Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts

15 Oct 2021

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays: PLANET SCUMM Issue #11: Snake Eyes + Interview with Managing Editor Tyler Berd

15 October 0 Comments

   

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays introduces readers who are unfamiliar with the Adult SF/F genre to books, authors, and discussions all about the vast expanse of the world of Adult SF/F!
Today is a special post for Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays as I am interviewing Tyler Berd, the managing editor of PLANET SCUMM!

PLANET SCUMM is a tri-annual Science Fiction magazine published by Spark & Fizz Books.

Born out of reverence for the bizarre science fiction magazines of the pulp era, our short story anthologies showcase collections of original fiction by international authors. We cherish the genre as an open forum for philosophy, anxieties, and thought experiments. We are proud to emphasize the central role of artwork in sci-fi and are committed to working with and supporting independent illustrators.


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SNAKE EYES

Guest Editor: Hailey Piper
Series: Planet Scumm Issue #11
Source: Copy from Publisher
Publisher: Spark & Fizz Books
Publication Date: Summer 2021
Summary:

Snake Eyes (Planet Scumm #11) features eight SFF stories by both exciting up-and-comers and established authors like Lindsay King-Miller (author of Ask a Queer Chick: A Guide to Sex, Love, and Life for Girls who Dig Girls) and environmental journalist, Sim Kern. Stories of star ghosts, love in the time of climate catastrophe, childbirth in space, and more fascinating flights of imagination await the lucky reader. 

Submissions for this issue of Planet Scumm were limited to authors who are femme, nonbinary, and/or trans. A guest editorial team helmed by horror novelist Hailey Piper curated this stellar collection of SFF.  All stories were lovingly illustrated by Maura McGonagle, who also did the sunshiney cover art. While staying true to the pulpy roots of the magazine, this issue lives in its own aesthetic space that merges humor and heartbreak, prophecy and dreamscapes, plant zombies in outer space and a cephalopodic sorority sister. The book spans eight fully formed narrative voices as they take us through the past, the future, and the eternal. 
Purchase:
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this issue and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.

Truthfully, I receive a lot of requests for reviews, especially for Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays. But none of them have positively impacted me the way that Planet Scumm's Issue #11 have. This was such a unique collection of stories, curated by a guest editor Hailey Piper. I already know that I want to read the rest of the issues and subscribe to this magazine.

A unique look at speculative fiction, each story brought something different and interesting to the genre. Too often I find myself thinking "okay but I've read this already" when I read short stories, but these all felt so different from one another - and from anything I had ever read before.

I so thoroughly enjoyed A DEFIANCE OF VIOLINS by Ana Gardner that looked at what happens if we have brain implants - and how we can resist what is given to us rather than what we can create. I wanted so much more from this (and so many other) stories, but I also felt satisfied while reading them all.

If you are looking for a new and fresh take on this genre, but want to dip your toes in, I highly recommend picking up a copy of PLANET SCUMM! (Or you can enter the giveaway below!)

Describe Planet Scumm in 10 words or less.

Tyler Berd: Stellar source for mind-stretching, lovingly-illustrated, pulp science fiction.

What has been the most inspiring piece submitted to Planet Scumm for the most recent issue? Overall?

Tyler Berd: We publish a fair amount of doom and gloom, but there are two bittersweet pieces of clifi that I find inspiring. From the current issue (#11), there’s Sim Kern’s “Real Sugar is Hard to Find.” Way back in Issue #4, we all took a special shine to a story called “Rewilder” by Ty Loomis.

In both stories, humanity is split into a more-comfortable citizenry who live within domed cities, and those who make life work out in the elements. Both have dystopian governments taking aggressive, dictatorial action against climate change in different visions of ecofascism. In “Rewilder,” the conflict revolves around bringing some healing to the land and some meaning to the protagonist’s life. “Real Sugar” has a more intimate scope, imagining characters and relationships we can recognize as they struggle to do something special for someone they love. Sim Kern works with plot elements of poverty and crime in a way that is nuanced, dignified, and centers the human universal of familial love. Both stories balance the very scary and real threat of climate change with the assurance that there will be lives worth living as long as there are humans around to live them. 

How do you ensure content is relevant to your audience?

