An Interview with Julian Fogel, author of Tiloran: An Abandoned Home

Julian Fogel is a writer based in Colorado and has been writing stories for over a decade with his first novel self-published at the early age of just 25 with Tiloran: An Abandoned Home. What started as a hobby quickly turned into an activity he would love to turn into a career. While his initial dream was to get into the movie business through writing screenplays, he was eventually persuaded to give writing a novel a try by friends and collogues. So, if any stories of his have a cinematic feel to them, that would be his love for visual mediums of storytelling bleeding through.

What is your favourite dragon in literature?

Hmm… good question. Does Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon count? Definitely him, if it does. I just love the dynamic between him and Hiccup. If not, the first ones to come to mind are Falkore and Smaug, which seem pretty typical of answers, but they are classics.

I’m not going to be reviewing your newest novel, but from your other published novels, is there one that is your own personal favourite?

Well, I currently only have three novels published (all on Amazon, feel free to check them out *wink wink*) and they’re all part of the same series of Tiloran. It’s hard to pick a favorite out of any of them, especially anyone’s first published book. That one will always be very special, but if I had to pick one, then I think I would choose the second installment, Rise of the Worthy. There were just some themes and moments during writing that one that I didn’t know how well they could be explored until I wrote them. Very unique. But I still love the other two as well, obviously or I wouldn’t have released them, haha.

Everyone has a ‘first novel’, even if many of them are a rough draft relegated to the bottom and back of your desk drawer (or your external harddrive!). Have you been able to reshape yours, or have you abandoned it for good?

My first novel was technically An Abandoned Home, which I released, but funny enough, my original passion for writing came in the form of screenwriting. So, all of my first writing projects are currently screenplays and even the first draft of my first novel was a screenplay. That being said, while I’ll probably redo some of those as novels, my very first one needs a lot of work (as I’m sure many writers feel, haha). I don’t necessarily know if I’ll ever get around to doing that one again. Certainly not anytime soon, anyway.

Is there a running theme in your writing you tend to create, accidental or not?

I think I tend to write stories that showcase characters dealing with some kind of mental struggle of some kind like depression and/or loneliness. My first book has heavily themes of this and the rest of the series, while exploring other human conditions, will continue that trend. I find it fascinating and I feel you don’t find many stories dealing with those things as far as epic fantasy goes. Maybe I’m wrong and just haven’t found the right pool to read from, but it’s certainly unique to me.

Over the years, what would you say has improved significantly in your writing?

Just about everything, haha. Re-reading some of my earliest stuff, I can pick out all of the bad dialogue, the poor story structure, the non-descriptive descriptions. The only thing I really feel I may have been good with from the start was character arcs. I still think I made pretty good and well-paced character arcs from the get-go. Of course, that’s improved over the years as well, but the main and biggest improvement I’ve seen in my own writing is pacing. My older stuff would really just be all over the place with its pacing because I didn’t really have the fundamentals of storytelling down and it’s taken me a long time to really figure some of that out. It’s definitely something I think I’m still learning, honestly, I certainly don’t want to claim I’m done learning about it, no one ever really is, I think. There’s too much to know.

Some authors are able to pump out a novel a year and still be filled with inspiration. Is this the case for you, or do you like to let an idea percolate for a couple of years in order to get a beautiful novel?

Ooh, percolate is not a work I hear very often, good choice. I have no clue how people write so frequently. I always have something to work on, but my problem is finding time and motivation. As an author who can’t quite count on writing being my main job, it’s not something I can dedicate most of my time to. Who knows, maybe that’d change if it was more of my main job. If I think of a story idea, I definitely have to let it sit for a while before I really get the story beats down. I think some people just make a novel with whatever comes to them and that’s totally fine, sometimes it works out great, but I need to achieve a certain feeling to actually feel the novel is worth writing. What that feeling is, I’m not sure how to describe. It’s kind of like finally getting home after an extremely long road trip and all you’ve been seeing is roadblock after roadblock and there’s just this sense of the roads feeling right again and this sense of relief and peace like you know you’ve accomplished something, maybe even overcame something, if that makes any sense.

I have heard of writers that could only write in one place – then that cafe closed down and they could no longer write! Where do you find yourself writing most often, and on what medium (pen/paper or digital)?

