Guest – Page 7 – A. L. Lester

Guest Interview: SI CLARKE

This week, SI CLARKE pops in for a chat about her new release The Left Hand of Dog!

Morning, Si! Why are you doing this interview?

I have a new book that just came out a few weeks ago: The Left Hand of Dog. It’s the first in a new series called Starship Teapot.

What started you writing?

I’d dabbled in writing at various points in my life. I’d written the odd article. At one point, I was an avid blogger. And through most of my life, I had certain story ideas I always said I’d turn into a book … eventually. I’d even tried writing a book a few times. But it never went anywhere.

Late in 2017, I was made redundant from my job. I felt myself beginning to slide into a depression. I’d get up in the morning, walk the dogs – and then lie down on the sofa. And I wouldn’t really move again until my partner got home at dinnertime.

I did that for a week. On the Monday of the next week, I lay down on the sofa – and then promptly stood back up again. ‘No, I’m not going to do this.’ Whether I was talking to myself or to my dogs or just to no one, I still don’t really know.

But I walked over to my desk and sat down to start planning my first novel. And even though I have a full-time job now, I haven’t looked back since.

Where do you write?

I’ve been working from home on a full-time basis since the start of the pandemic and I’ve got a really cushy setup with my funky ergonomic kneeling chair and two large, curved monitors. It’s sad, but I spend each work day facing one screen – and then at dinnertime, I turn my chair a few degrees to the right and work on my writing.

But I’ve also been known to write in unconventional locations. I finished the first draft of my first novel on my phone, while weaving and dodging through the underground shopping centre in Canary Wharf. I started the first draft of a book I still haven’t written while weaving and dodging through the pedestrians in Deptford Market on a Saturday. Honestly, it’s a miracle I don’t walk into more stationary objects than I already do.

What do you like to read?

I mainly read science fiction. But occasionally venture into fantasy, mysteries, historical fiction, and thrillers. Once I read a thriller novel set in London. The main character went to investigate the second murder in the story. He named where the house was in relation to the train station and what he saw looking out the window of the main bedroom, where the corpse was still lying. And I realised – he was standing in my house, in my bedroom. Maybe I should stay away from thriller novels.

But really what I love are books that dig deep into characters. And I love characters that aren’t stale, male, pale, cis-het, neurotypical.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I have two dogs, both rescues. Ozzy will be nine next month. I met him in 2015 when I spent my holiday volunteering at a bear sanctuary in Romania. The sanctuary is an amazing place. They rescue and rehabilitate bears from all across Central and Eastern Europe – mainly from captivity, but sometimes wild bear cubs that have been abandoned and wouldn’t survive on their own.

My experience at LiBEARty was incredible – but I quickly realised they had all the help they needed already. So I spoke to the organiser and asked if we could be of more use at the dog shelter run by the same team.

We arrived at the shelter during a thunderstorm when 499 dogs were howling at the top of their lungs. And one dog stood on top of his house, smiling and begging for my attention. Three weeks later, he was lying on my sofa.

Lemmy came from the same rescue group three years later.

Tell me a little bit about your most recent release. What gave you the idea for it? How long did it take to write? What did you enjoy about writing it? What did you hate?

In October 2020, I sat down to write something silly. Something that would make me feel better about life, the universe, and everything.

So many of the early reviews have said something along the lines of ‘this was exactly what I needed right now.’ It was so much fun to write. I loved every second of it and I hope readers do too.

The Left Hand of Dog features an aro-ace agender main character, Lem. Together with her dog, she’s kidnapped by incompetent bounty hunters from outer space. It features a talkative horse, an unswearing robot, an overly anxious giant parrot, and a cloud of sentient glitter gas. All on the run from the bunnyboos.

The Left Hand of Dog

Escaping intergalactic kidnappers has never been quite so ridiculous.

