Into the BeanStalk is the story of a woman determined to save her family from debt who finds herself working alongside an infamous hacker as they set out to uncover secrets of the city’s upper class. Where did the idea for this novel come from?

I have to call it “spontaneous synergy.” I was actually working on a heroic fantasy novel when the idea for Into the BeanStalk struck out of nowhere. And the seed was entirely a play on words — the idea of some hacker “jacking into” something called The BeanStalk.

From there, hundreds of latent ideas in my head started to attach themselves to the story. Even though I wasn’t planning to write science fiction, I enjoy studying emerging science. After spending hundreds of hours reading about everything from cybernetics to biohacking to theoretical physics, I’d banked away tons of narrative growth medium without even realizing it.

My own ideas about the future of government and the trajectory of society were, of course, already locked and loaded in the forefront of my mind. Interjecting these ideas was not only simple but cathartic.

What I’ve learned is that science fiction and futurism are a great way to play out scenarios and theories that have taken root in my head over decades. Along with the third Jack book, I’m also working on a novel that takes place in the Hope Megacity that is entirely focused on my research and beliefs regarding the Simulation Hypothesis, for example. This is a deep — and deeply misunderstood — subject that I’ve tried to write about unsuccessfully many times. But by wrapping it in an engaging fiction, I’ve learned how to express these unusual ideas in a compelling and accessible way.

What were some challenges you felt were important to defining your characters in this story?

I didn’t want to write “typical” cyberpunk. I won’t claim to be a genre expert by any means, but I’ve found that many modern cyberpunk stories are centered around fairly abrasive characters. They’re often aggressive, reactive, obscene, and generally no fun for me to read about.

While it’s true that cyberpunk is often summarized as “high tech, low life,” I think some writers take that too literally. I’m someone who has spent considerable time in the “low life” reaches of reality, and I’ve never had a hard time finding decent, intelligent people who have been marginalized.

In fact, I find that distinction to be key to highlighting the class struggle and societal issues that cyberpunk seeks to critique. Of course, drug-dealing gangers are marginalized — but what about the latent genius who was bored by the corporate advancement trajectory? Or the musician? Or the people who simply want to live by their own rules not because they’re degenerates, but because they’re unique and inspired?

If cyberpunk is to serve as a warning for where we’re headed, it’s important to show that corruption and control are omnivores. They don’t just feed on criminals and outcasts — they devour everyone.

The writing in your story is very artful and creative. Was it a conscious effort to create a story in this fashion, or is this style of writing reflective of your writing style in general?

First of all, thank you. I think at this point my writing style has solidified into something that just happens naturally. That said, I do have a little dial in my head that I’m able to turn up or down at will. I suppose you could call it a “purple prose” dial.

Depending on the story, I may write more or less descriptively. Shorter stories, thrillers, and action scenes have less room for metaphor and flowery prose, and I try to adjust accordingly.

The trick is that brevity can’t be an excuse for poor writing. When I get compliments about detail and description on something where I’ve tried to keep the prose spare, I know I’m doing something right.

What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?

I’m working on several, actually. The most likely to hit the shelves first is The Game State, which is the aforementioned novel set in Jack’s universe. This one is really important to me because I have some very strong opinions on the Simulation Hypothesis that have been brewing for years. I know that it’s the right time for these ideas to be released into the wild. That said, I’m doing a lot more rewriting and polishing on it than I did with Jack’s first two books, simply because it’s such a passion project. I’m hoping to have it published within the next three months.

I’m also working on Jack’s third book, the final in this trilogy arc. It’s about twenty-five percent written and ninety percent outlined. I will give one spoiler — this trilogy will not be the end of some of these characters’ journeys.

Lastly, I have a couple of side projects that came about when I started exploring LitRPG. One is a novel set inside a fantasy MMO game, and the other is an action episodic series set inside an online looter/shooter. Not gonna lie — I found it really fun writing about people trapped inside video games!

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