Beverley Bateman

Guest Author of the Month

I'm very pleased to introduce our next Guest Author for this month. He is Lee Gimenez. I hope you enjoy meeting Lee and learning a little about him

Lee Gimenez

BEVERLEY: Can you tell me a little about yourself?

LEE: Here’s my bio:
Lee Gimenez (www.leegimenez.com) is the best selling author of three books and over fifty short stories. His sci-fi novel, AZUL 7, was published by Whiskey Creek Press in 2009, and it became a Best Selling sci-fi book on Fictionwise (the Barnes & Noble Company). His short story collection, THE TOMORROW SOLUTION, was published by CS Publishing in 2009, and it became a fiction best seller in 2009 on Amazon. Lee has  completed a new sci-fi novel, VIRTUAL THOUGHTSTREAM, whichwill be published by Double Dragon Press in October 2010.

He has been widely published in magazines in the United States, Australia, Canada and England. His stories have appeared in these magazines: Cosmos ; Nature ; Afterburn SF ; Orion's Child ; Beyond Centauri ; Escape Velocity ; Bewildering Stories ; Fifth Dimension ; Antipodean SF ; Concept Sci-Fi ; AlienSkin ; Aphelion ; Ascent Aspirations ; Morpheus Tales ; Dark Fire ; The Cynic ; Static Movement ; Abandoned Towers ; Golden Visions ; Calliope ; Sonar 4 ; M-Brane ; Arcane Twilight ; New Voices in Fiction ; Expressions ; Skive Quarterly ; Writing Shift ; Green Wave.

He is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), and is a Featured Author on their website. Lee earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgia Tech University and a Masters degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University. After college, he served as an officer in the U.S. Army. During his business career in marketing, he worked for three Fortune 500 companies, Verizon, Tech Data and M&M Mars. Lee lives with his wife in Florida. In his spare time, he sea kayaks the coastal areas of the state. His website is www.leegimenez.com.

BEVERLEY: I know you write Sci-fi.  Do you write in any other genres?

LEE: I mostly write science fiction, but have also written action/adventure stories.

BEVERLEY: Tell me a little about AZUL 7.  Where did the idea come from?

LEE: AZUL 7, my novel, was based on a short story that I wrote several years ago and had published.

BEVERLEY: Do you do a lot of research for your books? And if yes, how do you go about researching the information?

LEE: My research usually involves the scientific background for developing settings in planets of other solar systems.

BEVERLEY: What's your biggest challenge when writing - hooks, sagging middles, other?

LEE: Developing the plot, then the character development. Once you have those fleshed out, the rest comes easily.

BEVERLEY: Do you have a routine for writing? And if you do can you share it with us?

LEE: I try to write every day, even if only for a short time.  My goal is to write 1,000 words a day. That’s not easy to do, but it’s always my goal.

BEVERLEY: If you could be any one author, who would it be and why?

LEE: Lee Child is an author I really admire. His lean prose and exciting action sequences are excellent.

BEVERLEY: What kind of books do you enjoy reading? And who are your favorite authors? 

LEE: I like to read sci-fi books. My favorite sci-fi authors are: William Dietz, Eric Brown and S.L. Viehl.

BEVERLEY: Do you spend much time marketing? And what do you feel works best for you?

LEE: Yes, I spend quite a bit of time marketing. Before I got into writing, marketing was my profession, so it’s something I enjoy. I market through my website, www.leegimenez.com. I also market through my Facebook page, my Twitter page and my MySpace page.

BEVERLEY: For all those aspiring writers out there who are looking for that magic formula - do you have any suggestions for them?

LEE: The most important advice is to always keep writing, and don’t let rejections get you down. Keep writing and submitting.

BEVERLEY: What do you do for fun and relaxation?

LEE: My wife and I like to sea kayak. It’s a great sport.

BEVERLEY: Is there something about yourself that you'd feel comfortable sharing with your readers that maybe, not many people know?

LEE: I have a Bachelor of Science Degree from Georgia Tech University and a Masters degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
BEVERLEY: Thanks for doing this interview. Find out more about Lee by visiting him at www.leegimenez.com. You can also check him out at http://whiskeycreekpress.com.

Please come back next month and check out our author interview with Mike Ryan  who writes Inspirational and Mystery.

Publishers, agents, and fans. Contact BEVERLEY by clicking here.