My guest-blogger today is Young Adult (YA) author, LM Preston. Ms. Preston was born and raised in Washington, DC. An avid reader, she loved to create poetry and short-stories as a young girl. With a thirst for knowledge, she attended college at Bowie State University, and worked in the IT field as a Techie and Educator for over sixteen years. She started writing science fiction under the encouragement of her husband (a Sci-Fi buff) and her four kids. Her first published novel, Explorer X – Alpha was the beginning of her obsessive desire to write and create stories of young people who overcome unbelievable odds. She loves to write while on the porch watching her kids play or when she is traveling, which is another passion that encouraged her writing.
MA: Welcome aboard! Please tell me a little bit about your professional background.
LM: I am an engineering, part-time university professor, wife and mother of four kids. I love being an engineer and have over seventeen years and a Master’s degree in the field.
MA: Wow! I’m impressed, and I can see how that blend of science and motherhood came together to inspire your Young Adult sci-fi writing. I take it that’s why you chose to write novels?
LM: I’ve always loved writing, and did it a lot as a teen and college student to express my thoughts and exercise my active imagination. I’d given it up when I started my career and had kids. My husband dared me to write a science fiction novel and I was hooked ever since.
MA: What makes your stories special and unique?
LM: I write YA science fiction. I usually write stories about kids that seem to be the outcast but through their own struggles learn about themselves and overcome the impossible.
MA: I don’t write the YA genre, so I can’t even imagine how it is that you develop your characters. How did you go about creating your protagonist?
M: Many of my protagonists just pop up in my mind. They find me more so than me developing them. Once the story flows I force myself to outline the entire book before I write. This works best for me and allows me to finish my books in about four months.
MA: We share a similar technique. While I use the same protagonist in my stories, I let each story flow, follow it with an outline, and then commit to writing it once it’s fleshed out that way. So tell us more about one of your heroes.
LM: In Explorer X – Alpha, my main character, Aadi, struggles with his desire to do the right thing and fights against the temptation to give in to his ability to abuse his powers.
MA: What about an antagonist…is there a unique “bad guy” or a recurring nemesis of any kind?
LM: There are several foes in this tale. The main foe is TEGRC, the company that created team Explorer X. There are also the evil beings that try to torture and oppress Aadi and his friends.
MA: I almost hesitate to ask, but did any of your real-life experiences factor in to the plot at all?
LM: Yes. My childhood was challenging, and I was always tempted to make detrimental choices. Yet, each time I struggled and fought my way out of those circumstances. I believe all kids have the ability to make the choices that allow them growth in their lives. Also, the ability to do amazing things is a definite possibility for all.
MA: So what’s next for you?
LM: The Pack releases this August. It’s an adventurous upper YA novel about a blind vigilante who sets out to save her brother and the missing kids on Mars. Explorer X - Beta comes out next year. I just finished writing Bandits which is an upper YA novel about a boy named Daniel’s quest to find his father’s killer and treasure.
MA: It sounds like you are really enjoying the journey.
LM: I love writing because it’s my way of letting young people realize that they have a voice, and an ability to do anything. If I can achieve my dreams so can you.
MA: Well thanks for taking the time to visit with The Child Finder Trilogy today. My readers can learn more about LM Preston and her stories by visiting her websites: www.lmpreston.com and http://lmpreston.blogspot.com/.
I’ll definitely have to check this one out. This genre is right up my alley!