Interview: Genesis:XII - Brian Palmer / Jason Rowe #YA

I am pleased to be able to welcome co-authors Brian Palmer and Jason Rowe to Obsession with Books to share with us their new Young Adult Urban Fantasy release, Genesis which is the first book in the XII series.

Genesisi:XII will be offered as a free download from Amazon from January 25-27

Authors: Brian Palmer and Jason Rowe

Series: XII

Pages: 352

Genre: Young Adult Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Self

Amazon: Genesis:XII

Synopsis

A century after the world was predicted to end, it was indeed reborn. Under the leadership of the Overseer of New Earth, minds were united, diseases were cured, and the Earth was healed when population centers minimized mankind’s footprint, and the remainder of the planet was turned over to the will of nature. War was eradicated, the world embraced one religion, and the New Era began.

But darkness rises now, mistaken for a mere shadow cast by the bright light of human progress. It is the time of which the ancients foretold. It is the time when all things must end. …It is the time of The Twelve. 

Six men and six women representing all creeds and colors are supernaturally gifted, but the unlikeliest of heroes. They are barely adults by the world’s standards, but still they are called.

Only they can stand against the growing darkness – but will they stand together?

XII: Genesis is the first installment of an eight-book series in the Young Adult / New Adult genres. If action excites you, if the supernatural intrigues you, and if love compels you - then you are invited to join The Twelve in their fight against the growing darkness that threatens New Earth!

Interview:

Welcome to Obsession with Books Jason and Brian, Are you able to tell us a little about your Young Adult urban fantasy book XII: Genesis and yourselves? 

Jason: I’ve been married to my best friend for over 20 years. We have five sons, ages 7-19. I’ve been a passionate reader, writer, musician and movie buff all of my life, and as a writer my passions are young/new adult fiction and non-fiction, as well as screenwriting.

Brian: I’ve been married to my wife for 5+ years and we have one daughter. I have had my head in the clouds since I was a child and have loved immersing myself in stories and storytelling for as long as I can remember. I even went to college to study English and creative writing!

How many books do you have planned for the XII series?

Jason:  XII: Genesis is the first in an eight-part series.

When and why did you begin writing and what made you decide to become co-authors?

Jason: I’ve been writing all my life, have had the vision for this series for over a decade, and decided to join forces with Brian after becoming friends as coworkers about five years ago.

Brian: I began writing creatively in high school, initially beginning with poetry, and progressed to short stories and novels as I went through college. I loved creating characters and figuring out what made them tick, and I also enjoyed discovering what these fictional characters could teach me about life.

As for the two of us becoming co-authors, it was quite simple: Jason told me the vision one day of this epic series that had been kicking around in his mind for years, my mind about exploded thinking of the possibilities and I said, “I want in on that!”

What is your ideal day as an author?

Jason: A day that starts with enough energy to accomplish my goals for the day, a sufficient block of time undisturbed by the chaos that comes with a family of seven, and the feeling at the end of the day that whatever is written, it is what was supposed to be written.

Brian: Finding enough time to fit in some actual novel or short story writing! I am a freelance writer and a lot of days that work has to take priority because it pays our bills while we try and get the word out about the novel as best we can. Sometimes I won’t get more than a few minutes to even look at our work, let alone write anything new. But ideally, I can write for at least one hour a day, five days a week and keep this train moving along!

Is there anything about you that would surprise your readers? Any quirks, habits, routines etc.

Jason: I’m very OCDish when it comes to writing. My writing environment has to be right for me to even start, and then the process is always the same start to finish. I read the last bit until the room and everything else disappears other than the scene I’m reading - at which point I jump in and write the next natural progress.

Brian: If it’s a solo writing session for me, I either have to listen to film scores that were done by Thomas Newman, or listen to soundtracks from the 7^th, 9^th and 10^th entries in the Final Fantasy video game series, otherwise I have a hard time immersing myself in the story as fully as I ought. It’s as though I need to have the background music to help propel the story forward like you would in a film. I don’t think I really do anything quirky or specific when Jason and I do our Skype sessions though.

Are you able to tell us about your research and writing process?

Jason: I did a lot of research on mythological elements that were incorporated into the storyline as well as geographically for the various locations we visit in the first book. Cairo, Dublin, temples, mosques, etc.

Brian: We also did some digging to make sure that we were using the right words when we had some of our characters speak in different languages. The series has a global cast of characters and so despite their ability to speak English, we wanted to inject a bit more of their personalities and cultures into the story by occasionally slipping in some dialogue in their native tongue.

Are there certain influences that inspire you when writing? (literary and non-literary)

Jason: I believe I am always influenced by my faith – even when writing a non-religious book such as this. I am also keenly aware of my own favorite works influencing my writing style – fiction and film. (J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Poe, King, Peretti, et al., as well as George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and others)

Brian: Anyone who knows me is aware of my unintentional ability to write long, flowery sentences. The joke with me is that if there is a way to answer a question in ten words, I’ll find a way to answer it in one hundred words without even thinking about it. I’ve always been like this, but my love of the novels of Michael Chabon certainly hasn’t discouraged me from this habit of mine. So there is that.

