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An Interview with Tom Steele

High School Newspaper interviews AAU author

Interviewer: So, what made you decide to write a book?

Tom Steele: It’s kind of hard to say exactly why I wanted to write it…I guess because I felt like it. It stared in the year 2000 when my parents went away for a month. I was bored so I pulled out my K'NEX box and LEGOs tub and began to build giant forts and ships and castles. Eventually, I started thinking about who lived in these castles, who built these forts, and who flew these space ships. I guess it snowballed from that point. I began playing with paper cut-outs of characters and places. It wasn’t until late 2000 when I had decided to read the books of Judith, Genesis, parts of Acts, and Revelation from the Bible. I then added spiritual meaning behind actions and places and people. By my eighth grade year, I had finally decided to start writing things down because it was becoming too much to remember in my head. By the end of 2003, the first drafts of all eight episodes were completed. By the end of 2004, I deemed the first five episodes complete. The final three will be out soon if all goes according to plan.

It’s been fun…more fun than I expected. I find myself daydreaming about my characters, plots, and settings nearly everyday—that’s why if you ever see me in the halls with a dazed look, it probably means I’m brainstorming. I didn’t write the story for anyone else but myself. I didn’t write the story to make money. I didn’t write the story to get noticed or have fame. I wrote the story to satisfy a yearning inside me…to release my imagination.



I: What character do you identify with most?

TS: That’s a tough one… All the characters, good or evil, are close to me in some way. The character Nasil the Great of Mordon and Modius is like an all-knowing father who, when around, gives me a feeling of security. Even when I’m writing, when I bring Nasil into the scene, I feel like he can help me out of any writer’s block I could have. The character Howard Jackson, the commander-in-chief of UMDA, is also a close character because he constantly struggles between doing his duty and caring for others. Perhaps the one character I really identify with; however, is actually a villain. I identify with the Darkness Magician—the mysterious Employer of an evil sea-witch and the Robotic Confederation—who is actually the head of a secret organization known as Darkness. I don’t want to give out too much information about him because he does not take a major part in the story until the next book; however, he appears to be 16 years old with long, curly hair. He uses evil magic and demands respect from his cronies. I identify with him, not because he is evil, but because he is my complete and utter opposite. As bad as he is, I want to be that much better at being good.



I: Do you see any parallels between the communities in Adventures Across the Universe and your life here at High School? Are any characters like specific teachers?

TS: Sort of… I observe people and events. I look at people and see them for who they are and/or what they could become. Some of my classmates’ names have actually appeared slightly altered in the story—one of my biggest compliments I could ever give to them. I usually didn’t tell them I did it…I wonder if any of them will figure it out. As far as teachers, yes, there are a few characters similar to teachers.



I: Do you have any other books in the works and if so, when can we expect to see them?

TS: Adventures Across the Universe contains Episodes I-V (The Five Crystals, The Princess’s Crown, Kenex’s Power, The Greenhouse Effect, and Technical Difficulties). They are really the “prologue” episodes for the final three. Adventures Across the Universe II: Darkness and Light contains episodes VI-VIII (From Bad to Worse, The Light’s Darkest Hour, and The Final Conflict). It is my plan to have the next book out sometime during my senior year (2006-2007). AAU2 is really about war, the struggle between good and evil, moral issues, love, and faith that all must happen for a reason. It has an entirely different tone to it. I encourage anyone who has read AAU to most definitely complete the story by reading AAU2.



I: Is there any way we can learn more about your book? Where can we buy it?

TS: You can read about Adventures Across the Universe at it’s official website: AdventuresAcrosstheUniverse.com. It contains in-depth details about characters and settings, plot outlines, articles, comments from other readers, symbolism analogies, downloads, and more. You can purchase Adventures Across the Universe from the publisher, AuthorHouse, at AuthorHouse.com or through AdventuresAcrosstheUniverse.com and clicking on ‘Purchase’. You can also order it at Borders, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.



I: Thanks, Tom, for your time and answering these questions.

TS: Thank you for your interest.



I: Best of luck on your present book and your future project, Adventures Across the Universe II: Darkness and Light.

TS: “May the Superior Spirit bless you,” (quoting from Adventures Across the Universe). Thank you.