Story excerpt from Slashed and Mashed

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For #SlashedandMashed Release Week, I’m sharing some book extras. Today I thought I’d post an excerpt from the lead story in the collection “Theseus and the Minotaur.”

I wrote “Theseus and the Minotaur” almost two years ago when I was prepping to start my Patreon page and wanted to front-load some of the work providing content for patrons. I love Greek mythology, so a natural place for me to start was re-imagining classic myths and giving them a queer spin.

On re-familiarizing myself with the source material, a couple of things stood out to me and got my creative gears spinning. First, like most Greek heroes, Theseus was really young when he set off on his adventures. Greek writers and historians were pretty stingy in the area of development of character, and of course, they didn’t think about human development in the same way we do. But I was struck by the opportunity to flesh out Theseus as a young adult, just entering manhood as was said, which might have meant he was 18 years old or younger.

Then, even more so, I was drawn to redeem the tragic beast character the Minotaur, who like so many Greek monsters (e.g. Medusa, the Cyclops) had a cruel and haunting history and was spared no kindness, no humanity in the source material.

Last, I was struck by the relationship between Theseus and Ariadne. They’re both described as idealized beauties, and some versions of the story portray their relationship as romantic. But it’s not told as a triumphant romance like Perseus and Andromeda or a tragic romance like Jason and Medea. The myth writers were pretty wishy-washy about Theseus and Ariadne. One version has Theseus dropping Ariadne off at an island on his way back from Greece, for example, and in any event, it’s not described as a lasting relationship. Ariadne was linked to the god Dionysus by storytellers of the time for example. That got me thinking about who really captured Theseus’s fascination on his trip to Crete.

Anyway, here’s a short excerpt from my story when Theseus first meets the Minotaur in his quest to kill the monster of the labyrinth. My husband drew this sketch to go along with the story.

Slashed and Mashed
Andrew J. Peters © 2019
All Rights Reserved

THESEUS HELD HIMSELF silent for a moment. The dimensions of the chamber surely signified something, whether a pit lay in its center for him to trip into, or his trail had led him to the heart of the labyrinth. Casting his gaze here and there, he regretted he had so few markers with which to judge. But, oh yes, that looked like straw scattered on the ground, such as could make a kind of bedding. And, oh yes, a familiar scent traveled to his nostrils, which spoke of habitation, as a house held on to the peculiar smell of its occupants, bare feet upon the floorboards, odors seeped into leftover clothes and bedsheets. This scent he would describe as hide and the earthy smell of a man freshly woken from a night’s sleep. He stood on guard, thinking about how quickly he could wield his sword.

Now, faint breaths arose from the sightless depths of the chamber. Not slumbering breaths but more carefully measured, like a man (or creature?) concealing itself. Switching out the bobbin for his sword, he staggered forward a few paces, pointing his torch ahead of him.

“Show yourself and let us end this game.”

A daring vow that overplayed his true grit. For when a shadow rose from the floor, towering a head taller than he, and a murky silhouette lurched toward him, the prince could only hold his ground, transfixed by the adversary he had summoned.

Twisted horns sprouted from an impossibly broad and jutting forehead. The shoulder span and thickly muscled torso of a demigod. The creature was entirely bare from its bulging chest to its manhood to its thick, crushing thighs. Bowlegged by its anatomy, it walked upright with powerful strides.

“You’ve come to smite me?”

A further terror. It spoke. Yet in a voice more human than Theseus would have imagined. Deep and virile, as befitted its proportions. Theseus stared back at its black-eyed, challenging gaze. He could not produce a word.

The Minotaur curled its mouth. “If you are such an adventurer, I should like to know your name before you try your sword against me.”

Theseus threw back a foot, bent his knees in a defensive stance, and wielded his sword, one-handed at his shoulder. “I am Theseus of Attica. Son of Aegeus. Prince of Athens. Enemy of Crete.”

The Minotaur cocked its head slightly. A strange gesture for a man-eating monster. Though its horns, its size, its physicality spoke of dominance and destruction, it did not seem to be tensed for battle.

“What is Attica?” it said.

“A land far from here. Across the Aegean Sea.” Theseus elaborated no further. Curious as it was that the man-bull wished to talk, he had not come for conversation. His gaze passed over the leather collar around the creature’s neck, and he breathed courage into
his lungs.

“Your father declared war on us. As did your god. I have come to end it.”

He rushed at the monster with his blade outstretched, ready to hack. For a moment, he thought he had caught his enemy off guard. Then, in a blur, the Minotaur struck out and caught his sword arm in its hand with an impossible strength.

Theseus fought to free himself, and then the hilt of his blade slipped from his hand, and his only weapon clanged on the floor behind him. The monster held him in an iron grip. He twisted the prince’s arm and shoved him back. Theseus barely managed to stay on his two legs and not drop his torch.

No sooner had he raised his eyes than the creature came at him again. Now, he looked distinctly peeved. (And the Minotaur was no longer “it” in the prince’s head. Theseus had expected to fight a creature more beast than man. He found instead an adversary with human intelligence, the capacity to speak, composed of human flesh but for twisted horns and hooves. “It” was “he.”)

“What do you know of my father? What do you know of my god?”

Theseus pivoted around, anticipating a strike, unable to take his eyes off his challenger in favor of searching for his blade, which he desperately needed.

The Minotaur rounded him. “Speak. You’ve come a long way to tell me about my origins. Would you stop now?”

“Your stepfather, I meant,” Theseus said. “The King. He is my enemy. As are you.”

