Interview: Lee Denning

Bytes fly east to west coast as father/daughter writing team Denning Powell and Leanne Powell Myasnik combine Leanne's knowledge and skills as a psychologist, poet, and mystic, and Denning's years of experience in the physical sciences and engineering into Lee Denning's exciting new SF trilogy, Nova Sapiens. "Monkey Trap," is book one of this trilogy , published by Twilight Times books.

Char: Leanne and Denning, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us on Writers and Readers network. And thank you for choosing me as one of your reviewers. I really enjoyed Monkey Trap. Lara and John are great characters, trapped in a battle of good and evil, or so it seems. Tell us a little about them and some of the things they must overcome in "Monkey Trap."

Leanne: Thank you, Char, for a great review, and it’s our pleasure to do this interview for you and WRN. We’re so glad you liked Monkey Trap. The basic premise of the story is the triumph of love over power. Love is good; power is evil. The problem for Lara and John is that the aliens invading their minds have obscured the truth. The aliens give them the phenomenal power of the next stage of human evolution, and then set them against each other. Love is the only thing capable of penetrating the clever lies constructed by the aliens.

Denning: Yeah, that’s it in a nutshell. The tension comes in because Lara and John are very high-level representatives of the human species. They’re moral, intelligent, caring people. Yet they’ve been fooled by the aliens into believing the other is the embodiment of evil. Then they’re set against each other in a death-struggle that will determine the course of human evolution and species survival.

Char: This book is packed with technical and scientific jargon, and you focus a portion of the story on the GCP (Global Consciousness Project) at Princeton. Some pretty intense research, and obviously successful and accurate as Dr. Roger Nelson, director on that project is quoted as saying "I have not often seen such an evocative presentation...of both the science and philosophy." Which of you did all this research and how did that science mix with the metaphysical aspects of the story?

Leanne: My dad researched and worked out the scientific components, while I looked into generating analogies for characters and their experiences with my occult background.

Denning: At the outlining stage of Monkey Trap, I stumbled across the GCP website. (It’s noosphere.princeton.edu, and I highly recommend it to your readers.) Global consciousness is a measurable phenomenon, and I simply extrapolated the concept a few logical steps into the future. Pure speculation, of course, but we needed a device to relate the story from an omniscient point of view, so the reader could know what’s really happening (John and Lara can’t know what’s happening because their minds are intentionally misled by their aliens). The GCP functions wonderfully as such a device, and Roger was very kind and considerate in letting us adopt his science into our fiction.

Char: You are launching "Monkey Trap" as book one. Tell us a little about what is coming up in the Nova sapiens Series and when we can expect the next title out.

Leanne: Well, without giving too much away, Hiding Hand (book two) is a coming-of-age story about the boy Joshua, one of the three storylines in Monkey Trap. He’s an almost-Nova. Splintered Light (book three) is a coming-of-age story about the girl Eva, conceived of Lara and John at the end of Monkey Trap. She’s the first Nova to breed true. The themes of both books remain about the conflict between power and love. The characters are the same, but their roles are somewhat different. I have no idea when Hiding Hand will be published. We’re about done structuring/outlining and about ready to start writing, but most of our time and energy right now is going into promoting Monkey Trap.

Denning: Hmm. Yeah, the timing is a good question. Lee and I both have regular (non-writing) jobs, and promoting Monkey Trap is taking a lot of time at the moment. Based on the experience gained, I’d optimistically guess a late 2005 or early 2006 publication date for Hiding Hand; pessimistically late 2006. Lee and I are committed to this effort as a trilogy, and it will happen. But it’s very important to us that it be done right -- the real point of the entire trilogy comes out at the very end of Splintered Light (no, we’re not going to say what that is), so we’ll take whatever time is needed to make sure the entire thing is properly crafted.

Char: Father and daughter, east to west coast. Despite the technology we have access to today, that cannot have always been easy when working out such an intricate web of complications and putting this story together. What led to your partnership? What are some of the problems and some of the wonders you encountered working together on "Monkey Trap?"

Leanne: Basically, I got into it by accident. Or serendipity, maybe. My dad had this 30-year old idea he got and structured while in Vietnam, and a couple of years ago started outlining it as a novel. He sent me the first chapter, and I sent him some ideas back, and he loved them, and pretty soon we had a collaboration going by email. I thought I was just helping him out, but after we finished the last chapter he announced we were co-authors, under the pen name Lee Denning. Talk about wonder! Problems? I don’t remember any. There were the usual technical problems, but no real differences of opinion.

