A.M. Leibowitz

queer slice-of-life stories

Arts

Author Interview: M.D. Neu

Books

I’m excited to welcome author M.D. Neu to my blog today to talk about life, writing, and his latest book.

About the Book

Title: The Calling

Publisher: NineStar Press

Date: January 1, 2018

Tags: dark, gay, immortal, magic, paranormal, vampires

Synopsis: Being a nobody isn’t Duncan Alexander’s life goal, but it’s worked for him. He has a nondescript job, a few good friends, and overall he’s content. That’s until one fateful trip to San Jose, California, where he is “Called” to meet the mysterious Juliet de Exter. Juliet is a beautiful, wealthy, powerful Immortal who is undertaking The Calling—a search for a human to join her world of Immortals. Inexplicably, Duncan’s calling is more dangerous than any of the Immortals, even Juliet, ever thought it would be.

There is more to this nobody, this only child of long-deceased parents, than anyone thought. When Duncan experiences uncontrollable dreams of people he doesn’t know and places he hasn’t been, Juliet and the other Immortals worry. Soon, his visions point to a coven of long-dead witches. The dreams also lead Duncan to his one true love. How will Duncan navigate a forbidden romance with an outcast Immortal? How will he and the others keep the balance between the Light and Dark, survive vicious attacks, and keep the humans from learning who they truly are? More importantly, who is this implacable foe Duncan keeps seeing in his dreams?

Link

Goodreads

Interview

Thank you AM, for taking the time to welcome me to your Blog and for doing this interview. I’ve been looking forward to it.

Glad to have you here! I’m always excited to meet new-to-me writers. How has your life changed since becoming a published author?

Since publishing, I’ve found that I’m a lot busier.  I have to spend a lot of time on marketing and PR.  I’m also finding that I spend more time on social media connecting with people.  It’s cool and all, but what happened is it’s sucked up my time to write.  I don’t get nearly as much time to write as I used to. The not writing is frustrating because I have a backlog of stories that I want to get to. There are so many stories floating around in my head I just need to make the time to get them all down on paper.

One nice benefit is I get to read many other people’s works. It sounds odd, but since I was published I’ve been reading a lot more.  I’ve been a judge for the Rainbow Awards which was an amazing experience and I’m hoping to get to do it again this year.

The other thing I’ve found is fellow authors coming to me seeking my advice, which is both flattering and a little strange, because I’m still learning.  There is a lot about this industry that I don’t know or understand.  Of course I try and offer whatever advice I have, but I remind them that I’m still learning and that there are no magic bullets.  You have to keep writing and keep looking for people who will support you and help you along the way.

Other than that, being published has been amazing.  People seem interested in getting to know more about my work and me.  They also want to know what’s coming next.  Which is fun, because as I’ve mentioned I have a tone of ideas floating around and I’m hoping this next year you’ll see more of my work being published.

It’s definitely a challenge, balancing how much time to spend on which aspect of writing and publishing. You mentioned having lots of ideas floating around. On that topic, how do you choose names for your characters?

When it comes to my main character names, I have a general process of creating a character bio with all kinds of information on the character.  I use that information to help me pick out a name.  I will look at when the character was born, where they were born, and what race they are, with that information I try to find a suitable name using popular names from that period and that region, for the most part it works.

For any non-human names, I get to be creative. I still have rules that I have to follow of course, but I make them.  If I’m creating a culture I have to create some of their naming rules.  An example is from my upcoming novel A New World – Contact I have an alien race, which I have a son and father that share the same name.  Were we would use junior and senior they use cin and ko and it is added to their name. So, in the case of my alien son and father their names are Mi’cin and Mi’ko. It’s a fun detail that I created for this race, not many people will pay attention to it, but I have it all there.

Sometimes (more often than I care to admit) the character will come to me with a name.  They will pop into my head and start telling me about them.  Who they are, name included. That happened with my novella A Dragon for Christmas.  The main character appeared and the first thing she said was, “My name is Carmen Maria Garcia and I want my Dragon for Christmas.” Insert a foot stomp on the ground and that is how I met that main character.