Ouch, I can’t imagine getting myself all hyped up for a good writing session and finding out the only cafe I wrote in is closed, that would be unbearably frustrating, haha. No, luckily, I’m only comfortable writing in my home, preferably in my room on my computer. That’s kind of my safe zone where I can try and think of whatever ideas might work and which ones might not. I personally can’t imagine writing anywhere else, good on anyone who can, though. Sometimes I wish I felt comfortable doing so. But I certainly don’t think I’ll ever find my home closed… I would hope not anyway (insert scared expression here).

Before going on to hire an editor, most authors use beta-readers. How do you recruit your beta-readers, and choose an editor? Are you lucky enough to have loving family members who can read and comment on your novel?

I am lucky enough to have some good friends who will read my novels before release and thank goodness I do. It’s terrifying releasing something nobody has commented on or told you if it’s even worth reading, I would feel way more anxiety if I didn’t have those people in my life. As far as editing goes, I just mostly do that myself. Call it poor man’s editing or anything you want, but currently, I can only really let myself do it and whatever feedback I get from my friends on the books I write, I take into account, but I only really change things based on if multiple people call out the same thing. Because some story beats or moments might not work with one person, but may with another, so I need a group vote, basically, if I end up changing anything in the story.

I walk past bookshops and am drawn in by the smell of the books – ebooks simply don’t have the same attraction for me. Does this happen to you, and do you have a favourite bookshop? Or perhaps you are an e-reader fan… where do you source most of your material from?

I actually do love the smell of new books. Fresh paper should be an air freshener scent, haha. I definitely prefer physical books to ebooks, but I’m not a stickler for either. Ebooks are super convenient and physical copies are much more satisfying to get through, I’d say I read physical books more than ebooks. Though, I do enjoy a good audiobook, as well. No favorite bookshops, though, unfortunately. I just go to whichever one I can find.

I used to find myself buying books in only one genre (fantasy) before I started writing this blog. What is your favourite genre, and have your tastes changed over time?

I love almost all genres of storytelling. The only one I’m not very big on is erotica, never got into that. But I think I love fantasy/sci-fi the most. I love worlds that immerse me and take me out of this one. Escapism is very important sometimes. It can be dangerous if we get too lost in it, but staying only in this world our whole lives seems like a missed experience to me. If that’s what some people want and like, that’s their business and I can respect that, but I think they’re missing out just a little, at least, haha.

Social media is a big thing, much to my disgust! I never have enough time myself to do what I feel is a good job. What do you do?

On social media? I actually don’t get on social media very much (I know, go ahead and scald me for it). I know it’s kind of a self-published author’s necessity, but I just find it boring most of the time and the time-consuming aspect of it is very mind numbing. I will probably be getting more into it in the future as it does have it’s benefits for writers like me, but as of right now, I’m definitely in the same boat — not much of a good job going on with it from my end.

The only current profiles I have are Goodreads and Facebook. I manage them, I’m not on them very often and all I really add to them are book covers. I contact book bloggers for mentions and reviews, some websites sell advertising packages I go for (though you have to be really careful with those with all the scammers out there). I occasionally take advantage of the free book promos and ad campaigns kindle allows me to throw out there.

Answering interview questions can often take a long time! Tell me, are you ever tempted to recycle your answers from one to the next?

As I’ve not done very many interviews yet, I definitely haven’t felt the need to recycle many questions/answers, thankfully. I’m not a fan of repetition, so I’d like to try and vary my answers up as much as I can, but I can definitely see a point of being asked the same question where I run out of different responses eventually. It may take a long, long time, but I can definitely see it. All your questions have been great, though! No repetition here!

About the Book

Isaac, an average man, is thrust into a world of six war-fueled gods and must find a way home with the help of the allies he meets along the way. The world of Tiloran is vast and unfamiliar and Isaac does not belong. Along his way, he will be forced on an emotional and epic journey to accept a reality he isn’t ready to face.

More about Julian

In Julian’s spare time, he enjoys any form of story, whether it be movies, tv shows, video games, books, or even popular RPG tabletop games such as Dungeons and Dragons (Improvising stories and characters on the spot). He loves spending time with his friends and finding whatever adventurous activity he may be able to do when he can.

While he only has a couple of novels published on amazon for the time being, he plans on writing plenty more, starting with the rest of the series of Tiloran, currently awaiting the next installment of the series.

