Roy Mauritsen is the author of Shards of the Glass Slipper, an epic fantasy fairy tale adventure in 2 novels, Book I: Queen Cinder & Book II: Queen Alice
SciFi Rock n’ Roller Coaster: Hey Roy! You strapped in? Let’s have some fun! Have you ever, or would you ever go sky diving? Details!
Roy Mauritsen: I’ve done a lot of exciting stuff…. been SCUBA diving with 30 reef sharks, horseback riding across the Scottish highlands, white water rafting in Costa Rica, African Safari, and I’ll do more to be sure… BUT I am not drawn to sky diving… but who knows, one day I might have an opportunity and I’ll probably give it a shot!
SFRRC: We have a magic kitchen, which can prepare any meal you want. Cost and prep time are not an issue. You can either eat alone, or invite guests from anywhere in time and space, fictional or real. What’s your ideal, one-time only menu? Who joins you? And what’s the venue?
Roy: The best memories are made with life-long friends and some really good BBQ in the back yard. Having the time to gather all in one place like that would be magical. And maybe Steven Spielberg…
SFRRC: Speaking of appetites, when it comes to fiction, what three books would you most like to read that you haven’t gotten to yet?
Roy: Genius De Milo by some guy named Russ.., The IX by Andrew Weston, and Patrick Thomas‘ Murphy’s Lore … I’ve actually never read it and I’ve known Patrick for years! Ha-ha! I have no time to read.
SFRRC: What book, in any genre, has stayed with you the most, long after you read it?
Roy: Alice in Wonderland. I read it as a child and now some 40 years later I based one of my novels off of it.
SFRRC: Star Wars or Star Trek? Why?
Roy: Star Wars always appealed to my sense of adventure.. Star Trek I like too, but seems a little bit more structured and science-y. Plus lightsabers.
SFRRC: Favorite character from any SciFi movie?
Roy: Buckaroo Bonzai jumps to mind. But I’m sure there are others!
SFRRC: There’s been a resurgence over the last decade, bringing SciFi back to TV. Favorite SciFi show that’s debuted in the past ten 10 years?
Roy: I really enjoyed the reboot of Battlestar Galactica.
SFRRC: We love Rock n’ Roll here at SFRRC. What’s your favorite kind of music? And if you could go on tour with any solo artist or band, for one year, all expenses paid, from any time in history, who would that be?
Roy: I listen to a wide range, but generally it’s mostly progressive and World I’d say… But top of the list is YES. Their music has always resonated with me on a much greater level than any other.
SFRRC: In our bag of tricks is a single wish, granting you one, specific super power — which you can use at your discretion for one full week. You have to pick now. One-time only offer, and your power can’t be that you can give yourself more powers. What’s your power, and why?
Roy: Teleportation: global range. So I can travel more efficiently on a week-long vacation!
SFRRC: Now that your powers are used up, we can now send you to a magical realm filled with wonders and dangers with almost unlimited possibilities, where you’ll encounter all sorts of creatures, friendly and otherwise. If you go, there’s a 50-50 chance of you making it back to the life you know now. If you do make it back, you’ll be filled with stories to share that authors can only dream of inventing. But if you don’t make it back — whether dead or alive, thriving or not — you can’t ever return, and the people you know in this life will have no idea where you’ve gone or what’s become of you. Would you go?
Roy: Definitely I’d go! Because as much as it a chance to lose a part of your life it’s also a chance to encounter a new life. Change it up! These days most people are tethered to their old lives, restrained from developing a new life for themselves.
SFRRC: When you writing career is over, how would you like to be remembered, both as a person, and as an author?
Roy: As someone who set out to do things and accomplish some if not all, rather a person that merely talked about doing great things as they sat on the sidelines watching life go by.
SFRRC: OK. We’ve tortured you enough. You’re a writer. What are you working on now? Promote away!
Roy: As a writer AND an art director for two small press publishers I’m quite busy. These days I have my artist cap on and I’ve been doing a flurry of book covers for Perseid Press.
On the writing front I’m scratching out story ideas I’m a huge planner and not the most prolific of writers so there’s lots of planning before I even start to crack the next story.
The other hat I have on is Audiobook producer. My first novel Shards of the Glass Slipper Queen Cinder has been turned into audiobook (available on audible). I worked directly with the narrator, and myself spent weeks mixing in music and sound effects to make it a more immersive listening experience. At over 16 hours long that was quite a task.
I did it again for a short story entitled “Syrenka” which a prequel story to my first book. And I will be doing it again as we’ll be recording book II. That audiobook should be out next spring!
Thank you very much for reading!
Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1w0-1QojUo
Book I: Queen Alice
Book trailer:
Audiobook ( Book I) audiobook promotional trailer:
http://www.shardsoftheglassslipper.com