Denning: I think it was Orson Scott Card who observed that collaborative writing was “twice the work for half the money, but worth it because it’s so much fun” or something like that. I haven’t written any fiction before, so I don’t know if collaboration is more work, and we haven’t made any money on the book yet, so I don’t know about that either. But I can tell you for sure that it’s a blast to work with Leanne. We have the most hysterically good time, it’s more fun than a human being should be allowed to have. We have totally different backgrounds and perspectives, but they feed off each other. The creativity of our minds working together is a wonderment. Monkey Trap had only technical problems. The first draft was way too long (260,00 words); we went through six edits and ultimately got it more or less tractable (175,00 words). We had to restructure some stuff as a result, and that took a lot of time. But two minds, two points of view, was actually very helpful there -- we edited each other. And of course we learned a lot with Monkey Trap, so we’ll be more efficient in writing the sequel.

Char: Now the first book of the trilogy is on its way, is Lee Denning having a tougher or easier time with the new work?

Leanne: This time around, I’ve participated with early generation of ideas and chapter outlining. It’s more challenging in the short term, but I expect it will make things easier during the writing process.

Denning: I think it’s easier. It’s like building a house. You always learn from the first one, especially your mistakes. We’re staying with the same three-step process (structure, outline, write), because that worked pretty well in Monkey Trap. I think you need to be pretty disciplined about knowing where a story is going, especially when you’ve got two people involved in creating a complex tale with multiple storylines. Since neither of us is a mind-reader, we spend a lot of time on the front end even before we begin to write.  At this point, for example, Hiding Hand is in the form of a detailed outline for each of the 5 or 6 scenes in each of the 41-chapters of the novel. We’ll write from that. Most of the major issues, and how the storylines intertwine, have already been determined.

Char: What authors do you admire, and who most influenced your writing?

Leanne: My tastes are very eclectic, and it’s rare that I read a book I don’t enjoy. I admire Edgar Allen Poe’s use of the language, his grasp of vocabulary, his characters, and perhaps most especially his poetry.  Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot is my favorite play, as it places the responsibility of interpretation squarely on the shoulders of readers and/or audiences. Henry Miller, Mark Twain, Mikhail Bulgakov, Charles Johnson, and Ram Dass are just a few more examples of writers who had a profound impact on my development, although each for different reasons.

Denning: I started reading science fiction when I was maybe eight or nine, and devoured all the classics -- Heinlein, Clarke, Asimov, etc. I’ve read most of the current generation of sci-fi writers, and most of the mystery writers. I guess that the one that influenced me most -- with respect to Monkey Trap and the Nova sapiens trilogy -- would be Frank Herbert’s “Dune”. The creation of such an internally-consistent mythos and culture around an action/adventure story is in my mind a work of true genius.

Char: I was quite impressed with the quality of book. What has your experience working with a relatively new small press been? Would you recommend this alternative to other new authors seeking a market for their work?

Leanne: Lida’s wonderful.  She’s the front-woman at Twilight Times.  There’s a personal touch there that I suspect would be lacking with large press outfits. Plus, I think they are more flexible and willing to take a chance on first-time authors.  Probably the best approach for new authors is to try out as many avenues as possible, then measure the benefits and drawbacks of each available option. 

Denning: Lida Quillen and Twilight Times have been fantastic to work with. She did a super job in both editorial refinement and physical production of the book. I think small presses are the way to go for new authors. Unless you write something that precisely fits the marketing mold of a large press, they’re unlikely to give a new author the time of day. That’s a typical problem for big companies (and not just those in the publishing business) -- they know what’s worked in the past, so they want to stay with that. Their bottom line depends on it, and their stockholders insist on it. So they’re a little blind to new developments. Small start-ups are leaner, hungrier, and much less risk-averse.

Char: What advice do you have to share with aspiring writers?

Leanne: Read often! I joke with people that I have a reading problem, because I’m somewhat of a book junkie. And secondly, write often!  Get in the habit of writing daily, if possible. If you’re not working on a novel, try journaling, poetry, or short stories. Whatever feels right. 

Denning: First, practice. Second, refine. Third, persist. And be optimistic the whole time. Attitude conditions outcomes.

