[Interview] Brett L. Abrams

Brett L. Abrams was born in Newark and South Brunswick, NJ. He lived in Wisconsin, Philadelphia, and Boston before settling in Washington, DC where he earned a doctorate in U.S. History.

His interest in gender, sexuality and culture in the media of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries led to the publication of his first book, Hollywood Bohemians: Transgressive Sexuality and the Selling of the Movieland Dream.

His second book, Capital Sporting Grounds: A History of Stadium and Ballpark Construction in Washington, DC focused on the rationale and controversy surrounding the construction of stadiums in Washington.

In this interview, Brett L. Abrams talks about his writing.

What are the biggest challenges that you face?

One challenge involves needing to be an acrobat. I want to strike a balance between including stories that are amusing and entertaining with analysis that shows links between where the culture was and where it is today.

Then there’s the challenge of creating a public presence for the book. How does an author find a niche for his book let alone reach a large number of the history reading public?

Do you write everyday?

Yes, but I’m not at all scheduled about writing. I tote my notes, pad and pens around and take them out when I feel inspired. I shut down as quickly as I start up.

How many books have you written so far?

Two.

Hollywood Bohemians: Transgressive Sexuality and the Selling of the Movieland Dream (McFarland, 2008) describes images of gay, lesbians and adulterers who appeared in Hollywood promos to titillate audiences and promote the location as unique during the 1920s and 1930s.

Capital Sporting Grounds: A History of Stadium and Ballpark Construction in Washington, DC (McFarland, Jan 2009). Economic development as a rationale for building a stadium is only a recent phenomenon. Stadium advocates have used a variety of reasoning for needing new stadiums -- from bringing the Olympic Games to Washington to memorializing Thomas Jefferson. The book captures those efforts and the wild political atmospheres in which they occurred.

How different are the two books from each other?

Unlike the first book which focused on images that appeared in publications, Capital Sporting Grounds contains plans that never materialized.

The book is a cultural history that features people and businesses who promoted images and plans in an attempt to shape the development of their city.

In what way are they similar?

The efforts of the studios to give Hollywood a wild image and of politicians to make Washington a sports city both aimed to garner attention for the city and broaden the city’s appeal to tourists.

Which aspects of the work that you put into the book did you find most difficult?

I struggle with writing as clearly as I would like to. I edit my own work three or four times.

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

It was through journalism.

I started a school newspaper in junior high and then later on wrote about our student hockey league for the local paper. I completed a journalism degree but soon found the field was not for me. I worked in business and then decided that I could resume writing by getting an advanced degree in history.

After getting my doctorate, I wrote articles for journals and newspapers on a variety of subjects, ranging from labor strife to the late Jerry Falwell’s labeling of Teletubby Twinky Winky. I turned my dissertation into a book for a broader audience. Then I wrote a book sparked by the controversy over spending taxpayer money to build a baseball stadium where I live in Washington, DC.

How would you describe your writing?

I write history for the reading public. The stories are usually sparked by current events. I try to look for an angle that hasn’t been covered and see if the documents exist to support my perspective.

There is a large reading public interested in history. Many of these readers seek to connect life today with the past. I hope to contribute to the great US intellectual tradition that began during the mid-twentieth century, providing background and context for events of the day.

I want an active and informed citizenry shaping our world. Historical articles help frame issues that are raging today for the body politic. These stories also help readers see the development of current perspectives as well as the alternatives that might have been or could be.

In the writing you are doing, who influenced you most?

I enjoy Tom Wolfe’s ability to exhibit real life personalities within an equally vibrant yet informative context. The Electric Kool Aid Acid Test told me so much about the Grateful Dead and the hippie movement in a very memorable way.

How have your personal experiences influenced the direction of your writing?

I write history because I love learning about people and their actions. I’m gay, which sparked my interest in examining the gay and lesbian imagery I describe in Hollywood Bohemians.

What will your next book be about?

I am researching the descriptions of Washington, DC as a travel location over its two centuries of existence. The book will show both perceptions of the US capitol and changes in the development of the travel industry.

I enjoy researching through source materials because I am a ferret who loves to dig into things. The more digging I do, the greater the chance for uncovering a gem that can become the centerpiece of a chapter.

What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer?

I enable readers to learn about things they take for granted and hopefully inspire them to be more inquisitive.

Possibly related books:

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Possibly related articles:

• "Q & A with author Brett L. Abrams", by Bil Browning, The Bilerico Project, November 26, 2008.
• [Review] "Hollywood Bohemians by Brett L. Abrams", Footnotes & Errata, January 9, 2009.

[Interview] Angel Martinez

Northern Delaware author, Angel Martinez writes erotic romance novels and short stories as well as science fiction and fantasy.

Her debut novella, Aftermath was released as an e-book by Forbidden Publications in March 2007 .
Martinez has worked, among other things, as a nurse, a bank teller, a retail worker, an office manager and a technical writer.

In a recent interview, she spoke about her writing.

What are your main concerns as a writer?

I want to write stories in which my readers lose themselves, to craft characters they long to meet as actual people, to invoke in them a desire to think beyond the everyday. Stories should feed the mind but leave it hungry for more.

What would you say are the biggest challenges that you face?