Other characters and their names are a little harder to figure out.  In my novella The Calling one of the characters went through two names.  He started as Vincent DelRey, which I liked as a name but for some reason it never stuck.  I kept calling him Victor.  So, I finally changed his name to Victor Rey (dropping the Del) suddenly the name just flowed and I never looked back.  Also, in The Calling I have a large cast of secondary characters that needed names so I pulled names that would be easy for folks to remember. I used more common names that would hopefully stick with the reader (even if the character was only around for a few scenes).

I have to admit, I’m terrible at naming things, whether it’s characters or the book’s titles. But the process is fun. Sounds like that aspect isn’t much of a struggle for you, though. Are there any types of scene you do find hard to write?

The hardest scenes for me to write are action and romance scenes.  I like detail and descriptions so with action scenes I can get bogged down and it really slows the pace down, which is a bad thing for action.  I also tend to lose track of where my players are.  That was especially difficult in The Reunion and in The Calling; both have actions sequences with a lot happening and I had to make sure everyone was accounted for and had something to do.  There is nothing worse than having a character there and they don’t do anything.  They just fade in the background and at the end ‘poof’ they return.  So, that can be difficult.

Also, for action scenes (or any large event with multiple characters) I try and map out the scene.  I figure out where everyone is and what he or she is doing and go from there.  I think it works.  Of course that is up to the reader to decide, so I hope it works.

The other tough one for me to write is romance scenes.  Again, my love of details and descriptions can get in the way here.  I’m not an erotica writer that is never the focus of my stories however, when I write these types of scenes (unless I fade to black) I can get very descriptive.  Normally after I write these scenes, I have to go back and edit them down so they don’t mess up the type of story I’m trying to write.  Luckily in these situations it’s easy to cut, which is why in The Calling there is really only one sexy scene and my hope is it’s more emotional than physical.

I hear you on that. It’s definitely easy to get caught up in the details. Okay, how about some word sprints?

What’s your favorite movie?

Oh, my favorite movie.  There are so many great movies out there.  I love movies so this is a tough one.  I guess I would have to say my all-time favorite movie, would be The Birds by Alfred Hitchcock.  It was so creepy.  He is the master of slow burn.  He spent most of the movie building the tension and at the end he left you with more questions than he answered.  It’s a wonderful movie and still holds up today.

Do the people in your life know about your writing?

Yes, absolutely.  I couldn’t do any of this without their support.  My husband Eric is both my biggest fan and harshest critic.  I really wouldn’t be here without him, or any of my family for that matter.

What are your hobbies?

Besides writing, I love to cook and bake, although Eric is a much better baker than I am.  I love to travel, there are so many places to see and go I hope I get to see them all someday.  I love taking pictures, which leads me to another hobby scrapbooking, but I haven’t done that in a while. Yep, that pretty much covers it.

Thank you for having me.

You’re welcome here any time! Just give a shout if you’ve got a new release.

About the Author

M.D. Neu is a LGBTQA Fiction Writer with a love for writing and travel. Living in the heart of Silicon Valley (San Jose, California) he’s always been fascinated with what could be. Growing up in an accepting family as a gay man he always wondered why there were never stories reflecting who he was. Constantly surrounded by characters that only reflected heterosexual society, M.D. Neu decided he wanted to change that. So, he took to writing, wanting to tell good stories that reflected our diverse world.

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

Social Media

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon | NineStar Press

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The Ultimate Guide to Writing Dinorotica

Books, Cool Stuff, Sex Advice, Writing

Well, it turns out Dino-porn is a thing. Like a real thing. People write books about humans having sex with dinosaurs, and it has a following. There are people who want to read about people having sex with dinosaurs. In the spirit of education, author C H Clepitt and I teamed up to create this handy how to guide for writing your very own dino-porn. I took one for the team and read some high-quality literature dino porn, and I seem not to have suffered any ill effects, apart from a new fetish for people with VERY short arms. My co-author, who is much cleverer than I am, used my research as a model to write a dazzling tale of sensuality and intrigue a pretty decent dinorotica story. As with actual erotica, being anatomically accurate does not appear to be a priority in dino-porn, so don’t worry yourself about that, just jump right in.

