A CHAT WITH AUTHOR JOEL JENKINS

Today, THE FREE CHOICE E-ZINE is chatting with author Joel Jenkins about his new novel Barclay Salvage: Off Season. Why don't we start off with a little bit about the book Joel?

JOEL JENKINS: Aaron Barclay runs a small salvage operation from his ship The Scavenger, but his attempts to make a living salvaging abandoned spaceships and other space debris is complicated by run-ins with interstellar pirates, distress calls from prison asteroids, and an inexplicable bounty which gets placed on the heads of every member of his crew.

Accompanying him on his escapades are his blue-skinned flirtatious and scatter gun toting co-pilot Ursula, a Pagouline security officer with scaled epidermis and four eye stalks, and one very grumpy engineer. A decent paycheck always seems just one more salvage away, but when salvage goes horribly awry the survivors walk away with more money and trouble than they ever wanted or expected.

While previous sections of this novel were published within Startling Adventures Magazine and Pro Se Press’s Six-Guns and Space Ships, those stories and the missing sections are published in sequential order in one volume for the first time. Barclay Salvage: Off Season is the first novel in a three book series. The second: One for the Dark & Shadowed Sky, is already written and currently undergoing editing.

TFCE: Going over your Amazon Author's page reveals some interesting selections. Why do you write what you do?

JOEL: For some strange reason, not long after I learned to read, I became compelled to write stories. I come by this peculiar tendency honestly; my father, grandmother, and aunt are all published authors. As for writing the particular sort of action-based stories (in genres like weird west, fantasy, science fiction, and thriller) that I do, all I can say is that I write the type of stories that I might like to read.

TFCE: And from what, if anything, do you draw creative inspiration from?

JOEL: Just about anything. Off Season is my 20^th published book and I have twenty others completely written, partially written, or in the planning stages.

TFCE: Have there been any influences upon your style or technique?

JOEL: Though I wasn’t around for the heyday of pulp magazines during World War 2, at a young age I discovered a number of books reprinting Doc Savage, Conan, Kull, Tarzan and John Carter Warlord of Mars novels. These action-based, highly imaginative stories with vivid word usage have been the underpinnings to my style.

TFCE: What would be your dream project?

JOEL: I’ve been fortunate that all the books I’ve written have been dream projects of some sort. An idea captures my imagination and I’m able to run with it and see where it takes me. I’ve been blessed with a day job that pays the bills and though this gives me less time to put words on paper than a full time writer, I haven’t been required to write anything that doesn’t interest or engage me in order to put food on the table.

TFCE: Every author seems to have an unusual story (or more) about their day job. What's yours?

JOEL: It didn't happen at work, but once I impersonated a ghost. I wrote about the experience as part of the first Weird Worlds of Joel Jenkins anthology of short stories I did for Pulp Work Press.

TFCE: Where do you foresee yourself within the next few years?

JOEL: Hopefully, I’m still above ground and putting my wild imaginations to paper.

TFCE: Are there any other projects you would like to promote?

JOEL: Yes. Anyone who would like to pick up one of my books FREE in e-book or Kindle format should head over to my website at http://www.joeljenkins.net and sign up for my infrequent newsletter which will keep you apprised of my latest stories and novels.

For a complete listing of books I wrote—from the nonfiction One Foot in My Grave, to the children's book Pirates of Mirror Land to the sword and science fiction Dire Planet series—please check out my Amazon author page at http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_tc_2_0?rh=i%3Astripbooks%2Ck%3AJoel+Jenkins&keywords=Joel+Jenkins&ie=UTF8&qid=1299593707&sr=1-2-ent&field-contributor_id=B003CM3KIW

And of course, everything's available from Amazon in print or e-book format.

TFCE: Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to chat with us.

JOEL: Anytime.

Images provided by the author.

SUNDAY FUNNIES: WHEEL... OF... COMEDY! (random jokes)

Hi folks. Waxy Dragon here to introduce a brand new feature to The Sunday Funnies!
Its the Wheel of Comedy!

How does it work?
All I do is give everything a spin and when it stops, at least a theme, if not other suggestions for a possible joke will light up.
Then it's up to me or whoever's hosting to create something funny based on that. Ready?

The Wheel of Comedy!

Wheel of Comedy
Spin, Span, Spun
Light up and let's have some fun!

