For
fans of Douglas Adams,
Christopher Moore, Tom Robins, Third Rock from the Sun, Groundhog Day, Hot Tub
Time Machine, and Harold & Kumar go to White Castle.
Finders Keepers
(Finders Keepers #1)
by Russ Colchamiro
Traversing
Europe, New Zealand, and the backbone of Eternity, Finders Keepers is a
raunchy, sci-fi backpacking comedy that not only tackles friendship, sex,
commitment, and desire, but also God, reincarnation--and what really happened
to the dinosaurs!
On
a backpacking trip through Europe, Jason Medley and Theo Barnes stumble through
hash bars and hangovers; religious zealots and stalkers; food poisoning and
thunderstorms; cute girls; overnight trains; fever-pitch hallucinations--and
the spectre of adult responsibility!
But
when a jar containing the Universe's DNA falls from Eternity, these new friends
find their loyalties put to the test . . . unaware that a motley crew from
another realm is chasing them across the globe, with the fate of the Milky Way
hanging in the balance.
For
fans of Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, Christopher Moore, Tom Robins, Third
Rock from the Sun, Groundhog Day, Hot Tub Time Machine, and Bill & Ted's
Excellent Adventure.
Finders
Keepers is the first book in author Russ Cochamiro's scifi comedy trilogy.
Genius de Milo (Finders Keepers #2)
by Russ Colchamiro
Milo
-- the Universe's Great Disruptor and ultimate gremlin -- is creating havoc in
the galaxy, with the Earth fluxing in and out of Existence. Which, of course,
means no rest for best pals Jason Medley and Theo Barnes!
After
a backpacking trip through Europe and New Zealand that -- thanks to a jar of
Cosmic Building Material they found -- almost wiped out the galaxy once before,
Theo now finds that his twin girls are teleporting, and Jason can't tell which
version of his life is real.
Joined
by the mysterious Jamie -- a down-and-out hotel clerk from Eternity -- Jason
and Theo reunite on a frantic, cross-country chase across America, praying they
can retrieve that radioactive jar, circumvent Milo, and save the Earth from
irrevocable disaster.
In
author Russ Colchamiro's uproarious sequel to Finders Keepers, he finally
confirms what we've long suspected ... that there's just no de Milo quite like
a Genius de Milo.
Astropalooza (Finders Keepers 3)
by Russ Colchamiro
Astropalooza,
the greatest celebration in the Universe, is just days away. And it'll be a
party like no other -- namely, the last one ever!
Backpacking
pals Jason Medley and Theo Barnes have already saved the Earth -- twice! --
nearly obliterating themselves in the process, thanks to a missing jar of the
Universe's DNA. But things are about to get a whole lot ... worse.
Because
thanks to our bumbling heroes, the next Big Bang is imminent, with two massive
energy waves barreling through space towards one another. When they collide,
it'll be the end of Existence as we know it.
Can
Jason and Theo finally return their radioactive jar before those waves crash,
wiping away the Cosmos? Can they save the Universe ... again?
With
Astropalooza, author Russ Colchamiro brings you the epic conclusion of his
hilarious Finders Keepers trilogy. So join the party. You'll never have so much
fun going out with a Bang!
Author Interview
Author bio:
Russ Colchamiro is the author of the rollicking
space adventure, Crossline, the
hilarious sci-fi backpacking comedy series, Finders
Keepers, Genius de Milo, and Astropalooza, and is editor of the new
anthology, Love, Murder & Mayhem,
all with Crazy 8 Press.
Russ lives in New Jersey with his wife, two
children, and crazy dog, Simon, who may in fact be an alien himself. Russ has
also contributed to several other anthologies, including Tales of the Crimson Keep, Pangaea,
and Altered States of the Union. He
is now at work on a top-secret project, and a Finders Keepers spin-off.
For more on Astropalooza
and Russ’ other tales, you can visit www.russcolchamiro.com, follow him on Twitter @AuthorDudeRuss, and ‘like’
his Facebook author page www.facebook.com/RussColchamiroAuthor. Russ
encourages you to email him at authorduderuss@gmail.com
Book title: Astropalooza
Brief synopsis of your book:
Here’s the back cover text - In the spirit of Bill & Ted's Excellent
Adventure meets The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ...Astropalooza, the
greatest celebration in the Universe, is just days away. And it'll be a party
like no other -- namely, the last one ever! Backpacking pals Jason Medley and
Theo Barnes have already saved the Earth -- twice! -- nearly obliterating
themselves in the process, thanks to a missing jar of the Universe's DNA. But
things are about to get a whole lot ... worse. Because thanks to our bumbling
heroes, the next Big Bang is imminent, with two massive energy waves barreling
through space towards one another. When they collide, it'll be the end of
Existence as we know it. Can Jason and Theo finally return their radioactive
jar before those waves crash, wiping away the Cosmos? Can they save the
Universe ... again?
What genre and age group does your book fall into?
Science Fiction comedy
What moment or event sparked the inspiration for this story?
Astropalooza is the third and final
book in my Finders Keepers scifi
backpacking comedy series. When I was writing the second book—Genius de Milo—I had that aha moment
where I saw how the entire series ended, including all of the various
characters and their arcs. That allowed me to write books 2 and 3 with more
confidence and assertiveness, knowing that what I was writing in book 2 would ultimately
play out in book 3. Yet each book in the series can stand on its own.
