BooksChatter: ℚ♫ Temper: Lifer [2]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Beck Nicholas to talk about Temper (23 February 2016, Month9Books, LLC, 343 pages), a Young Adult Science Fiction, book two of Lifer series.

Author Q&A | Synopsis | Teaser | The Series | About the Author | Giveaway & Tour Stops

A very warm welcome to Beck Nicholas; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter.

To start, Beck has shared with us her music playlist for Temper - enjoy!

What was the inspiration for Temper?

"Temper was inspired by wanting to know ‘what happened next’ at the end of Lifer. Asher, our heroine, was free and victorious. She should have been happy but I knew she wasn’t. I had to find out the reason."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"This book (and the first in the series) was heavily influenced by my research while studying laser chemistry. I spent years in the lab and these stories started there while I waited for vacuum systems and lasers to do their thing.

In Temper one of the characters suffers hearing loss which happened to someone close to me."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for Temper - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"The brilliant team at Month9Books created my cover. It flows so gorgeously from the Lifer cover and I adore it.

The concept echoes the Lifer cover of two people separated by time and space but always drawn back together."

Why should we read Temper and what sets it apart from the rest?

"Read this book for the great characters. Asher the fighter who will never give up and the swoony complicated boys in her life.

But also to think about the question of temper and control. How much can we blame other people for our own losses of temper?"

Can you tell us something quirky about Temper, its story and characters?

"This book comes from me thinking ‘convicts in space’ and what would happen. This is from Australia’s convict past. I like to think of brothers Samuai and Davyd as two parts of a whole – a mix each of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ and they’re both named a little after the same person."

Who would you recommend Temper to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I would recommend this book to readers who love characters facing situations with no right answers and villains who might have good reasons and be just a bit heroic too.

There are some uncomfortable scenes where a weapon is tested on a character but these are always important to the story and not used for shock value."

If you could / wished to turn Temper and the Lifer series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"I think this would be hard for me. I’d trust the experts. I see the characters so real in my head that no person would easily match them without being a really good actor. It wouldn’t be simply looks but rather finding someone who understood the character well enough to bring them to life.

I’d love to be involved and watch it happen!"

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"I like to read and write across genres. I write sci-fi and contemporary but read even wider. Mostly it’s about the characters and if they’re wonderful I’m in!

I like to feel for the characters and empathise. When I write I like the situation to be one of two bad choices. There must be no easy answers. It makes for the most fun."

What is your writing process?

"I love a new shiny story idea with characters I can’t wait to get to know. I usually let an idea simmer for a while so I know a bit about it when I actually begin.

My preparation might include some research into a particular technology or place. But my main work is on the characters – trying to figure out what they most want and why they can’t achieve it. I like to ‘cast’ my characters to help me work out what they look like.

Asher, Samuai and Davyd as visualised on Pinterest
I need a title I like and an opening line I’m happy with but then sometimes write out of order as the scenes come to me like movies in my head.

There’s coffee and water and chocolate rewards and I do my best thinking about what might happen next on my early morning runs (slow jog)."

What is in store next?

"I’m currently working on the third book in the series and another sci-fi.

In the third book, the threat against Asher and her friends becomes bigger than simply The Company. She finds herself having to choose whether to work together with those who were once her enemies."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"I have an awesome dog called Mat. He’s getting old now and mostly just sits nearby each day while I write."

Hello gorgeous Mat! Lots of head scratches for you from all of us at BooksChatter!

Thank you for sharing Mat with us, and for taking the time to be here with us!