Char: Where can interested readers find "Monkey Trap"? Where will we find Lee Denning in the coming months?

Leanne: Amazon.com, Books a Million.com, Borders.com, Waldenbooks.com, and through any of the other methods spelled out below. 

Denning: Monkey Trap can be ordered via any of the online booksellers. In fact, a substantial number of copies must have been pre-ordered, because for the past two weeks our book has been hanging in there between the #2 and #8 position on the amazon.com “early adopters” list, and it’s still a week away from its publication date. And of course any brick-and-mortar bookstore will be happy to order it for their customers -- ISBN is 1-931201-34-X. Also, in addition to your kind words of review, Monkey Trap has been recommended in the Library Journal, so presumably a fair percentage of the public libraries in the US will pick up the book, and readers may find a copy there. I’ll be here in Connecticut, promoting the book on the east coast. Leanne is visiting me briefly over Christmas, so maybe we’ll do a joint event. At the very least, we’ll have a few beers and get giggly over the whole thing. Readers may reach us through the “Contacts” page on the website www.monkeytrap.us, or Leanne at lee@monkeytrap.us, or me at denning@monkeytrap.us. We’d both love to hear from readers.

Char: Thank you for taking the time to talk with us on Writers and Readers network. I hope you will join us again, and keep us posted on the Nova Sapiens Trilogy.

Review: Monkey Trap By: Lee Denning

They are watching us. They are testing us. They are ready to destroy us should we fail their test.

Monkey Trap, is the first book in a new, exciting Sci-fi thriller trilogy by father-daughter writing team, Denning Powell and Leanne Powell Myasnik. Writing together as Lee Denning, they weave together mythology, fantasy, religious theory, scientific fact, and fantastic, imaginative speculation into a roller coaster adventure of possibility.

Dr. Aaron O’Meara is a bit early for his shift at the Goddard Space Flight Center where he is involved in a 2-week ongoing test of their satellite/laser system to track and destroy threats. He and the entire X-room staff watch in amazement when Aaron is playing around a bit with the equipment before the next scheduled exercise happens across what appears to be a dog fight in space. There is a flare, a final flash of blue and green light, and two objects are suddenly hurtling toward earth. Their tracking equipment shows the larger object heading for the Columbian jungle, and the second…Washington. They grab on, duck for cover, but the expected impact never comes. Despite the disagreement and disbelief of his controller and colleagues, Aaron works with Adrienne, a cracker-jack programmer at the GCP, Global Consciousness Project at Princeton, and sets out to prove his theory that ET has landed.

Deep in the jungle of the Purace District, Columbia, the assassin has acquired his target. The drone delivery system works perfectly and the dart injects Diego Corrano, el jefe with the genomic toxin geared specifically for his DNA. He will die, slowly, painfully, or give the assassin’s secret organization information that will help take down the drug cartels in exchange for the antidote that will save his life. But the assassin is spotted, pursued, shot, falling, dying. A flash, a flare of blue light, then he is laying in a cave, broken and bleeding, with his life flashing before his eyes, just like they say it does.

Lara Picard is enjoying an early dawn ride on the Canal Bike Trail in Washington, DC, before preparing breakfast for her son, Joshua, and Uncle Ham. She is speeding along down the hill, muscles screaming, and then suddenly vocalizing that scream when a rock on the trail sends her flying through the air. A flash, a flare of green light, then she crashes to the embankment, broken and bleeding, her life flashing before her eyes, just as they say it does. 

Lara and John are both a bit surprised to find themselves whole and healthy a short time after suffering fatal injuries, but strangely unperturbed and comfortable with the alien voices in their heads. They each learn from these voices that have great mental and physical powers and will be taught control over these powers. Taught to utilize these powers against the "other," an enemy set on the destruction of mankind. Each becomes determined to use them to destroy the other and save humanity from the evil entity that has invaded earth.

Monkey Trap, the survival of the entire race rests with two humans chosen to host alien entities in a test to prove humanity is ready for the next step of consciousness evolution. Will they prove humanity ready for the power of the next step, or ensure its destruction by proving the adage “absolute power corrupts absolutely?”

