Interview with Katie de Long (Part 2): Abuse and Romance, Part 3

Hello hello!

Well, we're back to discussing Fifty Shades and the far-reaching impact it's had. Let's get back to talking with Katie de Long, an up-and-coming dark romance author. 

Who's Katie? Katie de Long lives in the Pacific Northwest, realizing her dream of being a crazy cat-lady. As a kid, Katie flagged the fade-to-blacks in every adult book she encountered, and when she began writing, she vowed to use cutaways sparingly. After all, that's when the good stuff happens. And on a kindle, no one asks why there's so many bookmarks in her library.

Q: Fifty Shades has been called "Mommy porn". It's a nasty term to use, frankly. What do you think drives the fantasies behind "mommy porn"?

A: Hah, yeah. People are still more than a little tied up in the idea that women by default have no sexuality; that, in effect, they aren't losing anything becoming virginal again once they've started a family. It's in the backlash to public breastfeeding, and the core “joke” of “porn for women”-- that this is what she looks at for satisfaction, rather than depictions of any real sexual activity, because women would rather look at cooking than sex.

Honestly, the cat's out of the bag on this one. “Mommy porn” has already diversified greatly. Nowadays, “sweet romance” is a romance subgenre, where it used to be almost the entire genre, aside from a handful of erotica publishers whose work wasn't widely available or displayed prominently, and could not be enjoyed in public. And even the old romance genre style of sweet romance bodice ripper is still usually shoved under the same umbrella. Because a love story is automatically a woman's version of pornography. But I digress. Now that people are talking about womens' fantasies, it's narrowing down into more diverse subgenres. Yes, we've always had things such as the Harlequin imprints that set readers expectation for something specific-- second chance love, a firefighter hero, a military hero, a foreign prince hero, struggles surrounding a secret love-child, that sort of thing-- but we're seeing it diversify even more, with additions such as scifi romance, dark romance, romantic thrillers starring antiheroes/heroines. The labeling hasn't kept up, mind you, with the e-publishing explosion, and erotic romance explosion, but romance readers are getting more and more particular at asking what they want. They don't just want a romance, they want an alpha male romance, a BDSM romance, a capture fantasy or Beauty and the Beast retelling. 

And to an extent, retailers have been doing their best to hamstring that fragmentation. It's what their customers want, it would make them more money, but it would also appear as a “tacit endorsement” of the content for them to add a simple adult filter toggle and additional subcategories on their site, which would get them in trouble with conservative customers. Better for them to just pretend they don't know it's there, and ban it when it might net them bad press. (Sarcasm, but also the truth of their responses.)

At any rate, with erotica/e-rom/romance readerships being majority women, for the moment, we're beginning to see the breadth of female sexuality and women's fantasies. So of course not every one will be to our tastes. Human sexuality is a weird and beautiful beast, especially where it intersects with our existing socialization. You are a product of your culture. And honestly, the presence of abuse fantasies in our collective unconscious, how is that worse than any of the other ones espoused in mainstream pornography? Women moving from jailbait, to barely legal, directly to MILF, and then never being seen again. Cougars being a comedic presence in mainstream films, but barely present in porno... People of color, or QUILTBAG people being fetishized or exoticized (IE huge black cock, fiery Latina, tiny Asian pussy, Asian schoolgirl, Chicks With Dicks, lesbian porn produced for men, not actually for or with lesbians...) Subsets of porn focusing on sex as an uncomfortable encounter for the woman because of the man's incredible power in fucking her.

Can I let you in on an unpleasant secret, too? Men have these abuse fantasies, as well. We make it out that 50 Shades is all about womens' issues with abuse, but the fact is, it's long been a thread in our sexual narrative. There's an anecdote about a porn star who stopped acting in straight porn after a producer told her “I don't care if you're crying; you think the guys watching this care if you're crying? Hell, they want to see you cry,” during a scene. Everyone who's worked in a strip club knows that there'll always be some guys whose sole fulfillment there is in hurting you, however they can. They're the ones who insult you, do things they think will humiliate you, or lash out in little violent ways that they don't believe will bring them law enforcement attention, like licking you against your will, biting you, grabbing you... Why is one narrative “boys will be boys,” while the other is the end of the goddamn world, once women forsake healthy relationships for their abusive fantasies?

Hell, why is 50 Shades of Grey so much more threatening than the Grand Theft Auto games? We're shocked to see erotica on Kmart shelves, but we're shocked when sex worker protests get GTA taken off Kmart's shelves.

It's like the eye of Sauron, but sexy. This is Katie de Long--well, her eye.

Q: Some people are concerned about the book promoting abuse. Do books make women "want" abusive relationships?

A: I don't see it promoting abusive relationships-- women know the difference between fantasy and reality.  Certainly, it glorifies a lot of little manipulative tendencies that happen even in otherwise normal and healthy relationships; I think that's why it's easy for it to remain a fantasy. Despite the frequency of these flags, or the overall pattern drawn, people can see themselves in Ana and Christian's relationship. The gaslighting thing over her “overthinking things?” Name me one woman who hasn't had an emotional reaction shrugged off by her partner with that reason. Or who hasn't felt she was, and needed a partner to confirm it so she could stop second-guessing herself and make the decision. We often don't support women in their decision making, so even simple choices can sometimes be fraught, knowing the flack you might take for it.

And-- I may get some flack for saying this-- the difference is in the frequency of the flags in 50 Shades. No matter how much you love someone, how supportive or nurturing your relationship is, it will have fights, and manipulations, and miscommunication. Simply the presence of the red flags as something you identify with from your own life doesn't mean you're primed to end up in an abusive relationship. It means that we live in a society that already penalizes honest communication, and that thrives on shoving issues in the closet. That barely recognizes gaslighting, mansplaining, or controlling tendencies as unhealthy, let alone abusive, a word with a particular weight, since it denotes a particular kind of “monster”.

