Good Morning, Booklovers!
It’s time for a weekly chat with an author new to us or to check in with an old favorite. R.S. Penney, a writer of scifi and fantasy, is new to me, and I’m eager to meet him and hear about his books.
Welcome to the Coffee Chat, Rich. What can I get you to drink?
RP: I don’t drink coffee. Sadly, caffeine causes my eyes – which are already pretty messed up – to have even more trouble focusing. Coffee means no writing.
Ally: I love coffee, but I’d give it up in a heartbeat if it interfered with my reading or writing. How about some bottled water? While I get our drinks, please introduce yourself to readers.
It’s time for a weekly chat with an author new to us or to check in with an old favorite. R.S. Penney, a writer of scifi and fantasy, is new to me, and I’m eager to meet him and hear about his books.
Welcome to the Coffee Chat, Rich. What can I get you to drink?
RP: I don’t drink coffee. Sadly, caffeine causes my eyes – which are already pretty messed up – to have even more trouble focusing. Coffee means no writing.
Ally: I love coffee, but I’d give it up in a heartbeat if it interfered with my reading or writing. How about some bottled water? While I get our drinks, please introduce yourself to readers.
Author Bio:
Rich Penney grew up in Southern Ontario, in the city of Stoney Creek. Though he didn't know it at the time, he was a writer at the tender age of seven, acting out elaborate stories with his action figures. He discovered a love of science-fiction and fantasy with J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, and Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time. Within six months of reading those series, he knew what he wanted to do with his life.
An alumnus of Saltfleet District High School and McMaster University, Rich was known as a bit of an odd duck throughout his teenage years. With a goofball sense of humor and an intense hatred for social hierarchies, he was the sort of young man who made waves everywhere he went, pissing off bullies and making friends with all sorts of geeks.
Rich began building the world for the Justice Keepers Saga at the age of 16. His initial plan was to pen a fantasy epic, but he scrapped that when he realized that he had no interest in writing long journeys by horseback. At age 18, he reworked the Keepers Saga into something like what you see today, designing each of the worlds in his series and fleshing out the characters of Jack, Anna and Harry.
Throughout his twenties, Rich bounced from job to job to job, dabbling in a little bit of everything while he honed his skills as a writer. Rich has been a bank teller, a classroom teacher, a sales clerk, and a software tester, just to name a few. He never really felt at home in any of these positions, but it was a case of failing eyesight that coaxed him into pursuing his dream of writing a series of science fiction novels.
In 2013, Rich was diagnosed with keratoconus, a condition in which his corneas slowly warp and his vision slowly degrades. Much of this damage has been corrected through surgery, but he still lives with periodic bursts of dizziness and headaches. The loss of much of his vision caused Rich to briefly sink into a depression, a depression he overcame, in part, thanks to time spent writing Symbiosis.
Rich is an activist and a futurist, an advocate of global sustainability and a proponent of social justice. He has given talks in Toronto, Athens and Brisbane, covering a wide variety of topics from environmental sustainability to social equality.
Something unusual that isn't in your regular bio: “I have a crush on a fictional pixie. I’ll let you guess which one. (Her name starts with S)”
Contact the author:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12050976.R_S_Penney
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/keeperssaga
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rich.penney82
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/R-S-Penney/e/B01759VDW2
Rich Penney grew up in Southern Ontario, in the city of Stoney Creek. Though he didn't know it at the time, he was a writer at the tender age of seven, acting out elaborate stories with his action figures. He discovered a love of science-fiction and fantasy with J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, and Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time. Within six months of reading those series, he knew what he wanted to do with his life.
An alumnus of Saltfleet District High School and McMaster University, Rich was known as a bit of an odd duck throughout his teenage years. With a goofball sense of humor and an intense hatred for social hierarchies, he was the sort of young man who made waves everywhere he went, pissing off bullies and making friends with all sorts of geeks.
Rich began building the world for the Justice Keepers Saga at the age of 16. His initial plan was to pen a fantasy epic, but he scrapped that when he realized that he had no interest in writing long journeys by horseback. At age 18, he reworked the Keepers Saga into something like what you see today, designing each of the worlds in his series and fleshing out the characters of Jack, Anna and Harry.
Throughout his twenties, Rich bounced from job to job to job, dabbling in a little bit of everything while he honed his skills as a writer. Rich has been a bank teller, a classroom teacher, a sales clerk, and a software tester, just to name a few. He never really felt at home in any of these positions, but it was a case of failing eyesight that coaxed him into pursuing his dream of writing a series of science fiction novels.
In 2013, Rich was diagnosed with keratoconus, a condition in which his corneas slowly warp and his vision slowly degrades. Much of this damage has been corrected through surgery, but he still lives with periodic bursts of dizziness and headaches. The loss of much of his vision caused Rich to briefly sink into a depression, a depression he overcame, in part, thanks to time spent writing Symbiosis.
Rich is an activist and a futurist, an advocate of global sustainability and a proponent of social justice. He has given talks in Toronto, Athens and Brisbane, covering a wide variety of topics from environmental sustainability to social equality.
