Scott Collins Interview

Okay, so you might not be able to judge a book by its cover, but you can certainly tell if your interest has been piqued by it.  Let me just say the cover of this month's featured book certainly caught my attention!
  Anyone who is interested in 2012 will will want to read on as Scott L. Collins has agreed to stop by and introduce us to his 2012 thriller, DAYS' END.  And, while he's here, he might as well tell us a little about himself too!


Thank you for sharing this interview with us, Scott.  Please, tell us what your book is about.

Nysa is an up and coming DNA retrieval expert well known in the scientific community for her advances in the technology used in the field. After being recruited to work on a secret project by an extraordinarily wealthy and mysterious benefactor, Nysa is moved to a hidden lab outside Denver, Colorado. Isolated from the world and forbidden from contact with anyone outside the facility, she is unaware of the strange occurrences that begin to plague the planet. Her fiance Alastair becomes concerned about her welfare and, with the help of his father, begins a frantic search for her. They soon come to realize that their quest is producing more questions than answers, and some very unsettling questions at that.

Only one person, the silent man financing the operation, knows the true nature of the experiment. Although unaware of his true identity, Alastair comes to realize his foe will stop at nothing to see the experiment through to its completion.



I love a good book that features a little science.  Can you indulge us with some specifics on the area of science DAYS' END focuses on? 

The story revolves around scientists exploring capabilities and focusing on the question of "can it be done?" rather than "should it be done?" How much damage can be done by not considering the consequences of our pursuit of knowledge? Cloning is one perfect example of that. If there is nothing more to life than DNA and chromosomes, than no problem. But what if there's more to it than that? Will our arrogance in our studies wind up being the cause of our ultimate demise?



That is a fascinating angle to tackle in a story.  What inspired you to write DAYS' END?

The idea for the book was developed some time ago over dinner with some friends. It was just a general plot line, but the idea stuck in my head and I began to develop the story and characters. My wife finally got tired of me talking about it and told me to put it on paper. Having two young boys and a full-time job, most of my writing was done in the evenings and on weekends over roughly two and half years.



Since there is science involved, I have to assume there was some research that went into the making of DAYS' END.  What surprised you the most while researching for your story?

There was more research done for this story than I care to remember. While it's certainly no dissertation, the book still required a more intimate knowledge of biology than I would otherwise care for. The research began as general internet searches to nail down the basics, but I quickly discovered that I'd need a more narrowed focus for some aspects of the story. Not knowing what I don't know, I decided to ask for help (I know, I'm a man and not supposed to do that). Becca McConnell was a great help in explaining to me the process of DNA extraction and the difficulties involved in the work. OK, one problem down, now for the nasty part. Security systems threw a nice monkey wrench so I'd like to thank Robert Garder and PJ Leyden for their assistance in this area.

What do you hope readers to come away with when they read your book?

Only that they enjoyed it. Anything else is just icing on the cake. :)

Tell us a little about yourself?

I was born in Southern California, but currently reside just south of Denver. I've got a beautiful wife and two adorable children and when I'm not with them I enjoy biking and running.

Who or what encouraged you to become a writer?

My wife as described above.


Are you currently working on anything else?

I'm currently working on a young adult fantasy series. I'm finishing up editing the first book while I work on the second. I'm anticipating it being a four or five book series. I wanted to write it now so I don't miss out on the opportunity to read it to my children.


This book is definately on my 'must read' list.  Where can readers go to buy DAYS' END?

Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com, smashwords.com, tatteredcover.com are just a few of the places you can go to purchase my book.


Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

I just want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read my book and especially those who took the time to provide feedback. Whether positive or negative, I appreciate those who offer up their opinions on the book and what I can do to improve.



So how does 2012 tie into DAYS' END?  Well, As Scott put it, it's kind of hard to explain without giving too much of the story away!  So if you want to see how this author used his genius to bring actual, real-to-life science onto the diverse canvas that has become 2012, you'll have to read DAYS' END for yourself! 

In the meantime, you can learn more about Scott and his writing on his website at http://www.scottlcollins.com/.

Thanks Scott!  I look forward seeing more works from you in the future!