When Lem and her faithful dog, Spock, retreat from the city for a few days of hiking in Algonquin Park, the last thing they expect is to be kidnapped by aliens. No, scratch that. The last thing they expect is to be kidnapped by a bunch of strangely adorable intergalactic bounty hunters aboard a ship called the Teapot.

After Lem falls in with an unlikely group of allies – including a talking horse, a sarcastic robot, an overly anxious giant parrot, and a cloud of sentient glitter gas – the gang must devise a cunning plan to escape their captors and make it back home safely.

But things won’t be as easy as they first seem. Lost in deep space and running out of fuel, this chaotic crew are faced with the daunting task of navigating an alien planet, breaking into a space station, and discovering the real reason they’re all there…

Packed with preposterous scenarios, quirky characters, and oodles of humour, The Left Hand of Dog tackles complex subjects such as gender, the need to belong, and the importance of honest communication. Perfect for fans of Charlie Jane Anders’ Victories Greater than Death – especially ones who enjoy endless references to Red Dwarf, Star Trek, and Doctor Who. This book will show you that the universe is a very strange place indeed.

Buy Left Hand of Dog! If you opt to buy it direct from me, you’ll get 20% off with code LIMFIC2021.

Meet SI CLARKE

SI CLARKE is a Canadian misanthrope who lives in Deptford, sarf ees London. She shares her home with her partner and an assortment of waifs and strays. When not writing convoluted, inefficient stories, she spends her time telling financial services firms to behave more efficiently. When not doing either of those things, she can be found in the pub or shouting at people online – occasionally practising efficiency by doing both at once.  

As someone who’s neurodivergent, an immigrant, and the proud owner of an invisible disability, she strives to present a diverse array of characters in her stories.

Website : Goodreads : Readerly : Twitter

JP Kenwood: Locks and Keys

JP Kenwood is here today to talk about world building and the significance of locks and keys in their action-packed, politics-rich Dominus series. I do need to tag this post as #NSFW and give a content warning for mild #BDSM though!

World building is a huge part of penning any story, but it’s especially critical in historical fiction. I find it super useful to incorporate a few everyday items in my historical fiction—objects that truly mattered to the people of that time period. Ubiquitous objects that help readers connect with the mysterious past. I’ve used many objects as plot points and even as ‘prop characters’ in my stories. For me, these items tend to fall into the category of jewelry, but there are other objects equally if not more important to the plot, such as scrolls, mirrors, and knives.

An important recurring prop in my series, Dominus, is the simple household key. Romans are said to be the first ancient western culture to invent what most of us think of as a key – a small and usually metal implement with a handle and teeth. When the correct key is placed in a lock and turned, the key’s teeth move the pins and unlock the bolt.

Max waited for Varius to leave before he pulled a ring of keys from his pouch and unlocked the heavy wooden door. Allerix imagined Max must have had a key for nearly every lock at the villa.

“This is Dom’s playroom. You’ll be spending quite a bit of time in here.”

Dominus: Dominus Book 1

Keys are also powerful symbols, of course. In the abstract, a key can represent penetrative sex or even warfare. In the more physical sense, a key represents wealth, since its existence implies the carrier has something of value that requires protection. Gold coins in a hinged box. Sex toys in a cupboard. A collection of exotic weapons in a cabinet.

Like an animal drawn by some irresistible but invisible pheromone, Alle’s eyes converged on a large wooden cabinet against the far wall. “That cupboard contains my other toy collection.” Gaius retrieved a key from a drawer in his desk. Running his hand up and down Alle’s back, he boasted, “I’ve been acquiring foreign weapons since I was old enough to swing a sword. Their variety of designs and embellishments has long fascinated me.”

Games of Rome: Dominus Book 2

Keys to chastity devices blatantly symbolize control of one person over another. Cock cages feature prominently in my Dominus saga.

Gaius manipulated the device until Allerix’s balls were collared snug by the heavy silver ring. With a sharp click, the two halves of the lion-headed metal cylinder snapped together to encase Alle’s timid cock. Another softer click and Gaius had locked the contraption in place. Gaius held up a key dangling from a silver chain like a pendant and clasped the necklace around his neck. “I’ll keep your freedom beside my heart all night. Comfortable?”