What would you say are the three most difficult things you encountered
when writing a sci-fi or futuristic book?
1) Creating a scifi or futuristic world where the setting feels real but
doesn’t overwhelm the plot or the characters.
2) Giving each character in the series their own personal story arc yet
balancing those characters within the overall narrative so that you get an
intimate experience for each character within a fairly epic adventure.
3) Finding the right balance between a fun, thrilling adventure and also
having something deeper or meaningful to say.
Were there any issues you dealt with in real life that inspired
any
part of the storyline used in your book?
Jason Medley is my fictional alter ego. A lot of the backpacking
adventures were based on trips I actually took. And Theo Barnes is the alter
ego of my pal Karl. Their interplay is very much how Karl and I interact.
What if any lessons did you learn while writing this story?
That perspective is a great equalizer. Some of the most difficult times I
had while backpacking are some of my favorite stories now that have me laughing
out loud.
Since your story takes place in more than one county did
anything in your story require research?
I kept a journal for many of my own backpacking trips—so I had a lot of
real life descriptions to pull from—plus I often referred to photos, maps,
ticket stubs, and other notes and receipts from my trips. They made a huge
difference in helping me recreate an authentic experience.
If you were to recommend anything to someone planning on
writing a book, what would it be?
Understand that it’s a process. It won’t just ‘come out right.’ Be
patient, be persistent, and forgive yourself for your various imperfections.
And plan to hand off your manuscript to readers who can give you the feedback
you actually need to improve your story, not those who will tell you what you
want to hear.
Who is your favorite character in this book and why?
Ha! Characters are like children. Never pick favorites! But Angela
Hardwicke—my private eye character who has appeared in smaller sections in
three of my books so far—is getting her own series, so I’ll be spending a lot
of time with her going forward.
What is your favorite part of writing an anthology?
As the editor, you identify the concept, recruit the authors, approve the
story ideas, and edit each story, there’s a lot of control but also the fun of
working with your friends on a collection that you hope everyone can be proud
of.
Can you give us a brief description of your anthology called,
Love, Murder & Mayhem?
Love, Murder
& Mayhem is a new anthology from Crazy 8 Press, with 15 stories from 15 authors.
While I’m typically a novelist, I served as editor for this one, and
contributed one of the stories. Each tale contains at least one act of love or
romance, at least one murder, with lots of mayhem, all in various science
fiction settings. We have superhero and supervillain stories. Off-world and
space cruiser stories. We’ve also got A.I., private eyes, sleep surrogates,
time travel, an aliens/monsters mash-up and … one DuckBob!
Do you have any ideas for your Finders Keepers series if Hollywood
came calling?e.g., actors, directors, and or music?
Do I? Of course! I actually spoke to my agent not so long ago about
trying to get the three books turned into a Netflix series. So who knows!
Which book to movie conversion is your favorite?
Fight Club
The three books in your Finders Keepers series address loyalty
between friends. How do you feel this part of the story will resonate with
readers?
Even with all of the cosmic lunacy and backpacking shenanigans, the
friendship between Jason and Theo is the spine of the novel, and the entire
series. I hope that it’s relatable on multiple levels, especially as we see
them grow and mature—sometimes in extraordinary ways—throughout the series.
They’re still clowns to some degree! But they’re individual and collective
arcs—IMHO—are substantial, meaningful, and, in ways, fairly epic.
Are there any life lessons to be learned in your story?
The entire series for me was always really about enjoying life as much as
you can, often as you can, as thoroughly as you can, while you can, while
finding your way as a person and navigating your place in the world.
What would you say is the most important thing to remember
when writing a series?
Stay true to the characters. Don’t force an outcome. Let them tell you
where the story needs to go, even if it isn’t what you originally planned.
Do you have any suggestions for an author who is trying to
inject comedy into their story?
Don’t force the humor. Let it come out naturally. You may need to spend
some time crafting the turn of phrase, or the scenario, but try to avoid a
‘comedy’ moment just for the sake of it.
How many books have you written?
Four novels, one anthology I edited—Love, Murder & Mayhem— and I’ve
contributed short stories to at least another half dozen anthologies. I was also
a journalist in my former life—and I do media consulting now—so I’ve been
writing professionally for more than 20 years.
Current book or project you’re working on?
In addition to the Hardwicke book I mentioned earlier, I’m also writing a
top secret project I can’t talk about yet. Soon!
What do you hope readers will come away with, after reading Astropalooza?
I hope readers have a fun, wild time with the entire series, walking away
with a smile on their face, but also long after they’re done reading hopefully
the characters and scenarios will stay with them. I was just at a scifi book
convention where one of my fans—a fellow writer—told me again how much she
loved Finders Keepers and that it’s one of her favorite books in recent memory.
Have to admit, that wasn’t a bad moment!
If you had one do over in life, what would it be?
Stick with guitar! It annoys me to no end that I quit lessons. No desire
to play professionally, but I love music—I’m a drummer, like I said—but guitar
travels. Drums? Not so much.
Favorites:
Drink – Banana milk shake
Food – Pizza
Vacation – Cape May, New Jersey
TV show – Breaking Bad
Movie – Raiders of the Lost Arc
Animal – Cats
Sport – Baseball
Song – Under Pressure
Comedy – The Big Bang Theory
How can people connect with you?
Twitter: @AuthorDudeRuss
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4450877.Russ_Colchamiro
Where can readers find your book for sale?
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