You met Steve Bornstein, @steve_bornstein earlier this week when he was guest judge for 5MinuteFiction. Well we’re coming back ’round to him because I want to talk about When the Hero Comes Home again. Have you read it yet? You really should. (Want to win one? Stay tuned to the end of the post and find out how you can.)

Here’s a review I wrote about it.

But while that’s a very thoughtful and interesting review, ;), let’s do something more fun and have a 5MinuteInterview with Steve!

1.) How’d you come to be a part of When the Hero Comes Home, and if someone asks you to do this again, will you jump on the chance or run screaming?

Gabrielle Harbowy and I met several years ago on an old text-based roleplaying game and we became writing partners from there. After she and Ed Greenwood conceived When The Hero Comes Home, I was invited to submit a story about a dragon, I think mainly because they were looking for a story with an unusual POV. I’d never considered myself publishable before, but I hammered out “Full Circle” and both she and Ed loved it, and the rest is history. 🙂 I would absolutely jump on the chance if asked again. The reception I’ve gotten from the writing community has been nothing short of fantastic and it’s really gotten me motivated to get my stuff out there and read.

2) Give me one sentence you want to see appear in your interview. It can be the answer to any question I haven’t asked, or just something you want to see on the screen.

When I write, I use two basic rules: Conflict is the essence of plot, and characters grow and develop by overcoming adversity. Everything else springs from that. [OK, that’s two sentences. :)]

3) What’s next for you?

Definitely more short story writing! I love worldbuilding and I’ve had a couple of projects I’ve been fiddling with for a few years now, and I’m starting to explore them more in the wake of the Hero project. I’ve got a lot of stories to tell and I’m pretty optimistic about what the future holds for it all.

4) What is the dragon’s name?

The dragon is nameless on purpose. In the world where the story takes place, dragons outlive their names.

Thanks again, Steve, for being great to work with and for the interview. Best of luck to you!

Now, for the winning of books. Well all you have to do is post a comment below. Since it’s Steve’s interview, it would be really great if it were a comment or question directed at him. Make sure there’s some way I can contact you if you win. A link to your site or twitter handle would be fine.

Friday afternoon I’ll choose one comment at random and that person will win a free Kindle copy of When the Hero Comes Home! So, what do you have to say?