Blood Before Wine: Dominus Book 3

A key to a door is an even more powerful symbol, especially in ancient Rome. Doors are by their nature emblems of transition: physical, spiritual, and intellectual. The Romans had a god of doors and gateways called Janus. We’ve inherited the calendar term, January, from the idea of Janus and his cult of transitions. Interestingly enough, Roman door locks could only be locked and opened with a key from the outside. A room with a door that could be locked turned that room into a glorified storage space for inanimate or living valuables. A key to an apartment or the front door of a house could also signify status and even freedom:

After purchasing an assortment of delicious cheeses, sausages, bread, and pickled eggs at the upscale snack bar, the three walked back to the shoe shop and climbed the wooden stairs to Theo’s flat two floors above. He opened the lock with his key and pushed open the creaky door; the red façade of a brick building across the street dominated the view through a large window in the opposite wall. His simple but tidy living quarters consisted of two rooms: a larger gathering lounge with a table, chairs, lamp stands, and two cupboards, while off to the right was a smaller bedroom separated from the main room by white curtains suspended from hooks at the top of the door frame.

Theo’s home.

The place where he could do whatever he wished as long as he didn’t break any laws. A cozy, private space where Theodorus decided who entered and who didn’t.

A freedman’s freedom.

Blood Before Wine: Dominus Book 3

In addition to the modern notion of a physical key that opens a stationary lock, Romans also invented padlocks. Padlocks attached to chains or hooks or door handles were used to keep an item in place. Padlocks prevent theft, but they can also imply punishment or imprisonment.

The library was located off a grand corridor on the western side of the estate. It was a large square room with enormous windows and cupboards stuffed with correspondence, accounts, and legal records. The library had been Luc’s pride and joy, his oasis from the political tempests of the courts. And it was the perfect private place for a quick fuck over a table. Gaius knew every piece of furniture in that damn room.

When they arrived, they found the door handles secured by a thick chain and a sturdy iron lock. The entrance resembled that of a prison rather than a sanctuary for study or secret afternoon trysts.

Games of Rome: Dominus Book 2

Keys are one object that I’ve used in every book of the Dominus series. As both relatable and symbolic, keys play an important role in the story. In final Book 4 of Dominus, a lock and its key will once again have a pivotal role!

About the series

Dominus is an alternate history series that features an ensemble of memorable characters—masters and slaves, senators and soldiers, lawyers and freedmen, wives and whores—who live, laugh, and lust during the Golden Age of imperial Rome. Dominus is an m/m alternative history fantasy series set in ancient Rome during the reign of the Emperor Trajan (AD 98-117). What if Trajan had been the custodian of two boys instead of only one? What if Hadrian had been privy to secrets that could damage the political authority of his older and more successful fellow imperial ward, Gaius Fabius? What if a Roman general had fallen in love with his captive Dacian slave? Could a powerful Roman aristocrat of noble ancestry have been deliberately erased from history?

We have released the audiobooks of Dominus (Book 1), Games of Rome (Dominus Book 2), and Blood Before Wine (Dominus Book 3). If you enjoyed the books, you will adore the audiobooks. For much more information about the characters in the Dominus series, check out my author blog.

Meet JP Kenwood

Writer of plot-packed mm stories. My Dominus series, an often dark and sexy tale, focuses on master/slave power dynamics, the vicissitudes of fate, and the fragility of historical memory. My passions are ancient Rome, laughter, and love.

My current project is the 4-book, m/m historical fantasy saga, Dominus, set in imperial Rome. Book 1 (Dominus; 2014), Book 2 (Games of Rome; 2015), and Book 3 (Blood Before Wine; 2019) are currently available. Games of Rome received 2nd Place in the 2016 Rainbow Awards for Gay Historical. Blood Before Wine received an Honorable Mention for Gay Historical in the 2019 Rainbow Awards. Final Book 4 of the Dominus saga will be released soon.