Something unusual that isn't in your regular bio: “I have a crush on a fictional pixie. I’ll let you guess which one. (Her name starts with S)”
Contact the author:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12050976.R_S_Penney
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/keeperssaga
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rich.penney82
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/R-S-Penney/e/B01759VDW2
INTERVIEW:
Ally: What or who inspired you to write your featured book?
RP: Bullets and Bones is actually the second book in the series. The first is Desa Kincaid: Bounty Hunter. There were a lot of different inspirations. Basically, I wanted to do a redemption story with cowboys and wizards.
Ally: Are you self-published or traditionally published? How did you make the decision?
RP: I’m published through Next Chapter. They’re wonderful partners, and I highly recommend them.
As for traditional publishing, that was never an option. An autistic man with impaired executive function – not to mention failing eyesight and chronic pain – could never jump through all the hoops a literary agent would require. And you know, maybe that’s something we want to reevaluate in the future. Maybe a small handful of companies shouldn’t get to decide which stories get told.
Ally: Do you write with an audience in mind or to a publisher’s required theme?
RP: A story is a tapestry. I construct the tapestry thread by thread. I write for whoever finds joy in its complexity.
Ally: Are you a plotter, a pantser or a little of both?
RP: I have an ending in mind for each book. With very few exceptions, the story will always arrive at that ending, but the characters have a lot of freedom in how we get there. They often surprise me. When they do, I run with it. Never try to force your characters to be someone they’re not just to force the story into pre-planned shape. Let it grow and breathe. Adapt to it as needed.
Ally: What's the best writing/marketing advice you can pass on to other writers?
RP: Make a list of everything your high school English teacher told you about how to write properly. Then burn it.
Ally: What author was the biggest influence on your writing?
RP: Probably Brandon Sanderson. He and I seem to think alike. I gave him a signed copy of Symbiosis, the first book in my Justice Keepers series. He said it was sweet. The gesture, not the book. I don’t know if he read it.
Ally: What’s the most meaningful thing a fan has said about your book?
RP: I’m amazed when strangers tell me “your story touched me.” Not just that they liked it, but that they read it.
Ally: What other books in your genre would you recommend to fans?
RP: The Crystal Series by Doug Cooper
The Nite Fire Series by C. L. Schneider.
The Awakening Series by K. L. Hagaman.
Monstrosity and Mask of the Nobleman by Laura Diaz.
Elemental by Whitney Hill.
Ally: What is your favorite marketing tool? Why?
RP: Henry Roi handles my PR. His team is magnificent.
Ally: Do you read reviews of your books? Do you respond to them?
RP: I do not. I have a team of editors to provide me with feedback. One thing that makes living with autism difficult is an inability to distinguish between good faith and bad faith criticism. Some authors are blind to the weaknesses in their writing. I’m the other way around. I see problems where no problems exist. And I often direct way too much energy into fixing something that doesn’t need fixing. Like George Lucas. The way he would keep tweaking his films after the fact. Often in ways that didn’t actually improve the final product. So, the last thing I need is some hater triggering my anxiety.
Ally: How many drafts (revision passes) do you do on a typical book?
RP: 1.827. You’re probably wondering how I could reach a number like that. I don’t revise entire manuscripts; I revise things scene by scene. Sometimes paragraph by paragraph. Sometimes, the scene that makes it into the final draft is the first version I wrote. Sometimes, it’s the third or fourth version. So, if you take the average number of revisions for each scene, you’ll probably end up with a number that has a few decimal points.
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
RP: I am returning to my Justice Keepers Saga. The first love that stole my heart all those years ago. I may have strayed, but I always come back to her.
Ally: Which of the trivia questions did you answer?
RP:
Ally: What or who inspired you to write your featured book?
RP: Bullets and Bones is actually the second book in the series. The first is Desa Kincaid: Bounty Hunter. There were a lot of different inspirations. Basically, I wanted to do a redemption story with cowboys and wizards.
Ally: Are you self-published or traditionally published? How did you make the decision?
RP: I’m published through Next Chapter. They’re wonderful partners, and I highly recommend them.
As for traditional publishing, that was never an option. An autistic man with impaired executive function – not to mention failing eyesight and chronic pain – could never jump through all the hoops a literary agent would require. And you know, maybe that’s something we want to reevaluate in the future. Maybe a small handful of companies shouldn’t get to decide which stories get told.
Ally: Do you write with an audience in mind or to a publisher’s required theme?
RP: A story is a tapestry. I construct the tapestry thread by thread. I write for whoever finds joy in its complexity.
Ally: Are you a plotter, a pantser or a little of both?
RP: I have an ending in mind for each book. With very few exceptions, the story will always arrive at that ending, but the characters have a lot of freedom in how we get there. They often surprise me. When they do, I run with it. Never try to force your characters to be someone they’re not just to force the story into pre-planned shape. Let it grow and breathe. Adapt to it as needed.
