You can watch my interview with DUBLIN CITY FM here:
We discussed my writing and in particular my new novel THE LION LIES WAITING. From how I went about building the world of the book to the way it builds upon events in THE MOTH AND MOON.
You can buy both novels using the following links:
For this instalment of W5, I’m delighted to welcome JP Jackson!
Who is the star of your book?
James Martin is the protagonist of Magic or Die. He is more
of an Anti-hero. At the beginning of the book, he’s drunk, living in a studio
apartment, lost – just a mess of a human being – when he gets a call from the
CMRD (Centre for Magical Research and Development). That call changes
everything and drags James back through haunted memories he’d rather not face.
The facility that once saved him now threatens to destroy him.
What is your story about?
Magic or Die is about a few things. Survival, becoming
part of a team, learning to trust others, and finding out how to let go.
When is it set?
The story takes place in the here and now – but in an
alternate reality where a percentage of the population is born with
magical/supernatural abilities.
Where is it set?
I’m always careful to ensure that my stories are Canadian
based. But I’ve never really said exactly where the story takes place. It could
be Edmonton, (where I’m from) or maybe Calgary, or Saskatoon, or…Somewhere on
the Canadian Prairies. That much is certain. I toyed with the idea of it taking
place in Vancouver – but Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver always get all the
action and I wanted to spread the Canadiana love around.
Why this story?
I have a serious love of all things dark and magical. If it looks like it might eat you or maybe help you…that’s my jam. There’s not really enough Urban Fantasy/Paranormal books out there that dance on that fine line – The Sookie Stackhouse series – the books the TV show True Blood were modeled after, are close. Those were written by Charlaine Harris. She has another series called Midnight Texas. Love both of them…but I wanted something edgier, a little darker, and of course, where the main characters were LGBTQ+. Both of those series have gay and lesbian side characters, but I’m tired of being the side character. I want books where we’re the heroes.
Magic or Die is the first book in a series, and each book will progressively get a little darker. Hopefully, someone will get eaten. ;o)
Blurb: James Martin is a teacher, a powerful Psychic, and an alcoholic. He used to work for the Center for Magical Research and Development, a facility that houses people who can’t control their supernatural abilities, but left after one of his students was killed, turning to vodka to soothe his emotional pain. The problem is he still has one year left on his contract.
When James returns to the CMRD to fulfill the rest of his contract, he finds himself confronting the demons of his past and attempting to protect his new class from a possible death sentence, because if they don’t pass their final exams, they’ll be euthanized.
James also discovers that his class isn’t bringing in enough sponsors, the agencies and world governments who supply grants and ultimately purchase graduates of the CMRD, and that means no profit for the facility. James and his students face impossible odds—measure up to the facility’s unreachable standards or escape.
J.P. Jackson works as an IT analyst in health care during the day, where if cornered he’d confess to casting spells to ensure clinicians actually use the electronic medical charting system he configures and implements.
At night however, the writing happens, where demons, witches and
shape shifters congregate around the kitchen table and general chaos ensues.
The insurance company refuses to accept any more claims of ‘acts of the
un-god’, and his husband of 21 years has very firmly put his foot down on any
further wraith summoning’s in the basement. And apparently imps aren’t
house-trainable. Occasionally the odd ghost or member of the Fae community
stops in for a glass of wine and stories are exchanged. Although the husband
doesn’t know it, the two Chihuahuas are in cahoots with the spell casting.
J.P.’s other hobbies include hybridizing African Violets (thanks to grandma), extensive travelling and believe it or not, knitting.
I’m delighted to welcome back M.D. Neu for this instalment of W5!
Who is the star of your book?
I kind of have three stars.
Todd Landon is human, living and working in
the United States of America. His life is similar to those around him: home,
family, work, friends, and a husband.
Mirtoff Esmi is the first of her clan to be
the Leader of the Nentraee. Her sole focus is to find them a home before their
fleet of ships can no longer carry the last survivors of their dead world. With
her brother, niece, and Faa (her companion animal) supporting her, she carries
the weight of her world on her shoulders.