Monkey Trap is full of twists and turns, undercurrents and subplots, technical and scientific detail and jargon that under the talented hands of this father-daughter writing team will enthrall any Sci-fi fan. They have created a dynamite cast of characters who intrigue, anger, thrill, delight, and astound on every action packed page. They weave the impossible and improbable into the possible. They weave contradicting philosophies and theories into a believable intertwining pattern of compatibility. They introduce detailed fact and theory that enhances rather than detracts when presented with the masterful storytelling skills of these talented new authors. They tie it all together into a tightly written adventure into imagination. 

Available November 15, 2004 from Twilight Times Books, this trade paperback, with its artistic cover design, quality paper and print, is a two thumbs up must read bookshelf keeper. Don’t miss Lee Denning’s Monkey Trap.

Reviewed by: Charlene Austin chars @ writers and readers network . com

CHAT TRANSCRIPT

[clyons] We are pleased to have with us tonight, father/daughter writing team Denning Powell and Leanne Powell Myasnik, writing as Lee Denning.

Leanne and Denning are the authors of “Monkey Trap.” And we are very honored to have (Lida Quillen, publisher) join us. Lida is the beauty and brains behind Twilight Times Books.

[Carol] Leanne, what was it like collaborating with your dad?

[Leanne] He's great to work with, open minded, lots of fun, great sense of humor!

[Carol] Can you share some of the mechanics of how you did it?

[Rose] yeah.. now tell the truth.. pretend he isn't here

[Leanne] I'm honest to a fault, he's fabulous, really ;)

[denning] Structure, outline, get it all straight, in a lot of detail, then write, then edit. Then edit some more.

[publisher] I read somewhere that great books are not written. They are re-written.

[Leanne] Mark Twain had something like 17 edits for Huck Finn

[Carol] Who started it? And when did you decide to collaborate?

[Leanne] My dad started Monkey Trap, Carol, I jumped in somewhere during the first few chapters

[denning] I sucked the poor child into my delirium...

[denning] For Monkey Trap, the collaboration just sort of evolved. For Hiding Hand (sequel) we're getting very disciplined.

[Beverly] Could you describe how you work together? Does one of you write a chapter and the other reads it, edits?

[Leanne] We write in alternating scenes...

[denning] Hiding Hand is completely structured into 41 chapters, 5 scenes per chapter, detailed outlines. We write alternate scenes from that.

[Leanne] Sorta like that game where one person starts a story, then the next person adds stuff, and so on

[denning] Of course, it won't end up that way, but that's the only effective way to get it written.

[Beverly] Sounds like you enjoy your writing this way.

[denning] I edit her scenes, and she mine, and then at the end of each chapter we make sure it all fits together.

[denning] It's a blast, Bev! Totally different minds!

[publisher] What I want to know is ... how is Hiding Hand progressing?

[Leanne] Just finished up chapter 6, and it's full speed ahead!

[denning] We're on chapter 7 (of 41). MS to you by year-end, we hope.

[clyons] No pressure guys, this is just your publisher asking, LOL.

[denning] Hiding Hand is going to be the darker novel of the trilogy -- a coming-of-age story about Joshua.

[Eric] Back to collaboration, I was wondering if you divide it up according to characters... Lee doing Lara's POV, and Denning doing John's or vice versa

[denning] No, we decided not to do that, basically because we want to play with all the possibilities, but we may pick specific scenes.

[Leanne] Right, for instance, I enjoy writing scenes about characters dreaming.

[denning] I sort of wanted to do the bad guy in Hiding Hand, but Lee has a talent for him, too, so we just scratch it down and see.

[Rose] You said by year's end. Does that mean it is not true that once you have one book published, you have to have a second and/or a third one down in a few months?

[denning] -- Lord, I hope not. This is tough work.

[publisher] I want my authors to take all the time they need to write a book.

[Rose] That has been one of my biggest fears to submission

[Rose] So this is great news!!

[denning] -- I see Hiding Hand in 2006, Splintered Light in 2008. We both have day jobs...

[publisher] However, Rose you are correct that most NYC print publishers do demand additional books within a year or 18 months.

[Rose] Thank you, Lida.

[denning] And it's best to do it right, always, irrespective of NYC.

[Rose] Publisher, who are you a publisher for? What type of publication?

[publisher] I am the founder and publisher of Twilight Times Books. Started as an epublisher in 1997. In 2004 we evolved into a traditional small press publishing house.

[Rose] Thank you

[Beverly] I'm going to ask that question that everybody asks. Where did you get your idea for Monkey Trap?