The business of writing is my biggest struggle. I began in the naive belief that if one wrote well, one would be published. Little by little I’ve come to understand that writing is only half craft these days: the writer, if he/she wishes to become a published author, must be equal parts Emily Dickinson and P. T. Barnum.

Perhaps some writers dispense with the Emily Dickinson half. But self-promotion is key. If a writer can't grab someone's attention, publication will remain a pipe dream. And while P.T. seems best remembered for taking in suckers, his true gift was for creating hype about himself. The elevator pitch, the opening line, and the hook have all crept into the writer's vocabulary these days as if we were hucksters. Self-promotion has never been natural for me; it feels self-serving and strange.

How do you deal with these challenges?

Education... I can’t stress enough the importance of research and peer support. Armed with reference books, websites, advice from other writers and writer support groups, even the most shrinking violet among us can learn to promote.

In the writing that you are doing, who would you say has influenced you the most?

Other women genre writers. Also, in school, I was acutely aware that most SF writers were male (oh, I’m dating myself, I know.) The discovery that Andre Norton was in fact a woman was a bolt of joyous lightning. Ursula LeGuin is my personal favorite for crafting such wonderful stories and for showing me the human side of science fiction.

How have your personal experiences influenced the direction of your writing?

Life experience colors all of our writing, I think. Brief experience with the military, with the medical field, with health issues, aging parents, raising children, falling in love -- all of these things influence what writers write.

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

When I was born... I’ve always spun tales. Even before I could write I told long, involved stories. It took me some time to consider professional writing since I had convinced myself there was no money to be made -- as if money could compensate for creative need. After knocking about from one soul-crushing corporate job to another, scribbling when I could, I realized that my compulsion to write had already made me a writer, willing or not.

I think my greatest fear had been that I wouldn't be capable of finishing a work and that, once complete, there would be no more. I found the contrary to be true... Once I began to write, the dam broke and stories flooded my brain.

The effort to become published happened in slow stages after that and initially it involved a lot of research. It's a scary proposition, approaching the publishing industry from the outside. Not only does the writer need to research where to submit but how. The industry has standards and rules of behavior, terminology and built-in prejudices, as all industries do. I bought books, researched online, read articles, poured over submission guidelines, toiled over writing outlines and synopses and cover letters.

Through all this, I still believed, naively, that if a work has merit, it will find a publisher. This is not necessarily the case.

The writer, like the inventor, has to expect to slog through a swamp of rejections, from publishers and agents, the vast majority of which offer no insight as to the reason for the rejection. So the writer must be tenacious and confident enough to continue and be brutally honest enough with himself/herself to recognize where growth and improvement are necessary.

A year after considering submission, I had my first rejection letter. I saved it. As a matter of fact, I've saved them all.

How would you describe the genre in which you do most of your writing?

I have two. Under the name, Sandra Stixrude, I write SF/Fantasy, leaning more towards the SF side of the coin and under the name, Angel Martinez, I write Erotic Romance, the steamier side of romance. The concept of “genres”, though, has always seemed stifling to me, as if one must fit in pre-determined boxes to be considered worthwhile. The fitting and the consideration of worth, has been done, in large part, by the publishers. To some degree, critics and academics involve themselves in the process of worth (who gets which literature prize and so forth) but between the publishers and the large bookstore chains, the public is told what fits where and whether they should enjoy it.

While I appreciate the need for the bookseller to categorize for the customer's convenience, one of the unfortunate consequences of this is the genericizing of genres with certain rules and expectations in mass market products. Fantasy reduced to a cartoon caricature of sword and sorcery quest epics. Romances reduced to the same tired plot lines involving beautiful people. This is why, I think all the genre and sub-genre categorization has stifled us somewhat. A good story is a good story, a remarkable work of literature is just that. Imagine if Virginia Woolf published Orlando today, only to have it relegated to the back aisles next to the Dragonlance series.

Who is your target audience?

Much of my SF work, the novel-length pieces, is written for young adults (though I find adults often drawn into these YA stories as well) while the short stories are for adult audiences.

The erotic fiction is, naturally, for adults, mainly geared towards a female audience though I understand from recent statistics the genre is gathering a larger male readership as well.

What motivated you to start writing in these genres?

As a young person, I read collections of fairy tales, myths and legends while my peers were reading books about the ‘real’ world. While by modern standards many of these stories that I read appear flat, with stock cardboard characters, I recognized a template in them, a need filled by these stories to hold back the dark.

I believe that fairy tales and heroic legends have suffered over the centuries because they have been consigned to print and our rich oral tradition, with the craft and skill of the storyteller, have been lost along the way.

Fantasy/SF fills this need in the modern world. The best examples following the old cultural templates in a way that breathes life into the story, gives us people we can empathize with and cheer for, reminding us that, yes, the world is dark and frightening sometimes and it’s healthy and comforting to recognize this in a format where the conflicts and eventual triumphs can be shared safely.

As for the erotic fiction -- I began writing erotica as an exploration of character and emotion because one of the most compelling issues for me when I read erotica is 'why?' Why did these two people end up in bed or on the table or the forest floor, rather than with someone else? Why does this person have certain needs? Why would someone let themselves be treated that way? Good erotica addresses the why's and explores the (sometimes quite convoluted) workings of the human heart. Before a sex scene makes sense, the writer has to build the character from the ground up, warts and all.