Tyler Berd: Our ultra-czar (amorphous alien blob mascot) Scummy Scum is our primary audience, and mercifully we are finding a growing collective of humans that share his taste. A good issue of Planet Scumm has something creepy, something funny, and lots of thought-provoking science fiction. I consider a strong, stylish voice and a satisfying ending hallmarks of a ‘Scumm story. Schlocky sci-fi tropes are fine if used creatively, but any reliance on crusty, prejudicial stereotypes is a dealbreaker. Lastly, when it comes to story selection, it is about the collection as much as the individual stories. When we do our jobs right, an issue of Planet Scumm is greater than the sum of its parts.

How do you curate content so that it amplifies voices in the speculative fiction space?

Tyler Berd: We noticed a lack of representation in our slush pile--most of the authors sending in stories were men and we felt that sameness of perspective made the magazine less compelling and was out of step with our ideals. For our most recent issue, Snake Eyes (#11), we limited submissions to authors who are femme, n/b, or trans and, stewarded by guest editor Hailey Piper, it came out amazing! I think doing a specific call helped us introduce ourselves as interested readers to some authors who may not have heard about us otherwise. The takeaway is, if you want your magazine to be more diverse, then do something about it. 

What should authors who wish to submit to Planet Scumm know about the process or what you are looking for?

Tyler Berd: Planet Scumm exists in this retrofuturist space where we love the schlock and strangeness of early pulp sci fi, but we also are very much interested in work that belongs to the 21st century. Also, our EIC Sean is a bit of a hardliner about cop-out endings, so if your story ends with someone waking up or about to open the door to an unwritten climax, maybe don’t send that one. 

What suggestions do you offer to writers who are starting to hone their craft?

Tyler Berd: Apply the same passion and discipline that drive your writing to your reading. Also, don’t self-reject! Over 95% of the responses we send are rejection letters, and the heavy hitters, like Clarkesworld, reject over 99% of submitted stories. Embrace rejection as a nonnegotiable part of the process. All of your favorite authors have been rejected. 

What can we expect in the next issue?

Tyler Berd: Our next issue has a loose "body" theme. It's always nice when a theme develops organically as we winnow down to our final story selection, and this time we found ourselves drawn to pieces that interrogate bodies in one way or another. We're especially happy that the collection we've put together includes many different takes on that theme. There's body horror, of course, and several stories that address the role technology has in shaping, and controlling, our understanding of the body. But the issue is also really funny! And, just as important, it’s hopeful about how we can continue to explore and redefine what our bodies mean to us. 

Have you read this one? What was your favourite part?
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29 Sept 2021

Interview: BY THE BLOOD OF ROWANS by Xan van Rooyen

29 September 2 Comments

BY THE BLOOD OF ROWANS

Author: Xan van Rooyen
Series: N/A
Publisher: Skolion
Publication Date: September 28, 2021

Summary:
The Sheehy witches are the most feared and detested family on the island of Inisliath, and none more so than Rowan.

As a deathwalker, Rowan ferries island souls to the Otherworld, experiencing their deaths and carrying their memories like ghosts within him. It's a fated role he accepts even as it inexorably destroys him.

When the magic on the island starts to seep away from the other founding families, everyone blames the Sheehys—especially when islanders start dying.

Ash is sick of their father's fists and constantly having to apologize for who they are. Life on Inisliath might be the fresh start Ash and their mum need, and meeting soft-spoken, curly-haired Rowan feels like the ray of sunshine Ash has desperately needed—but everything goes sideways when Ash's mum becomes lead detective on a series of ritualistic murders allegedly tied to island magic, and Ash's family history.

The islanders are convinced Rowan is guilty, but Ash refuses to believe it. When Ash does some investigating of their own, they discover Rowan is far more likely to be the next victim. With time running out to save Rowan, Ash will have to choose between a life free of their father or the boy they’re starting to love. Meanwhile Rowan will have to decide just how much he's willing to sacrifice to save his family from the darkness about to be unleashed on the island.
Purchase:
Amazon | Chapters | TBD | Barnes & Noble

Describe BY THE BLOOD OF  ROWANS in 10 words or less.

Xan: A dark story about complicated family, ancient magic, and new love.

What was your favourite scene to write in BY THE BLOOD OF ROWANS?

