For today’s Eyes on Authors segment, I’d like to introduce Pupola, the author of Never One, a Young Adult Sci-Fi drama that gives its main character the illusion of choice when it comes to life and death.
Pupola was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Her mother is Shayla S. Ali and father is Dr. Ashraf Ali. Her first year was spent in Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) campus in teachers’ quarters. She immigrated to USA with her parents when she was two years old. Her parents moved around quite a bit within continental USA. Pupola completed her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from University of Washington in Seattle. She and her husband lived in Norman, Oklahoma from 2010 to 2014. They now live in Seattle area with their baby boy Ethan. She recently published her YA sci-fi novel, “Never One” and two prior collections of poetry books: “Random Chemicals and Snotty Love Poems” and “A Mindful Wilderness”.
So glad to have you here today, Pupola! Let’s get on to the details: tell us more about Never One.
The story is a sci-fi, fantasy-drama. It is about a teenage girl, Burgundy Hues, who is dying from a virus infection called, ‘Felern.’ She has the option to live her last moments in an artificial, alternate life.
Here’s the official blurb for the book:
In the near future, Burgundy Hues, a teenage girl will die from the Felern virus with no cure yet. Death is imminent, and the end is a painful one. Burgundy Hues sadly has found herself in such ‘shoes’. One comforting technological solution emerged. A virtual reality machine called the V.R. Switcher is available for Felern victims. Burgundy was selected as a lucky candidate for the V.R. Switcher. Hope is contained in a dream come true. What will Burgundy choose?
As you readers can see, the stakes are high from jump street. Given the nature of the story, you guys should know there is some violence.
It is also a story about a teenage girl in the process of dying that might not be everyone’s cup of tea for reading.
As terrible as this sounds, death– or the spiraling descent to it– usually makes for some of the best stories. So, what genre do you write? Do you stick to just one?
Several, probably the most frequent are: contemporary, YA, and fantasy.
Then you’ve certainly got a home here! Those are my usual hangouts, too. What inspired you to start writing, and what keeps you going?
Class assignments about writing a story in elementary school. The creative muse keeps me going. The muse gets upset if I don’t write.
I can absolutely relate there! I recently found a meme that said, “Write until it becomes as natural as breathing. Write until not writing makes you anxious.”
That’s the state I find myself in when I don’t write– we must keep the muses happy! Would you like to share any of your publication stories? Self-published, Indie, Traditional– anything you’d like.
A family member in Bangladesh said if I had any writings to send them to Rubi Enterprise. Rubi Enterprise liked some and not others. I ended up publishing a collection of poetry with them. Afterwards, a second poetry collection and now, my debut novel, Never One.
Most excellent! Any advice for your fellow writers?
Keep writing, revise, edit, write again, revise, and edit again. Keep going in that cycle. Tedious as it is that’s how it works. Connect with other writers and learn about the book markets and publishing industry.
Do you have any favorite authors or titles that you’d like to share? What are your inspirations in the author world?
Brave New World, Time Machine, and of course Mark Twain and Shakespeare.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I did not expect to write a YA sci-fi for my debut novel, but it just turned out that way. I was sure it was going to be YA fantasy like with my second novel I’m working on. Writing can be funny like that!
You are absolutely right there. The stories take us where they need to go, not the other way around! Where can we find you on the web?
Here’s Pupola’s official site
Goodreads Author Page
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook Page
You guys can also buy your copy of Never One and Pupola’s poetry collections at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and more! Thanks so much to Pupola for coming and sharing her story today! Until next time, guys and dolls, you keep writing.
Melody Klink 