Sitting Down with B. W. Morris, Author of the Six Pack Series
TAF: Pull up a chair. Let’s break the ice shall we? If you were stuck in the middle of a zombie apocalypse and you had three people to help you fight of the zombie horde, who would they be?
BWM: Well, that depends on if we are talking about real-life people or fictional characters!
If it’s real-life people, I’d start with my sister because she is smart and would figure something out. Then I’d add a coach I once knew named Eloy Brazil because he is good at analyzing what other teams do well and figure the best methods to counter that. Finally, I’d take a friend of mine from college named Tom Smith because I’m sure he’d find it pretty cool to take on zombies.
If we’re talking about fictional characters, then you need to have John Constantine, Sara Lance (aka the White Canary) and Oliver Queen (aka the Green Arrow), because you’d have three people who are very good at kicking butt in their own ways!
TAF: Loving the fictional take and you have some great choices there. Okay now that we know how you intend to survive the apocalypse, tell us a little more about you for my readers that haven’t yet had the privileged to curl up with your books! If you could ask your readers one question, what would it be?
BWM: I’d simply ask them if they find my characters relatable. That’s the most important part to making a book work.
TAF: Have you ever Googled yourself?
BWM: A number of times, actually – and by my author name and my real name. When it comes to my real name, there’s a lot of people who share it!
TAF: What book is currently on your nightstand?
BWM: Runaways by Christopher Golden – and that’s the most recent one. I’m always reading before I go to bed, so there will always be a book on my nightstand.
TAF: Do you see yourself in any of your characters?
BWM: In quite a few of them because I add a little bit of my own personality into most of my characters. Tyler has my intelligence but a hesitancy to take on a leadership role, Jessica has my occasional stubbornness, Stacy has my “keep a positive outlook” vibe, Brad has my skepticism, David is shy (like I am) and Linda is impulsive (like I am once in a while).
TAF: Do you listen to music while writing?
BWM: No. I get too distracted by singing along to the words!
TAF: What are your favorite hobbies?
BWM: Creative writing is one of them – in fact, I’ve started my own take on the CW Arrowverse on my blog. I also enjoy collecting football cards. And I watch a lot of DVDs and Blu-Rays – I’ve found it’s a good way to study characters and themes in more depth.
TAF: If you could be one of your characters, who would you chose?
BWM: I’d probably be Tyler because it would be cool to be able to read minds.
TAF: If I were to buy you a book for your birthday or just because I am such total awesomeness, what genre would I need to scour?
BWM: Science fiction tops the list, though I do find a good mystery appealing.
TAF: If you are writing, what is your genre preference? Is there a specific appeal to it?
BWM: I find young adult the most interesting because I enjoy exploring the challenges that teens and younger people face.
TAF: Do you have a favorite book or movie?
BWM: My favorite book would be The Outsiders. My favorite movie would be The Avengers.
TAF: The Outsiders definitely ranks among my favorites as well! In closing, tell us a bit about your latest release (& share a yummy excerpt for those who aren’t yet familiar with your work)
BWM: Well, I have two books to promote, one that’s been released and one that will be released later this year. So I’ll share teasers for both and an excerpt from the second one.
SIX PACK: EMERGENCE – Available now on Kindle Unlimited.
Just weeks before Tyler Ward is to graduate from secondary school, he learns the truth about Novusordo and how a drink controls the population. After sharing this information with his five friends, they visit a professor’s house, take another drink and gain strange powers. It leads to them learning more about how the government controls people and the discovery of a movement against the government. Calling themselves the Six Pack, Tyler and his friends must learn how their powers can change society. But they first must learn to trust this movement… and even each other.
SIX PACK: GYRATION – To be released May 22, 2018.
Months after the Six Pack has fled City 37N104W, Tyler Ward wonders how much longer the Underground Network can afford to wait to make its next move against the Novusordo government. The disappearance of five more students from Monroe Secondary School pushes his desire to take action. And when he learns that Professor Roger Woods may be in trouble, Tyler is convinced he and the Six Pack must take matters into their own hands, even if it means defying the Network. But actions have consequences, and the decisions Tyler and his friends make will impact everyone they encounter -- including themselves.
Excerpt:
Tyler shook his head. He wanted to believe Diane. But though her voice remained steady, her eyes moved just enough to suggest something bothered her. How he wanted to read her mind, but he respected her too much to do that. “So what else aren’t you telling me?”
She didn’t answer.
“What is it?” Tyler asked.
She shifted position again. “All right, it’s only fair you know. The professor and I are a couple.”
“You two are dating?”
“Yes, that’s how I became involved with the Network.”
Tyler frowned. “I thought the government determined who could get together.”
“Not those in elite positions, such as the professor and myself.”
“Okay. So why wouldn’t you want to do something to help him?
Diane held up her hand. “He and I came to an understanding about things.”
He shook his head again. “You and he may have done that, but I haven’t. How can you stay here while he’s down there at Monroe, in who knows what situation—that is, if you already know and don’t want to tell me.”
She took another deep breath, as if she didn’t want to raise her voice. “And as we have told you—I have told you—several times before that it’s too risky for the professor to leave. As much as I care for him, I’m not going to put him in danger.”
“But he’s in danger right now, isn’t he?” Tyler gestured with his hands. “Five students disappear, so does Mr. Walls, and the professor could be next if we don’t take action.”
“And you could be in trouble if you go down there,” Diane said. “The professor does not want anything to happen to you.”