My social media links

Skye Kilaen: Queer M/F Romance

Today, Skye Kilaen is visiting to talk about queer m/f romances! Please give her a warm welcome!

I’m so excited to be here today talking about one of my favorite topics, queer M/F romances!

As a queer reader, LGBTQIA+ romances have a special place in my heart. When I first started reading romance by checking out books from my local library, I could easily find books that paired two allo cis men, and somewhat less easily books that paired two allo cis women. I was delighted when I started to discover romances beyond those two categories. Trans characters! Ace and aro characters! And also books that reflected my own experience being a bi/pan woman who has often dated men: M/F romances where one or both characters are queer.

(I’ve tried hard to start mixing it up by sometimes calling this category queer F/M. After all, why should the M be first all the time? But unfortunately my brain sees “F/M” and immediately thinks “radio.”)

Without further ado, here are four of my favorite queer M/F romances, and four that are on my radar.

Something Like Love is a contemporary by Black romance powerhouse Christina C. Jones, who is one of the funniest romance writers around in my opinion. Both leads are bi and I love them so much.

“Eddie is arrogant, quite vain and slick at the mouth – or simply confident, discerning, and unafraid to speak his mind, if you ask him. Astrid is annoyingly perky, unpolished, and a little delusional about Eddie’s attraction to her – or, according to her, energetic, authentic, and absolutely spot on about the driving factor of a certain local tattoo artist’s ‘hatred’ of her.

Undeniable attraction.

They may think they’re opposite, but have more in common than they think.”

Jules Kelley’s Edge of the Woods is a contemporary paranormal with a strong romance subplot that this romance reader found extremely satisfying. Haley, the female MC, is bi.

“Haley Fern has been the alpha of her local werewolf pack for less than a year when their law enforcement liaison retires, and Leland Sommers, a man who knows nothing about werewolves or their world, is hired in his place. What could be an awkward situation turns complicated when the man shows up his first day on the job with an injured teenage boy he found on the road–a boy Haley knows has just been bitten.”

Disclosure: Kelley is an online friend, who became a friend because I loved their writing so much that I reached out to say hi.

Caroline’s Heart by Austin Chant is a historical paranormal/fantasy romance that pairs a grieving witch and a gentle cowboy. Both are trans and bi. The blurb for this book centers Cecily, but Roy’s the emotional heart (no pun intended) of the story, the one who coaxes Cecily alive and holds her up when she needs it. Love this book.

“Cecily lost her soulmate years ago, leaving her with nothing but the clockwork heart that once beat in Caroline’s chest. They say it’s impossible to bring back the dead, yet Cecily’s resurrection spell is nearly complete and grows more powerful by the day.

But when a cowboy she barely knows is fatally injured, the only way to save him is by sacrificing an essential piece of the resurrection spell—and all possibility of seeing her lover again.”

Help Wanted by J. Emery is a gender and sexuality questioning F/M romance. I love this little novella about students at a magical college.

“Em is confused about a lot of things: who she is, what she wants, how she’s going to pass Alchemy when she’s awful at it. The one thing she’s not confused about is how much she wants to buy her best friend (and college roommate) the best birthday present ever. Luckily the local magic supply shop is hiring.

Her plan to get a job there would be working perfectly if not for her coworker Phineas who is in turns aggravating and endearingly awkward. She’s not sure if she wants to date him or wants to be him. The more time they spend together the more she thinks it may be both.”

Disclosure: Emery is an online friend, who became a friend after I volunteered to beta read for them because I enjoyed their published work so much.

Erin Kinsella’s Heart and Seoul stars a demisexual, panromantic heroine paired with a bisexual hero. Tessa’s an author who flies to Seoul, South Korea where her book is being adapted to film. Eun Gi, a K-pop superstar, has been cast as the lead actor. So of course they end up in a marriage of convenience. What else could possibly happen? 🙂

I was lucky enough to beta read the second book in this series, which isn’t out yet, and I fell in love with the entire cast. So I’m excited to go back to this first book and find out more about how Tessa and Eun Gi got together.