[denning] About 35 years ago, in Saigon. I outlined it, but never did anything with it until just now.

[Beverly] They say some of the best books lie in our minds for years until we're ready for them. Thanks.

[denning] "A time for every purpose under heaven." -- Ecclesiastes. Or maybe I'm just a little slow... :D

[clyons] Monkey Trap has some impressive research and technical information. I was surprised and impressed by the flow.... but pulled into Laura and John's story and the importance of their relationship. How hard was it to maintain that balance?

[denning] Hard, but Lee helped a lot with that part; a lot of metaphor underpins the romance.

[Leanne] Two minds are better than one :)

[denning] The challenge was to keep the romance cooking right along with the action and suspense, and yet not give up the philosophical.

[Rose] I would like to say that this must be a wonderful experience for Denning, to have done such a project with a child and come out on the other end still smiling.

[denning] Nothing better than having fun with your child, Rose, no matter what the age!

[Leanne] That's the value of good parenting, Rose.

[Rose] Yes. I agree

[Rose] Small press? Does that mean POD online, can I order this book in a book store, or will it be on the shelf?

[publisher] Sorry, no these are not POD books.

[Rose] So they are in bookstores? I can walk in and buy it, or order it?

[denning] Not on the shelf, but you can order it. Also, amazon, B&N, etc websites.

[Rose] ty

[denning] Monkey Trap hung out on amazon.com's "early adopter" list for a month or so. I haven't checked lately.

[Beverly] I haven't read your book yet, but want to. Is it possible to buy an autographed copy?

[denning] Sure, but wait and see if you win one here. Your odds are pretty good!

[Beverly] OK. I didn't know there was a prize. Great!

[Eric] As a scientist, but a rather poor philosopher, I had to notice that you must have put a lot of thought into the philosophy and the dialogs between Uncle Ham and Joshua. Where did that come from?

[denning] Lee and I made it all up, except for the references to classical philosophy, which are accurate. The purpose was to underpin the story with some interesting metaphysical issues. Raise question, etc. And you ain't seen nuthin' yet, wait for Hiding Hand!

[publisher] As I recall, the editor wanted you to cut a lot of the dialogue between Uncle Ham and Joshua, but I said the dialogue could stand.

[denning] Yes, and thanks! We wrapped philosophical ideas in action /romance/suspense, to make it edible by the general populace.

[Leanne] Did you enjoy the philosophy, Eric?

[Eric] To be honest, I tended to skim a lot of it. But I do think the questions raised were pertinent and valid. I think I followed most of it, but I did want to get on with the action!

[Leanne] Thanks for honesty. The book was set up so that readers could skim what held little interest... sounds like it worked!

[Eric] I'm looking forward to the sequel.

[clyons] Me too!

[denning] I thought setting it up that way -- with scene headers to identify what was coming -- was a great idea. Glad to hear it worked!

[Rose] For denning and Leanne: Are you working through an agent or directly with Lida, and (close your eyes Lida) is that good or bad?

[denning] Directly with Lida, and I wouldn't have it any other way!

[Rose] Cool! Sounds like a plus for you Lida. I guess you can look now

[Rose] So you don't have an agent?

denning] No -- can't see the need for an agent at this point. Ethan Ellenberg asked, but I told him maybe later-- if Monkey Trap takes off.

[Rose] Okay... Thank you

[Eric] As a scientist, I must complement you on the way you handled the scientific analysts in the story. Their behavior was very believable (i.e. Adrienne's and Aron's respective organizations).

[denning] Thanks! I think the key to sci-fi is to start with a credible reality and twist it from there. Characterizations help.

[Eric] Do you have experience in how organized science works?

[denning] I'm a mathematician, scientist and engineer by training and experience. Writing is an accident.

[clyons] I have to agree. Eric, I thought when all the technical jargon started I was in for a boring read. But it is so real, so well done, it all blended, and enhanced rather than detracted from the story. Everything implausible made plausible by the dose of reality.

[denning] Well, thank you all so much! I'm glad it worked for you. We did edit down from 260,000 to 175,000 words, which helped too.

[Eric] The former would have been intimidating!

[Rose] Oh my! That is a lot to let go of.

[denning] Like pulling out a splinter, Rose. Hurts less when you do it yourself.

