Featured Interview With N.M Sotzek
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born and raised in Ontario, Canada and I still live there with my husband. I have a B.A Honours in Near Eastern Archaeology and Medieval Studies from Wilfrid Laurier University, which is actually where I met my husband. Despite that distraction, I still did pretty well.
Unfortunately there are no pets in our house, but my husband and I love animals which is actually how my first novel came into being.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had my nose in a book which I think led to my eventual love of writing. My aunt is also an author and I suppose I’ve always looked up to her. That introduced me to the world of writing and publishing at a very young age. I began by writing poems in elementary school, then short stories in high school. University acclimated me to writing longer pieces, so it only makes sense that once I graduated I completed my first full-length novel.
Honestly, I’m still fascinated with books, whether I’m the one reading or writing. There’s something so wonderful about them, about the concept that marks on a piece of paper or electronically that can give you such vivid dreams and memories. I hope someone can say that my writing did that for them someday.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I think it’s easier to list who I don’t like to read. It’s a much shorter list! But if I have to choose…I really enjoy Garth Nix and David Gemmell. Both have such unique stories and voices. Gemmell writes (or wrote, as he has sadly passed) these characters that make you want to hate them, but you can’t because they’re so amazing. It’s infuriating. In a good way.
I love to read science-fiction and fantasy, and especially historical fiction even though I’m extremely picky about it. With my academic background, I’m a bit more critical of certain time periods. For the record, people, the term is: pot sherd. Not shard. Shard is for glass. Sherd is for ceramics.
Emily Bronte is my biggest inspiration, and always has been. She was able to create such wild characters (can you tell what I find important in a novel?) with simply her imagination. From what I know of her life, there wasn’t too much excitement, so the fact that she created such tortured souls such as Heathcliff and Cathy is just astounding. She got so far down into the depths of humanity, it was and will continue to be a goal to aspire towards.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
‘Revealing the Revolution’ is like nothing you’ve ever read before. You might read the first few pages and think “oh, this sounds familiar” but there’s also this sense of something else. It’s not the typical science-fiction novel that awes you with its cool technology. No. ‘Revealing the Revolution’ delves into what our society and culture in North American transforms into when new technology is introduced. In this case, the new technology is a type of artificial intelligence that, powered by a small hand-held device, can transform into any animal. Imagine being able to ride an elephant, or snuggle up with a bear cub and not get hurt! I could have that pony I always wanted but never got…
The story focuses on one particular aspect: a new sport called Scanning. Using the new types of AI, known as Artificial Intelligence Morphers (AIMs) athletes work in teams to complete challenges resembling extreme sports. Mountain climbing, cliff diving, ocean kayaking, it has it all! These athletes need to be well-rounded in pretty much everything, but at the same time need to be able to work with both humans and animals. It’s a unique story of bringing humanity into harmony with nature…even if it is artificial.
The initial concept was developed by my husband when he was just a child. We worked on it together for a short while before he gave me full creative control. The entire process took roughly four years, from when I was given control to the publication date. Four years with these character was nowhere near long enough, so I began the sequel and am now working on the final installment of the trilogy.
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