And the audience for 50 Shades, in particular, skews a little on the older side than some other romance readers, and that also plays into a difference, since past a point, women were trained not to throw the baby out with the bathwater by abandoning loveless marriages. So for someone whose relationship is fine, but not all that, who sometimes experiences a lack of sexual satisfaction or interest from her partner, or a bit of gaslighting, 50 Shades reinforces a lot of what they know and feel is right in their relationship. It doesn't judge them, or make them think that their life is fucked up, or that the marital counseling isn't working and it's all their fault.

Personally, I do believe that 50 Shades romanticizes an abusive relationship. But I don't believe that it being out there and popular is a sign of the end of the world, or anything. Honestly, I love that so many discussion have come from it. You think we'd be questioning the psychology of an abuse fantasy if we were talking about the last Spiderman movie, which had some honest-to-god creepy stalker shit framed as romance? Even discussions on problematic content (Like the song Blurred Lines) rarely rises to a level in popular discourse that 50 Shades has. Honestly, I think it's done a lot more to call attention to those red flags, and to make women think about which are acceptable in a relationship, than any ad campaign or Lifetime survivor story movie.

Q: Edgeplay focuses on a sexual assault survivor, Nina, and how she uses BDSM to build her boundaries. Can you tell us more about healthy use of BDSM and boundaries?

A: Well, I'll start by saying we have a real problem talking about consent. Especially in the US, but even internationally, since for better or for worse, American culture has largely dominated, through film and music. We've exported our problems abroad. And, to be fair, Western culture is hardly the only one to have a problem with the idea that a woman's body isn't there to service whatever man wants it.

There's lingering effects of conservative morality that claim that the absence of no, or the presence of arousal, can be a yes-- that anything other than an outright no is too confusing for a man to recognize as a no, and the idea that a woman should never say yes, lest she become a slut... Abstinence-Only sex ed that doesn't cover enthusiastic consent, and a general lack of understanding of boundaries (see the catcalling debate, or the public transportation leg spreading debate)... The list goes on and on.

Basically, we really don't educate people to provide a framework for people to talk about their wants and needs-- especially sexually. And BDSM is the exact opposite. It's an ongoing conversation that's intended to change as you do. In some ways, this makes it the perfect tool for exploring your sexuality, both vanilla and kinky. And for someone whose consent has already been violated, it can be a hugely useful tool for rebuilding trust in your consent, believing it will be listened to.  In a perfect world, we wouldn't need discussions of Dom/sub roles to set boundaries. But for a lot of people, those conversations never happen until they decide to try embracing one role or the other, and start those negotiations. And in a lot of relationships, both partners would benefit from these conversations.

For some of those who've survived abuse, BDSM can be a great way of rebuilding trust, working through hurdles, with someone who is expecting the absolute worst, and is watching to see what they need to do to make it healthy for you. But it goes beyond that. Even if it's just that you're shy, and have a difficult time expressing yourself, negotiating to try being a sub can result in you becoming a lot better at stating exactly what you want. If you're already a forceful person, negotiating how you might Dominate someone, maybe it lets you feel less guilty about stating exactly what you want, or reassures you that you are giving others what they want, too. Or maybe you want to try the opposite role. You want to give up your power, and know that things will still be okay. Or maybe you want to know that even if you choose not to be assertive most of the time, you could, in a pinch, take charge.

Get some dark lovin' here.

Q:  What do you think the next big romance trend will be?

A: I think that depends. I think we're approaching a bit of a crossroads as things with the major etailers get dicy over their “we'll know it when we see it” censorship policies. If they continue to unevenly block titles for adult content, they're going to alienate a lot of readers-- sexual content made the kindle, and it can unmake it, too, if enough readers realize that Amazon's policies are directly preventing them from finding their chosen kinks properly. Right now, there's a distinct lack of labeling-- any effort on the part of authors to explain the content of their work can be used against them when the title is reviewed or indexed, and the categorizations are uneven and don't reflect readers' preferences, and can't always be done in the KDP dashboard accurately. So that works against everyone-- especially readers who want an easy way to differentiate between an alpha male romance, and an abuse or capture fantasy. That lack of labeling is why 50 Shades of Grey is labeled a general erotic romance, rather than an abuse fantasy or dark romance. And unfortunately, that labeling hits hardest at those who understand why that labeling is needed. I've had difficulties distributing Edgeplay because the explicitly consensual activity is lumped in with nonconsensual fantasies that retailers have already taken flack for distributing. And I'm not the only author I know of who has had problems distributing books that treat sexual violence from a perspective of a survivor, in all of the horror that entails, rather than simply glossing over it as a gritty plot point. It's unfortunate that if we put a trigger warning-- which, as survivors, we know the title needs-- we run the risk of getting blocked from the market, but if we leave it bare, we well know the consequences of a reader getting triggered, when they never would have picked up the book with the warning there. Being triggered, forced to relive painful memories, can be insanely disruptive. Just writing Edgeplay triggered me at times. For a while there, I flinched when my man-beast touched me, and I was so deeply in Nina's PTSD thought patterns that they unearthed several similar ones of my own that I worked through years ago. There's no way in hell I would chance someone being triggered that way by my work, not when the trigger warning would tell them from the start to stay away. See, we look at recovery, whether from abuse, eating disorder, self harm, etc. as a one-and-done. You work through it, then you're better. But it's a spectrum, and an ongoing journey. And the lack of labeling and trigger warnings, and the inability to recognize the difference between a rape fantasy story, and a story using a consensual rape fantasy just leads to confusion that ultimately hurts readers.

