Gregg Rosenblum Author Interview ~ JeanBookNerd

Gregg Rosenblum works at Harvard, where he wages epic battles against technology as an editor/webmaster/communications/quasi-IT guy. He graduated from UC San Diego and has an MFA in creative writing from Emerson College. He lives in Boston with his wife and daughter.

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Why is storytelling so important for all of us?

As C.S.Lewis said, “We read to know we are not alone.” Books help us make sense of ourselves and the world and each other.

What’s one thing that readers would be surprised to find out about you?

I’m afraid of dolls. There, I said it. I feel better now.

Beyond your own work (of course), what is your all-time favorite book and why? And what is your favorite book outside of your genre?

You’re really going to make me pick just one favorite? I’m going to cheat a little and say the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Not because they’re perfect—they’re not—but because of the impact they had on me as a kid. They set me on fire.

Outside of science fiction and fantasy—well, again I could fill up pages listing books I love. If you’re going to make me pick one, I’ll be forced to say The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway. Damn, that guy could write.

What was the greatest thing you learned at school?

That there’s always going to be someone smarter, or more talented, or richer—rather than wasting your energy wishing for what others have, make the most of what you’ve got through hard work.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received from another author?

A huge component of success in writing—no matter how brilliant you might be—is the ability to sit your butt in a chair and stay there for hours and work, and then do it again the next day, and the next. In other words, talent is useless without discipline.

Can you tell us when you started Revolution 19, how that came about?

Before Revolution 19, I had spent a long time writing adult, “literary” fiction. It was joyless. This was an effort to get back in touch with that kid in me who devoured sci fi and fantasy, who stayed up all night because he couldn’t put his book down.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating Cass?

I didn’t realize, going into the project, that Cass was going to be my favorite (don’t tell Kevin and Nick). She’s the most level-headed of the three, but she’s also very brave.

If you could introduce Kevin to any character from another book, who would it be and why?

I should probably say someone from a great cyberpunk novel, like Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson—Kevin would appreciate that—but no, I’m going to go with Frodo from The Lord of the Rings. They might not have that much in common, but I think they’d get along well. And maybe Kevin could introduce me to him.

For those who are unfamiliar with Nick, how would you introduce him?

He’s 17, in that funky time between being a kid and an adult. He can be a bit hot-headed and not think things through enough, but he has a lot on his shoulders—with his parents missing, he feels it’s his responsibility to take care of his brother and sister.

You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your readers. What would it be?

Read a lot. Mix it up—don’t just stick to one genre. Challenge yourself with something new and unusual.

Where is the best place in the world you’ve been?

The Lauterbrunnen Valley, in Switzerland. Google it. Unbelievable.

What's the most memorable summer job you've ever had?

Working in a dry cleaners in Los Angeles. I got to see Billy Crystal’s dirty shirts.

When was the last time you told someone you loved them?

I tell my wife and daughter every day.

When was the last time you cried?

December 14, 2012

What decade during the last century would you have chosen to be a teenager?

The late 60’s—just to see Jimi Hendrix in concert.

What's the loveliest thing you have ever seen?

Springtime waterfalls in the Lauterbrunnen Valley.

Where can readers stalk you?

On Twitter: @GreggRosenblum
Email: gregg@greggrosenblum.com

Twenty years ago, the robots designed to fight our wars abandoned the battlefields. Then they turned their weapons on us.

Only a few escaped the robot revolution of 2071. Kevin, Nick, and Cass are lucky —they live with their parents in a secret human community in the woods. Then their village is detected and wiped out. Hopeful that other survivors have been captured by bots, the teens risk everything to save the only people they have left in the world—by infiltrating a city controlled by their greatest enemies.

Revolution 19 is a cinematic thriller unlike anything else. With a dynamic cast of characters, this surefire blockbuster has everything teen readers want—action, drama, mystery, and romance.

Gregg Rosenblum’s riveting debut novel, Revolution 19, takes readers into the year 2071 where civilization is controlled by robots. These robots are the same machines that man made to fight their wars, but instead, man is now fighting them. Abandoning their posts in the warfront, the robots start a revolution and take control of the human population. Deep in the woods is a secret human community that siblings Kevin, Nick, and Cass call home. When their home is discovered, the robots waste no time taking organic life-forms prisoners. Evading their grips and optimistic that there are other survivors especially their parents, the siblings risk their own lives and go inside a robot-controlled city in order to save the last remaining of their kind.

The story that Gregg has weaved will take readers into a fast-paced roller coaster of action and adventure. The Robot Revolution of 2071 is a unique and refreshing approach in the robots-taking-over-the-earth concept. Gregg delivers a world that is absolutely mind-blowing as evident with the rich details he’s enclosed within the pages. He’s created robots that were meant to be servants to humans and made them into something really scary. The fact they are heartless creatures incapable of human feelings made their presence very intense and frightening.

The character development is amazing. The closeness between Kevin, Nick, and Cass is real and believable. Readers will enjoy that this story steers away from the usual betraying-sibling and are dosed with the powerful bond between three people.

Revolution 19 is a marvelous futuristic post-apocalyptic robot tale. Plenty of fiery action and edgy adventures that will keep readers’ attention remain at high levels throughout. There is a sense of more things to come and I certainly want to be there to soak up all of its splendor.

You can purchase Revolution 19 at the following Retailers: