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AUTHOR INTERVIEW: JACKIE D

12/2/2019

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1.     There are some intriguing social and political themes at the heart of Rise of the Resistance. What is one key theme or idea you hope readers might think about as a result of reading this novel?

There were a few key themes. First, we are going through something in America right now that has been bubbling under the surface for much longer than anyone would like to admit. The trifecta of evil (as I like to call it): racism/xenophobia/homophobia/sexism, partisan media, and the destruction of the middle class. Biased media has been stoking the fire of hatred and distrust since Richard Nixon left office and an entity called Fox news was dreamed into existence. It has created a culture of fear and suspicion among our citizens. This book is a “what if” if Donald Trump (or someone like him) and his family were to gain control of the United States forever. If they were able to successfully remove the constitution and deploy their own tactics as a form of governance. I wanted people to see what could happen if we continue to ignore these threats as well as the ever-looming promise of climate catastrophe. Not one person is going to be able to fix this, it has to be all of us; or at least the majority of us, that take a stand. The United States is sick and only by dragging these issues into the light will we find a remedy. Another prominent theme was the age-old tale of good versus evil. I wanted to make the characters truly good or evil to demonstrate the acute contrast between the two choices. Was it a little over the top at some points? Sure. That was intentional. Kaelyn and Arrow are the purest forms of what is right and just in the world. Adon was the epitome of corruption, narcism, and abandonment of reality. This first instalment was meant to be laid out in a true black and white format. The subsequent instalments will delve more into the gray; where you find people like Sloan and Nora

2.      How did you choose the names for your characters in Rise of the Resistance? I'm curious, is Macleod's first name (Adon) a partial anagram of Donald? 

Well, Adon is a mash-up of Adolf and Donald. MacLeod was the maiden name of Donald Trump’s mother. Arrow and Valor were named after the fall of America (in the storyline) with the intention of invoking hope and direction when you thought of them. Kaelyn was merely a throwback to a time where things weren’t as perilous

3.     Given the subtitle of the book (Phoenix One), it feels like this is the beginning of the series. There were also a few characters along the way that felt like seeding or foreshadowing for further stories. Are there any plans for a continuation of the story?

Yes, there will be a sequel, at the very least. I will probably write a total of four. Two that take place after this one and then potentially a prequel. There are characters placed through the book that I will focus on later. Specifically Phoenix Two, Sloan, and Nora. I believe they all have some interesting perspectives that need to be explored. I’m looking forward to writing Sloan’s story (in the nest book). She has existed in Eden as an indentured servant of sorts, and an outsider in many ways. Her family remained loyal to the Resistance throughout her whole life, which cost them dearly. When I see the world through her eyes, I imagine it was plagued with a look of resentment and confusion. This probably wasn’t always laid at the feet of MacLeod; it would have had her questioning the Resistance as well. Unlike Arrow, who had it ingrained in her everyday duty that this was the only way to survive, Sloan saw a more comfortable path day-to-day life unfolding in front of her.

4.     And more importantly, will Nora be involved? She's intriguing! Can you tell that I like villains...

Nora, yes; I actually get the most questions about her, which I find fascinating. Readers really love to hate her, and weirdly, are pulling for her. With Nora, you can see a brilliant woman who is a product of her circumstances. She has been raised in a terribly sexist world and has had to keep her intellect in check to fulfil her ambitions. Although she was born into privilege, her capabilities were limited. The final instalment of the series will focus on her story, and her internal battle to not only survive but thrive. Nora will be able to reinvent herself, but some aspects of her will remain the same. She will never be “the good guy”, but instead, an antihero. Strangely, Nora might be the most relatable character in the story, and I really want to dig into her flaws as well as her attributes. In the real world, people aren’t one-hundred percent good or evil. The majority of us fall somewhere in between. I think Nora is an excellent vehicle to exemplify those characteristics.

5.     If you could plan a dinner party for a handful of characters across all of your books, who would you love to see engaging in conversation over canapes? 

I have written in several different genres at this point, so this is an interesting question. In my After Dark Series, there are military, FBI, Homeland Security, terrorists, and CIA personnel. Lands End is about a restaurateur and a PR Rep. In Lucy’s Chance there is a police officer, journalist, and serial killer. I’m working on a book with, Jean Copeland right now that is about a time-hopping witch. So, if I had to choose one from each, I believe it would go something like this: Tyler Monroe, Lucy Rodriguez, Amy Kline, Jennifer Glass, and Nora MacLeod. Tyler suffers from PTSD from her time in the Marine Corps and trying to find where she now fits in. She should be hardened and untrusting, but she has managed a level of empathy and understanding that I missing in most people. Lucy Rodriguez threw away her first love to pursue her career aspirations and has had to deal with the repercussions. She is smart, sassy, and a lot of fun to write. Jennifer Glass also appears in the After Dark series with Tyler. She struggles with insecurity and tinges of jealousy. Finally, Nora, because I think she would liven the whole thing up. Nora is a formidable force with very strong opinions on…well…everything.

