Gayne, Tell us how you became a writer.
Gayne : I’m not exactly sure to be honest. Writing has always been a part of my life. My mother still has comic strips that I wrote when I was in first grade (Yeah, they’re not very good by the way).
I started getting serious about writing when I was in college at St. Edward’s University in Austin. I began writing and selling history articles to a few magazines. That progressed into me writing about the outdoors and then my trying fiction.
I write because I enjoy it and because it allows me to do things I’d never be able to afford to do otherwise. My writing has taken me to Africa and the Amazon numerous times, Papua New Guinea, South America, and a few other out of the way places.
What motivated you to write Bug Hunt?
The need for beer money!
No, seriously, I was introduced to Severed Press through a friend. I was always a fan of old pulp fiction from the 1900’s – 1960’s – stuff by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E. Howard, Mickey Spillane, etc. – and Severed has more or less brought that style of story telling back to the forefront. I wanted to try my hand at that genere so I came out with the idea of a hunting safari for insects and wrote the book in a few months. I asked Severed if they were interested in reading it. They said yes and sent me a contract a few days later.
Writing Bug Hunt was a lot of fun. I got to use my outdoor knowledge of safari, hunting, firearms, and game animals in a science fiction world. That was something I’d never really tried before.
What is the age group that this book was written for?
I didn’t write it for any age group specifically but I’ll say that if it were a movie it’d probably earn a PG-13 rating. I think anyone that likes adventure and fast action or sci / fi will enjoy it. I really had fun writing it and I think it comes across in the book.
If you could have us ask you any question what would it be?
“Gayne, you’ve written some very serious pieces in your career. You’ve interviewed presidents and celebrities and covered some very important topics. Didn’t you feel kind of dorky writing a science fiction story about big game hunters getting shrunk so that they could hunt insects?”
What would be the answer?
Yep. I felt dorky a lot of times.
But it was a good kind of dorky.
At times, writing the book gave me the feeling of being a kid and going to the theater to see Star Wars for the first time. Writing some sections of the book, or even just coming up with the idea for the book, just filled with a kind of childish enthusiasm that I haven’t really allowed myself to experience much as an adult. It was kind of fun to let myself go and to just throw myself into an imaginary world. Albeit a world very much grounded in reality.
How can people buy your book?
And please leave a review!
I mean, what can’t you get on Amazon.
Seriously.
Try stumping Amazon sometimes. Just type in some random object. Chances are Amazon’s selling it or can find you one.
How can folks follow you on social media?
Hang out with me on Instagram and Facebook
Thanks for the interview. He’s always interesting and I did like the book very much. It’s always great to see how writers think.