Today at Smart Girls blog, we host author Lea Kirk!

SGLSF: Do you remember the first book you read as a child?

LEA: I wish! I had books in my hands even before I could read. But, I do remember the book I read as a youngster that had the biggest impact on me. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C. S. Lewis. My aunt handed it to me when I was visiting once, and I couldn’t put it down until I finished it at 2:00 a.m.! Even now, decades later, I will still pull this book off my shelf from time to time and lose myself in Narnia.

SGLSF: What is your ideal writing environment?

LEA: It depends on my mood. Most days I’m fine sitting at the desk typing away. Other times I hole up in my bedroom, sitting on my bed with my laptop. Either way, I need quiet, so most of my writing is done while my nerd-herd is at school. I love my kids, but they can be loud.

SGLSF: How would you describe the SF Romance genre and what draws you to it?

LEA: I’ve been a geek forever. It’s my dad’s fault. He introduced me to Star Trek TOS at the tender age of six, and I fell in love with the concept of exploring the stars and meeting alien races. For me, science fiction and romance are a natural combination. No topic is off base in SFR, it’s an exciting, forward-thinking genre and a great model for what diversity should look like. I love the freedom SFR gives me when I write.

SGLSF: What do you think makes an engaging hero or heroine?

LEA: A strong conviction to what’s right and wrong. The good of many outweighing the good of few, or the one (you read that in Spock’s voice, didn’t you?) resonates with me. Ordinary women—or men, too, in the hero’s case—called upon to do extraordinary things. Their inner turmoil when the challenge presents itself, their process to accept it, and how they accomplish and grow from their experience.

SGLSF: Please tell us a bit about your most recent project.

LEA: My debut book, Prophecy, came out last month (yay!). It’s the first in my SFR series, the Prophecy Series. I love my H&H, Alex and Gryf, they were awesome characters to write. Also, my short story, All of Me, will be released in April. Right now, I’m working on Salvation, book two of the series. This one is about Alex’s brother, Nick, and a young Japanese woman named Sakura. In it, you’ll find out what happened to K’rona and the dissenters from book one, and discover something about Dante Dacian that no one knows. Mysterious enough for you? I have three books planned for this universe, and some short stories/novellas too.

SGLSF: What SF tech do you think will be a reality in the future?

LEA: Artificial gravity, ship wide, like in Star Trek, etc. I really, really want this to happen. Look, I can’t even get into a car without conking my head. If I were to go into space without gravity, I’d be a concussion target. We need artificial gravity. After that, we need warp speed. (Are you listening Neil deGrasse Tyson? You know people…make this happen! Tick-tock, baby. I’m not getting any younger.)

SGLSF: Tell us about your dream spaceship.

LEA: Well, it’d have artificial gravity throughout, of course. Sleek lines, but not compact…I like to get up and walk around. It’d travel fast enough to cut travel time between planets to hours or days. A kitchen and a chef would be necessary as I’m not a great cook. And the bathroom would have a lock on it. (Yes, this is a problem in my house. And don’t say, “TMI!” You asked.)

Links:

Website: http://www.leakirk.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeaKirkWrites

Others: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14584538.Lea_Kirk