6.     Star Trek or Star Wars?

Star Wars, no question. I’m a huge fan and am really enjoying the direction they’re taking the storyline. Although they both have the ability to keep reinventing themselves while holding true to their tried and tested themes; I find Star Wars to be much more entertaining. Plus, I’m genuinely enjoying Rey’s journey and find myself counting down until the next instalment.

7.     If you were trapped in a derelict building surrounded by nefarious, supernatural enemies, who would you want to save you, Buffy or Wynonna Earp?
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This was a hard one…but I’d have to say I’d go with Wynonna. She’s a bit of a wildcard, which just adds to her appeal. I also find Wynonna to be a bit more of a layered person, in contrast to Buffy. Now, don’t get me wrong, I think they’re both fantastic, badass women. But, if push came to shove, I’d much rather see Wynonna breaking through the window with Peacemaker, then Buffy.
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You can buy Jackie D's scifi novel, Rise of the Resistance, here and connect with Jackie here.

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Author Q&A: K.S. Trenten

19/5/2018

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1. Welcome! First of all, let's have a chat about your fairy tales. You've contributed to multiple NSP anthologies with queer retellings of fairy tales, and you've also published 'Fairest'.

What inspired you to write these stories? Which of the fairy tale appropriations is your favourite.


Many sources of inspiration flowed together, becoming a gushing river which poured into Fairest. Another trickled off into At Her Service. There will be other trickles. I'm only just beginning to identify certain stories, songs, and imagery which fed the flow. They seeped into my imagination without me noticing how much they were effecting my own story process. One of the sources was Carmilla, that beautiful love story between a vampire and her mortal descendant which began with a dream. My imagination is still playing with the story potential of that dream. Another is Revolutionary Girl Utena, a stunningly beautiful anime, steeped in symbolism, ritual, and a powerful f/f relationship which ends up challenging the entire concept of the prince on a white horse. A line from that anime haunted me, "Princesses who aren't saved by princes become witches." It turns out I got the line wrong, but it already flowered and bloomed in my imagination. Songs and music are constantly inspiring me in various ways. I don't have a favorite appropriation, although I adore the song, Snow White Queen by Evanescence. I'm constantly seeking how to dig deeper in these myths and legends, how to figure out way to unearth their cores in ways that will inspire other readers in turn, allow them to think and express themselves, just as others once inspired me.

2. What's a fairy tale retelling/appropriation written by someone else that you'd recommend? What did you like about it?

I'd recommend Revolutionary Girl Utena if you like anime. It doesn't center on one particular fairy tale, but the myth of the prince himself in so many of them. The main character falls in love with the prince and tries to become a prince herself. She ends up truly exploring the very heart of what that means and how it's effected girls (and boys). At the same time, it's very symbolic and doesn't offer easy answers to events which are often surreal and dreamlike. I doubt anything has ever inspired me quite as much as this particular anime. The manga is gorgeous, too, although it doesn't delve quite as deep into the surreal world created around Otori Academy as the anime does.

3. Do you have any favourite snacks or beverages that you tend to have close-by when you're writing?

Coffee. Breakfast of novelists, at least this novelist.

4. Has there been a TV show you've been really interested in lately? Tell us about it.

Tokyo Ghoul, although I'm more interested in the manga than the anime. The first season was amazing. The second season cut a lot of Kaneki (the main character) and Tsukiyama (his stalker and former enemy) from the series. It's an urban fantasy world where ghouls live among humans, often preying upon their flesh. Kaneki, the main character almost becomes a ghoul's prey, but an accident leads to him being turned into a ghoul himself. He needs to eat flesh, but he's oddly human in certain ways, including smelling delicious to other ghouls. This attracts the attention of Tsukiyama, the Gourmet, whose fussy tastes in flesh often draw unwelcome attention. He decided he wants Kaneki. He does some fairly villainous things to get him in the beginning. Later, he tries to become Kaneki's ally in order to get close to Kaneki and eat him. Tsukiyama ends up coming to truly care about Kaneki, though. It's been fascinating to watch this character arc.

5. Do you listen to music when you're writing? Personally, I prefer as much quiet as my kids will let me have!

I prefer quiet, too, when I'm actually writing. Music is one of my favorite tools for getting inspired, though.

6. Favourite Star Wars movie? Or if you're not a fan, what major series would you rather discuss?

Return of the Jedi. I love how Luke sets out to try to redeem Darth Vader, the journey of trying to pull him from the dark side while the Emperor and Vader are trying to pull him in. It struck me as being very powerful, leaving me with a fascination for characters with sinister family members and/or loved ones, along with redemption arcs.

7. What ways have you gone about promoting your books? What do you think has been the most effective?

Twitter, Google+, tumblr, Facebook, Goodreads, wordpress, blogger, livejournal, dreamwidth, and handing out business cards when an opportunity presents itself. I'm not sure which has been the most effective. (wry grin)

You can connect with K.S. TRENTEN here.

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AUTHOR interview: Tash mcadam

12/5/2018

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​* According to your author bio, you identify as trans and utilise gender neutral pronouns (their/them). How has your own life experience and identity influenced your writing?

