Bonnie Doran Interview by Deborah Malone, Review by Heidi Glick

 

1.               Tell us a little about yourself.  Got a few hours? Here's a short bio: I live in Denver, Colorado. My hubby and I have been married for thirty-one years and are owned by two Siamese cats. John is an electrical engineer who works with lasers for a living. He’s also a Mad Scientist who owns a 2,300-pound electromagnet.
                   My interests besides writing include reading, cooking, and Sudoku puzzles. I volunteer one afternoon a week at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. I attend a local science fiction convention as well as various writers conferences each year. I'm a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, its North Denver Chapter, and the Denver Area Science Fiction Association.  
2. Tell us about your most recent book/or the book we are focusing on.
   Dark Biology, a faith-based science thriller, is my debut novel. It released October 2013 by Harbourlight, and imprint of Pelican Book Group.
3. Why did you choose this particular genre?
   I've enjoyed science fiction since sixth grade when I read Space Cadet by Robert Heinlein. I also read thrillers, so combining the two seemed natural.
4. What was your journey to publication like?
                   Long! I started with school papers. When  working at my first full-time job in 1972 as a secretary, I approached the editor for a neighborhood newspaper and wrote a weekly column for 18 months. It was actually a devotional, but I didn't know that term at the time. I also wrote a couple of magazine articles.
                   In 1974, Far East Broadcasting Company offered me a short-term missionary assignment on Okinawa, Japan. For two years, I worked as a secretary and wrote public service announcements and inspirational pieces for the announcers. Eventually I hosted my own program.
                   When I returned to the States, I moved to the Central Coast and learned bookkeeping. I met my husband, married, and moved to Denver in 1983. A few years later, I heard about and attended Colorado Christian Writers Conference. My connections there over several years resulted in a few magazine articles and a number of devotional assignments.
                   A workshop leader challenged me to write science fiction novels. I wrote a YA sci-fi novel which will probably never see publication. At my fifteenth CCWC conference in 2012, I met my agent and my editor.    
5. What is a couple of your favorite books and what are you reading now?
                   I enjoy The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. I'm also fond of the Bug Man series by Tim Downs. At the moment, I'm reading a secular novel series by Jonathan Kellerman.
6. What are you working on now and can you give us a little peek inside it?
                   My working title is Terror on Targus Three. In this science fiction novel, a Christian agoraphobic linguist travels to a distant planet to translate the language of the first-discovered alien race. Blasting into space is not her idea of fun. Her blunders with the Targ result in a declaration of interstellar war. Before she can learn the correct ritual to appease them, the villain tries to kill her. So far, I haven't been able to get rid of him.  
7. What advice would you give authors who are on their own journey to publication?
                   Persevere! Take time to learn the craft. Don't seek an agent, editor, or self-publication before you and your manuscript are ready.
                   I recently realized that my jealousy over other writers' successes was really a lack of trust that God will lead me on the right road. Trust God to direct you to the right path for you.
8. Do you have any books or websites that have helped you with your writing that you could share with us?
                   Plenty! For an overall look at structure, I recommend Story by Robert McKee. The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron is a great resource if you suffer from writer's block. Yes, it exists. For help in finding the right word, I use The Synonym Finder by J. I. Rodale.
                   Lately, I've learned craft and inspiration from a number of blogs by literary agents, including Chip MacGregor's agency and Books and Such. For tips on using social media, I like the Social Media Examiner.  
9. Is there anything you’d like to tell us we haven’t covered?
                   There are so many good conferences that are wonderful ways to connect with fellow writers, editors, agents, and other professionals. We can't learn the craft in a vacuum. I regularly attend Colorado Christian Writers Conference, ACFW Conference, and Writer's Workshop at Glen Eyrie in Colorado. My wish list: Mount Hermon, Blue Ridge, and Pike's Peak Writers Conference (secular). 
10. Please let us know where we can find you on the web.
    Here are a few links:
    Website: http://www.bonniedoranbooks.com/
    Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bonniedoranbooks
    

    
    

    Dark Biology is a science-fiction themed thriller. In this suspenseful tale, author Bonnie Duran takes two popular fears—being trapped in space and a pandemic—and weaves them into the same tale. Think Apollo 13 meets Contagion.

    
    

    Hildi Hildebrandt, a vaccinologist, leaves her work at the CDC to complete a project for NASA at the International Space Station (ISS). There, she is paired with two men from her past, which complicates things, romantically speaking. At the same time, Hildi’s brother, Chet is upset at their father, a Christian marriage seminar speaker with a checkered past, and decides to unleash a relatively harmless flu strain at an upcoming conference. Conflict ensues as the virus strain turns out to be different than expected, and things on the NASA/ISS mission go haywire.

    
    

    What I really liked about the book is that it is fast paced, and it keeps your attention. This book will have you turning page after page and keep you up late into the night as you follow the large cast of characters as they overcome one obstacle after another. This book should appeal to those who enjoy suspense, thrillers, and/or science fiction.

    
    

    Please note that I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own. 

    
    

    
    
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