Hmm... the first suggestions from the wheel are SCHOOL and REPTILES.
I've got it!
What kind of snake is good at math?
An adder.

Okay, let's try again.
We've landed on TRANSPORTATION, PSYCHIATRISTS, and MECHANICAL PROBLEMS.
Hmm... how's this?
I've had so many problems with my car, I think the next time it has issues I'll take it to a psychiatrist instead of a mechanic.

Next. FRUIT, DESERTS, and... DANCING?
Let me think about that for a moment.
Why did the jelly roll?
Because she saw the apple turnover at the jam.

The more you spin, the tougher it gets, but let's try again.
Okay. Only two this time. FISH and LIBRARIES.
I could make plenty of jokes if fish and schools came up, but let's try this.
What did the librarian use for bait when she went fishing?
Bookworms.

Okay. Here's a more difficult one. CLOTHING, OCEAN, and COLORS.
What happens when you drop a green felt hat into the Red Sea?
It gets wet.

Okay. We have time for one more, so let's see what the Wheel of Comedy comes up with now.
STUPID... BABY... DRAGONS...
WHAT?

Hello folks. Autumn the Puppy here, stepping in to finish this post because for some reason, Waxy Dragon has started attacking this giant wheel thing I've never seen before.
I hate coming into a post late.
Anyway, next weekend is our annual Easter holiday special, so have a great week and we'll see you next time for more Sunday Funnies!

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Free firewood is now available.

All you have to do is come down to The Free Choice E-zine offices

and haul away as much as you want.

Just don't mention the phrase "Wheel of Comedy" around Waxy.

We're still trying to calm her down.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: MARCH 22-28, 2015

EARTH HOUR IS TONIGHT FROM 8:30-9:30 IN YOUR LOCAL TIME ZONE.

HAPPY RAMA NAVAMI TO THOSE OF THE HINDU FAITH.

TODAY IS SERFS' EMANCIPATION DAY IN TIBET.

FOR THOSE CELEBRATING, WEDNESDAY IS APRIL FOOLS' DAY.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK...
*Japan plans to establish a seawall system along their coastline in defense against future tsunamis.
*The United States of America has removed all its remaining diplomatic personnel from Yemen as the United Nations grows more concerned about the situation in that country.
*An investigation into the crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 reveals that the co-pilot deliberately locked the pilot out of the cockpit when the plane went down, killing over 150 people in the French Alps. It has since been discovered that the co-pilot was supposed to be on medical leave instead of flying.
*The International Space Station has received its new crew, including Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Korniyenko and American astronaut Scott Kelly, the test subjects for a year long study on prolonged habitation in outer space.
*England has given the remains of King Richard III a proper burial.
*John F. Nash, Junior and Louis Nirenberg have won the Abel Prize for their work on partial differential equations.

TERRIBLE TERRORIST ACTIVITIES...
*As voters go to the polls in Nigeria today, gunmen opened fire on a voting place, resulting in 15 known deaths.
*Multiple bombings in Baghdad have killed at least 20 people and injured many more.
*Three passing buses were fired upon without provocation in Afghanistan. No group has yet to claim responsibility for the deed.

PASSING PARADE...
*Lee Kuan Yew, the very first Prime Minister of Singapore, is no longer with us.
*Swedish poet Tomas Tranströmer has passed away at the age of 83.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...
POLITICALLY...

*Some Congressional Republicans are saying that if the government experiences another shutdown, it will be President Barack Obama's fault for not accepting their current budget proposal. Said budget includes ending the Affordable Care Act (aka "Obama Care"), gutting Medicare and other social programs, and more tax "incentives" to the upper income brackets.
*Senator Mitch McConnell is allegedly warning all state governors that the Environmental Protection Agency is in the middle of a "power play" as each state has to send documentation showing how they are complying with the Clean Air Act.
*Texas Senator Ted Cruz has announced his candidacy for the 2016 Republican Presidential nomination. While many question whether or not he is even eligible since he was born in Canada to a Cuban father and an American mother, the candidate is complaining that he was "forced" to accept Obama Care so his family would have health insurance since his wife has taken a leave of absence from her job at Goldman-Sachs to join Cruz on the campaign trail. HOWEVER there is proof that Cruz applied for the insurance coverage willingly.
*Meanwhile, the Presidential hopeful has discovered that the domain name "Ted Cruz (dot) com" is owned by a supporter of the Obama administration, and is currently displaying pro-immigration reform messages.