[Carol] So you didn't expect to be a writer? Sounds like someone after my own heart. How long did it take to go from the first of the writing to having it ready to submit?

[Rose] Good question, Carol!

[denning] Well, I've probably written somewhere between 5 and 8 million technical words in my career, and some of the legal briefs got pretty close to fiction, so maybe it wasn't too much of a leap.

[Carol] Well, I really meant working on the novel.

[Carol] and LOL about the briefs. :)

[Leanne] Was it about 18 months for Monkey Trap, would you say, Dad?

[denning] Oops, sorry, Carol. 3 months to structure/outline, 9 months to write, 5 months to edit. Or thereabouts. 20-25 hrs/wk average.

[Carol] Wow, I'm really impressed. Do you think collaborating made that kind of dedication easier?

[Leanne] Nah, my dad's always been that efficient, all on his own :)

[denning] Further stats (# of hrs on each task) we keep; if you're interested I can email them to you. It's the engineer in me, sorry.

[Carol] Being married to a scientist, yes, I'm interested.

[Rose] Comment to denning: I understand the splinter. I have edited The Path Taken and put in and taken out what I want.

[Rose] I don't want someone else coming in doing a hatchet job on it

[denning] Carol, send an email to denning@monkeytrap.us to remind me, and I'll ship you the stats!

[denning] Lida had Dr Bob Rich edit part of Monkey Trap -- he was top-notch!

[Rose] Dr. Bob is great

[denning] Never having written fiction before, Lee and I violated a number of POV rules, and I wouldn't have had a clue if not for Bob.

[clyons] Leanne, there is a great metaphysical aspect to Monkey Trap in addition to the science that enhances that plausibility. Did you find it hard to mesh these two diverse sciences?

[Eric] There's a loaded question!

[Leanne] I think they can support each other, especially as science progresses, I think we'll see a greater overlap/connection between science and the occult/metaphysical.

[denning] Char, I think today's science is edging into metaphysics, carefully. Quantum effects are broadening minds, I believe.

[clyons] There is certainly a building interest in the metaphysical and you did a great job of building more with this story.

[Leanne] Thanks Char :)

[denning] The trilogy deals with a pretty interesting question -- where are we headed, what's the next step? Part science, part philosophy

[denning] Here's some interesting reader feedback -- most folks like the book, but mature women rave about it. Dunno why.

[clyons] The blend of reality and escape, science and love. The message interwoven within the well written pages might have something to do with it. Monkey Trap surprised me. I think that is the secret behind your raves.

[denning] And we're seeing it more and more of the spiritual/metaphysical on TV -- latest one is a show about a police psychic, I think.

[clyons] Yes, I agree. We are becoming more open to possibilities and that is a good thing. I met one of the screenwriters of Missing at the book festival a couple of years ago, very interesting talk on the subject. I also had the opportunity to interview Dr. Raymond Moody, twice, for DP. Interesting and thought provoking.

[denning] For anyone interested in the fascinating current interface between science and metaphysics, see www.noetic.org and www.noosphere.princeton.edu . Give yourself goose bumps with the possibilities...

[Rose] Leanne, when you are not writing with your dad, are you writing on your own, and what do you do as your "day job"

Leanne] I write on my own, journalizing, poetry... just to keep up with basic practice. My day job is at Mattel. I do organizational work for them. They're a great company. Treat their employees well.

[Rose] Oh that is nice. Maybe someday you will let us read on of your poems

[Leanne] Could be :)

[Rose] Thanks

[denning] She's a good poet, too. I tried that, but all my stuff comes out sounding like Dr. Seuss...

[Eric] Denning, you said the idea for this story first came to you in Saigon in 1970 or so. How much if any did your situation and environment influence the story?

[denning] I had a safe but boring job in Saigon, so I volunteered to go up-country with the Army 5th Special Forces. I know the mindset. That helped flesh out John's character.

[clyons] Is the third in the series, Splintered Light, the story of John and Laura’s child?

[denning] The third in the trilogy is Splintered Light. That's a coming-of-age story about Eva, conceived at the very end of Monkey Trap.Hiding Hand is next. It's 7 years later than Monkey Trap; Josh is coming-of-age. Then Splintered Light with Eva 7 years after.

[Leanne] Right, her name is Eva, and she's the redeemer figure, the first true blue Nova.