Amazon's not the only one, or even always the worst one (See the Kobo Pornocalypse fiasco) but if it reaches a point where a competitor forms that does properly label things, and not adopt policies akin to corporate censorship against certain kinks, we'll see a lot of growth in those genres, and in newer genres that may be filtered out. I, for one, would love to see alpha male listed as a subgenre of romance, because that would open things up for readers like me to easily find beta male romances, and probably lead to a boom in writing and labeling those. Right now, they're all mashed together, and the popularity of the alpha means that I can probably count the beta male romances I've stumbled across on one hand. And that's a shame for those of us (and there are many) who are put off by the alpha male and don't find him a good fantasy for us. Cruise the comments section of any piece on the alpha, and you'll see a hugely polar difference between alpha lovers and alpha haters-- it doesn't benefit anyone to have both these disparate groups' fantasies labeled as the same thing, and it just makes it harder for both of them to find what they want. Let's be all about the customer, Amazon. That's your thing, right?

Q: Which foods do you absolutely hate?

A: Well, I've never handled meat very well. It makes me sick, queasy, and I have really nasty dreams amid all the sick and queasy. I feel so much perkier and lighter when I eat vegetarian. And I don't have much of a sweet tooth to speak of. A bite or two of something sweet is more than enough for me, and anything beyond that just doesn't taste right.

And again, if you want to keep up with Katie de Long, check out her website here! You should also have a look at her Twitter, and stay in the loop by signing up with her mailing list. 

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Thanks for dropping by the nest once again. Leave your comments, rebuttals, and vehement agreements below. Don't miss any of the phuquerie. Find Michelle on Twitter, Facebook, and on Tumblr, and find her work on Amazon. Check back on the blog to see when one of the irregular posts has careened onto your feed. This is the one and only SciFiMagpie, over and out! 

Interview with Katie de Long (Part 1): Abuse and Romance, Part 2

Hello hello! Continuing our discussion about BDSM and abuse romances, let's talk about a writer who gets it right. Let's talk about Edgeplay by Katie de Long. 

Who's Katie? Katie de Long lives in the Pacific Northwest, realizing her dream of being a crazy cat-lady. As a kid, Katie flagged the fade-to-blacks in every adult book she encountered, and when she began writing, she vowed to use cutaways sparingly. After all, that's when the good stuff happens. And on a kindle, no one asks why there's so many bookmarks in her library.

Q: Describe yourself in 20 words or less.

A bad girl through and through. Sharp-edged, outspoken, exhibitionistic, and a little crazy. That about sum it up? Also, as will become evident in this conversation, a survivor and a submissive.

Q: Fifty Shades has had an incredible backlash, even bigger than the one Twilight faced. What do you think is behind that?

A: 50 Shades lies on a number of psychological and sociological fault lines. Twilight was on some of those faultlines, but not all. 50 Shades is on the goddamn Hellmouth of rape culture and patriarchy. Everything from its handling of gender, female friendships, slutshaming, arousal as consent, BDSM as a moral failing, is framed on a society that emphasizes toxic femininity.

Basically, we-- both women and men-- determine women's worth based upon their ability to suffer for everyone else. You see it in “my child's birth was more grueling than yours” one-upping, pornography that glorifies women's lack of pleasure or sometimes even outright pain in anal sex scenes. There's this sense that, the more you give up, the less you respond to aggression, the less you demand from those around you, the better you are, as a person, that isn't really there with men. Women need to be martyrs, giving up their happiness, their bodies, their hobbies, for anyone who asks-- be it a verbally abusive family member, a partner who coerces them into sex acts or kinks they aren't comfortable with (Ahem, 50 Shades), or a stranger on the street who demands they have a conversation, when they have places to be. It's a consistent framing of a woman's good boundaries being none, and any attempt to put down boundaries as being bitchy, irrational, unreasonable, frigid, chasing him away, overreacting, having misplaced priorities, etc. The list goes on and on.

Toxic masculinity is the idea that men are defined by the amount of pain they can give, or take, from other men, without showing pain. It has its own heavily harmful effects, too. But the stuff that lets readers identify with Ana, despite her many flaws, and her fairly bad judgment is entirely rooted in the fact that she plays to an idea of womanhood stemming from old-world morality-- that man's sexuality is something to be suffered and managed by virginal women with no sexuality of their own, for no pleasure of their own, because otherwise the men would become depraved and run the world to hell. If Ana actually seemed like she liked the kink, well, that would remove some of the weight of her journey, right?

Point is, Ana is polarizing, because any given reader's feelings on her are tied into their feelings on the way they fit in with the world. If they're someone who has already rebelled against toxic femininity, they'll think she's a doormat, an abuse victim, and that the whole work is playing into an incredibly harmful system. And they wouldn't be wrong. But if they're someone who holds those feminine ideals, or who has lived their entire life in that system believing it was the only way to be happy, you'll see her as a strong person for taking everything he dishes out, and you'll be rooting for that happy ending. And you still wouldn't be wrong.

To be honest, I don't like either of the poles on this one. “Fifty Shades glorifies violence against women!” “Fifty Shades is just a fantasy.” Both are true, and neither is the point. I do think it's important to look at what in our culture contributes to it being such a widespread fantasy, especially in light of its misrepresentation of some of the core tenets of the BDSM lifestyle. If only because that'll help us figure out what else taps into those fantasies, and maybe be able to promote some other fantasies, as well.