ELSEWHERE...
*The United States of America has removed all its remaining diplomatic personnel from Yemen as the United Nations grows more concerned about the situation in that country.
*The Kraft and Heinz food companies have announced their plans to merge.
*American astronaut Scott Kelly has boarded the International Space Station as part of a year long study on prolonged habitation in outer space.

*Utah has reinstated the use of firing squads in legal executions where lethal injection is not viable.


For more news at any time, either scroll down to our IN OTHER NEWS feature at the bottom of your screen or visit any other reputable news source.

THE PUZZLE CORNER: MARCH 28, 2015

FUN FACT
Technically, bananas are considered a berry.

COMMON BONDS
The items within each subset have something in common.
Do you know what it is?

01. {notebook paper, kingdom}
02. {moose, sheep} and we know they are both animals.

TRIVIA TIME
What is the one thing you own that everybody else uses more?

We'll reveal all next weekend.
But for now, let's open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from the March 21, 2015 Puzzle Corner.

NEXT?

Can you say what the missing numbers are in the following sequence?

64, 32, 16, 8, ??, ??, ??

The answer is 4, 2, 1; which fans of college basketball know is the elimination sequence in the Mens and Womens finals called March Madness.

REBUS
A familiar phrase is represented by the image below.
Do you know what it is?

Although given the weather in some parts of the world right now, Spring is seriously late too!

SUNDAY FUNNIES: LET YOUR PAWS DO THE WALKING (Interesting World Facts)

Hello Everybody. Autumn the Puppy here.

As you can see in the photo on the left, despite the fact that we are now a couple of days into Spring 2015, it is still quite snowy in my neck of the woods, so I decided to get away from it all for a while the best I could by hopping on the Internet and seeing what I could dig up.

Want to hear some fun facts about this world of ours?

*Including overseas territories, FRANCE covers 12 times zones!
Must be extremely difficult to set a clock over there.

*Because GUAM doesn't have any natural sand available, the island nation makes asphalt by mixing grounded coral with oil.
Coral? I wonder how ruff that is on the paws.

*The FALKLAND ISLANDS has the highest sheep to person ratio in the world! 3000 people to half a million sheep as of 2013.
I bet you insomnia isn't a problem over there.

*CANADA has over 3 MILLION lakes! That equals 60% of the world's lakes.
*SAUDI ARABIA has absolutely no rivers! They are dependent upon underground reservoirs and using desalinization facilities on sea water for their liquid needs.
I wonder if those two countries could work out a trade agreement. Oil for water. Then again, those two elements don't really mix to begin with.

*91% of SURINAME is covered by jungle, with most of its population living along the coastline.
*HAITI has almost no trees in the entire country.
Maybe we can work out a trade between them. Then again, the Dominican Republic is closer, so why didn't anyone think of that sooner.

When you stop and think about it, our planet is really an amazing place and we need to take better care of it.
But this is The Sunday Funnies, not a soap box, so everyone have a great week and please be back here next weekend for more fun.—AtP.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: MARCH 15-21, 2015

TODAY IS NAW-RUZ FOR THOSE OF THE BAHÁ'Í FAITH.

NAMIBIA CELEBRATES INDEPENDENCE DAY.

IT'S MOTHER'S DAY IN THE ARABIAN WORLD.

MARCH 18th WAS THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST SPACE WALK EVER, BY COSMONAUT ALEKSEI LEONOV.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK...

*CYCLONE PAM IS STILL A CONCERN IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC! Meanwhile, people in areas already affected by the severe storm try to recover and assess the damage done.
*The United Nations warns that Earth's clean water resources may soon only meet 60% of the world's demand.
*The Philippines is seeking legal recourse to get China's claims to South China Sea resources renounced.
*A solar eclipse was visible over much of Europe March 20th.
*The Lancet medical journal's new study claims that babies who are breastfed are likely to have higher IQs, do better in school, and acquire higher earning jobs.

BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE UKRAINE...

