H. L. Wegley served in the USAF as an Intelligence Analyst and a Weather Officer. In civilian life, he was a weather forecaster and a research scientist in atmospheric physics. After earning an MS in Computer Science, he developed computing systems for Boeing before retiring in the Seattle area, where he and his wife of 47 years enjoy small-group ministry, grandchildren, hiking Olympic Peninsula beaches, snorkeling Maui whenever they can, and where he writes inspirational thrillers and romantic-suspense novels.
How to connect with H.L. Wegley...
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HLWegley
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/10hubj8
Web site: HLWegley.com
Blog: The Weather Scribe
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hlwegley
Purchase On the Pineapple Express
Author Interview | H. L. Wegley
Tell us a little bit about yourself: How did you start writing? What has kept you writing?
...I started writing poetry for extra credit in elementary school, took advanced writing classes through high school, and extra writing classes in college. Working as a research scientist, I wrote books, research reports (often book length) and journal articles. But only after I retired did I start writing fiction. My first project, written in 2010, was so much fun that I worked on it until I received a contract for it in 2011. The enjoyment has remained, despite the brutality of book marketing, and now I have a contracted 4-book series, am finishing my 7th novel, and planning my 8th.
Do you have a favorite book or work that you’ve written? If so, why?
...My favorite is book 4 in the Pure Genius Series, Triple Threat, releasing November 14, 2014. I love the main character, Katie, a 15-year-old genius from book 2 who now is about to receive her PhD in Computing Security at the age of 20 (nearly 21). She’s rapidly falling for another genius in the department, also a PhD candidate, but he’s an agnostic, while Katie is a Christian. Over the course of the story, they argue, in short sound bites, nearly every major objection to the Christian faith. It was a fun way to condense my 10 years of apologetics study into the gaps between the action in this fast-paced thriller.
What was the hardest thing about publishing? The easiest?
...The hardest thing – rejections aren’t fun, but the hardest thing for me is the drudgery of marketing. I don’t like it and that makes me not as good as I might otherwise be. The easiest thing is, of course, the most fun part, drafting a new story. Creating characters and dangerous adventures for them is a blast.
Tell us a little bit about your book or what you’re working on currently? Why are you/did you write it?
...My latest release is On the Pineapple Express, book 2 in the Pure Genius Series. My heroine, Jennifer Akihara, a beautiful young lady with an IQ of around 200, does research for NSA and inadvertently discovers a human trafficking organization selling girls to international clients. I chose the subject matter after attending an awareness meeting on human trafficking. We live in one of the worst areas in the U.S. for child trafficking, and I wanted to expose this evil and, hopefully, motivate some people to take action in their communities.
Do you have a favorite character in this work? If so, why?
...Jennifer, a bright, beautiful Japanese-Hawaiian genius who has a heart for the oppressed, and is willing to go wherever God leads her, even into the gun sights of human traffickers. Jennifer is only 5 foot 2 and 110 pounds, causing people to underestimate the abilities of this formidable opponent. She’s not strong, but she’s quick, knows how to defend herself and can perform under pressure. One miscue around Jennifer will put you in checkmate.
What is one take-away from your book that you hope readers identify with?
...I’m going to mention 2 take-aways. First, God provides the courage we need to carry out His will, even in the face of our worst fears. That’s why He says 400 times in His word, “Do not be afraid.” Second, God has a heart for the oppressed. He hates oppression and loves for us to help the oppressed. We, who know Him, need to be helping the victims of trafficking. They are the oppressed, having been violated beyond what we can imagine … but not beyond what God can repair.
Writing
Where do you find inspiration for your story/characters? Are they based on real life or pure imagination or both?
...Many times I’ve drawn on experiences from my own life and woven them into the fabric of my stories. I’ve also drawn from the lives of people I’ve known, and I glue it all together with my imagination and a little logic.
When you write, what is your overall intention with your stories?
...My answer might surprise you, but please read the entire response. I write to entertain, but I do this so people will continue to read my stories. If they keep reading, then I have the opportunity to encourage and inspire them and to show them God’s character through the characters I create. That’s the ultimate goal, to let my readers know that this great God exists and to give them a better picture of who He is so they will establish, or grow in, a relationship with Him.
What advice would you give to aspiring authors for writing and/or publishing?
...The recognition of a good story seems to be planted in the heart of man, and stories have the power to impact our lives. Jesus showed us that. Once we realize this, learning the craft of story telling then takes on a great significance. So my advice is to learn the craft of story telling through good writing books, through reading good stories, by seeking help through organizations like ACFW, and, if you want to accelerate up the learning curve, through paid memberships in mentoring organizations like My Book Therapy.
You
Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what do you listen to?
...Much of the time I do. When writing intense action scenes, I have some play lists on the Internet of themes from military movies.
...When writing romantic scenes, I often put on some of the oldies, the romantic classics like Unchained Melody, I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You, or the Beethoven-Billy Joel medley called This Night.
...I’ve learned that I can write romance with a vocalist singing but, for any other type of scene, the music must be instrumental only.
What is your favorite season and why?
...Summer! I don’t even have to give that a second thought. My body is sun-starved most of the time and my achy joints and bones crave warmth. Those cravings are maximized by living in the Seattle area. Anyone want to trade homes for a few months? If you live in Florida or South Texas, how about a November through March trade. We have some really nice Christmas trees up here in the Northwest. :)
What is your favorite genre to read? Why do you enjoy it?
...High-action, romantic suspense and thrillers with romance are my favorite. Being a guy, I like action and action means something’s burning, blowing up, being shot or shot at, or such events are imminent. But thinking back to that very special time when we experienced young, first love. I only had that experience once and I’m glad. But 47 years later, it’s fun to give that experience to my characters and vicariously to my readers.
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Thank you so much for coming back to the blog, Harry! I love that, as you talk about your favorite book being #4 in your series, you are able to use your knowledge of apologetics in your writing. It's great that the Lord gives us passions and experiences to fit right into our writing! Plus, I love your take-away's for this next book in your series. Thanks so much for sharing with us and I'm sorry to say I don't have a house to swap with you because I'd take Seattle in a heartbeat! I just love the northwest :D Thanks again for stopping by!
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