Xan: Pretty much every scene where Rowan and Ash were together. Also the scenes where Rowan travels to the Otherworld because I could be really imaginative with the description and sensory details there.

What is the most interesting part of writing new magic systems?

Xan: I love coming up with magic systems that are based in extant systems or that borrow  from traditional  folklore. One of the interesting parts of developing my own fictional system is always what the toll will be, how the price of that power will affect my characters, and how much they’re willing to sacrifice for their magic.

Who is your favourite character in this story?

Xan: That’s like asking a parent who their favourite child is!! But honestly, aside from the obvious Rowan and Ash, I have a really soft spot for Deidre. She was inspired, in part, by my favourite character—Delirium—from Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series and I really enjoyed writing her wild and carefree character. 

How do you hope people will react to the abuse that Ash faces?

Xan: I know this will be a difficult aspect of the story for some readers, but I made sure to never have too many explicit details on the page, never have any violence happen in real time (in the story) and to center Ash’s feelings  and experiences about what they’ve been through. I also made it explicitly clear that Ash’s gender identity was never what provoked the abuse. I’m hoping that my story won’t be triggering (although it comes with that warning  for a reason) and that people are able to understand Ash’s trauma without it causing any more for them as readers. Sadly, what Ash lives with is a reality for far too many young people, but I never wanted to make my story a book about the abuse Ash lives with because I believe that we are so much more than the hurt we carry.

Both Rowan and Ash have to make difficult decisions. How did you differentiate their thought process as they were making those decisions?

Xan: They are two very different people. Rowan is self-less to a fault, self-sacrificing actually. He always puts his family first so he constantly makes decisions based on what he believes is best for others with very little care for his own well-being. Ash is in a very different place. They have started the journey to claim their space in the world and stop apologizing for who they are, no longer wanting to be made to feel small or not enough, so their decision making process takes their own well-being into consideration a lot more. But ultimately, both my characters are trying to be good people and do the right thing.

What can we expect from you next?

Xan: Hopefully an adult arcano-punk novel set in a futuristic Finland and an adult science-fantasy novella in my Fray-verse story-world. I’ve already had short stories connected to both of these longer works published, so I’m really looking forward to getting these bigger stories out into the world. And who knows… maybe a sequel to Rowans if readers like the book ;)

Climber, tattoo-enthusiast, peanut-butter addict and loyal shibe-minion, Xan van Rooyen is a genderqueer, non-binary storyteller from South Africa, currently living in Finland where the heavy metal is soothing and the cold, dark forests inspiring. Xan has a Master’s degree in music, and–when not teaching–enjoys conjuring strange worlds and creating quirky characters. You can find Xan’s short stories in the likes of Three-Lobed Burning Eye, Daily Science Fiction, Apparition Lit, and The Colored Lens. Xan hangs out on instagram, twitter, and facebook so feel free to say hi over there.


Connect with the Author:

https://linktr.ee/xanvanrooyen

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17 Jan 2020

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays: #Interview with Chana Porter, #author of THE SEEP

17 January 42 Comments

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays

introduces readers who are unfamiliar with the Adult SF/F genre to books, authors, and discussions all about the vast expanse of the world of Adult SF/F!
A while ago, I posted a round up of the Queer SFF releases you could expect in 2020! You can read that post to learn more about all the releases upcoming. But today I have something very special for you - an interview with Chana Porter about her novel THE SEEP!

But first, let's learn more about the book!

THE SEEP

The Seep by Chana Porter cover
Author: Chana Porter
Series: N/A
Source: eARC via Publisher
Publisher: Soho Press
Publication Date: January 21, 2020

 Summary:
A blend of searing social commentary and speculative fiction, Chana Porter’s fresh, pointed debut is perfect for fans of Jeff VanderMeer and Carmen Maria Machado.

 Trina Goldberg-Oneka is a fifty-year-old trans woman whose life is irreversibly altered in the wake of a gentle—but nonetheless world-changing—invasion by an alien entity called The Seep. Through The Seep, everything is connected. Capitalism falls, hierarchies and barriers are broken down; if something can be imagined, it is possible.