You've said that the craft and skill of the storyteller has been lost but when you add the ascent of the electronic media into the mix, would you say the art of the storyteller has really been lost? Or do we have a new type of storyteller (both with and without corporate sponsorship)?

We do have new types of storytellers. I can't dispute that. Innovators in film and animation have created marvelous new paths for storytelling.

The storyteller as a physical presence, as a vessel for the collective consciousness of the tribe has been lost, though. The oral tradition offered a different kind of experience where the listener was more directly engaged. Storytellers recited Beowulf and the Iliad by heart, using voice and gesture to excite, extol and explain, never quite the same recitation twice. No special effects. No off button. I think the memories and attention spans of modern humans have atrophied severely due to lack of exercise.

How many books have you written so far?

I think the question should be: How many of your books have been published so far? I’ve written a number of books, only one so far is set for publication. Aftermath was released in March 2007 by Forbidden Publications. This is a male/male erotic romance in which a couple tries to pick up the pieces after one of them is raped.

Aftermath is a shorter work than my Sf novels and only took two months to write. It's also my first work of contemporary, Earth-bound fiction. Most of my other works take place off-planet or in some other time.

It’s similar to all my other stories in that it is a human-driven story. While there are erotic passages and elements, it’s a story about emotions and human interaction.

Which aspects of the work that you put into the book did you find most difficult? And which did you enjoy most?

The resolution on this one had me stumped for a bit. Often I find myself writing to an ending, that is, I have a clear ending in mind and I simply need to bring the story along in a believable, satisfying way to reach it.

I enjoyed watching the story unfold. A writer’s favorite characters often develop minds of their own. When it feels like the characters have taken over and are writing the story for you -- it’s a soaring, ecstatic feeling.

Do you write everyday?

Every single day. Some days don’t afford me much time, perhaps an hour at most. On a good day, (when I don’t have to work for a living wage) I’ll put in eight solid hours.

When I write, the sessions involve realistic goals these days -- I want to write a particular scene or finish a chapter and so on. I start by turning on my laptop. This may appear to be a sardonic answer but I'm quite serious. The ritual of crawling under the desk for the power strip, watching the lights blink on, waiting for the thing to get through set up, helps center me. The housework, the yard work, the job, the family, fade in the screen's light.

I often re-read passages before proceeding. Edit. And then continue. It's rare that I do heavy editing early on, though. I need to get the story out, to keep the momentum going, if I expect to finish.

If I had unlimited funds and time and a houseful of servants to see to all the day-to-day things, I might never stop. I don't have those things so I stop when other matters intrude (time to go to work, laundry needs to be done, etc.)

What will your next book be about?

I’m working on two at the moment. One is an anthology of erotic short stories with the working title Lioness on the Knife (a reference to the Greek comedy Lysistrata) and the other is a novel set a bit in the future about an unstable musical composer who alters reality in the throes of composition.

What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer?

Finding my first publisher. Perhaps this doesn’t sound like much of an achievement but in today’s flooded marketplace, a writer without an industry ‘in’ has a much more difficult time than in earlier decades. (Somewhere along the way, I suspect on a talk show, some idiot said, ‘Everyone has a novel in them’. The public seems to have taken this advice to heart and now publishers and agents are flooded with unsolicited manuscripts. One agency who sent me their regrets over being unable to take on any new clients stated they received perhaps a hundred submissions a month ten years ago and now receive over three hundred a day.)

How did you get there?

Persistence. Writing is only half the battle these days and for the driven author, the writing is easy. The only way to be published, though, is to submit, submit and submit some more. I read everything I could get my hands on regarding how to submit and what is expected -- little things like a proper closing can make a difference. I sought out advice, asked questions, and learned to handle rejection in a constructive way.

One of the unexpected things I learned during this process is that most writers don't operate well in a vacuum. The image one has of a writer is a solitary being, sitting alone and tapping away at the keyboard, an island of isolated creativity. But we need each other. This is why pockets of creativity have produced the most amazing results. The Beat Generation writers in New York and San Francisco were communities of writers who encouraged and inspired each other. Even Tolkien had a group of Oxford cronies with whom he would share his work.

For my own writing to grow and evolve, I found writing groups essential -- objective individuals coming together to discuss and argue and sometimes point out what should be obvious.

This article was first published by OhmyNews International.

Related Books:

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[Interview] Anne Douglas

Erotic romance author, Anne Douglas was born in New Zealand where she worked as a dispensing optician. In September 2001, she moved to Florida with her family.

So far, she has written three books, Tea for Three which is due for release in June 2007, Position Vacant (2006) and The McCabes: Persuading Jo (2006). All three books are published by Loose Id.

In a recent interview, Anne Douglas spoke about her writing.

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

Well, it was more a case of when did everyone else decide I was going to become a writer. I'm an avid reader. No that's not quite right…I'm a voracious reader. I don't know what I would do with myself if I didn't read. Some girlfriends joked that having read so much I should be able to write romance novels in my sleep. So I took it as a dare and in January of 2006 I sat down and started typing.