Among his fantasy series, he also loves to write for any genre including science fiction, drama, thrillers, and potentially horror, though that last one may be fairly far into the future. As for with all his stories, he sincerely hopes anyone who picks up his books thoroughly enjoys and perhaps even connects with them in any way and, while releases may be slow, he’s excited to share more for as long as he can.

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Interview with Skyler Peterson, author of The Isle of Falidor

Skyler E Peterson was born in Roswell Georgia and spent most of his youth either having adventures out in the world, or at home in written one’s. After spending so much time imagining himself alongside his favorite heroes in books he decided it wasn’t enough and has been writing ever since.

What is your favourite dragon in literature?

Unfortunately, I’ve not read a lot of books that have had Dragons in them! I kind of feel that people either worry about not representing dragons with the proper power they should have, or have the thought that “Oh everyone knows about dragons, let’s try something else!”. Though, now that you’ve brought my attention to that, I think I may have to add a Dragon to one of my future books! As for my answer, I think Tolkien did it right with Smaug. This extremely greedy and powerful creature who knew how powerful he was, to such a degree he failed to worry about his weakness until it was entirely too late.

Everyone has a ‘first novel’, even if many of them are a rough draft relegated to the bottom and back of your desk drawer (or your external harddrive!). Have you been able to reshape yours, or have you abandoned it for good?

Oh gosh, I do still have it saved and have occasionally looked over it. Though I don’t think it will be dusted off and reshaped, that’s only because my last reading through I noticed that the series I have been writing has a lot of correlation with it. I think I may have subconsciously given it new life with a different story.

Over the years, what would you say has improved significantly in your writing?

Punctuation, without a doubt. I keep all my old writings so I can look back so I can see how far I’ve come, and looking back at my original longest fanfiction it’s always both embarrassing and uplifting. It was only ten pages, but at that time that was very impressive, and it has all of about four periods. It’s embarrassing seeing all that, and seeing how the story wasn’t so great, but it’s also so uplifting and humbling knowing I’ve grown so much. I think that’s an advantage writers have, at least if we keep our old works. We get to see our growth over the years and get to see that we’re better now than we have been.

Some authors are able to pump out a novel a year and still be filled with inspiration. Is this the case for you, or do you like to let an idea percolate for a couple of years in order to get a beautiful novel?

I like to think I am constantly filled with that inspiration, largely because I do spend a lot of time thinking over my books, noticing where there are flaws, and finding ways to fix them. I’ll take time to deepen a character that was lacking in growth and try to figure out where I’m going to put that. Though I’m also very aware of how long it’s taken me to put together this novel, so the answer is a bit of column A, a bit of column B, mostly B though haha.

I have heard of writers that could only write in one place – then that cafe closed down and they could no longer write! Where do you find yourself writing most often, and on what medium (pen/paper or digital)?

Thankfully I don’t struggle with that, well I suppose not to that degree. I do somewhat require some quiet to write of course, but location wise it’s never been a problem. As for medium, I’m fine with both pen and paper, as well as digital! Though digital is far superior, largely due to how quickly I can type compared to handwrite, Isle of Falidor was initially handwritten. I was on a mission for my church when I had started, in my free time I got my notebook out and just started writing, and when I got home from it I put it all into Word.

Before going on to hire an editor, most authors use beta-readers. How do you recruit your beta-readers, and choose an editor? Are you lucky enough to have loving family members who can read and comment on your novel?

I am indeed very lucky in having family and friends who took the time to read my books! I have nieces and nephews who are huge fans, and I do my best to not let it inflate my ego, haha. I am very aware though that you can only take the word of family and friends so far, that’s always been in the back of my mind, so when I have had editors look over the books and give their reports and said they also think they’re good that’s when I first thought I was onto something. Not to disregard my families’ kind words, because they were very much a driving force.

I walk past bookshops and am drawn in by the smell of the books – ebooks simply don’t have the same attraction for me. Does this happen to you, and do you have a favourite bookshop? Or perhaps you are an e-reader fan… where do you source most of your material from?

I have my book on all forms of media! Listening to my book being read by S L Albert (Hopefully I can give her a shout-out, she did amazing work) was the first time I didn’t physically cringe when someone read my work out loud. With that being said, there will never be a proper replacement for the physical copies! My brother is very forward-thinking and he knows the future is E-books and digital media, and I agree it is. But there will always be those of us who want to hold the books in our hands, read the real words off the pages, and of course smell them! There’s nothing like it.

