The One-Link Lowdown on....Jim Hartley

The Lowdown is a day early this week, with my guest Jim Hartley. A former computer programmer originally from New Jersey, Jim now lives in sunny central Florida, where he writes his fantasy novels and many, many short stories that feature in a great number of anthologies. His latest release is the paranormal/ghost story Teen Angel. Read on to find out more!

Welcome, Jim! Let's kick off with this question - if you could retrieve one thing from your childhood, what would it be?

My Buck Rogers disintegrator ray gun, just like the ones that appeared in the Buck Rogers movie serial (except mine wouldn't exactly disintegrate anything, too bad, there were a couple of kids in my class ...)

What’s the best job you've ever had?

My senior year in high school, I worked in the public library as a library page. The work wasn't so great, but being surrounded by all those books ...

A writer's dream job, I think. What would be your perfect day?

To get, on one single day, acceptances on every story and book that I have outstanding - and that's like about 20 of them.

Wouldn't that be something! Jim, what’s on your bedside table/nightstand?

A fifty-odd year old alarm clock with a broken plastic case. My wife keeps trying to throw it out and get me a new one, but I will have none of it. All the damn new clocks TICK, my old one is nice and silent.

I'm with you there. I can't bear ticking clocks at night, and have been known to prowl relatives' homes in the middle of the night to find the ticking culprit and remove its batteries. To more soothing matters, then - what’s your favourite piece of music?

Does the fact that I have Haydn's Trumpet Concerto as the ring tone on my cell phone tell you anything?

What your favourite sandwich, and where in the world is the best place to eat it?

Not where, WHEN. Back in the early 60's in north Jersey there was a place that sold the Nautilus - the Atomic Sub. Anchovies optional. A good choice if I could take a time machine to lunch. Oh, and a second choice - not exactly a sandwich, but a hot dog place featured a Hot Dog Sundae - same era.

The Nautilus sounds amazing, though I can't imagine a Hot Dog Sundae! Jim, which household chore would you happily give up for ever?

Most of the ones involving cleaning, since I truly do not understand cleaning. If my wife says vacuum the rug, OK, I can handle that, but something like "clean the kitchen" or "clean the bathroom" means absolutely nothing to me, I have no concept what is involved.

Who would you invite to your ultimate fantasy dinner party?

I think it would be terrific to have some of my favorite classic SF and Fantasy authors all together for the dinner party. Heinlein, Asimov, Tolkien, and "Doc" Smith. And then maybe throw in a few contemporary authors, too, like J. K. Rowling, Charlaine Harris, and Jim Butcher.

That sounds like a fantastic party! So tell me, what talent or skill would you love to have that you don’t have now?

I would love to be able to sing without everyone around me putting their hands over their ears and crying "Stop! Stop!" I am one of those unfortunate individuals who can't carry a tune in a bucket, if I try Karaoke the guy running the thing quickly turns my mike way way down. Or maybe I would like to be able to play a musical instrument ... yeah, right!

What’s the best review you've ever had?

Now that's an easy one, since I don't get many reviews. All the reviewers seem to want to do is review Romance (which I don't write), none of them seem to want to review SF and Fantasy. But just last week I got a "5 Roses" review for my e-book Ten Years. Hooray for me!

Absolutely, hooray for you! Jim's One-Link today is this one to his website where you'll find out more about Teen Angel, as well as all his other works.

Jim, thanks so much for being my guest today. Good luck with all your future projects!