Debbie Hightower

Tell us a little bit about yourself, your hobbies and interests.

My personal belief is that you can't become a viable author without first being a prolific reader. Since the possibility of heading out into outer space is an impossibility, I live vicariously through my science-fiction characters.

When and why did you start writing books?

I wrote my first book at age 7. Began handwriting a novel on notebook paper as a teenager.

What made you decide to tackle writing as a career?

Self-publishing is what brought my author career into focus. I control the vertical. I control the horizontal. I can publish as many novels as I want without the limitations of attracting a publisher.

Which one of your books or characters is your favourite?

In the American Survivor novel, my favorite character is Raven Munoz. Spoiler warning: In the beginning, she was nearly dead. At the end of this book, she recovered, published a book exposing the murderers and went on to achieve her greatest dream.

Which one of your books was the hardest to write and stretched you the most as a writer?

I wrote books 1 and 2, 4 and 5 of a five-book series. For Book 3, there were a lot of loose ends that needed to be tied up. We needed for someone to improve faster-than-light travel. Oh, and invent an anti-gravity shuttlecraft--two of them, in fact. Then we needed to convince a sixty-something billionaire wife to get aboard said spaceship and depart Earth forever. Phew! It was a lot. I'm still exhausted.

Who is your favourite author and book?

It changes rapidly. Most recently, it is Lost Moon by Jim Lovell. He almost got there. He could see it, in fact. He never got there due to a major malfunction that left them in a life-and-death struggle to get back to Earth in one piece.

What book are you reading right now?

Sort of guilty that I am a science-fiction writer who can't give up action/adventure novels. Just as soon as I complete this interview, I will get back to Storm Prey by John Sandford.

Where do you get your inspiration for your books?

Deep within me there is an unquenchable desire to reach for the stars. It's large enough that a medical professional could probably detect it on a MRI, CT scan or x-ray. My writing is a simple matter of: what would I do if I could do it? If I could design a faster-than-light spaceship or an anti-gravity shuttlecraft, there would be no stopping me.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Reading books. Watching science-fiction movies. Writing science fiction. Ha ha!

Do you have any new books in the works?

I am toying with the idea of putting together a Kindle Vella series. Science fiction, of course.