The Minotaur snorted. “Yes, stepfather. My warden. He is no father to me. Would a father keep his son in a cold, dark crypt, Prince Theseus?”

Theseus supposed it would not be so. Judging the space and the creature’s reach, he could see no opening for an attack—with only his bare hands? A spree to escape the creature was slightly more plausible.

“I will have justice,” Theseus snarled. “Your country has terrorized my people and driven us to starvation.”

The Minotaur’s eyes passed over the prince from foot to head. “You do not look so badly used, nor fed.”

“I have been chosen as my country’s champion.” Gods, his voice had cracked like a petulant boy. Theseus tried to shake it off. “Your father, I mean Minos, is a child murderer. If I do not succeed, Athens must send him fourteen children to enter the labyrinth.”

The beast took that in for a moment. “Children? Well, Minos is a master of cruelty. I do not answer for King Minos’s nature or his crimes.”

Theseus’s eyes flared. His impartial acquittal of the matter was vexing, seemed mocking. “Are you not the lord of this den?” Theseus waved his torch arm around. “Is this not your house? Your hunting ground?”

A mirthless smile came back at him. It was gone as quickly as it had appeared. Though it would be too much to say the prince regretted his words, he was in an instant aware he had unleashed a fury—to which he possessed no equal reprisal—from an opponent who stood much taller and broader than he, and had pointed horns.

The Minotaur overtook the space between them and railed, “Yes, I am your beast. Your Minotaur. Tremble before me as men have done since the day of my birth. Dread monster. Man-eater, they call me. Hated by all who behold my horns. Banished to this underworld lest women faint and children cry from the sight of me. Scourge of the earth, so foul it entraps men to dine on their bones. Are you not afraid, Prince Theseus?”

# # #

If that whets your appetite for more of the story, you can pick up the anthology here.

Yes, It’s release day for my very first short story anthology!

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Slashed and MashedBoom. Pow. It’s out!

Seven gayly subverted stories from around the world in one neon pink-slashed collection.

Get into your comfies, set your cell on vibrate, and curl up with it on the surface of your choice. My preference is our living room sofa next to the radiator. Our cat Chloë likes that too.

Here’s what you can expect.

What really happened when Theseus met the Minotaur? How did demon-slaying Momotarō come to be raised by two daddies? Will Scheherazade’s hapless Ma’aruf ever find love and prosperity after his freeloading boyfriend kicks him out on the street? Classic lore gets a bold remodeling with stories from light-hearted and absurd, earnestly romantic, daring and adventurous, to darkly surreal.

The collection includes: Theseus and the Minotaur, Károly, Who Kept a Secret, The Peach Boy, The Vain Prince, The Jaguar of the Backward Glance, Ma’aruf the Street Vendor, and A Rabbit Grows in Brooklyn.

Award-winning fantasy author Andrew J. Peters (The City of Seven Gods) takes on classical mythology, Hungarian folklore, Japanese legend, The Arabian Nights, and more, in a collection of gayly subverted stories from around the world.

Sound all right? Pick up a copy for yourself at the NineStar webstore or Amazon or BN.com or iTunes, etc.

I’ll be sharing some behind the scenes scoop all this month, and for today, I thought I’d talk about a song that inspired the mood of the last story in the collection: “A Rabbit Grows in Brooklyn.”

It’s about a Puerto Rican guy in his late twenties who leaves his Pennsylvania hometown to move to New York City for a job as an assistant professor at a community college. He’s also dipping his toes into living his life as an openly gay man.

Then an encounter with a strange vagrant in the neighborhood leads to a series of mystifying and surreal events.

One of the story elements is that vagrant character Rabbit plays a haunting song on his beat up guitar that becomes a darkly romantic backdrop. I found it searching for Brazilian folk songs and fell in love with it. “Nesta Rua,” sometimes called “Se Esta Rua Fosse Minha” (“On This Street” or “If This Street Were Mine”) has been re-arranged and performed widely, but the original song writer is unknown. It’s a traditional Children’s rhyme or folk song. Anyway, give it a listen. What better version to share than openly gay songwriter and actor Jay Brannan playing it in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Jay Brannan – my Brazilian debut (Nesta Rua)

jay attempts portuguese in his hotel room in porto alegre, brazil http://jaybrannan.com http://facebook.com/jaybrannan http://twitter.com/jaybrannan http://itunes.com/jaybrannan http://cdbaby.com/Artist/JayBrannan

Pop Up Swap with J.P. Jackson

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Well lookie here. I’ve got another Pop Up Swap! This one is with fellow fantasy author and fellow NineStar Press author J.P. Jackson, who also goes by Jeff.

Here’s a bit about the guy.

J.P. Jackson works as an IT analyst in healthcare during the day, where if cornered he’d confess to casting spells to ensure clinicians actually use the electronic medical charting system he configures and implements.

At night, however, the writing happens, where demons, witches, and shapeshifters congregate around the kitchen table and general chaos ensues. The insurance company refuses to accept any more claims of ‘acts of the un-god’, and his husband of almost 22 years has very firmly put his foot down on any further wraith summonings in the basement. And apparently, imps aren’t house-trainable. Occasionally the odd ghost or member of the Fae community stops in for a glass of wine and stories are exchanged. Although the husband doesn’t know it, the two Chihuahuas are in cahoots with the spell casting.

J.P.’s other hobbies include hybridizing African Violets (thanks to grandma), extensive traveling and believe it or not, knitting. For more about him and his writing, visit his website or his Facebook page.