 

It's like the eye of Sauron, but sexy. This is Katie de Long--well, her eye.

Q: What's the biggest difference between your book and Fifty Shades?

A: Consent is the big one. At every step, Nina consents, and at every step, her limits are respected, even when they're pushed. Edgeplay is also a little different in that the limits being pushed are rarely kinky ones; it's BDSM, but not BDSM of the kind that has serious kink (At least not pictured in the context of the story, though Nina and Daniel are experienced playmates, and certainly enjoy their kink. It just wasn't relevant to the arc in this particular story.) The BDSM power play is a tool in it for her to explore her power and her agency, since it's something that her experiences have told her can't be explored in a meaningful way with more vanilla encounters. Whether she's enacting a brutal rape fantasy, or pushing herself to stop freezing and going out of body when kissed, she's there because she wants to be, and she can walk away at any time.

And, too, her problems are different from Ana's. Ana's revolve around this “how much can she take” dynamic as more and more “kink” is heaped on her to show that she's good enough, strong enough, to deserve Christian's attentions, and take everything he can throw at her-- see the toxic femininity comment above. Nina's problems revolve around a “how much can she take” dynamic in regard to pushing past her trauma, but the stressful stuff being heaped on her, that nearly breaks her, is run of the mill affection. Ana fears being spanked-- or “hit,” as she often refers to it. Nina fears being touched gently-- you can beat ten shades of bruise into her, and she'll smile, say “Thank you, Sir,” and feel that the world makes sense. Pain isn't frightening.

As far as the Doms, well, Daniel, Nina's Dom, is careful to respect her limits, and is actively hurt when he thinks he's overstepped himself in play. He's got some flaws with overconfidence, and at times that does lead him to be manipulated, or to make decisions that hurt or undermine Nina, but he's very particular about boundaries, and his attention to detail means that he ends a scene too early, rather than pushing it too late, as Christian Grey does. To be honest, I see Nina as being far closer to Christian Grey, than Daniel is. Except that she's the submissive, so it's a completely different thing, even if on paper those two characters have some similar things-- traumatic histories, aversions to being touched, dislike of intimacy. Basically, the gender dynamics in Edgeplay are completely different than in 50 Shades of Grey.

Q: What is it about this kind of dark romance that seems to have struck a nerve?

A: A little more on this specific kind of romance in the question below, but I think people use dark romances similarly to horror, for catharsis in the fear. Indeed, the two genres often have a lot of overlap. Tweak a few wordings in 50 Shades of Grey, and you have a tragedy about a woman psychologically and physically abused until she gives up her very identity. Tweak the wording on a few of the scenes in a captivity fantasy romance and it becomes a harrowing fight to escape from imprisonment by a monster. Tweak the balance of elements in a revenge thriller about a girl getting close enough to avenge her dad, and you have a dark romantic thriller when her conflicting feelings toward her target and those around him become plain.

That gives it versatility; you can incorporate thriller elements, film-noir elements, suspense elements, dark supernatural or horror elements, and explore some of the most complex variants of human sexuality. And this isn't a new thing. Look to the movies, and you'll see an endless parade of concepts that would be lumped in with Dark Romance, worked in as romance subplots in action movies, self-destructive fighters redeemed by the love of the right woman, brightened up a la Pretty Woman, or explored through stalker narratives like Elijah Woods' rendition of the classic movie Maniac, which is in many many places just a few conversations and a sex scene away from an actual romance. We're honestly really familiar with these narratives: the hatefuck revenge one, the Beauty and the Beast capture fantasy, the girl in over her head with a Mafia Don, the nice guy turned stalker... They aren't always center stage, but they're still present in our vernacular, and so long as that's the case, we'll continue to see people draw to these blends.

Get some dark lovin' here.

Q: Are romances about abusive relationships a special, unusual category, or do these dynamics play a part in almost all relationships--real and fictional alike?

A: Every relationship. No matter how loving, you'll always have miscommunication, points of friction, that when repeated can form abusive patterns. It's one of the reasons why maintaining a close connection to people is such a labor-intensive endeavor. Even those who haven't survived abuse have the framework to empathize with a character in that situation, just based in their own experiences.

And this might be a somewhat controversial position to take, but I think people are drawn to abusive fantasies as a way of processing things that they think are off in their own relationships. See, there's a ton of different emotional cycles that go into living in an even minorly abusive or unsatisfying relationship, and a lot of conflicting feelings. Society expects one reaction-- universal revulsion and fear-- but ignores the multitude of others. Same as we gloss over date rape or incest in favor of stranger-danger narratives that are easy and linear. It's one of the reasons why most abuse narratives are framed around utterly unlovable abusers, and the central question is often “why did she stay?” or “how much will it take to get her to leave?”

But living in a less than happy situation, even if it's not outright abusive, it's an emotional mess. What can you do to make it get better? What are you doing wrong? Is this the best it'll ever get? Is this the worst it'll ever get? Could you forgive yourself for giving up on the good things in this relationship?Would you regret it in a decade if you did leave him? Do you even have the ability to leave, since you've been off the job market a decade, and your certification in whatever field you were in before has expired? He was so nice and cuddly this morning. He would be so hurt if he knew you weren't feeling fulfilled anymore. You're gonna spend time with his family today, and his sister is a great friend of yours. Think how hurt she'd be, to no longer have you around, for his feelings!

People deal with these types of pressures and doubts differently. Some people cheat on their spouse, find love, sex, excitement, or support outside the relationship, while keeping the relationship stable. Some people drown themselves in online RPGs, to feel they truly can become powerful with effort, and there's a tangible correlation between what they put in, and what they get out. Some people look at how much worse it could be, and drown themselves in dramas or tragedies, to say “At least I have what I have.”