*Russian President Vladimir Putin, suddenly returning to the public eye after an unexplained absence, has ordered the Russian military on full alert and prepared for "snap drills", citing increased NATO exercises in the region for the reason.
*Meanwhile, given the continued unrest in the Ukraine, the independent country of Poland worries that they might soon have separatist troubles, with "dissidents" wanting their country to rejoin the Soviet Union.

TERRIBLE TERRORIST ACTIVITIES...
*Suicide bombings at mosques in Sana'a, Yemen killed more than 130 people. ISIS/ISIL forces have since claimed responsibility for the attacks.
*Armed gunmen killed 21 people in an attack on the Bardo National Museum in Tunis.
*Former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed was convicted on charges of terrorism and sentenced to 13 years in prison.

PASSING PARADE
*Sculptor Robert Clatworthy is no longer with us.
*Illustrator/Cartoonist Roy Doty (Judy Blume books, the comic strip adaption of Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In) has left us.
*Michael Brown of The Left Banke ("Walk Away Renée") has passed away.
*Mike Porcaro of Toto is gone.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...
POLITICALLY...

*The Republican majority Congress has sent their 2015-2016 budget proposal to President Barack Obama. Amongst the "highlights" are doing away completely with The Affordable Care Act, also known as "Obama Care"; defunding Medicare along with other social programs, and offering additional tax incentives to those with high incomes.
*After being nominated 4 months ago, the Senate is still refusing to confirm Loretta Lynch as the new Attorney General. While no previous reason(s) were given, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been quoted by CNN as saying that unless a bill which includes denying victims of human trafficking funding for an abortion if necessary is passed, the Senate will not conduct any confirmation vote.
*Illinois Representative Aaron Schock (R) has resigned his Congressional post instead of facing possible charges of misusing tax payer funds.
ELSEWHERE...

*It has been reported that Tennessee State Senator Bo Watson (R) allegedly has such a huge hatred of organized labor unions, that he would rather see his state's unemployment rate rise instead of "risking" new job providers that might allow unions into Tennessee.
*The Premera Blue Cross health insurance company is just now making public the news that it was a cyber attack victim in May 2014, with over 11 million accounts hacked.
*The annual NCAA College Basketball Championships, also known as March Madness, are well underway.

For more news at any time, either scroll down to our IN OTHER NEWS feature at the bottom of your screen or visit any other reputable news source.

THE PUZZLE CORNER: MARCH 21, 2015

FUN FACT
A strawberry is not actually a berry, but is considered a hybrid fruit!

Some seasonal fun this weekend, depending upon the weather in your area.

NEXT?
It's been quite a while since we've played this.
All you have to do is guess the missing members of the sequence.
Ready?

64, 32, 16, 8, ?, ?, ?

REBUS
A familiar phrase is represented by the image below.
Do you know what it is?

We'll reveal all next weekend.
But for now, let's open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results of the March 14, 2015 Puzzle Corner.

TRIVIA TIME
What exactly is Pi π ?
As the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, Pi π is technically an irrational number.

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
How many new words can you make out of the letters in the word SHAMROCK?

A, ah, am, arc(s), ark(s), arm(s), as, ash

Cam(s), car(s), cash, char(s), charm(s), chaos, chasm, cram(s), crash, croak(s)

Hack(s), ham(s), harm(s), has

Mach, mack, march, mar(s), marsh, mash, mock(s)

Oak(s), oar(s), oh, or

Rack(s), rah (which is an old cheer word), ram(s), rash, roach, roam(s), rock(s)

Sack, scam, scar, scram, sham, shack, shark, shock, soak, soar

More words than the 70 listed above might be possible.

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY 2015

Ah, me lads and lassies, I've been so busy on this fine Saint Patrick's Day that I almost didn't get a chance to wish ye Free Choice E-zine readers the blessings of the day and night.

And, of course, there's the telling of the annual jokes.

That's right. I now have TWO of them. First, the one ye already know.

What's green, Irish, and loves to hang out in your back yard?
Patti O'Furniture!



Now, the brand new one.

Why should ye never iron a shamrock?
Because you don't want to press your luck.

If you party, please do so responsibly, for ye should be around to enjoy the rest of the year ahead too.

Until next Saint Patrick's Day...