Jeff and I met through the NineStar authors’ Facebook page. He’s a social media whirlwind, and I quickly became a fan of his posts sharing book marketing ideas as well as his super friendly personality. Then I saw one of his books was called Magic or Die, which on title alone hooked my interest.

To back up a bit for anyone new to the Pop Up Swap, it’s where I exchange books with another author and we interview each other. I told Jeff Magic or Die was on my TBR list and maybe he’d be interested in doing an exchange. He said: “Sure, why not?” and he’d be happy to take a look at my Werecat series and here we are. You can check his interview of me here.

So I’ll start out with the book synopsis, and we’ll jump right into the interview.

James Martin is a teacher, a powerful Psychic, and an alcoholic. He used to work for the Center for Magical Research and Development, a facility that houses people who can’t control their supernatural abilities, but left after one of his students was killed, turning to vodka to soothe his emotional pain. The problem is he still has one year left on his contract.

When James returns to the CMRD to fulfill the rest of his contract, he finds himself confronting the demons of his past and attempting to protect his new class from a possible death sentence, because if they don’t pass their final exams, they’ll be euthanized.

James also discovers that his class isn’t bringing in enough sponsors, the agencies and world governments who supply grants and ultimately purchase graduates of the CMRD, and that means no profit for the facility. James and his students face impossible odds—measure up to the facility’s unreachable standards or escape.

AP: Jeff, thanks so much for agreeing to do my Pop Up Swap. First things first, from our correspondence, it sounds like you’ve had an interesting life. You told me you’ve moved around a lot. Now you live in Edmonton, Alberta. I don’t know a lot about Edmonton or Alberta, and I suspect my website visitors don’t either. I tend to mainly get Americans around here and the occasional Brit. So what do we need to know about Edmonton to get an idea of what it’s like to live there?

JJ: Edmonton is a really pretty city, probably the prettiest city I’ve ever lived in. In the summer months all you can see are trees. Our downtown area has dedicated park spaces in between high-rises. We also have the North Saskatchewan River that flows right through the middle of the city.

Downtown borders the northern embankment, and the banks are high, so you get an excellent bird’s eye view of the river valley from most office towers and high-rise apartment buildings. We have a huge parkway through that belt along the river with paved paths, sculptures, and picnic areas. It connects twenty major parks and has over 160km of trails. It’s about 22 times larger than Central Park in New York.

We also have the largest mall in North America if shopping is your thing. I avoid the mall at all costs. Too peopley.

Edmonton is just under a million in population size, but with neighboring suburbs we’re over 1.3 million. It’s the most northern city with its population size in North America. We have great festivals here, including the largest Fringe Festival other than the original in Edinburgh, Scotland.

AP: Wow. I can tell you’ve adapted and fallen in love with the city, which is awesome to hear.

Let’s dig into the book. I really enjoyed it! For me, two things stood out. You write magic action sequences so well, with really vibrant imagery. I loved the scene where James gets all his students together for the first time, and they use their magic to hover in the air, cast light, make flames and snowflakes. I imagined the whole room spinning around like a kaleidoscope, and it was a sweet experience for the students who had been treated like their magical powers were freakish and dangerous, like they were freakish and dangerous.

Then, I really liked the main character James and his love interest Isaiah. I’ve got some questions about your approach to both of those aspects of the story, but I think I’ll start with something more general.

The story kind of straddles the YA/NA line. While I got the impression the main character and narrator James was at least in his late 20s, his students are in their late teens or early twenties, and there’s lots of young adultish snark and bonding and dramatics. Did you have a particular audience in mind?

JJ: This probably sounds like a bad thing to admit but I didn’t have a particular audience in mind. I simply wrote a story. The idea was spurred on by my editor at the time. Ninestar Press was asking for submissions for an anthology, and the theme was “Teacher’s Pet.” I was asked to write something, and it really wasn’t striking any chords of interest until my editor said, “Think of a werewolf in an anger management class who falls for his facilitator.”

That got me thinking and then before I knew it, Annabelle and Isaiah were born, and the idea of a really broken teacher…the rest of it just kind of happened!

AP: Your bio mentions magic. I assume (hope!) in a playful way. But it did make me curious about how you accumulated your knowledge of demon possessions and witchcraft, which are big facets of the story. Have you explored arcane arts in real life?

JJ: Yup. Absolutely. I was obsessed with horror and paranormal movies and books in my early teens and still am. I read books on psychic phenomenon, UFO’s, and unexplained happenings. Ghosts and poltergeists too. And then when I was in my early twenties, I stumbled upon an adult learning class on Wicca.

I signed up and met some folks. We eventually formed our own coven, and after several years I was initiated as a Third Degree High Priest. I’ve taken Comparative Religion classes in University as well.

I’d say I’m more spiritual than religious. I‘ll light candles and say a quick ‘thank you’ to whoever might be listening. I thank inanimate objects. I touch trees with respect and reverence. I often hear things others do not, and I see shadows and spirits everywhere. I am superstitious and regularly cast protection spells. I completely respect and believe thoughts have energy and when directed with intent can have an effect on my surroundings. All this history and experience have exposed me to some rather unexplainable situations.

AP: That’s deeper than what I expected! You’re basically talking to an atheist who was raised in a Lutheran Christmas Eve-and-(sometimes)-Easter church-going family, but I do find spirituality fascinating.

So, getting a bit personal again, I dig stories that have main characters who aren’t physically perfect and conventionally beautiful. It actually makes it harder for me to get behind that kind of character because some sour place inside me always rises up to say: [sarcastic voice] Oh, look here, another hero/heroine who has it all, but I’m supposed to be on the edge of my seat wondering if they’re going to succeed against all odds.

