On the latest episode of Salt Lake Dirt, I sat down with author Perrin Pring to talk about her novel, Cash and Gravity, which releases on May 26th from Diversion Books. The story is set in a near future where six mega-corporations have essentially supplanted global governments. It follows Chevy Cole, a military grunt who unexpectedly ends up on the run with a stolen mobile fusion device that everyone is trying to track down. Perrin shared how the initial spark for the book came from a conversation with her husband during a long, remote drive through Nevada after days spent off the grid on the Green River. We also talked about how her career as a park ranger helps her bring a gritty, hands-on realism to the physical struggles her characters face.

What I found especially interesting was hearing about her rewriting process and her willingness to take tough feedback. Influenced by her time in a low-residency MFA program and advice from author Todd Goldberg, Perrin actually swapped the genders of her main characters late in the process to find the right dynamic. We discussed the lore of her "Aces"—the elite, space-based super-soldiers who are treated like celebrity athletes in this corporate world—and how they contrast with characters who just want to stay off the grid. Perrin also pulled back the curtain on the business side of writing, from balancing a full-time job with creative deadlines to the grind of maintaining a social media platform. It was a great conversation about craft and the realities of the industry.

Check out the episode, and you can find Perrin's weekly vignettes and reviews on Instagram and Substack.

Thanks for listening!

Kyler

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Episode Links:

• Perrin's Substack
• IG: @perrinpringauthor
• Visit SALT LAKE DIRT for more interviews