Troopers, this month we were hard pressed to find a Decopunk author-- but, as you all know, Ooorah is swarming with A+, kickass authors. This month's author spotlight is the kind and charming @elveloy. @elveloy put her best foot forward in the last SciFi Smackdown, defeating all foes to claim the prize. Be sure to check out her winning entry, linked on our Ooorah homepage, and enjoy her sit down with @parishsp here. 

So, who are you—tell us a little about yourself. 

I live in Australia with my partner, daughter and two cats.

After thirty years of working with the unemployed, coping with threats, tears and broken lives (and these were only from fellow staff!), I took early retirement.  Best decision ever!  Now I can spend my days actually doing what I always dreamt of - writing (and occasionally fishing!). 

I write a mixture of sci-fi short stories and also some LGBT novels, which are really gay romances but set in space.  Space operas, I guess you could call them. 

When did you begin writing 

A long time ago. When I was in primary school my favourite lesson was 'Composition.'  I can remember the teacher reading out a few of my works to the class, much to my proud embarrassment and everyone else's rolled eyes.

 Why SciFi?

Are you kidding?  It's the best genre to use your imagination, to boldly go etc.  I was brought up on Star Trek and Dr Who.

 What's your favorite story you've written?

Hard to say - they're are all like a different piece of me.

 What is your fan's favorite story you've written?

Judging by the number of reads per chapter, I'd have to say "Breaking China" for the straight sci-fi and "Pirate" for the novels.

 Who are some of your influences? Favorite writers?

 I love Torchwood(!) but ... favourite authors?  Hmm - depends on the day!  At the moment, I'm reading L.E. Modesitt's Imager series  Growing up, I had a good grounding in the classics, Asimov, Heinlein etc but then I got into Anne McCaffrey, Marion Zimmer Bradley and Catherine Asaro  - which are more fantasy / sci fi.  I don't have a science background so writing romantic sci-fi is much easier for me than the hard science genre.

 Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

Hard to say.  I have read so much over the years that I think my mind is a huge cauldron of soup, where story lines and 'what ifs' swirl around.  Every so often an idea will float to the top and I'm off and running, to totally mix the metaphor.  I've been having a lot of fun lately with various smackdowns - I find they are really valuable for stirring up new ideas.

 We know some of the big authors, Orson Scott Card or Tolkein for example, incorporate their religion into their work. Are you religious? If so, do you incorporate it into your stories?

No, I'm not religious. I'm a firm believer in Monty Python's Meaning of Life - "Try and be nice to people, avoid eating fat, read a good book every now and then, get some walking in, and try and live together in peace and harmony with people of all creeds and nations." 

Others say your first novel is usually autobiographical in nature. Did you find this was the case? Do you ever base characters or situations off real life situations? How do you balance that?

Gosh I hope not, unless I am a gay man living on a space ship and just don't know it! Dangerous Tension was my first novel on wattpad As to using real life situations - I certainly incorporate small bits and pieces such as mannerisms, places or phrases.

Who is your favorite character you've written into a story? Why?

 Another tough question!  Today I'll say Molly in Emerald Warrior.  She's a timid girl on Earth with a liking for Irish dancing, but she gets a second chance on another world to become a kick-ass warrior.  It's all about wish fulfillment!

Walk us through your writing process—how does it begin? What do you do when you get stuck? How do you decide when the story is over?

This might sound a bit lame, but the first thing I decide on is the name(s) of the main character(s).  Then I take it from there!  I don't generally work to a set outline, except within the constraints of a smackdown, and more than once the characters have taken the plot in quite a different direction from the one I originally intended.  When I get stuck, I just sit down and write something, anything!  Then delete or cut and paste afterwards if needed, once the story is flowing again. 

Endings are interesting things aren't they?  Sometimes I just know when that's 'the end'.  A line or phrase will just 'click' as the only way to end the story, as in Portal.  However, in my novels, I'll often reach a certain point which I think is the end, and then think of a whole new subplot.  I did that three times with 'Untouchable'!

(& in the spirit of this month's theme, Decopunk)

So, Vera, Decopunk is one of the lesser known subgenres of scifi-- be honest, were you familiar with it before this issue?

Not at all.  To be honest, I hadn't even heard of steampunk or candlepunk either before entering Forbidden Planet's smackdowns!  The FP Guide to Sci-Fi subgenres is my new best friend. 

What story of yours is closest to this specific subgenre?

Ah - none really.  'Gladiator', written for ChallengeCorner's GrandPrix challenge, is set in ancient Rome, but it's not sci-fi.

Are there any unpopular subgenres that you dabble in on a regular basis?

Let me see!  I'll just check 'space opera' as a search criteria on wattpad  - hmm, only one page of entries!

Which is your favorite?

That would be Fantasy, I think.  Such a broad category to have fun with.