James starts out as a bit of a wreck physically, and he mentions he’s got a little extra around the middle. One of the reasons he’s attracted to Isaiah is because Isaiah is a hairy-bodied guy with a beard, pretty much a bear cub I think you’d say. I thought it was really cool the two guys weren’t worked-out, smooth hunks, which you see so much in gay fiction.

Now the personal question: how much of that reflects your own preferences and attitudes toward gay male body image? I mean, I couldn’t resist since your Twitter handle is CanuckBear88.

JJ: HA! Busted. In all honesty, I love me some muscle-bears. Thing is, most of us are not dedicated to doing what it takes to achieve and maintain that kind of body. I know several body builders, and it’s not for the feint of heart.

via GIPHY

So when I set out to write Magic or Die, I wanted my characters to be more ordinary Joes. The cast is extraordinary in other ways. James and Isaiah didn’t need to be gym rats as well. Besides I think it’s more interesting to read about people who are a little more like you and me. And I think it makes the characters more relatable. People can see themselves easier.

AP: 100% agreed about relatability. Another thing we have in common is we both started writing professionally later in life.

What’s your story? I’m especially interested in how you picked up your writing craft whether through traditional writing classes or something else. You definitely have a keen sense of pacing for genre fiction as well as incorporating sensory imagery into the action.

JJ: WOW! The compliments. Thank you. I’ve always been creative. Whether it was drawing, painting, sculpting, music, writing, or theater. Even raising African Violets has a touch of art to it. When I hybridize, choosing the characteristics you want to get out of the progeny is science, but having the foresight to see the potential in crossing two plants to possibly get something new and fantastic? That’s creative. I have no idea how I ended up in IT, yet, here I am.

Confession time: I’ve only ever took one creative writing course. I was an international student studying in the United States, and because I was ‘international’ I had to take English. So, I went to my Dean of International Studies and pleaded my case as to why taking English was a waste of time and money. But the credit was just part of the program, so in a compromise they let me choose the English course I wanted to take. I took Intro to Creative Writing. Towards the end of the semester my professor asked if I’d be interested in changing majors. That wasn’t really part of my plan, so I declined.

But here’s a secret – I read a lot. Up to 50 books a year. And everything from NYT Best Sellers to emerging LGBTQ+ authors, horror, mystery, romance – all of it. I think that helps me in many other ways.

AP: Oh, it definitely does. By most definitions I’m self-taught as well. I tried to take as many creative writing courses in college as my major would allow, and then as an upperclassman, I had to submit a writing sample in order to get into advanced creative writing courses, which were pretty much limited to English majors. I was crushed when I wasn’t selected for the twenty-seat class.

Back to reading though, I’m not as well-read in urban fantasy as I probably should be. I’ll share with you some of my favorite authors and titles, and I’m curious about yours since you’re so involved in the genre.

I like some Anne Rice, which maybe doesn’t count since she’s so gothic, but she’s taken on some paranormal themes I loved like her Songs of the Seraphim series (angels) and The Wolf Gift (werewolves). Recently, I discovered a début author K.D. Edwards who launched a gay-themed series The Tarot Sequence that’s a lot of fun. And, one of my inspirations for Werecat was Allison Moon’s awesome lesbian werewolf series Tales from the Pack.

What are some of your faves?

JJ: Anne Rice was a go-to for many years, but for me it was The Vampire Chronicles and The Mayfair Witches. Then there was Stephen King. I’ve read most of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series and Piers Anthony, Melanie Rawn, and Stephen R. Donaldson.

But when I was growing up, the literature I was coming across either fell into the realm of horror or fantasy. It wasn’t until the late 90’s when I started coming across urban fantasy and read books by J.K. Rowling, Stephanie Meyer, Charlaine Harris, and Patricia Briggs. Deborah Harkness’ The All Souls Trilogy is another good one, as is Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files.

AP: Cool. I can tick off a couple of those authors like Robert Jordan, Rowling of course, and Jim Butcher. Because of my Werecat series, a lot of people tell me I should try Charlaine Harris, but I haven’t gotten around to it.

JJ: Nowadays I spend my money and read books by folks who are representing the LGBTQ+ community across genres. M.D. Neu (sci-fi and paranormal), Brooklyn Ray (dark paranormal), Glenn Quigley (historical fantasy), E.M. Hamill (sci-fi and urban fantasy), S.A. Stovall (fantasy and crime noir), Brandon Witt (fantasy, cozy mysteries, and M/M romance), Rick Reed (horror and M/M romance), Rob Rosen (sci-fi and urban fantasy) all top my list.

AP: Great! Thanks for the suggestions. Let’s move back to your book. Beyond the non-conventional physical aspects of James and Isaiah, I’d say you got pretty gutsy in depicting a teacher/student relationship. To be clear, both guys are beyond college-age so it’s not an illegal or even a barely legal situation. But it does raise questions about professional boundaries. Did you set out to tackle that kind of relationship? What are your hopes regarding what readers will take away from your portrayal of their relationship?

JJ: Yeah, I struggled hard with that. It was one of the reasons I wasn’t that interested in the premise of the story to begin with – remember, the one my editor really wanted me to write?

So, I had to think of a way around it. And the only way I could was to make sure everyone was an adult. Even still, some readers were really put off by the relationship – and hey – I get it. It’s, as one reviewer put it, squicky.

