepers. When I moved out into the country, I thought they’d drive me nuts but, when they’re hibernating in the colder months, I really miss them.
Wolf: I like peepers too, and they eat those pesky mosquito larvae. What story are you working on now?
Ken: A smuggler turned Empress must unite three disparate races in order to prevent an insane AI from wiping out humanity.
Wolf: I look forward to reading that one. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Ken: I like to hang out with my family, grill, watch the sun set. I’m also an occasional gamer, and a HUGE rugby fan.
Wolf: A gamer? I never would have guessed. (chuckle chuckle) Thanks for stopping by.
You can connect with Ken through these links:
Website: www.Ken-Schrader.com
Twitter: @kenschrader4882 (ask me about that number sometime)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ken.schrader
Don’t forget to pick up your copy of
alkaplan 