I've always had, like many people, this little idea in the back of my head that one day I might like to try writing. I guess my one day came around sooner than I thought it might.

As to why I decided on Erotic Romance? Well, that can go back to sneaking into my dad's wardrobe at some stage in my teen years and finding a copy of The Pearl, vintage erotica at its best. But it wasn't until recently that I decided to start a little erotica collection of my own and from the back of one of those books I found Ellora's Cave, and from there all the other houses publishing erotic romance. So it just seemed logical to write what I liked to read (though I'm a big historical fan, but I don't think I have the patience for legwork for writing historicals).

Who would you say has influenced you the most?

This is tough. I can’t say any one person. I would like to say something all sentimental and sappy about my Great Aunt Betty being a driving influence but she’s not (she's still a lovely lady though!). Life is my biggest influence — there is so much living to be done by everyone, that there is a story waiting around every corner.

Among the authors that you read, who would you say influenced you the most? Why and how is this?

To tell you the truth, I don't look at anyone one writer and say "I want to do that". I can find a little something in many authors that I like - a turn of phrase, or the way they can put you in a scene. I love the way Clive Cussler gets you all hyped up in his Dirk Pitt series, but on the flipside I like Minda Webber's hilarious takes on the old horror standards and the sarcasm in chick lit (though some of the chicklit heroines need a good kick in the patootie!).

So I guess I can say I'm ecelctic when it comes to author influences. I can do funny, but I'm still working on the heart revving action adventure side of things - one day I might be Clive Cussler good, you never know.

What are your main concerns as a writer?

That one day I will stop dreaming these amazing Technicolor movies in my head and whoosh, all my ideas go out the window.

How have your personal experiences influenced the direction of your writing?

Not the direction so much, but I do draw on my personal experiences to give body to my stories. I can describe how it feels during and after a major car accident because I have been there; divorce as a child or spouse — been there, done that; kids with problems, add that to the list, too!

I'd love to say that I've experienced all the erotic portions of my stories, but alas, I've yet to meet a hunky elf in the flesh. Instead I rely a lot on good old fashioned fantasies. We've all got them, so why not use them!

What would you say are the biggest challenges that you face?

"Where are we going with this little story, Anne?" Yup, that's a question I ask myself daily. I have lots of great beginnings, but where are those beginnings going?

How do you deal with these challenges?

Gnaw on it a little. Yell at it. Rant and rave until an idea comes. Sometimes it comes in a rush, other are a struggle for each little piece.

My first book was written on the fly; I just sat and wrote. The sequel to that story was plotted out, chapter by chapter, as the books told me I was "supposed" to do. Yeah, well, that sucked, major rewrites needed. The next story I just sat and wrote again and my editor snapped it up before I had even finished it! So this idea of having an ending before I start I'm kind of in two minds about -- while it's nice to know where I'm supposed to end up, not knowing how I'm getting there seems to work for me.

How many books have you written so far?

My first is a novella -- The McCabes: Persuading Jo, published in July 2006 at Loose Id. Persuading Jo is about three friends as they make the step from a couple and one friend, to a trio pairing.

My second is also a novella, but much shorter than a first. My publisher calls it a Fling -- Position Vacant, published December 2006 at Loose Id again. Position Vacant is my take on life up there in the North Pole. Nick Klauson (a.k.a. Santa) and his best friend, Simon Witte come up with a scheme only men could think would work. Beatrice Raymond throws them both for a loop by falling in love with the wrong man.

My third, Tea for Three, is in the editing stages. The release is planned for June 2007, again with Loose Id.

Tea for Three is my most recently contracted, though I am working on others. This one took me about two months in the end. I put it down half way through to concentrate on edits for Position Vacant.

Which aspects of the work that you put into Tea for Three did you find most difficult? And, which did you enjoy most?

This book was set back home in New Zealand, which was both good and bad. It made it easy to set my story as I knew the area so well, but it made me homesick at the same time! (I live in Florida at present).

I'm also very aware that Tea for Three has a bisexual couple in a same sex (male) relationship at its core. I firmly believe you are what you are - some people prefer men over women and vice versa, and others are equal opportunity lovers. You can find love in many places and I don't believe you should be persecuted for finding it within your own sex. With Tea for Three I didn't want to convey the message that as a man you need a woman to feel whole. I hope that I have successfully been able to show that the men in Tea for Three were able to expand on the love they already had by looking outside the box, not that they were 'converted' to another way of life.

What sets the book apart from the other things you have written?

Tea for Three is another ménage story, yes; however, it expands over time as the characters become friends, then lovers; whereas Persuading Jo was a small snapshot of time as the two men open Jo's eyes to the possibilities with what she already has. Being that the tale told is spread out and the actual manuscript is longer, I hope I have been able to dig in deeper and give a lot more depth to my characters; that readers can relate to them more. After all gay, straight or bi, we all age and question what we are doing with the time we have on this earth.

What will your next book be about?

The next two or three are in the processes already. The WIP link on my website lists lots of little ideas floating around there! Plus you can check out excerpts from all my published stories!

Do you write everyday?

No, I would like to, but life has a pesky way of intruding. I do something relating to writing every day. Blogging, advertising, promotion work and with luck, some actual manuscript work! I tend to end up with blocks of time spent on one thing or another -- writing, sewing (my other sideline), or the dreaded housework.

