Q&A with M. Laszlo, author of On the Threshold

 

Today I am excited to have you meet M. Laszlo, author of the historical science fiction book On the Threshold in this Q&A. We also have an excerpt from his book and a great giveaway. Have even more fun as you follow the tour!

Obsessed with learning the origins of the cosmos, the actual meaning of life, and the true purpose of civilization, a fine Scotsman named Fingal T. Smyth dedicates himself to the study of Plato’s most extraordinary ideas. Convinced of Plato’s belief that humankind possesses any and all innate knowledge deep within the collective unconscious mind, Fingal soon conducts a series of bold, pioneering occult-science experiments by which to resolve the riddle of the universe once and for all. However, Fingal forgets how violent and perilous the animal impulses that reside in the deepest recesses of the unconscious mind. And when Fingal unleashes a mysterious avatar of his innate knowledge, the entity appears as a burning man and immediately seeks to manipulate innocent and unsuspecting people everywhere into immolating themselves. Now, with little hope of returning the fiery figure into his being, Fingal must capture his nemesis before it destroys the world.

Read an excerpt:

Fräulein Wunderwaffe did not return the smile. Hand on heart, the little girl drew a bit closer. Then, as the hot, animalistic presence undulated all across Fingal’s body, the little girl’s eyes grew wide. Until the little girl’s expression turned to that of a vacant stare.

A moment later, her feet pointed inwards, she removed her hat and undid her long, flaxen hair.

Again, he cringed. “If you’ve noticed something, ignore all. This hasn’t got anything to do with you.” A third time, he cringed.

A most ethereal, lyrical, incomprehensible hiss commenced then: from the other end of the winding, decorative-brick driveway, each clay block shining the color of blue Welsh stone, a sleek Siamese cat with a coat of chocolate-spotted ivory had just appeared. And now the creature raced toward his shadow.

As he looked into the animal’s big, searching, blue eyes, the chocolate Siamese studied the off-center tip of his nose. Then the animal turned away, as if to compare the peculiarity with that of some disembodied visage hovering in the distance.

Out upon the loch, meanwhile, a miraculous rogue wave suddenly arose—and now the swell crashed against the pebbly strand.

Not a moment later, a cool flame crawled across Fingal’s throat. The strange fire rattled, too—not unlike the sound of fallen juniper leaves caught up in the current and dancing against the surface of a stone walkway.

Crivens. By now, the alien, pulsating presence held him so tight that he could barely breathe. Before long, he fell to the earth, and as the dreamlike flame continued to move across his throat, he rolled all about—until the illusory sensation of cool warmth wriggled and twisted and dropped into his neck dimple.

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Have you ever had an imaginary friend?

No, but I do believe that it’s a good idea to talk to your cat. Remember to speak in a friendly tone, though, because they definitely understand tone.

Do you have any phobias?

Spiders frighten me—especially hairy ones.

Do you listen to music when you're writing?

Yes. More often than not, I’ll go to You Tube and search on “Chinese Ancient Music”—a keyword search that takes me to a really magnificent album. Satie is good for writing, too.

Do you ever read your stories out loud?

Yes. One time I traveled to Dublin, Ireland, and a cabbie told me that if a person wishes to truly understand a work like Ulysses, the person must read the book out loud. Suffice it to say, the cabbie’s advice proved to be very helpful. In any city, the cabbies and the fish sellers tend to be the smartest people you meet.

Tell us about your main character and who inspired him/her.

Fingal is a fine Scotsman who loves learning and philosophy. I’d like to think that he’s at least a little bit inspired by the character Magnus Merriman by Erik Linklater. That’s a great novel because it’s so funny. The thing about the Scottish is they have an amazing sense of humor. And that’s a refreshing thing indeed.

M. Laszlo is an aging recluse who lives in Bath, Ohio. Rumor holds that his pseudonym is a reference to Victor Laszlo, a character in the classic film Casablanca. On the Threshold is his first release with the acclaimed, Australian hybrid house AIA Publishing. Oddly, M. Laszlo insists that his latest work, On the Threshold, does in fact provide the correct answer to the riddle of the universe.

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $25 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Follow the tour for more chances to win!

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