And some people look at the possibility of changing an abusive man, or what unconditional love means in the context of an abusive romance, and take something uplifting from it about their own ability to persevere through whatever rough patch they're in. Not because they intend to stay with an abuser, or want to be in an abusive relationship, but because that “love conquers all” feeling makes it easier to forgive their partner for forgetting their anniversary again.

That's all for now, but part 2 is coming soon! Stay tuned. 

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Thanks for dropping by the nest once again. Leave your comments, rebuttals, and vehement agreements below. Don't miss any of the phuquerie. Find Michelle on Twitter, Facebook, and on Tumblr, and find her work on Amazon. Check back on the blog to see when one of the irregular posts has careened onto your feed. This is the one and only SciFiMagpie, over and out! 

Blog Hop from Dianne Harman

Hello hello!

This one is straightforward. Just a blog hop, and four questions about my work and how I do it. So, let's not waste time--here you go.

1. What am I working on?

After the Garden is a book I wrote in my late teens and early twenties, and it's currently in rewrites. I have Monsters and Fools, The Meaning Wars, and Synchronicity in my queue to write and (in the case of the last) rewrite. I also have a few other things planned, but those should be out in the next year or two. Plus a few short stories here and there.  I'm reluctant to give you dates because deadlines tend to go whooshing by all too quickly, but ATG should be out this spring or summer.

2. How does my work differ from others in my genre?

I like to focus on issues of equality in my work, but I try not to do it in a preachy way. The best way, to my mind, is to incorporate the characters and treat them as normally as possible. I also like that sometimes focusing on characters with various levels of ability/diverse backgrounds means they have a more challenging platform to work from. It's also just more interesting than the same Cod Piecington, Noble Space Prince or Humble Browsley, Noble Farm Boy type adventurers that we've been fed for the last hundred years.

I also like to genre-bend. I work mostly in subgenres because I have a deep love for post-apocalyptic and dystopian settings, and that's been 'a thing' since I was in seventh grade. I also like steampunk and urban fantasy, but the last few years have seen a love for urban fantasy horror and spooky elements grow in me. Those have entered my work, and I think it rounds my feel out nicely. There's nothing as fun as scaring the pants off your readers and a little madness. Encountering Lovecraft and the Warhammer 40K universe planted the seed, and with a history of my own nightmares to draw on, I am proud to say that I have given multiple readers cold chills and nightmares with my own work. Neil Gaiman and Chuck Wendig, two of my other best-loved inspirations, also play on scary themes in their work, so really, the genre-bending and scary elements were inevitable. 

3. Why do I write what I do? 

Because it's what I want to read. Because characters walk across the stage inside my skull and start narrating. Because cinemagraphic clips play on the screen in there at random. Because writing is a compulsion. Because writing and reading are a sickness that I cannot and will not get over, and because I live for words. 

4. How does my writing process work?

I'm a pantser at heart. Unfortunately, this led to a lot of very shitty plots and messy, messy endings. In my last book, The Underlighters (previously also published in The Loved, The Lost, The Dreaming, a thematic anthology) I learned how to plot and found an outlining strategy that works for me. So, here's how it goes--I start off with some flashes, usually scenes. I stick them in a document and type them out as I see them. Then I slowly get other flashes, and then I start writing down notes for other scenes. When I have some bullet points, I start working on flow charts or mind maps. The maps let me plot out possible plot ideas and connect the plot events in chonological and logical order. It also lets me follow multiple personal plots at the same time, which is useful. I often use a timeline to refine the results of the map when I have them nailed down. I write down flashes of scenes as they come and then I slowly work through them, expanding on the bullet points and notes. If working on a series, I often reread my own book.

When I hit the revisions stage, I get to work on ensuring I have continuity and that I don't have any exposition dumps or ugly stuff. Then it goes off to my beta readers and critique buddies, and then, when it's all corrected, off to the formatter. After that come the publishing stages, of course. Large chunks of time may pass between the first few stages because I haven't nailed down my self-discipline yet, and my editing work sometimes interferes. 

The lovely Dianne Harman tagged me. She's a friend, an editing client, and a very fun writer. You can get hold of her in the following places:

Amazon: http://ow.ly/s6pN5 

Smashwords: http://ow.ly/u4Fb2

 Web Site http://www.DianneHarman.com

Blog: http://dianneharman.com/blog/

 Twitter: @DianneDHarman

And now...I tag Zig Zag Claybourne, Nic Wilson, and Corinne Kilgore! Get writing, guys!

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Thanks for dropping by the nest once again. Don't miss any of the phuquerie. Find Michelle on Twitter, Facebook, and on Tumblr, and find her work on Amazon. Check back on the blog to see when one of the irregular posts has careened onto your feed. This is the one and only SciFiMagpie, over and out! 

Fear and Loathing in Koi Samui: An Interview with John Dolan

Hello hello!

I'm BACK, with another fabulous interview! Today's guest is the always witty and often snarky John Dolan. I first fell in love with Everyone Burns  after discovering it by chance. I'm not usually a mystery person, but the haunting, maddening tale of murder and longing on a tiny Thai island stayed with me. Naturally, when Hungry Ghosts came out, I knew I had to track down the hatted cynic and get him to talk about it. I love a good noire atmosphere, and Dolan delivers. So, without further ado, please welcome: John Dolan!

*****

Q: Describe yourself in 20 words or less.

A: Smarty-pants, lover of all things arcane and obscure, chocolate addict, anal retentive, hat-wearer.

Q: Tell us about your novels.

