Interview with J.S. Hudson, Author of Enhanced

What can you tell us about your new release, Enhanced?

I consider Enhanced to be my best novel to date. It’s about four friends in high school that are struggling to reach their goals, and through dire circumstances, they happen upon the chance to become cybernetically enhanced. This seems like a cure-all. But as their goals draw nearer, their relationships with each other become more and more distant. Focussing on escalating issues with their parents and peers while attempting to control their new abilities consumes them. Meanwhile, they have no idea about the magnitude of danger they’re in, or who is hunting them down.

There was a lot of turmoil in my life during the writing of Enhanced and it spilled out onto the pages. I set out to write just a good sci-fi thriller, but my heart literally bled into a few of the scenes. Although it’s a Y.A. novel – not graphic or disturbing, it’s a deeply emotional book for me, and I hope the parts that moved me, move you as well.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

I believe my inspiration to write comes originally from a gift placed inside me by God. I’m not saying that I’m special, because we all have different gifts – mine just happens to be telling stories. One thing that appeals to me about writing is the longevity of a finished work and the ability of stories to teach without teaching. There’s a saying that a smart man learns from his own mistakes but a wise man learns from others mistakes. In other words, the characters in a book are those “others” and we can learn a lot by reading about them.

What’s on your top 5 list for the best books you’ve ever read?

My favorite books are the old Dungeons & Dragons paperbacks of my youth, the theology of C.S. Lewis, and Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.

Say you’re the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?

If I was the host of a literary talk show, my first guest would be Stephen King. I would ask him to plan out my next ten years of writing across the airwaves for accountability’s sake.

What’s your favorite thing about writing?

The thing I love most about writing, is the ability to bring to life characters that you’d like to know personally or possibly defeat in battle – also places you’d like to visit or possibly flee from. It’s not a God complex, but the satisfaction over the worldbuilding aspect of writing might originate upstairs.

What is a typical day like for you?

A typical day for me is a constant struggle against distraction. For me, passion only gets me so far, but self-discipline is my very best friend. I wake up and write as much as I can, usually around 1500-2500 words on a good day. The rest of my hours consist of trying to slip in marketing, media, and more writing, amidst my other, sometimes more important, responsibilities. I try to go to bed with either chocolate, black licorice, or candied ginger, but more often than not it’s just minty toothpaste and a cool pillow.

What scene in Enhanced was your favorite to write?

My favorite scene in Enhanced, believe it or not, is a scene with Ashley (The girl on the cover) at a restaurant with her mom. They haven’t seen each other for a while because of an awkward separation from Ashley’s father. There’s a huge elephant in the room as they exchange pleasantries, but they’re unable to stave off an inevitable blowout. Good stuff…

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

I’d say my motto in life right now is “If you’re gonna fail, fail with friends.” Failure is inevitable, but if we don’t let the shame of failure isolate us, and instead, latch on to those who love us, we can go through seasons of failure much easier and much more quickly, too.

J.S. Hudson is the author of the new book Enhanced.

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