I used to find myself buying books in only one genre (fantasy) before I started writing this blog. What is your favourite genre, and have your tastes changed over time?

It has to a degree. Fantasy has always been a love of mine, but I used to be so much more into Sci-fi, and horror! I grew up reading the Goosebumps series and Animorphs, both of which really kicked started my desire to write, but it wasn’t until Harry Potter that I leaned much more into Fantasy and started reading Tolkien and R A Salvatore, and from there it’s been magic and sword.

Social media is a big thing, much to my disgust! I never have enough time myself to do what I feel is a good job. What do you do?

I am right there with you, I am not a big fan of social media at all! I’ll admit it’s a good thing when it comes to keeping up with friends, families, and new books coming out, but it has such a downside too. I’ll simply leave that there, because I don’t want to rant, if I do that I’ll have to get my stick and demand kids get off my lawn, haha. What’s honestly terrible, for me anyway, is that I’m horrible with keeping up with social media, and that’s especially bad since I am self-published and I very much rely on the internet to get my voice out there. So you have discovered my missing Scale, so to speak, as it is something I need to work on. Thankfully I have an amazing Fiance who does her best to help me keep up on it, but we’re both busy and you simply just forget. My primary platform is Facebook and as for time it’s quite bad, I would say at best about an hour a week. I really am horrible at it. I really don’t mind doing it so much, I suppose it’s more you can only advertise yourself and shout about what you’ve done into the void hoping you’re heard, so I overall wouldn’t say I hate it, nor do I enjoy it, just neutral.

Answering interview questions can often take a long time! Tell me, are you ever tempted to recycle your answers from one to the next?

They certainly can, and I kind of enjoy it to a degree! I put on some of my writing music and get myself zoned in and just go! I haven’t been tempted yet, I don’t think I ever will either, simply because I want people to see the genuine me! They’re not going to get that from a copy-paste of my answers. There certainly are some stories I like to repeat and tell because I think those are fun, but overall not a chance. I think it’s quite fun to answer interview questions and give people an insight into how I think, even if being in my head is a bit scary! Haha.

About the Book

It all started with disbelief. When Earth stopped believing in magic, and began to believe in science, another world was created. A realm where magic ran wild. On this world is an island named Falidor where war has raged for five hundred years. For months General Kalibrach has had recurring dreams that he would find an answer to the bloodshed, an answer in the form of a hero from Earth. Yet will this hero be what they expect, or will she be something more?

You can purchase this novel from Amazon

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Interview with Dianne Corbeau, author of “Six Days in Detox”

Dianne Corbeau has been writing and working as a professional writer, artist, and anatomy professor. Her experience from the past couples it with learning from the present lessons and presents you with memorable stories about truth and self-reflection.

The reflection is internal and external. Internally, backstories are interwoven throughout her books to have depth and understanding. Externally, through stories of truth, Dianne finds learning, humor, and growth. Her debut novella, Six Days in Detox, has received excellent reviews. Ms. Corbeau continues to work and live in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

What is your favourite dragon in literature?

Falkor, The Never-Ending Story. “Never give up and good luck will find you.” Falkor is wise, dignified, and optimistic. He gives advice when people lost all hope. His openness and ability to make friends touched everyone he encountered. The author of Never-Ending Sory, Michael Ende, hated the movie, they left out chunks of the book and the author removed his name from the movie. He created this beautiful character.

Everyone has a ‘first novel’, even if many of them are a rough draft relegated to the bottom and back of your desk drawer (or your external hard drive!). Have you been able to reshape yours, or have you abandoned it for good?

I wrote my first novel ten years ago and it was stolen by my editor. She renamed it, changed it to fiction, and won a prestigious book award. When I realized this, I was in a relapse, hence the novella, Six Days in Detox. I never took action.

Over the years, what would you say has improved significantly in your writing?

I understand my writing process better and the techniques are being developed on deeper levels. I continue to study and learn daily.

Some authors are able to pump out a novel a year and still be filled with inspiration. Is this the case for you, or do you like to let an idea percolate for a couple of years in order to get a beautiful novel?

The time span varies. It can be years after the experience or weeks that I am writing about it.

