I met Jonathan Bergeron on Twitter. As a Marine Corp veteran, he is the unusual kind of author who can write  battle scenes drawing on actual experience. That alone warrants him an author feature! He has published a science fiction novel, Android Hunters – on a 99c sale until next Friday – and is working on a score of other books.

Hi Jonathan and welcome! What inspired you to write this book?

That’s a tricky question,From the blog of Nicholas C. Rossis, author of science fiction, the Pearseus epic fantasy series and children's books to be honest. I can’t really point to one thing in particular as an inspiration. The inspiration, I think, is really a culmination of all the science fiction books I’ve read, movies and TV shows I’ve watched and video games I’ve played. I really pulled on a lot of different sources for Android Hunters.

What was the first thing you ever wrote?

My ABCs in kindergarten! It all just snowballed from there. Ha ha, if only. The first creative fiction book I wrote was the first draft of Android Hunters, believe it or not. I was finishing up reading my upteenth sci-fi book when I got a thought. “If these people can write books for a living, why can’t I?” So I gave it a shot. So far, one published and many more to come.

Excellent, I love the way you think! What other writing have you done?

I have dabbled in two other genres aside from science fiction. A fantasy story was the second completed novel I wrote. It was supposed to be the memoirs of an “everyday Joe” who got chosen to be the Pale Rider, Death. I still like the idea. The other genre I wrote a little in is the Patterson type thriller; five books if you can call that a little. I’ve never attempted to publish those as those five books were practice to hone my writing. You have to learn plot pacing, sentence structure, character development, somewhere.

Indeed you do. There’s a lot of unfinished manuscripts in every author’s drawers. Any hobbies or interests that you enjoy in your spare time?

You know, I love hanging out with my five year old daughter and my wife; and that time is generally spent doing what the five year old wants to do. If you were a fly on the wall in my house, you’d likely think my hobbies were playing with dolls and watching Curious George.

Once the dolls go to bed and I finally get time alone, I always end up writing. I enjoy it that much.

Lol – that’s actually so sweet! What are you working on at the moment? Tell us a little about your current project(s).

I have one that I just completed and sent to my agent. It’s sci-fi, about a group of Soldiers of Fortune that get tasked with finding an object but not given any information on what it is. During their time in searching for it they learn it holds the complete knowledge of five dead alien races and two that achieved the next step in evolution. When the team finds it, it’s taken from them, and the three living members of the soldier of fortune team go to get it back. Not primarily because it has all that knowledge on it, rather because it was stolen from them and their contract will not get paid if they don’t find it.

I had fun with the lead character. He is obsessed with reputation and being the most famous person ever. You learn it has a lot to do with his back story, and how his parents were killed by terrorists.

The current one I’m actively working on is written in the first person, something I’m not used to, but I want to challenge myself. It’s sci-fi story. A journalist volunteers to cover the war efforts of his government’s army. Out on the front lines he finds the supposed free flow of knowledge he is accustomed to is not as free as he thought. It explores the pitfalls of a society so dependent on its military.

I have another on the sideburner that is a mind-bending sci-fi about parallel universes and the fears in ourselves, that we don’t allow ourselves to acknowledge.

You certainly have a lot of ideas – and you sure do love your sci-fi. Which are your favorite authors and what do you love about them?

Favorite authors…Neil Gaiman is not sci-fi by a mile, but his work is so extraordinary I believe he is in a literary class of his own. He is by far my most favorite author. I have a difficult time putting into words why I love his writings so much. I guess, as cliche as it sounds, his writings speak to my soul.

An excellent choice, indeed! I love his work, too. What genres do you read mostly and what are you reading now?

I generally stick to sci-fi, but give me a novel that immerses me in the story and makes me keep turning the pages so I know what happens to the characters and I’ll be hooked regardless of the genre.

To stick to the sci-fi theme I generally read, I’m reading The Last Colony by John Scalzi and Pearseaus: Schism. They’ve been on my TBR pile for a long time, and I’m finally getting around to them.

Wow! I’m thrilled – thank you so much for that! I hope you enjoy Schism. Are you an Indie author? If so, do you have any advice for other indie authors?

I suppose I’m not quite an Indie author in that I don’t self-publish, but Android Hunters is not published through the Big 5, so I still have to do all the marketing myself.

