Straight Chatting from the Library: Steve Holloway

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READ THE INTERVIEW

What is the favorite book you remember as a child?

I remember an early favorite was Homer Price by Robert McCloskey. The problem with the doughnut machine was especially memorable. I then moved on to science fiction – Andre Norton, Ray Bradbury, Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clark I remember warmly. And in my teens I discovered Tolkien, who opened a whole new world – not only of Middle Earth, but of writing itself.

What is your favorite book today?

I still come back to Tolkien as a favorite. I think I’ve read through the whole of his legendarium at least twenty times. I also enjoy good historical fiction that draws me into the period and into the skin of the characters.

 Tell us about your current book in 10 words.

Humanity’s breathtaking next step: the Blue Frontier of the seas.

What are you reading right now?

I’m reading The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell. I’m also working through manuscripts of other writer friends.

What books do you have on hold at the library?

Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger; Shogun, by James Clavell; Master of War, by Dave Gilman; The Surgeon’s Mate, by Patrick O’Brian.

  E-Reader or print? and why?

I am an e-reader fan, I have Kindle, FBReader and Libby aps on my phone. I am a voracious reader and travel a lot for my work. So, it is great to carry a library around with me that is only the weight of my phone. I can read at night with the phone’s light dimmed so I don’t disturb my wife. Font size can be adjusted and ‘flipping’ the pages is effortless. Meanwhile, my bookshelves which were loaded with my favorite reads in the past are quickly emptying as I give books away to family and friends.
 

 One book at a time or multiples?

Sometimes I have a number of books in the pile, but these days I focus on one book and story at a time. I used to read several at once, but since becoming a writer myself I want to engage deeply with the author, paying attention to their style and techniques. This takes more concentration.

Dog-ear or bookmark? (don't worry—Librarian Judith won't hold it against you—much)

Folded book pages are anathema to me, but maybe not for the usual reasons. My grandmother, a brilliant woman, inspired me to read and love books. She predicted I would be a writer myself. She once found dog-eared pages in book I was reading and gave me a lecture on the value of books which I never forgot. She was a brave woman who new the value of many things. As a single woman she homesteaded 160 acres in South Dakota in 1901. Books were hard to come by and so were priceless. I honor that.

Favorite book you've read this year?

Many that I’ve enjoyed. I came across The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah, in my local online library, read it and was inspired. I also enjoyed All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr, which probably influenced me to create the character Sophia in my book.

  Re-reader or not?

Yes, I’ve gone back and read many books again. I find that when I re-read books they seem like new books to me. The life experience I’ve accumulated since the last time I read the story colors it differently, allowing me to appreciate new aspects. A book is seldom the same when I visit it again.

READ THE BLURB

Former special forces agent turned particle physicist Ben Holden is on the run.

The New Caliphate will stop at nothing to get their hands on his wife’s scientific research, which is believed to hold the key to unleashing chaos in the West and advancing their cause.

But in reality it’s Ben’s biometrics that have the potential to unlock the information they so desperately need. Within the oceanic world of Pelagia, in the year 2066, Ben finds sanctuary among the sea settlers of the South Pacific Pelagic Territory, but his respite is short-lived.

Read an Excerpt

He lifted the hatch and placed it onto the deck, then pulled himself up and lay flat near the bow. The coolness of the storm awakened his senses. Rolling onto his back, he paused under the deluge and allowed the rain to stream into his mouth, gulping down the water.

Thirst barely slaked, he slithered to the edge of the boat. The wind now lashed his wet body. He shivered, staring into the night, allowing his eyes to adjust. He spotted the island, a dark fleeting promise glimpsed through a break in the squall.

Looking back, he saw a silhouette climb out onto the side of the boat. Adrenaline shot through him. The man was just a few metres away, clinging to a rail as the boat rolled under them, but still looking towards the stern. Ben inched closer to the edge of the bow, willing himself to be a shadow.

Holding the safety rail, Ben swung himself over the side with the roll of the boat. He hung for a moment, suspended above the sea. Large, deep breaths. Each time the boat tipped his feet dipped beneath the waves. On the third tip, he released his grip, slipping below the surface noiselessly.

As he surfaced, he heard the man on deck shouting into the water in Arabic, “Cut the rope!” There was an answering shout from the water that was lost in the roar of rain.

Ben kept to the shadow of the bow rocking above him. After a minute, that seemed like an eternity, the man climbed back into the stern cockpit. Ben slipped below the water.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Steve Holloway grew up on the beach cities of Los Angeles and has always loved the sea. This passion led him to gain a degree in Aquatic Biology from the University of California Santa Barbara; a background which opened many opportunities for him in researching, developing, and engaging with mariculture activities around the world.

Steve and his wife have lived and travelled in many countries over their forty years of marriage, successfully raising three kids in exotic locations in the process. They have always engaged with the people and cultures they live among.

Currently Steve lives in England and consults for a Christian charity in areas of research, leadership development, adapting to new cultures, social enterprises, and mariculture projects. Currently he is consulting for a Indo-Pacific mariculture project – a social enterprise – growing sea cucumbers, a delicacy for the Chinese market.

Steve has always loved books and writing. The story of Pelagia reflects three of his passions: science, the sea and the narratives of faith. The background, in his words:

“I have for many years believed that settling the open sea was within our grasp, and even more accessible than space as our ‘next frontier’. So through the last ten years or so I have been thinking just how this might happen, what would be needed, where people would settle, what kind of livelihoods they might have on the open sea, beyond the EEZs of terrestrial countries. My son Adam told me about what would become a key component of Pelagia, Biorock or seacrete, because of his experiments with it. Many discussions with other scientists, engineers and others helped to begin to fill in the gaps and the concept of the Pelagic Territories, similar to the unincorporated territories of the early US, and what geopolitical contexts they would find themselves in.”

Steve finds any excuse to get into the ocean: sailing, diving, swimming, or just poking around tide pools.

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