Interviews - Derrick Bliss

Unrealized Power

Q: Lucas James and the Legend of Maxa follows a sarcastic teen whose telepathic bond with an ancient alien forces him to confront power, responsibility, and what it means to protect someone. What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

A: The unrealized power I believe we have within us, was on my mind as I wrote this one. Along somewhat parallel lines is the idea that our external appearance doesn’t define who we are or our capabilities.

Q: Lucas’s voice is very specific. Did that voice come naturally, or did it evolve as you wrote the book?

A: I knew his great power would come from his mind more than his physical self. I suspected Lucas would have a big personality and a lot of strong beliefs as I began to write. His grand ideas, coupled with the fact that he wasn’t thrilled about being at camp, gave way to him being pretty unique and memorable as he evolved – in my humble opinion.

Q: The camp setting feels authentic. Do you have personal summer camp experiences that shaped Wee Great Falls and its rituals?

A: Going to several camps as a kid, and then later in life with my son, certainly resonated with me. Places like this are interesting and can feel like their own little worlds, which I hope is the sense of the setting created here.

Q: The book balances slapstick chaos with genuine tenderness. How did you decide when to lean into humor and when to slow down for emotional moments?

A: I think humor is naturally woven into tenderness, love, and even fear, in life. When the characters are afraid, they look to something that makes them laugh as a distraction, while other characters might be humorous just by being themselves. At our core, though, I believe what drives most of us in the end is love. I’m glad that you appreciated this balance.

Through Space and Time

Q: Time Nova follows a tech tycoon and his son on their dysfunctional journey through time as they try to fix a glitch in space-time. What was the inspiration for the setup to this exciting story?

A: I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of traveling through time and space travel. We can see technology advancing quickly here on earth in terms of saving data and capturing events – so with that in mind, and asking endless “what if” questions, the idea of a great time keeper in the cosmos evolved. The American Revolution and its outcome helped to shape the modern world, and if minor and major events throughout, had slightly different outcomes then the world could be quite a different place today. I find that incredibly interesting. There are a few other times like that throughout history that interest me as well.

Q: Welly and Kyle were interesting characters, but I especially liked their relationship. What were some ideals that guided the development of their relationship?

A: Personal relationships can be difficult for people in all walks of life. Sometimes love and caring appears as something unpleasant when it bubbles up to the surface and enters the exterior world. Often what we think and feel on the inside is not what is conveyed on the outside, and exploring that dynamic was compelling to me.

Q: Time travel often comes with some paradoxes. How did you resolve these in your story?

A: This was tough. In theory, once one event in history is changed, so many others are affected and chances become great that chance meetings are missed, thus certain people don’t meet, certain people are not born out of those meetings, etc. Much of what Welly and Kyle are doing or trying to do is repair history, but even with great effort and great technology they couldn’t repair it all. Without giving away too much, there were chapters edited out that explained how the events, following one major event change affecting Welly and Kyle’s life, were carefully orchestrated and preserved to ensure the future outcome they needed, following that modification. Ultimately though, I decided the reader can use their imagination to figure out how this was accomplished.

Q: What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?

A: I am currently working on a non-fiction book about sales and entrepreneurship – hopefully available by summer 2021. I am also jotting down notes with ideas for a potential sequel to Time Nova and ideas for a sequel to another fiction book I wrote called, Drew the Path. Not sure of dates on those projects.

Link to Article: https://literarytitan.com/2020/12/29/through-time-and-space/

Link to Purchase Time Nova: https://www.amazon.com/TIME-NOVA-Derrick-Bliss/dp/1735638609