Interview Therapy, Sci-Fi Style

Glorious sun! The feature image is a screenshot from Skyrim / LoreRim when I was randomly wandering the land. Those little, unexpected moments of beauty are a large part of why I still play the game.

It might have been inspired by my new obsession, which is watching the energy charts of our home solar / battery system, installed earlier this month. It's shifted our power-hungry tasks, like laundry, to the daytime, which hasn't been a difficult change. The result is that 97.6% of our power this month has been purely solar! Not quite "off the grid," but tantalizingly close.

I feel like I'm finally back in the writing groove. My word counts last Nov–Dec were a big, fat, depressing zilch. January clocked in at just 900 (I used to do more than that in one day), but February hit 4,300, and March is already at 5,900. Trending in the right direction! This is despite working longer hours in my other jobs—or maybe because of it. Writing is my release; the harder I work, the more I need it, so I carve out writing time to maintain sanity.

To that end, Peleos (Timeless Keeper Saga Book 3) is streaking toward the grand finale. Total word count is 115,000 (319 pages) and I still have a ways to go. I had hoped to keep it under 120,000 words for Reasons™, but it will likely be another Angels in the Mist-sized novel around 140k. We'll see how much I can trim in subsequent drafts, but history shows it probably won't be much.

Speaking of, my publisher hasn't committed to a date yet, but he says that the last two books of The Z-Tech Chronicles should hit shelves later this year. Fingers crossed.

Sorrowful shout-out to the late great Dan Simmons, author of the Hyperion Cantos, who passed away in Feb. Hyperion was my gateway to science fiction books, and the sci-fi series I remember best. Rest in peace.

The AI craze, combined with a recent interview from James Blatch with a "successful" author using LLMs to churn out ump-teen romance books a year, spurred me to publish my own writing (no-)AI policy. It's short, personal, and poignant, and you can find it here: https://www.ryansouthwickauthor.com/policies/ai

I bucked up and submitted Holtondome for the 2026 Book Bloggers' Novel of the Year Award (BBNYA). If Enigma didn't make it, I don't expect Holtondome to get any further, but you never know. Plus it's fun to be in a contest with lots of other great authors. Makes me feel like part of something bigger. Wish me luck!

Whew! That was a lot, and we're not quite done. This month's feature is a Character Crossover Interview: Charlie from The Z-Tech Chronicles debuts alongside Cappa to grill Croft from One Man's Trash, and… well, it doesn't go as Cappa planned. Check out the full interview below.

In this newsletter

• Character Crossover Interview — Cappa and Charlie x Croft
• Book Sales and Events
• Currently Reading
• Other Authors You Might Like

Character Crossover Interview

Cappa and Charlie from The Z-Tech Chronicles interview Croft from One Man's Trash

Welcome to Charlie's debut Crossover Interview! Cappa has a clear agenda outside of interviewing Croft. Will she achieve her objective, or is the allure of tech-talk between two mechanics too powerful for even her to overcome?

— Begin —

CAPPA: Thanks for teaming with me on this one.

CHARLIE: Sure, though I'm still not sure why you need me.

CAPPA: You'll see.

CROFT: (appears in an electric flash)

CROFT: Uh, this isn't my shipyard. Who are you?

CAPPA: Brilliant segue to introductions! We're your hosts, Cappa and Charlie. Welcome!

CHARLIE: What is that you're holding? It looks like a toy arc welder.

CROFT: Arc welder? My great grandpa had one of those. No, this is molecular adhesive. Same concept, but way more efficient, and ten times safer.

CHARLIE: Wow! How does it w—

CAPPA: Down, boy! You can talk tech if we have time at the end of the interview. Our dear Croft has more important things on his mind. Don't you?

CROFT: I… have no idea what's happening here, but the ship I was working on is due tomorrow, and I have at least two days of repairs to squeeze in before then. So, if you'd kindly send me back to my space garage, I'd love to be able to make next month's rent on time, for a change.

CAPPA: Yes, it must be hard to cover expenses with that lavish vacation-for-two you just booked.

CROFT: H-how do you know about that?

CAPPA: I know all things sweet and romantic. Tell us about it.

CROFT: If I do, will you promise to send me back?