Ally: What's the best writing/marketing advice you can pass on to other writers?
RP: Make a list of everything your high school English teacher told you about how to write properly. Then burn it.
Ally: What author was the biggest influence on your writing?
RP: Probably Brandon Sanderson. He and I seem to think alike. I gave him a signed copy of Symbiosis, the first book in my Justice Keepers series. He said it was sweet. The gesture, not the book. I don’t know if he read it.
Ally: What’s the most meaningful thing a fan has said about your book?
RP: I’m amazed when strangers tell me “your story touched me.” Not just that they liked it, but that they read it.
Ally: What other books in your genre would you recommend to fans?
RP: The Crystal Series by Doug Cooper
The Nite Fire Series by C. L. Schneider.
The Awakening Series by K. L. Hagaman.
Monstrosity and Mask of the Nobleman by Laura Diaz.
Elemental by Whitney Hill.
Ally: What is your favorite marketing tool? Why?
RP: Henry Roi handles my PR. His team is magnificent.
Ally: Do you read reviews of your books? Do you respond to them?
RP: I do not. I have a team of editors to provide me with feedback. One thing that makes living with autism difficult is an inability to distinguish between good faith and bad faith criticism. Some authors are blind to the weaknesses in their writing. I’m the other way around. I see problems where no problems exist. And I often direct way too much energy into fixing something that doesn’t need fixing. Like George Lucas. The way he would keep tweaking his films after the fact. Often in ways that didn’t actually improve the final product. So, the last thing I need is some hater triggering my anxiety.
Ally: How many drafts (revision passes) do you do on a typical book?
RP: 1.827. You’re probably wondering how I could reach a number like that. I don’t revise entire manuscripts; I revise things scene by scene. Sometimes paragraph by paragraph. Sometimes, the scene that makes it into the final draft is the first version I wrote. Sometimes, it’s the third or fourth version. So, if you take the average number of revisions for each scene, you’ll probably end up with a number that has a few decimal points.
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
RP: I am returning to my Justice Keepers Saga. The first love that stole my heart all those years ago. I may have strayed, but I always come back to her.
Ally: Which of the trivia questions did you answer?
RP:
- memorable book you’ve read: The Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth by R. Buckminster Fuller.
- most watched tv show: Right now, it’s Deep Space Nine. But that’ll change.
- favorite comfort food: Cauliflower bites in spicy Buffalo sauce.
- favorite book character: Bilbo Baggins
- favorite quote: “Beneath this mask is more than flesh. Beneath this mask, there is an idea, Mr. Creedy. And ideas are bulletproof.” Alan Moore (V for Vendetta)
- last time you rode a train (not subway): November 2, 2019. On my way to see Lee Camp perform comedy in Toronto. Actually, I really went to see my friend Eleanor, who was his opening act.
- pie or cake? Pie. Always pie. Raspberry.
- Your pets: I had a sweet orange tabby named Boo. And now the neighbour cat has claimed my house as his second home.
- Your hobbies? Chess. Wanna play?
- If you couldn't write anymore, what would you want to do? The day I stop writing is the day I stop breathing.
- the supernatural character that got you hooked on the genre: Probably Rand al’Thor, if we’re limiting ourselves to book characters. If we can include any character with supernatural abilities, regardless of medium, then Luke Skywalker. I was five when I first saw Star Wars.
Bullets and Bones (Desa Kincaid #2)
Genre: western fantasy. Non-traditional relationships are celebrated. Same-sex and polyamorous relationships.
Rating: PG-13
“Desa Kincaid set out to save her world from the machinations of a madman.
She failed.
Now, she finds herself a prisoner in her own city, navigating a web of political intrigue. Hope beckons in the form of the mysterious Spear of Vengeance, a weapon forged by the gods. To recover it, Desa will take a journey into the very heart of the ancient world and confront an enemy more powerful than any she has faced so far…Her own guilt.”
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086JXXGF1
B & N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bullets-and-bones-rs-penney/1137194019
Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Bullets-and-Bones-A-Sci-Fi-Western-Audiobook/B08BG9P4K7
Google Books: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Bullets_And_Bones/N57XzQEACAAJ?hl=en
Other RS Penney books you might like):
Genre: western fantasy. Non-traditional relationships are celebrated. Same-sex and polyamorous relationships.
Rating: PG-13
“Desa Kincaid set out to save her world from the machinations of a madman.
She failed.
Now, she finds herself a prisoner in her own city, navigating a web of political intrigue. Hope beckons in the form of the mysterious Spear of Vengeance, a weapon forged by the gods. To recover it, Desa will take a journey into the very heart of the ancient world and confront an enemy more powerful than any she has faced so far…Her own guilt.”
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086JXXGF1
B & N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bullets-and-bones-rs-penney/1137194019
Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Bullets-and-Bones-A-Sci-Fi-Western-Audiobook/B08BG9P4K7
Google Books: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Bullets_And_Bones/N57XzQEACAAJ?hl=en
Other RS Penney books you might like):
 |  |
RSS Feed