I have heard of writers that could only write in one place – then that cafe closed down and they could no longer write! Where do you find yourself writing most often, and on what medium (pen/paper or digital)?

My favorite place to write is my cottage. If I am not writing at my cottage, I have special locations in the libraries on Cape Cod.

Before going on to hire an editor, most authors use beta-readers. How do you recruit your beta-readers, and choose an editor? Are you lucky enough to have loving family members who can read and comment on your novel?

Since my first editor stole my first manuscript, I have been shy. I have educated myself in editing future manuscripts because I only give my finished manuscripts to proofreaders at the publishers. I realize there were grammatical issues with Six Days of Detox, which I learned from for future publications.

I walk past bookshops and am drawn in by the smell of the books – ebooks simply don’t have the same attraction for me. Does this happen to you, and do you have a favourite bookshop? Or perhaps you are an e-reader fan… where do you source most of your material from?

A special past time I have is going into used and rare bookstores. The environment, being surrounded by those books, is comforting to me.

I used to find myself buying books in only one genre (fantasy) before I started writing this blog. What is your favourite genre, and have your tastes changed over time?

Nonfiction. But I like to read and study a great deal in various genres.

Social media is a big thing, much to my disgust! I never have enough time myself to do what I feel is a good job. What do you do?

I manage my profiles. Social media is ongoing and unavoidable. I like Goodreads.

Answering interview questions can often take a long time! Tell me, are you ever tempted to recycle your answers from one to the next? 

I don’t recycle any of my answers because I am in a different place each time. I like to think about the questions so I can gain insight into the work and myself.

About the Novel

This memoir is a compelling story about a woman who relapses after twenty-six years of sobriety. And returns to a state mental institution to begin her journey back into the beginnings of recovery. The story is a hard look at what happened internally (with Dianne) and externally (with the system) as Dianne gives it her all to survive the battle for her life. The fast-paced read is relentless and unforgiving at times, yet it brings you the fragility of the human spirit.

Six Days in Detox by Dianne Corbeau | Goodreads

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Interview with Eric Ferguson, author of “Cold Record”

Eric Ferguson was born in Texas, but migrated west as a preschooler and was raised in Los Angeles. The son of writers and a lifelong reader and rereader, he earned his undergraduate degree in history from California State University, Los Angeles. After several years as a journalist, freelance writer, marketing copywriter and editor, he attended Chapman University School of Law, where he served on the editorial board of the Chapman Law Review and graduated with honors in 2004.

Eric joined the district attorney’s office for a major Southern California county in 2005, and spent his first five years in a colorful trial assignment on the rural fringe of the county. He then moved to his office’s appellate unit in 2010, and has since focused primarily on post-conviction writs and motions, including habeas corpus, DNA and discovery litigation in murder cases. He has also represented the People at more than 50 parole-suitability hearings for inmates convicted of murder.

Eric and his wife Susanne are the parents of two adult children now living abroad. Cold Record, written over a period of more than a decade, is his first novel.

What is your favourite dragon in literature?

I hate to be predictable, but the only dragon I know well is Smaug, and it’s a little hard to imagine there’s a more impressive one. I should qualify by admitting that I largely missed out on Game of Thrones – not that it’s too late to read the books, of course!

I use an ‘egg rating’ system here on The Cosy Dragon when I rate books. Do you have a favourite way of eating eggs? I’m partial to fried eggs, with a base of rice and some spicy sauce.

Omelettes, ideally cooked very firm, though I’ll settle for plain scrambled!

Everyone has a ‘first novel’, even if many of them are a rough draft relegated to the bottom and back of your desk drawer (or your external harddrive!). Have you been able to reshape yours, or have you abandoned it for good?

I actually have two, and the first is certainly abandoned – it was an idealistic political tale, of all the obsolete ideas in America! I do wonder whether the second could be revived.

Over the years, what would you say has improved significantly in your writing?

Self-discipline, organization and the willingness to “kill my darlings.” (I do miss a few of them!) And in law, I’ve finally found something I know enough about to explain with confidence.

How long did your debut novel percolate?

Well over ten years. I’m not sure the exact date when I started, but I know I was looking for a properly inspirational setting when I was in northern California in 2011! (And found it, though I’ve altered and renamed it in the book.)