A:  I’ve embarked on a seven-book series entitled “Time, Blood and Karma” which runs from the late 1950s up to present day and tracks across various parts of the planet. Although each book has a ‘complete’ story in it, they will all link up. The whole exercise is about showing how interconnected we all are; how when you throw a stone into a pond its ripples spread out; how you never fully know the way your actions and decisions affect others.

Q: ‘Everyone Burns’ reads like a love-letter to Thailand. Tell us more about how that came to be.

A: We’ve been living in South East Asia for a few years now – we have a house on Koh Samui – and it reflects our deep love for this part of the world. Thailand is not without its problems, just like anywhere else, but for now I can’t think of a better place to live (except maybe Bali, but that’s not a practical proposition for us at present). 

Cover photo supplied by the author. 

Q: How would you describe the role of Buddhism in the story?

A:  As I mentioned above, the whole series is about interconnection which is a key feature of Buddhist philosophy. Another central tenet of Buddhism is a focus on what ‘reality’ is, how the world as we perceive it is merely an illusion. You could say that the story is in a sense an illustration of Buddhism ‘in action’ – although that sounds a wee bit heavy. It’s impossible to write realistically about Thailand without interleaving Buddhism anyway: too much would be missing.

Q: Your protagonist’s actions are often (delightfully) morally questionable. Do you think they were justified? Why or why not?

A:  My protagonist, David Braddock, has his own peculiar moral code and acts accordingly. He is in many ways a damaged human being and although he may have some useful insights into life he also has some major blind spots. There will be times when the reader will want to strangle him (I’ve already had some book reviews to that effect). I leave it to others to decide whether his actions are justified. For myself, I can only say I wouldn’t do some of the things he does …

Q:  Do you feel your background influenced the main character, or was he inspired by external forces?

A:  There is some of me in Braddock. I think that’s unavoidable. We share some experiences and attitudes. However, he is also a creature of my imagination. I try not to make a habit of sleeping with other people’s wives. That sort of thing can get you into trouble, right? I’ve also just quit smoking – something Braddock would struggle to do.

Photo provided by the author. Also, in spite of being British, he's taller than you'd think.

Q: There are heavy noire aspects to the book. Which writers or films inspired you?

A:  The writings of Raymond Chandler and Dashiel Hammett, for sure, but also some of the wonderful old black and white movies – especially the ones with Bogart in them.

Q: What do you plan to write or publish next?

A:  The second book in the series – “Hungry Ghosts” – is hitting the internet ether right at this moment. It picks up where “Everyone Burns” left off. Then I’m having a month away from my laptop before starting the next book – “A Poison Tree” – which goes back in time to the events preceding “Everyone Burns”. I hope the time-jumps won’t be too confusing for the readers. There is also an upcoming project with writer Fiona Quinn: we’re co-authoring a novel. I’m pretty excited about that, although the logistics of her being in the USA and me being in Thailand are pretty formidable!

Q: Which foods do you absolutely hate?

A: Cement gives me acid reflux, and I’m not too keen on anything laced with arsenic. Other than those, I eat pretty much everything. Except people, of course.

Q: What is your favorite noire or black and white movie?

A: “The Maltese Falcon”, although the romantic in me wants to say, “Casablanca”.

If you would like a FREE taster of John’s writing, download a copy of his wickedly funny short story “Jim Fosse’s Expense Claim” from Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/260738

NOTE: For the launch period of “Hungry Ghosts” you can buy “Everyone Burns” for the special price of $0.99 (or 79p if you’re a Brit!).

*****

Thanks for dropping by the nest once again. Don't miss any of the phuquerie. Find Michelle on Twitter, Facebook, and on Tumblr. More interviews and witty commentaries are coming. Keep checking back to see those surprise posts, too. This is your darling SciFiMagpie, over and out! 

A Dame to Reckon With: The Multi-talented Dianne Harman

Hello hello!

I have a real treat for you today. A long time ago, I ran into Dianne Harman around the internet. I really enjoyed the story in Blue Coyote Motel, and Dianne herself proved to be an indecently charming lady with a very eclectic history. When BCM hit the bestseller list and became an ABNA quarterfinalist, noone was surprised. So, as a noire interruption to our usual sci fi content, please welcome the lovely dame Harman! 

***** 

Q: Describe yourself in 20 words or less.

A: Have to try new things. Loyal to a fault!

Q: Tell us about your novels.

A:  Blue Coyote Motel is the story of six wayward travelers with serious life issues, who spend a night at the Blue Coyote Motel and all their previous issues leave because of a “feel good” drug piped into the air conditioning. Their lives, and the lives of the motel owners, are thrown into chaos as the drug wears off.

Tea Party Teddy, while a political novel, is also the story of a woman who finds love and in the journey, finds herself.

Q: One of your series is an Americana travel-romance and the other is a political tell-all. How did those interests arise?

A: Blue Coyote Motel came about when my husband and I were wedding guests at a boutique hotel in Palm Spring, California. It was 106 degrees out. I remember saying to my husband, “Wouldn’t it be interesting if someone put a ‘feel good’ drug in the air conditioner?” He looked at me and said, “There’s your novel!” And so it was.

My husband was a California Senator so I spent a lot of time in Sacramento, California, going to political functions. Two nights in a row I was seated next to the most biased, bigoted politician I had ever met. Over the next few days I wondered what his home life was like, how did he get to be that way, and what was his wife like? It stemmed from that.

Get it here. Cover provided by author. 

Q: There are some definite noire aspects to Blue Coyote Motel. What inspired its genesis?

A:  I can’t say there was an inspiration for it, it just happened. I often felt I was reading the novel as I was writing it.

