Tag: LGBT Novel

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Interview with Author Skye Quinlan

Skye Quinlan (she/they) was born in California during an earthquake and raised in the Midwest, where cornstalks outnumber people. Forward March (Page Street Kids, March 8th, 2022) is her debut novel. When she’s not writing, you can catch her at the nearest metaphysics or craft store, dressed up in cosplay at the nearest convention, or ruining antique furniture with epoxy resin and paint. Skye still lives in the Midwest with her wife, their two dogs, several lizards, a snake, and the occasional little human (their niece). She is represented by Moe Ferrara at BookEnds Literary Agency.

I had the opportunity to interview Skye, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?

Thank you for having me! My name is Skye Quinlan, and I am the author of Forward March, a queer young adult novel centered around a high school marching band. Most of my free time is spent writing, but I’m also a huge nerd who cosplays with my wife and niece, so you can usually catch me at the nearest anime convention or comic con! I’m also really into gardening, so you can always find me at the nearest plant nursery as well.

When did you know you were first interested in writing, and what drew you specifically to young adult fiction?

I’ve been writing since a very young age; I distinctly remember being six or seven years old and letting a friend read the first story I’d ever written, which was a Pokemon fanfic (oof – that’s embarrassing to admit). She got so angry with me for having Pikachu evolve that she stood up on the bus and threw the notebook over the seat at me, screaming something about, “how dare you?!” I’ve been writing ever since, but  for a long time, I dabbled in fandom and fanfic, which was already heavily rooted in YA subculture, so making the transition from fanfic to original young adult fiction felt the most natural. I’ve stayed in YA because I love it—I love the books, the authors, the fandom, and it’s something that I want to be a part of. 

What can you tell us about your debut novel, Forward March? Where did the inspiration for this story come from?

The inspiration for Forward March came from my days as a high school band geek. I played the clarinet for 10 years, and as a teenager, my entire life revolved around marching band—ask anyone who knew me back then, and they’ll tell you that I was the kid who took band way too seriously. I was a menace my senior year when I became section leader, always calling for extra rehearsals and making my clarinets march and play until they were blue in the face. In Forward March, Harper is very much the same way, and I used both her and her story as a way to memorialize my days in band, from some of our old traditions to a few beloved memories spent performing in the rain and snow.  

What can we expect from the characters of Forward March?

I’d be lying if I said that my characters weren’t a bit overdramatic, but that is why we love them. From Harper in particular, you can expect to see her journey of self-discovery, which includes coming to the realization that she’s an asexual lesbian with a thing for punk drummer girls in combat boots. You can also expect a dive into complicated family dynamics, friendship break-ups, and miscommunication—my characters are all teeangers, and they’re messy. Very, very messy, and they don’t always make the best decisions. 

Like the main character, Harper, have you ever had any experience with marching band or music in general, or was this something you had researched for the book?

Going into Forward March, I was very fortunate in that I didn’t need to do too much research where music and band was concerned—I always knew that my days as a band geek would pay off someday! 

As an aspec reader, I’m always excited to see more aspec fiction, especially aspec Sapphic fiction. Could you talk about your motivation to write this kind of representation, and what queer representation in general means to you?

Teenagers are the target audience for Forward March, and as an aspec lesbian author who never saw myself represented in the media until I was in my early twenties, queer representation means everything to me. I want my readers to be able to see themselves represented in my books, and that has always, always been the primary goal for me when it comes to my writing. If I can give my readers what I never had, then I’ve done my job.

How would you describe your writing process? What are some of your favorite (or most frustrating) parts of writing?

My writing process is chaotic, and I think the people who’ve worked with me in publishing would probably agree. I don’t like writing outlines for my books (I tend to deviate from them when I do), and I often edit my work as I go—that’s probably the most frustrating part for me, editing as I go, but mentally, for whatever reason, I have to do it that way. So I’ll write a few paragraphs, open up a new word document, and then keep re-writing those same few paragraphs until I’m satisfied. It’s not the fastest way to write a book, but it works for me. My favorite part, though, is getting to create new characters and then bring them to life on the page. I probably spend more time writing character profiles and creating their backstories than I do writing the actual book.

Did you draw on any specific sources of inspiration while writing your debut novel, Forward March, i.e. books, movies, music, etc.? Where do you draw inspiration or creativity in general?

For Forward March, my biggest inspiration came from my days in marching band. I really wanted to preserve those memories and traditions. In general, I draw a lot of inspiration from music, and you’ll almost always catch me listening to different soundtracks while I’m writing. For each new book I start, I create a different playlist on Spotify, and that’s what I have on while I’m working. For Forward March in particular, I listened to a lot of drum cadences, and I always had on the soundtrack from Drumline. 

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

The advice that I would give to aspiring writers is this: keep writing. Your story, your voice, and the pieces of yourself that you’ll leave on the page are equal parts important and valid, and you yourself are worthy of a place in this industry. Publishing has a way of making even the best of us doubt ourselves, but the important thing to remember is never, ever give up. 

Besides being a writer, what are some things you would want your readers to know about you?

There isn’t much else to know about me other than that I cosplay and love gardening, but let’s see… I crochet, I love crystals and geodes, and I taught myself how to ice skate by watching youtube videos. 

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but wish you were (and the answer to that question)?

I always wish someone would ask me about my cosplay goals! My very first cosplay was Lexa from The 100, and I would LOVE to re-make that costume and do it again. My wife and I are dying to be Vi and Caitlyn from Arcane, Korra and Asami from ATLA: Legend of Korra, and Adora and Catra from She-Ra. Someday, I would also love to be Loki, because like…Loki.

Are there any projects you are working on or thinking about that you are able to discuss?

I have a few projects that I’m working on, but nothing too concrete right now, so it’s probably best to keep them secret! 

Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?

I recently read Like Other Girls by Britta Lundin and absolutely loved it, and I’m currently reading A Lesson In Vengeance by Victoria Lee and have enjoyed it so far! I’m really excited for Andrew Joseph White’s Hell Followed With Us, F.T. Luken’s So This Is Ever After, and Maya Deane’s Wrath Goddess Sing. 

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Interview with Author Natasha Ngan

Natasha Ngan is a writer and yoga teacher. She grew up between Malaysia, where the Chinese side of her family is from, and the UK. This multicultural upbringing continues to influence her writing, and she is passionate about bringing diverse stories to teens.

Ngan studied Geography at the University of Cambridge before working as a social media consultant and fashion blogger. She lives in France with her partner, where they recently moved from Paris to be closer to the sea. Her novel Girls of Paper and Fire was a New York Times bestseller.

I had the opportunity to interview Natasha, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?

Thanks so much for having me! I’m a Chinese Malaysian British writer living on the west coast of France with my partner and our little staffie Nova. I love gaming, being by the sea, reading when it’s raining outside, and sharing good food and drink with friends. 

How did you find yourself becoming a writer? What drew you to young adult and speculative fiction specifically?

I’ve always been a writer – I can’t remember a time when I didn’t write or dream up imaginary worlds. I love the way YA allows you to explore those integral firsts in life, from love to the beginnings of really understanding your own identity and what you believe in. There’s such hope in YA, too, which as adults is something I think we all need more of. As for spec-fic, there’s definitely an escapist element that speaks to me, especially as I’m disabled, but I also love how it can hold up a mirror to our own world and force us to confront issues we deal with through a different lens.  

How would you describe your writing process? What are some of your favorite/ most frustrating parts of the process?

I’m a complete pantster (I don’t plot my books in depth) so a big frustration for me comes from never quite knowing if I’m on the right path. Writing is very instinctual for me, so there’s a lot of need for just trusting in the process – which is difficult, since I’m a very anxious and self-critical person! But luckily it always seems to work out in the end! My stories tend to come to me very acutely in their initial state: a strong sense of setting and concept. I then wallow in that, just kind of daydreaming and jotting down ideas. Once I understand my main character’s POV well enough to place myself in their world and situation, that’s when I begin drafting. 