The guide below is based on my extensive research on the genre, which C H Clepitt totes made me do… For the purposes of this guide we have taken examples for our fictional dino-porn story “I Can’t Help Lovin’ that Lizard”. As always, if we can get ten comments on this post we may be persuaded to turn it into a real book. (Actually, I should check on that because now I want to know if it’s 10 total between the two of us or 10 each.)

The events in “I Can’t Help Lovin’ that Lizard” are purely fictional, and the characters and places are products of our very warped imaginations. Any resemblance to people or lizards you know is just a coincidence. Also, because it’s got sexy bits in it, you have to be over 18 to read this. If you are under 18 please go away and come back when you’re old enough.

Note, for the asides and conversation, A.M. Leibowitz is in blue, and C H Clepitt is in red, to hopefully quell any confusion. You know, other than the confusion of how dinosaur erotica is an actual genre. You need to get over that. As always, we’ve done the research so you don’t have to…

So, without further ado, here is…

your guide to writing dinosaur erotica

The Title Tells the Story

A potential reader should be able to gather the entire premise based on the title alone. A good title incorporates either the kidnapping or the sex, depending on which you want to emphasize. The title should be either alliterative or rhyming. Softer words are preferable for female protagonists: Taken by the Troodon; Swept Away by the Sauroposiedon. More aggressive words can indicate a male protagonist: Drilled by the Deinonychus; Banged by the Bambiraptor. A great title may include multiple plot elements: I Was the Spinosaurus’s Secret Sex-Slave, for example.

OK, well, I’m already rather proud of our title, so maybe we should just subtitle it “a story of dinosaur sex in the most implausible plot ever. We regretted doing it the second we lifted a pen, but quitting is for losers”. Does that work for you?

Yes, great subtitle.

There Must Be a Kidnapping/Captive Element

This is extremely important, as it sets up the situation for how your hero ends up in the boudoir of their dinosaur. It also gives you the tools you need for an attention-grabbing title.

Kidnap element? Eeek… really… And I agreed to write this shit, this is my punishment for making you do the research right? OK… here goes…

“Look, there’s one!” Kevin peered through his binoculars at a triceratops that was contentedly munching on a bush about fifty feet away from their hide.

“Do you really need the binoculars?” Lizzie rolled her eyes. “It’s a dinosaur, Kevin, it’s massive. Now you’ve seen one, can we go? I think I left the oven on.”

“No!” Kevin snapped. A sweat was forming across his brow, and he could feel a throbbing in his underwear at the sight of the twenty foot lizard. “I want to see a T-rex!”

“You would!” Lizzie snapped impatiently. “I have gone along with it this far, Kevin, all the dinosaur posters, the films, the t-shirts, the bedding. I even let you build a time machine, but really, I think enough is enough. I’m going!” She stormed out of the hide. As Kevin turned in exasperation he was scooped up by a pterodactyl and carried away.

How’s that? Do I need to describe the boudoir too or does that come later?

Nope, that bit’s later.

Great, I’ll look forward to it…

Predators Over Prey

Also very important. Stolen by the Stegosaurus has a nice ring to it, but let’s face it, Stegosauruses are simply not terrifying enough for this sort of story. You can’t bargain with them not to eat you because they wouldn’t be interested in the first place.

Righto- so, I need to bring in the t-rex with his tiny tiny arms and brain the size of a pea… on it….

Kevin came to in the nest of the huge lizard bird that had just grabbed him. Below was a stage with various cave people lined up. One diplodocus with a gavel in his teeth was standing at one end auctioning them off to bidding carnivores…

What? This is unrealistic? Come on, nothing about this genre screams realism. Now shut up, I’m running an auction.

“You are the star attraction,” the birdtile hissed. “A hairless body is very desirable, especially to the T-rex. Goes down easier, less hairballs.”

“Wait!” Kevin begged. “You can’t auction me off for T-rex cuisine! I’ll do anything! ANYTHING!”

