This week we talked about some of our post-vaccination wishlists … because after a year of Covid-19 we’ve missed a few things! Of course we also talked books and tasted some wine, as usual…
We had originally planned to talk to author J.D. May about her pandemic themed book Factor-7, but due to unforeseen circumstances she couldn’t make it. Of course, the show must go on so we shared the wine we originally planned, La Crema Chardonnay. Plus we did our own guesses on the tasting notes … judged by sound editor, Connor. Truthfully we are really bad at this but Christie was given the edge over Cathi with a far-left field guess that turned out to be right. There may be hope for us yet!
With wine in hand, we laughed our way through a fun conversation, sprinkled with writing and reading information. Just our usual schtick! But this week we have a bonus … we had author J.D. May answer some of our questions in writing which we’ve included below!
Listen to the full episode to find out Christie’s winning tasting note or Cathi’s top activity that she is wanting to return to … it’s quite a stretch!
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GAME OF BOOKS: You grounded Factor-7 in your beloved Texas, at Galveston. How important was that choice?
J. D. MAY: I wanted the story to begin where there was a medical school. The University of Texas’s Medical Branch is in Galveston. (From their Wikipedia: The Galveston National Laboratory in Galveston, Texas, is a high security National Biocontainment Laboratory housing several Biosafety level 4 research laboratories. The lab is run by the University of Texas Medical Branch for exotic disease diagnosis and research.) I knew that many viruses, including many very deadly ones, are stored in Galveston at the National Laboratory. So it fit well with the story. In addition, I wanted an area that I knew well. I actually live 300 miles south of Galveston, but being an ex-surfer, I know the Galveston area well.
GAME OF BOOKS: You’ve said that your characters speak to you as you write. Did Sam and Rainee arrive fully formed? And did they come to you and then the plot, or vice versa?
J. D. May: Sam Hawkins had been with me since the original manuscript in the ’90s. Rainee has a new name from the original and also I had her be Italian/Swiss rather than American, as in the original manuscript. That’s probably because of the time I spent in Italy and my now deceased friend, who I would visit. Her last name was Arienzo, which is what I gave to Rainee. (Factor-7 of today is very different from the original one). The plot came first. But as the story evolved, they told me where they wanted to go and what they wanted to do with each situation. At times, I wrote so fast that my words ran together. That was when they told me their story. I also got thoughts at night and in dreams. I sound entirely nuts, I know. The characters had their own personalities from the beginning, but evolved as their lives were changed by the threats and dangers they endured.
GAME OF BOOKS: In addition to writing, you’re also a painter. How does one artistic endeavor color the other?
J. D. May: Painting is putting colors and thoughts on canvas in the abstract. One may see a realistic scene but it’s still abstract thinking that creates the art of what the artist sees and ultimately puts on canvas. Such is writing, in my opinion. As I wrote my novel, the scenes played out in color and full detail as if I was watching a movie in my head. I also deliberately described clothing, facial expressions, surroundings, sounds, and even smells, so the reader could easily have a sensory experience while reading it. My paintings and my writing are both my works of art but each in their own spectrum of reality, imagination, and fantasy.