What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer?

Actually sitting down and writing. Considering how one year ago I hadn't written a word of fiction, let alone Erotic Romance, I think I have come a long way, and learned rather a lot. There comes a point when you just have to stop saying "maybe one day" and grab the bull by the horns and do it!

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[Interview] M. J. Pearson

M.J. Pearson is the author of two highly commended gay historical romance novels.

Her debut novel, The Price of Temptation, came out in 2005 and was a finalist in the Romance category of the Lambda Literary Awards.

Discreet Young Gentleman, her second novel, was declared a winner in the Published category of the Great Beginnings contest that is sponsored by the Utah chapter of the Romance Writers of America.

In an interview which took place on November 12, M. J. Pearson spoke about her concerns as a writer.

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

I've wanted to be a writer my entire life. For years I just thought I didn't have anything important to say -- at the same time, I always told myself stories to get to sleep at night -- serials that might run for months before they either hit a logical ending, or just faded away. Finally, as I approached my forties, it occurred to me that the stories that entertained me might entertain other people, so I started writing them down.

[My main influence] as a person [is] my mother, who tried to bring us up to care about other people and to look at life with an open mind. As a writer [it’s] Barbara Mertz, who writes romantic suspense and mystery under the names Barbara Michaels and Elizabeth Peters. Her books are consistently smart, funny and romantic -- if someone could make the same claim about me once I have a body of work out there, I'd die happy.

What are your main concerns as a writer?

My main concern is telling a good story, and reaching as many people as I can with it. If I can open some minds along the way, even better.

How have your personal experiences influenced the direction of your writing?

I was maybe six or seven years old when my older cousin came out as a lesbian, so gay people have always been a normal part of my life, and as time went on included family members, teachers, co-workers, friends. That, and a certain flexibility in my own sexuality, makes writing gay romance as "normal" as writing anything else.

What would you say are the biggest challenges that you face?

There's still a bit of an acceptance issue. When I first joined the Romance Writers of America, for instance, it was just as certain people began lobbying to exclude same-sex couples from the definition of "romance." That battle should have been won when the RWA Board of Directors made it clear that, in their words, "any definition of romance should be broad and inclusive." Unfortunately, there are members who won't give up the fight.

But acceptance goes both ways. My publisher asked me to use my initials instead of my first name, since he thought there would be gay men who would be unwilling to read a gay romance written by a woman. So far, I've yet to see any of that in person -- I've had great comments and fan mail from gay guys.

How do you deal with these?

I'm a bit of a fighter -- when the RWA sent out the infamous survey asking the membership if they wanted to restrict "romance" to relationships between one man and one woman, I emailed all the members of the Board of Directors, and just last month had a letter to the editor published in the October Romance Writers Report (RWA's magazine) in response to a woman who still insists the definition should exclude same-sex relationships. Fortunately, there were a whole bunch of letters objecting to this woman's views, including many of the greats in the genre (Nora Roberts, Jenny Crusie). Maybe this time, the issue has been put to rest for good.

As to acceptance from the gay community -- like I said, I've yet to have a direct problem. I hope it's because my books speak for themselves.

How many books have you written so far?

So far, I've had two books published, The Price of Temptation and Discreet Young Gentleman, and have three others written in draft form (meaning they still need some work). And I'm working on a sixth right now.

Do you write everyday?

Since last winter, I've been writing full time. I try to write every day, Monday through Friday, and leave the weekend for other things. Most of my productive time is in the morning, while in the afternoon I try to catch up on research and email. Right now, I'm doing NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, where the goal is to produce 50,000 words during the month of November), which has skewed this a bit -- I find myself writing evenings and weekends to try to make my goal.

What is your latest novel about?

In my latest book, Discreet Young Gentleman, Dean Smith is set up by someone to be found with a male prostitute, which destroys his engagement to a wealthy heiress. He teams up with the prostitute, Rob, to travel to Bath and try to find out who was behind it -- only to fall in love along the way.

How long did it take you to write it?

I wrote the bulk of it last winter, between January and the end of March. I sent the draft to my agent, who suggested some changes, and worked on the revisions for a month or so. Then, once it was sold to Seventh Window, Ken Harrison of SW had additional suggestions. So figure three months writing, and another two or three on revisions, for five or six months total.

When and where was it published?

My publisher is Seventh Window Publications, a gay press in Rhode Island.

The official release date was October 31, 2006, but it takes some time after that to make its way to the distributors, and from there to bookstores.

Which aspects of the work that you put into the novel did you find most difficult?

The challenge of writing any romance is to introduce two people you know are perfect for each other, then keeping them apart until the end, without seeming too contrived. Pacing was at times difficult when I was writing Discreet Young Gentleman -- is it too early for Dean to realize he's attracted to Rob? Is there too much tension between them? Not enough? When should it be clear that they're becoming friends, and then falling in love? Hard to nail.

Which did you enjoy most?

I'm a lifelong history buff, so the research is always a lot of fun for me. In this one, I incorporated several real-life ghost stories from the places Dean and Rob visit (as well as making up one or two to fit particular circumstances), and tried to use them to reflect the way the two men were feeling at the point in the story where they hear about the ghosts. I hope it makes it a more interesting read for people who pick up on what I'm doing, and I really love weaving stuff like that into my books.