But at the same time, that’s exactly where I wanted people to sit when it came to James. Sure, he’s the hero, but he’s a little broken and maybe doesn’t always make the best decisions. I think that makes him more relatable. James thinks with his little head. I never really say that, but let’s face it, what’s the motivating factor for even considering a relationship with someone when there’s that power imbalance like a student/teacher set up? So, if readers are wriggling a little while reading it, that’s good. I kind of wanted them to.

I also know what some gay men are like. I sure as hell know what I was like when I was young and single. I couldn’t wait to get my paws on whatever guy would have me, and if he was older and hairy – fantastic! And that’s what I was remembering when I wrote James and Isaiah meeting for the first time. Not everyone is the same, but for me, if I find someone physically attractive then the flirtation gets dialed way up until I get what I want. Isaiah was kind of like that in the book. As much as James liked Isaiah, the attraction was quite mutual.

Readers will find in the next books their relationship will begin to deepen and go beyond that initial lust.

AP: Okay, I’m going to throw one of those deep questions at you. You write in first person POV, and I found James’ voice assured, a bit snarky and cynical (which certainly fits considering what he’s been through), and fairly circumspect about the world. The only thing he knows for certain is it’s his job to protect the people he cares about, which includes his sister who’s gone down a dark path and then Isaiah and the other students.

This is a two-parter. First, how much of that would you say is you?

Second, the deeper part, what do you hope to say about the world through Magic or Die and your other work? Obviously, you write fiction and it’s far removed from the world we live in, but I’m always curious about the underlying values and assumptions, which provide the foundation for any story.

JJ: To answer your first question: None of it. I doubt EVERYTHING I do, but then I give in to “well, let’s just see what happens.” My husband plans for everything, all the contingencies, all the emergencies, and always has a plan of action. I kind of wish I was a little more like that. Do I care about others? Maybe. Those close to me for sure. Do I want the best for mankind – sure, but am I the kind of person to go out there and be altruistic – not really. James is that hero, despite his piss-poor decision-making skills.

Regarding your second question, I think Magic or Die is about possibilities. What would Ning be like if she could control her Yuki-ono? How about Chris? If he wasn’t so angry would the fire wolf come out as often? What change could they affect on the world?

I think there’s an undertone of general acceptance of those who are different from us – that underneath our differences we’re really all just people who love and fear and bleed.

But mostly I want readers to walk away from my stories wondering ‘what if?’ What would it be like in a world where magic was truly possible? And who’s to say that it isn’t – maybe we just don’t see it because the vast majority of us don’t believe in it.

AP: Cool. Magic or Die is the start of an adventure series for James, Isaiah and their magical pals. Are you holding your cards close regarding what happens next, or can you tell me what direction the story is headed in? Also, do you have a title and a release date for the next installment?

JJ: Well, I can tell you this. I plan to have one book for each of the main characters but as seen through the eyes of Isaiah and James. Magic or Die is told from James’s perspective, and then the next book, Blood and Sacrifice, is told from Isaiah’s perspective. I think I’ll bounce back and forth with those.

The first book is very much an origin story, how the group came together. Blood and Sacrifice is about tough choices and testing the saying “blood is thicker than water,” so this book is really centering on James and his sister.

But while that is happening, the rest of the gang are going through their own issues. Ning’s Yuki-Ona wants her body found so I think we’ll be travelling to Japan for that book. Chris makes an interesting discovery about his mirror twin who has died, which prompts a difficult decision that won’t be resolved until his book. And that may end up taking the entire crew back to the CMRD.

Annabelle requires training so she’ll be off to Varna, Bulgaria where her Coven is located. That book will be super creepy and fun to write. And then there’s Isaiah. His Asmodeus demon is going to make a super difficult request, and Isaiah already knows what it is, but he has no idea how to handle it.

So there you have it. That should be it. Sounds simple, right? It isn’t. LOL. What did I get myself into?

AP: Piece of cake. 😊So how’d you end up at NineStar Press?

JJ: By complete chance! My first book Daimonion, Book One of the Apocalypse took me about three years to write, and then another two to edit. Once I had a polished manuscript, I started querying agents and publishers, but I had not come across NineStar Press. I had many rejection letters and even more agents and publishing houses that never responded to my inquiries. I was starting to get to the point where self-publishing was looking like my only option.

Then I found #pitchmas on Twitter – basically it was pitch your book, tell us your genre and intended audience in 144 characters or less, and any agents/publishers who like your tweet want you to submit your manuscript to them. So, I threw a tweet out into the universe, and then promptly forgot about all of it. It was the Christmas season and that’s always really busy.

That year, the hubby and I went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for Christmas, and I remember a couple of days after arriving in Mexico, my phone buzzed while we were sitting in a café and I had WiFi. The notification was “NineStar Press likes your tweet.” Honestly, I had no idea what NineStar had liked. So I put my phone away, because I was on vacation and it wasn’t until the next day when I checked it out – NineStar Press had liked my #pitchmas tweet!

I didn’t have my laptop with me so I couldn’t respond until about a week later. I found out about NineStar Press, what their submission requirements were, and sent off a query to them with a copy of Daimonion, and hoped for the best. Again, completely forgot about it, as work was nuts.

Then on January 12, 2017, I got an email from NineStar Press, “We’d like to offer you…”
I was at work when that email came in. Jumped around and screamed like a schoolgirl. It was insane, and I’ll never forget it.

AP: I love those stories. And I’ll say maybe the only good thing about having a full-time day job while being a writer is those crazy moments when you check your phone in the office and you get some good news and have to figure out a way to contain yourself and focus on what you’re supposed to be doing. It keeps life interesting!