Disclosure: Kinsella is an online friend, who became a friend because I had such a great time beta reading her work.

Penny Aimes has just released For The Love of April French, a contemporary BDSM romance. The title character is a trans woman. This is waiting for me on my e-reader once I get out from under this pile of library books, and I’m so excited!

“April French doesn’t do relationships and she never asks for more. A long-standing regular at kink club Frankie’s, she’s kind of seen it all. As a trans woman, she’s used to being the scenic rest stop for others on their way to a happily-ever-after. She knows how desire works, and she keeps hers carefully boxed up to take out on weekends only. After all, you can’t be let down if you never ask.

Then Dennis Martin walks into Frankie’s.”

May Peterson’s The Calyx Charm is the third in her series The Sacred Dark. From the sample I’ve read, I suspect it works as a standalone if you’re okay with jumping right in to the lush magical worldbuilding (which is her signature!) and hanging on for the ride.

“Violetta Benedetti knows how to hide things. She spent years concealing herself behind the persona her father expected of her. Now she hides in the dark corners of Vermagna’s underworld, lying low to keep her father from using her magic in his unending quest for power.

But her biggest secret is her love for her best friend, who only knew her as Mercurio Benedetti, not the woman she is today. Now he’s dead, and she’ll never be able to tell him the truth.”

Except that her best friend Tibario DID die… and then got better. So that creates some possibilities. 🙂

The cover for Rosalie Jardin’s Prescription for a Lonely Heart cracks me up in such a good way. His expression is “Heyyyyy!” and hers is so very “I’m not so sure about all this…” That’s because in high school, nerdy Kay and athlete Adrian made a pact that if they were both still single at thirty, they’d get married. Kay, who is demisexual, thought it was a joke.

But now they’re both twenty-eight and still single, and Adrian doesn’t see why they should wait.

Tell me Anything by Skye Kilaen

Content warnings

Isabel meets Derek at exactly the wrong time… or is it exactly right?

Can Isabel return this year for a refund? Because it sucks. Her editing business would be paying her bills just fine… if her ex-boyfriend wasn’t blackmailing her. Of course, if her conservative family wouldn’t disown her for being bisexual, her ex couldn’t blackmail her in the first place. Sadly, she hasn’t invented time travel to un-make the mistake that created this mess.

Derek has a good life. Mostly. He’s an out bisexual man with a successful business and a loving queer found family. But he’s almost forty, living alone is getting stale, and yet dating seems pointless since nobody’s ever found him exciting enough to build a life with. Given he’s now doing zero-creativity craft kits to pass the time, he suspects they’re right. Maybe he should get a dog.

Isabel isn’t holding auditions for a rescuer, and she wouldn’t have expected Derek, a gorgeous, gentle man with his own history of family rejection, to fill the role. But Derek’s “boring” life is the calm harbor Isabel needs, and her affection helps Derek see himself in a new light. Their tentative connection might become the happily ever after they both deserve—if they can hold onto it through the fallout from Isabel’s recent romantic disaster.

Meet Skye

Skye Kilaen writes queer romance, both contemporary and science fiction, that’s sometimes about polyamorous relationships. Even her contemporaries are usually at least a bit geeky. After all, she does some of her writing in her local comic book shop.

Skye started writing fiction in elementary school on a Smith Corona electric typewriter because that’s all people had back in the early 1980s. She didn’t realize she wanted to read and write romance until much later, when it finally dawned on her that she adored X-Men comics for the soap opera aspect as much as for the superpowers.

She’s bi/pan and she currently lives in Austin, Texas because of all the libraries and breakfast tacos.

Website & Newsletter Signup : Twitter : Goodreads

Anne Barwell: Working With History

Anne Barwell is here today to talk about the daunting aspects of historical research and how real events inspire plot. Please give her a big welcome!

