RESURRECT - David E Stevens - One Free Book on This Blog + Other prizes

Bio: A Navy fighter pilot with hundreds of aircraft carrier landings, Commander David E Stevens holds degrees from Cornell and the University of Michigan with graduate work in astrophysics. He test piloted new fighters and received an aviation patent. With a Top Secret clearance, Dave served as Strike Operations Officer for the Persian Gulf during Desert Storm and led classified defense programs. He's traveled to over two dozen countries.

Welcome, David. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

Quite a bit – I think most authors put themselves into their characters, whether they do it intentionally or not. One of Resurrect’s leading characters, coincidentally, has the same background I do: test pilot, engineer, etc. Of course, the character then takes on attributes that I’d like to have, but don’t. I’m also more than happy to put my many faults into my characters … hoping they’ll permanently transfer. 

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if that were true? But I do believe that we authors learn to deal with some of our problems through our characters. What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I don’t know if it’s quirky, but bungee jumping in a small town in Mexico might not have been the brightest thing I’ve done. The dumbest thing I’ve done, more than once, was land on aircraft carriers at night.  

I’ve been in some small Mexican towns. That might have been really, really dangerous. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I’ve always loved telling stories and had a tendency to rewrite and “wordsmith” from way back. However, the idea of being an actual writer kind of snuck up on me over time. There’s a bit of a story behind it.

Despite an almost one-in-five fatality rate for aircraft carrier pilots, I, like most twenty-year-olds, believed I was immortal. Then I lost one of my best friends to a jet crash. Until we have a personal experience with death, or the death of someone close, I don’t think it’s real. I believe that applies to societies as well. We tend to turn a blind eye toward potentially apocalyptic threats facing humanity, not to mention, what happens after we die.

With that in mind, I decided to try and figure out what the greatest threats facing humanity really were. I thought it would be a positive way to apply my military “demolition” background: nuclear weapons attack pilot, strike planner during Desert Storm, and classified weapon systems developer. Using the latest science and a lot of statistics, I ranked the greatest threats to the human race, ones that we can do something about. Then I decided the best way to get that information out to people was to write. So, I wrote a fun, action adventure trilogy that accurately highlights those threats and found I really loved writing.

I also know that there are many people out there that think as I used to think–science is sufficient and doesn’t require anything spiritual to explain the universe. I realized writing would allow me to use my science background to reach out.

I like your reasoning on this. Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

I love comedy, action, and science, anything that makes me think, laugh, or flinch. Don’t tell my fellow fighter pilots but I’m also a sucker for a happy ending and a bit of a romantic.

That’s a good combination. How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

That’s a trick question. It assumes we’ve kept ours. I think you’ll agree, sanity isn’t a prerequisite to writing.

Seriously, I like to run and walk. I think that helps with my focus.

How do you choose your characters’ names?

That’s easy. I use the names of my friends and those I meet. They’re the names I know. I do mix up their first and last names with different characters to provide plausible deniability (unless someone gives me specific permission to use their whole name). For special characters, I do research names by nationality and popularity as needed. Hmm … Lena would make a great character name…

I’ve read a couple of books recently that had a character named Lena. Go for it! What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

My marriage to my amazing wife. She’s not just my wife, she’s my best friend, subject matter expert, and cheerleader.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

A black leopard. Not sure why except that I think they’re one of the most beautiful animals in the world. They’re sleek, fast hunters.        

What is your favorite food?

Steak, cheesecake, and chocolate. Covers all the major food groups: meat, eggs, dairy and vegetables … chocolate’s a bean, right? ;)

Works for me. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

Probably the mechanics, such as grammar. I thought dangling participles and split infinitives could be fixed with superglue ... my editor didn’t think that was funny either.

Tell us about the featured book.

It’s an apocalyptic, metaphysical, techno thriller with a little romance. Yeah, that’s a marketing nightmare of a description, isn’t it? It’s actually a fun action adventure that hopefully introduces the reader to some new ideas, but allows them to draw their own conclusions. A Colorado Gold finalist for best action thriller of the year, it’s been optioned for a movie by producer Fred Miller (soon to be released, When Angels Sing, starring Harry Connick Jr.).

Preventing his burning fighter from crashing into a neighborhood, Navy Commander Josh Logan ejects ... too late.

Critically injured, he's offered a new life and mission - exploit highly classified military technology to stop a global cataclysm. The price? He’ll be dead to everyone he knows.

I’ve been very fortunate to have Resurrect endorsed by a couple astronauts, several astrophysicists, and an admiral. But Resurrect doesn’t just highlight real life apocalyptic threats facing humanity, it delves into the intersection of cutting-edge science and religion, positively bridging the two.

Sounds like a book I want to read. Please give us the first page of the book.

Chapter 1 Depart

Thirty-foot blue-white blowtorches slashed the twilight, driving the twenty-ton fighter down the runway like an angry rhino on crack. Using small rudder corrections, Commander Josh Logan kept the overpowered F-18 Super Hornet tracking straight. Clumsy and ungainly on the ground, it transformed into an agile and graceful bird of prey as it leaped into the air.

He was delivering the brand new fighter to a squadron on the West Coast. It was a routine ferry flight, but it felt great to be back in the air and away from his desk.

The fifty-million dollar Hornets, assembled only a few hundred yards away at the Boeing plant, shared St. Louis International Airport with commercial airliners. The air traffic controllers wanted the fighters out of their crowded airspace as soon as possible. Happy to oblige, Josh pulled the jet into a sixty-degree climb. Smiling, he knew his vertical departure in afterburner dominated the dusk like a comet. He’d loved roller coasters as a kid. Fighters were just roller coasters without the track.

As he raised the landing gear, he caught something out of the corner of his eye – a tiny blur of motion accompanied by the slightest of vibrations. He quickly checked his engine instruments – everything looked okay.

***

The red-tailed hawk tucked its wings and dove, but too late. It struck inside the landing gear bay at 250 miles an hour. The bird expired in an explosion of feathers, the impact creating a hairline fracture in a high-pressure fuel line.

Good hook. I can’t wait to read it. How can readers find you on the Internet?

www.ResurrectTrilogy.com

On the website, we’re doing drawings for a Kindle Fire HD and having a future trilogy character named after them, plus the opportunity to be invited onto the set during the filming of Resurrect.

Thank you so much, Lena, for having me on your blog. I really appreciate it. If Resurrect does become a movie, you’re cordially invited to the set during the filming. Dave

To celebrate the release of Resurrect, David E. Stevens has teamed up with his publisher, Kregel Publications, for a Kindle Fire Giveaway and Facebook Author Chat Party {12/4}.

One "thrilling" winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• Resurrect by David E. Stevens

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on December 3rd. Winner will be announced at the "Resurrect" Author Chat Facebook Party on 12/4. Connect with David, get a sneak peek of the next book in the Resurrect Trilogy, try your hand at the trivia contest, and win some great prizes—gift certificates, books and a Book Club Prize Pack (10 copies for your book club or small group)!

So grab your copy of Resurrect and join David on the evening of December 4th for a chance to connect with David and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book - don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun, RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 4th!

Also, one reader of this blog will win a free copy of the book. 

Leave a comment for a chance to win the free copy. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link.

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com