Growing up, were there any books or authors that touched or inspired you as a writer? When do you think you first saw yourself reflected in literature?

Oh, so many! I loved the worldbuilding and magical escapism of The Edge Chronicles by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell; the wit and wacky characters of Philip Ridley; the adventure of Tolkien; the complex heroines and intricate magic system of Garth Nix’s Abhorsen books. Looking back now, though, I see how so many of the authors I read at a young age were white men. Apart from in manga, I didn’t see a lot of my Asian side represented. I can’t honestly pinpoint when it was I started to really see myself in books. Honestly, it’s probably only been quite recently, with the amazing diversification we’re seeing in literature for kids and teens.

What can you tell us about your book series, Girls of Paper and Fire? Where did the inspiration for this story come from?

I had just come off a hard year where a book I’d written and edited with my then agent didn’t sell, and as hard as that was it was also liberating, because I gave myself complete creative freedom with the next one. I was in my mid-twenties and starting to explore my sexuality more, as well as process both old and fresh traumas. When I first went into writing Girls, I didn’t set out to address any of that specifically, it just came out naturally. I had so much fun creating a fantasy world that felt completely authentic to me. I’d touched on my Chinese-Malaysian heritage in my previous two published books, but it wasn’t until Girls that I went all out and fully celebrated who I am and where I come from.

How does it feel to be coming out with Girls of Fate and Fury, the last book in the Girls of Paper and Fire trilogy? How do you feel you’ve changed as an author since the beginning of this series to its completion?

It’s exciting, but there’s a definite bittersweetness. I’ve been working on this series for so long. It’s sad to leave its world and characters behind. I’m so proud of my girls and how far they’ve come, though, and I feel like I’ve journeyed with them, growing in confidence in terms of owning my own identity and power. I hope I’ve improved as an author too. I truly believe everything we write – every word, every book, even the ones that never come close to publication – develops us as writers. There’s no such thing as lost time when it comes to writing. I’m always learning, always pushing myself to critique the process and craft, to write with more intention.  

Without too many spoilers, what can we expect from the last book in the series?

Wren and Lei are separated, so for the first time in the series we see things from Wren’s perspective. We get more insight into her motivations and thoughts, and I loved writing about how she thinks of Lei, because if Lei knew just how highly Wren thinks of her it would just be so beautiful. The Kingdom of Ikhara is also now officially at war, so there are battles and much maneuvering for power – both outside and within the Hidden Palace walls.  

Aside from being a writer, what are some things you would want others to know about you?

My partner and I have had our gorgeous black staffie Nova for almost half a year now, and she is the absolute best dog in the world and brings me so much joy! I post cute content of her over on @natandnova on Instagram.  

If you could go back and tell your early writer-self anything, what do you think you would say?

There will be more books. Don’t worry if this one doesn’t work out; just keep writing. 

What advice would you give to other aspiring writers?

Pretty much that! Especially with a first book, it can seem like it’s the only book in the world, that all your success will be weighed by it. But there will always be more stories-of-your-heart to tell. You’re constantly evolving as a person – and so you evolve as a writer. If something doesn’t work out, keep going. Have faith in yourself and write the stories you love, because those to me are the books that really shine.

Are there any other projects you are working on right now and at liberty to speak about?

I’m currently working on a new YA fantasy, which is – thankfully! – a standalone. It’s less about war but rather the legacy of it: how we inherit hate, how prejudices are passed through generations. It’s also a sapphic romance between two highly ambitious girls who might or might not be playing one another. I’ve been having so much fun creating a new world to explore!

Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?

Some of my favourite own-voice LGBTQ+ YA writers include Sara Farizan, Julian Winters, Adiba Jaigirdar and Lana Popovic (who also just released a fantastic witchy sapphic adult romance, Payback’s A Witch). I will also forever be recommending Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and House in the Cereulean Sea by T. J. Klune. They’re both adult novels. Song is a heart-breaking Greek epic based on Achilles and Patroclus while House is a comforting, ultra-cosy read about a grumpy caseworker finding his soft side. Both are very queer and absolute brilliant.        

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Interview with Author Katryn Bury

Katryn Bury works with middle-grade readers as a youth library technician. A lifelong true crime nerd, she has a bachelor’s degree in sociology and criminology. Her short and serialized fiction can be found in Suspense Magazine and The Sleuth. She lives in Oakland, California, with her family and a vast collection of Nancy Drew mysteries.

I had the opportunity to interview Katryn, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?

Thanks for having me! I’m a middle grade writer and a library tech working with youth here in the San Francisco Bay Area. My debut, DREW LECLAIR GETS A CLUE, is set in Oakland, where I live with my husband and irrepressible six-year-old daughter.

Where did the inspiration for Drew Leclair Gets a Clue come from? Did any stories or media inspire the book while you were writing?

Books that I read as a kid, such as Harriet the Spy, and the Nancy Drew series, were definitely early inspirations. I have always loved a good girl detective. For this book, however, my primary inspiration was reading I’ll be Gone in the Dark. I remember reading it and thinking: “wow, I wish I had this kind of hero growing up.” In the book, Drew has a criminal profiler hero, Lita Miyamoto, who was very much inspired by Michelle McNamera.

How would you describe your writing process for this book? What was the querying process like?

My writing process is somewhere between plotter and pantser (plantser?) so I wrote my first draft in a month. Then, I spent several more months revising an idea into an actual story. As for submitting, this book was unlike any other I’ve queried. I got responses that ran the gamut of: “I love this idea!” to “You can’t talk about true crime in a middle grade book; what are you thinking?” I had a lot of interest, but the manuscript really took off thanks to Beth Phelan and the team at #DVpit. After that contest, I got five offers within just a few weeks and signed with my superstar agent, Chelsea Eberly.

Drew Leclair Gets a Clue deals with a subject that gets mixed reactions, true crime. What is the appeal of true crime to you as a fan of the genre?

Like any topic of interest, I think there’s a line between being into true crime and being too into true crime. My interest started, like Drew, when I was just a kid—bonding with my dad and trying to solve Jack the Ripper. Studying the psychology of criminals helped me deal with the “villains” in my own life, from scary strangers, to not-quite-friends, to bullies. That being said, there is another end of the true crime spectrum, including those who have a genuine affection for serial killers and publicly speculate about open cases in a way that I believe can cause harm. For my dad and me, and for so many people who call themselves “murderinos,” true crime isn’t about that. It’s about understanding the mind of a killer in order to feel safe. That sense of security, however false, is compelling.

How did you get into writing, and what drew you to middle grade fiction specifically?

I wrote my first mystery at six (it was very well-received…by my parents) and my first novel at twelve. If I’m being honest, I don’t remember a time in which I wasn’t writing stories. As an early reader, I would frequently run out of books to read. My mother suggested I write more for myself! I have always been drawn to the middle grade space because I adore coming-of-age books. It’s both a blessing and a curse that I remember that time so well.

From your bio and previous interviews, it would appear you have quite a lot in common with your protagonist, from interest in true crime, to both being bisexual and dealing with chronic illness. Was it intentional making this story so personal?

I always set out to write the book of my heart, so everything I write is at least a little personal. The combination of carbohydrates and true crime in this book is a direct homage to my relationship with my father, who passed away in 2017. As for the rest, it comes down to this: as a sick and anxious kid, I read many characters I aspired to be, but none that made me feel seen. The same goes for my coming out as bisexual. That part of me was hidden for a long time because I didn’t see it in the world around me. Media representations were either grim or played for laughs—a big part of why I didn’t come out until later in life. I wanted to write a book that makes kids who are queer, sick, or neurodiverse (or all three!) feel seen. It can be truly life changing to see yourself in what you read.

What advice would you have for aspiring writers?

Everyone tells you to develop a thick skin, but I believe in being yourself. You can be sensitive, as long as you don’t give up.

Aside from writing, what are some things you like to do in your free time?

I can often be found swimming (or just being in the water, really), and I’m a big movie and television watcher. Stories in all forms calm me down. I’ll watch anything with Cary Grant or Audrey Hepburn. I also love reading, as you can imagine, and I still read every new Nancy Drew book.