What sets the novel apart from the others that you have written?

I'm more confident with my writing now, so in addition to telling a story, I can try to say more beneath the surface, if that makes sense. One example is what I mentioned above about using the ghost stories to reflect the main characters' feelings.

Another is that there's a subtext concerning the creation of identity: it's perhaps most obvious with Rob, who deliberately chose his first name to honor a very romantic story someone once told him, and in doing so makes it clear that love is very important to him. Later, it turns out that Dean is also choosing to use a particular variation of his own name, and once readers understand Dean's family history, they should be able to puzzle out why.

There's a little more to it, but I don't want to give any more away.

In what way is it similar to the others?

I hope Discreet Young Gentleman is as romantic as The Price of Temptation was, and that I was able to inject enough humor for the occasional laugh. The two books are set in the same era (the English Regency), although Discreet Young Gentleman actually takes place a year before the action in The Price of Temptation.

What will your next book be about?

The one I'm working on for NaNoWriMo is about an English soldier who falls -- hard -- for a Frenchman who is (supposedly) working with the English army during the Napoleonic Wars. Then the Frenchman steals some important documents and flees to the other side... It's got war. Intrigue. Betrayal. A little cross-dressing. And despite the circumstances, I promise -- there will be a happy ending.

What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer?

It was a big day for me when I learned I'd made the finals in the romance category of the Lambda Literary Awards -- and for my first book. That was a "Wow!" moment I'll never forget.

How did you get there?

I learned to write first and foremost by being an avid reader for my entire life. Then I worked hard at creating the best book I could, and after that I credit my agent, Sharene Martin, and my publisher, Ken Harrison at Seventh Window, for believing in me and giving me a chance to get published. I couldn't have done it without them.

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[Interview_1] Jay Mandal

Jay Mandal’s novels and short stories are written with the gay audience in mind.

So far he has written three novels and over 200 short stories.

His books, which include the novel Precipice and the collections of short stories, A Different Kind of Love, The Loss of Innocence, and Slubberdegullion, have been well received. His debut novel, The Dandelion Clock has sold over 1,000 copies, mostly through online sales. His latest novel, All About Sex, is currently at number six on the Amazon (U.K.) gay romance section.

In an email interview that took place in August of 2006, Jay Mandal spoke about his writing, his newly released novel, the challenges emerging writers face and how new technology is changing the publishing industry.

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

It was something that happened gradually. As a child, I'd make "books" by folding sheets of paper, and I'd make up episodes of shows I watched on television. It wasn't until about 10 years ago that I began to write short stories with the aim of getting them published.

As a writer, my main concern is probably that of every author: I want readers to enjoy what I write whether it's serious or humorous.

Who influenced you the most?

My favorite authors are Douglas Adams, John Steinbeck, Bill Bryson and Armistead Maupin, and my favourite books are Il Gattopardo, Wuthering Heights and To Kill A Mockingbird.

It was The Tales of the City books that encouraged me to start writing again and not to give up until I had a publisher. Armistead Maupin's books were written in the sort of style that I liked, and they had a track record. There was humor and pathos, and I wanted to attempt a British equivalent.

How have your personal experiences influenced the direction of your writing?

I've suffered from depression and in Precipice I explore its effect on one of the main characters. Overall, though, it's not a depressing book.

Precipice is about coming to terms with cancer, and learning to live with the disease and its consequences.

The novel took about a year -- I let it languish in a drawer for a considerable length of time before sending it anywhere. It was published in 2005 by BeWrite Books.

Which aspects of the work that you put into the book did you find most difficult?

The chapter dealing with depression took a lot of work. I'd jotted things down as they occurred to me, and had to get them into some kind of order and not overload the reader.

What sets Precipice apart from the other things you have written?

The very first word is "Cancer." Right from the start the reader knows it's not going to be a comfortable book to read. But despite the theme, there is a lot of humor in the novel.

Which themes will you be exploring in your next book?

My next book is entitled, All About Sex, which gives a clue! But it'll be classified as romance rather than erotica on Amazon, so loyal readers should not be put off by the title. It's due out in the autumn.

How did you get there?

I try to write 100 words every day. It's not a vast amount, but it soon adds up. It allows you to continue with your daily routine -- few authors make enough to live on their earnings. And I was lucky enough to find a publisher willing to take a chance on an unknown writer.

What are the biggest challenges that you face?

Publicity is a huge challenge, but it's one that writers are now expected to undertake themselves to some extent. Not only is there a flood of manga on the market, but there are also very few independent bookshops left. Manga refers to the mostly Japanese graphic books. In the top 20 of my genre, 14 books (70 percent) are manga ("yaoi").

The chains are unwilling to take a chance on books by relatively unknown authors, and content themselves in a cut-price war of bestsellers that the small publisher can't hope to compete with.

The big chains refuse to take advantage of the new print-on-demand technology, as the latter means they have to pay upfront for books and can't simply return unsold ones for pulping.

Of course, self-publishers using print-on-demand may not have access to the same level of editing and proofreading expertise, so some errors or poorer writing may slip through. Also, the print-on-demand books have so far been a bit more expensive than those produced by mainstream publishers, as printers are not always able to take advantage of the economies of scale.