My advice to authors would be to write that book you know you love. It’s hard, it really is. At times you’ll have that self-doubt that what you write is garbage and no one could possibly want to read it. Everyone has it. Even the biggest names in the business can attest to that feeling. Rowling didn’t set out writing Harry Potter thinking the series will make her a billionaire, have its own theme park and change the course of modern literature. She just wrote it, because she loved what she thought up. Low and behold, people read what she wrote.

Also, stay humble, write a book because you want to write it, and then write some more.

And signal boost other authors. You’re not competing against other authors. Writing is not like running a race. There’s not a gold medal pedestal that only one person can stand on. Writing is giant, there’s room for everyone, so do other authors a favor and signal boost them.

If you want to go the agent route figure out how to make your skin as thick as iron. You’ll be rejected A LOT and given form responses because of how insanely busy agents are. They get hundreds of queries a day, so unfortunately you won’t be told what worked and what didn’t in your query letter.

Excellent advice! Are there any sites or writing tools that you find useful and wish to recommend?

I recommend Evernote a thousand times over. Learning of that app has been a godsend. I know without a doubt I would not be able to write a book without it. I’m able to create a thousand different notes, and have them all searchable. I use it like old school authors use a small notebook. If I think of an idea, down it goes in Evernote. Indispensable tool.

Tell us about your website/blog. What will readers find there?

My website is www.scifijon.wordpress.com. You’ll find reviews on books that are quite different than normal reviews. I don’t review the style of writing and what works and what doesn’t. When I’m done reading a book I like, I post a review that shows my feelings on the work. I don’t post reviews on books I didn’t like. Simply because I didn’t like the book doesn’t mean others won’t like it and authors have a hard enough time with the trolls of the internet. I’d rather be positive with other authors, and signal boost the ones I like.

As I don’t read a book a week, if there are books on there I haven’t posted about it doesn’t mean I didn’t like them. Likely it is because they are still in my TBR pile.

I also post about random things that strike my fancy, but stray away from politics. I know that can be a big draw but it’s too much of a firestarter.

Indeed. As a long-time follower of your blog, I’ll just say that I really like it. What are the things in your life that you’re most grateful for?

My daughter. Without a doubt my daughter is the one thing I am the most grateful for. She makes me happy every single time I see her. And when she’s happy I get happy. I’m also grateful for my wife, what an awesome person. So supportive in my writing. She’s wonderful.

And my agent for giving me a chance.

I love a family man. How would you like to be remembered?

I want to be remembered as a fantastic father and husband, first, and then a great novelist.

Another great answer. Thank you so much for being here, Jonathan, and I wish your book every success!

What is Android Hunters?

Androids. Android Hunters. Crime Syndicates. Cybernetic viruses. And an android who doesn’t know what she is….

Eighty-one years ago, androids broke free of the bonds humans had over them, massacred a planet, and became the most hated beings in all of creation. For the eighty years following, the elite four person teams of Android Intelligence and Removal Specialists (AIRS) have hunted down the androids, showing no mercy.

On Elysian, eighty years after the first android hunters team was sent on the first hunt, AIRS Team 4 is involved in another hunt for one of the androids. Nearing the end of the hunt, with the android trapped, the hunters find out what it is like to be trapped.

In a closed-down mine two hundred kilometers away, a unique android is captured by a group led by a disgraced android hunter, and imprisoned with no knowledge of why they want her.

With time running short and patience wearing thin, the android hunters and the most powerful weapon ever devised, learn what it is to fear.

Fear of what they have become.

Fear of what they will become.

Who is Jonathan Bergeron?

From the blog of Nicholas C. Rossis, author of science fiction, the Pearseus epic fantasy series and children's booksI’m a Marine Corps veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. I live in Florida with the most wonderful daughter and wife a man could wish for, two black lab puppies that makes me wish magical dog training wands existed, and two of the laziest cats in history.

I spend my time with my wife and daughter, writing, looking at Twitter and Tumblr, writing (yes, that was stated twice, I love it that much), and playing with my dogs.

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Android Hunters will be only 99c starting today and for a week, so why not grab your copy? I know I just did! 🙂

  • Buy Android Hunters on Amazon