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet, but wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?

I wish you’d ask what the best Christmas movie of all time is, at which point I could finally tell everyone about the best holiday movie they’ve never seen, Fitzwilly. It stars Dick Van Dyke as a thieving butler who has to pull off a Christmas Eve heist. I promise you; you will not be sorry.

Are there any other projects you are working on and at liberty to speak about?

Oh, dear. I am working on several and I’m not at liberty to speak about any of them yet. But, stay tuned!

What queer books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT? 

I’m can’t wait to get my hands on the many upcoming queer kidlit debuts in 2022. As for what’s out now, in the middle grade space, I adore Kacen Callender, A.J. Sass, and Nicole Melleby (especially In the Role of Brie Hutchens). In YA, I love Becky Albertalli, Leah Johnson, and just finished the amazing Yesterday is History by Kosoko Jackson. 

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Interview with Author Rosiee Thor

Rosiee Thor (she/they) began her career as a storyteller by demanding to tell her mother bedtime stories instead of the other way around. She spent her childhood reading by flashlight in the closet until she came out as queer. She lives in Oregon with a dog, two cats, and an abundance of plants. She is the author of Young Adult novels Tarnished Are The Stars and Fire Becomes Her and the picture book The Meaning of Pride.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?

Thanks for having me! I’m Rosiee, a queer author of YA science fiction and fantasy. Since I grew up without stories that reflected my identity or experience, I love writing about queer kids having adventures and saving the day. I’m also an avid gardener and mediocre gamer.

When did you know you were first interested in writing, and what drew you specifically to young adult fiction and speculative fiction?

I’ve always been a bit of a storyteller. When I was little, I would spin outrageous tales for my parents—they’d probably call it lying but… semantics. I wrote my first story down on actual paper when I was in fifth grade, and I kind of just kept going from there. I didn’t really understand that being an author was a real job that I could grow up to have until I came across a novel that was written by a teenager. I remember my mom making a huge deal out of that fact when she brought the book home for me and then I connected the dots. I think I gravitate toward young adult books mostly because those are the books that shaped me as a storyteller, but also because I saw a real lack of stories about people like me when I was growing up. LGBTQIA+ stories were hard to come by when I was a teenager. There were a few—Tamora Pierce’s circle of magic books, for example, really inspired me—but I was such a voracious reader that I ran out of options pretty quickly. As an adult, I still crave those stories, so I wrote for the teen I was and for the teens out there now who may need to see themselves reflected in fiction.

What can you tell us about your latest novel, Fire Becomes Her? Where did the inspiration for this story come from?

The initial inspiration for Fire Becomes Her came from a song: “Burn” from Hamilton. As an aromantic asexual person who avoids relationships like the plague, I’ve never really felt romantic betrayal, which is what the song is about, but as I listened, I was reminded of a different type of betrayal—the betrayal of a government failing to protect its people. I wrote most of Fire Becomes Her during 2020, truly a banner year for political disappointment, and it allowed me to process my emotions about living in a country where my elected officials seem more interested in grand standing than governing. As an author, I write most often from a place of frustration—almost all of my story ideas come from me being annoyed or angry about some system or other. For Tarnished Are The Stars, my first novel, that was the American healthcare system; for Fire Becomes Her, it was wealth inequality and voter disenfranchisement. I realize that’s not a particularly flashy inspiration, but it’s the truth.

As a historical fantasy fiction book set in the 1920s, I’m assuming there was some research involved in Fire Becomes Her. Could you maybe tell us about that?

It actually involved less research than you might think! The world of Fire Becomes Her is a 1920s inspired fantasy analogue called Candesce. It’s a city-state with some similarities to our world, but with one major difference: fire magic. In order to maintain the 1920s vibe, I promised myself that I wouldn’t include anything that wouldn’t have existed in the 1920s, so I did a fair amount of research about certain technologies and architecture. I ended up fudging that rule on a few things to make room for more modern discussions of sexuality and gender identities, but it did make for some interesting google searches!

As an aspec reader, I’m always grateful to see more aspec fiction in the world. Could you talk your personal motivation in writing aromantic/asexual characters and what representation in general means to you?

As an aromantic asexual spectrum person, it’s important to me to create representation that would have resonated with me as a young person. I try to write from a place of authenticity, and I think Ingrid—the main character in Fire Becomes Her—is one of the most honestly written characters I’ve created. Her story came directly from my own as an aromantic person living under compulsory hetero-allo-normativity. The expectations of our community (or even our own interpretations of those expectations) can be wildly damaging, and I experienced that firsthand. I wanted to write a narrative for Ingrid that allowed her to confront that expectation and choose for herself what kind of love she wanted. It was also important to me to include multiple examples of aspec representation, so while Ingrid is aromantic-spec bisexual, there is also an aro/ace side character, a transmasc non-binary asexual, and a central queerplatonic partnership.

How would you describe your writing process? What do you find are some of your favorite (or most frustrating) parts of writing?

I am simultaneously a rigid outliner and a discovery writer—which makes for a very weird process. Basically, I like to go in with a pretty clear plan and I always write an outline before I start drafting, but a lot of it ends up going out the window once I get some words on paper. Character is central for me when I’m working on a new book, which is the main thing I discovery write. If a character ends up a little different than I originally planned, it can impact the rest of the story pretty heavily, and I may have to start over. For example, in the original plan for Fire Becomes Her, Ingrid’s boyfriend was meant to be a bit of a player, but when I started writing, he came out a lot softer and honestly just a total simp for Ingrid. I had to completely change my plan to make room for his character, and I’m so glad I did because his arc ended up being one of my favorites to write!

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

My best advice is to write something you love. If you want to be an author, you’ll have to work on your book through a lot of drafts, and that’s way more tolerable if you love your story! Don’t try to make your book more palatable to the masses at the expense of the things you love most about it. You are your own first reader, so it’s important for you to like your own work first and foremost.

Besides being a writer, what are some things you would want your readers to know about you?

Other than writing, I love to garden, cook, and play video games. I’m not particularly great at any of them, but I love having hobbies that I can be mediocre at and still enjoy. After a childhood of trying to be perfect, it’s been really nice to let go of that and allow myself to love things just because they’re fun. I’ve been enjoying experimenting with making different kinds of soup, learning to grow herbs indoors for the winter, and blundering my way through playing Breath of the Wild. 

Are there any projects you are working on or thinking about that you are able to discuss?

I’m working on a bunch of stuff I’m super excited about! I make it a habit not to talk about them in too much detail too early on, mostly because projects can change so much while I’m still learning what they’re about and how I want to write them, but I can say that I’m working on branching out into new genres and age categories this year. I’m excited to be publishing my first picture book in April this year, and I’m working on developing some middle grade and adult projects too! I love to challenge myself to write outside my comfort zone, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so.

Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?

I have a lot of favorites, but a few recent standouts are A.M. Strickland’s In The Ravenous Dark, which is a dark fantasy about a pansexual, polyamorous princess; Alechia Dow’s The Kindred, which takes the soulmate trope to space with a demisexual main character; and Mara Fitzgerald’s Beyond the Ruby Veil and Into The Midnight Void fantasy duology about a chaotic lesbian with a knife and her villain origin story.

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Interview with Artist & Writer Trung Le Nguyen

Trung Le Capecchi-Nguyen (Trung Le Nguyen, professionally) is a Vietnamese-American comic book artist and writer from Minnesota. He was born in a refugee camp somewhere in the Philippine province of Palawan.

Trung’s first original graphic novel, The Magic Fish, was published on October 13th, 2020 through Random House Graphic, an imprint of Penguin Random House. It won two Harvey Awards. Trung has also contributed work for DC Comics, Oni Press, Boom! Studios, and Image Comics.

He currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota and raises three very spoiled hens. He is fond of fairy tales, kids’ cartoons, and rom-coms of all stripes.

I had the opportunity to interview Trung, which you can read below.

First of all, what first drew you to storytelling? At what point did you realize you wanted to tell your own stories?

