Every month DWO like to take a little side-step from the Doctor Who universe to help spotlight an up and coming author who we feel shares something in common with the greater whoniverse. This month is the turn of Joe Basile; author of 'The Last Qumranian'.
"Time travel has been used to stop the birth of Christ, altering the timeline of human history.
Lukas is the last Qumranian, an ancient sect sworn to secrecy and to protect the prophecies that bind the worlds together. When they develop a powerful technology that can control time, their discovery attracts unwanted attention.
When the Unclean -- a militant force powered by dark magic -- attack the hidden Qumranian compound under what once was the Dead Sea, Lukas barely escapes. But at what cost? With his life intact, he finds himself a prisoner in an alternate timeline not his own.
Alone in a foreign landscape ravaged by wars, advanced by technology, oppressed by a corporation partnered with a ruthless religious group slaughtering any who oppose them in the streets, sinister supernatural forces, and an artifact that literally can -- and has -- changed human history, Lukas must not only struggle to stay alive, but locate the only thing that can prevent the Unclean and the powers that control them from destroying the world.
Will Lukas manage to retrieve the artifact before more damage is done to the timeline of history, or will he be too late, forever lost in a nightmarish alternate reality?"
5 Question with... Joe Basile (Author)
1) When did you first get into writing, and did you have any influences / favourite authors?
I love writing!!! :) I wrote my first screenplay with some help from friends 16 years ago, which subsequently became this book...The Last Qumranian. Yay!
I have written sermons for 20 years and shorter stories, but this story has been my passion, and I had no idea how much I would LOVE writing it! A true joy!
Edgar Rice Burroughs is my favorite author of all time! No rules. Dreamed so big, and his heroes were soooo noble and good that I wished I were them.
2) What was it like to get your first book published and to have a tangible copy?
A trip! Most people asked what it feels like, but I said it is a little weird, but that is the vehicle. The destination is people reading it and being swept away in an adventure. That’s my goal. Punished is the vehicle.
3) Can you tell us a bit about The Last Qumranian? What inspired you and who was responsible for that awesome cover?
Matthew Thrush commissioned an AMAZING artist and I LOVE IT!
I just couldn’t fathom the idea of time travel and no one wanting to use to stop the birth of Christ! Seemed obvious to me. And then I dreamed about what that world would look like. I Set it in Israel, a secret society not affected by the birth of a Christ, and a hero with the strength and training to take on an army of evil with supernatural demonic powers, and a mission to get his time travel machine back to set things right.
4) Are you a fan of Doctor Who, and if so, what was your earliest memory of the show? Do you have a particular favourite episode?
I LOVE Dr Who! My earliest memory of the show is watching it in black and white. But I became HUGE FAN during the David Tennant Era! LOVE Matt Smith too!!!
They risk soooo much and are able to weave it all together so creatively and satisfactorily. Time Travel stories are a recipe for disaster in lesser hands, but Dr Who crushes it!!! IMO, from one time travel dreamer to another.
5) Finally, if you could take a round trip in the TARDIS, anywhere in time and space, where would you go and why?
First of all, I really want to try and figure out how big it actually is on the inside! The resurrection of Christ! I want to be in that room. Put my fingers the holes in his hands and feet. I have faith, but I would LOVE to see it with my own eyes too!! Amazing!!!
+ BUY The Last Qumranian via Odyssey Books!
+ Facebook: facebook.com/JoeBasileAuthor
+ Twitter: twitter.com/jesustattoos
[Source: DWO]
