WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: R P Momsen, Author

R P Momsen, Author
PHIL!

R P Momsen’s PHIL! intends to make us laugh. Momsen describes his story as SciFi “in a hilarious, fun way,” designed to show how the universe was created in an alternative manner. He recognizes the divisiveness of religion and strived to write a story that anyone of any religion would find “refreshing.”

Momsen is already working on the next book in the PHIL series and has two other novels in the editing stage, which he plans to release next year. He lives in Maui and confesses to being an inept surfer. He loves to travel.

Q: How would you characterize your rather unique PHIL!? Fantasy? SciFi? Literary fiction? Why? Who will most enjoy reading it?

R P Momsen: It would best be described as SciFi meets modern scientific thought but in a hilarious, fun way offering an alternate explanation as to how the universe began and how life came to be. I wrote Phil as a lighthearted read that anyone could enjoy.

Q: How did you conceive of Phil, the character? What sparked you to create him and his role of overseeing the world?

R P Momsen: Religion has always been such a divisive issue. I wanted to write something that tried to answer the fundamental questions of life in a funny, tongue-in-cheek way that anyone, no matter of what religious background, would find refreshing.

I thought it would be fun if the guy who was running everything was a lot like us, has his issues, has a sarcastic, dry sense of humor and someone you’d like to have a beer with; and he just happens to run the universe.

Q: Will readers like Phil, the character? Why or why not?

R P Momsen: I think readers will love Phil, he’s funny, sees things from a positive but different perspective and sees our problems as minor and kind of cute, in a little alien species kind of way.

Q: How do you create credibility, or believability, in your made-up universe? How do you engage readers so that they will accept the concept and read on?

R P Momsen: I think it comes down to creating a universe that has many similarities to our own. Creating a new world that still stays within the confines of how we live. No matter where or how you live there will be problems, triumphs and challenges whether they’re in this world or an imaginary one.

Q: How helpful is humor to tell your story?

R P Momsen: Very, it’s what drives the perspectives and reactions of the characters. The greatest humor comes from simply seeing something in a different way from others.

Q: Did you write your story strictly for entertainment or did you embed a few messages along the way?

R P Momsen: It is mostly for humor but I wanted to have readers look at religion and science with an alternative perspective. There’s a few messages throughout PHIL but they’re done in a fun, creative way.

Q: Do you use the concept of hero versus villain in PHIL!? What are the attributes of an effective villain?

R P Momsen: There is a villain in the novel that is in constant battle with Phil throughout the story but it’s as much an adventure of discovery as it is hero versus villain. Though the villain plays a big role towards the end of the story and is one of the most hilarious scenes.

Q: As you take your readers around to different locations in the universe, are you able to exploit the various settings to expand your story?

R P Momsen: Absolutely, each setting and new world builds on the story and I’m able to create very funny stories within Phil using the different worlds to build the plot and backstory.

Q: What’s next?

R P Momsen: I’m working on the next book in the Phil series and aim to have it completed by spring 2017. I also have two novels in the editing stage that I’m hoping to launch in the new year.

Q: Tell us about R P Momsen. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

R P Momsen: I love to travel and I live in Maui so I’m able to spend a lot of time in the water scuba diving or stand up paddling. I’m a terrible surfer though which is kind of embarrassing for a person living here but I’ve come to terms with it.

About R P Momsen

R P Momsen was lucky enough to meet Phil in a very lovely but rather smelly pub a few years ago. After listening to the most amazing story of his life, and a half dozen pints, Rick agreed to bring Phil’s story to the world and finally get Phil a vacation. Through an arduous process over the next couple years of intense notes, grand philosophical debates, lengthy trips through multiple universes and numerous beers this masterpiece of answers was named Phil and finally released. A great friendship has been created and Rick has agreed to continue to write the real truth about everything, why it’s kind of a good thing to know and what humankind could do to be invited to the really cool parties.

About PHIL!

A very funny science fiction adventure that will change the way you look at life, the universe and why we're all here.

Billions of years ago, our universe was born. Not really that terribly exciting for most life forms except of course yourselves… and, well, Phil. The poor bastard who’s had to watch over all you people the last billion or so years.