 Trina and her wife, Deeba, live blissfully under The Seep’s utopian influence—until Deeba begins to imagine what it might be like to be reborn as a baby, which will give her the chance at an even better life. Using Seeptech to make this dream a reality, Deeba moves on to a new existence, leaving Trina devastated.

 Heartbroken and deep into an alcoholic binge, Trina follows a lost boy she encounters, embarking on an unexpected quest. In her attempt to save him from The Seep, she will confront not only one of its most avid devotees, but the terrifying void that Deeba has left behind. A strange new elegy of love and loss, The Seep explores grief, alienation, and the ache of moving on.
Purchase:


Describe THE SEEP in 10 words or less.

Chana Porter: Benevolent alien invasion. Divorce sucks! Expect the unexpected. 

What was your favourite scene to write in THE SEEP?


Chana Porter: Oof, too many to name! I had so much fun writing this book. Highlights for me are the church service for people worshiping the past on the high speed train, and the restaurant that gives you what your body needs (rather than what you want to eat!) The infamous fish eating scene. Likewise, I loved describing Instructions, the commune of people wishing to dissolve all barriers by having no personal space. There, I’m poking loving fun at my time spent in different group houses and collectives. 

What do you anticipate being the most exciting part of your debut year?
Chana Porter: What a sweet question. It’s been a long process, about seven years, so I’m very excited for The Seep to make its way through the world. I’m very much looking forward to going to bookstores and reading, meeting people who are enjoying it. It’s absolutely a dream come true. 

How is writing a novel different than writing a play? Which do you enjoy more?
Chana Porter: I love them both, and they are very different. I like saying that plays are a blueprint for a larger experience, meant to be collaborated with designers, director, actors. So I try to write plays that leave room for other artists to play in. Writing a book is a more complete experience. Sometimes it feels like reading a book I’ve always wanted to read, very, very slowly. I love spending years writing a book, taking some months away, going back into it with fresh eyes. I’m one of those freaky people who enjoys each step of the process-- I love editing, I love rewriting, I love first drafts. I love getting notes. Each part is a pleasure. I feel very lucky. 

What do you enjoy most about writing speculative fiction? How is this incorporated into THE SEEP?

Chana Porter: I think imagination is one of the most important forces in the world. Speculative fiction, in particular, gives us a lens to look critically at our own reality while expanding possibilities for the future. Often, when we feel so mired in problems, it’s easy to slip into thinking that things have always been this way, or will always be this way.

 But our current reality is a set of agreements that have been made, both historically and contemporary, individually and collectively. Our civilization did not grow up around us, like mushrooms. Decisions were made, structures enabled. Libraries are my favorite example of this. They seem so ubiquitous, but a public library, especially one paid for by taxes, is a relatively recent widespread development in America. In many ways, our world is raw clay, waiting to be molded. It’s dangerous when we think our world is rigid.

 For example, the Star Trek Universe posits a united federation of planets without scarcity. Through technology, everyone has more than enough and there is no more money-- you don’t have to work in order to survive in Star Trek. Sounds futuristic, yet we could be living like this right now. We could engage in Universal Basic Income— it would save us money to do so. We could give everyone free healthcare, free college, the way we decided at one point to make primary education a citizen’s right. We used to throw the contents of our chamber pots out of windows!

 Real progress is possible-- we have to dream it, and then we have to remember we deserve it. And then we have to demand it and create it. 

Trina's relationship with the Seep appears to be a love-hate one - how does this change throughout the novel as she grows?

Chana Porter: The Seep tries to be a benevolent force, but there is something quite malevolent about wanting to take away all pain-- to fix everything and everyone, whether they like it or not. Trina does appreciate how The Seep has made the world better, but she’s understandably wary of something that might numb or bypass less pleasant emotions or sensations. And while she does change quite a bit over the course of the story, I think she maintains an intelligent level of awareness throughout. 


What can we expect from you next?