“Anything…?” his captor asked lecherously.

There Must Be Time Travel

This is only logical. How else do you expect your protagonist to hook up with their hot dinosaur lover? This can be accomplished in two ways. Your hero can travel back in time for a prehistoric hook-up, or your dinosaur can appear in modern times. There’s no need to explain the alternate reality in which dinosaurs still rule twenty-first century earth and also know how to use Twitter.

Hey, badgers can tweet, dinosaurs probably can too, so.. *shrugs*. OK, so I briefly touched on the time machine element earlier, does it need further explanation here, or are we good?

Nah, we’re good. Poor Kevin may not be, though…

Anatomy Doesn’t Count

There’s no need to fuss about a small detail like research on lizard mating, or lizard biology at all. You can ignore the thousands of results from a simple Google search on “how did dinosaurs have sex.” As long as you can give your T-Rex or your Equijubus a giant schlong, you’re good to go.

OK, giant dangly bits. Here we go. Are you sure you aren’t trolling me right now?!

Nope. Dino Dudes are “gifted” in the nether regions. Because why wouldn’t they be?

Alright…

“Anything…” The lascivious look on the creature’s face caused the throbbing in Kevin’s undergarments to return. Suddenly, a giant snake like organ appeared from between the lizard’s legs, it’s eye looking right at Kevin.

How’s that?

Perfect. Clearly Kevin’s not straight, which is a step up from how these dinosaurs usually operate.

Unless You Have Lesbian Dinos

In which case, all you need is a species with a very, very long tongue.

Aw, really? Who’s idea was this, anyway? OK, here goes…

Lizzie stumbled through the bushes back towards the time machine. On her way her attention was grabbed by a diplodocus. It was using its long tong to extract the highest leaves from the trees, and the sight of the long pink organ gave her pause.

“What are you doing here, tiny human?” The creature looked down, its voice distinctly feminine. “They will auction you off if they catch you.”

“They… I… your tongue…” Lizzie gabbled.

“Come with me,” it looked at her and reangled its tail for her to climb up. “I will keep you safe. Very safe…”

Oh, god! Is this what it’s come to? I’m an artiste for crying out loud!

Consent Also Doesn’t Count

Is your dinosaur having trouble courting the ladies? No problem! Just introduce one to his massive wang, and she’ll be begging for more. Did you know you can also turn a man gay by putting him alone in a room with a talking velociraptor? It’s true. Dinosaurs are notorious for convincing even the most reluctant of partners. They don’t concern themselves with something so trivial as asking first. On the other hand, consent is sexy, and it’s in vogue right now, so giving your dino some basic decency could very well boost your sales.

Oh ffs! Really? I have been making our people attracted to lizards! You telling me I have to get all Son of the Sheik on this shit? I thought rape fantasies like this were a thing of the past! I am so not OK with writing dinorape. Or any rape. It’s not OK, especially not for voyeuristic reasons. Nope. Sorry. I Can’t Help Lovin’ that Lizard is going to be 100% consensual all the way.

Unless You Have Lesbian Dinos

The canon for this genre is exactly one book, but so far, the consent track record is 100%. Lesbian dinosaurs are more nurturing than their gay or straight counterparts, and they care more about making sure their partners are into it. No word on bisexual dinosaurs yet.

Did you make this bit up after what I just said so I’d have to write lesbian dino sex? I’m not gunna… I’m just not. Here, you can have a morning after scene…

“Wow,” Lizzie stretched luxuriously on the mammothskin rug. Her head was resting on the long neck of her lover. “That was, I’ve never… Kevin is so short and stubby in comparison. And, well, I… so many orgasms.”

The diplodocus made a contented sound and looped its neck around her shoulders, resting its head on her chest.

Keep It Short

You want to leave your readers wanting more. A story of 3-6k is all you need to get the point across. Dinosaurs have tiny brains; they can’t keep pace with a long novel, and they certainly shouldn’t be overwhelmed with something as tricky as an actual plot.

Well, we must be thankful for small mercies I suppose.