What effect does this have on readers and writers?

Readers who obtain their books from high street shops are forced to buy bestsellers and books by celebrities. New, unknown authors aren't stocked, which means that publishers are even more reluctant to take a chance on them.

It's a vicious circle.

Writers are now following the self-publishing route more and more which, in turn, means there's less likelihood of their books being stocked and promoted.

Unless a new way of selling develops, readers are likely to find even less choice in the future.

What is print-on-demand technology? How does it work?

Print-on-demand means books are printed as and when ordered, and is the technology used by some book publishers. This does away with stockpiles in publishers' warehouses or authors' garages and spare rooms, and means capital is not tied up in unsold books. It's more efficient, and a book never becomes out-of-print.

Self-publishing describes the whole process of producing a book, including editing and proofreading, and is paid for by the author himself. It may use either print-on-demand technology or the more traditional larger print-runs.

Print-on-demand technology -- used by publishers rather than directly by writers -- is still in its infancy but is growing fast, fueled by the large number of books written.

In time, quality can only improve and quantity increase. Different outlets -- such as cyber cafes -- may offer facilities for downloading books.

How do you deal with the challenges that you face?

I read writing magazines as well as the books sections in national newspapers -- these give you ideas.

There are also writers' Web sites to which I belong. Members often draw attention to writing competitions and literary festivals being held. Most of my books are sold online, where print-on-demand is not a problem.

Do you see a time when online booksellers will replace the traditional bookseller? Why is this? What effect will it have on readers and writers alike?

Nothing compares with the pleasure of browsing and of actually being able to hold the book in your hands. However, there are few independent bookshops left, and very few chains, too, and the latter rely heavily on bestsellers.

Online bookstores offer a vast range and are able to include reviews of many books -- not just those that win prizes or have been written by celebrities or those reviewed by newspapers and magazines at their editors' discretion.

Then there are e-readers -- hand-held electronic devices that store numerous books -- which could replace textbooks in schools. But I hope there will always be a place for the traditional bookseller.

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Related article:

Jay Mandal [Interview: Part 2 of 2], Conversations with Writers, September 13, 2010

[Interview] James Buchanan

James Buchanan works as an attorney and writes gay romance novels and stories in his spare time. His most recent works include the novels Twice the Cowboy and Cheating Chance. He has also published a novella, My Brother, Coyote, and a collection of short stories, Bittersweets: A Taste of Halloween. His fiction includes mystery, thriller, horror, fantasy, historical and science fiction.

He spoke about his writing, his concerns as a writer and the influences that drive his writing.

When did you start you writing?

I don't remember a time when I wasn't writing. I was pretty sick as a kid, in the hospital a lot and at a time when kids' TV was two hours in the morning and PBS at noon. I started making up stories to entertain myself. At first it was picture books and then poetry and short stories.

I was on the literary magazines in high school and college.

There was a black period in my life, while I was trapped in an abusive relationship, where I didn't write at all. But over the past decade, I've gotten back into it.

Why erotic gay romances?

Blunt answer: I like guys. But, I also find that it allows me a broad range of genres to work in. If I feel like writing a detective novel, I can. If I am inspired to do a horror piece about fallen angels or silly fluff with ice-skating cowboys, somebody will buy it. Twisted fantasy/history with a bi-sexual, anti-hero who falls for his best friend, let's go.

The consistency is a romantic and sexual bonding between two men. You can play with the expectations and relationships. In heterosexual romances the characters must be the alpha guy and the woman he overwhelms… I find those types of characters stifling. Not that you won't find alpha males in my books, but they're likely to be head-to-head with another alpha male.

Also, some of my characters would not necessarily self-identify as "gay," which is why I use the term homoerotic as opposed to gay or homosexual romance. That and I put a lot of sex in my books.

Who influenced you the most?

Authors like Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Piers Anthony, Roger Zelazny... I devoured science fiction and fantasy as a teen and through college, even when I was supposed to be reading "real literature" for my degree.

Bizarre as it may seem, I adored Milton and I believe that a good deal of my tendency to hide biblical and mythological references in my books comes from him. I don't know if most people will ever see them, or understand them, but I do believe my stories, like “The Darkness”, are richer for it.

On a more modern level… Lovecraft for his ability to take mundane, everyday life and twist it, torture it and give you a story that leaves a little part of your brain saying, "well, it's not that outrageous."

Most of all, Ray Bradbury. The richness and depth of his storytelling still gives me shivers. You can almost see and feel what he describes. I try for that. I don't know if I make it, but I try for it.

How have your personal experiences influenced the direction of your writing?

My life is in my books. Not autobiographical to any extent, but I take note of what's going on around me and how people react. I tend to write about places where I've lived, or been to countless times.

I've had some pretty awful things happen in my life, I can transfer the feelings from those into a different but similar situation for a character. Same for the really wonderful times. Sometimes it comes through strong, other times it's much more subtle.

There have been one or two occasions where my current partner was reading over a bit of a story and said, "What, were you writing our fight down?"

What are the biggest challenges that you face?

Time, time and time. I'm not at a point where I can devote my life to writing. Student loans need to be paid, food has to get on the table, and the mortgage comes every month.

