Alistair McIntyre

 

Alistair McIntyre

Location:   Texas / U.S.A.

 

Age:    About to turn 30

 

 

 

 

Question:  How long have you been writing?

I started writing short stories for friends at work about five years ago.

Question:  What was the name of the first book you ever published, and when was it published?

"PHALANX ALPHA" is my sci-fi thriller that I published in January of this year (2013').

Question:  Was this book published by a publisher; or did you self-publish?

I joined forces with a couple of friends to form the4threalm.com, which is a small publishing imprint.  We see a decided lack of quality in a lot of self-published (and traditionally published) works, and we didn’t want that to be us.  Everything with The 4th Realm logo has passed before many sets of eyes before reaching online bookshelves.

Question:  Tell our readers about this very first book.  (For example:  What was the inspiration for writing it, and what was it about)?

Honestly, I’m not exactly sure what sparked the original idea for "PHALANX ALPHA".  I’d written a couple of short stories, and one day I sat down and popped out an outline for a slightly longer story; "slightly longer” turned into 100,000 words, with a lot of help from my friends/editors.

"PHALANX ALPHA" depicts the Earth’s reaction to the appearance of strange beings sporting miraculous healing powers.  We get to see these perspectives from a view at different angles, but the story streamlines down into a few main characters, culminating in what many find to be a surprising climax.

Question:  Can a person still buy this book?  If so, where?

Yes, the "PHALANX ALPHA" eBook is available on Amazon, iTunes, Smashwords, and Barnes & Noble.  The print version is only available from Amazon and CreateSpace.

Question:  How many total books have you published?

Three solo works, and one collaboration with two other authors from the4threalm.com.  The sequel to that collaboration ("The Descent") will hit e-shelves in October 2013'.

Question:  List all of your titles…

Phalanx Alpha

The Chosen (with Kris Kramer and Patrick Underhill)

Shallow Creek

Engineer: A Sigma Sector Story

Question:  Any future writing projects in the works?  If so, tell us about it, and any pertinent dates to go with it.

As I mentioned earlier, the sequel to "THE CHOSEN", titled: "THE DESCENT", will be out in October 2013'.  "THE DESCENT" is the second book in our RISE OF CITHRIA epic fantasy series, where each author writes from the perspective of a warring realm.

I’ve also recently started on the sequel to "SHALLOW CREEK", my West Texas thriller that revolves around a Marine returning home to find his small hometown embroiled in the violence that often accompanies the drug trade.  I don’t have a real title, because my friends tell me the working title (SHALLOW GRAVE) is far too cheesy!

Question:  What is the title of your current book, and tell us a little about it.

A couple of weeks ago, I published "ENGINEER:A SIGMA SECTOR STORY".  ENGINEER is the first story from the Sigma Sector universe, a creation of the ridiculously imaginative minds I work with over at the4threalm.com.  We plan to have many more stories in this universe, but for now ENGINEER will have to tide fans over.  This short story follows Graham Reeves, the lead engineer on an antimatter harvester seized by pirates.  I plan to continue this series, because I really enjoy writing Reeves.  He’s a smart-ass, but he’s also good at his job, so his boss can’t murder him, as much as she’d like to.  In addition, he’s a bit unlucky in love, but the reader will have to check the story out to discover what I mean.

Last question, if someone comes across this article and reads it, what would you like to tell them about why you think they should try reading your book or books? (Basically, what can you offer them in the way of information or entertainment)?

I enjoy reading stories written by authors with very diverse backgrounds.  Having a variety of bizarre experiences and a mixture of cultures leads to more enticing stories, as far as I can see.  In each of my works, I harness my Scottish upbringing with my last sixteen years in the US to craft something unique.  All of my stories reflect this odd cultural mix, but not to the point of alienating either side.  And let’s face it, who doesn’t like Scotland?  Actually, I can think of a few people to the south who are not big fans, but that’s okay.

Anything else you'd like to add that I didn't ask you, but you would like to share with our readers?

I really appreciate all of you who still read today.  Far too many people (and school systems) seem to have given up on this amazingly edifying and entertaining pastime, and I’ll continue to do my part in adding to your to-read lists as long as you keep reading.

Also, please remember to provide feedback to your favorite authors.  Go to websites like Amazon and Goodreads to leave a review or a rating, good or bad.  We only get better when you tell us what’s wrong, and I know we all want to produce the most entertaining and engrossing stories you’ve ever read.

Keep reading!

You can connect with me at the following places:

Twitter: @McAlistair8

Website: http://the4threalm.com/authors/alistair-mcintyre/

Blog Writer's Note to Author:  It's quite obvious that you have a great love for science fiction.  It happens to be one of my passions as well.I'll definitely be checking out your work and the4threalm.com website.Good luck with your writing and your current and future books.And, thanks for the interview.