Thanks for hosting me today as part of my blog tour for Comes a Horseman, the 3^rd and final book in my WWII Echoes Rising series.

One of the daunting things about writing an historical is the research involved. But, on the flip side, often real events can inspire plot, and get characters out of a tight corner. In Shadowboxing, the first book in my WWII Echoes Rising series, I needed to get my characters out of a heavily guarded building, and couldn’t figure out how. History came to my rescue! I adjusted the dates in the story by a few weeks, and the Allied bombing of that area at the time gave my characters the break they needed. Sadly one of their own lost his life during the escape.

Historical events play a big part in Comes a Horseman. When I started writing the series, I knew I wanted it to finish with D-Day—the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6^th 1944. The lead up to that event is well documented, so my timing had to be perfect. I needed to have my Allied team in Normandy so they’d be there to hear the original coded broadcast to the resistance on 1^st June so they knew the invasion was coming. I also had to get the weather right, as that impacted the date which originally was going to be a couple of days earlier. Not only that, but I needed to find out when the area was bombed and the specific times—as well as dates—of the crucial events leading up to, and of, the invasion.

When I started reading up on D-Day I discovered a rather cool coincidence. The Paul Verlaine poem which was broadcast over the radio as the coded signal to the French Resistance contained a line about the “heavy sobs of autumn’s violins”, and one my characters—Kit Lehrer—is a violinist. It was as though everything fell into place and not only that, had meant to be this way all along. I’d love to say I planned it that way, but I didn’t.

The attitude of Standartenführer Holm towards the imminent invasion is taken from historical accounts too. The Germans weren’t expecting an invasion in Normandy, so their attention was elsewhere. And the idea that the Allies would broadcast to the resistance on the B.B.C.? Ridiculous.

The timing of the action of the last few chapters of the book was crucial. I needed to have the bombs drop on my characters at ground zero so the timing was historically accurate. I wrote those last few chapters with an historical timeline written in my notebook for the series, and adjusted the timeline of previous chapters so that everything meshed. It also solved several problems the characters needed to figure out in order to complete their mission the way they’d decided it needed to play out.

I’ve learnt a lot more about WWII while writing this series than I ever thought I would, and despite the work involved, I’ve really enjoyed it. I still have a notebook, a folder, and bookcase full of information about the period, and although this team’s story is told, I wouldn’t be surprised if that information proves useful in another story sometime.

I’ve spent so many years writing these guys, I doubt they’ll disappear altogether. I kind of hope they don’t.

Comes a Horseman

Echoes Rising Book 3

What if those who stand by you are the ones who betray you?

France, 1944

Sometimes the most desperate struggles take place far from the battlefield, and what happens in secret can change the course of history.

Victory is close at hand, but freedom remains frustratingly just beyond the grasp of German physicist Dr Kristopher Lehrer, Resistance fighter Michel, and the remaining members of the team sent by the Allies—Captain Matt Bryant, Sergeant Ken Lowe, and Dr Zhou Liang—as they fight to keep the atomic plans from the Nazis. The team reaches France and connects with members of Michel’s French Resistance cell in Normandy. Allied troops are poised to liberate France, and rescue is supposedly at hand. However, Kristopher is no longer sure the information he carries in his memory is safe with either side.

When Standartenführer Holm and his men finally catch up with their prey, the team is left with few options. With a traitor in their midst, who can they trust? Kristopher must become something he is not in order to save the man he loves. Death is biding his time, and sacrifices must be made for any of them to have the futures they want.

Author’s note: This is the second edition of Comes a Horseman. The first edition was released by another publishing house. This story has been re-edited, and uses UK spelling to reflect its setting.

Amazon US : Universal Link

Meet Anne

Anne Barwell lives in Wellington, New Zealand. She shares her home with Kaylee: a cat with “tortitude” who is convinced that the house is run to suit her; this is an ongoing “discussion,” and to date, it appears as though Kaylee may be winning.