Q: Freedom was a very interesting drug. Tea Party Teddy also explores freedom, in a sense. Do you consider the books to be related?

A:  Wow, there’s an interesting concept! Have never thought about it, but now that you bring it up I am very independent, and definitely believe in the concept of freedom (notice the little “f”) for everything and everybody!

Q: Americana is a big theme in your works. Will you keep setting your work in the good old USA, or do you plan to work in other settings?

A:  Coyote in Provence, the sequel to Blue Coyote is set in Afghanistan and Provence, France (yes, Michelle, added 14 new chapters since you’ve seen it). As to others, I don’t know. I love to travel, so imagine that places beyond California will be a part of future novels.

Q: How have your life experiences informed the direction of your writing?

A:  I don’t think you can write without drawing on life experiences whether it’s a phrase someone spoke or a place you’ve been. While my books are fictional, I have traveled to the Mani Rimdu festival in Nepal, I have spent some time in Provence, and I love to cook and eat, so there’s some of that in my books as well. A reader told me that my books were rich in description, that he felt he was in the places I described – even rooms. I was an antique and art appraiser for 20 years, so evidently some of that is going into my novels.

You have no idea how much mischief there is behind that grin! Photo provided by author. 

Q: What do you plan to write or publish next?

A: I have written the third in the Coyote series and there may be more. Just had a beta reader tell me that she loved the characters so much I had to write more books. I like Bob and Nina in the Teddy saga. I have a sequel written to that and am in the midst of the last of the sage. I also have written a “boomer book.” Beyond that, I don’t know. 

Q: Which foods do you absolutely hate?

A: Creamed corn and I have no idea why. Other than that I love food!!!

Q: What is your favorite noire or black and white movie?

A: I’m not a good one to ask. I’m a voracious reader and prefer to see things in my mind.

*****

Thanks for dropping by the nest once again. Don't miss any of the phuquerie. Find me on Twitter, Facebook, and on Tumblr. I have more interviews and more cool stuff coming. It might even get political in here, and you don't want to miss that. This is your darling SciFiMagpie, over and out! 

Belated and Awesome: An Interview with Ally Shields

Hello hello! 

I just realised that I never did repost a pretty excellent interview with Ally Shields from a while back. Well, I had to amend that!

You'll definitely want to stop by her blog and grab her paranormal witch-hunting books, but in the meantime, here's a taste of her style. Thanks again, Ally! 

****

We're here for coffee again this morning. Michelle and I have ours, so grab a mug and pull up a chair. 

This  is Michelle's bio in her own words: 

I'm a published science fiction author with a love for talking about the end of the world, silver jewellery, nightmares, and chocolate. I'm also fluent in Shakespeare, cussing, and activism,  (passable in Spanish).
I came from a smallish town in Southern Alberta and now live in Calgary with my partner. When we're not saving the world from hipsters or riding our bear cavalry to work, we can be found on the internet or with our friends.

Ally: Lol! I'd love to have you back some time to talk about the bear cavalry, but let's stick to the script today and talkChristmas and books. Why don't you start by telling us your favorite childhood memory connected to the holidays?

MICHELLE: Hmmm. Childhood...Well, I remember one year that Mom really wanted some crystal lambs she'd seen, beautiful little ornaments. I convinced Mom that they were all sold out and not available at all anymore, and Dad and I managed to keep the secret all month long, occasionally mentioning that it had been sold out. Finally, the night before Christmas--also her birthday--we revealed our secret and showed her the mother sheep and three little lambs. There were some tears, and it's one of the best presents I've ever given.

Ally: And best for Mom too, I bet. Okay, now books.  Other than your own, what was the favorite book you read in 2012? What made it so special?

MICHELLE: Aw, shoot, I've read a LOT this year. Honestly, I'm going to go with the first one that comes to mind and then distribute runners-up. Les Liasons Dangereuses, by de Laclos, was magnificent. I couldn't believe how strong the characters were, and how well-implemented the plot was. It's a classic for a reason--sexy, well-written, morally ambivalent...I am so glad I picked it up. Chris Shields' "Fae Journals" series also really impressed me--one of the best teenage female protagonists I've ever read about. A solid third goes to JC Eggleton's "Brookhaven', for being spectacularly creepy and unputdownable. Honourable mention goes to the Game of Thrones series, but book 5 has been a disappointment thus far.

Ally: I'd have trouble just choosing one, too. Thanks for coming, Michelle. I've really enjoyed our chat, and I look forward to having you back sometime.

MICHELLE: It's been a pleasure meeting you, your readers, and I hope you'll stop by my blog! Also, "And the Stars Will Sing" is free from Dec 6 to Dec 10, and "The Stolen: Two Short Stories" will be on sale for .99. Pick them up, you won't regret it. This is your SciFiMagpie, over and out!

---

Book Blurb:

In the far future, travel is made possible by controlled wormholes made in the fabric of space-time. Crystal, a young woman freshly graduated from university, finds herself on her first job aboard the base-ship 'Crossing Paths'. Workplace politics and a romance make it complicated. The last thing she needs are the frightening errors beginning to crop up on her maps...

Buy Link:

http://www.amazon.com/And-Stars-Will-Sing-ebook/dp/B0075G7GEA/ref=pd_sim_sbs_kstore_1

Her second book, The Stolen: Two Short Stories, can be found here:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Stolen-Short-Stories-ebook/dp/B0094B0WFY

A new book, "The Loved, the Lost, the Dreaming" is coming soon! "

[Note: Obviously, that's already out, and you can buy it here and here and here!]