“And I don’t want anything to happen to the professor. Do you?”
Diane cupped her hands and pressed them against her chin. She didn’t seem to know what to say. Tyler had a stray thought, that he wasn’t being fair to her or the Network. But all he could think about was doing something to help Roger.
“I mean, how has the Network handled things for the past, what is it, seventy-five years or so?” Tyler stood up. “I’m sorry, but if there’s going to be change—real change—then we need to take action.” He spun away from her.
She leaned forward. “Tyler, wait…”
But he opened the door and marched out. He strode down the hallway, eyes straight ahead. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been so harsh with Diane. But it hurt him, knowing that she cared for Roger, but didn’t feel compelled to help him. How could she leave him behind like that?
He approached the lounge and almost ran into Jennifer Blake. Great, she was the last person he wanted to be around.
“Hey, slow down,” she said.
“What do you care?” He brushed past her, but felt a tug on his arm.
“Mind, I need you to listen to me.”
She pulled him away from the door and toward the opposite wall. When she released her grasp, he stumbled and stared hard at her. What was her problem, anyway?
“They told me you could be a great leader,” she said. “I want to believe that, but the way you’re acting makes that difficult.”
“What is it with you?” He threw up his hands. “All I hear from you is criticism.”
“I’m trying to keep you from becoming what I once was.”
He blinked. “What are you talking about?”
She leaned against the wall. “When I was twenty-one years old, my mother died. Publicly, they said she had food poisoning. But I learned that the government arranged for poison to be slipped into her meal because she was too critical of the government.”
She pushed back her hair. “I remember how angry I felt. I wanted to get at the government so badly. Make them pay for it. I wanted to hurt them, hurt the president, the way they hurt me. But then I met James Harrison. He calmed me down, made me realize that if I did anything rash, I could make things worse. And he told me about the Network.”
She crossed her legs. “My mother kept a diary on her tablet. The last entry she wrote was that patience can be a difficult thing to learn, but when you learn it, you find it will serve you well. She also wrote that, while she hoped for Novusordo to change in her lifetime, if she could inspire others to push for that change, she’d know she’d done well.”
Tyler wanted to say something, but she held up her hand. “What stood out the most was she believed that change could happen if you gave it time. Be persuasive, difficult as it may be. It’s the best way to ensure you don’t lose much. Because in the past, when people tried to change things, they became aggressive, resorted to violent measures, used tactics that did more harm than good. Those tactics are what led to the rise of Novusordo. So if change is going to come, it has to come the right way. Through persuasion, not violence.”
Tyler’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t doubt she told the truth. But the tone of her voice sounded like a scold. That he didn’t appreciate. It made him harder to accept that she might be right about being patient. “Why didn’t you tell us this when we all first met?” he asked.
“I wasn’t sure about the six of you.” She relaxed her posture. “I heard about the things you did, and wondered if having such power was a good thing, especially somebody your age. I wanted to see firsthand what you were all about.”
“So you don’t trust us?
She shook her head. “No, it’s that I wasn’t sure if the things you could do were the best way to bring that change. I’m not convinced yet, but the patience your friends are showing, at least from what I’ve observed, give me reason to believe. But it’s not only about that. It’s about understanding what you are up against and what happened before, about not repeating those mistakes.”
She locked eyes with him. “And believe me, Mind, there is a lot you need to understand.”
Tyler’s gaze hardened. He wanted to sympathize with her. But here was somebody like Arnold Walls, who thought that teens couldn’t handle this situation. That they were too young, too inexperienced, too reckless. Arnold rubbed him the wrong way, just like Jennifer.
But it didn’t matter. Arnold was in trouble, too. He may not like him, but he’d never turn his back on him if he might be in trouble, if the government came after him. Jennifer was no different. The government had no right to target anybody for death, whether he liked the person or not.
He thought about responding, but she raised her finger and spoke. “I don’t want you to dwell on how much you want to change things. Believe me, the more I dwelled on it, the worse I felt. Now, I haven’t given up on changing things, but I understand it comes with time and with patience, not violence. You need to understand that.”
She lowered her hand. He sighed but couldn’t deny she had a point. After all, he never wanted to hurt anybody when he used his powers. Still, he couldn’t help it. Something bothered him, that there was more to things than she let on. And he had to be sure of that. Though he may have promised he wouldn’t pry into the minds of those he respected, this was different. Even after everything she told him, she hadn’t earned his respect.
“All right, fine.” He extended her hand, acting like he wanted to make amends. “I’m sorry.”
She sized him up. He tried not to give away what he was thinking. After a moment, she took his hand.
That’s when Tyler focused on her. He kept it for a few seconds and heard enough to confirm his suspicions.
Professor Woods is in trouble.
She released his hand. “You should go join your friends.”
“I will.”
She turned and walked down the hallway. He entered the lounge. He knew what needed to be done, what he had to tell his friends. The Six Pack had to return to City 37N104W.
About the Author:
B.W. Morris is a longtime writer for small-town newspapers who put his inner comic book geek to work through writing novels. Born in Texas but grew up in Colorado, he has lived in New Mexico, Oklahoma and currently resides in Kingman, Kan. Greg Weisman, Suzanne Collins, Stan Lee, George Orwell and Conor Friedersdorf all influenced his writing. Morris is a fan of the Young Justice animated series, the Arrowverse shows on the CW Network, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Star Wars films and more graphic novels than he can keep track. You can learn more about his love for science fiction at his blog, relaxingwithsixpack.blogspot.com.
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