I consider my relationship to storytelling-on-purpose somewhat new. I think everybody figures out the ways they best like to express themselves in their daily lives, and being a career creative person formalizes that a little bit. The Magic Fish is the first work of fiction I’ve ever really done, so I’m still sussing out my relationship to storytelling, honestly.

How would you describe your crafting style? How do you go about creating on a continual basis while balancing day-to-day life or stresses?

My work style is so chaotic, in part because of its newness and in part because I’m a very scattered sort of person. My work-life balance is largely fine by luck because I have a loving support network behind me, and my collaborators are smart, experienced people who remind me to take days off and give myself more room to recover. I was an overcommitted, high-achieving kid who grew up into an overworked and frequently burned-out adult, and I’m still figuring out how to live with it and work around it.

As far as the more granular details in making comics, I like regimented segments. I start with an outline, then I write the script, then draw thumbnails, then draw the pages. I had assumed I was a visually oriented person who would prefer to start with the thumbnails and also make the script at the same time. I was shocked to discover that I actually need a script to work from. I like that level of organization, and from there I feel like I waste less time and wrist strain drawing and redrawing concepts.

In your narratives, language seems to stand as something that can divide people while stories stand for something that connects? Do you agree with that assessment?

If a reader tells me that’s their takeaway and that it feels true to their life, then yes, their assessment is correct. For me, language is a tool. It’s not precisely the thing that divides, though it can certainly feel like that, but the characters figure out a way to identify the gaps in their languages and bridge them in whatever ways they can. Sometimes it’s switching back and forth between two languages, and sometimes it’s speaking a hybrid language specific to their home, as with a lot of immigrant families.

That sort of language use, cobbling things together to build contexts that convey specific ideas, is very organic. By my estimation, the instances where language becomes a divider is when it’s coupled with systemic forces. So when a hybrid-language speaker in the United States is regarded as unintelligent, for example, because they don’t test well or something, there are a lot of interlocking systems at play upholding that unfair assessment. That’s not the fault of language. Language is organic and flexible. It’s not a sedentary, calcified artifact. Language is meant to shift as its users shift. We could have a rudimentary understanding of a language and still go about our day beyond the ken of the formalities of pedantic grammarian navel-gazing. We all do it. We live among and around people who speak different languages.

Storytelling becomes an extension of that language use, so I don’t find it useful to create a binary where language is the divider and storytelling is the connector. The loss of language, the angst of diasporic identities, and the feeling of bereavement of a space and culture, all that can be chalked up to imperialism and war in this instance.

In The Magic Fish, you explore a narrative in which a mother and son, dealing with generational and multicultural gaps, connect through the fairytales they read together. As someone whose often only shared literary references to her own parents were fairy tales, why do you think this medium has such extensive potential?

I think, very simply, fairy tales are frequently some of our earliest experiences with storytelling, and they also happen to be very old. This seems to uniquely position it as almost a narrative control group, and the stories your parents hear and the stories told to you can be a neat little generational bridge. And because they’re oral tradition, because they survive in iterations and retellings, they have this beautiful elastic quality that makes them so accessible. I think that’s why I center them in my storytelling. I love the imperfect ways people recollect fairy tales. Most of us could recount the tale of Cinderella, and the pieces we emphasize and the ways the characters look and sound might all be different, but the fairy tale lends itself to being a vehicle of participation where everyone gets to storytell. “I know this part,” or “I love this part!” or “Wow, I remember that!” It’s a little silly, but it’s a little like that feeling you get at a club when a beloved song comes on and the whole dance floor lip syncs along! It’s that feeling, but small and intimate. I love that.

One of the many things that touched me about Tiến’s struggle with coming-out was that he did not have the language to describe the queerness to his Vietnamese family. As someone who had similar struggles in regards to finding language (Russian in my case) to describe queer identity growing up, what do you feel is the connection between language and identity?

I mentioned before that language is a mutable tool, so I don’t think there’s an essential connection between language and identity. It’s part of the makeup of a culture, so certainly the verbiage we find will have an effect on how we employ language to describe, for instance, queerness. Language can come with baggage over long use, and words can become tarnished and feel barbed. Parts of it can be discarded or it can be reclaimed and rehabilitated into use. Language seems to have a difficult time keeping up with identity, actually. And even when it seems to catch up, it’s only temporary. The culture moves on, and new language needs to be made or old language comes back into fashion. My best guess is just that language is not compatible with essentialism because language is slower than identity. Sometimes it takes a little while for language to wrap itself around something everybody was already living with.

While reading your book, one of the things that stood out to me was how you explored The Little Mermaid as an immigrant narrative in addition to a queer one? As a fairytale created and shaped in such a different century than today, why do you think this story continues to hold so much relevance and so many meanings?

Honestly, I’m sure every reader has their different reasons. I can say that Andersen’s Little Mermaid was a personally resonant story for him in particular. It was written as a literary fairy tale for children by an author who was known in his day, and that’s a meaningful distinction from other stories we popularly think of as fairy tales. Andersen’s stories are different from Perrault’s or the Grimm stories because they don’t pretend they don’t have a point of view. The Grimms collected their stories from all over, but they edited them and increasingly sanitized them as newer editions were published. And certainly, The Little Mermaid had its forebears in Rusalka and Ondine, but Andersen was writing a story from his own heart and from his own point of view, first and foremost. He was not immune from an editorial process, and the story was affixed with this weird epilogue about the little mermaid earning a human soul through endless suffering at the whims of children all over the world. But the heart of the story, the special yearning and the toilsome sacrifices upon which Andersen’s story leans, remains deeply personal, and I think people respond to that.

In The Magic Fish you explore three distinct and beautiful fairytales. Were there any other stories you considered including in your graphic novel? Are there are other fairytales you would still like to explore in your work now?

At one point I wanted to include the Japanese fairy tale of the fisherman and the turtle princess to express that Rip Van Winkle effect that Helen feels when she finally comes back to Vietnam and finds everything unrecognizable. There just wasn’t enough room to do it, ultimately, and I thought three basic fairy tales made for a pleasing number.

Aside from making comics, what are some things you would want readers to know about you?

There’s not too much to tell. I love old sitcoms, and I have them on in the background while I draw. I play a lot of video games, though I get overly competitive and yell at the screen a lot. I really like desserts! I have three very sweet hens named Beatrice, Paulette, and Edwina. I watch all the main Rankin Bass holiday cartoons every year around Christmas.

As a creator, what advice would you give for other creators who are looking to explore identity in their craft?

My main advice for creators, especially creators who come from marginalized backgrounds, is that they should protect themselves from the pressure to get everything right all the time. We all change and grow, and even the stories we tell about ourselves won’t always well represent us in time. I want everyone to be free of the burden of being the sole representation, and that can be accomplished by getting as many diverse voices published as possible. When we know there are others like us in the room, the weight of carrying the entire arc of our stories is lightened. We can be free to tell the narrowly specific, messy, and fun stories of our hearts instead of feeling any special responsibility of edifying an ignorant readership.

Are there any projects you are working on right now and at liberty to speak about?

I am working on my second OGN for Random House Graphic at the moment. I’m very excited about it. It doesn’t have a solid title yet, but I am loving the process of writing it so far. I can’t wait for everyone to meet these new characters!

Finally, what books (both LGBTQ+ and otherwise) would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?

I love just about anything by Jeanette Winterson. Her writing is absolutely incredible. I recommend The Daylight Gate and also Lighthousekeeping. MariNaomi’s books are all formative graphic storytelling for me. I read Dragon’s Breath and Turning Japanese back to back before I thought I would ever make graphic novels, and they blew me away. I loved No Ivy League by Hazel Newlevant, and Flamer by Mike Curato absolutely gutted me. I’m currently working my way through Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas, and the whole thing just makes me giddy with joy. This was the sort of book Teen Me would have loved to bits and carried on into forever. I’m sure there’s more, but those are the ones that spring to mind right away.