Well, finally after years of listening to all your griping, bitching and whining, always with some imaginary being getting all the credit, he’s finally had it!

Phil has decided to explain what the world is, why you’re here and how you can evolve finally into a species worth talking about at parties.

In this hilarious actual account, Phil takes two unwitting Physicists on the adventure of their lives, which isn’t saying much for a couple of physicists, and shows them what life, the universe and lovely little corner pubs really is all about. They’re transported to other dimensions to meet their better looking selves, get taken prisoner by an evil but very good looking race, fly through black holes and help the creation of a new planet all while their greatest challenge hangs in the balance, saving earth from the most evil, and best dressed, species the universe has ever seen.

Will they save earth? Has all the years of hard work Phil has done creating you beings been lost? Does any of this really matter?

Excerpt from PHIL!

       Ping.

       Ping.

       “You gonna answer that?” Delphinia slurred. Typically an attractive female colleague, except now she had half a glass of Pan Universal Kumquat Juice down her front, and somehow an equal amount sprayed randomly throughout her hair. We were all drunk—she was winning.

       “Just another idiotic human with some whiny ‘I can’t do anything for myself’ question.” 

       “Are they still making you do that? Didn’t you create some god chat line for them to look up on their own?” asked Braithwaight, a much larger and uglier version of myself who had the unusual characteristic of having the largest nostrils in the universe. You wouldn't know them as nostrils, of course, given that their size and look is of one of your outhouses, massively uneven, bright orange and dripping with something I'd rather not discuss.

       “Ya, but they seem to be using it mostly for porn and watching other humans or animals doing idiotic stuff, which is even stranger when you realize that the average human does 4.8 stupid things per week; you would think watching each other in real time would keep them amused enough,” I replied. Braithwaight was correct, after all—a number of years ago, I had instructed humans to create something called God Gab to answer all their questions and, hopefully, quit bothering me. As usual, they misunderstood, called it Google, and continued to harass me anyway.

       “Slow... what dey say?” Delphinia slurred, spitting Pan Universal Kumquat Juice over both of us, which as it turned out was actually rather tasty; I decided to order one next despite it being a bit of a girly drink.

       “Dear Lord.” (Dear Phil, it should have actually read.) Please give me strength in dealing with my two kids; I’m always so tired, they stay awake for hours on end, I seem to be the only one in the house able to nap, they eat all my food, hide my weed and are even messier than my 3 ex husbands. I can’t keep doing it. What should I do?”

       “Signed ‘lame-ass, stoned and grumpy Mom.’ I added the last part.” I ordered my drink despite Braithwaighte’s sudden drunken episode of visualizing me in a short skirt with nice big perky ears; an odd and very unsexy effect of the alcohol.

“So, how do you answer it?” Braithwaight asked, refocusing himself.

       “ I usually give some form of positive bullshit advice that they ignore, and then they continue doing exactly what they’ve been doing for years,” I replied.

       “You should just sway what you twink then; who cares what they do?” Delphinia again slurred, though this time with more drooling than spitting, which was fine with me since I now had my own drink. Oddly enough, this had never occurred to me before, which just goes to show that the advice of a really drunk person should not be discounted even when slurred, spat, or dribbled. I took two large gulps of my drink, hoping to gain some more of this wisdom; my entire mind seemed to open up and swallow everything around me; my eyes fell out of my head, dropped off the table, and rolled under my now very short skirt, and then I spat the remaining mouthful onto my two companions, to which Braithwaight said ‘mmmm’ before promptly ordering one for himself.

       If it had seemed like a good idea before, after two sips of Pan Universal Kumquat Juice, it became the most brilliant idea since the first crossing of the universe in a giant Easter egg with very slightly modified snowshoes and a six-pack of Grantham Planetary Beers. Without putting anymore thought into it, or in fact having any more thought left, I promptly replied to my lame ass Mom message “I would suggest refraining from drinking every night until near unconsciousness, or adoption, whichever ones easier. Signed, Phil. PS. There is no Lord—Surprise!”

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