CAPPA: Cross my little button heart. Now give us the dish.

CHARLIE: Actually, I'd like to learn more about his space garage. What—

CAPPA: Tech later! (ahem) Croft, darling, please continue.

CROFT: Are you two married?

CHARLIE: No.

CAPPA: Not yet.

CHARLIE: Wait, what?

CAPPA: Shut up and listen. Croft, your romantic vacation. Tell. Now.

CROFT: I think you two might need a vacation more than Maria and me.

CAPPA: Maria. Your belle?

CROFT: Yeah, or I hope she still is. Things haven't been great between us lately. She's been so absorbed in her work that I feel… unimportant.

CAPPA: I know exactly what you mean. Did you get that, Charlie? He's attention-starved.

CHARLIE: Didn't know I was supposed to be taking notes. Got a pen?

CAPPA: (shoves a pen and notepad at him) So, to rekindle your relationship, you've scheduled a getaway for two to pull her away from work and put the focus back on you.

CROFT: Huh. When you say it like that, it sounds kind of selfish, but yeah. We've been going steady for an entire Earth year. She means a lot to me. The time never seems right to talk about our relationship at home, plus she isn't big on sharing her feelings. So I figure some dedicated time together will sort it out one way or the other. As you can probably tell, I'm willing to put the effort in to make it work. I just hope she does the same.

CAPPA: Right. In other words, you've put yourself out there, but there's only so much you can do. Relationships are two-way. Maria needs to do her part or it just won't work. Did you write that down, Charlie? Both people need to put an effort in, or someone will be unhappy.

CHARLIE: Effort. Unhappy. Got it. So, Croft, about your space garage. What solar sys—

CAPPA: Charlie! So help me… (breathes deep) Croft, the length you're going to to salvage your relationship is truly inspiring. Tell us about your destination, and why you chose it.

CROFT: Sure. The place just opened. It's called the Truck Stop at the Center of the Galaxy.

CHARLIE: Catchy name, though I'm shocked she agreed to a truck stop.

CROFT: The title is misleading. It's a renovated space station originally built by the Delphians who, as you know, disappeared long ago. It orbits the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy. The views are supposed to be breathtaking.

CHARLIE: I can only imagine. Do you have room for another passenger? I don't mind sleeping on the floor.

CAPPA: Or in the dog house, apparently.

CHARLIE: I didn't think about that. For a trip to the center of the galaxy, I'll sleep in the dog house, if that's the only space available. I'll even make sure your pooch is fed and watered.

CROFT: We don't have a dog. I think Cappa means you're digging yourself a hole.

CAPPA: Because you're clearly sensitive and empathetic, two important ingredients in any relationship. Charlie, write. That. Down.

CHARLIE: Pen stopped working. Got another?

CAPPA: (drops a handful in his lap) Well, truck stop or not, it sounds romantic. How do you intend to broach the subject of your floundering relationship once you're there?

CROFT: Honestly, I hope I won't have to. I'm hoping the trip will remind her why we started dating in the first place. Then maybe she'll reprioritize.

CAPPA: Priorities, yes! Charlie—

CHARLIE: Hang on, I'm trying to find a pen with the same color ink as the last one, but they're all slightly off.

CAPPA: Use that one! Now, write. We'll wait.

CROFT: We have a ship waiting to be fixed for an impatient customer. Are we done?

CAPPA: No, Charlie needs more notes. Tell me: How do you feel when Maria ignores you? Dig deep, and use feeling words.

CROFT: Feeling words? Well, uh… guilty, I guess.

CAPPA: I wasn't expecting that. What about hurt? Neglected? Insignificant? Depressed?

CROFT: Sure, but those aren't at the top. I can't help feeling the reason we've drifted apart is somehow my fault. That I could have done something more, or something better. And if I had, we wouldn't have this problem.

CHARLIE: So that's why you booked the vacation. You felt responsible, so you took the initiative to fix it. Writing that down…

CAPPA: Wait!

CHARLIE: You're right. The colors still don't match. I'll start a new page. What would I do without you?

CAPPA: No, I mean… (grumbles) Croft, is it not also true that this vacation is far from your first attempt to fix things between you?