I have heard of writers that could only write in one place – then that cafe closed down and they could no longer write! Where do you find yourself writing most often, and on what medium (pen/paper or digital)?

Only on my laptop, overwhelmingly at home. I’ve occasionally jotted down an idea on a notepad, but can’t imagine writing a book by hand, or even on a typewriter – more than anything, I know how compulsively I want to edit and refine!

Before going on to hire an editor, most authors use beta-readers. How do you recruit your beta-readers, and choose an editor? Are you lucky enough to have loving family members who can read and comment on your novel?

I do have loving family members, and undoubtedly they’d have humored me with feedback, but I chose to write and edit the book almost entirely alone – in part from wanting not to make a fuss of it, and in part because I did want to make it as legally authentic as possible, which meant a lot of technical thinking. In its late stages, however, I connected with a good friend, Mike Goodenow Weber (also an Amazon author), who was utterly invaluable as a proofreader, question-asker and perspective-shifter. And I did have the benefit of a read-through by a close friend who is a judge. If I summon the initiative to write another novel, I’ll certainly share it more widely – while I believe my internal editing process was ultimately effective, and am happy with the final structure, it was certainly time-consuming and mood-dependent.

I walk past bookshops and am drawn in by the smell of the books – ebooks simply don’t have the same attraction for me. Does this happen to you, and do you have a favourite bookshop? Or perhaps you are an e-reader fan… where do you source most of your material from?

I love bookstores, and physical books. To be fair, the only e-reader I’ve used was a very basic Kindle, but I didn’t find anything about it compelling, so aside from creating a Kindle version of the book, I am fully analog! These days, the only physical place I regularly shop for books is Barnes and Noble – but that is normally good enough for me, unless I find myself grumbling about their selection. A bookstore always lifts my spirits.

I used to find myself buying books in only one genre (fantasy) before I started writing this blog. What is your favourite genre, and have your tastes changed over time?

The safest answer is mystery, because I discovered Agatha Christie by way of my mother when I was about ten years old, and have never yet tifred of reading her books. (I’ve long since read every one, many of them five or more times.) But the more accurate answer would be that I think more in terms of favorite authors, and they vary across genres. I love John le Carre, yet haven’t read many other spy novels. I love Daniel Woodrell, whose genre is hard to define. I appreciate Cormac McCarthy, though “love” isn’t really a word to apply to his books or his style! I’ve immensely enjoyed several long historical epics, like “The Far Pavilions” and “The Pillars of the Earth.” And as far as changing taste, I’ve discovered Larry McMurtry and do have a strong new interest in Western novels, but have barely scratched the surface. So I’m a bit of an omnivore about fiction, but don’t get too far off the beaten track.

Ironically, I have never been much of a fan of legal novels. I tend to find them overheated, contrived and full of sinister motives and silly complications. But I may well not have read the best examples yet.

Social media is a big thing, much to my disgust! I never have enough time myself to do what I feel is a good job. What do you do?

A great topic, since I know it’s very important but am starting from scratch. I signed up for Twitter a decade ago, probably, but only to follow a very few people, and have never yet posted anything myself (!). I don’t take myself seriously enough yet to imagine I have a “profile” to manage, but I’ll probably have to get with the program, and that will require advice. With help from GoDaddy and my reliable friend Mike I now have a website, and will soon embark on Amazon ads and a few other things, including a second book giveaway on Goodreads. But I’m just getting started, and basically clueless.

Answering interview questions can often take a long time! Tell me, are you ever tempted to recycle your answers from one to the next? 

Apart from an interview we generated for the website, this is the first time I’ve ever had the opportunity to answer questions from the perspective of a writer, and I’ve found it quite painless and satisfying. Thank you for giving me the chance!

About the book

An indie book, Cold Record was released on September 15, 2023, and is 385 pages.

Cold Record depicts the investigation and trial of a brutal killing, its unexpected aftermath, and the impact of the crime on all those it touches. A courtroom drama that evolves into an unpredictable legal mystery, Ferguson’s novel reflects the justice system as he has found it to be in his nearly two decades as a prosecutor. Rather than the caricatures of win-at-any cost DAs, imperious judges, and deceptive defense lawyers, Cold Record presents attorneys and judges as skilled, ethical and — like the accused himself — all too human.

Cold Record is available in hardcover, softcover, and e-book.