SUNDAY FUNNIES: TURTLE TALK

Hello everybody. Waxy Dragon here!
Believe it or not, there are a couple of things slower than a turtle. Snails and this long winter finally becoming Spring come to mind.
Yet snails and turtles are like, nature's most prepared travelers. Wherever they go, they have their homes with them.
So where is all of this leading to?
TURTLE JOKES!

Eastern Box Turtle

What was the turtle doing on the highway?
He had a need for speed and always wanted to travel on an expressway.

A turtle was hit by a coconut and taken to the hospital with amnesia.
When his fellow turtles finally arrived, they asked how their friend was doing.
"Fine," reported the doctor. "He has turtle recall."

The psychiatrist was surprised to see a turtle come into his office.
"What can I do for you Mister Turtle?" he asked.
"I'm terribly shy doctor, especially around the ladies, and want to be cured."
"No problem," said the doctor. "Hopefully I can have you out of your shell in no time."

Do you think turtles have shell phones?

What do you get when you cross a turtle with a flu shot?
A slow poke.

I hear turtles are real party animals.
They certainly know how to shellebrate!


A turtle crawled up to a cop and cried that he had just been robbed by a gang of masked snails.
"Okay, tell me everything," requested the cop.
"That might be a bit of a problem," replied the turtle. "It all happened so fast."

What kind of photographs do turtles post?
Shellfies!

And on that note, let's take a tip from the turtles and remember that slow and steady wins the race. Take care everybody, and please be back next weekend for more Sunday Funnies!—wd.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: MARCH 8-14, 2015

HAPPY PI DAY!

IT'S NEW YEARS DAY IN THE NANAKSHAHI CALENDAR.

MARCH 17th IS SAINT PATRICK'S DAY AND THE 30th ANNIVERSARY OF THE LUANN COMIC STRIP.

AMONGST EVENTS HAPPENING AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK...

*TROPICAL CYCLONE PAM HAS BEEN TERRORIZING THE PACIFIC OCEAN. Residents and craft along its path are advised to seek shelter if they cannot evacuate the area. There are currently 8 known dead and several still unaccounted for.

*United States President Barack Obama has signed an executive order declaring Venezuela a threat to American security. The concerns stem from the actions of current Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

*A new computer virus dubbed Teslacrypt has been attacking older online games, holding users accounts for ransom under threat of erasing all their data if the demands are not met.

BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE UKRAINE...

*Russia has arrested several men as suspects in the murder investigation of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, but who is actually guilty remains to be seen.

*Russian President Vladimir Putin has canceled several meetings and not made a public appearance since March 5th, with no explanation as to why.

TERRIBLE TERRORIST ACTIVITIES...

*The Kurdish government claims ISIS/ISIL forces have been using chlorine gas against its enemies in some instances.

*While there has been no official proof of any joint operations, Time magazine reports ISIS/ISIL forces have eagerly accepted Boko Haram's pledge of allegiance and look forward to being in West Africa.

PASSING PARADE...

*Sam Simon, the man responsible for helping to bring The Simpsons, Cheers, and The Drew Carey Show to television has passed away.

*Actor Windell Middlebrooks (Body of Proof, Scrubs) has taken his last bow on life's stage.

*Musician Jimmy Greenspoon of Three Dog Night has left us.

*Author Sir Terry Pratchett (The Discworld series and other works) has passed away.

*Irwin Hasen, Golden Age comic book artist and creator of Wildcat and Dondi is gone.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...

POLITICALLY...

*After Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ill advised address to Congress concerning the situation in Iran, a group of Republican Senators have sent a letter to the Iranian government that not only risks jeopardizing United States' diplomatic relations as President Barack Obama tries to peacefully resolve the Iranian nuclear issue, but the letter was also in direct violation of The Logan Act.

*Meanwhile, President Obama has signed an executive order declaring Venezuela a threat to American security. The concerns stem from the actions of current Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

*Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is being investigated for allegedly using her private e-mail account(s) to conduct her duties. Many feel this is a ploy by Republicans to derail any campaign hopes for the Presidency by Mrs. Clinton in 2016.

ELSEWHERE...

*Director Randall Miller has pleaded guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of camera assistant Sarah Jones. The fate of the Gregg Allman biopic Midnight Rider that they were working on remains unknown.

*The United Steelworkers Union strike may soon end if current contract negotiations bear fruit.

