Well, I've splashed out (pun partially intended) on a stand up paddleboard.

OK, so that's not me. And that's certainly not what the weather was like when I tried out my new board (picture squally winds and hard rain). But it does give an idea of what it can be like.

In my interview today, I am talking to John Triptych, author of the The Piranha Solution and Lands of Dust.

What are you working on at the minute?
I'm actually planning two brand new sci-fi series. The first takes place on a human colony in a distant planet- its sort of like James Cameron's Avatar, but with totally different and original aliens. I'm planning to explore both the alien culture and the socio-political aspects of how a colony is run. The second series will be a massive space opera- I'm still working out the details on it, but I want it to have a huge storyline with multiple characters and truly epic in scope!

What draws you to writing science fiction?
I like sci-fi because you are only limited by your own imagination. And as far as creativity goes, I have lots of it!

How much research do you do? How do you do it?
I do plenty of research. I go onto different forums/blogs and ask questions on science, physics, biology, etc. I also have a team of beta readers who are themselves space enthusiasts and they keep me grounded on the science part to make sure its realistic. When I write I also keep sites like Wikipedia and Google Maps handy in case of any ideas that pop up in my head while I write.

Tell us a little about your series...
The Ace of Space series is my attempt at futurism, trying to imagine what life would be like say 50-60 years from now. I have already explored Mars and cislunar space in the first two books so I would like to see if I can cover all the other habitable planets in the Sol System in the rest of the series. The Dying World series is a cross between the genre of planetary romance and the dying earth subgenres. I hope that people will enjoy something a bit more swashbuckling and set in a totally different world set millions of years in the future.

Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?
I work like Stephen King, I have no idea what's going to happen next so I let the characters do the talking for me. I just chronicle their adventures. It's great because the books I write turn into something completely unexpected. I don't know why but it all seems to come together at the end.
Wow! I usually have a general idea where my stories are going, though the details kind of all link together as it goes along. Thank you for taking the time to talk to me.