Interview: Herman Steuernagel, Author of Eclipse

Today I’m pleased to bring you an interview with Herman Steurenagel, author of Eclipse. This interview is part of my stop on the blog tour organized by Escapist Book Co. Thank you for allowing me to participate, and thank you to Herman Steurenagel for answering my questions.

Do you read reviews of your books? If so, how do you handle bad or good reviews?

Even though they say you’re not supposed to, I do read my reviews. Good reviews are always exciting to receive, and it’s great to know that someone else is enjoying my work. Negative reviews are only one person’s opinion of the story, and I appreciate that my books are not going to be to everyone’s taste.

What is the best way you’ve found to market your books?

A little bit of everything adds up. Honestly the best thing has been reaching out to book reviewers and influencers to get the word out. My audience only reaches so far, but if I’m able to utilize a wider reach from people who I know like similar books to mine, that has gone a long way.

Have you gone on any literary pilgrimages? If so, where have you gone?

For my own series, The Terre Hoffman Chronicles. Books 2 & 3 of that series, Artificial Insurgence and Artificial Insurrection take place, in part, at the Hoover Dam and in the Nevada desert. I had done a lot of research online while writing the series, but two years ago while I was writing the books I had the chance to rent a car from Las Vegas and head out to see it for myself. It was kind of cool to see the setting in my own work come to life.

What is your favorite thing to listen to while you write?

While I’m writing I like to put on familiar music that will pump me up without distracting me. This usually comes in the form of 90s alternative rock. During the editing phase, though, I need something without any words. There’s a Spotify playlist called Lo-Fi Beats that gets heavy rotation during this time.

Do you think it helps authors to have a big ego or hurts them?

I don’t think having a big ego is a benefit to anyone. You’re only as good as your last book, and an author owes any success they have to their readership. There are a lot of amazingly talented authors who nobody has ever heard of.

Do you ever have reader’s block or reading slumps? How do you get yourself out of
them?

I am typically a slow reader to begin with, so if I am not resonating with a book I don’t hesitate to DNF. Sometimes that means I’ll come back to it when I’m more in the mood for it. I don’t know if I have reading slumps as much as I will go through periods where it’s hard for me to make time to read, especially when writing deadlines are looming. Currently I’m in different stages of editing for two books, in addition to marketing them, a full-time job and I’ve just started a podcast. So taking the time to read, even books I want to, is a challenge. This year I’ve discovered audiobooks, which does help, as I can listen during times where I would otherwise struggle to read, like on my way to work.

Do you read the genre of books you write? Do you read your own books after they’re
finished?

I almost exclusively read science fiction and fantasy books, but the breadth of books that I read within those two genres is quite wide. As long as it has an element of the fantastical I’m willing to consider it. By the time my book comes out I’ve already read them fifty billion times (give or take), so I don’t tend to want to go through them again. However, as I get deeper into my series, I am going to need to revisit each of my books to ensure elements of the world and plot remain consistent.

When lies crumble, two lives and an entire civilization teeter on the brink of destruction...

Django had everything he ever wanted... now he’s lost it all.

When Django uncovered an unexpected truth, he didn’t know it would end the lives of nearly everyone he cares about. Left only with his sister, his best friend and an uncle who has some unhinged ideas about what might exist outside of the space station Eclipse, he must follow the truth where it leads – even if it leaves him with nothing.

Mikka can’t escape her dubious past… and now must answer for past sins.

Mikka thought she had left her life as a notorious space pirate behind to care for her ailing mother, but the past comes knocking after her ship, the Redemption, answers a cryptic distress call.

Forced to face a deal she made with the devil years ago, Mikka has no choice but to step back into her old life and make another hesitant pact... with an eccentric pirate.

Django and Mikka’s paths collide as they embark on a journey that will shape the fate of a civilization built on half-truths and the backs of others. Rumors of civil war circulate through the Syndicate’s orbital empire, catching both Django and Mikka in the crossfire -- where the stakes are far higher than they realize.

Neither is prepared. Neither is willing. But they will no longer be able to ignore the truth.

Perfect for fans of Red Rising, Star Trek and Firefly, ECLIPSE is filled with unwilling heroes, a hidden world, likeable characters, space pirates, a path of discovery and a road to redemption.

Content Warning: Death, violence, alcohol usage, sexual assault

About Herman Steuernagel

Herman Steuernagel is a science fiction and fantasy author. His internationally best-selling debut Lies the Guardians Tell reached the top of the science fiction charts on multiple retailers in the U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Herman grew up with a love of story and science fiction, watching Star Trek, The Next Generation with his father. As a teenager he fell in love with The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks, and The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan.

His currently published works are dystopian science fiction that highlight the struggle between humanity and the technology we keep, as well as the motivations that keep us fighting with each other.

Herman currently lives in British Columbia, Canada, While he’s not working on his next book he can be found cycling, running and dreaming up new worlds.

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