Anything else you’ve got coming up you’d like readers to know about?

JJ: I’m about half way through first draft of Blood and Sacrifice, Book #2 Inner Demons. I have several chapters written of Nephilim, Book 2 of the Apocalypse. And then, because my brain does this to me, I’ve started another project, Summoned. This one is an M/M paranormal romance with witches, werewolves and the Fae. I’m about halfway through the first draft of that too.

AP: You’re a busy guy! Best of luck and thanks again for coming over to my blog. 😊

Curious about Jeff’s Magic or Die? Pick up a copy at the NineStar Press webstore, Amazon, iTunes, or BN.com.

My interview at the Writescast Network

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Hey folks! I spilled the news about my upcoming short story anthology to author R.R. Campbell on his Writescast podcast.

You’ll be hearing a lot more about that story collection. The title is Slashed and Mashed: Seven Gayly Subverted Stories and the release date is November 11, 2019. I haven’t talked much about it while it’s been working its way through production at NineStar Press, but I’ve been busy behind the scenes with the editing round.

Campbell gets the scoop on what it’s all about along with my experience with anthologies. He runs a great ‘cast on all aspects of being a writer, from plotting and character development to marketing and promotion.

Listen to my interview here.

 

Pop Up Swap is Back! With Author M.D. Neu!

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The Pop Up Swap is back! Well, from so long ago, I’m probably the only person on earth who remembers it ever existed. So let me explain…

A couple years ago I had this marvelous idea to exchange manuscripts and dialogue with fellow authors whose work I admire, and who write in similar genres, and it would be a scintillating, fresh approach to the typical author interview one finds in the blogosphere. Plus it would provide an opportunity for my readers to get to know some of the authors in my life. Here’s my Pop Up with historical fiction author Elin Gregory, for example.

I called it a pop-up because I knew it could come and go quickly and be a bit unpredictable. Life happens, and I generally don’t have a ton of time to do big features here at my site. That most definitely proved to be true, but this year I found new motivation and some new friends who were willing to do the swap. Yee-haw!

So for the rebirth of the Pop Up Swap, I politely asked strong-armed fellow NineStar author M.D. Neu (Marvin) into reading each other’s work and interviewing each other based on that. He read Irresistible and you can find my interview with him here. A bit about M.D.…

M.D. Neu is a LGBTQA fiction writer with a love for writing and travel. Living in the heart of Silicon Valley and growing up around technology, he’s always been fascinated with what could be. Specifically drawn to sci-fi and paranormal television and novels, M.D. Neu was inspired by the great Gene Roddenberry, George Lucas, Stephen King, Alice Walker, Alfred Hitchcock, Harvey Fierstein, Anne Rice, and Kim Stanley Robinson. An odd combination, but one that has influenced his writing.

Growing up in an accepting family as a gay man, he always wondered why there were never stories reflecting who he was. Constantly surrounded by characters that only reflected heterosexual society, M.D. Neu decided he wanted to change that. So, he took to writing, wanting to tell good stories that reflected our diverse world.

When M.D. Neu isn’t writing, he works for a nonprofit and travels with his biggest supporter and his harshest critic, Eric, his husband of nineteen plus years.

I had read and reviewed Marvin’s vampire novel The Calling for Queer Sci Fi about a year back, and we subsequently connected at NineStar’s author Facebook page as well as Twitter. I always enjoy getting to know fellow LGBTQA+ authors, especially the ones who write fantasy. Many thanks Marvin for letting me rope you into this! Oh, and here’s a link to my review of The Calling fyi.

And let’s get started!

AP: Hi Marvin! Thanks for taking part in the swap! I read your vampire story The Calling a little while back and really enjoyed it.

MN: Thank you for having me. I always enjoy chatting with fellow authors.

AP: I think I understand the appeal of gothic horror a bit as a writer, having written shifter fiction myself (Werecat). Besides it being a fun, atmospheric genre, it makes for an interesting milieu in which to tell gay stories because of the romantic themes, the hidden worlds, and the sense of ‘otherness.’

What drew you to writing a vampire story?

MN: For me it’s always been the ‘what if.’ I wanted to know if vampires were real how could they exist, especially in modern society were one viral video and it would be all over. Plus, I’ve always had a thing for vampires so I figured why not combine the two; my love of vampires and my wondering how they could exist today with all our technology.

AP: You have an interesting premise for vampire living in that it’s fairly approachable for the average person like your hero Duncan. There are ‘marks’ he must go through, and those are physically unpleasant for sure while his body goes through violent changes. But vampires have worked out a way to get blood without killing, making it more palatable with flavors like chocolate and cinnamon; and they’re involved in charitable causes, and they keep a lot of human traditions like celebrating Christmas. What would you say was your intention with that portrayal?

MN: Oh, I had a lot of fun with all that. The idea came back to the whole thing of how would they exist and operate in our modern society. It’s all about adapting or dying. The vampires in my world have learned humans don’t like being the bottom of the food chain, and they know if humans ever found out vampires were real, we humans would hunt vampires down and kill them. Despite all the vampire’s gifts, humans have the numbers and my vampires know it. So, the vampires have learned to play our games and live by our rules.

Remember, vampires in my world can’t just create anyone to be a vampire. They have to share a bond, and it’s part of the calling (the process of selection). Plus, my vampires were all human so why not keep the human traditions they know and like? Just because they are vampires doesn’t mean they don’t know how to have fun and enjoy life. It makes them more human, which I think they would need to be to survive, especially nowadays.