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Interview with Author Claire Kann

Claire Kann is the author of several novels and an award-winning online storyteller. In her other life she works for a non-profit you may have heard of where she daydreams like she’s paid to do it. She loves cats and is obsessed with horror media (which makes the whole being known for writing contemporary love stories a little weird, tbh).

I had the opportunity to interview Claire, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?

Sure!

Hi! Hello! I’m Claire Kann, the author of quite a few novels now, including the forthcoming THE ROMANTIC AGENDA (preorder today!). I enjoy watching YouTube essays for hours on end, reading horror novels, and spending time with my cat. 

When and how did you realize you were first interested in writing, and what drew you specifically to Young Adult Fiction and your upcoming Adult Romance?

Well… I haven’t told this story in quite some time so here we go:

Once upon a time… just kidding. 

As a kid/teenager, I was a voracious reader but it never occurred to me that I could also be an author. I thought being an author was something that was only available to other people who were not me. Which is silly. I know. I dabbled with writing poetry for a while, but nothing really stuck.

Fast forward to my college years. I attended right after high school, realized I wasn’t emotionally ready for the dorm environment, and dropped out after a semester. I spent the next few years reading, working, and hanging out with my friends–just normal growing up stuff and really enjoying life as a soon-to-be adult with a lot of hard lessons to learn.

Finally, I decided I was ready… It was time for me to go back to school. I didn’t know what I wanted to major in yet, but I knew I wanted to do something that would lead to a better paying job. To get started, I signed up for general education classes and chose creative writing as one of my electives.

And then everything changed, when the Fire Nation attacked.

The Fire Nation being my fellow students in my creative writing class. I wrote my very first original short story for a workshop and the response was so overwhelmingly positive I started crying. I remember walking to my car and thinking, “This is it. This is what I’m supposed to do. I’m going to be a writer.” I changed my major the next day. 

At that time, I was still a young adult so that’s where I got started–write what you know, and all that. Now, there isn’t really a specific special something that compels me to write one age group over another. I come up with an idea, and the characters who populate the story tell me who they are. I let my agent/marketing decide what it should be classified as. 

How would you describe your writing process? What inspires you to write and keep on writing?

My writing process is both chaotic and repetitive as all get out. There’s a saying “writing is rewriting” which my creative brain took to heart. I always start with a rough outline and create a draft from that, often writing scenes out of order, huge chunks of dialogue, and info dumps galore. I just need to get everything out of my head first. From that draft, I create a new outline and rewrite the entire thing. Twice, if needed.

Usually after that third pass, my manuscripts are good to go. I send them to my editor or agent or critique partners for feedback. Then with their notes I revise, revise, revise…

While I’m drafting I like to have some coffee, crunchy foods like carrots or chips, and music playing. Music is a huge part of my process. 

These days, apart from my contracts, I’m not sure what inspires me to keep writing. It’s actually something I’ve been focusing on finding an answer to for the past year. I think because I started writing after receiving such instrumental positive feedback, I’m always striving for that experience again… which is… not smart. The internet doesn’t care about your feelings and will hurt them in ways you can’t even imagine. I’ve had to learn to disconnect my inspiration, the elation I feel from sharing my writing, from the reader’s response to my work.

I do love writing, though. I don’t think I could ever give that up, its hooks have latched onto my soul, but whether or not I continue to seek publication is another story.

Within the literary community, you’re known for your books featuring asexual representation, including Let’s Talk About Love and your upcoming ace romance, The Romantic Agenda. Just wanted to give a brief thanks for that! Where did you find the inspiration for those stories?

The stories began because both main characters just appeared in my head.

I knew who Alice, the protagonist of LET’S TALK ABOUT LOVE, was almost immediately because she screamed a lot–she’s very excitable and chaotic. When I asked her what kind of story she wanted, we went through a few plots I had in my idea bank but she ended up telling me she wanted a romance. I paired her with Takumi, and there was zero chemistry. None. Zilch. The story wasn’t working at all. I wasn’t sure why so I did some character interviews, some research, and what do you know… she’s asexual. It was one of the biggest “AHA! Oh, wait… oh shit” moments of my life. I remember, in startling, visceral detail, exactly how I felt right then. (I often have to throw out a disclaimer here: LTAL is not autobiographical or even auto-fiction. Alice and I land on different spots on the spectrum, something I did on purpose.)

For Joy, the protagonist for THE ROMANTIC AGENDA, it was a bit easier. My agent asked if I would be interested in writing an ace romcom and I said, “I can try!” I knew I wanted to write an older ace character who had almost everything figured out. Joy appeared and was up for the task. Plot wise, I decided on a mashup between the movies The Great Outdoors and My Best Friend’s Wedding. Personally, I don’t see the end result as a romcom. I’d rather call it a contemporary love story.

Looking from your book, it is obvious you are a fan of romance and cute and fluffy content. What draws you in about writing romance?

More than anything else I’m a character driven writer. I do what they want. I tell their stories.

Because my focus lies so heavily with my characters, it’s only natural that their chosen supporting casts have a great impact on who they are, who they become, and why. Those relationships (whether they be romantic, platonic, familial) determine how the story plays out. Labels are decided by marketing–I revise to match genre conventions based on what the primary perception is (if I agree it fits the overall heart of the story, of course).

When you’re not writing, what do you enjoy doing or consuming in your free time?

I love listening to music and spend a lot of my time watching YouTube. This year one of my goals is to focus on reading more. I really want to push beyond my comfort zone by reading things I think I won’t like. 

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet, but wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?

Oh, this is a difficult one. I’m a notoriously private person, so I don’t like being asked questions. But in the spirit of sharing…

What’s my favorite color and why? 

Purple because a long, long time ago Howie D. from the Backstreet Boys said it was his favorite so it had to be my favorite. I also love forest green. 

What advice would you have to give for other aspiring writers?

Hmm. I truly believe that all the writing advice that could ever be given can already be found on the internet. There’s no such thing as an inspiring writer. If you write, you’re a writer.

But if you’re an aspiring author, as in you are seeking publication, actively or someday,  I’m going to use a quote from ACROSS THE GREEN GRASS FIELDS by Seanan McGuire, from her Wayward Children which series I heartily recommend reading: 

“Be Sure.”

Are there other projects you are currently working on and at liberty to discuss?

I am indeed working on other projects! I wish I could talk about them because I’m really excited about what’s coming up next! But alas! I cannot!

Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/authors would you commend to the readers of Geeks OUT?

FIRE BECOMES HER by Rosiee Thor

RISE TO THE SUN by Leah Johnson

THIS POISON HEART by Kaylnn Bayron

GIDEON THE NINTH by Tamsyn MuirA LONG WAY TO A SMALL ANGRY PLANET by Becky Chambers

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Interview with Author Preston Norton

Preston Norton is bisexual, slightly genderqueer, and married. His partner, Erin, is trying to put him on a diet, and he’s revolting (both contexts apply). He has taught seventh grade and ninth grade English, mentored drug addicts, and mowed lawns (in no particular order). He is obsessed with 2001: A Space Odyssey and Quentin Tarantino.

I had the opportunity to talk to Preston about his new book, Hopepunk, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome to GeeksOUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m an environmental science teacher at a youth retreat facility where local private schools send their fifth graders to us for a week, and we teach them how to not fuck up the planet. (So, big Greta Thunberg fan, obviously.) When I’m not doing that, I’m writing. I’m also a nerd for lots of things: from high literature and pretentious, artsy cinema to dorky anime and video games. It’s less a question of “What am I a nerd for?” then “What am I not a nerd for?” What can I say? I like things.

How did you find yourself becoming a writer? What drew you to young adult fiction specifically?

I’ve wanted to write for about as long as I can remember. (I remember attempting to “write a novel” as early as eleven years old? I did not get far.) But the thing that draws me most to YA lit is voice, and how these young protagonists tend to feel a lot of things and very often. I am a thirty-six-year-old adult person, and it just so happens that I too feel a lot of things and very often, and I tend to get very voice-y about it. I don’t know what else to tell you other than YA lit and I tend to be a great fit together.  

