Interview with Jim Hammond

JIM HAMMOND has been writing for years. In his career as a technical instructor and course developer in Silicon Valley, he has written numerous courses on computer networks and the Internet. His love affair with fictional writing goes back to his youth. His combined hobbies of writing novels and watching - and critiquing - movies has created a unique and compelling writing style.

His first serious short story, which is now the outline for his screenplay, "The Crystal City" derived from his fascination with science fiction and authors such as Arthur C. Clarke and Robert Heinlein. A writing class assignment in the early '90s developed the character who became the protagonist for his first novel, "The Burren Weeps," a mystery set in Ireland. "The Phoenix Society," set in Sonoma County, California, is his second novel.

Hammond draws his ideas for his books from his experiences and from his imaginative way of taking a every-day situation and turning it into a story - complete with back histories of the main characters and a fascinating journey to resolution. He considers himself a fusion writer, drawing from multiple disciplines to tell the story he wants.

Hammond is a world traveler, having taught and explored on four continents. Whenever possible, he takes his bicycle along. An avid bicyclist, Hammond further developed "The Burren Weeps" during two extended bicycle tours of Ireland. A harrowing bicycle trip down a narrow road develops the plot in "The Phoenix Society" and grew out of a bicycle trip he took in Sonoma County while writing the story. The motif of a high-stakes bicycle ride can be expected in all of his works.

Hammond's interest in movies has also added to his writing technique. While taking a screenwriting course a few years ago, he decided to use the story line from "The Phoenix Society" for an exercise. He discovered that the richness and discipline of writing for the screen helped him create more fully-rounded and believable characters in his novels. The technique he has evolved is one that he is using in a writing course that he teaches aspiring novelists.

While touring in Israel, Hammond climbed into some of the caves at Quamran and saw the world from the same vantage point as the originators of the biblical-era documents found centuries after their concealment Out of that experience, Hammond is currently developing his third novel, set in the Middle East and dealing with the Dead Sea Scrolls.

He resides in Corrales, New Mexico with his wife Barbara, who is also an author.

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