Mi’ko Soemu remembers the Nentraee home
world for both its failures and its triumphs, which is why he holds the
position of Vice-Speaker, supporting the efforts of the Nentraee Leader. He is
father and husband first and will do what he needs to do to ensure his family
and his fellow nentraee are safe and make it to a new world.
What is your story about?
The story is about a race of aliens coming
to earth in need of our help. It’s about how we deal with this new reality when
it throws all that we believe into question. Will we show our best selves or
will we let our fear of the other destroy our first contact with an alien race?
When is it set?
The story is set in modern times.
Where is it set?
The story is set both on the alien ships
and in San Jose, California. There are of course other locations, but these are
the main locations.
Why this story?
I wanted a story that showed a non-typical
hero, someone who could be any of us. Not the typical action hero. I wanted to
flip the switch on what it means to be a hero. Plus, I really, really, really,
wanted to write a space opera.
Blurb:
A little blue world, the third planet from the sun. It’s home to 7 billion people with all manner of faiths, beliefs and customs, divided by bigotry and misunderstanding, who will soon be told they are not alone in the universe. Anyone watching from the outside would pass by this fractured and tumultuous world, unless they had no other choice. Todd Landon is one of these people, living and working in a section of the world called the United States of America. His life is similar to those around him: home, family, work, friends and a husband.
On the cusp of the greatest announcement humankind has ever witnessed, Todd’s personal world is thrown into turmoil when his estranged brother shows up on his front porch with news of ships heading for Earth’s orbit. The ships are holding the Nentraee, a humanoid race who have come to Earth in need of help after fleeing the destruction of their homeworld. How will one man bridge the gap for both the Humans and Nentraee, amongst mistrust, terrorist attacks and personal loss? Will this be the start of a new age of man or will bigotry and miscommunication bring this small world to its knees and final end?
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) and growing up around technology, he’s always been fascinated
with what could be. Specifically drawn to Science Fiction and Paranormal
television and novels, M.D. Neu was inspired by the great Gene Roddenberry,
George Lucas, Stephen King, Alice Walker, Alfred Hitchcock, Harvey
Fierstein, Anne Rice, and Kim Stanley Robinson. An odd combination, but
one that has influenced his writing.
Growing up in an accepting family as a gay
man he always wondered why there were never stories reflecting who he was.
Constantly surrounded by characters that only reflected heterosexual society,
M.D. Neu decided he wanted to change that. So, he took to writing, wanting
to tell good stories that reflected our diverse world.
When M.D. Neu isn’t writing, he works for a
non-profit and travels with his biggest supporter and his harshest critic,
Eric his husband of twenty plus years.
Cate, a badass bisexual teen girl, immune to the zombie virus.
What is your book about?
The apocalypse, which Cate and her sister Melody must brave together in order to find their scattered family. Along the way, they find that not all zombies are just zombies. Many, in fact, are more like people than anyone could have guessed.
When is your book set?
THE END is a contemporary novel.
Where is your book set?
All along the west coast of the United States.
Why this story?
I had a boy in my head. A skinny, melancholy foster kid with brains for days and a smart mouth that sometimes got him in trouble. His name was Marco. Cate came almost immediately after, a spunky closeted teen girl who was still looking for her place in the world. They were two friends, torn apart by the apocalypse. The rest fell into place.
Blurb:
On Cate Mortensen’s seventeenth birthday, her family is scattered in a fight for survival, and she and her sister Melody are catapulted headfirst into a world where their phones are just hunks of plastic, they must scavenge for every bite, and they sleep with weapons in their hands. Traveling alone, and then not so alone, they follow the route their family planned to Alcatraz Island where the hope of safety and a real life awaits.
After more than a year on the road, Cate has found three things to be true. One: Zombies are a thing now. Two: Not all zombies are just zombies. Three (the game changer): Cate is immune to the infection.