Keep It Fresh

These stories have a short shelf life. Next week, people probably aren’t going to be talking about Undressed by the Urbacodon like the classic we know it’s destined to become. This is a genre which requires constant new ideas. Some people branch out into mythological creatures or inanimate objects because they fear losing their audience. But if you stick to the formula, you won’t have anything to worry about.

Watch this space for I married a pizza oven. Coming to a bookstore near you!

Someone, somewhere, is going to write that. It won’t be me.

Never say never! Set up a crowd funder and see if you get interest!

If you enjoyed this how to guide, don’t forget to tell us what you thought in the comments!

And you can read more from A.M. Leibowitz on their blog, and find out more about C H Clepitt at chclepitt.com. And don’t forget to check out My Books before you go!

 

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Rainbow Snippets: Pretty, proper women

Books, Writing

Happy Saturday! Warmer and rainy today. My big kid is going for an audition this morning. For the first time in 4 years, I’m not the one taking him; his dad is. Fingers crossed!

Meanwhile, just a friendly reminder that my publisher is taking submissions for a new anthology: Upstaged! Queer women in performing arts. If you like writing about lesbian, bi, pan, ace, trans, intersex, & queer women, or if you’ve always wanted to give it a go, send us something. We’ll be taking 10 of the best stories. Deadline is April 1, and we pay $40 flat rate for each story we accept. Other info is in the link.

My snippet follows from last week’s. Jo got a postcard inviting her to the 40th reunion of her missionary team. She’s debating whether to go, since her life looks nothing like how she pictures the others.

They likely only invited her because they’d agreed to, not because they wanted to see her. Jo imagined all of them as adult versions of the girls they’d been. Pretty, proper women with “hearts for the Lord.” The kind who ran their churches’ prayer chains and co-ordinated potluck suppers and taught Sunday school. Like Jo, they might have adult children following in their footsteps. Unlike Jo, their children probably still spoke to them, probably allowed them contact with their grandchildren.

Rainbow Snippets is a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQIA+ authors, readers, and bloggers to share 6 sentences each week from a work of fiction—published or in-progress—or a book recommendation. Feel free to join in!

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Author Interview: Adam Legend

Books

Today, I’ve got Adam Legend here to talk about C.H.A.O.S. Logs, writing, and life in general. I’ve got this book on my Kindle, and I’ve started reading it. So far, it’s intriguing!

About the Book

Title: C.H.A.O.S. Logs: Carita Amelia Kaine

Author: Adam Legend

Publication date: July 29, 2015

Length: 328 pages

Categories: Science Fiction/LGBT fiction

Goodreads

Synopsis: The C.H.A.O.S. Logs series is set in the far future where humanity has united on Earth under one banner, the United Earth Government. A group of Martian Separatists has started an interplanetary war and the series follows the events of the last War of humanity and explores a world where a near utopia meets with a foreign culture on a different world.

Purchase link

What do you wish people knew about your books or characters?

As much as a talk about Representation in my books, it’s not the main focus. There is a really great plot and other moments and interactions that happen, but at the same time Representation was a focus in the character creation process. I don’t want to seem like I’m patting myself on the back, but I want everyone to know that I made a proper effort to be inclusive in my work instead of making everyone the same.

Just reading the beginning, I have a good sense of diversity there. I know I appreciate it. Seems to me that you must’ve spent a lot of time carefully crafting the histories and backgrounds of the characters. What else do you use to immerse yourself in the story (music, visuals, etc.)?

I do get inspiration for scenes with songs. I’ve got a lot of songs that I specifically relate to my work and it adds to their enjoyment because I get to daydream and enjoy the songs on an entirely different level than most people can. I can imagine things happening to the song and it helps get those thoughts onto the page and helps make the books feel real for me and the readers.

Oh, yes! I can definitely relate to imagining a story in a song. That speaks right to my heart. Who do you write for (your audience or who you hope to reach)?

