11 Questions of Badassary w/ Cara Michaels

Author Cara Michaels with that robot from Lord of the Rings.

1.  I read your book, Gaea’s Chosen – I wasn’t sure what it was about at first.  I thought maybe it was about Greek chicks that got chosen – like on The Bachelor.  Turns out it’s about a space ship and interstellar adventures to strange alien worlds.  That makes you one of those hot scientist-fiction writers.  Expound!

I’d put my female leads up against the egocentric Bachelor ho-beasts any day. I’m a nut for mythology, so you’re not entirely off base. I chose the name specifically for the Greek Titan, she who would spawn a millennia-spanning mythology.

I'm not only a douche - I'm a Space-Douche.

Do you have to wear a lab coat when you write?

No lab coat, but I confess I would look damn sexy in one.

Remember that time Denise Richards was a nuclear scientist in that James Bond movie - she never wore a lab coat to Tae Bo.

2.  Since you’re into science-fiction, crack an egg of knowledge on our asses about what your favorite books, movies and TV look like – you know, what are your influences?

Thank (or curse) my mom and dad. Thanks to them, I got an early education in the likes of Anne McCaffrey, Margaret Hickman and Tracy Weis, Mercedes Lackey, Jack McKinney (what do you mean, Robotech is not just a cartoon??). Nowadays I don’t get to read as much as I’d like to; my average day is 12-15 hours before I even get to think about leisure time.

"Shut the fuck up, Minmay."

3  .…and what sucks? – it’s okay to trash some stuff *cough! Syfy Original Movies!cough* Don’t worry about repercussions, nobody reads this blog.

Holy shit, do people really watch those things on purpose?  I wrote a fun scene for an upcoming novel based around a Syfy (I will honestly never even consider taking them seriously until they are SciFi again… or bring back Farscape) style movie. The characters take the opportunity presented to kiss for every terrible line of dialogue.

I’ll probably catch hell for this, but I think a lot of writers don’t give their readers credit for brain points. I prefer to assume my readers have reasonable IQs or access to Google.

Badassary approved!

4.  Let’s hear about where you came from, who your people are, and general information the background check we ran on you might have missed.

I’m a genealogy addict and frequently dig into other peoples’ histories when I get stuck on my own. I’m a tried and true American cultural mutt and I love it. Scottish, Irish, French, German, English… Know what all of those add up to? I can drink your ass under the table, holla.

Author Cara Michaels making her drunken ancestors proud.

Is it REALLY hard out there for a pimp?

Maybe, but only because our local sheriff is really damn good at his job.

5.  I can’t say enough about Gaea’s Chosen and how much I liked it.  I’m kinda jealous that I didn’t come up with that idea.  It reminded me of a serial ala Pulps/Flash Gordon.  When does the next adventure come out and can you spill some details and why did you chose to release the story in serial format?

The story was originally meant to be a one-off horror story, the kind where everyone screams and bleeds and dies. Good stuff, right? Only I really started to like my characters… and suddenly this serial idea began to take shape. As to the serial, it’s fun, fast, and cheap… better than the aforementioned pimp can claim.

Legit cliffhanger shiz!

6.  Your crew, most especially its commander, Gemma Bryant, are pretty badass.  Please mix up the crews from Joss Whedon’s Firefly, Star Trek, and Galaxy Quest and come up with the most kick-assing space-exploring team of badasses to ever yell, “Is there air?  You don’t know!?!”

#respect!

This is such a cruel question. Joss Whedon is the absolute master of the ensemble crew. Even his less than honorable characters (*ahem* Jayne, Spike, Dr. Horrible) are really likeable. Joss also understands the appeal of the kickass female character.

Never book dinner reservations on Cloud City.

So… Firefly: Mal, Zoe, Wash, Jayne, Simon, River, Book, Inara, (I really tried to give one of them up… for about .42 seconds)… For Trek (I’m giving away that I really liked some of the less popular series here): Dax, Sisko, Archer, Trip, Spock (he’s the ultimate Vulcan). For Galaxy Quest, Jason, Gwen, and Fred would probably be the most adaptable and fun.

7.  If you had a boat, would you go out on the ocean?

Hell, yes.

If you had a pony, would you ride it on your boat?

Not even a little bit. I’d go all Black Stallion and ride the pony through the water, though.

8.  You’re making a name for yourself in the space-opera biz, but what other genres and stories you got double-double toil and troublin’?

I do nothing ‘normal.’ We all have normal in our everyday lives, and my writing reflects the need to escape the norm. I seriously enjoy all things sci-fi, fantastic, paranormal, etc. I have several contemporary-ishparanormals in the works, two novels and two shorts. There are more stories on the sci-fi front. I also have a historical paranormal fantasy about 60% of the way.

Random Alien Planet that I Googled, cause I'm lazy when I blog.

But you seem to be implying I have a cauldron of mischief brewing…

No, I didn’t just call you a witch.  I think you’re taking my questions out of context.

It’s only out of context if it’s not true.

Wait – can you see Russia from your front yard?

Maybe.

9.  Out of all the robots in all science fiction ever – pick three and then play F*-Marry-Kill!

Please don’t make me explain the rules – I’m already in therapy for ‘inappropriately expressing myself in public’(whatever the fuck what means?!?)

1. Roy Batty – Fuck (OMG, RutgerHauer)

Feelings... / Like tears in rain / Feelings... / My dove of pain / Feelings... / Let's cuddle Tyrell

2. R2-D2 – Marry (seriously, the way he argues with Threepio, he knows all about marriage)

3. The Terminator – Kill (excuse me, may I borrow that grenade launcher?)

10.  Since you like nerd stuff, and we’ve fully established that, hit us with some of the girl stuff you’re into. Like, do you read those books about those stuffy English sister-broads who say they’re looking for husbands but get all light headed when one comes around and starts talking about her crumpet?

Hello Kitty? My Little Pony?  Jem?

Oh god, do I actually have to admit I liked some of this stuff as a twee, impressionable young thing? I grew out of it, I swear. I don’t read much of the stuffy English stuff, except for Julia Quinn. I have a soft spot for her, largely because she’s quite funny. I’m also a long-time fan of Lynn Kurland’s time travel/ghosty families.

I don't understand anything Cara just said - so here's a picture of Jem.

11.  What are your professional and personal goals for the coming year?

(You can’t say, ‘don’t go back to jail’ or ‘kick the boxed wine habit’ – those are too easy)

I have a company in the planning stages, and somewhere between three and six publications planned for the year. Right now my time is still eaten away by daily office drone duties, but I’m changing that, stat.

Click the picture to check out Cara's awesome book on Kindle!