The Author/Human Interview – Jeremy Rodden (Toonopolis)

Yes, it’s the Author/Human Interview! Today’s interviewee is Jeremy Rodden, author of Toonopolis: Gemini. (My comments are in bold italics.)

First of all, thank you very much for agreeing to do this interview. I’m so proud to welcome you to my site!

So, obviously you write or you wouldn’t be here. The question is, is writing work or pleasure?
Oh, for me it is pure pleasure. I love writing and would do it all day if I could. Granted, rewriting, editing, marketing, publishing… all of that part is work. Regrettably, only a portion of life as a full-time writer is just writing (the rest is in all that other stuff!).

What’s your ideal full-time job (apart from writing)?
I had my favorite job of my life right before my family and I moved from Philadelphia. I worked as a career preparation instructor for Job Corps, a government-funded career training program for underprivileged kids aged 16-24. I worked every day with kids who came from tough backgrounds that were trying to improve themselves and be something better than they would be otherwise. It was the most fulfilling job I’ve ever had.

MS: Sounds fantastic!!

What are you doing when you’re not writing?
As a stay-at-home dad to a 6 year old and a 16 month old, I don’t find a lot of free time for extracurricular activities. I read as much as I can and I am an avid gamer (although, time has prevented me from really doing this much). Outside of the house, I enjoy playing basketball and play slow-pitch old-man softball.

Indie or Traditional, and why?
Indie for life! I feel that the landscape of the industry is changing. When I completed my first manuscript, I spent six months doing the query-grind that is synonymous with becoming a published author. During this time, I researched self-publishing. I was not fully convinced it was the best platform for me until I came across JA Konrath’s blog, A Newbie’s Guide to Self-Publishing.
His blog convinced me that it was worth the extra effort to learn formatting, publishing details, and put my work out on my own. I formed my own publishing company (Portmanteau Press LLC) and haven’t looked back. At this point, a traditional publisher will have to convince me what they can do for me that I can’t do for myself in today’s world.

What/who do you read for pleasure?
I am a fantasy reader, first and foremost. I enjoy young adult fantasy and epic fantasy the most. My favorite authors right now are Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson), Eoin Colfer (Artemis Fowl), George RR Martin (Song of Ice and Fire), and Robin Hobb (Assassin’s trilogy of trilogies).

MS: The Artemis Fowl and Percy Jackson series were fantastic, and I fell in love with Paragon!

Did your book end up the way you intended?
It really did, surprisingly. Very little of the main plot and character development changed from the first draft. This was a very happy thing, as it meant that I was able to write what I wanted the first time and the subsequent drafts were able to refine my existing story and not force me to rewrite large sections.

Describe your book in three sentences.
Gemini finds himself thrown into a cartoon universe, becomes a reluctant hero, and fights to save Toonopolis’s destruction from a deadly shadowy figure. Inspired by fantasy books, movies, comics, cartoons, and video games, Toonopolis: Gemini exudes an air of nostalgia, yet still manages to stand apart as wholly original.

Now for the important stuff. We want to know who you really are. These questions are designed to reveal the TRUTH OF YOUR INNER SOUL:

Are you right or left handed?
Right handed.

Do you prefer chocolate or parma ham?
Chocolate! That’s a silly question…

Wine or whisky?
Neither. I like fruity mixed drinks that usually end up pink. My wife mocks me for this.

Dogs or cats?
I much prefer cats. I want a pet that looks down on me and decides when I have the right to touch them, not one that will jump on me every two seconds.

What three things should our world have that would make it a better place?
Ooh, that’s tricky. I’m a fan of both. For caffeine intake purposes, though, I go with either a Monster energy drink or a 5-Hour Energy (which I envision as Gummi Berry Juice). I was once up to 3 Monsters a day but have learned to curb the habit a bit.

Favourite flavour of ice cream? (or frozen yoghurt, if you just HAVE to be different)
Mint Chocolate Chip

MS: Another normal person in a world full of madmen.

If you ruled the world, what are the first three laws you would pass?
Wow. This is a tough one! I guess I’d go with
1.) Mean people are not allowed to live near nice people anymore… they’re all to be isolated into one country where they can just be jerks to each other.
2.) Cartoons are no longer to be considered simply entertainment for children and adults can watch them without being considered childish.
3.) Bacon is now officially acceptable as an any-time food.

If and when Armageddon strikes, what three items will you take into the fallout shelter?
I’d have to go with
1.) My family.
2.) A portable DVD player with my DVDs (there’s a generator in the shelter, right?!)
3.) As many books as I can fit.

You’re dying and a vampire offers you eternal life – as a vampire. Do you take the offer?
Hmm, immortality is an interesting question (and actually, one of the themes of the next book in the Toonopolis Files series, Toonopolis: Chi Lin). I’d have to say yes, I’d take it. Then I’d turn my wife and kids! WOO!

When you die (assuming you didn’t take up the vampire’s offer) what will you regret not having done?
I don’t believe in living with regret. I’ve made mistakes and I’m sure I’ll make more, but the only regret would be the inability to learn from those mistakes. So far, I don’t foresee having that problem!

Name three things Heaven has to have (otherwise you’re getting reincarnated ASAP):
As I am a deist and don’t believe in an afterlife, I will pass on this question.

What three things should our world have that would make it a better place?
1.) Mythical creatures.
2.) Cures for all diseases.
3.) Cartoons, living amongst us, Roger Rabbit-style.

Last, but not least:

Dragons or unicorns?
That’s tough… especially since the main character of my next full-length Toonopolis book is a unicorn. I’m going to have to go with dragons, though, as unicorns are associated too much with rainbows and girls. That may change with Chi Lin, however. I’m taking unicorns back!

MS: Thank you very much!

Author bio:

I spent the first ten years of my professional life in retail sales, working my way up to store management positions in two different Fortune 500 retailers. Along the way, I managed to earn a BA in Religion and English Writing from La Salle University in Philadelphia, PA and an MA in Secondary Education from Holy Family University, also in Philadelphia.

After completing my Masters, I began teaching high school English. When my second son was born in May, 2010, however, my wife and I decided that it would be more prudent for me to be a stay-at-home dad, taking care of the new baby along with my first son, who was born in June, 2005. I have since had the challenge and pleasure of being a homemaker.

It was at this time that I finally grasped the stories that had been in my head since I was a teenager and wrangled them to paper. Toonopolis began as a silly interactive fiction game played with some real life and virtual friends. The game only lasted a few years but the world I had created and my characters never escaped my thoughts.

As a writer, I consider C.S. Lewis and Lewis Carroll to be my strongest influences. They were able to create magical worlds that readers of all ages enjoy, which is exactly what I want to achieve with Toonopolis. It is a lofty goal, indeed, but the only goals that will invariably be unachievable are the ones that are not set.

Welcome to my world. I hope you have as much fun as I do.

Where to buy and how much:

Amazon
Hardcover: $24.99/£12.99
Paperback: $14.99/£7.94
Kindle e-book: $2.99 (?)/£2.17

Barnes & Noble
Hardcover: $18.99
Paperback: $14.47
Nook e-book: $2.99

Smashwords
E-book (multiple formats available): $2.99

You can also pick up a copy of a free Toonopolis short story Anchihiiroo at Smashwords.