Return to Earth is groundbreaking science fiction thriller, written by Dennis Calloway. Amid rave reviews, this book has been gaining a lot of attention on the indie book scene. Be sure to read his interview below and purchase a copy of his book!
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing for roughly 12 years, but not consistently. Since I have a “day job”, I can only write when I have the time, which is mostly on the weekends. Even though I’m not able to write consistently, I find that I regularly “catalog” many potential stories that come to me during long airplane trips or long drives.
What is your most recent literary/artistic project?
Return To Earth is my first novel and it was published just a few short months ago on February 4th. Now that RTE is out there, my focus has been on executing my marketing plan to bolster its success. Originally, my plan was to continue supporting RTE and strengthen the outline of my next book (a potential zombie apocalypse story), but because of the overwhelming positive feedback I’ve received from my readers regarding a sequel, I’ve shelved the zombie story in favor of a sequel to Return To Earth.
What inspires you to write?
I like to think that I have an active imagination. I see potential stories everywhere I go — science fiction, horror, high drama, alien invasions, time-travel, man-eating plants and so on. Most of these types of stories have either already been written or turned into movies; but occasionally, I can see a unique twist in one or two of them. If I envision a storyline that gets me excited and has all the ingredients of a great story, then I feel compelled to write it and driven to share it. It is these types of stories that inspire me to write.
Who’s your favorite author and why?
I remember the first time I read a Stephen King novel many years ago and I was utterly amazed at how well he crafted his world and his characters. The impressions I got, as I read more and more of his works, were of walking into a huge, dark building, old with age. The building is surrounded by a tall, rusty gate that locks behind you. If you decide to walk into the building, you don’t get released until Mr. King allows it at the end of his stories! The people you meet in this building, his characters, are so well-developed, that you either love them or hate them (or you hate the fact that you love them!). And many of his stories are connected or revolve around the same world, or town in his case (Derry, Maine). I thoroughly enjoy Mr. King’s writing style and character development and have tried to create a style that has the same level of intensity that he creates.
What advice can you give to other authors or writers?
Although writing is not my “day job”, I thoroughly enjoy it! It allows me to create a world that exists within the boundaries that I design. I enjoy getting to know my characters and what makes them tick. I even have a measure of guilt when I have to cause something negative to happen to one of my characters, good or bad. But making that journey with them, whether it’s the hero’s rise from darkness and despair or the villain’s fall from power, is very cathartic and produces a unique bond between the writer and the characters. I say all this because I’m trying to point out that you must write about something that you enjoy. If you don’t like the storyline, then it will be extremely difficult to maintain your focus and create a realistic world with real and relatable characters.
Where can readers go to find out more information about your work?
My website is www.dennis-calloway.com and from here, readers can check out my Return To Earth Facebook page, blog or connect with me via Twitter.