[denning] This will be a more pleasant exposition of humanity's future than the current Bible-based Armageddon series.

[denning] Not, however, without travails aplenty for our poor heroine. Blood and guts, action, suspense, romance wound around philosophy.

[clyons] Sounds really intriguing, and after Monkey Trap I can't wait for the next Lee Denning to come out.

[clyons] Lida, would you mind a question on those things we touched on earlier

[publisher] Go ahead.

[clyons] I have seen a great change, a shift, even among some of the known authors to the quality small presses springing from quality epublishers. Do you agree this is becoming a trend? Are authors becoming disillusioned with the major publishers and even with the agents? Considering some of the quality writing and product I am seeing, are they in for some surprises?

[publisher] The NYC print publishers are publishing fewer books by new authors. Fewer books by even the midlist authors. So yes, small press publishers are seeing a significant increase in the quality of submissions. Now, even small press publishers are becoming highly selective.

[denning] I think the big houses are in for troubled times -- their bottom-line orientation is understandable, but it's bound to catch up.

[clyons] Well, I guess they need to be. Is that going to close things to newer authors, do you think? And is this quality going to cause some surprises and some rethinking and organizing in the publishing industry?

[publisher] Re-organizing and rethinking over the next five years, perhaps. Not in the immediate future.

[clyons] Thank you.

[publisher] I thought it was difficult for new authors to get a book published in 1997, it is incredibly difficult these days.

[Rose] But you don't give new authors much hope. Unfortunately, everyone has to start out as a newbie sometime

[Eric] Getting published is hard enough. Getting attention in the major markets is the real problem, IMHO. Thank God for the Internet and dedicated, motivated authors.

[denning] The Internet is going to upset a lot of traditional apple carts, definitely.

[clyons] Ah, Rose, but the small publishers are the new author’s hope. They do at least consider their submissions.

[Rose] Yeah but there are so many out there that are not of good quality, or just "sharks." It's scary for a new writer to know how to find that right publisher who is right for them and honest too. How are we supposed to know?

[denning] Lida has my complete trust and endorsement!

[publisher] Rose is correct. You really need to research.

[publisher] Thanks, Denning.

[publisher] Rose, send me a private email and I'll give you some info on reputable publishers.

[Eric] Again, the internet. If a publisher has a bad rep, it's getting harder to hide. Check out "editors and preditors" site.

[clyons] Mine too, Lida, I have seen your quality. LOL you were on my list for submissions, but Mundania saved you.

[Rose] Thank you Lida. That is so nice of you

[denning] And the topic of the story, Rose; if it's fresh and new, or at least a little different, that helps, I think.

[clyons] Yes, Denning, and as you said earlier, persistence.

[Rose] Well mine is just a general story… no big scientific thriller or anything like that.. just an old fashioned story… but I will find a home for it…somewhere

[clyons] Yes, you will, it is a great story.

[Rose] Ty C

[denning] Persistence, every time! That's the key.

[Eric] Persistence, and a good marketing plan :)

[Rose] Well just as I have been picky with the quality of the story, I will also be picky with who I turn Lizzy over to. I know... a bad attitude for a newbie!!

[publisher] Rose, not really a bad attitude at all.

[Rose] Well thank you.

[clyons] Hamlet, Craig, any questions for our authors?

[Hamlet] Well, not very familiar with their works I must admit, but I would like to know how you feel about the science and metaphysics.

[denning] Hamlet, all the metaphysics in Monkey Trap starts with current developments in science, then extrapolates and twists them.

[Hamlet] Well what I was thinking is if you think they are generally mixed well enough... I personally usually lack at least an attempt to explain the connection of the two.

[clyons] Hamlet, we had a great discussion on this just before you came in, I will make sure you get a full copy of the chat.

[craig] I was wondering if in the future you were planning on trying and turning your books into adaptations for movies. I see so many books turned into movies these days, seems Hollywood likes stories that already have an audience before they are made.

[denning] Definitely. Before I even started outlining, I studied Terminator 2, because Monkey Trap was going to be a chase movie.

[craig] Denning, I have done a script for another author and we are in the process of getting it filmed, set up etc.

[denning] Craig, send me an email at denning@monkeytrap.us. I haven't thought about screenwriting at all yet. Thx!

[craig] Denning, I will do that

[denning] When I studied Terminator 2, it parsed pretty neatly into action segments and philosophical segments, so I think it can be done.

