The Upload Tour with author, Collin Tobin!

Follow Collin’s Tour & Giveaway, here

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Publisher: Red Adept Publishing

Blurb:

Someone’s always watching.

Jay Brooks’s life is in chaos. His mother’s sudden death has unhinged his father, making Jay a stranger in his own home. He seeks solace by spending his spare time with his best friend, Bennie, but matters are further complicated by his crush on Chloe, Bennie’s older sister.

A wheelchair-bound hacker, Bennie Welch practically lives in his basement computer lab. Longing to make genuine connections to the outside world, he secretly films people’s precious memories for later sale and surfs the crowds at rave parties, despite the danger to his frail body.

One night, Jay’s hobby of Wi-Fi hotspot hunting turns serious when he unwittingly blunders into the scene of a crime and downloads a mysterious transmission. When Jay brings Bennie the contents of the transfer, Bennie embraces the opportunity to use his skills to investigate.

As Jay and Bennie dig deeper into the world of electronic secrets, they find that the simple video has far-reaching implications that not only threaten their lives, but society as they know it. Tracing the mysterious coalition responsible leads them on an inexorable journey that will change them forever.

Interview:

Where are you from? Tell us a little about yourself!

I’m from Massachusetts. I spent a few years to be closer to some family that migrated to South Carolina, but I’m back up in Massachusetts with my wife and two daughters.

Tell us about your book? How did it get started?

With an epiphany. When I was growing up, my mother was always keenly interested in true crime, Anne Rule stuff, medical mysteries, and so on. I think because of that, I had become intensely interested in shows like City Confidential, Unsolved Mysteries, Forensic Files, etc. I think such massive exposure to violent crimes, and the execution of the follow-on investigations intrigued me. You start to envision the execution of the perfect crime, what clues one leaves behind, how investigators might better solve crimes.

How do you create your characters?

So far, main characters tend to be an amalgamation of several people I know, taking an a la carte approach to creating the character.

What inspires and what got your started in writing?

I had always been a quieter kid, and an avid reader. I always marveled how a book could be so much more entertaining than, say, a movie. How the authors could accomplish this—to engage your imagination so completely, intrigued me. I wanted to see if I could do the same, and started writing short fiction and poetry in my early teens. Of course, at that time, I didn’t realize I was ruining the purest of my joys at the time, because after you start writing, you never read a book the same way again, just for pure enjoyment.

Where do you write? Is there something you need in order to write (music, drinks?)

Preferably two feet from my daughters while they play a rousing game of Operation. Just kidding. But this is actually happening as I write this. A short intermission while I move. Regarding “needs” during writing… Is this a substance abuse question? A sensitive subject for many writers, I’m sure. I pretty much just need a room with a bit of sunlight, some music, coffee. Okay, we narrowed down my substance abuse problem: coffee.

How do you get your ideas for writing?

I like for the original idea to be interesting to me, so I want it to be somewhat unique. One that isn’t too overdone. So it’ll usually come along by accident. For example, my next novel idea, named “dirt”, I literally just drove by it: a building was being demolished very close to a neighborhood, and the next business to be built there was going to be curiously close to a neighboring home. Almost close enough to dig a tunnel?

What do you like to read?

I like to read fairly literary stuff, like Nabokov (that’s the salt), and then wash it down with fun stuff like John Sandford or Lee Child (the tequila). It’s a good combination.

What would your advice to be for authors or aspiring in regards to writing?

I say keep the writing as naturally as possible. Don’t ever worry about sounding literary—if you adapt that kind of written voice, it’ll be a long slow process of removing yourself from it. Stay interested in what you’re writing about, make sure you’re curious enough with your characters and plot to live with them, in very tight confines, for months and even years on end.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Upload was a complete blast to write, and I hope you can read it and enjoy it in the same vein.