Computer Love Inc. II: Gestation
Computer Love Inc. Series
Book II
Kurt and Jessica Hansen
Genre: Science Fiction
ISBN: 978-0989068338
ASIN: B00O05VR6C
Number of pages: 215
Word Count: 46,095
Cover Artist: Steven J. Catizone
Book
Description:
After
the sudden deaths of two previous Computer Love Inc. CEOs, Marius
takes control of the company. Embracing the talents of his godson,
John, and his best friend, Zak, he hires the boys to oversee the
Companion Services Division.
Marius
refines his breakthrough technology, the Brain Machine Download, and
as a result, creates his double, M2, as the prototype. Together, they
ignite the future of
Computer
Love Inc. by acquiring an elite team of scientists to expand the
company’s technological boundaries. Meanwhile, Marius struggles
with the government’s demands for a clandestine initiative - the
Secret Service Companion.
Between
the looming government presence and the overwhelming force behind his
new team of inventors, can Marius survive the outcome of his own
creations?
About the Authors: Kurt and Jessica Hansen reside in northern New Jersey . Kurt has worked in the aerospace electronics industry for over three decades and enjoys the outdoors, writing, and composing music. Kurt is easily recognized with a guitar in his lap, a pencil in his mouth, and a piece of paper in front of him. Jessica graduated from Montclair State University, summa cum laude, with a B.A. in English. Her favorite pastimes include reading, running and spending time with her family. She can usually be found with a book in one hand and a hazelnut coffee in the other.
Interview
Where are you from?
We have both resided in Northern New Jersey for many
years. Although our family enjoys living among the Appalachian Mountains, the
call of the Florida sunshine is ever looming.
Tell us your latest news?
Blog tours are very exciting! We recently published
our second novel in the series, and as indie authors, we are so happy with the
feedback that we have received thus far. We are now working on the third
installment of the trilogy, and we are both very excited to begin polishing up
the first version.
When and why did you begin writing?
Jessica has loved books since she could first read.
Her love for writing grew throughout many years of reading other authors’
stories. As father and daughter, they’ve read all of the Harry Potter series
together, year after year, while curled up on the living room couches. Kurt has been a songwriter and musician for
decades and just adores a good story, especially if it has a twist. The
Computer Love Inc. trilogy started from a song Kurt wrote many years ago, which
can be viewed via the music tab on their website at www.computerloveinc.com.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Kurt here: Both Jess and I love to write, although
she is more knowledgeable and proficient at writing than I am. After all, she
graduated college suma cum laude with an English degree. I graduated from song
writing to crafting novels mainly due to the collaboration with Jess. At times, I do question whether I may have an
overactive creativity gland in me that just won’t stay locked up; but for that,
I am very grateful.
What inspired you to write your first book?
The series is based on a song that Kurt wrote many
years ago, which described a futuristic company that made Companions, or biorobots,
to help the elderly, sick, or those seeking companionship. It was actually
written as a commercial for the company, Computer Love Inc., which made the
biorobotic Companions. Kurt released a video on youtube which can be seen at
the following site: www.computerloveinc.com
Do you have a specific writing style?
We tend to worry less about style during the early
stages of writing, and more about just getting it down. We call this “the throw
up draft,” because the story lives within us and we just need to get it out.
Later, we go back and try to incorporate detail, inject sensory elements, and
tweak the dialogue. In other words, we don’t have a specific writing “style,”
but it is a collaborative effort in which we try to utilize one another’s
strengths.
Kurt tends to be the creative driving force, and
comes up with ideas and plot lines, while Jessica expands upon those ideas and
executes the narrative.
How did you come up with the title?
The title was
derived from the song Computer Love. Because the novel revolves around the
characters that run or work for the Computer Love Inc. company, we added the
Incorporated, or “Inc.,” to the title of the novel. As the story is our
humanistic view of what may happen when biorobots are injected into our
society, we wanted to establish the company as the leader in biorobotic technology during some indeterminate time in the
future.
Is there a message in your novel that you want
readers to grasp?
Throughout each of our novels, morals tend to be the
crux of the story. Meddling with technology makes for great stories, but the
reality of what may come with artificial intelligence impregnating humanity is
unknown. In other words, take inventory of your actions, and ask yourself
whether or not you’re really helping society, or if there are moral
repercussions to your behavior.
How much of the book is realistic?
As sci-fi authors, we both believe that all of the
ideas in this novel are tangible, though perhaps not within the next ten years,
nor even the next twenty. However, at the pace that science is progressing, and
current government plans concerning robotics (including those to construct and
deploy robotic eels to perform surveillance missions throughout the worlds’
oceans), we may be closer that we all realize.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events
in your own life?
The idea for the song that kicked off this series
was brought about by two work associates that Kurt knew back in the 1980s. In
passing conversations with two individuals at work, both had tried computer
dating services. One of the two gentlemen actually married the woman that he
met via cyber space. How cool is that?! That is where Kurt got the idea for the
song. Why rely solely on humans for companionship? Perhaps, one day it could be
possible to order a companion that is manufactured to you own personal tastes…
What books have most influenced your life most?
Kurt- 20,000
Leagues under the Sea by Jules Verne, The
Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, and 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
Jess - A
Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, Night Film by Marisha Pessl, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth
Stein, A Room of One’s Own by
Virginia Woolf, and many, many more!
If you had to choose, which writer would you
consider a mentor?
We have both been influenced by the works of Ray
Bradbury, Aldous Huxley, and George Orwell, all of whom have tackled the genre
of science fiction in groundbreaking ways. While we both cite these authors for
inspiring us to take on sci-fi, here are a few of our individual favorites:
Kurt - Arthur C. Clarke, for his imaginative science
fiction work, Jimmy Buffett, for his brilliant storytelling abilities, and
Ernest Hemingway, for his direct style and ability to masterfully capture the
life of a fisherman.
Jess - There are far too many to list, but here are
a few: Gillian Flynn and Tana French, for crafting complex psychological tales,
Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Virginia Woolf for their ability to examine gender
issues through writing, Dave Eggers, for his unique stream-of-consciousness
style, and David Sedaris, whose satire never disappoints.
What book are you reading now?
Jess is reading Yes
Please by one of her favorite actresses, Amy Poehler. Kurt’s “to read” pile
is overflowing, but Jess has recently passed along Dave Eggers’ The Circle, which he intends on reading
over his winter break.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your
interest?
Aside from the authors listed above, we find it very
interesting that a lot of YA authors today are taking on the dystopian genre.
In particular, we found Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games series very intriguing
and thought-provoking.
What are your current projects?
We are currently working on the third installment of
the Computer Love Inc. series, so check our website, www.computerloveinc.com,
for updates!
What would you like my readers to know?
We would like our readers to know that we greatly
appreciate them taking the time to read the Computer Love Inc. series. Although
science fiction may not be the most commonly read genre, we feel that our
novels encompass much more than sci-fi elements, and that these concepts are
accessible for all readers to enjoy. Also, we would like our readers to know
that we welcome any and all types of feedback. We would love to hear from you,
so please, reach out to us!
www.ComputerLoveInc.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Computer-Love-Inc/396920320362031
twitter: @ComputerLoveInc http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7134845.Kurt_Jessica_Hansen
Thank you for featuring us on your blog! Good luck to all who enter the giveaway contest.
ReplyDelete