Now when it comes to working in charitable causes. That is just Juliet and Duncan. Not all of the vampires are that altruistic. Victor has many businesses he controls. Kirtus is a financial consultant and tax accountant who works a lot with both humans and Immortals. Other vampires have other jobs, and really that is born out of the need to live. They need money and ways to launder money so having jobs and owning companies gives them that ability. Again it all goes back to adapt or die.

AP: I thought you did an amazing job establishing Duncan’s voice, and it’s extra amazing because he’s not such a big personality or a snarky hero. He’d rather blend into the background, but I still found his forthright storytelling really engaging, and the fact he’s such an agreeable, non-presupposing kind of guy, you want to root for him.

Though there’s one thing he’s adamant about I found curious. He doesn’t like queer politics and makes the point a couple of times that gays should be “people first, not gay first.” Did you see that as a defensive position—not wanting to draw attention to his gayness—or is it a deeper part of his make-up—believing the only way forward for progress is for queer people to “act less queer?”

MN: I really wanted to go for an Everyman with Duncan. I wanted him to be your brother, your neighbor, your friend, or that stranger you see on the street that you don’t think twice about. That said, the point I try to make, not only with Duncan, but all my characters, is that queer people are more than their queerness. We are all people first with the queerness secondary. Why should it matter who any person loves or how they show their love? It shouldn’t. It also shouldn’t be the most interesting thing about them. I don’t see it as a defensive position, more of a general philosophy Duncan has. If that makes sense.

AP: So I want to follow up about “people first with the queerness secondary.” I did get that vibe from the book, and not just in the queer context. Since the vampires are literally in hiding and spending a lot of their time very carefully trying not to rock the boat with humans (the “light” vampires I mean, who are the primary focus), they’re also following that mantra in a sense.

via GIPHY

[just a little vampire interlude]

MD: In the book, yes. The light vampires don’t really stir things up, and they are in a position where they don’t have too. It’s kind of the same with the Dark. They deal with humans and live with them, but humans don’t really factor into what is happening in their world unless it comes to being exposed. There is good motivation to stay hidden, they don’t want to cause a war which would end up killing a lot of people and the vampires wouldn’t win, at least they don’t believe they would win.

When my characters talk about being people first and whatever second it has to do with how they see the world. At one point Juliet asks Duncan why didn’t he tell her he was gay when they met. His response is ‘why does it matter? Would you have done or treated me any different?” When she says she wouldn’t, she realizes he’s right, she wouldn’t have done anything different so why does it matter to her? It’s a question and answer she hadn’t thought of and I think in the context of the story it makes a nice moment between the two of them.

What I want to show in the book is how ordinary being queer is. We talk about how we all want to be treated equal, so that is what I strive to portray in my stories. Unless it’s part of a character’s issues, queerness will be treated as ordinary and a non-issue. Showing one’s queerness is important to some people, but in my books the queerness comes second because it shouldn’t matter. If we want to live in an equal society then we need to look past what we see and focus on the contents of one’s character. That’s what’s important in my stories. You’re queer. GREAT! Yay! Now what? Can we have an adventure? I want to show the what happens after you know the character is queer. I want to show the adventure, not the coming out.

AP: I also like stories where the main character’s queerness is already established, and I found the focus on Duncan’s vampire trials refreshing. I read a lot of coming out stories and a lot of tortured queer stories when I was “new” to being gay in my twenties, and part of it is that—[cough], twenty some years later—my reading interests have changed. I’m more interested in how queer people navigate other kinds of situations, and I think of that as another dimension of positive representation.

You mention worldview being part of that decision to portray queer characters as “people first with their queerness secondary.” One of the reasons I was drawn to try out this author-interviews-author thing with you, is we have a lot in common, being white, married, gay men who write gay fantasy. Also, we both grew up in middle class families that were pretty supportive. I won’t call us “older men” – I turn 50 this year – but we’re both Gen Xers. Add to that, we both like fantasy that’s more adventure vs. fantasy being a context for exploring coming out or gay relationships.

Yet from your book, from this discussion, it’s interesting how we developed somewhat different worldviews. Like, I wouldn’t describe my writing as “people first, queerness secondary.” I don’t see a separation between the two or an ordering of those characteristics, i.e. don’t queer people have an essential ‘personhood’ already? Plus when you talk about character, that comes from myriad life experiences including queer experiences. For example, if I were writing my autobiography, I see lots of ways my queerness would be pretty essential to understanding who I am. Being married to a man is one obvious aspect, but my passion for social justice is another, as well as I’d say my curiosity about people who are different from me, choosing to live in a diverse, urban community over where I grew up, and my interest in traveling to an extent.

Even my development as a writer was linked to being queer in part. I started as a shy, withdrawn kid who escaped through writing fiction, and as an adult, while few of my stories are directly about overcoming queer oppression, I’m inspired by subverting heteronormative stories, reclaiming them for queer readers.

You talk about making queerness secondary as something of a message to queer people about equality. How do you think you arrived at your particular worldview concerning queer people?

Read My Lips poster

A little queer Gen Xer memorabilia.

MN: When it comes to how I was raised and my coming out, I was raised in a very conservative and moderately religious family. When I came out it was harder on me then it was for my family. They didn’t treat me any different and accepted me for who I am. As conservative and religious as my family is they judge people on character not on who they present to be, who they love, or how they show that love. Sadly, you can’t really say that to people because they don’t believe you. Because they have this belief that all conservatives are bigots. As an example my dad is very politically and socially conservative and yet he wanted to walk me and my husband down the aisle; a lot of people are shocked by that. Some don’t even believe me when I say it, but it’s true and important to me, and that’s why when I write it’s not overly important to represent whether you’re gay, conservative or whatever, it doesn’t really matter. What’s important is how you treat people.