I've been an avid reader my whole life, but characters with whom I could connect fully have always been few and far between. One of the reasons I started writing is to create stories that have queer and trans characters at the center, but aren't focused on gender or sexuality. I want action adventure stories with characters that truly resonate, and creating those stories has given me so much joy. I've made so many connections with youth and adults who feel the same way I do, that queer and trans stories deserve more than they're often given- as side characters or tokens, or solely defined by their gender/sexuality. Going through many different iterations of understanding my own sexuality and gender identity has allowed me to flesh out different experiences more fully, and the people I've met along my own journey have also heavily influenced my own writing. We all deserve to see ourselves as heroes, and more importantly, to be seen as heroes by others.  

* If you could re-make any Disney movie to include more gender and sexual diversity, which one would it be? 


MULAN, I'm still bitter that she's not officially genderqueer with her delightful pan boyfriend. It's so clear to me that this story deserved more depth and care for queer identities, and it would have been so important to young trans, gq and fluid people to see such an iconic character openly identify as not cis. 

* You have a series coming out soon, the Psionics. Who is your favourite character in this series? Why?
My favorite character in any series I've written is in this series! His name is Leaf and he's a pansexual transguy who makes his living as a trickster conman. He avoids fights at all costs, which makes me laugh, because I'm a martial artist and usually warrior characters are my favorites, but Leaf trumps all my tough guys by miles. He's sweet, witty, super quick and with a cutting sense of humor. He's just the best! Right now I'm actually working on a companion short story where he's the protagonist, and I'm having so much fun! His mission is to break an unknown spy out of jail, but first he has to get in... by getting arrested. While he's a major character in books 1, 3 and 4 of the Psionics, he's not a POV character, so getting to explore him more deeply is really satisfying. It's definitely going to inform my edits!  He's loosely based on a dude I met while backpacking in Australia, but I like my fictional version much better. 

* Tell us about Warp Weavers. What inspired a story about teens with super powers?
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I love superpowers, I always have done. I've always been fascinated by the with-great-power paradigm. Warp Weavers deals a lot with what it means to be chosen as a hero, what if you don't want that burden? My protagonist for the first story in that series just wants to get her missing parents back and move on with her life, but that's not the way magic works in this universe. Once you're chosen, there's no backing out. To be honest, I think the main inspiration behind this series was the closing of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The idea of thousands of superpowered teens working together, making friends and fighting evil side by side, has always appealed to me. I'm a sucker for a found family. In the Warp Weavers universe, the magic comes in three strains- there are warriors, (you can probably guess what they can do), warlocks, who work magic to support their team, and finally, weavers. Weavers have the power to sense rifts between dimensions, as well as open and close those magical doorways. They're a key part in the fight against the encroaching demonic armies, as without them the doors would stay open forever, and we'd all be overrun and enslaved. 

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* How do you choose your character names when writing fiction?

Ha, I'm not sure I should answer this question. Most of my characters are named after students! I'm a teacher, and that provides a lot of name inspiration. I try really hard to not base characters on my students though, just pinch their names. Working in Vancouver is especially good for this because we have such a vibrantly diverse community I'll never end up with five main characters with similar names. 

* If you could have dinner with two of your own characters in real life, who would you choose and why?

Leaf, my amazing conman as mentioned above, and Dent. Dent is actually Leaf's adopted father, but when he's not rescuing dozens of kids from poverty, he's actually the King of the Slums. He's a smuggler, land pirate and all around swashbuckler who loves playing tricks, having fun, and making sure everyone is well fed. I think having dinner with these two would be a barrel of laughs, although I'd probably leave without my wallet, cell phone and jewelry. I wouldn't put it past them to be able to get my lip rings out without me even noticing. I consider that to be a small price to pay, though, as I'm sure that the hilarity would be well worth it.
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* Coffee or tea?

Why do people try to enforce false binaries?! :D I drink both. Usually tea on weekdays, both before and after work while coffee is more of a nice weekend treat. I have ADD and caffeine hits me pretty hard, so it's nice to have time to work off the extra buzz before having to function in public on the weekend. 

* Can you tell us about the BRAVE NEW GIRLS anthology? I understand you have a story featured in Volume 3.

It's an awesome project that is a collection of YA short stories all starring girls (trans inclusive!) who use science, tech, engineering or math skills to save the day. http://bravenewgirls.weebly.com/ you can find out more here if you like! My new story is about a trans lesbian mechanic who lives on Io (one of Jupiter's moons) and accidentally ends up embroiled with some outlaws because of a cute girl. 

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    ABOUT C.B.

    Book reviews, Author Q&As and more as shared by an Australian lesbian. My core interests lie in genre fiction: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror etc.
    ​
    My aim is to help provide more exposure to those books that  may not fit neatly into the usual "lesfic" boxes (EG: pansexual women who engage with different aspects of their sexuality, non-binary characters, books with very little romance etc.) or books that don't conform to the most popular tropes that tend to dominate the LGBTIQ+ publishing world.

    That said, I'll put up pretty much any review that I'd like to share. Most will have some sort of rainbow content, but not all. I am a reader who likes to talk about books -- that's really what this little corner of the web is for, to talk about books.

    ​Email: celestialbooks [AT] rebeccalangham.com.au

    Twitter: @ceLEStialsff

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