Originally posted by Renee Scattergood:
Welcome to this week’s Friday Author Spotlight! Today I have Donald Firesmith returning to tell us about the screenplay of his science fiction novel, Hell Holes: What Lurks Below. He has also taken the time to participate in an interview so keep reading!
A geek by day, Donald Firesmith works as a system and software engineer helping the US Government acquire large, complex software-intensive systems. In this guise, he has authored seven technical books, written numerous software- and system-related articles and papers, and spoken at more conferences than he can possibly remember. He’s also proud to have been named a Distinguished Engineer by the Association of Computing Machinery, although his pride is tempered somewhat by his fear that the term “distinguished” makes him sound like a graybeard academic rather than an active engineer whose beard is still slightly more red than gray.
By night and on weekends, his alter ego writes modern paranormal fantasy, apocalyptic science-fiction, action and adventure novels and relaxes by handcrafting magic wands from various magical woods and mystical gemstones. His first foray into fiction is the book Magical Wands: A Cornucopia of Wand Lore written under the pen name Wolfrick Ignatius Feuerschmied. He lives in Crafton, Pennsylvania with his wife Becky, and his son Dane, and varying numbers of dogs and cats.
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About the Book
When a huge hole opens up in the path of a controversial new pipeline, the oil company’s head of safety convinces her estranged husband to fly up to Alaska’s North Slope and investigate. But when the geologist Jack Oswald rappels down into the mysterious pit, he discovers it is unlike anything he has ever seen before. Meanwhile, giant wolf-like creatures slaughter both wildlife and people, and they attack the nearby protester camp, indiscriminately killing protesters and even the oil company’s armed guards. This prompts a reporter to reveal herself as a member of an ancient secret society dedicated to defending humanity from demons. The survivors soon learn there are worse monsters than hellhounds. To repair his broken marriage, the middle-aged geology professor only needs to save his wife, defeat a devil, seal the hell hole, and put an end to Armageddon. What could possibly go wrong?
This movie script for the full-length feature film, Hell Hole, is based on Donald Firesmith’s novel, Hell Holes: What Lurks Below.
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Keep reading for an interview with the author:
Do you have a “day job”?
I work at the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, which is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center supporting the US Government, primarily the military. I spend most of my time helping programs acquire cyber-physical systems.
What genres do you write?
I write speculative fiction, meaning a mixture of science fiction, horror, paranormal, and fantasy with a hint of action/adventure.
Is there a genre that you’ve been wanting to experiment with?
I love Steampunk and would eventually like to write some myself. I love the alternative history and the steampunk style.
What inspires you to write?
I have stories to tell that won’t let me be unless I write them down. I also greatly love the positive feedback I get from readers.
How often do you write?
I try to write four or five days a week, but several chronic illnesses combined with my day job mean that there are days when I don’t feel good enough to write.
How long does it take you to write a novel?
Because of my other commitments, it takes me 2-3 years per novel.
What is the oddest thing you’ve ever researched for one of your books?
The third Hell Holes book, To Hell and Back, involves the use of nuclear bombs, including modifying one to make it man-portable. I, therefore, had to research existing bombs including their components and how their controls work.
When did you first consider yourself an author?
When my first book was published. I considered myself a successful author when I started to get great reviews from unknown readers.
What is the biggest obstacle you face as an author and what do you do to overcome it?
My biggest obstacles are (1) I have a full-time job that often requires more than 40 hours a week and (2) I have Crohn’s Disease. I often feel too tired or ill to write.
What is the best compliment you’ve ever received as an author?
“This novel follows on from the first novel, Hell Holes – What Lurks Below and is, again, written in journal form but this time by Dr. Angela Menendez, the wife of the author of the first journal. She follows on more-or-less where the last account ended, and it’s amazing that a book written by the same author (Donald Firesmith) can fool one into thinking that it’s written by a completely different person. Such is the strength of the writing that the new “author” (Dr. Menendez) shines through and her personality & writing style is quite different to that of the other journal’s surrogate author, her fictional husband.” https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RDQUOSZLHKULV/
What is the best thing about self-publishing?
I love the artistic freedom and the ability to make updates whenever I want.
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