Meet the author Jeffrey G Roberts #RPBP

Welcome to my meet the author feature here at Rukia Publishing. 
Today I would like to welcome Jeffrey G. Roberts author of The Healer, a sci-fi novel which will make you think 'What if?' 
You can read my review on the Rukia Review page




Author bio: Jeffrey G. Roberts
I was born in New York City, and raised on Long Island, NY, and South Florida; namely Miami and Fort Lauderdale. I soloed in a Cessna 150 on Halloween, 1968. All my friends know I am addicted to airplanes! I then attended Northern Arizona University, in Flagstaff, Arizona, where I received degrees in writing and history. I have written for several publications, and am in the process of publishing several more books and short stories; one of which is the novel CHERRIES IN WINTER, available currently through Kellan Publishing Company. I love studying about UFO’s, fringe science, suppressed inventions, and the unknown & unexplainable. I’m a Pisces. I reside in Tucson, Arizona.

Welcome Jeffrey and thank you for taking the time to chat with me today.

How long have you been a writer and how did you come to writing? 
I’ve been a writer since graduating from Northern Arizona University in 1974; but I’ve been seriously engaged in it for about 20 years.

What are the best and the worst aspects of writing? 
The best aspects of writing are probably the finished product – that I have actually created something that never existed! The worst aspects? The work involved in doing just that.

What inspires you to write? 
Probably 2 words: “What if?”

Who or what has had the greatest influence on your writing and why? 
I could say my Dad, who was a writer for radio after WW II, but as far as authors who have influenced me the most, 2 stand out: Ray Bradbury and Douglas Adams.

How did you conduct your research for - The Healer?
It took about a year of work; utilizing the internet, libraries, my own books, and speaking with experts in various fields. I did extensive research on Mars, obviously, geology, physics, time travel theories, engineering, The Face on Mars, of course, astronautics, medicine, futurology, politics, and many other disciplines. I’m a stickler for accuracy.

Can you tell us a little about The Healer and the background to it’s characters? 
Basically, THE HEALER concerns a doctor from Earth, Reynolds Cully, who is awarded a Harvard grant to study the ancient Martian brain physiology, using the knowledge of their race, stored within the titanic Face on Mars. But while there a shadowy religious extremist group is dead set against unearthing Martian antiquities, believing them to be blasphemous. And after Dr. Cully utilizes an ancient Martian time/space machine to travel to Alaska 168 years in the past, to study, and hopefully solve a century old medical mystery in Anchorage, this terrorist group, back in 2181 – destroys the time machine on the Mars end! Now he’s stranded 168 years and 150 million miles from loved ones. How will he survive in this primitive land? Moreover, how will he heal using 2181 medicine, without risking exposure of his true identity, thus possibly altering history? But he has no choice, for he is – THE HEALER. And he dreams of returning home someday.

Are reader reviews important to you?
Very important; and very difficult to obtain.

Do you have a writing schedule? How often do you write? 
I have no set schedule. But every day I devote my time to some aspect of my career, whether it be writing, researching or promoting my work.

Who is your target audience? 
My target audience is largely college educated, and lovers of hard science fiction. They probably have a background in science; perhaps post graduate. They have an interest in space exploration, and reject government secrecy concerning knowledge of Mars, that should not be withheld, but made available for the edification of humanity.

Do you have any blogs/websites? 
I have a blog page on my website, at http://www.Atalespinner.weebly.com.

What is your advice to new writers?
Never give up, only believe half the so-called experts that try to criticize your work, and develop your own “voice” in your writing. If you adhere 100% to every writing textbook available, that’s precisely what your fiction will sound like – a textbook. And it will be bland and without color, without YOUR particular brand of writing. Do you think great writers like Hemingway, Bradbury, Steinbeck, etc., followed every single writing rule precisely? Of course not. They developed their own style, their own voice. And the world loves them for it. Do the same!

What would your friends say is your best quality? 
A sense of imagination & creativity, and a sense of wacky humor.

What do you do when you are not writing? 
TV calms me down and relaxes me. Often times it gives me ideas. While in graduate school, I discovered something that took my mind away from my textbooks and the grind of graduate level study – comic books! I didn’t have to think, and they were chewing gum for the eyes!

Jeffrey where can our readers get a copy of your book?
Here are the links Sarah Jane
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
iTunes
Kobo

Thank you for an entertaining interview, Jeffrey. 
Readers, if you have enjoyed this blog post please comment, tweet or share to Facebook, all authors need exposure and every share helps.
Thanks for reading,
Sarah Jane

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The Martian face: Around 2035, we'll know what the Face on Mars really is. Is humanity ready?  THE HEALER is one possible scenario; and its consequences - when one man found out!