After taking some time over the past several months to consult, beta read, and edit The Gates to the Galaxies! by J. Dalton, I strongly felt the need to interview Dalton. Over the course of our professional relationship, I’ve gotten to know J. a little bit, and I can safely say he is an author worth getting to know. He’s inspirational, both in persistence to better his craft as well as his tenacious nature and zeal for life and family alike. You can check out my review for his debut work, The Gates to the Galaxies! here.
And now, without further ado…
When did you first begin writing creatively?
Except for work, I had never written anything in my life other than a note on a Christmas card or a sympathy card to someone whose family member had died. It never crossed my mind to be an author!
Then, at the ripe old age of 64, I stepped off the edge of sanity, and wrote my first book, “The Gates to the Galaxies!”
I discovered that I actually like telling stories. I now write primarily for my enjoyment!
What inspired you to write science fiction?
I’m a newbie to writing. I really didn’t know how to do research on historical things and, quite frankly, didn’t want to take the time I wasn’t sure I had.
Writing Sci-fi allowed me to create a setting that existed in my mind. I could create an entire world, species, concepts that existed not in fact, but inside my mind. It also allowed me to change the things that I thought were wrong with conventional sci-fi stories, like the over use of “Warp speed”. In my book, they use folded space technology to travel through a galaxy and a “Gate” to go from one galaxy to another. I introduce several other unconventional concepts in each of the books in the series.
Have you always been a sci-fi fan?
I always liked the thought of “what else is out there”, but the original “Star Trek” got me hooked, despite the corniness and limited production qualities. It was just fun for a young kid with a questioning mind. The later versions became too politically preachy for me to really get into them.
You say at the end of your story that The Gates to the Galaxies! originally began for your grandkids. Could you tell us a little more about that?
I had been feeling tired and basically run-down for several months, and even my co-workers had asked if I was alright. Like any man, I ignored all of the warning signs. In August of 2016, I had to go in for my yearly physical (required for the company’s insurance policy), and of course, the Doctor had a blood draw done. The next day, the Dr.’s office called and wanted me to come back in and have another blood test done. The Dr. was concerned that there was a possibility that the previous test had been processed incorrectly. I went back, had the blood drawn, and the next day, the Dr. called and wanted me to go see a specialist. She thought I might have Leukemia because my white blood cell count was off the chart. The next day, (who gets an appointment with an oncologist in one day? That spooked me!) I had a bone marrow biopsy and was diagnosed with CML Leukemia (Chronic Myelocytic Leukemia). My world had just turned upside down! I stopped back into work and told my boss about it and that I needed to take the sick time I had built up, in order to fight this.
Over the next few weeks as I got sick from the high dose of chemo pills, I did a lot of thinking about what my legacy to my children and grandchildren would be. I didn’t want them to just remember me from pictures and stories told while drinking at holidays, so I decided to write a story for them that they could have, and re-read to their children, and their children’s children, and tell them about the crazy old man that started all of this silliness.
Are there any family jokes hidden in the story?
Absolutely!
One of the characters in this book is named Alain Rench. When my daughter was very young, she had an imaginary friend she called Alan Wrench, so I used that as a name just as a reminder of those times. Also, she used to call Chimpanzees, Zanzees, so I named the space ship the “Zanzee” after that. The featured character in the first book, Sheeva Glatt, is a sentient cat species based on our own cat. In the later books in the series, I work in other members of the family and friends, by using part of their names or their personalities. I thought it would be a good way to poke fun at them for generations, because that’s how our family is. We tease and love to laugh at each other.
Is there a primary lesson in the story that you want your grandkids and readers to remember?
The story arc throughout the series is always about good triumphing over evil. There are many different species that live and work together always for the good of each other. Looking back, I think as I was writing, and especially in the second book, “A Return to the Gates” where I introduce a new adversary, subconsciously I was thinking, good was going to conquer evil. (Leukemia).
I want people to open their minds to possibilities. Not just about space and time, but about the world around us. Just because it hasn’t been done yet, doesn’t mean that it’s impossible.
Which character in The Gates to the Galaxies! do you relate to the most, if any?
In this book, probably Sheeva Glatt. She has been chosen to fight for the safety of everyone around her, and her love for her family makes her determined to succeed.
Do you have a favorite author? What’s your favorite book they’ve written (and why)?
I don’t have one favorite. I love variety. I’m a new indie author, and I read almost exclusively sci-fi indie authors. I find a lot of them have fantastic stories, that just lack the polish of an editor. I got Kindle Unlimited as a Christmas gift, and it is not unusual for me to read one of them in a day!
I like that they often stray from the “formula” for a fiscally successful book and tell the story that is in their heads.
I do like to read most of the works by M.R. Forbes, Douglas E. Richards, Terry Mixon and Ken Lozito.
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The Gates to the Galaxies! is available on Amazon Kindle and is well-worth a couple hours of your time to read. In my career, I’ve worked with a great number of authors, all of whom are incredibly dedicated and passionate about their stories. However, it is with personal experience that I can attest to J.’s affection for his work in a way that I scarcely see. Even if you aren’t a sci-fi fan, I strongly suggest giving his work a chance – after all, if I’ve learned anything in my career so far, it’s that the genre isn’t nearly as germane as the author’s passion, and that’s something that leaps from the pages into the reader’s heart, faster than the speed of light.
The Pensive Bookworm 