[clyons] I think we all dream of that movie deal someday. Denning, do you find yourself seeing the scenes then struggling to put the pictures into words?

[denning] Yeah, Char, always. I'm a visualizer. Then I write what I see. Lee is the same, I think.

[Rose] Oh denning and Lee, isn't that great when those pictures appear in your head

[denning] I couldn't write without them. Even purely technical stuff....

[Hamlet] I would have guessed it was a nightmare, getting those wonderful pictures, feeling the need to share and then....

[clyons] The words to transform those pictures are not always easy. Does working together help you with that, do you think? Having that additional input?

[Leanne] Absolutely. My dad helps me with the structure of a scene, a. happens, then b happens etc.

[denning] Yeah, that's one of the big bennies, especially getting more lyricism in the language. Lee is great with metaphors.

[craig] Leanne/Denning when you write together, does one of you focus more on fleshing dialogue and the other the description, or do you do that about equal

[Leanne] I may be descriptive to a fault.

[denning] Actually, Craig, for this book we've evolved into writing alternate scenes, so we both do a lot of everything.

[craig] Ok thanks

[Rose] Descriptive to a fault? Interesting concept Lee. To me that just means you are detailed oriented. Right?

[Leanne] That's true, and yes, Rose, it's a detail problem

[denning] And Lee, it's better to be too descriptive than not enough -- easier to edit down than up!

[Hamlet] Doesn’t that create a danger of inconsistency in the writing denning

[denning] Oh, yes! Definitely! But the answer is we don't write until the entire book is structured into chapters and scenes, outlined. And even at that, there are still plenty of hangups, but we've got a structure to fall back on. Keeps us out of la-la land.

[Hamlet] Still I would think you would have to have pretty much similar styles of writing for it to work, but maybe you do

[denning] Hamlet, we edit each other freely, and insert ideas and drop others, so the end style is really a composite.

[Hamlet] Of course, very good solution.

[clyons] Well it sure works for Lee Denning.

[denning] It's not without pain, of course, but we've never had a serious disagreement.

[Leanne] We're both reasonable and flexible

[denning] It's the product that matters.

[Hamlet] A must for good team work lee, and very admirable trades

[denning] TY :D

[clyons] We've had some great brainstorming sessions in this chatroom. I think the daily interaction of collaboration would help. Still congrats on such beautiful teamwork

[denning] TY again! lol

[Leanne] Thanks :D

[Rose] And am I remembering that you do this long distance. You can't even sit down together and talk it over… person to person

[denning] We talk via Ma Bell…every Sunday.

[clyons] Well, we have kept Denning and Leanne for three hours. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us about Monkey Trap and the Nova Sapiens Trilogy.

[Rose] Oh that is a long time, but I can't say I am sorry. Like the last time, it was very nice

[clyons] Thank you, Denning and Leanne for your generous gift to our attendees. Beverly, Rose, and Carol, you will each receive a copy of Monkey Trap.

[Rose] Oh that is so wonderful!! Thank you Denning, Leanne, and Lida

[Carol] Thank you so much! I'm really looking forward to reading it. And thank you for so much time chatting with us today.

[Rose] And of course this means that the next time I go to Walden Books I will have to drop your name and ask if they have your book available

[denning] Please send your physical mailing addresses to denning@monkeytrap.us and I'll get your prizes in the mail Monday!

[clyons] I have the addresses for you, Denning. I will send them following the chat.

[Leanne] You’re welcome! Thanks for chatting with us!

[clyons] Lida and Eric, thank you so much for joining us, and for your input and your time.

[publisher] "Monkey Trap" will be featured at Filament Book Club during February and March.

[publisher] Filament Book Club offers a free ETI-2 eBook Reader with a new membership.

[clyons] WOW!! Congrats, Leanne and Denning. A book club.

[publisher] http://www.filamentbooks.com

[craig] Thank you for chatting with us. Good luck on all your future ventures

[Eric] Lee and Denning, thank you for being with us tonight! I am looking forward to meeting you F2F at the Premier of MT: the movie, or sooner!

[clyons] Yes, and I look forward to the ride on the Lear.

[publisher] The stretch limo...

[denning] Looking forward to meeting you all sometime/where. Thank you all for your interest!

[Leanne] Thanks all! See you at the movies!

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