*For the first time since its 1980s revival, Jeopardy! ended an episode (March 12, 2015) with only ONE contestant (the current champion) making it to the final round! Meanwhile, host Alex Trebek has renewed his contract, keeping him on the program through the end of the 2017-2018 season.

For more news at any time, either scroll down to our IN OTHER NEWS feature at the bottom of your screen or visit any other reputable news source.

THE PUZZLE CORNER: MARCH 14, 2015

FUN FACT
No one has computed the number Pi π to its full value.

We have TWO topics to cover in this week's Puzzle Corner, so let's get to it!

TRIVIA TIME
What exactly is Pi π ?
HINT: We're looking for a definition, not a numerical value.

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
Since Saint Patrick's Day is coming up, how many new words can you make out of the letters in the word SHAMROCK?

We'll reveal all next weekend. But for now, let's open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from March 7, 2015's Puzzle Corner.

THE 50/50 CHANCE
Just like a regular TRIVIA TIME question, but there are only 2 possible answers, hence the even odds of getting it right. Ready?

TRUE OR FALSE: It's possible to be born without finger prints.
THE ANSWER: True! It's a rare condition known as adermatoglyphia that happens once in over a million births, but it does exist. People with this condition live normal lives, but have a difficult time acquiring things like passports, visas, and security clearances.

Happy 65th Anniversary!

TRIVIA TIME
On March 4, 1950 Warner Brothers released "The Scarlet Pumpernickel", the first Looney Tunes to feature just about their entire cast of characters in some capacity. However, there was one notable exception.
Who wasn't in the cartoon, and why?
THE ANSWER: Since it was technically released as a Daffy Duck cartoon, Bugs Bunny was omitted from the short, although the wascally wabbit and the dis-picable duck have been in several cartoons together since.

A CHAT WITH AUTHOR BOBBY NASH

Bobby Nash and his wares

TFCE: Today, The Free Choice E-zine welcomes author Bobby Nash. Bobby, please tell us a little bit about your latest work.

NASH: I have had three recent releases.

My own imprint, BEN Books, just released Operation: Silver Moon, a graphic novel I wrote with art by a talented gentleman named Rick Johnson. Although this is a stand-alone story, Rick and I would love to tell more stories with these characters.

In Operation: Silver Moon, Nazi agents have discovered a long lost army of the undead that they plan to unleash on an unsuspecting world. Agent Tom Lupis of The American War Department is sent in to use his gift/curse as a werewolf to deal with the threat, which brings him into contact with the vampire lord known as Vlas. Can Lupis and Vlas put aside their ages old differences and work together to stop the Nazi's Army of the Undead?

Operation: Silver Moon started with a short comic story for a comic anthology that would lead into a mini series. Both the comic and the publisher disappeared, vanished into thin air. Rick and I were left with a story and some art, so we decided to finish the book and are so happy it is finally in the hands of readers. Please visit the Operation: Silver Moon website at http://OperationSilverMoon.blogspot.com to find out more.

Meanwhile, Dark Oak Press has released The Big Bad II, the follow up to The Big Bad: An Anthology of Evil. This volume features a story by me called “Sticks and Stones!” My friend, author John G. Hartness puts these volumes together and it was an honor to be invited for both volumes. John asked me to write a story about a bad guy so I did. Sometimes it’s that easy. Will there be more? I wouldn’t be surprised.

You can learn more about The Big Bad II at http://www.darkoakpress.com/bigbad2.html

And last but not least, Pro Se Press released Freelancer: The Traveler Sanction, my first in a series of ebooks in their Signature Series under banner From the Pen of Bobby Nash. This is pure pulpy action and adventure as The Freelancer leaps into danger to save the daughter of the United States' Secretary of Defense and uncovers a plot that leads straight to the most powerful man in the world. We will see Freelancer again. Learn more at http://www.prose-press.com.

TFCE: Wow. You're own imprint AND your own line at another company. You must be flattered.

NASH: I am. It was a nice surprise. In the press release, Pro Se's publisher Tommy Hancock said I was invited because I “fit every criterion as one of the best and most consistent writers in New Pulp and Genre Fiction, tackling multiple genres with the ability to maintain his own particular voice and still make each tale different and exciting.” I’ll take that. (laughs)

TFCE: When it came time to choose a career, why writing?