What can you tell us about your upcoming book, Hopepunk? Where did the inspiration for this story come from?

It’s a story about rock and roll! And science fiction! And westerns! It’s also a story about social justice, and fighting for what you believe in. But at its deepest core, I think this story is about unapologetically being yourself. It’s about loving people and loving things. It’s about being a nerd, and being queer, and being a sister, and being a friend. But also punk rock! And sci-fi! And superhot cowboys, yee haw!

Hopepunk contains a strong music theme in its rocker elements. What music would you say you’ve gravitated to while writing this book and in general?

I mention a lot of songs and artists in the novel itself, and I don’t know that I would add any others to that already extensive list. But if you’re asking what I like generally, well: my favorite song of all time is “Wide Open” by Chemical Brothers, feat. Beck. My favorite artist of all time is Radiohead. (Favorites include “How to Disappear Completely,” “Reckoner,” and “Burn the Witch.”) My current passing musical obsession right now, which tends to fluctuate on a dime, is a tie between Superorganism (“Something for your M.I.N.D,” “Everybody Wants to Be Famous,” and “Hello Me & You”) and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard (“Catching Smoke,” “Interior People,” and “If Not Now, Then When?”) Also, while I would not consider myself the most “metal” person in the world, I do have tickets with my partner and friends to see Tool this February. It’ll be the first concert I’ve been to since Nine Inch Nails and Soundgarden toured together, back when Chris Cornell was still alive, may he RIP.

With that said…I issued an unofficial “contest” of sorts in an interview I gave to BookPage, and I would like to issue that same contest/challenge here. In Hopepunk, Hope Cassidy and the Sundance Kids perform a number of songs—completely original works of my own creation. However, I really struggled to write the third and final song, and as such, sort of cheated and had to use a pre existing song as a model for writing it, from the lyrical beats and the time signature down to the tune that you do not hear but was very present in my head. The first reader who calls me out on Twitter (aka, tag me) with the song I used as a crutch, I will use your name (or a name you give me) and give it to a minor character in my next book. The contest begins NOW!

An interesting part about the book was discussing the ripple effects of homophobia, how it not only affects the queer characters in this book but also those who love them, as it does the titular protagonist who initially loses her sister because of it. Would you mind speaking about that?

I grew up in a very religious household/community, so my experiences with and proximity to homophobia has always been very close and personal. I think the homophobia that hurts the most is the kind that pretends it is not homophobia at all but rather “Christlike love.” The sort that says, “I love you, but everything about who you are is a sin and wrong.” I am not a religious person anymore, and no longer feel the need to sugarcoat how I feel about this sort of belief, which is that it is fucked up, and I fucking hate it. I truly hope Christianity as a whole learns and evolves past this primitive, hateful stance. 

How would you describe your writing process?

I drink the caffeine, and then away we gooooo!!! 

I consider myself very lucky, the writing process comes so easy and fluid to me. Not only that, but my brain often delivers a high serotonin and even dopamine-reward for my efforts, so when I’m actively writing, it is often the most enjoyable thing I do with my time. Outside of the actual writing process, however, things are tough. Selling my agent on a new book idea, for example. Selling my editor on a book idea that I finally got my agent on board with. Writing a synopsis! Fucking hell, you guys, I fucking hate writing synopses.

Growing up, were there any books or authors that touched or inspired you as a writer, or made you feel seen?

You know, as voracious of a reader as I was when I was younger, I maybe didn’t find those books as a child/teenager so much as I have found them as an adult. A little late now, but they do continue to shape me and my writing. I would argue that the most profoundly influential ones were Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt, Looking for Alaska, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the latter of which, I actually like the movie even more than the book, which was incredibly both written and directed by its author, Stephen Chbosky. No, I have not seen Chbosky’s newest, the film adaptation of Dear Evan Hanson. I’ve never heard the word “cringe” used so often in reviews. 

Hopepunk is defined as a subgenre of fiction that looks at dystopia and the world with an element of resistance, optimism, and well… hope. Where did you first encounter this world and why do you think you were pulled to use it as the title, if not the basis of your book?

You know, it’s funny because I did not hear about it until a book blogger on Twitter compiled a list of their top five “hopepunk” novels, and one of my previous novels, Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe, made the list. Upon hearing this unfamiliar word, I sort of fell down the rabbit hole of hopepunk’s birth as a subgenre, at which point I realized that hopepunk was definitely my favorite subgenre, and I had only just learned about it! Naturally, I became obsessed, not just about the genre but what it stood for, and what it said about the times we were living in. My natural state is to start thinking about book ideas and plots without even realizing that’s what I’m doing, so the cogs were already turning at this point, and it was almost inevitable that the next book I would write would be called “Hopepunk.” The trick was selling both my agent and editor on the idea…and hey, they both loved it!

Aside from being a writer, what are some things you would want others to know about you?

I am actually a very private person, so wanting people to “know things about me” is actually very low on my agenda. But with that said, I will humor you with a fun fact: I have a scar on my chin that I received from a pillow fight with my little sister that I received when she was maybe only five years old! Intrigued yet? Of course, you are. Now, I was only about six years old at the time, but the very important detail I have withheld is that she was using a couch pillow, and it had a very sharp zipper on it, and the rest is history. I’m sure my six-year-old memory is not to be trusted, but I pretty much remember blood gushing from this grievous wound like the neck stump of that guy that gets decapitated in Kill Bill.

What advice would you give to other aspiring writers?

Write! That’s it. The antithesis of writing is not writing—putting it off, waiting until we feel like we’re good enough, procrastinating. The only way that you will become good enough is by making a regular practice out of it. We often talk about people who are naturally good at things and people who become good at things because they work at it. I will be the first to tell you that I was not born a naturally good writer. That did not come to me well until my late 20s, and I had already written several bad unpublished novels leading up to that point. What I was born with was the desire to be a writer. I actually can remember few things I wanted to be as a young child more than I wanted to be an author. Being a teenage mutant ninja turtle was one of them. But even if being a ninja was an achievable goal for me, I think we can all agree that no amount of practice would ever let me become a mutant turtle. All that was left was for me to become a writer.

Just write. That’s my advice.

Are there any other projects you are working on right now and at liberty to speak about?

There is nothing official yet, but I have a full synopsis my agent really likes, and we’re just polishing up the sample chapters. Have I mentioned I love video games? I am particularly a fan of Life is Strange, which in my opinion is like the greatest YA novel never written, and there is an element of this story that is heavily inspired by my love of the original game.

Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?

Picture Us in the Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert—a very deserving Stonewall Book Award nominee. Kelly is also just the most delightful writer you will ever meet in person. I am not biased, you are!

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Interview with Author Kosoko Jackson

Born and raised in the DC Metro Area, and currently living in Brooklyn, Kosoko Jackson is a digital media strategist for non-profit organizations; which enables his Twitter obsession. Occasionally, his personal essays have been featured on Medium, Thought Catalog, and The Advocate. When not searching for an extra hour in the day, he can be found obsessing over movies or drinking his (umpteenth) London Fog. He is the author of Survive the Dome and Yesterday is History.

I had the opportunity to interview Kosoko, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?

Thank YOU for having me! I’m so excited to be here. I’m Kosoko Jackson. I’m an east coast native, author of Survive the Dome and Yesterday is History. I’m a Scorpio sun, Virgo Moon, Scorpio Rising (fun fact, I have a triple stellium). I love to write, watch far too many movies (in 2022 I’m trying to watch IMBD’s top 100 movies by the end of the year), and I love indie folk music. I say that without any shame.

How would you describe your upcoming book, Survive the Doom? Where did the inspiration for the story come from?

Survive the Dome is basically Black Lives Matter meets Internment by Samira Ahmed. I came up with the book in 2020 during the George Floyd protests. I was in NYC, during the height of COVID, unable to protest with my fellow Black brothers and sisters, and I wanted to come up with a way to resist. I always have believed writing is a form of resistance, so I put my pen to paper and got started. I’m a huge science fiction nerd, and believe science fiction is the perfect grounds for dealing with complex world issues on a grand or microscopic scale. And thus, Survive the Dome was born!