CROFT: Of course it is. Or isn't? I'm not sure. Your double negative threw me.

CAPPA: You have tried before, no?

CROFT: I… I don't know how to answer. You asked a positive question, then ended with a negative, so 'yes' and 'no' can both be interpreted either way.

CAPPA: Gah!

CHARLIE: Maybe a change of interviewers will help?

CAPPA: (sighs) Fine. Ask away, but stay on topic. I don't want to hear—

CHARLIE: Tell me about this broken ship. What's wrong with it?

CAPPA: No, no no! We are not done with the Maria topic!

CROFT: I'm still trying to figure that out. Could be overpressure in the slip drive manifold. But, honestly, it could also be the customer expecting too much out of a ship that just wasn't designed for that level of performance.

CHARLIE: Slip drive?

CROFT: Yeah. You know, for faster-than-light travel?

CHARLIE: Gotcha.

CAPPA: Hello? I'm still here, guys.

CHARLIE: My instincts usually tell me in those situations to tighten everything down. That there must be a crack somewhere leaking pressure, or that an injector is clogged and the whole system needs to be flushed.

CROFT: Me too. I've checked everywhere. From what I can see, it's structurally and systemically fine.

CHARLIE: Mm. This may sound counter-intuitive, but have you tried loosening anything? Sometimes rigidity isn't what the system needs. Gaskets make great seals, but their lesser-known purpose is to relieve pressure so more important components don't break, like the manifold.

CROFT: Loosen it? Huh, never thought of that.

CAPPA: Seriously? You're ignoring me? What are you, six??

CHARLIE: Loosening just enough in the right places can actually allow more pressure in the overall system and yield better peak performance. You have to know what you're doing, of course, but the best way to find out is to tweak something, measure the output, and keep repeating until you get positive results. Or until you hit a wall. Sometimes a machine just can't, you know?

CROFT: Yeah. Yeah! I see what you're saying. Thanks, Charlie. You've given me some great ideas. I think I know where to start.

CHARLIE: No problem. Good luck. (pulls a remote from his pocket)

CAPPA: Wait! We're not—

CROFT: (disappears in an electric flash)

CAPPA: —done.

CHARLIE: What do you mean?

CAPPA: You can't possibly be that dense. I wanted us to drill into the source of his relationship problems and bring to light some solutions that might help me—him! Help him. And Maria.

CHARLIE: We did.

CAPPA: We did not! You switched to tech, just like I asked you not to, then sent him off early!

CHARLIE: Weren't you listening? Croft agreed the problem might be that he's expecting too much out of his relationship with Maria, and that he might be subconsciously pressuring her into something she's not ready for. So he's going to back off a little and see if it helps, or if the gap is just too great and they'd each be better off dating someone else. Simple.

CAPPA: Bu… Wha…

CHARLIE: (hands her the notepad) Here. Taking notes helped, just like you said. Maybe it'll help you next time. (walks off whistling a happy tune)

CAPPA: (whimpers)

— End —

Book Sales and Events

A repeat of last month because they're all still relevant.

• April 4, 12–4pm — Rinconada Book Fair. Palo Alto Art Center Auditorium. Join a host of authors, plus Steven Radecki talking about Small Publishing in a Big Universe.
• April 19 — Sacramento Book Festival. One of the Water Dragon Publishing authors is on the committee, so I'm eager to see how this one pans out. I will attend this one in person, if I can.
• May 9–10 — Oakland ComicCon. A brand-new event Water Dragon is trying out. Fingers crossed!
• May 31 — Bay Area Book Festival. Last year's festival was very successful for Water Dragon, and this year looks to be the same. Doubt I'll make it to this one, but if you're in the area, there are usually a lot of book stalls to peruse and authors to chat with.
• July 4–5 — BayCon. The Bay Area's premiere science fiction convention. Always worth stopping by for sci-fi fans.
• August 27–31 — WorldCon. World's biggest science fiction convention, this year in the Anaheim Convention Center. I may attend this one.
• October 22–25 — World Fantasy Convention. Another Oakland event. Lots of them there this year, it seems.

Currently Reading

Books are water, and I'm in the middle of the dry, empty Sahara with no oasis in sight. I need a new series. =[

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