NASH: This one has a simple answer: because I love it. I write the type of stories I would like to read. Thankfully, there are others out there who like to read the same type of stories I do.

Volume 2 IS coming!

TFCE: What inspires you to write?

NASH: I’m not sure there’s any one thing I can point to on this one. The stories continue to pop into my head, usually faster than I will ever be able to write them all down. I write, partly to get the stories out of my head, but also because I love to entertain. Hopefully, my stories do that.

I also love doing promotions, so having a book to promote is helpful. Ha! Ha!

TFCE: What has influenced your style and technique?

NASH: I’m influenced by so many things, especially other writers, any type of creative person, actually. As I type this, I’m sitting in a hotel room getting ready to head out to a convention that has a great literary track. I’m excited because I know that spending a weekend with these talented people will energize me and get those creative wheels turning. I learn so much from reading other writer’s work as well.

TFCE: What would be your dream project?

NASH: I would love to write The Fantastic Four for Marvel Comics.

TFCE: Where do you foresee yourself within the next few years?

NASH: I would love to say I’m “caught up” on deadlines, but I think we all know better than that. Ha! I would love to see myself making a decent living from my writing. Sadly, I’m not there yet, but it is a goal I strive for and work toward.

TFCE: Considering how many you've probably done before this one, has there ever been an interview question(s) you have not been asked but would love to answer, and if so, what would your response(s) be?

NASH: WOW. That’s tough. I’ve done quite a few of these so nothing about the work or being a writer springs to mind. Thankfully, I’ve never gotten the silly boxers or briefs question or what’s my favorite food, things like that. I do get “who is your favorite author?” often, which is a really loaded question because the answer changes from day to day.

TFCE: Any other projects you would like to promote?

NASH: Always. Here are some upcoming projects to keep an eye out for in 2015.

It's a TEAM UP, coming soon!

The Snow Storm ebook from Stark Raving Press, The Strong Will graphic novel from New Legend Productions; I have a story in the upcoming V-Wars prose anthology from IDW. I wrote the script for the adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ At The Earth’s Core graphic novel from Sequential Pulp Comics/Dark Horse Comics. Then there's the upcoming Domino Lady: Threesome comic series from Moonstone Books, along with The Ruby Files Vol. 2 prose anthology from Airship 27, Evil Intent from BEN Books, and Alexandra Holzer’s Ghost Gal: A Haunting We Will Go from Raven’s Head Press.

Of course, you can keep up to date on all of these projects and more at www.bobbynash.com  and everything is available at Amazon.com

TFCE: Then on that note, let's talk about Star Trek for a moment. You have actually written an episode, so to speak?

NASH: So to speak. I wrote an episode of the Starship Farragut fan series called “Conspiracy of Innocence” that is currently available for free viewing on Youtube and DVD. I met the Farragut crew at a con and liked what they had done, so I offered to write an episode for them. It was a fun experience and I thought the episode came out really well. I also lent a hand to the first episode of Star Trek Continues, which is also filmed using the same sets. It was a special honor to tour those sets, which are absolutely gorgeous. It was a magical moment, when I stepped through the doors onto the corridor for the first time. It’s the closest to time travel I’ve ever come in my life. You can learn more about them at http://www.StarshipFarragut.com and http://www.StarTrekContinues.com.

TFCE: How do you think the recent passing of Leonard Nimoy will affect the various components of the Star Trek franchise going forward? We ask because most of the fan eulogies and other memorial posts across the Internet seem more focused upon the loss of Mister Spock than on the loss of the actor, the man, or any of Mister Nimoy's other accomplishments in life.

Leonard Nimoy (1931-2015)

NASH: Spock will live forever. As long as there continue to be tie-in novels, comic books, fan films, and new movies, the character of Spock will endure. Mr. Nimoy is a big part of what made Mr. Spock so special to fans. He was truly a great ambassador for the series and a wonderful actor. While Spock is the role he is best known for, I recall fond memories of his work on the original Mission: Impossible (as Paris in seasons 4 and 5) and as host of In Search Of… which was a big part of my childhood as I was born after Star Trek’s original run was canceled. I never got to meet Mr. Nimoy, although we were at some of the same conventions at the same time, but I am a fan and I will remember and forever enjoy his work.

TFCE: And on that note, thank you for your time Bobby and Live Long and Prosper Everyone!