Photo Content from Bob Blanton
Bob Blanton has been an avid reader ever since his mother first took him to a library at age five. He toyed with writing for years after finishing college, but was always too busy to complete a novel. While working for Hewlett Packard Co. and traveling on long business trips to Singapore, Europe, and India, Bob wrote books in his head. After he retired to the beach in Mexico, the only things that competed with writing were the sound of the ocean and sunsets over the water, so he was actually able to finish writing the books he started. Bob completed his first three books, the Stone Series, and he has been working on the Delphi in Space series for the past two years. Now that he has started to publish his series, he hopes you enjoy reading them as much as he has enjoyed writing them. Check back for other books as he continues to ply his new trade.Bob was born in Augsburg, Germany, the son of a U.S. soldier and a German national. His father moved the family back to the U.S. when Bob was six months old. As a child, his family moved almost every year until Bob was fourteen, but they managed to stay in Colorado Springs, CO, for three years before his father retired from the military. The family moved to Noble, OK, just south of Norman and the University of Oklahoma, where Bob attended college. He raced to the west coast as soon as he graduated, and lived in San Diego, CA, for over thirty years while working as an engineer and manager at HP. After retiring, Bob and his wife moved a few miles south to Mexico where they are enjoying their home on the ocean.
What inspired you to pen your first novel?
I’m always daydreaming about what if I had, or I could. I’d tried to write several novels but could never finish one. My first novel, Matthew and the Stone, came from an ongoing conversation with my mother about astral projection. She was a believer; I was like, if I could do astral projections I’d be rich, king of the world. That led to the imagining of the power of the stone. I wrote the first draft within a week.
Tell us your latest news.
The books are doing well. As you know, book six was published in April. Book seven will be out late July. I’m trying to complete the draft of book nine, hopefully I’m done by the end of June. While working on book nine, my editor is doing book eight, and I have some rewrites to do in it to fix the problems she’s found.
We’re still hunkered down due to covid-19. But one can’t complain when you’re overlooking the ocean. But I am getting antsy, I usually prefer to stay at home, but not all the time!
Who or what has influenced your writing, and in what way?
I have to give credit to all the greats, Wells, Heinlein, Asimov, Niven. I was an avid reader as a child and young adult. I’m always looking for a new sci-fi series. I’m also a big fan of mysteries and historical novels. Historical mysteries are the best:)
I’m an engineer, and love science and technology. I feel that we could do a better job of exploiting technology if we would have a more pragmatic approach. Greed and the fear of new technology disrupting the money train, hinder the advancement of technology.
Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
After publishing the fourth book, there was a period of time when all four were in the top twenty in one of the Sci-Fi categories on Amazon. I have a snapshot of the screen where they are in a square grid, #8, 9, 11, 12. I was thinking, ‘wow, maybe I do know how to write.’
What do you hope for readers to be thinking when they read your novel?
First, I want them to be having fun. Second, I hope they are imagining themselves as one of the characters, wondering what they would do if they were there. And I hope they’re thinking, ‘why don’t we do that?’ relative to making the world a better place.
In your newest book, DELPHI FEDERATION (Delphi in Space #6); can you tell my Book Nerd community a little about the novel?
Delphi Federation takes place after the Paraxean war, where rebel Paraxeans had decided to conquer Earth. Earth won the war, mainly due to MacKenzie Discoveries and the technology from the starship Sakira that the McCormacks discovered in book one. And the crew just happened to find a way to travel faster than light.
In Delphi Federation, the crew tries to figure out how to utilize the faster-than-light travel, and continue to introduce the technology from the Sakira to Earth while confronting the powers on Earth that aren’t happy with what they’re doing. They are forced to confront what it really means to have all that power. They have to decide what to do: Do they continue to try and lie low, or do they step up?
What was the single worst distraction that kept you from writing this book?
The holidays and family. I wrote the book between October and January. So quite a few distractions. Then we were planning a family cruise for the summer (that’s not happening). But I struggled with the ending, and eventually did a big rewrite of it and some of the chapters leading up to it.
Which of your characters do you feel has grown the most since book one and in what way have they changed?
Catie; she was supposed to be a distraction and a foil for her father and uncle. But for lots of reasons she took over. She’s getting older, so lots of change between ages 12 and 15, and she’s being guided to be more responsible about her actions. She starts out a bit used to getting her way, and has to figure out how to really take on more responsibility for her role in MacKenzie Discoveries.
What chapter was the most memorable to write and why?
Chapter 7: Women united. I had been ignoring Dr. Metra, using her mainly as a foil, so I thought I should do a chapter about her. When I thought about what she would do in the situation, I came up with the reproductive rights slant. I’d already set that up in Delphi Station with the spat between her and Marc about Catie’s rights. Then I just had to let it flow.
TENS FAVORITE READS EVER
- Ringworld by Larry Niven
- Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov
- Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein.
- A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
- Hamlett by Shakespeare
- Shogun by James Clavell
- The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cromwell
- Genghis: Birth of an Empire by Conn Iggulden
- Exodus by Leon Uris
- Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy
Despite popular belief, a hammer and a feather do not fall at the same rate in a vacuum. Makes for a good short argument.
What according to you is your most treasured possession?
My Murano Bull. A glass bull I saw in Venice and didn’t buy, but called them up from Rome before we flew home and bought it. They said, “Yes we remember you. The bull was ….” They really did remember me.
Best date you've ever had?
Ha!, first date with my wife:)
If you wrote a journal entry today, what would it say?
Sitting here listening to the ocean waves, answering this questionnaire, and looking for excuses not to get back to book nine. Draft is kind of done, but I have to expand on a few chapters. Write about … and come up with another twenty thousand words. Scary, but all but the first three books have been this way.
What event in your life would make a good movie?
My wife and I did a trip to Europe. We’re really five-star hotel travelers, but we had to cut expenses for this trip. We went to Crete for five days. We had reservations at a hotel for two nights, but after we were awakened at 5:30 in the morning by a group of Germans doing their daily exercises we checked out. We traveled all over the island, just gambling we’d find a place to say. It was an amazing experience. We were on a road, reached a for, so we took the better road, and ended up in the middle of a farmer’s field. We passed a donkey carrying firewood. All those images that they show to highlight Greece and its rural roots.
Which incident in your life that totally changed the way you think today?
When as a manager I had to fire my first employee. It was hard, and I thought it was as much our fault as his.
What is one unique thing are you afraid of?
Being alone.
What was the best memory you ever had as a writer?
Writing my first book. It was like I was on drugs. It just flowed. One week to first draft.
Where can readers find you?
FACEBOOK Page
My books are on Amazon Kindle and Kindle unlimited.
After winning the war against the Paraxean rebels, now the McCormacks have to win the peace. Everyone on Earth now knows that they have alien technology that they've been hiding. What changes when they come out into the open? How do they handle their new leadership role on Earth? When lives are threatened they step up, but when they can’t control the situation they have to take a bigger step. Read how the machinations on Earth get in the way of exploring the stars.
You can purchase Delphi Federation at the following Retailers:
And now, The Giveaways.
Thank you BOB BLANTON for making this giveaway possible.
1 Winner will receive a Copy of Delphi Federation (Delphi in Space #6) by Bob Blanton.
I like playing video games
ReplyDeleteMy favorite thing to do alone is read.
ReplyDeleteGaze at the stars. An open, star-studded sky works well to put things into perspective. I grab a blanket and head to a spot where I'll have the best visibility.
ReplyDeleteI like to read.
ReplyDelete