Author Andrew J. Peters is the third most famous Andrew J. Peters on the Internet after the disgraced former mayor of Boston and the very honorable concert organist of the same name.
He’s an award-winning author, an educator and an activist, and has written over a dozen novels, primarily in the fantasy genre. He has a passion for ancient world myth and legend as well as retold stories with a queer bent.
Andrew grew up in Buffalo, New York, studied psychology at Cornell University, and spent the early part of his career as a social worker and an advocate for LGBTQ+ youth. Currently, while writing, he works in higher education, and he lives with his husband and their cat Hugo in New York.
FAQs
How did you get into writing?
Reading really piqued my interest in writing while I was growing up. As a kid, I wrote stories that were directly inspired by whatever I was reading at the time whether it was mysteries, plays, contemporary fiction, or fantasy. I took creative writing classes in high school and college. After that, I attended workshops, conferences, and retreats, and I participated in critique groups and online writers’ forums.
Would I like what you write?
That’s hard to say. Why don’t you buy one of my books and give it a try? 🙂
My biggest inspiration is ancient world history and mythology so if that interests you, you might enjoy my books. Another consideration is that I tend to write about gay people. Generally, you could say my work combines ancient world fantasy and gay fiction. I write contemporary stories and non-gay stories every now and then too.
How did you get published?
I started by sending some of my short fiction to journals and happily had some success with that. My first few novels got picked up by an array of LGBTQ small presses, and I later became a ‘hybrid’ author, with a mix of traditionally published and self-published titles.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
I work at a university as a clinical lecturer, and I also train and supervise social workers who are working on their license. In my leisure time, I love traveling, theater, movies, going out to restaurants, cooking, taking long walks while listening to podcasts, and of course reading.
Who are your favorite authors?
I have a long list of authors I love, beginning with Gregory Maguire and including Jeffrey Eugenides, John Irving, Hanif Kureishi, Tom Robbins, and Shyam Selvadurai to name a few. I read a lot of fantasy and historical books, and I have to admit I’m a bit fussy about books in the genre in which I write. Some of my favorite authors in that realm are Samuel R. Delaney, Neil Gaiman, Umberto Eco, Ursula Le Guin, Terry Pratchett, Mary Renault, and Anne Rice.
Do you ever speak to groups about your books?
Yes I do! I love talking to students and book clubs and doing events at bookstores and libraries. Drop me a line at ajpeters@andrewjpeterswrites.com if you would like me to come out to your group. I’ll do my best to try to arrange some freebies from my publishers.