Once Upon a Time Machine is a dazzling anthology of short stories that traverse genres, from time travel to alien encounters, with themes ranging from heartbreak to whimsical absurdity. What was the inspiration for this collection of short stories?

I am inspired by everyday life. Is there anything more absurd than that? Some of my ideas come directly from weird news stories, while others are just continuations of something that happened to me during the day. For example, in the story “The Mystical Rock,” Annie trips on a rock and it changes her luck. That story was hatched the day I tripped on a mangled coat hanger and felt lucky not to be injured.

What draws you to the genre of speculative fiction and makes it ripe for you to write such great short stories in it?

When I was seven years old, I watched my first episode of Star Trek and was immediately hooked on science fiction. I was fascinated by the idea of time travel, aliens, and visiting different worlds. I then began watching The Twilight Zone and was mesmerized by the brilliant stories, and excited by all the twists and turns each episode would take. When I began to write, it felt only natural to write about the things I loved.

What story in the collection did you have the most fun writing?

This is a very hard question. It’s almost like asking which one of my children I have the most fun with. Truthfully, I had fun writing all of the stories, even the serious ones. Two of my quirkier stories, “The Pet from Outer Space” and “Necessary Exclusion” were particularly fun because I actually laughed out loud as I was writing them.

Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out and what can your fans expect in that collection?

Not a series, but there will be a new collection of short stories entitled Twice Upon a Time Machine, which I hope to get started on early in the next year.

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