What do you do to help yourself as a writer? Any tips to spark or help creativity?

Most of my books, honestly, come from movie or TV show inspirations. It can be a simple shot, one line, or something I wish the director/writer did differently and wanting to explore that. I get a lot of inspiration from music, too. I listen to soundtracks and albums when writing, and sometimes just one well played line can inspire a whole scene, or book. 

How did you get into writing, and what drew you to young adult fiction and speculative fiction specifically? 

I’ve always loved writing. When I was young, I used to write stories and have my parents listen to them during commercial breaks or shows. I fell in love with writing young adult fiction because, as a team, I didn’t see a lot of positive Black queer characters. When I decided that I wanted to be a writer, I knew that I wanted to fix that and add to the tapestry of diverse authors who are helping to diversify our literary canon. When it comes to science fiction, I think I just started writing that because it was a lot of the entertainment that I absorbed when I was younger. Stories, books, movies, TV shows about fantastical worlds where anything was possible, but rooted in science, always interested me the most.

What would you say are some of your favorite craft elements to work on?

Personally, and I think it’s a bit of my writing crutch, I really like dialogue. I think you get the most characterization in the most understanding of the world and the internal motivations of said characters through their dialogue. How they talk, what they omit, unique ways to create differences in two different characters simply by their word choice is the most fun part for me. and I’m a big fan of banter also period there won’t be a book written by me, no matter the genre, that doesn’t have at least two or three good solid banter scenes.

Were there any stories or authors that inspired you as a writer coming into your own?

The Pendragon Series by DJ McHale. It’s an epic 10 book series that I encourage everyone reads. I ADORED it and it was probably the series that made me want to be an author. 

Besides being a writer, what are some things you would like others to know about you? 

I’m obsessed with movies! Like, before the pandemic I used to see 100 movies a year in theaters. Starting in 2022, I’m going to try to get back into that, but using more streaming services to watch more movies. By the end of the year, I’m hoping to see the IMDb top 100 movies. Interview me in 2023 to see if I actually achieved it!

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet but wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)?

I never get asked if I could have one superpower, what would it be? And this seems like a pretty easy question, but if you follow me on Twitter, you know that I’m kind of obsessed with DC and Marvel Comics and I just feel like it’s such a lowball question. The non-nerdy answer would be phasing. If you’re a fan of Marvel Comics then you know of Katherine Pryde, AKA Shadowcat, and I’ve always found her ability to be the most interesting. The nerdy answer would be telepathy, with a focus on psychic surgery and skills augmentation through precise psychic manipulation.

What advice might you have to give to other aspiring writers?

I think the hardest piece of advice to follow is to understand that your writing will change. I never thought 5 years ago I’d write adult rom coms, but I’m loving this journey for me. You do not have to stay in the genre, or field, you started in, just because you think that’s right or where you belong. Allow yourself to grow. The worst thing that can happen is you don’t succeed.

Are there other projects you are working on and at liberty to discuss?

I cannot discuss some of the cool things I’m working on YET, but I am working on my second adult rom com that I’m very excited about, and something secret!

Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?

I’m a big fan of anything by CL Polk, Sam Miller, Ryan La Salla! I’ve learned so much about writing from reading their work.

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Interview with YA Author Kate Pentecost

Kate Pentecost is from the forest on the Texas/Louisiana border. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children &Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is the author of Elysium Girls (2020,) and the forthcoming YA dark fantasy romance That Dark Infinity.

She loves tea and flowers and ghosts, and she is obsessed with the Romantic Poets. She lives in Houston with her dog, Stevie Nyx. 

I had the opportunity to interview Kate, which you can read below.

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself and your upcoming book, That Dark Infinity?

Hi! Thank you for having me! I’m a writer and former teacher. I live in Houston, I have a dog named Stevie Nyx, and I love history, creepy stuff, coffee, and flowers. I identify as bisexual and genderqueer and use she/they pronouns. 

That Dark Infinity is a dark fantasy/slowburn romance that focuses on healing from both physical and emotional wounds. It follows the Ankou, a mercenary cursed with a cycle of death and resurrection, and Flora, a handmaiden from a destroyed nation who is her nation’s only known survivor. They both are looking for something that seems almost impossible to find. Flora is looking for the princess she loved and nearly died trying to protect, and the Ankou is searching for a way to finally die permanently. Together they travel to the fabled City of Fates where only one of them can receive their deepest, most impossible wish.

Where did the inspiration for The Dark Infinity come from? Did you draw on any outside sources for inspiration or influence? 

I actually wrote the first version of this book when I was twelve. At the time it was very light-hearted, set in Ireland, and had a Terry Pratchett sort of vibe. Then the book grew with me. When I experienced the deaths of my grandparents and, shortly after that, a sexual assault, the book grew darker. The Ankou got his curse, Flora shared my experience, and I learned to heal with the characters as I wrote it.

What inspired you to get into writing, especially YA fantasy? Were there any writers or books that made you think “I want to do this, too someday”?

I grew up in a family of teachers and was constantly surrounded by children’s books, and when my teachers encouraged me to write, it fell into place naturally. I preferred YA because I tend to write longer works with older protagonists, but I’d love to write middle grade too. My main inspiration when I was younger was Bruce Coville, who actually wrote to me and gave me advice when I was a young fan trying to be an author too. We’ve reconnected, and it’s really awesome that I can call him a peer now.

What are some of your favorite elements of writing?

When I think of writing I really enjoy it. I love writing that is very atmospheric and really gives you not only a sense of place and time, but a feeling of being immersed in the world. Atmosphere was incredibly important to me as I wrote That Dark Infinity. I wanted it to feel lush and dark and slightly sad. I always say I wanted it to feel like you were reading a Hozier song. I hope I accomplished it at least partially.

Since Geeks OUT is a queer website, could you talk a bit about the queer representation/themes we can see in the book?

Flora, like myself, is bisexual. Flora’s country, Kaer-Ise is a place where religion and virginity are important to their culture, but I wanted to create a place that had those elements but didn’t include homophobia. So a range of sexualities are very normal in Kaer-Ise. In the book, she loves the princess, her best (straight) friend. This also mirrors my own life, as I grew up understanding that my feelings for my childhood best friend were not straight feelings. Flora gradually falls in love with the Ankou, who is understanding of her bisexuality, as my cis-male partner is understanding of mine. 

What advice would you have for aspiring writers?

Do as much research as you can about the industry because most creative writing programs focus on craft and don’t include much about the business of publishing. Also, prepare to have a lucrative day job that you enjoy in addition to writing because the way advances are paid (even large ones) necessitate a side hustle at the very least. You’re not less of a writer if you can’t write full time. Most of us don’t!

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet, but wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)? 

Q) Why do most of your books feature inter-dimensional travel, an illness, someone mentally or physically decaying, and a mysterious female god who is present but never communicates? 

A) I don’t know, but I’m going to talk to my therapist about it because that’s weird. 

OR 

Q) What details or Easter Eggs did you include in That Dark Infinity?

A) References to Beowulf, the Gardens of Babylon, the Hoia Baciu forest, mellification of corpses, Breton folklore including the Ankou, the City of Ys, and the Bugul Noz, Nikola Tesla, particular poems by Edgar Allan Poe, the quests of Heracles, Mesopotamian gods, and, of course, the Bible.

In addition to being a writer, what are some things you would want readers to know about you?

Soon I’m going to begin my Master’s in Thanatology, the study of death and grieving. I’ve always been drawn to death as a subject. This book and the things I processed during its writing have equipped me, I think, to be an effective grief counselor, and I want to explore that in the future.

Are there any other projects you are currently working on and at liberty to talk about?

Yes, but not that I can talk about yet! 

Finally, what LGBTQ+ books/ authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT?

Anything by A.R. Capetta and/or Cory McCarthy, Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe by Fannie Flagg

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Interview with Author Abigail Hilton

Abigail Hilton finished her first novel when she was fifteen and never stopped writing. She has a science background and a day job in healthcare.

