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If you could apologize to someone in your past, who would it be?
I would apologize to the young girl whose book draft I never got around to reading (for a variety of reasons, none of which justify potentially crushing a young author).
If you could keep a mythical/ paranormal creature as a pet, what would you have?
Probably a dragon, who would be a good friend and take me out flying.
How do you keep your writing different from all the others that write in this particular genre?
I mix my genres a bit which is both good and bad. It’s good because it makes stories that are unique and interesting. It’s bad because it makes describing them to anyone and filling in Internet search terms very hard.
What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?
The best advice would be making sure to use character names through longer dialogs, instead of he/she, and just having the dialog. Reading ebooks tends to make it easy to lose track of who is saying what. I’ve also started leaving clues about who each minor character is when they first appear in the scene to help the reader remember who they are and how they fit into the story.
The worst advice I ever got was to try to use Microsoft Word to write a book, splitting and linking files. What a disaster. Either use plain text files or something like Scrivener (which I adore), where you can focus on writing and not formatting and reformatting and reformatting, and Word’s broken links.
Are the experiences in this book based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
I would say that the number of times Merrill has to change her goals reflects the many times my own direction has changed. It’s not flippancy, but a recognition that something else may suit me better.
Entering the witness relocation program after lawfully escaping a massive walled-in prison, teenage Merrill tries to fit into our society. Her background and decisions may not let her.
Maz, Origin is a story of growth and love, guilt and innocence, and changing goals. What is morally right and what is legally right? What’s legal for humans may not be for aliens…
Enjoy an Excerpt
I heard shots being fired from below. They were aiming at the helicopter or the guy that landed on the scaffolding above me. The sign offered some level of protection, but they’d move into position directly below shortly. “It’s ok, miss, we’ll have you out of here in a jiff. Are you hurt?” The man began to wiggle through the bars, which was no small feat because he was wearing some sort of heavy armor.
He reached down toward me, and I hesitated, terrified of grabbing that hand and leaving my life behind. He clenched his teeth in frustration and urged me, “Come on, miss! Just take my hand.”
Gunfire from below decided for me. I lifted my good arm, and he latched onto me. As he jerked me upwards, pain shot through my shoulder and abdomen. I gave up life and slipped into darkness.
About the Author: 
T. L. Ford is a programmer, writer, and artist. She spent most of her professional career supporting the Patuxent River Naval Air Station in southern Maryland. Her science fiction novels imagine possibilities while focusing on society and personal relationships and decisions. Her fantasy novels are heavily influenced by Dungeons & Dragons and are light “weekend reads”. She’s also created two art books, a thriller novella, and an interactive math iBook. She enjoys sailing, hiking, and spending time with her family.
Buy the book at Amazon.