Eric’s website is at www.ericmferguson.com

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Q&A with Mx. Sly, AUTHOR OF TRANSLAND: CONSENT, KINK & PLEASURE

Mx. Sly (they/them) is a non-binary writer, theatre creator, and producer who has lived in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver and is now based in Melbourne, Australia. Their play Charisma Furs appears in Q2Q: Queer Canadian Performance Texts. Transland is their first book. Transland is a memoir of transformation and self-discovery that explores fetish communities from a gender diverse perspective.

ARSENAL PULP PRESS: Did you always know you were going to title the book Transland? Would you share how you chose this title and unpack it for us?

MX. SLY: I think about the concept of homelands a lot. Of all the identities I hold, being kinky and being trans non-binary are the most vital aspects of who I am, but these are also aspects I frequently have to justify and explain to others.

I long for a place where I can be my fullest self and be seen as innately normal and ordinary, even while I’m being peed on or while jerking off my silicone dick. I’m always looking for home. This memoir is about all the intimacy I’ve explored in pursuit of fulfilling an even deeper longing. I search for a Transland.

APP: The book opens with a note to readers that “Transland is a memoir and a work of creative non-fiction.” Why was it important to you to put the work in these two containers or frames?

SLY: I wanted to situate the book in these two containers to give myself more freedom.

The book is a memoir in the sense that all the fetish sessions, thoughts, and feelings happened IRL. However, instead of sharing events in linear order, I’ve reordered the events of my sex life in this book to follow the model of the Hero’s Journey. In this way, the book is creative non-fiction.

Through the freedom to meld true events into a creative structure, I’m able to derive meaning out of all the random sex and BDSM I’ve messed around with. It’s the synthesis of craft and fact that allows me to access genuine moments of catharsis—in this book, and as a masc-of-centre dude processing my life.

APP: What was your favourite scene or chapter in the book to write, and why?

SLY: My favourite person to write about in the book was my Aussie rope top and my friend with benefits, James. I love every moment he pops up in the narrative. If we come back to the Hero’s Journey, James is my supersexual Obi-Wan Kenobi, and meeting him forever changed what I ask for out of existence. He taught me the value of being untameable, ugly, and free.

James appears in the book’s final scene. In a story filled with the rise and fall of many S&M love affairs, it’s my bondage bromance with James and our friendship that’s my favourite part of the story, because the lessons our play taught me have only strengthened and become more impactful over time.

APP: Throughout Transland you provide definitions of types of play, fetish and kink terms, and toys and equipment. Was it one of your goals in the writing of Transland to provide a sort of intro or basic education to those who are curious about the scene?

SLY: My goal in Transland was to balance writing about kink in a way that would feel visceral and authentic to those in the scene without being too opaque or esoteric to be accessible to other readers.

The book isn’t intended to be an intro to fetish, but I do try to offer enough insight into BDSM that one can have nuanced understandings of concepts like submission, subspace, and postplay drop without having experienced them. In the book, I strive to make the play feel real but also relatable.

That said, I don’t always explain fetish terms the first time they’re used. For example, I use “little” as a noun early in the book, as an Easter egg for the kink community. Later on, I explain what a “little” is in a kink sense to broader readers.

In writing about fetish and how integral it is to my personhood, I feel a loyalty and a desire to do justice to my fellow kinksters first and to bring vanilla audiences along for the ride second.

APP: Transland is a memoir with a strong narrative throughline. Chapters build on each other, people recur, and relationships shift. It could almost be read as a much sexier non-fiction version of Tales of the City. Instead of an apartment building, it’s a Toronto sex club called Fountain where the reader first meets the narrator, Sam, James, and Evie. Was Fountain a clear structural device when you began writing these experiences, or did it reveal itself in the writing?

SLY: It’s funny that you mention Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City, because Tales influenced the serialized storytelling about sex, shifting relationships, and coming-of-age journeys in this book.

That said, the Toronto sex club being a structural device … let’s say that revealed itself in the writing. Fountain is a place I used to have sex in a lot. So, it’s a structural device in the book because it was a structural vehicle in my life—for getting laid. It was an imperfect mainstay in which I’d worship my dominants, explore submission and public sex, and search for transcendence and understanding. Fountain wasn’t the homeland I was looking for, but for a time, it was closer to being a Transland than anything else I knew.