I write for myself. I think it was Bungie that said when you write for yourself you’ll always enjoy the story and I can say that it’s true. I’m never dissatisfied with anything in my books because I’m a fan as much as I’m the author. It also makes me incredibly happy when people enjoy my work because they like the same things I like and that creates a bond. It also helps that I want to see things for other people. I want to see the positive representation of women, Native characters, non-binary characters, queer characters, mixed ethnicity characters, disabled characters, and different groups because that diversity enriches the story and I love those kinds of stories that bring everyone into the fold better than they’re brought into the fold in the real world.

Well, you’ve just described the neighborhood I live in, with such a wide range of diversity. It’s nice to read books that reflect this. I’m only a short way into the story, but as a writer myself, I’m picking up on the fact that you like your world and your characters. It shows.

Time for some word sprints! What’s your favorite season?

Winter

What’s your favorite movie?

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World

If you could have any career (other than writer), what would it be?

I’m pursuing a career in professional wrestling while writing my novels.

That is really cool! My late brother-in-law was an avid fan of professional wrestling and the art involved. It’s not dissimilar to writing, in a way. Thanks for stopping by, and I’m looking forward to finishing the book.

About the Author

I’m a mixed(black and white) bisexual author who writes sci-fi novels. I’m training to be a professional wrestler and I’m a fan of comics, cartoons, and use those things as inspiration for my books.

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WIPpet Wednesday: Leaving the Station

Books, Writing

Happy Wednesday! The photo is the outside of South Station in Boston, for those who want a visual of where Mack and Amelia are. I tried to find one of the inside, but the only one I could get was the bus terminal. They’re sitting in the rail station, not the bus terminal.

I haven’t written as much as I should have over the past week. I got a bit wrapped up in some editing and in putting together a call for submissions with my publisher. We’re putting out another anthology, and I’m pretty excited about this one. You can have a look here.

I’m still working on Minuet, but my pace has slowed down. The one thing I did write last week was an entire scene that I’m not sure I’ll keep. It’s Amelia having a women’s night in, and they’re discussing Marlie’s new vibrator, gay porn, and the size of Jamie’s…ahem.

That’s not what I’m sharing today, though. This follows from last week. Mack and Amelia are still in South Station, about to go back to Mack’s apartment to check on Jamie and get Mack’s overnight bag.

WIPmath: 1/24/2018 = 18 sentences for the year.

“Should we still go back there?”

“Yeah.” Mack looked up at the clock. Still quite a while until boarding. “I need some stuff before we go to yours anyway. Might be better to make it quick.”

She nodded and went back to sipping her coffee. Mack still hadn’t had his. He really needed a cigarette, but he was trying—again—to quit. Amelia never said a word against him for it, but he knew she was happier when he was off them. They all had their vices, and if Mack was the sort to overanalyze it, he’d probably wonder if they’d inherited some tendency from their family trees.

He successfully managed his craving, at least for the time being. They tossed out their trash, including Mack’s still-full cup of coffee. Amelia eyed him, but she said nothing. By the time they were through, someone else had taken over their table. It was just as well. The electronic schedule finally listed their train as boarding. Amelia looped her arm through Mack’s as they made their way out of the station to the tracks.

Like what you read? Be sure to check out the other entries and add your own. Just post a bit of your WIP, connect it to the date, and link up with us. Many thanks to Emily Wrayburn for giving us this space. Happy reading and writing!

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Author Interview: Claire Buss

Books

Today, Claire Buss is stopping by for an interview. She’s the author of The Gaia Effect, Tales from Suburbia, and, most recently, The Rose Thief.

About the Book

Title: The Rose Thief

Author: Claire Buss

Publication date: 10 November, 2017

Length: 347 pages

Goodreads

Synopsis: Ned Spinks, Chief Thief-Catcher has a problem. Someone is stealing the Emperor’s roses. But that’s not the worst of it. In his infinite wisdom and grace, the Emperor magically imbued his red rose with love so if it was ever removed from the Imperial Rose Gardens then love will be lost, to everyone, forever. It’s up to Ned and his band of motley catchers to apprehend the thief and save the day. But the thief isn’t exactly who they seem to be, neither is the Emperor. Ned and his team will have to go on a quest defeating vampire mermaids, illusionists, estranged family members and an evil sorcerer in order to win the day. What could possibly go wrong?