Chana Porter: I’m hard at work on my next novel! The next one is also speculative fiction, a big meaty novel with multiple shifting points of view set on another planet. I’d love to eventually write a children’s book and a YA novel. In my theater life, I’m writing an opera based on a short story of mine with the composer Ted Hearne, and several plays of mine are in development in theaters around the country. I’m very excited for what the future holds. 
Chana Porter, writes the NY Times, “uses incongruity and
exaggeration to suggest some midnight-dark truths about human life and endeavor.” She is an emerging playwright, speculative novelist, and education activist. Her plays have been developed or produced at The Flea Theater, Playwrights Horizons, The Catastrophic Theatre, La MaMa, Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, Cherry Lane, The Invisible Dog,  & Movement Research. Houston Press writes “Porter’s type of risky storytelling is, well…. like a lion’s roar in an all too often timid jungle.” She is a MacDowell Fellow, a New Georges Audrey Resident, a Target Margin Artist-in-Residence, and the recipient of Honorable Mention for the Relentless Prize. She is currently writer-in-residence at The Catastrophic Theatre in Houston. Chana is the co-founder of the Octavia Project, a free summer writing and STEM program for Brooklyn teenage girls and non-binary youth. She has taught her embodied creativity course Writing from the Body at University of Houston, Fordham University, Hampshire College, Goddard College, Weber State, and with Sarah Lawrence’s Global Classroom. She is currently at work on her next novel. 

Connect with the Author:
Twitter | Instagram

What are some of your favourite Adult SFF books?
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4 Oct 2019

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays: THE LIBRARY OF THE UNWRITTEN by A.J. Hackwith

04 October 1 Comments

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays

introduces readers who are unfamiliar with the Adult SF/F genre to books, authors, and discussions all about the vast expanse of the world of Adult SF/F!

THE LIBRARY OF THE UNWRITTEN

Author: A.J. Hackwitch
Series: A Novel from Hell's Library #1
Source: eARC via Publisher
Publisher: Ace Books
Publication Date: October 1, 2019


Summary:
In the first book in a brilliant new fantasy series, books that aren't finished by their authors reside in the Library of the Unwritten in Hell, and it is up to the Librarian to track down any restless characters who emerge from those unfinished stories.

 Many years ago, Claire was named Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing-- a neutral space in Hell where all the stories unfinished by their authors reside. Her job consists mainly of repairing and organizing books, but also of keeping an eye on restless stories that risk materializing as characters and escaping the library. When a Hero escapes from his book and goes in search of his author, Claire must track and capture him with the help of former muse and current assistant Brevity and nervous demon courier Leto.

 But what should have been a simple retrieval goes horrifyingly wrong when the terrifyingly angelic Ramiel attacks them, convinced that they hold the Devil's Bible. The text of the Devil's Bible is a powerful weapon in the power struggle between Heaven and Hell, so it falls to the librarians to find a book with the power to reshape the boundaries between Heaven, Hell….and Earth.
Purchase:
Amazon | Chapters | TBD

Describe THE ORCHID THRONE in 10 words or less.

A.J. Hackwith: Librarian of unwritten books hunts runaway character, catches hell instead.

What was your favourite scene to write in THE LIBRARY OF THE UNWRITTEN?
A.J. Hackwith: What a tough question! I think most readers would think I’d pick a major dramatic scene, but as far as what was the most fun to write, there’s a duel, midway through the book, between two storytellers with very different ideas of stories and books. 

 They duel using quotes, of course, and the fight occurs while a more standard swordfight is happening next to them. It let me combine my two favorite things: meta-humor and fight scenes. It required a combination of action and humor that was challenging, but it was a blast to draft and pull off. 

What is the most interesting part of writing fantasy? How are these elements incorporated into your novels?

A.J. Hackwith: There’s a highwire writers walk when writing fantasy. You are trying to build a world that’s fantastical enough to capture a reader’s imagination, but credible enough that they’ll go along for the ride. A lot of skilled authors lean on the realism, but I like making the world only just familiar enough--and fun enough--to gain a reader’s trust. 

 I’m a fan of the AUTHOR knowing how everything works, but only giving the reader as much exposition and detail as the story absolutely requires. That means I tried to make sure the rules and magic of the Library made poetic sense--they felt true, to book readers--without going into deep detail that would break the spell.  Worlds should have rules, but more importantly worlds should have physics which can be felt. You should understand that something is going to fall without necessarily knowing the details of gravitational force.

 The fun thing is, physics can surprise you. Sometimes eggs balance on their ends--that’s what I save my exposition for. The exceptions can help explain the norm.

