Author Interview - Vincent Trigili

The Speculative Fiction Showcase interviews Vincent Trigili, author of the Lost Tales of Power series.


Apple or PC?

Hmm, how about oranges? I really love oranges! They are one of the best foods ever! They also make the best juice ever! You do not want to peel one if you have a paper cut though, just trust me on this. Pouring the juice from them in your eye is not advised either.
Oh, you probably were not talking about fruit. Sorry! In my daily work life I use various versions of Linux, Windows and Mac, but my home machines are all Macs. I fine the Mac OSX to be easier to work with, and I love the retina screens.


Do you use Scrivener or Word?

Scrivener is a great program – for a different kind of writer. It is really designed around the plotters and outliners. I am a discovery writer which is a technique does not work well in Scrivener at all. I have used it, and own a copy, but I crank out my novels in MS Word 2011.

Do you have any pets? Do they influence your writing?

We currently have a dog. We have had him longer then our son has been alive. I would not say he influences my writing any more than any other part of my life. A writer builds his stories out of his experiences and life. So in that sense everything he does, everything he owns, and everyone he knows influences his writing in some way.

Would you rather see your stories on the big screen or the little screen?

The big screen is dying, in my opinion. I know there are still a decent number of people that just have to see new releases on the big screen and pay through the nose for tickets, but I do not see that continuing forever.

That being said, there are some really epic space battles in my books that would really rock on a large screen with the high-end audio! I would love to see it done!

Are you hooked on any of the shows on the sci-fi channel? If so, which one(s)?

We do not subscribe to cable, so no I am not. My wife and I do enjoy catching Dr. Who on Netflix for an occasional binge. We also like Star Trek and some other programs, but I could not tell you if any of them were on the Sci-Fi Channel. 

Do you own copies of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings DVDs? The extended version? Do you ever watch them?

YES! The full on extended version. It is what 500 hours to see them all? Great movies! Easily among the best films in my lifetime.

Have you seen the first two parts of the The Hobbit? Are you planning to see the final installment?

We have not seen any of them yet. Once all three are out on DVD or preferably Netflix we will watch them. I have only seen one movie in the theater in the last decade, and that was the Lego Movie, which is and awesome movie for young and old alike!

Are you a Luddite? Or do you prefer to be on the bleeding edge of technology?

I am not a luddite that is for sure, but I can not afford the bleeding edge of technology. I find that sitting 1-2 generations behind the bleeding edge seems to get you the best buy for your dollar, and does not limit you from doing the kinds of things you might want to. I stay current on what is out there and coming up, but try to spend my dollars wisely.

Are you--or have you ever been--a gamer?

Yes. I have been, and will be again. I much prefer the MMORPG style of game, and am fairly notorious in many of them; at least I was when I was still playing. I have taken a break from them because the amount of time they were eating up. I could not do both work on my writing career and game, so I have put the games to bed for a while.

What kind of foods do you eat?

OREO!!! Love triple-double-stuff! Oh, you probably mean more in general. Oreos aside, I prefer natural foods that have very simple ingredients.

Are you a health-food-nut or is it strictly junk?

I tend to moderate on both. I love fruits, and as I mentioned Oreos. I think what is important in a diet is a good variety of natural wholesome foods from all categories, and allowing oneself to splurge on junk food from time to time.

Do you cook? What is your best/favorite/most popular recipe?

My wife does most of the cooking, but I do some of it. I have recipe for Chocolate Truffles that many have told me they would kill for. They take a couple days to make and are packed with enough calories to make an elephant fat. YUM.

Have you ever heard of or had a green smoothie? If you’ve ever had one, what did you think about ?

OOOOOHHH! Like a mint chocolate chip milkshake? Love them! They should be a central part of everyone’s diet.

OK, so I just Googled “green smoothie” and it seems that you probably do not mean milk shakes, but I do not understand why you would not prefer a milkshake to grass in a blender. If someone made one for me I would try it, but I think I will stick with my mint chocolate chip milk shakes for now.

Do you have a garden? Have you ever grown your own food?

Not currently, but I have in the past and plan to in the future. Nothing beats fresh fruit and veggies from a home garden. They have so much more flavor than anything you can buy in any major store, and are usually much bigger. I am told they have more nutrition also, but I have no way to know if that is true.

Have you ever been to Starbucks?

Does a duck have wings?

Coffee or Tea or Water? Espresso, Drip, Instant, or French Press? Bag or Looseleaf? Bottled, Filtered, Tap or Rainwater?

Coffee, brew it any way you want, just use fresh beans, ground just before brewing. All of the coffee, ALL of it in the grocery stores is stale. Fresh coffee that is brewed directly after grinding and within a couple days of roasting is far more flavorful than anything in the stores.

Do you wear socks?

Yes.

What are you wearing right now?

I can not answer this question, since I do not know to which “now” you are referring to. Are you thinking “now” as in when I am typing, or “now” as in when you typed the question? Or perhaps you mean “now” when you read my answers? I guess the most correct “now” would be when someone reads it on the blog, which means I could be wearing anything or nothing at all.

How often do you wash your hair? 

Which one? I have lots of them, maybe millions of them, on my head, arms, face, legs, and most of my body. I try to get to each hair at least once a day, but with so many of them to keep up with it is hard to know if I got them all or missed one. So I guess you can say at least yearly. That would be safe.

Do you do your own laundry?

No, my wife does most of the laundry. As with all other chores, I do some of it from time to time, but she does most of it.

Does life fascinate you?

It fascinates me that life exists at all.

What would your animal totem be?

Wolf.

Do you recycle?

No. I think recycling is a great idea, but my current location does not provide for it.

Do you do Yoga? Meditation? or Deep Breathing?

I try to breath regularly, each day. I find it very useful for common activities such as staying alive.

Does it help you cope?

Yes. By allowing me to stay alive, I have an option to cope with life. If I stopped breathing, I would be unable to cope. At all. Every again.

On a scale of 1-10, how eccentric are you?

I have no idea. First off is 1 or 10 the bad side, and while we are at it, is more or less eccentric bad? Also how would I know if I was eccentric? Oh! I bet there is an online quiz for that, be right back after I check. Okay, according to one quiz, I am not eccentric at all, and according to a different one I am very eccentric. So there you have it!

What’s your astrological sign?

Depends if you mean under the old system that uses star charts that do not actually match the sky, or the updated system with corrected star charts. Under the old system it was Aries. Under the new system it is Pisces.

Do you consider yourself a slave to the muse?

No. It is a give and take relationship. Sometimes the muse gives me stuff, and sometimes I have to take it. 

Vincent, father and husband of nearly two decades, holds degrees in both Math and Computer Science. In addition, he has published an astronomy journal, numerous articles, poetry and other works.
He got his start in writing fiction as a small child, losing himself in the worlds he dreamed up in order to escape the doldrums of normal life. Now, using his formal education and extensive career experience, he excels in creating fictional worlds of depth and rich fantasy, while maintaining a foundation of reality based on science and technology.
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For more information on the series, and other news, stop by the official website at www.losttalesofpower.com
Buy his books at Amazon.