---

You might recognize my logo. Currently I use my face, but this is the bird that started it all.

Ally: I supposed the readers are wondering about the bird. Perhaps you should explain.

MICHELLE: I generally use a magpie for my author pic. I do have my real face on the internet, but the magpie is my logo, so look for this bird and you'll find me.

Ally: If you're not into bird watching, you might try these contact links. :-D

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3301336.Michelle_Browne
https://www.facebook.com/SciFiMagpie
http://scifimagpie.blogspot.ca/ 

*****

And that's all for today! Hope you enjoyed a chance to catch up on an oldie but goodie. Thanks for dropping by the nest once again. Don't miss any of the good kind of crazy. Find me on Twitter, Facebook, and on Tumblr.  Keep checking back to see those surprise posts, too. This is your darling SciFiMagpie, over and out! 

Wish Upon a Star: An Interview with Kirstin Pulioff

Hello hello!

Today I have the lovely and sweet-natured Kirstin Pulioff stopping by to talk about her book, The Escape of Princess Madeline. It is much softer than my usual reading material, being written mostly for girls between gr 5 and gr 8 or so, but the rich descriptions and sincere fairytale feel caught my attention.

Curious about the book and about its lovely author? Read on!

*****

Q: Describe yourself in 20 words or less.

A: Ah man, this is a toughie.  I have seen your other interviews and wondered how they did it… here we go, *deep breath*

I dream big, wish on stars, search for rainbows, find treasure in everyday blessings, and live life to its fullest.

Q: Tell us about your novel.

A:  The Escape of Princess Madeline is a coming of age fairytale with aspects of adventure, fantasy and romance appropriate for all ages.  This is a book that takes a modern approach to the traditional princess story and tackles issues of parent/child conflict, finding your path, and first love.

Q: What got you interested in writing for kids between grades 5 and 9?

A: This age range is very special to me.  It’s the age that I really began reading, identifying with characters, and searching for books that spoke to me on deeper level.  As an advanced reader, I found myself reading books that weren’t really appropriate for me at that age.  Although today there are many more options available, when I started writing, it was with the intention to fill the gap that I felt with my own fantasy adventure.

 

  Provided by Author. It's a gorgeous illustration too. 

Q: Madeline is very independent, in spite of growing up in a world where duty rules. How did she develop this trait?

A:  The book opens reflecting on the past- the death of the queen and the birth of Princess Madeline and her brother.  The King, grief stricken, closes off his emotional relationships, and tightens his reign, determined to keep them safe.  Growing up without a mother and under the over-protective rule of her father, Princess Madeline often felt like a damsel in distress.  Living under that much control can go either way- a full submission to the rules and duty, or a rebellion to hold onto her dreams.

I tried to make the characters as real as possible, recognizing that there are many sides to each person.  For Princess Madeline, I was very careful about balancing the hard with the soft- her stubbornness with intelligence, defiance with creativity, and her strength with vulnerability.

Q: Is Madeline a feminist work or a book about defining your place as an adult on your own terms? A bit of both? Neither?

A:  Haha, I never thought of it as a feminist piece, but I do see how some parts definitely fit there. This is a coming of age fairytale that focuses on finding who you are, and the strength to follow that path.  A realization that sometimes dreams come with a price and not every Princess needs to be rescued.

Q: Madeline's father is a very mixed character, with some very sympathetic and very unpleasant traits. Was he inspired by anyone in real life?

A:  No one in particular.  I tried to create the fumbling relationship between a father and a daughter- a relationship that is built on love, but buried under layers of misunderstanding and over-protectiveness.  Over the length of the book, details are unveiled that explain his behavior and open a different level of depth to the character.

The very lovely and friendly K. Pulioff herself!

Q: Madeline is pretty light-hearted as things go, though it has a couple of more fearsome elements. How dark is too dark for young adult fantasy?

A:  That is a hard line to define.  The age range and maturity levels that are covered under young adult are widespread.  And with a large spectrum, there needs to be a variety of what is offered.  For as many dark pieces, there should be equally light and safer alternatives. 

In any story, there needs to be a good sense of drama, danger, and a clear antagonist, but the depth of the details and the darkness of theme need to reflect the audience it is intended for.  I think there is a tendency to over expose kids today as the lines of violence and sexuality seem to keep dropping. 

My books fall into the younger range of young adult fantasy- the upper middle grade, tween, and younger young adults.  It was important to me to make sure this book was family friendly, with clean language, and that the dangerous situations were told in a very “Disney-esque” way.

Q: What do you plan to write or publish next?

A:  I am currently working on the final touches to the sequel, “The Battle for Princess Madeline,” due out May 2013.  Now that she has the future of her dreams, how far will she go to protect it?  I also have ideas for the third book, some potential short stories, and collection of twisted tales. 

It’s a flood gate of ideas, once you open it, it is hard to stop.  J

Q: Which foods do you absolutely hate?

A: Ugg.. I cringe even thinking about them.  I hate olives.  Black, green, pickled, stuffed, you name it- just gross.

Q: Which book have you read lately that was most outside your comfort zone?

A: The latest book I have read outside my comfort zone was a paranormal erotic romance by Travis Luedke, The Nightlife: New York.  I never really entered into that realm before, but I can see the charm and seduction of those books.  

 *****

Thanks for dropping by the nest once again. Don't miss any of the good kind of crazy. Find me on Twitter, Facebook, and on Tumblr. Watch out for my fantasy-themed spring: interviews with fantasy authors, content related to fantasy films and reviews, and some political commentary--the phuquerie you've come to expect from me. Keep checking back to see those surprise posts, too. This is your darling SciFiMagpie, over and out!