Nick Cascino

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

I'm a media theorist, comedian, part-time musician and aspiring astrophysicist. Without some sort of internship at the Museum of Natural History, it's unlikely I'll get my degree until 2039. However, I developed a phenomenon called Quantum Arousal, a technique utilizing music, mythology and quantum physics. Achieving exponential levels of consciousness, I'm able like the characters in my books to cross into parallel universes that transcend time. Based on the rather primitive time continuum that we current abide by, I can go backward and forward. I meet historical figures from the past and prospective figures in the future and bring them forward and backward with me, often slipping into other universes. Just last night, I found Julius Caesar eating boar's head in a small village in France. I told him he should have listened to the soothsayer who warned him on the steps outside the Senate "Beware the Ides of March." Caesar agreed wholeheartedly, explaining that the guy was actually selling life insurance.

When and why did you start writing books?

I've been writing all my life as a creative outlet and platform for my comic aspirations.

What made you decide to tackle writing as a career?

Recently on a nocturnal crossover into Ellzabethan times, I met William Shakespeare and brought him forward to somewhere close to 2030. He was extremely upset when he found out how easy it is to self-publish these days; in his day, he needed the approval of the bloody queen, and he was nearly be-headed three times for jokes about her feathered hats and knickers! And when I got Shakespeare his first I-phone, he was absolutely livid. "If I had this technology, I could have written thousands of sonnets and plays. Yet all you've done is three novels and a rather drab stand-up routine? Pathetic!" Shakespeare shamed me into a writing career.

Which one of your books or characters is your favourite?

In the Doctor Misery Series, the character I've obviously thrown much of my own aspirations and self-doubt into is Doctor Bruno Z, Mizzieri, who might have been a great astrophysicist. He's struggled all his life between free will and the tricks of fate. Instead of solving great mathematical riddles, he was forced into bookmaking with the New York mob, and came to love the superintelligence imbedded in sports books. His life is a great paradox, and solving these paradoxes is a great pursuit of my own, often before my first coffee.

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

City of Music, my latest.

Who is your favourite author and book?

F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'Great Gatsby' and Doctor Seus's 'Cat in the Hat' are on my bookshelf together. By the way, Shakespeare loves 'Cat in the Hat.'

What book are you reading right now?

I'm heavily engaged in my life-long pursuit of reading the plays and critiques of Shakespeare, currently studying Macbeth and Richard III. I'm also continuing my study of global mythology across cultures. I'm currently reading Euripides' 'Bacchae' to gain a better understanding of the mythology of Dionysus.

Where do you get your inspiration for your books?

When I remain intact in this mundane universe, my inspiration comes from classic literature, current events, great works of music, and Comedy Central.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Sleep. Great for relaxing.

Do you have any new books in the works?

My current novel is based on the concept of getting artists and musicians to take over the reins of government. Surely they can do a better job.