THE END by M. Rose Flores is available now from NineStar Press, Amazon, and other booksellers
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
M. Rose Flores has enjoyed writing since she learned how to string
letters together. She grew up in the vast green Pacific Northwest of the
United States, which with its dense forests, four seasons, and
proximity to the ocean made a perfect setting for The End. When
she isn’t writing on her computer or in a notebook (though scraps of
paper and the palm of her hand will do in a pinch), she works as a
professional dog trainer and loves every part of it, even the copious
amounts of drool. She believes everyone should be represented in
literature and all other media. The End is her first novel.
Who is the star of your book? Carter (the Boy) and Frank, (the Daddy Bear).
What is your story about?
This is the fourth book in the Daddy Bear series telling the adventures of
Carter and Frank in a steamy Daddy\Boy romance.
It can be read as a standalone short or if you want to know how it all began
you can read the previous books on Amazon.
When is it set? Present day.
Where is it set? London UK
Why this story?
I enjoy the dynamics in an age-gap gay relationship, There is a lot of gay
romance written about young college guys but very little about Bears.
So my books give me a chance to tell their story all my books are about
older bear type guys.
Blurb:
Carter wants a Daddy bear and needs him to love him.
Carter is Twenty-Two, insecure and immature, but from the moment he met Frank he knew he wanted him as his Daddy bear.
Frank is Forty-Five, confused by his feelings for his Ex. He is infatuated by Carter’s attention towards him, but never dating a younger guy he is finding it hard to deal with Carter’s immaturity.
Six months later they are still dating and Carter still wants a fulltime Daddy.
During these months together the bond between them is growing and Carter has used his boyish charms to get Frank to become the Daddy he wants so badly.
Frank is enjoying playing the Daddy but he is still unsure about Carter coming into his life fulltime, having already experienced one long term relationship disaster.
However, following an incident at Carter’s flat, this Boy needs his Daddy more than ever before.
In the heat of the moment will Frank make the right decisions?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
B.J. enjoys writing gay romance weaved with hot action to tease and
entertain his readers. Having experienced some of the situations in real life
he brings these into his books. Preferring to have mature characters in the
stories, escaping the cliché of college boy romance.
His books have been described by many as short but scorching hot so be warned
you may need a cool shower after reading them. Remember the old saying it’s not
about the length but what you can do with it lol.
I Hope you read and enjoy his books as much as he enjoys writing them.
If you already enjoy gay romance books or are just curious about gay love. Why
not have a browse of the books, you may surprise yourself.
Who is the star of your book?
Oskar–a thousand year old Viking vampire and Aranck–a thousand year old Native American vampire.
What is your story about?
Oskar and Aranck were the best of friends while human. After a millennia of assuming the other dead, they find each other once again.
When is it set?
Modern day!
Where is it set?
Corn Country (read: Iowa and the Midwest)
Why this story?
Because I’ve loved vampires since I was young, and because queer folks deserve all the fun, tropey stories the cishets get!
Blurb: “In the scheme of Oskar’s long life, they’d spent such little time together. And yet he was left feeling that the time they’d spent together had been the most full, the most important, and the most impossible to replicate. Perhaps it was because the end of their time had been punctuated by Oskar’s death– having Aranck was the same as having a heartbeat.” * * * After one thousand years of listless eternity, Oskar is used to his particular brand of loneliness. But a long walk through middle America and a few chance encounters will lead him straight to a man he’d known to be long since dead—his childhood best friend, Aranck. Together the two vampires remember what it felt like to live, all the while navigating a conflict with the local pack of werewolves. A lot has changed in a thousand years, and only time will tell if those changes will bring Oskar and Aranck closer together, or ensure they remain apart.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
L.A. Ashton is an LGBT+ author writing LGBT+ fiction. They enjoy rock music, traveling, and anything else that adds color to their daydreams. They believe in the healing properties of art and of having a cat firmly stationed on one’s lap. Their official site can be found at www.LAAshton.com
Who is the star of your book? Imminent Dawn follows four perspective characters–an art-school dropout, a ruthless tech magnate, a relentless investigative journalist, and a naive, advancement-hungry administrative assistant. Though there are four characters readers follow throughout the book, I see Chandra, the art-school dropout, as the story’s true protagonist.
What is your story about?
