Illuminated's Matt Bronleewe dropped in for a visit.
Fiction character you would most like to be or most identify with and why?
I feel like I’m slowly becoming more and more like my main character in Illuminated – August Adams. He may be smarter and handsomer, but I’m trying to give him a run for his money in the adventure department! He has a love for rare and mysterious books, and that’s certainly something I’ve caught the bug for too.
Some out there in writing land have strange rituals. Share yours.
During the last week of finishing a book I lock myself away in a hotel room and live on nothing but Red Barron frozen pizzas and Mountain Dew Amp Tallboys. What a rush!!!
What crayon in the box describes you on a good day? Bad day? Which one do you aspire to be?
Crayon? I’m more like the sharpener on the back of the box!
Pick one…..Pink iguana, purple cow, periwinkle giraffe. Which one and why? Can be negative or positive.
Ummmmmm. I pick plaid wildcat. Or speckled muskrat. Or…sorry…what were the choices?
If you were assured of writing a best-seller, what genre would it be? Give us a sliver of information, a characteristic or glimpse of a scene.
I’d take THRILLER (luckily, the genre I’m already in!) because there are so many different approaches. Historical thriller. Serial killer thriller. Wild mutant forest creature thriller. (Ok…I made that one up…but why not??)
What period of history intrigues you the most?
The Middle Ages. Secret societies, massive religious wars, political zaniness… Huh. I guess some things never change.
What would you write if there were no rules or barriers? (epic novels about characters in the Bible, poetry, greeting cards, plays, movies, instruction manuals, etc.)
Rules? Barriers? What are those?
What makes you feel alive?
Spending time with friends and family. Writing is fun, but in the end I have to remind myself that IT’S ALL JUST MADE UP! NONE OF IT REALLY EXISTS! I feel alive when I see my little girl smile, or my wife laugh, or my boys playing in the backyard.
Book, music, person, food you would take with you on a very long trip.
War and Peace. (You said LONG trip, right?) My wife Karin. And as for the food…well, we’d just have to hit every non-chain joint along the way!
Where would you most like to travel ----- moon, north pole, deep seas, deserted island, the holy land or back to a place from your childhood,somewhere else? – and why.
I would love to go to Antarctica. I just completed my second book – HOUSE OF WOLVES – and Antarctica acts as one of the settings. (I can’t tell you why! It’s a secret!!) Getting to Antarctica was impossible for me…so I had to read as much as I could to get it right… But maybe someday!! (Anyone willing to let me hitch a ride??)
Favorite season and why?
I know I’m supposed to say SUMMER or FALL or whatever, but I choose THE HOLIDAY SEASON!! Thanksgiving, then my birthday, then Christmas, then New Year’s…it’s madness!
Favorite book setting and why?
For whatever reason, I love any stark, cold environment. Maybe it’s because it puts an immediate edge on the story – it’s intrinsically hostile. I like it so much that I decided to place a portion of my second book – House of Wolves – in Antarctica. But I can’t reveal why!!
Which compliment related to your writing has meant the most and why?
A friend told me that my first book – Illuminated – didn’t sound like me. “Why is that?” I asked. “It was funny and intelligent,” came the reply. Huh. Thinking about it, maybe that wasn’t a compliment.
Superhero you most admire and why?
Batman is pretty great because all the other heroes have lasers shooting out of their eyes and knives ejecting from their forearms and all kinds of cool stuff and all Batman has is a lousy utility belt. He must feel cheated at times, but it doesn’t keep him from kicking butt. Good on you, Batman!!
Super power you'd love to borrow for awhile?
The ability to detect the thoughts of barnyard animals.
Favorite chore
I’m sorry, did you say favorite CHORE? Does watching dvds of the tv show 24 count? What about eating pizza? Does that count?
Societal pet peeve…sound off.
Yeah. How about that person behind the counter at the movie theater who moves at a snail’s pace while my movie starts and I’m missing the trailers and it shouldn’t matter because it’s just the trailers but then again sometimes they take SO LONG TO GET MY POPCORN “DID YOU WANT BUTTER WITH THAT?” HE ASKS FOR THE 2 MILLIONTH TIME and then the movie actually does start and now I’ve missed the first all-important ten minutes where the whole plot is set up and “I’M SORRY SIR, DID YOU SAY BUTTER OR NO BUTTER?” oh my word I’ve told this guy NO BUTTER so many times I think maybe now he’s just trying to sell me on the idea of adding butter JUST GIVE ME THE POPCORN!! NOW!! WITHOUT BUTTER!!
Just hand over the popcorn and have a great weekend!