Did you incorporate any of your “shelved” manuscripts into the stories that are unwritten? If yes, why did you stop writing them?

A.J. Hackwith: I was writing a library of the books that never got written--it was impossible NOT to insert some references to my trunked works and the works of my dearest writer friends! You’ll see sly slivers of those in the names of damsels (awakened under-appreciated characters from unwritten books), names of places, and references to particular stories. 

 I’ve trunked a couple very early novels. I first attempted NaNoWriMo during my first year in college--I ‘won,’ but only barely. The draft was a fun but fairly derivative Urban Fantasy, which politely lingers and gathers dust in my own section of the Unwritten wing. For the last few years, I am less likely to trunk unfinished ideas as I am prone to tearing it apart and repurposing the good bits into a successful project. No writing is wasted. If an idea doesn’t work out, I can always mulch it into fertilizer for the next one.

What do you like most about writing a series? How does THE LIBRARY OF THE UNWRITTEN fall into this?

A.J. Hackwith: The fun thing about writing a series is getting to craft very large character arcs that would feel too rushed in a single book. I try to make sure each book is a complete story--the cliffhanger ending for books always bugs me--but at the same time explore a larger arc over the course of a series. I’m entering into drafting the third and final book of the trilogy right now, and my number one goal is to make sure each of the Library crew get an emotionally satisfying resolution to their personal arc. Everyone’s changed so much! It’s bittersweet, but it is also really fun to work in callbacks and mirrors to where they all started in the first book.

Claire is Hell’s librarian - what would be her number one recommendation to people to read?


A.J. Hackwith: She couldn’t recommend anything from her own library--impossible to acquire a copy! I think Claire, being intimately familiar with the agonies of stories that don’t get told, would strongly encourage readers to read books by marginalized authors. We’re entering into a period of books where we’re getting more options (and yet more are needed). That would be her number one recommendation: read outside your own experience! A story only exists if its read.

 For sci-fi and fantasy readers, for example, she might shove the BINTI series of novellas, by Nnedi Okafor, in your hands, along with Fonda Lee’s JADE CITY, J. Y. Yang’s Tensorate series, and Rebecca Roanhorse’s TRAIL OF LIGHTNING. 

What can we expect from you next?

A.J. Hackwith: I have my hands full with the subsequent two books of the Hell’s Library trilogy! I’m working on drafting the final book now, and it is a very weird thing going through the bittersweet feelings of finishing a trilogy when the first book is only just being shared with the world. But I’ve had such a wonderful journey writing it, and I hope readers will have a wonderful journey reading it. 

This trilogy certainly isn’t the only one in my own personal unwritten library, however. There are projects-in-waiting that I am right now internally referring to as ‘Shrinepunk-heist book’ and ‘Map!Magic book’. I hope readers will enjoy the journey of The Library of the Unwritten books enough to join me on the next one.

What are some of your favourite Adult SFF books?
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1 Oct 2019

#BlogTour: THE ORCHID THRONE by Jeffe Kennedy

01 October 0 Comments
Hello and welcome to my blog tour post for

THE ORCHID THRONE by Jeffe Kennedy!

I have an interview with the author and an excerpt from the book for you today! Be sure to check that out below. But first, let's learn more about the book...

THE ORCHID THRONE

Author: Jeffe Kennedy
Series: Forgotten Empires #1
Source: eARC via Publisher
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: September 24, 2019

 Summary:
A PRISONER OF FATE

As Queen of the island kingdom of Calanthe, Euthalia will do anything to keep her people
free—and her secrets safe—from the mad tyrant who rules the mainland. Guided by a magic ring of her father’s, Lia plays the political game with the cronies the emperor sends to her island. In her heart, she knows that it’s up to her to save herself from her fate as the emperor’s bride. But in her dreams, she sees a man, one with the power to build a better world—a man whose spirit is as strong, and whose passion is as fierce as her own…

A PRINCE AMONG MEN

Conrí, former Crown Prince of Oriel, has built an army to overthrow the emperor. But he needs the fabled Abiding Ring to succeed. The ring that Euthalia holds so dear to her heart. When the two banished rulers meet face to face, neither can deny the flames of rebellion that flicker in their eyes—nor the fires of desire that draw them together. But in this broken world of shattered kingdoms, can they ever really trust each other? Can their fiery alliance defeat the shadows of evil that threaten to engulf their hearts and souls?
Purchase:
Amazon | Chapters

Describe THE ORCHID THRONE in 10 words or less.