She frequently travels for work, but comes home to the Pacific Northwest, where two elderly tabbies and two Japanese bobtail cats maintain her home in perfect condition. (Haha, j/k; they try to wreck it.)

First of all, welcome to Geeks OUT! Could you tell us a little about yourself?

Hi, fellow Geeks! Thanks for having me. “Novelist” has been near the top of my personal identifiers since I was young. I’ve worked hard to build a life with books at the center. I started podcasting my novels back in 2008. I narrated the books myself at first, then moved on to elaborate fullcast productions, all of it “for the love.” Around 2011, Kindle upended things in the publishing world. I discovered that people would pay for my books, which made it easier to justify the massive amounts of time I was spending on them. I moved into ebooks and paper, then into more professional audio. Along the way, I’ve dabbled in all kinds of commissioned illustrations, promotional art, and comics.

My Abigail Hilton books all feature non-human characters. I love the biological sciences and xenofiction. However, I finally realized that most humans would rather read about other humans. I launched my A. H. Lee pen name in 2017, partially to publish steamier titles, but also to see whether I was right there being a larger audience for human characters. Sure enough, that pen name did really well. I still write under both names, though, and I publish everything from children’s books to adult romances. All of my books are some flavor of fantasy, and I gravitate to high fantasy/epic fantasy. Queer characters have been showing up in my stories since that very first novel.

Congratulations on your upcoming series release, Pirates of Wefrivain! Could you tell us what it’s about and where the idea for the books came from?

Pirates of Wefrivain is a redemption story about a couple of dudes who realize they were working for the evil empire and try to switch sides. They fall in love and fight dragons. That’s the first 2 books. Then it opens out into a broader epic, following some of their friends and enemies through war, nautical adventures, and airship battles. All the plot-lines converge in the final book. This series goes to some very dark places (all the trigger warnings), but I promise I am not a nihilist, and you’ll get a happy ending if you stick with me.

Unfortunately, Pirates has a confusing publishing history. The first book was published in 2010. It was originally published as two separate, interlocking series, and the tale spills over into a couple dozen short stories, which were originally published separately and on Patreon. With the publication of the last book, I have repackaged everything into 5 volumes and put it all under the Pirates of Wefrivain series title. New readers can skip all the confusion.

You asked where the idea came from. No clue. The Elder Gods. Lord Frith. Somewhere beyond the Ninth Gate. Sorry, ideas are mysterious and complicated, and I’ve been writing this series for over a decade. This was my second series set in the world of Panamindorah, so it’s not like the world itself was new to me.

What can you tell us about your most popular series, The Knight and the Necromancer? Where did the inspiration for these books come from?

This one is a little easier, because The Knight and the Necromancer (K&N) was fully planned and completed before anything was released. (I had a lot more publishing experience by then.) K&N did not develop organically over many years like Pirates. K&N occurs in my Shattered Sea universe, which I had already fleshed out in The Incubus series. In that way, I guess it is like Pirates. It’s the second series I wrote in an already-established universe.

The Knight and the Necromancer is about the titular characters, who meet under false pretenses, find that they like each other, and then learn that they are natural enemies. Then they have to solve a problem together. This is a well-trod setup, but it’s one that I particularly enjoy, and I had a lot of fun coming up with all the necromancy magic.

The world was influenced by Garth Nix’s Abhorsen books, all things D&D, a little HP Lovecraft, Jonathan Stroud’s massively underrated Bartimaeus trilogy, and many things I’m probably forgetting. Also, don’t judge me, but James Harriot (I mean, for the farms and farmers and livestock-related plot points). The character dynamics were influenced by C.S. Pacat’s Captive Prince, KJ Charles’s entire catalogue, probably a bit by T. Kingfisher, and perhaps even Terry Pratchett. 

As a writer, what drew you to writing fantasy, especially epics?

This is another of those “where do the ideas come from” questions. I write the kind of stuff I like to read. I feel like there isn’t nearly enough gritty epic fantasy with queer characters who are allowed to have happy endings.

Since Geeks OUT is a queer centered website, could you tell us a bit about the LGBTQ+ characters featured in your books?

I most enjoy writing gay and bisexual men. Most of my books include at least one gay or bisexual male couple, frequently (though not always) in the lead. But I also like variety. There’s a trans man who is a stealth favorite in K&N. My Hunters Unlucky xenofiction epic includes a lesbian couple, as well as many gender-bending species. There’s an MFF triad in my Pirates of Wefrivain series, in which one of the ladies is on the ace spectrum. I like writing polyamory, although I’ve come to realize that the market for it is limited, so I feel pressured to write about monogamous couples. But my Incubus Series is unapologetic MMF.

How would you describe your writing process? Are there any methods you use to help better your concentration or progress?

Write something before bed. Even if it’s just 200 words. If you go to sleep thinking about it, you wake up thinking about it. Sometimes you solve a problem in your dreams.

As an author, what advice would you give to other aspiring writers?

Nothing will ever be as fun as writing the novel and sharing it with your friends. Making money, being approached by publishers, seeing positive reviews – all that stuff is nice, and you think it will make you happy, but that happiness lasts, like, 5 minutes. Writing the book is the fun part – that state of creative fugue, where it feels like you’re taking dictation. Second most fun is sharing it. Receiving related artwork comes in as a close third, whether it’s art you commissioned or fan art. You don’t need anyone’s permission to do the fun stuff.

What do you wish you had known at the beginning of your writing journey? 

I wish I’d known that I would eventually “make it” in the sense that I have an audience and make a living wage. I spent a lot of time worrying about failure in my teens and twenties. I’m not usually a jealous person, but I felt insanely jealous of traditionally published novelists back then. It turns out, I was already doing the fun stuff! And I would eventually get paid for it, so I needed to just cool my jets.

Are there any new projects you are currently working on and at liberty to speak about?

I’m currently writing some follow-on novels to my Hunters Unlucky series. That’s one of those not-at-all-commercial projects, haha. But they have been insanely fun to write, and a small group of (the coolest) people are excited about them along with me.

The next thing I’m planning to write that I think a large number of people might want to read is a new series that I’ve been calling the Sleipner-verse. This is a new setting, where sailors hunt Lovecraftian monsters for their magic, chasing them through multiple universes in world-hopping ships. The story is about a young man from a wealthy, magic-wielding family, who befriends a lower-deck sailor from one of the slipper ships. They proceed to get into all kinds of trouble. 

Aside from writing, what do you enjoy doing in your free time? 

Entertaining my cats, growing carnivorous plants, reading (of course), hiking in out-of-the-way places, and using my passport as often as possible.

What’s a question you haven’t been asked yet, but wish you were asked (as well as the answer to that question)? 

What formats are my books available in?

ebook, paper, and audio. You can get most of my audiobooks in many places besides Audible. You can buy them directly from me on my website, which is generally the cheapest way (coincidentally, I also get paid the most). You can also get them on some library platforms.

Finally, what LGBTQ books/authors would you recommend to the readers of Geeks OUT? 

My first experience of gay fiction was Marry Renault. I still return to her work sometimes. She probably seems stilted to a modern audience, but the language is so beautiful, and she can get a sentence wound so tightly that it twangs. Her Alexander books, including the non-fiction biography, absolutely broke my heart. Scenes and lines from those books stick in my head to this day.

I really like KJ Charles. She’s most known for her historicals and her historical urban fantasy. However, my favorite book of hers is neither. It’s The Henchmen of Zenda, which is a queering of the classic Prisoner of Zenda. The book is full of quote-able lines and genuine wisdom. I rarely see anyone recommend it – an under-rated bit of her work.

I’m sure everyone reading this already has an opinion about C.S. Pacat, so let me pitch something of hers that you might not have read. Her short story, “Pet,” is maybe my favorite thing she’s written. It’s set in the Captive Prince universe, but stands on its own, and you can tell that she’s bringing everything she learned from writing CP to the table. It’s deft and understated, gentler than CP, but still has some teeth.