In 2008, Anne completed her conjoint BA in English Literature and Music/Bachelor of Teaching. She has worked as a music teacher, a primary school teacher, and now works in a library. She is a member of the Upper Hutt Science Fiction Club and plays violin for Hutt Valley Orchestra.

She is an avid reader across a wide range of genres and a watcher of far too many TV series and movies, although it can be argued that there is no such thing as “too many.” These, of course, are best enjoyed with a decent cup of tea and further the continuing argument that the concept of “spare time” is really just a myth. She also hosts and reviews for other authors, and writes monthly blog posts for Love Bytes. She is the co-founder of the New Zealand Rainbow Romance writers, and a member of RWNZ.

Anne’s books have received honourable mentions five times, reached the finals four times—one of which was for best gay book—and been a runner up in the Rainbow Awards. She has also been nominated three times in the Goodreads M/M Romance Reader’s Choice Awards—twice for Best Fantasy, once for Best Historical, and once for All-Time Favourite M/M Author.

Liz Faraim: An interview!

Thanks for letting me stop by and share a guest post with your readers! I’m Liz Faraim and am pleased to announce the release of the third novel in my Vivian Chastain series, titled Concussion and Contentment.

When speaking with readers, bloggers, and podcasters I get asked a lot of questions. I’d like to share some of those with your readers.

Q: Do your books spring to life from a character first or an idea?

A: The first three books (the Vivian Chastain series) came from Vivian Chastain bumping around inside my head demanding to be let out. My most recent project, titled Pinned, started out with one moment in time. It happened to be that I went down to the pier in my town to watch the water during a particularly bad storm and everything in that moment – the sounds, smells, and sights – all needed to be captured. Pinned sprang into life from there.

Q: How did you deal with rejection letters?

A: It is very frustrating to receive a rejection letter, and the process of submitting and being rejected over and over is very disheartening. But the big picture of it is that I just have to keep trying.

Q: What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?

A: For me, I have written both by hand and on a computer. I hugely prefer writing on a laptop. I also recommend some good headphones and your favorite non-distracting play list.

Q: If you had a grant to write any book you wanted as a freebie without worrying about sales, what kind of story would you like to tell?

A: I actually did do a writing project last fall with one of my writing groups. The task was to write a horror short story for a Halloween radio show we were putting together. I had never written a true short story before, nor had I written horror. It was really interesting to see how the story flowed out of me and how twisted it was. When I finished editing it I sat back and thought “Where the f*ck did that come from?” I think I would like to explore writing horror some more.

Q: What’s the funniest or creepiest thing you’ve come across while researching for one of your stories?

A: While writing Stitches and Sepsis, I spent a lot of time researching hospital protocols, as well as septicemia and septic shock. The biggest thing that stays with me is when I spent an afternoon looking at online images of septic wounds.

Read on to find out about Concussion and Contentment, read an excerpt and find out more about Liz.

Concussion and Contentment

Warnings: This book contains violence, attempted murder, homophobic slurs, alcohol/drug use, references to suicide, abuse of a child by a parent, abuse of a child by an adult, attempted suicide, racism

Vivian, an adrenaline junkie and U.S. Army veteran, goes about her life as a bartender, avid runner, and polyamorous lesbian. Life in Sacramento, California is going well until she is blindsided by unforeseen financial issues which lead her to consider a new career.

In an attempt to recharge and take a break, she visits her best friend, Jared, only to be sidetrackedby a motorcycle trip with her other best friend, Bear. The adventure does not turn out to be the carefree break Vivian had hoped for. A mess, she returns to Sacramento where her partner, Ang, tries to push her down, rather than help her pick up the pieces. Meanwhile, Vivian takes big steps
with her other partner, Audre, which fills a void in Vivian’s life left behind by her dysfunctional and abusive childhood.

While out on a day trip to her favorite hiking trails, Vivian has an epiphany about what line of work she wants to pursue, and chases after it head first while also beginning to mend fences with her brother, Joey.