Jeffe Kennedy: “A timeless tale of love and survival amidst a lush backdrop teeming with greed and deceit.” Okay, that’s 16 words, and I didn’t write them. Darynda Jones did, but they’re so good!

What was your favourite scene to write in THE ORCHID THRONE?


Jeffe Kennedy: The wedding night. I always like writing the sex scenes best! I also love the scene where the hero, Conrí, first walks into the heroine’s court and sees Queen Euthalia on the throne. 

What is the most interesting part of writing fantasy? How are these elements incorporated into your novels?


Jeffe Kennedy: Fantasy is fun to write because I can create an alternate world that mirrors our own without being too pointed. For example, I can comment on a tyrannical and oppressive ruler without evoking any current politicians—and the knee-jerk opinions surrounding them. I also get to write about people who live large lives and affect the world in a powerful way. I’m not a queen or a warrior or a sorceress, but through my novels, I can be all of those things!

Who is your favourite character in this story?


Jeffe Kennedy: Really, I do love them all. I have a fondness for Ambrose, as he’s a character I’ve wanted to write for a long time. But I love my heroine, Lia, the best.

What do you like most about writing a series? How does THE ORCHID THRONE fall into this?

Jeffe Kennedy: I apparently think either very short or very long, with not much in the middle. I started out writing short stories and essays. When I transitioned to writing novels, they all turned out to be series. I like having enough space to build convincing political changes in a fantasy world, and I love a slow-burn romance. Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes, but I don’t like it when characters are suddenly cured of past traumas or seem to forget why they were enemies. Those changes take time. So, THE ORCHID THRONE is the first in a trilogy with the same hero and heroine—which gives me the time and space to build their epic love affair. 

Lia is a queen with political know how - what would she be doing in our modern world?

Jeffe Kennedy: Well, she’s young, so since she’d be unlikely to inherit a throne in our world. But if we gave her a parallel life, she’d probably be a young CEO of her family’s major corporation—and she’d have completed law school, but still getting her MBA on the side. 😊

What can we expect from you next?

Jeffe Kennedy: THE FIERY CROWN, the sequel to THE ORCHID THRONE, is complete, so that’s coming next in this series. I just approved the final cover, and it’s gorgeous! 

 Also, the French translation of the first book in my Sorcerous Moons series, LONEN’S WAR or LA GUERRE DE LONEN, will be out next month. And sometime around the end of October I’ll be releasing the climactic book in my Uncharted Realms series, THE FATE OF THE TALA.
“Arise, Your Highness. The realm awaits the sun of Your presence.”

The ritual words cut through the thick smoke of the nightmare, bringing me awake with a start. A bad omen that I hadn’t come out of the dreams on my own—and a sign that gave the images the power to linger in my mind, stains refusing to be scrubbed clean.

The wolf fought its chains, howling in hoarse rage, shedding fire and ash.

The sea churned, bloodred and crimson dark, bones tossed in the waves, white as foam.

The tower fell into a pile of golden rubble, then to fine sand, the grains sliding against one another with soul-grinding whispered screams.

I loathe dreaming, where I have even less control than in the waking world. Calanthe Herself sings sweetly to me of the seas, the plants, and the creatures that walk Her soil. But outside our fragile island, the abandoned lands beyond cry like frightened children in the night. I can’t help them. It’s all I can do to protect Calanthe, and most days I despair of being able to do even that.

Still, with no one else to hear them, they call to me in chaotic images, the nightmares dashing me from one dark scenario to the next. No matter how the dreams plague me, I usually wake when the light of the rising sun reddens my eyelids. I keep my eyes closed, pretending to anyone who checks on me that I’m still asleep. Pulling the pieces of my composure together, I listen to the morning song of Calanthe. The birds sitting high in the canopy to catch the first warming rays of the sun show me the sky. The fish swimming in the sea speak of clean water and plentiful food. Even the trees, the flowers, the small insects in the soil all hum to me of their lives.

All reassure me of the balance, that Calanthe, at least, is peaceful and vital.