Interview

What is the hardest part of writing?

For me the hardest part of writing is shoehorning the time in. I constantly feel guilty that I’m not writing when I’m doing other things and I am probably the Queen of Procrastination so when I do have a little spare time, I usually find something else to do. I think a lot of that is fear or doubt in my writing ability. Quite often, as I’m sure most writers do, I’ll write something that I think is awesome and then a few days later I’ll be convinced it’s the biggest load of rubbish ever written, in the world, ever! I get very nervous at people I know reading my books, I want them to enjoy it of course but I also want their honest opinion. I’d like to think I take constructive criticism well and I’ve been fortunate to get some great reviews. Developing a thick skin is certainly a skill a writer needs to develop.

I know some writers claim they never read their reviews but I think I’ll always read mine, bad or good, I want to know what people thought. It can be so interesting when they pick up on something you never set out to include, it’s just what the book meant to them individually.

I can definitely relate to the self-doubt, but also to what you said about readers picking up on things. That’s so true!

Tell us a little about any upcoming projects.

I’m currently attempting to write the sequel to my first novel, The Gaia Effect. I say attempting because I had a baby girl in early December 2017 and trying to do anything at all is a challenge. Also writing a sequel is hard! Obviously you’ve got to keep the same tone and rhythm, keep the characters realistic and believable based on what you’ve shared so far. Then there are the questions readers have raised about various aspects of book one that you try to answer. The first rough draft is finished and it is extremely rough so this next stage isn’t so much about editing but more about reorganising sections and filling in the gaps, getting the basic structure sorted out. I’m actually looking forward to it!

I’m also planning to release another collection of humorous short stories in the summer called Tales from the Seaside and two novellas to go with my fantasy novel The Rose Thief. If I can get all that achieved this year, I’ll be very happy.

Welcome to the world, baby girl. How exciting! Babies do take all our extra energy. Sounds like you’ve got some great projects in the works despite all that. What do you do when you feel stuck (writer’s block)?

When I get stuck I usually walk away from the writing, I’ll leave it for a few days and let the problem marinate in my brain for a while. It works because part of my brain never stops thinking about it, never stops worrying over the problem so that suddenly the rest of the brain says – hey, we got it, lets crack on. I like it because I know I don’t need to worry about writers block, the answer will come to me, in time.

I did see a brilliant solution on twitter the other day. This guy said bake a square cake, ice writers block on it then cut it up piece by piece and enjoy with a cuppa until its gone. How genius is that?

Anything involving cake sounds good to me. Especially if it helps with writer’s block.

Time for some word sprints!

Coffee or tea?

Tea, and preferably a slice of homemade cake.

Mm, cake. Do you have any body art?

Yes – Leo starsign on my wrist, George the Gecko on my shoulder and dragon on my back.

Hey, both my kids are Leos. What’s on your to-be-read shelf?

Haha – over 4500 books on my Goodreads TBR list and over 50 indie author books on my kindle.

About the Author

Claire Buss is a science fiction, fantasy & contemporary writer based in the UK. She wanted to be Lois Lane when she grew up but work experience at her local paper was eye-opening. Instead, Claire went on to work in a variety of admin roles for over a decade but never felt quite at home. An avid reader, baker and Pinterest addict Claire won second place in the Barking and Dagenham Pen to Print writing competition in 2015 setting her writing career in motion.

The Gaia Effect, a hopeful dystopian novel and winner of the 2017 Raven Award for favourite Scifi/Fantasy novel, was published in 2016.

Tales from Suburbia, a collection of humorous plays, blogs and short stories was published in July 2017.

The Rose Thief, a humorous fantasy inspired by Claire’s love of Pratchett was published in November 2017.

Claire has had two short stories published in 2017. ‘Underground Scratchings’ can be found in the sci-fi and fantasy anthology Tales from the Underground, published by Inklings Press. ‘Patient Data’ can be found in the sci-fi anthology The Quantum Soul, published by SciFi Roundtable.

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