Today we have another fun Q&A. This time I tossed some questions to J.H. Walker, the debut author of  Rewrite Redemption a contemporary YA romance with paranormal/sci-fi elements.

This one is getting rave reviews all around. The opening lines certainly caught my attention:

I killed my mother.

Okay, I didn’t exactly shoot her or stab her in the back or anything. But if I’d never been born, she’d still be here, simple as that.

Guilt by existence.

Rewrite Redemption by J. H. Walker 

The Q&A

Charlee: On your website you list things you’ve survived, including surviving a hurricane aboard an ocean liner, canoeing through alligator infested waters, sky diving, parasailing over the Pacific shoreline, rock climbing, a ropes course blindfolded, and walking barefoot across hot coals. Which of these was the most terrifying? Which of these (if any) did you most enjoy?

J.H. The hurricane was pretty scary, but my dad said we’d be okay and I believed him. We really got bashed around and our staterooms were flooded with about a foot of water. But no one on our ship was killed and we survived it. I look back on it as an adventure.

Walking on hot coals—wow! I look back on that and can hardly believe I did it. Logic says it can’t be mind over matter; otherwise more people would get burned. There’s a scientific explanation for how it works. But I didn’t know that at the time. The challenging thing about walking on hot coals is to get yourself to do it…to take that first step. I’ve done it three times. The last time I did a twenty-four foot walk and the coals were red-hot. You stand there in front of them and you feel the heat like crazy. But I watched other people walk and saw that they didn’t get burned. If they could do it, I knew I could too—evidence. The fire walks were powerful experiences. I’ll never forget them.

I really enjoyed rock climbing, skydiving too. But parasailing over the Pacific shoreline was absolutely breath taking. I loved it. I’ll do it again if I ever go back to Puerto Vallarta. It was wonderful, like flying. And who wouldn’t love to be able to fly?

Charlee: Which do you like best, Star Wars or Star Trek?

J.H. Star Trek. Its creator, Gene Roddenberry, is one of my heroes. He took on philosophical and sociological issues, handled them with finesse, while telling an enthralling story. He put women and people of color in places of power at a time when that just wasn’t done. He had a positive impact on our culture. Gene Roddenberry was a visionary.

Charlee: What superhero would you most like to spend a day with and why?

J.H. Wonder Woman was based on the Amazons of Greek mythology. Her mission was to bring the Amazon ideals of love, peace, and sexual equality to a world torn by the hatred of men. She was a feminist icon in a time when one was sorely needed. It’s the twenty-first century. Yet we still haven’t passed the Equal Rights Amendment or the Paycheck Fairness Act. And if you’ve been paying attention, you’d think we were back in the fifties when it comes to women’s reproductive rights.

If I had a day with Wonder Woman, I’d convince her to bring her Lasso of Truth into Congress and make some of these politicians tell the truth for once. Women should earn a living equal to their efforts. And old, rich, white men have no right to be interfering with women’s health decisions.

Charlee: What is your favorite SciFi novel?

J.H. Some of the classics have had significant influence on me at certain points in my life: A Wrinkle in Time, Stranger in a Strange Land, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Fahrenheit 451, and Flowers for Algernon. And, of course, Ender’s Game and The Handmaid’s Tale are pretty awesome. But I have to say that my favorite is a dog-eared, tattered copy of a book called Replay by Ken Grimwood. I don’t suppose it was the most well written or riveting story, although it was the 1988 World Fantasy Award winner. There was just something about the idea of reliving your life over and over that absolutely enthralled me. And isn’t that the most important thing about science fiction? SciFi introduces IDEAS that get people thinking…ideas that can be catalysts towards innovation and a more egalitarian society.

Charlee: What is the last book you read?

J.H. Specials by Scott Westerfeld. I’m a fan.

Charlee: What do you like most about the protagonist of Rewrite Redemption?

She’s faced incredible adversity, yet she perseveres. She’s developed an identity designed to make people ignore her, as she thinks being “invisible” is the best way to protect her secret. She’s never had the opportunity to acquire much personal power. Still, she’s tough in her own way. In spite of all that’s happened to her, she doesn’t spend much time feeling sorry for herself. When faced with a problem, she tackles it head on.

More about the book:

Rewrite Redemption by J. H. Walker

She’s sixteen. He’s seventeen. They don’t know each other…at least not yet.

She has a secret and her whole life revolves around keeping it. Every few months and with little warning, she simply disappears, pulled into the past for hours or even days. She’s terrified it will happen in front of someone, changing her life forever. So far, the only witnesses have been her parents, and that didn’t end well. She has no control over it and no idea why it happens to her.

She wants answers.

He has answers—at least he understands what’s going on. He has a secret, too. He’s part of an organization that goes back in time to rewrite reality. But he also has a problem. He broke the organization’s number-one rule by altering his own timeline. As punishment, he’s been blocked from time travel, which is most unfortunate. Because the changes he made to his timeline, accidentally resulted in disaster for his family. A disaster he’s now prevented from repairing. No one can travel beneath the organization’s radar except a Shadow. But they’re rare, so rare he’s never even met one.

Then he moves to her town.

For more About J.H., visit her website: www.jhwalkerbooks.com

Or find her at:

Twitter: @jhwalkerbooks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jhwalkerbooks