| Interview with Will Azeperak |
First off, thanks so much for joining us for an up-close and personal interview for TeensReadToo.com!
My name is Jen, and I’ll be your server toda…oh, wait, wrong job! Anyway, thanks so much for taking time
out of your writing schedule—which I’m sure is busy!—and answering a few questions for your readers
and fans.
Let’s get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you
wanted to be a writer?
Realizing that I wanted to be a writer was a slow process.
When I was in college, studying engineering, my English Professor enjoyed a story that I wrote and told
me that I should continue to write. Like many young people that receive good advice, I didn’t follow it –
until many years later. Every night, I was challenged by my children to create a new bedtime story. From
their enjoyment of those stories, I reconsidered my old professor’s advice and finally followed it.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
I’m still on that road – My book, The Zambinos of Blue Hill: The Proving, is self-published.
Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one
thing about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?
The Proving is a Science Fiction story aimed at two kinds of readers; those that enjoy a classic adventure
and those that don’t normally like Science Fiction. The Proving is as much a family saga, as it is a
futuristic vision. I didn’t skimp on the technology. I’ve got some concepts in The Proving that will make you
think.
Side Note: If any of my readers grow-up to be scientists and invent: Fanicalloy, yummy cells, liquid
electricity, Newton Spheres or any of the other things in my book – I want my cut!
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
Isaac Asimov and Jules Vern. I loved Vern’s adventures and Asimov’s style.
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
I am married to the most beautiful woman in the world (no-really). She is much smarter than me and edits
my writing and says things like: “You can’t write that!”
We have three children, two boys ages 16 and 14 and one girl age 12, all of which are smarter than me
as well. They review my writing and say things like: “Dad, there’s a character like that in Artemis Fowl and
you can’t use it – don’t you read?”
We have a very old cat, a bird and a large Tortoise named Terry. Terry became too big for our yard and
he now lives happily in a reptile park in Tampa. We visit him often.
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
Pasta. I grew up in an Italian family - there need be no further explanation. The Zambinos also love pasta
which is prepared to perfection by their kitchen robot YoHo.
I also love candy—chewy, sour candy. I can’t resist Sour Patch Kids, Now & Laters, Red Vines, Laffy
Taffy… Basically, anything that will destroy my teeth.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
I brush my teeth. I look under my bed and then I send a gravity wave signal to the Antares star system to
let them know that now is not the time.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise
me the most?
I don’t have an attic or a basement. As for the closet… let’s just not look in there.
Everyone asks the question about “if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?” so I want to know: If
you could be a color, which color would it be, and why?
Oooo, Wait! I want to answer the tree question:
I’d like to be an unknown invasive species that grows One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty feet tall,
drops itchy fibers, stinks really bad, cannot be controlled and only grows in Wal-Mart parking lots.
Color: Blue – Most things that have a big impact are blue.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
Ren & Stimpy, Spongebob, The Simpsons, Animaniacs, Bugs Bunny… I LOVE CARTOONS!
I have to say that the cartoon character that is most like me is Droopy Dog.
If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world (“Beam me up, Scotty!”), during any time in history,
where and when would it be—and why?
First I would like to go back in time, before Columbus, to the American Southwest and become a Hopi. I
am fascinated with Native American culture. I read the book 1491 and was filled with wonder on how
different American history would have been if disease hadn’t ravaged the American native population.
Then, I would like to serve on a sailing ship in the 1700’s – rough life, but fascinating.
However, I caution my readers to be careful not to over-romanticize the past. The “good ol’ days” weren’t
good for everyone. Life throughout history has been very hard. In spite of the bad hype we give our
present age, we live in the best of times. Read history and see for yourself.
So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while
you’re writing?
When people are in the room, I listen to classical music and pretend that I know how to conduct. Then, as
soon as they leave I switch to techno-bop and break-dance.
All right, so I don’t do that – actually, I do listen to Classical when I write. I like bombastic music with a
beat, when I exercise. I also like Billy Joel.
Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again?
I like Monk and King of Queens. I loved Big Fish and anything from Tim Burton.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
Be many things.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
The next story in the Zambinos of Blue Hill series is The Tiger in the Maze. It is about Scoom’s realization
of his vast mental power and the darker side of human nature. The third book will be about the Zambino
boy’s training for General Ossypumfanufaru’s secret mission.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
My name is Jen, and I’ll be your server toda…oh, wait, wrong job! Anyway, thanks so much for taking time
out of your writing schedule—which I’m sure is busy!—and answering a few questions for your readers
and fans.
