March 1, 2009

Virtual Book Tour - Ransom Noble

Today, my first foray into virtual book tours begins. My guest author is Ransom Noble. I'm being interviewed by Kathy Stemke. If you get a chance, please stop by at http://educationtipster.blogspot.com and say hello.

But is with great pleasure that I welcome Ransom to my blog.


Ransom Noble has always loved stories. She’s been an avid reader and writer as long as she can remember. Believing determination can help one attain any goal, she set her sights high and achieved many goals. Her love of the sciences led her to a career in mechanical engineering and often pushes her imagination into the speculative fiction realm.

Ransom and her husband enjoy watching movies and playing games with their friends. She likes to go see local bands play and occasionally attends sports events at her alma mater. Her live-and-let-live policy extends to stinging insects and spiders, which earned her the nickname the Wasp Whisperer.

Ransom currently resides in Des Moines, Iowa, though she’s lived several other places. She's sure she isn't fond of snow since she was born in Modesto, California, and didn't learn what it was until she was eight. She graduated from engineering at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.

Her work includes “Qui’s Contract,” a short story that appeared in Ruins Metropolis in June 2008 and The Art of Science, which will be published in 2009.


Ransom, so we can get to know you, please answer a few questions for us.

What is going on with your writing these days?

Working on my second YA novel and I just finished a submission to a science-fiction anthology.


Why do you write?

Because I love it and I can’t stop. Ideas pop in my head, even while writing other things. I don’t want to let them escape and I enjoy sharing them with others.



How old were you when you first started writing?

I’m not sure. I remember in 4th or 5th grade I was chosen to be part of a journal because of my story about a dragon and a mouse. I think they took the best elementary submissions from all over Iowa, but it’s been awhile. I know I started making up stories around 1 year old, because we got a TV around that time. Mom would catch me watching it (when it was off) and asked me what I was doing. Apparently I told her it was more fun to watch when it was off because I was making up my own shows. Through junior high I made up several stories to fill the required journals for English class and continued because my classmates loved to read them (and I loved to write them and thrived on their participation). Somewhere toward the end of junior high and into high school I switched to poetry, then back to prose when I began college classes (during high school). I had to keep my first Physics notebook from college because it had too many story scenes where I got bored during lectures. When I got out of college, I took a couple correspondence courses because I wanted to learn more and give myself an excuse to write, but work often made me too tired to do it on my own. Still, I finished my first novel while working as well as several short stories and some unfinished novels. Now I write full-time, as well as being a stay at home soon to be mom.


Who are your influences?

Judy Blume, Robert Heinlein, Mercedes Lackey


Where is your favorite place to write?

Somewhere quiet without many distractions. I can write with distractions, it’s just easier when they’re not around. I also like music going while I do, sometimes.



Can you list all your book titles so people can look for them?

Science Fiction and Fantasy Anthology: Ruins Metropolis, by Hadley Rille books

Upcoming: The Art of Science, YA novel by 4RV Publishing, LLC.



Can you tell us where to find more information on you? Website? Blog?

www.ransomnoble.wordpress.com


Is there a place where readers can reach you?

Noble.ransom@gmail.com



Thank you for stopping by Ransom.

9 comments:

Nancy Famolari said...

Great to learn more about Ransom. I'm eager to hear more about her next YA novel. I too loved Jude Blume.

Donna McDine said...

Kevin...great first virtual tour interview...way to go!

Ransom...I too like to write with music on. But it depends...love rock, but can't write to it. I usually have inspirational or classically music on low in the background.

Thanks,
Donna McDine
Marketing Manager
www.storiesforchildrenmagazine.org

Mayra Calvani said...

Interesting interview! I'm intrigued by your YA novel's title. I thought at first it was a nonfiction book. I'm going to check it out.

Good luck with your tour!

Nice blog, Kevin! Keep up the good work!

Mayra

Karen Cioffi said...

Kevin, wonderful first post for Virtual Book Tours.

Ransom, I see you like to write somewhere quite without distractions, ha,ha,ha - when are you due?

Your books sound great.

Karen

Ransom Noble said...

Thanks for hosting me, Kevin! I appreciate all the comments, too. The Art of Science is indeed a fiction novel; I had a lot of fun interspersing some science stuff in it.

Vivian Zabel said...

I'm just now able to leave a comment. Every time I tried yesterday, the comments section disappeared.

The Art of Science will be out later this month, depending on the printing company's schedule, and it is an interesting one.

Kai Strand, Author said...

Great interview. Thanks for the info. Ransom, I look forward to The Art of Science, but I love your NAME! I'll read your work just because you have such a great name :) Good luck with the release.

Anonymous said...

Great interview, Kevin! And thank you, Ransom, for letting us get to know you better. I enjoyed the questions you chose for the interview Kevin. Can't wait for the next one!

Susie Sawyer

Kevin McNamee said...

Thank you everyone for visiting my blog and getting to know Ransom.

Kevin