In the case of my family they are people first and conservatives second… does that make sense?

So, that is the world I chose to write about and show. In my novel, it’s never about being queer. It’s about the adventure and the person. I’m not writing a coming out story. My novels and The Calling especially, is about a man who happens to be gay deciding to become a vampire and how that affects him as a person.

At the end of the day all I know for sure is that I treat people how I want to be treated and I think that is something we should all strive for. It is how I write my books, and it is how I tell my stories. I want the reader to have an adventure and enjoy, if it causes them to reflect on life and how they live it great. If it shines a bright light and society and affects change that would be amazing.

AP: Let’s turn back to your story then. How did you come up with the way the vampire world works? I recognized some of the conventions like mind control and the idea of vampire factions, but others were new to me. Did you use particular sources to develop that mythology and ‘world?’

Scary Vampire

Vampire image from Pixabay

MN: When it came to the world building, I studied traditional vampires, and I found they all had some baseline abilities so I started there. Then I dug into what additional powers and abilities they could have and pulled from there, which was a lot of fun. I also decided that vampires don’t reproduce in the way we’ve seen, they don’t get to just pick someone at random, there is more to it, much more, as we learn in the book. Further, I developed a set of rules for the vampire abilities and tried to keep them. For example, Juliet’s ability to calm people and alter mental states does take a toll on her. It causes her migraines. With Duncan his ability causes him headaches, and he gets tired. So, for each of the vampires they have a down side to their ability. It’s not major, but it’s there for all of them. It’s much more in the background and most people won’t even catch it. Especially since most of the vampires in my novel are older.

The mythology was much the same. I pulled from various sources and created my own. The over all goal was, again, how would they be alive now and what would a vampire community look like.

AP: The Calling ends with a host of possibilities for Duncan’s next adventure. Are you working on a follow-up?

MN: Oh yes. I have the sequel almost finished. Then I will start the editing process. The sequel picks up right were book one ends and we go from there. People will get to see just how imperfect all these beings are. The working title is The Called.

AP: How did you end up finding a home for your work at NineStar Press?

MN: Well, after sending out The Calling and getting various rejections, an author friend of mine sent me a message saying that his editor at NineStar was looking for novels from gay men. He asked if I had anything. As it happened a week prior, I had just sent in my manuscript for The Calling. He told me he would let his editor know, but no promises. About a month later I got an email from NineStar saying they wanted to publish my story. It was awesome.

AP: Very cool. I know that feeling. 😊 On a more personal note, some other things we have in common per your bio: I’ve also had a long career working at non-profit organizations (more recently at a non-profit university), and congratulations on your 20th anniversary with your husband! My husband and I just celebrated our 18th this past May.

Regarding the career part, what’s your secret for finding time to develop your craft and write outside of your day job? Did you have training in writing previous to your career with charities?

Regarding the husband part, my husband also reads everything I write, though he’s not as you say my harshest critic. That could be a diplomatic choice. But he’s also pretty modest about being a reader not a writer so occasionally he’ll say how he responded to this or that, though he’s respectful of the creative process (not just for me, for any author). So he’s more of a support than an early reader with whom I vet ideas.

What’s it’s like getting tough criticism from your husband? Also, of personal interest, how do you balance quality time together with your writing time?

MN: Wow, okay let me see if I can answer each question you posed. When it comes to finding time to write while working a 40-hour week. I try and stick to a schedule (which has fallen all to hell the last few months) I tend to write on the weekends when we aren’t doing anything, or in the evening after we have dinner (assuming I’m in the mood). With regards to writer training. Not really. I took a few writing classes in college, but nothing formal. Mostly I’ve written for fun. I would make up stories and go from there. Most of them were rubbish, but some were pretty good. I try and write as often as I can. I also do a little writing for work, not a lot, but some.

I wish saying Eric was my harshest critic was a diplomatic choice on my part. The first thing I gave to Eric, my husband, to read, he told me it read like a text book and he couldn’t get through it. He didn’t say it was awful, but I’m almost 100% sure he would have. Getting criticism from Eric is hard, but it all comes from a place of love and to make the story and my writing better. I know he won’t tell me something is good when it’s not. So, as hard as it is to hear I know it all comes from a place of love and support. The other thing about Eric is, he’s a total sweetheart and would never go out of his way to hurt anyone. So I take all that into account when I have him read stuff.

As for that first time he gave me feedback, it took me about a week to get over it.

When it comes to balancing quality time and writing. I try and make sure that, unless I’m under deadline, that our relationship comes first, so we have movie night if there is anything good we want to see. We travel. We spend time with friends (not as much as we should, but we do). So, I don’t let the writing consume me. He’s also very respectful of my writing time. If I decide to write on a Saturday, he won’t interrupt or bother me, until dinner time. He’ll come in and let me know, which is his way of getting me off the computer. Now if I’m really in the groove I tell him and he will let me work. I think it works quite well.

AP: Excellent. I’ll try to learn from your example. Well, you survived my interview! Big thanks for sharing your time and some inside scoop on The Calling. I’ll make it easy for folks and include some buy links: Amazon, iBooks, BN.com, NinePress Webstore

Connect with M.D. Neu on Facebook, Twitter and his website.