Let’s get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you
wanted to be a writer?
Realizing that I wanted to be a writer was a slow process.
When I was in college, studying engineering, my English Professor enjoyed a story that I wrote and told
me that I should continue to write. Like many young people that receive good advice, I didn’t follow it –
until many years later. Every night, I was challenged by my children to create a new bedtime story. From
their enjoyment of those stories, I reconsidered my old professor’s advice and finally followed it.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
I’m still on that road – My book, The Zambinos of Blue Hill: The Proving, is self-published.
Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one
thing about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?
The Proving is a Science Fiction story aimed at two kinds of readers; those that enjoy a classic adventure
and those that don’t normally like Science Fiction. The Proving is as much a family saga, as it is a
futuristic vision. I didn’t skimp on the technology. I’ve got some concepts in The Proving that will make you
think.
Side Note: If any of my readers grow-up to be scientists and invent: Fanicalloy, yummy cells, liquid
electricity, Newton Spheres or any of the other things in my book – I want my cut!
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
Isaac Asimov and Jules Vern. I loved Vern’s adventures and Asimov’s style.
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
I am married to the most beautiful woman in the world (no-really). She is much smarter than me and edits
my writing and says things like: “You can’t write that!”
We have three children, two boys ages 16 and 14 and one girl age 12, all of which are smarter than me
as well. They review my writing and say things like: “Dad, there’s a character like that in Artemis Fowl and
you can’t use it – don’t you read?”
We have a very old cat, a bird and a large Tortoise named Terry. Terry became too big for our yard and
he now lives happily in a reptile park in Tampa. We visit him often.
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
Pasta. I grew up in an Italian family - there need be no further explanation. The Zambinos also love pasta
which is prepared to perfection by their kitchen robot YoHo.
I also love candy—chewy, sour candy. I can’t resist Sour Patch Kids, Now & Laters, Red Vines, Laffy
Taffy… Basically, anything that will destroy my teeth.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
I brush my teeth. I look under my bed and then I send a gravity wave signal to the Antares star system to
let them know that now is not the time.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise
me the most?
I don’t have an attic or a basement. As for the closet… let’s just not look in there.
Everyone asks the question about “if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?” so I want to know: If
you could be a color, which color would it be, and why?
Oooo, Wait! I want to answer the tree question:
I’d like to be an unknown invasive species that grows One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Twenty feet tall,
drops itchy fibers, stinks really bad, cannot be controlled and only grows in Wal-Mart parking lots.
Color: Blue – Most things that have a big impact are blue.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
Ren & Stimpy, Spongebob, The Simpsons, Animaniacs, Bugs Bunny… I LOVE CARTOONS!
I have to say that the cartoon character that is most like me is Droopy Dog.
If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world (“Beam me up, Scotty!”), during any time in history,
where and when would it be—and why?
First I would like to go back in time, before Columbus, to the American Southwest and become a Hopi. I
am fascinated with Native American culture. I read the book 1491 and was filled with wonder on how
different American history would have been if disease hadn’t ravaged the American native population.
Then, I would like to serve on a sailing ship in the 1700’s – rough life, but fascinating.
However, I caution my readers to be careful not to over-romanticize the past. The “good ol’ days” weren’t
good for everyone. Life throughout history has been very hard. In spite of the bad hype we give our
present age, we live in the best of times. Read history and see for yourself.
So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while
you’re writing?
When people are in the room, I listen to classical music and pretend that I know how to conduct. Then, as
soon as they leave I switch to techno-bop and break-dance.
All right, so I don’t do that – actually, I do listen to Classical when I write. I like bombastic music with a
beat, when I exercise. I also like Billy Joel.
Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again?
I like Monk and King of Queens. I loved Big Fish and anything from Tim Burton.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
Be many things.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
The next story in the Zambinos of Blue Hill series is The Tiger in the Maze. It is about Scoom’s realization
of his vast mental power and the darker side of human nature. The third book will be about the Zambino
boy’s training for General Ossypumfanufaru’s secret mission.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!