The story takes place during the first round of human trials for an internet-access brain implant. Chandra, our protagonist, initially enrolls in the study with the goal of securing an implant for her wife. An accident for which Chandra feels responsible has left her wife in a coma, and Chandra hopes the two of them can one day communicate through the brain implant should her wife never stir naturally.
The ruthless tech magnate, Wyatt Halman, struggles to keep the research study on track amid a number of grievous threats to it both from within the compound and without.
Our investigative journalist, Meredith Maxwell, is intent on securing the tech story of a lifetime from within the secretive research compound, but when her sleuthing runs afoul of the government’s designs, she is forced to choose between doggedly pursuing the truth and her own life.
And, lastly, our administrative assistant Ariel Commons compromises her own future and possibly that of the study by putting her trust in all the wrong places.
When is it set?
The story takes place on an alternate timeline in a not-so-distant future. I had a lot of fun playing with things like brand names–making some eerily similar to those in our own world while leaving others unchanged–and references to historical events are meant to leave readers feeling trapped between both our world and that of the book.
Where is it set?
The book takes place primarily on the Human/Etech EMPATHY research compound in Liberty, Texas, the heart of the North American Union.
Why this story?
As the line between humankind and our beloved technology becomes increasingly blurred, I thought it important to explore what the consequences of that might be during the final hour prior to the widespread fusion of the technological and the biological.
Imminent Dawn is the first in a five-book series, so we’ll have plenty of time to see how it plays out in this universe.
Blurb: Art-school dropout Chandra would do anything to apologize for her role in her wife’s coma—including enroll in the first round of human trials for an internet-access brain implant.
At first, the secretive research compound is paradise, the perfect place to distract Chandra from her grief. But as she soon learns, the facility is more prison than resort, with its doctors, support staff, and her fellow patients all bent on hatching plots of their own, no matter how invested they might seem in helping her communicate with her wife.
Making matters worse, a dark wave of uncertainty crashes down on the compound, forcing Chandra to become an unlikely but pivotal player in conspiracies stretching from the highest levels of the North American Union government to the lowest dredges of its shadowy hacking collectives.
To save herself and her wife, Chandra and her newfound friends from the study will have to overcome the scheming of a ruthless tech magnate, the naïveté of an advancement-hungry administrative assistant, and the relentless pursuits of an investigative journalist, all of whom are determined to outpace the others in their own quests to resurrect lost love, cover their tracks, and uncover the truth.
A twistedly delightful clockwork of intrigue and suspense, EMPATHY: Imminent Dawn is an electrifying sci-fi debut from author r. r. campbell.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R.R. Campbell is an author, editor, and the host of the Writescast Network, a podcast collective for writers, by writers. His debut novel, Accounting for It All (November 2018, NineStar Press), is a work of contemporary fiction that, to date, has been received with overwhelmingly positive reviews. He has also been published in Five:2:One Magazine‘s #thesideshow, and with Erotic Review and National Journal Writing Month. Imminent Dawn (January 2019, NineStar Press) is the first installment in the epic EMPATHY sci-fi saga.
Winter, 1780, and the solstice is fast approaching. Four months after the events of The Moth and Moon, burly fisherman Robin Shipp is preparing for his first Midwinter festival with his lover, the handsome baker Edwin Farriner. But when a letter arrives begging for help, they must travel with their friend, Duncan, to Port Knot on sinister Blackrabbit Island for a final confrontation with Edwin’s mother. Also visiting the island are Lady Eva and her wife Iris, with a stunning proposition that could change Robin and Edwin’s lives forever.
The snow-covered harbour town of Port Knot is a dangerous place. While there, Robin, Edwin, and Duncan explore the menacing rooftop settlement known as the Roost, mingle with high society in the magnificent splendour of Chase Manor, and uncover a violent conspiracy threatening the island’s entire way of life.
Old rivalries will flare, shocking secrets will be revealed, and as Duncan’s scandalous past finally catches up with him, will it ultimately destroy them all?
The men will be tested to their limits as they discover that on Blackrabbit Island, the lion lies waiting.