So I work full time as an attorney. It's a profession that is known for devouring people's lives. You're not expected to work for a firm… you're expected to live for it.

Sometimes my characters just won't cooperate. Other times I've gone blank and can't think of a story to write. Or I have a thousand ideas roaming around my head and I can't focus on any one.

How do you deal with these?

For all of it, taking what time I can and being pretty organized. I carry a personal tape recorder in the car and a spiral notebook in my briefcase. I'll get up at four in the morning when everything is quiet and try and knock out 500 words. Fifteen minutes waiting for the judge to take the bench is enough to do some character sketches.

I don't push myself. When it's not flowing on one story, I'll jump to another bit and write on that, at any one time I've got three or 4=four projects in the works.

Or I'll do research. I've got a stack of books with material I want for some story or another. Every time I get a "plot bunny," I write a brief sketch of it. That way I can go back to it at a later date.

What is My Brother, Coyote about?

At its most basic core My Brother, Coyote is a love story about two Navajo brother-cousins, Seth DelOro and True Yazzie - although not a traditional one. You won't find any sweeping speeches declaring what they feel for each other. True and Seth aren't those kind of guys.

They try to make their way being pulled between the modern white world and that of the traditional Navajo. Seth is in and out of prison. True attempts to span both cultures studying to be a medicine man while getting a college education. It is also about Navajo witchcraft, lore, sexuality and spiritualism. Coyote moves between the real and surreal. There are shamanistic dream battles and skinwalkers. I think it's a very powerful story on several levels… and the feedback I've gotten seems to confirm that.

I wrote it in response to a call for a series through Torquere Press for a line called Everyday Specters. It took me a little over two months to write, not including research time. Which is not bad for a book that length. Most of the time the words just seemed to flow. But there were occasions when it was beating my head on my desk trying to figure out how to do what I wanted to do.

I submitted the manuscript in late February and got a response shortly thereafter… that they couldn't use it for that line. But, the editor loved it so much he passed it on to Alex Draven, the editor who handles stand-alone works. Alex contacted me and said, "I want it and I want to get it out end of April." It was insane trying to get the editing and proofs done in that short of time.

Which aspects of the work that you put into the novella did you find most difficult?

Trying to keep the characters true and believable. While I grew up in the region and I knew people like those in Coyote, I'm not Native American. I had to learn it all. I drove a Choctaw friend nuts constantly asking her questions about tone and voice, and "do you think I'm being respectful with the culture?" I obviously couldn't ask her specifics about being Navajo, since she's not, but I did what I could.

And at times, I got too into the heads of my main characters. I'd find myself writing these very closed, minimal scenes and have to go back in and open it all back up. I loved the ability to go back and remember a place I loved while discovering this whole new world going on around it.

Because Navajo stories and storytelling play a big part in the book, it allowed me to relive my own family's storytelling history. In trying to recall the sense of wonder of an oral tradition, I also rediscovered tales about Poncho Villas' raids and the clock that stopped at the hour of my great-great aunt's death that my grandmother used to tell.

What sets the novella apart from the others that you’ve written?

I'd say that it goes far outside my usual comfort zone. I've never written that far outside my own culture before. I really tried to stretch my boundaries in and write something both sensual and eerie.

It is similar to other things I’ve written in that my books are books I'd want to read. Just because it's erotic doesn't mean, at least to me, that you should short-change the story. And the sensual nature should come from all aspects of the work, not just the sex. So I try and put that flavor into them… the ability to have all five senses going in a book.

I have to care why the characters are doing what they're doing. Even with a mainstream mystery… if I don't care about the characters, I'll toss it.

What is your next book about?

I'm working simultaneously on two full-length novels. One is a sequel to Cheating Chance (November 2006, Torquere Press), a mystery involving electronic slot cheating and international drug cartels. The sequel tackles Southern California Vietnamese gang involvement in illegal gambling and gets deeper into the relationship between Detective Brandon Carr (who's in the closet) and Gaming Agent Nicholas O'Malley (who's not). That adds a great deal of conflict and tension into their relationship and allows me to explore the world from two different perspectives.

The other is another cop story, The Good Thief, about an LAPD officer who gets involved with a burglar in trying to bring a child molester, a high-ranking officer within the force, to justice. The dichotomy between the harassment the gay officer receives as a marginalized "outsider" and the way the police force draws in ranks to protect what it believes to be one of its core members, I think will be very powerful.

What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer?

I'm torn between getting published at all and my first piece of fan mail. Honestly, to read someone gushing about how wonderful they found the story and how much they loved the characters… I could ride that high for months. I put my heart into my work and I really try to bring my characters to life. To find that someone else feels as strongly for what I wrote makes it all worthwhile.

How did you get there?

I started playing with writing (after my hiatus) in fan fiction. It was something fun to do and blow off steam. The positive feedback I got there gave me confidence to try my hand at my original stories again.

Posting a few attempts on some free erotica sites got me more feedback. Some of it was useless, but a lot of people took the time to go over where I'd done it right or missed the boat. They gave me the confidence and encouragement to try a contest. My story did not get picked up that time, but the editor of the contest pointed me in the direction of Torquere.

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