An Interview with Authors Dax and Lloyd Garner

Right around last Thanksgiving, I wrote a review about a great young adult novel, Corpse of Freedom, written by brothers Dax and Lloyd Garner. I met them through a "friend request" to my MySpace profile, and upon reading a little about the novel on their MySpace page, I dropped them a line, requesting an advance copy, so I could read and review it for AC.

I was intrigued by the concept of Corpse right from the start. Because we now breathe the final vapors of liberty in America, the title of this work sure got my attention. When Ryan discovers he is going nowhere in his beige and sepia suburban xanadu, his natural desire for personal responsibility and personal freedom overtakes his lazy, hedonistic ways (which pretty much only helped him get by). The beautiful point of the story is when Ryan realizes that he does not want to be a running gerbil in a wheel anymore!

My copy arrived some time in October 2007, and after reading the thing two times (plus alternate endings), I posted my review online. Well, the release date (February 29) is almost here, and what do I find in my mailbox when I come home from work, but a brand new copy of Corpse of Freedom; with a note of thanks from Lloyd!

Well, I wanted to learn a little more about these guys. So, I sent Lloyd some questions via email, asking if he and Dax wouldn't mind doing a little cyber Q&A, and they graciously agreed. In my opinion, these guys wrote one hell of a novel, so I wanted to learn a little something about the men responsible for finally getting that book off the ground. Here's what I asked them, and here's what they had to say:

JLN: How bout tellin' the AC readers a little about yourselves?

DAX GARNER: I 'm 32 years old, born in Phoenix, Arizona. I grew up in both Arizona and California, splitting my time evenly between the two.

LLOYD GARNER: I'm the middle child between my 3 brothers and sister. People tend to find me cold, abrasive, weird, and scary - but also incredibly sexy!

JLN: When did you both decide that writing was your calling?

DG: I always knew I would write something. Creating stories in detail has always brought the greatest happiness in my life. But the decision to complete Corpse of Freedom as a novel was the first thing that solidified that calling, so to speak.

LG: I don't know what my calling is.

JLN: Who were your main influences. Which writers do you admire most?

DG: I personally am a big fan of Aldous Huxley who wrote simply smart, and the French existential writers of the 1940s and 1950s, such Albert Camus who wrote The Stranger and The Rebel, and Jean-Paul Sartre.

LG: Good storytellers like Robert Jordan, F. Paul Wilson, Orson Scott Card, Gary Jennings, Edgar Allen Poe are my personal favorites.

JLN: Last year, I had the privilege of reading Corpse of Freedom months before its release. Is this the first novel for the both of you?

DG: Yes.

LG: ...

JLN What inspired you to collaborate on Corpse of Freedom and its great Libertarian message?

DG: There has always been a control battle within me. I don't like feeling controlled or restrained. I feel there is nothing more agonizing than the young person's constant tug-of-war with society's rules. We wanted to empathize with that.

JLN: I understand completely!

LG: My personal pursuit for independence in a world I find growing more restrictive daily.

JLN: What age group are you trying to reach with Corpse of Freedom?

DG: We've been lucky to have all ages, from 16 to 82, read and review this book. They all find different things within which speak to them on an individual basis. They got a chance to go on ride along with characters that they wouldn't otherwise have any association with. I would just hope that they thought that ride was intense. That would be the most satisfying to me.

LG: Any mind fertile enough for the seeds of ideas to grow.

JLN: Have you written/cowritten any other books?

DG: No.

JLN: Any plans for future novels?

DG: Yes.

LG: We have many more ideas and stories at different stages of development. Fact is that these stories NEED to be told, and we feel it is our life's duty to tell them.

JLN: According to your bio, you both attended the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism. Can you tell us a little about the school and your experiences there?

DG: That school was a place where we worked hard on television and film projects and really learned more from doing than anything else. We were fortunate to collaborate all though out that time, which made it possible to get through all the difficult time with this project. If we didn't have the chance to do that then, I'm not sure if we would have completed a work that we are both so proud of.

LG: That's a school in ASU (Arizona State). I learned much about the inner workings of media and how powerful it is. And we all know power corrupts.

JLN: What do you guys do for fun, when you aren't writing?

DG We're always looking for a new adventure, a place to travel to or stuff that's funny and interesting. The actual stuff between writing is a new chance to discover inspiration for future things. I invent ridiculous things to do or I find the dumbest events to go to in the newspaper and will go to those. As long as its absurd and I can get a couple laughs.

LG: I think of new ways to improve myself mentally and physically. Latest example being my experiment of selling everything I own on ebay. You can learn more about that at www.lloydsexperiment.com.

JLN: What are your future plans?

DG: Want to really get the word out about this book, and find an audience that will enjoy it.

LG:Corpse Campaign 2008! We plan on traveling to bookstores, libraries and bars across the country, promoting fun and having adventures. Hope to see you out there!

JLN: Thanks, guys. Corpse of Freedom can be purchased at amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.