What could be more compelling (aside from careful observation growing grass or drying paint) than an interview with six Scribe Award-nominated authors about their nominated works and their views on media tie-in writing? Nothing, that’s what! Click on over to Jonathan Maberry’s Big, Scary Blog to read his interview with the nominees in the IAMTW‘s most hotly contested award category, Best Speculative Original Novel.

My tome Star Trek Mirror Universe: The Sorrows of Empire is on that list of nominated works, and I join fellow nominees Keith R.A. DeCandido (Supernatural: Heart of the Dragon), Matt Forbeck & Jeff Grubb (Guild Wars: Ghosts of Ascalon), Sean Williams (Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II), and Nathan Long (Warhammer: Bloodborn: Ulrika the Vampire) for a virtual roundtable discussion.

A sample of my loquacious genius in action:

BIG SCARY BLOG: What makes a really good media tie-in book?

DAVID MACK: Other than good writing and storytelling? A passion for the universe and characters is essential, in my opinion. More than that, I think it’s important to have respect for the source material one is working from. I won’t name the franchises, but I have on a few occasions turned down offers to write novels because I just couldn’t get excited about the core property, and I was concerned that my lack of enthusiasm for the material might come through in my writing. Licensors, publishers, and fans all deserve better than that for their money, in my opinion.

And there’s more where that came from. Go check it out and leave a comment so Jonathan will know you were there.