Only I and the land I’m tied to exist in that time after sleep and before true waking, in what I call the dreamthink, an almost enchanted bubble where I belong entirely to Calanthe. The emperor does not own me. The crying lands he’s orphaned are silent. My ladies have not yet woken me to wrenching reality and the trials of the day ahead.

Dreams always seem to me a terrible price to pay for the succor of sleep. Neither my naturalists nor my physicians seem to be able to explain the purpose of such dreams. And of course, Anure killed all the wizards, so I have none to tell me if magic can answer those nighttime screams. So without answers, and like the exorbitant tithes I’m forced to send to the emperor, I do pay the price, and nightly. The dreamthink is my reward, my time with Calanthe. A gift arising from waking Ejarat of the earth welcoming the return of Her husband, Sawehl of the sun. In the dreamthink, in Calanthe’s sweet communion, I can believe the old gods are with us still, that they haven’t abandoned us. That I have reason to hope.

“Euthalia, wake up. We’re ready,” Tertulyn whispered in my ear. My first lady-in-waiting, doing her duty as always. She couldn’t know she’d woken me from the nightmare instead of the dreamthink. Or that starting my day this way meant it would be certainly cursed.

No one believes in omens or curses anymore. Or hope, for that matter. In this, too, I am alone.
Euthalia is a mouthful, but no one calls me that except for Tertulyn so it doesn’t matter. Only Emperor Anure has the rank to address me by my given name, and I avoid conversation with His Imperial Nastiness to the best of my ability. Tertulyn has called me by my name since we were children, but only when no one can overhear, as etiquette demands.

As if she’d whispered them into my ear along with my name, the concerns of the realm immediately flooded my mind. The emperor’s emissary should have returned in the night and would want an audience with me—something I’d been dreading, as he never brought good news. Rumors had spread of slave uprisings, possibly even rebellion, as unlikely as that would be, that had the emperor both angry and insecure in his power. The worst possible combination in a man like him.

If I believed a rebellion could succeed, I would rejoice in the battle to come. But I had no hope of that. No one could defy Anure’s vast power and ability to destroy the least whimper of resistance, as all those kingless and queenless lands testified, crying their hopelessness to me every night.

No, such rumors meant the Imperial Tyrant would only tighten his fist—one that already strangled us nearly to death. The prospect of worse to come made me inexpressibly weary, and I hadn’t even gotten out of bed yet.

Nevertheless, I had to face the day. A realm awaited the sun of my presence, after all.

I opened my eyes and pasted a serene smile on my lips.

Tertulyn—already wigged, gowned, and decked in fresh flowers—stood a decorous three steps back from my bed, hands folded over her heart. All equally polished and lovely as morning dew, my five junior ladies awaited in a ring around her. They’d all been up since well before dawn to dress themselves before attending me. And yet their eyes sparkled as brightly as the birds that had shown me the sun on the sea, pretty painted lips curved in delighted smiles. Though I was only twenty-six, they made me feel old.

If a witch offered me a magic potion to remove the last ten years and restore my youth—and the innocent belief I’d had then, that my life would be a good one—I’d down it without question. Even if it meant my death the next day. No, that was a lie. I would never shirk my duty to Calanthe, not even for such a fantasy. Not without an heir to take my place. No matter how old and tired I felt.
JEFFE KENNEDY is an award-winning, bestselling author who writes fantasy, fantasy romance, and contemporary romance. She serves on the Board of Directors for SFWA as a Director at Large. 

 Her most recent works include Prisoner of the Crown and the upcoming Exile of the Seas, from her high fantasy trilogy from Rebel Base books, The Chronicles of Dasnaria, in the same world as her award-winning fantasy series The Twelve Kingdoms and The Uncharted Realms. She is a hybrid author, and also self-publishes a fantasy series, Sorcerous Moons. Her books have won the RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Fantasy Romance of 2015, been named Best Book of June 2014, and won RWA’s prestigious RITA® Award. 

 She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with two Maine coon cats, plentiful free-range lizards and a very handsome Doctor of Oriental Medicine.

 Jeffe can be found online at her website: JeffeKennedy.com, every Sunday at the SFF Seven blog, on Facebook, on Goodreads and on Twitter @jeffekennedy.

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