My faith also influences the work I do, though most of the work I have ever written is not religious in nature. Many of the influences Jason mentioned play a part in guiding my creative efforts as well, though I would add Robin Parrish, Ted Dekker and Travis Thrasher to the list of influences for me.

If XII: Genesis was to be made into a movie, who would you chose to play the roles of your main characters?

Jason: LOL! I actually thought of THAT before we wrote any of the stories! (You can take the screenwriter out of the screenplay, but…). We left the visualization up to the reader in most cases, but a few of the characters I have a clear picture of are:

Val Kilmer - Joshua

Liev Schreiber – Mikael

Javier Bardem - Drakon

Gerard Butler – Darien

Gabrielle Anwar – Gabrielle

Ryan Reynolds (Safe House) – Stone

Brad Pitt (Snatch/Fight Club)  - Tavis

Brian: I’ve thought of a few as well:

Zoe Saldana – Palesa

Mia Wasikowska – Thaddine

Mia Maestro – Andrea

Gael Garcia Bernal – Juan

And this still leaves us with six of the main characters! We have ideas of how they look and everything, but trying to think of which actors and actresses would play them all is quite a daunting task! I can only imagine the trouble casting directors have doing this sort of thing!

A portion of all your net proceeds will be donated, can you tell us a little bit about this?

Jason: Those who know Latin will understand that the villain in this story (Luxuria) is based on the deadly sin of lust. The greatest achievement that Brian and I have collaborated on was our role in supporting sex trade rescue in India. A third of all sales are being donated to that cause as a tie-in with the basis of the battle in this book.

Brian: We both worked for a non-profit in Oregon at one time, called India Partners, and one of the indigenous partners this organization works with in India is located in Mumbai. The partner is dedicated to rescuing women and young girls from this horrific trade. I had the privilege of traveling to visit this partner in 2011 and see firsthand the good work they are doing, so their efforts are a cause that is near and dear to me, especially now that I have a daughter of my own.

What is up next?

Jason: We’re writing XII: Forsaken now, in addition to twelve short stories that will be providing backstory up to the beginning of XII: Genesis on each of the main characters. The content will be exclusive to fans of the series who want to “Join the Forsaken.”

Quick Questions:

Fave band / television series / movie?

Jason: Depends on my mood for music and TV / Star Wars

Brian: Oasis / Chuck / either The Shawshank Redemption or Demolition Man

Coffee or tea?

Jason: Iced vanilla coffee

Brian: Soda!

E-reader or hardcopy?

Jason: Hard copy …but I’m becoming a fan of e-books quickly. LOL

Brian: Ironically, since our novel is an ebook, hard copy!

Ideal travel destination?

Jason: Italy (where I’ve been) / Australia (where I want to go)

Brian: In terms of places I have visited already, I would probably say either New England in the fall or Aruba. In terms of where I’d like to go, I think it would be pretty neat to go to Four Corners so I could say I was in four places at once!

Fave book – Standalone or series?

Jason: The XII Saga …seriously. The ending we have in store for those who come along for the ride is more epic than anything I’ve ever read in my lifetime.

Brian: Wow, tough question. Outside of XII—and for the reasons Jason just mentioned—I’d say it’s either the Harry Potter series or Lord of the Rings.

Author Bio’s

Jason: Jason Rowe is a published nonfiction writer and journalist, and has been a creative writer professionally for nearly 20 years. He has a saint of a wife (high school sweetheart), is the proud father of five boys (two with special needs), works as an executive of a digital marketing and communications agency when he's wearing his "Clark Kent" glasses, and in his "free time" works with high school and college students in leadership training and mentorship.

Jason, his wife, and his teenage sons also serve as advocates and volunteers for causes near and dear to their hearts such as autism awareness and support, sex trade/human trafficking rescue, and international relief and development.

Brian: Brian Palmer has been a creative freelance writer for print and online publications in the music, literary, film and sports worlds since 2004. He graduated with a degree in English and an emphasis in creative writing from the University of Puget Sound in 2000. The XII saga is unlike any creative endeavor he has ever participated in, and it thrills him to no end.

Apart from writing, Brian loves spending time with his wife and daughter, watching sports (and occasionally attempting to play them very poorly!), reading and spreading the word about non-profit organizations which are involved in rescuing women and girls from the sex and human trafficking trades.

Social Media

Official Website - Goodreads - XII: Genesis Facebook - XII: Genesis Twitter - Brian's Facebook  - Brian's Twitter - Jason's Facebook - Jason's Twitter

Purchase Links

Amazon (US) - Amazon (Canada) - Amazon (UK)

Thank-you so much Jason and Brian for taking time to talk to us today!

Genesisi:XII will be offered as a free download from Amazon from January 25-27