All Hope of Becoming Human follows an investigator and archaeologist who must work together to try and solve a mystery involving humans and aliens.What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

In the midst of the pandemic, I woke up one night in a cold sweat unable to get back to sleep, my mind ravaged not only by the ever-rising death toll from the virus sweeping the world, but also the brutal murders of Black Americans by law enforcement, the protests and riots, the senseless mass shootings by lone gunmen, rampant terrorism and the rise of hate groups, the threat of using the US military against its own citizens, not to mention the constant genocide, warring and unrest across the planet. It was all unimaginable and overwhelming to me. So I got out of bed, brought up my computer and hammered out a three-page single-spaced stream of consciousness that would over the next few years become All Hope of Becoming Human.

The idea of earthquakes revealing massive buried metallic objects seemed the perfect place to start, setting the stage for the potential discovery of incredible answers to the nature of humanity, hidden for thousands of years right there literally under our noses.

What was your inspiration for the interactions and backstories of their characters?

I’m a “pantser” instead of a “plotter” in my writing, trusting that the characters will step forward from the darkness, pull me forward through the narrative as I unravel the story. Rebecca Duccati stepped out quickly asserting that she, not Professor Braden (as I had intended), would be one of the main protagonists. Then Demzey. I loved his character from the get go, with him stepping onto the stage and showing me who he was. And his assistant, Connie Wegman. I hadn’t planned on the heat between those two, but there it was. And honestly, I couldn’t wait to see what would happen when Demzey and Duccati got together to work the puzzle. The discovery for me is what makes writing exciting.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

The nature of violence; and if it is endemic to our race? The turmoil in the world, the ceaseless march of senseless killing! Nowhere in nature do we witness this degree of mayhem, except among humans. I was shocked hearing about young people attending “covid parties,” seemingly daring the virus to take their lives, while others refused to wear masks. I became distraught over how little we valued life — our own and that of others — and was heartbroken hearing about the young woman in her twenties on her deathbed regretting attending one of those parties, and who died a day later. None of it made sense to me.

During the summer of 2022, while revising All Hope of Becoming Human, I was also bingeing Philip K. Dick novels, thirteen in all by summers’ end, and I came across this quote by one of Dick’s characters, Mr. Baynes, from The Man in the High Castle, who says,“We are all doomed to commit acts of cruelty or violence or evil; that is our destiny, due to ancient factors.” I was dumbfounded by my good fortune and put that quote at the beginning of my novel. Are we doomed to commit acts of violence, no choice in the matter? “…due to ancient factors?” That’s exactly what I was exploring in All Hope of Becoming Human.

But I have to conclude by sharing this amazing and humorous synchronicity that happened after finishing the answer to this question. Currently I am in the middle of rereading A Separate Reality by Carlos Castaneda (I read the entire Castaneda series over two decades ago) and came across this question from don Juan (who is a “brujo”—sorcerer, medicine man, and mentor to Carlos) who poses it to Carlos, who is constantly trying to “figure” things out in rational terms, attempting to intellectually vanquish the existential conundrumshe struggles with. Don Juan comes over to Carlos, who has been writing notes for hours, and asks if Carlos has been able to “write himself out of his problem.” I laughed when I read it, then at my own folly. Maybe that’s where novels come from; writers attempting to “write themselves out of their problems!”

Will there be a follow-up novel to this story? If so, what aspects of the story will the next book cover?

Not sure yet. I never intended upon a follow-up. If there is, it will be called, Last Hope of Becoming Human (I already have notes) and will explore possibilities of moving forward from the debacle the world finds itself in. But I have so many other projects I’m working on, it could be a long way down the road. Currently I’m working on a piece set in multiple worlds (which started as synopsis/notes to myself, but has grown into a 62,000-word manuscript so far). I also have another novel that is complete and in revisions, which I hope to release later this year, or early next year called, Project Übemensch, which I am very excited about.

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