StanleyWheeler

 Interview with E.G. Stone

Author of

The Wing Cycle Trilogy

The Speaker of Words

and the upcoming

On Behalf of Death Series

Please tell me a little about your current work in progress.

            My current work in progress is the fourth book in my upcoming On Behalf of Death series. This series is somewhere between an urban fantasy, comedy and, well, causing trouble. Essentially, my main character, Cal Thorpe, is hired by Death to be his marketing and public relations specialist. Each book involves a separate episode of Cal’s adventures while working for Death.

            The first book, The Innocence of Death, involves solving a murder that Death didn’t commit. The second, Knowledge Aforethought, has Cal dragged back to 1494 by Time to deal with Life and Death’s relationship at the start. The third, A Party of Certainties, involves a favour for the Taxman and a not-quite-reincarnated Al Capone. Book four (which I just started) is what happens when Death goes on holiday and Cal has to take his place.

 

Where did you get the idea for this book or series?

            I haven’t the foggiest. It probably came through a random conversation or a dream or some such. That’s how most of my stories come about.

 

Do you write in more than one genre?

            Indeed I do! I have sci-fi/dystopian/cyberpunk, epic fantasy, urban fantasy, plans for hard sci-fi, mystery, even romance under a different name (Evelyn Grimald rather than E.G.)

 

Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention.

            My love of language! I am a linguist and so I enjoy spending time crafting the language so that it conveys its meaning precisely and deeply. I also spend a lot of time with my characters, making them as realistic—and flawed—as possible.

 

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

            Probably. I definitely put my emotions into characters, since if I’m feeling it, it must be relevant to someone else, too. As far as personal experiences, I don’t usually do that since many of my stories don’t involve the bookworm who doesn’t tend to go out much. Psychologically, I’m sure many of my unique attributes make it into the story.

 

What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?

            Um...these are always the hardest questions. I’m fond of tea? I read just about anything? I have a cat who happens to be Queen of the Universe? There are many tidbits of information that might be helpful to know. The most important is probably my ability to cause trouble. :)

 

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?

            Oh, I have so very, very many. It all depends on what sort of book you’re interested in. If there is a specific genre, a specific style, a sort of main character, I can probably recommend something. (Perhaps look at my book review blog or YouTube channel. Or if you want a specific recommendation, feel free to ask!) I read so many fantastic indie books that it’s really hard to pick one or two. They appeal to different people for different reasons and are very uniquely crafted, so picking one...probably not possible.

 

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?

            Well, all of them? Again, this sort of thing depends on what you want. If you are looking for something more light-hearted, more tongue-in-cheek, then the upcoming On Behalf of Death series is probably for you. If you want something more dramatic and epic in scale, with characters you can really root for, The Wing Cycle trilogy is your best bet. If you want a more intricate exploration of thought and language wrapped up in rebellion, then Speaker of Words is for you.

 

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?

            Probably right in the middle of my MS in Applied Linguistics, I decided that, while I could very easily go work for one of the tech companies doing natural language processing or work with AI, I would much rather be a writer. So here I am! I saved up for three years’ worth of giving it my all in my writing career (my expenses are low, thank goodness) and if it doesn’t work by then, I shall go do something else. But this has really given me the opportunity to push for being a writer full time.

 

What question do you wish you would get asked more often?

            Not this one. :)

            I get asked all sorts of questions, about all sorts of topics. But just for fun, a non-writing question I rarely get asked is what sort of car I would like. The answer is: a 90s Saab with an electric engine conversion. Because while many of the super cars are really pretty to look at, they would die the moment I hit a pothole.

 

Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it?

            I describe myself as: writer, linguist, wanderer. I’m not sure if that’s what you mean, but it’s an accurate description. Though, to be fair, the wanderer bit hasn’t happened as much this year thanks to the world rather falling to bits. Whoops!