Friday, April 27, 2012

Tour/Review/Interview ~ Jericho Solus by Jeffery Moore






Welcome to my stop on the Jericho Solus Tour brought to you by Seventh Star Press. 



Book Description


“They watch me—the feeling as acute as a sharp, cold blade against
my skin. I may have lived an ordinary existence, but I can fight.
Though my memory is like a beast cowering in the shadows, I
know in my core I can fight, as if it’s what I’m wired to do.

Her breaths echo in my dark cell. Is she real? She fills my
emptiness with heat, and God help the people that harm her.
I am the Solus. My name is Jericho, and killing is what I do best.”

Jericho’s captivity begins a journey to a forgotten past, forgotten comrades, and forgotten love. His remembrance pulls him back in time to reveal an unexpected metamorphosis to his current state. As memories move Jericho back through history, his captors propel him forward into a surreal world, until both timelines combine to expose who and what Jericho is.





My Review
I tried several times to read this book. Unfortunately, I just couldn't seem to get into it. I was confused from the very beginning. I couldn't even picture the setting. All I could think was, this would probably make a great movie. If someone else could make it come to life for me, I would probably really enjoy it. I like the concept, but the writing was stilted and didn't flow for me. I am not saying others wouldn't love this book, but for me, it isn't my kind of book. 
I Couldn't Finish It


About the Author
Jeffery Moore writes speculative fiction. His stories transcend genre boundaries, making them difficult to categorize. He writes what he likes to read and the stories that entice him most are stories with character displacement, characters that for whatever reason are thrust into alien worlds or environments. Though in broad terms his stories may be categorized as Fantasy, you will read none of the Middle Earth or vampire themes and characters—he feels these are done to death. Moore strives to introduce concepts into his stories that haven’t been done.

Jeffery was born in Germany. As a military brat, much of his childhood was spent abroad, growing up in Germany on military installations. He subsequently enlisted in the military and served for ten years as an army pilot. While in the military, he lived in Italy and South Korea and deployed to many European countries. He has traveled to Australia, Japan, Singapore and most European countries. His experiences and contact with many different cultures helps form some of the elements in his stories. He currently works for a global IT company and lives in Massachusetts.
You can also find Jeffery Moore here: http://www.jefferyemoore.com/
Jericho Solus blog: http://www.JerichoSolus.blogspot.com
Follow Jeffery Moore on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JefferyEMoore
Check out our website: https://ProsebyDesign.com



Interview
Thanks so much for taking the time to do this interview.

I’m happy to do the interview and though my story isn’t really your taste,

I’m grateful for the opportunity to share a little bit about myself to

your blog followers.



What is your all-time favorite book?

‘The Good Earth’ by Pearl Buck. Her style of writing is incredible and the

“circle of life” story is phenomenal. There are some classics that are a

struggle to read, this one I couldn’t put down.



What inspired you to want to become a writer?

I never really began writing thinking that I would become a writer. For

me, several conditions arose that were the catalyst for my writing. First,

while in the military, I endured a long deployment separated from my
family, which afforded me a fair amount of time to read and write. Though
at that time much of my writing was poetry and letters to my wife. The
second influence for me was the lack of stories I liked on the market. I
began writing my stories because I couldn’t find the stories I like to
read on the bookstore shelves. I’ve always considered myself a person with
imaginative stories and I simply sat down and began putting those stories
on paper (so to speak).



What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?

I’ll give two. First is to write even if you don’t have a fully

fleshed-out plot. None of my stories ended the way my plot outline

detailed. Usually at about chapter 10, my stories move in a different
direction than originally planned so if you’re waiting for some epiphany,
you may be wasting your time. Second is to hook up with a small group of
people for whom to exchange critiques. I’ve been very fortunate to
correspond with three successful writers over the past three years. The
encouragement from a group is enormously motivating and I learn a great
deal from them.



What jobs did you have before you became a writer?

I don’t write for a living. I dedicate at least an hour a day to writing

and currently work in a global information technology company with roles

such as a software engineer, technical consultant, and education
consultant. Before working in IT, I was a pilot in the U.S. Army.



Do you have any hidden talents?

Talent is a tough thing to define. I play the guitar, but very badly. I

like to sing, but it’ll make your ears bleed. I garden and do some

woodworking. I suppose I have many hobbies, but none that would rise to
the level of “talented”.



Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects?

I’m working on my fifth book. It’s another Speculative Fiction story

bordering on Low Fantasy. This story details the journey of Jeremy Pour as

the enigmatic Johinda tries to realign her world’s balance by sacrificing
him. I do play with timelines in this story, although more subtle than
what I did in Jericho Solus.



Please tell us why we should read your book.

The reason I write Speculative Fiction is because it’s what I like to

read. I don’t think there are enough of these kind of stories on the

market today and if readers of Fantasy are tired of the same clichés (as I
certainly was), then Jericho Solus may be a nice change of pace. I’ll
admit it’s not for everyone, especially if you prefer a story with
distinct genre lines. Jericho Solus is a complex story that is part
Fantasy, part Sci-Fi, part Historical Fiction, and part Romance.



How do reviews, good or bad, affect you?

I think all people who put forth any type of work that is open to scrutiny

must keep some perspective. We have to have thick skin. I know that my

stories will not appeal to all people and I should expect some poor
reviews. I beam at the good reviews and pout at the bad ones.



Favorite food?

It would be a much shorter list for foods that are not my favorite. I love

so many dishes and my wife is such an incredible cook, I just don’t think

there’s a single dish I can say is my favorite. Now, my favorite sin food
is hands down ice cream—any kind with chocolate chunks.



Cat or Dog?

We are cat people, though I like the idea of having a dog.



What do you do to relax?

I read and write. It takes me away from life’s daily stresses.



What is one thing you absolutely need while writing?

Focus. I can write with white noise, music, and the TV blaring. I can

write in the dentist lobby or while riding in the car. I can write in the

eatery at the mall. Once I have focus and I’m in the “zone”, it doesn’t
matter what is going on around me.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions. 




2 comments:

  1. What a super interview! I liked learning more about this author. I have never read The Good Earth- but I am interesed in it after reading how much he liked it. I think it is great that he finds an hour a day to write. I recently won this book in a giveaway- but haven't had a chance to start it yet.

    ~Jess

    ReplyDelete
  2. Good interview. It's a shame the book didn't work for you.

    ReplyDelete

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