As things start to stabilize, one of Vivian’s partners commits an act of grave violence, resulting in life-changing consequences for all concerned. Surrounded by friends, Vivian turns over a new leaf and finally finds the contentment she has sought for a lifetime.

You can purchase Canopy (book one) here, Stitches and Sepsis (book two) here, and Concussion and Contentment (book three) here.

Excerpt from Chapter One of Concussion and Contentment:

Sweat dripped and bass pulsed as hundreds of women writhed and bumped to the music. Tick, the club DJ, was killing it. The vibe was so good that I was high on it. There was a line at my station ten people deep, customers jostling for position while dancing and shuffling forward each time I finished a drink order. One of my regulars stepped up and waved a twenty-dollar bill at me. She was in her forties, sporting a bowler hat and forearm tats.

“Viv, show me them titties and tats!” she shouted over the thumping and chatter. I had already stripped down to my sports bra, with my beater hanging from the back pocket of my Dickies. It was hot for April, and the press of sweating, dancing bodies had made the nightclub a sauna.

“Aw, Tig, you know I can’t do that,” I said with a smirk and turned my back to the crowd. Behind the bar was a wall-to-wall mirror. I gyrated my hips to Bubba Sparxxx’s “Ms. New Booty,” which had become a club favorite. I made eye contact with Tig in the mirror as she jumped to the beat, still waving the twenty-dollar bill at me. Shoving down the shyness that crept up, I slapped on the façade of the confident butch barkeep I wore to work. I pulled my sports bra
up, just a bit.

Amidst the chaos, they leaned to the side to see my reflection in the mirror, their mouths

agape, eyes laser focused on me. I kept the tease up for a minute, dancing to the song, pulling my bra up a bit and lowering it again. Each time I lowered it, there was a chorus of “Awwwww’s” behind me. I finally relented and pulled my sports bra completely off. Their hoots and hollers made me grin, and I continued dancing for myself in the mirror.

Just as the song was ending, a bright light flashed in the mirror, reflecting straight into my eyes. I traced the light back along the mirror and saw it was coming from near the front door.

Buck, our bouncer, stood on the rungs of her barstool by the door, flashing her Maglite at me. When we made eye contact, she tapped the top of her head three times, which was the sign that the cops were coming. I shimmied back into my sweaty sports bra, which was no easy feat, and turned back to my customers.
Tig pulled me into a hug across the bar. She tucked the bill into my waistband, her rough fingers lingering far too long on my skin. “Thanks, Viv. Looking good. Those tits and tats, you are so fucking hot. If I weren’t married, things’d be different.”

I patted her cheek and ended the hug, doing my best to keep my cool and stay in my role.

“Good to see you, Tig. The usual?”

She nodded and I poured her an Irish Car Bomb. She slapped some more cash on the bar, dropped the shot glass of whiskey and Bailey’s into her pint of Guinness, and chugged the whole frothing mess while her crew cheered her on. She slammed the pint glass down, wiped her mouth on her bare arm, belched, and disappeared into the fray.

Jen, the barback, bounced up to me with her usual level of cheer, and began unloading glasses fresh from the washer. “Tig still trying to get into your pants?” Her voice dripped with disgust as she fingered the American Spirit cigarette tucked behind her ear.

“Always.” I uncapped some beer bottles and rang up my next customer. “You know, I’ve been doing this job a few years now, and know that there’s a certain level of shit we have to put up with if we want those tips. And I need those tips. But it’s getting less amusing when people forget we are human and not a piece of meat.”

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About Liz

Pronouns: She/Her

Liz has a full plate between balancing a day job, parenting, writing, and finding some semblance of a social life. In past lives she has been a soldier, a bartender, a shoe salesperson, an assistant museum curator, and even a driving instructor. She focuses her writing on strong, queer, female leads who don’t back down.
Liz transplanted to California from New York over thirty years ago. She now lives in the East Bay Area of California and enjoys exploring nature with her wife and son.

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