Coming back to the influence Tales has had on my writing though, I’m planning to work on continuations to Transland, much like Maupin did with Tales of the City. So, stay tuned.

APP: What other artists or art influenced the writing of Transland?

SLY: Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises had a big impact on Transland; it taught me to write in a journalistic fashion about my feelings and impulses, as well as the way my brain forms associations and impressions. A sort of hard-hitting reportage of one’s inner world.

Even more influential, Anne Carson’s Autobiography of Red taught me to trust swift shifts between naturalism and magic realism. As a result, Transland often moves from the naturalistic to the imagistic and surreal and back again. The way Carson writes Geryon to be both an angsty queer kid and simultaneously a red dragon inspired me to think of non-binary people as beings who flow between physical forms freely, because what we feel and what we know is too large to be contained in just one body.

For me, pain, bottoming, and BDSM are a catalyst for transformation, setting me free enough to suddenly become a dog, a lion cub, and sometimes, an alien in outer space. Carson made me feel comfortable in writing and sharing those experiences and gave me confidence that readers will come along for the weird ride, as long as the journey is grounded in universal emotional truths.

Pick up a copy of Transland: Consent, Kink, and Pleasure at your local bookstore, or order direct from ArsenalPulp.com

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Interview with A.J. Schaar, author of The Storybook Coroner

A.J. Schaar is the youngest of four sisters, three of whom are writers (like the Brontës). Already an acclaimed playwright of small renown, A.J.’s first published novella, The Storybook Coroner, was almost immediately recognized as an “INDIE BOOK WE LOVE” by LoveReading. Her work across written mediums is most often called, ‘entertaining,’ ‘surprisingly funny,’ and ‘whimsical.’ (She is going for the record number of times ‘whimsical’ is ascribed to a body of work as an adjective.) You can find her online prescence here.

What is your favourite dragon in literature?

Of course, my first response will be: Smaug. I’d call him the OG (original gangster) of dragons in literature because he not only has dialogue—but his lines are all ‘HOT.’ ‘You have nice manners for a thief, and a liar.’ Objectively outstanding ‘BURN.’

Other personal favorite dragons would include Maleficent, Falkor, the Jabberwocky, and Figment. Cosy Dragon readers may also be interested to know there is a dragon in The Storybook Coroner, “Great Malicestriker,” who lives in the mighty tree at the Center of Asgard.

Everyone has a ‘first novel’, even if many of them are a rough draft relegated to the bottom and back of your desk drawer (or your external hard drive!). Have you been able to reshape yours, or have you abandoned it for good?

The idea is still with me for ‘The Tuber of Terror.’ A small potato in a humble garden patch witnesses the massacre of its family before its many eyes on Thanksgiving. Then a freak accident occurs whereby the potato grows to over ten feet in size and develops telekinetic abilities. With its heart set on revenge against potato-eating humans, it becomes a terrorist, suspending its victims in giant jars of water with giant toothpicks. Not too bad for an 8-year-old’s premise? But I’ve never figured out how to make it sustain itself for a full novel, or graphic novel. It might make a better mock ballad, like ‘The Cockroach That Ate Cincinnati’ (shout out to novelty records, everywhere, and may Dr. Demento be blessed).

Over the years, what would you say has improved significantly in your writing?

My writing has improved over time in two clear ways:

One, I used to be very susceptible to voice. You could tell who I had been reading by what I’d been writing—especially in terms of rhythm and style (not content). I’m happy to say I am less susceptible now.

Two, I used to explain everything—

Some authors are able to pump out a novel a year and still be filled with inspiration. Is this the case for you, or do you like to let an idea percolate for a couple of years in order to get a beautiful novel?

Happily, both!

It’s very rare that I start a new longform project unless the idea’s stuck around for several years. That said, I have so many ideas that have been with me for years now, it’s wonderful to have several new projects to decide from as soon as one is finished (or ‘settling down’).

I also like to have at least 2 projects in the works at the same time so I can keep a relatively fresh point of focus on each.

What kind of research do you conduct while writing your books? How does it influence your writing and shape the story?

They say reality is always stranger than fiction, and I must agree with ‘them’ there. I research as I go on almost every project and incorporate a great deal of what I find. My favorite sources are always ‘the original source’ if I can find it; then I trust the Wikipedia wormhole; and if possible, I’ll always talk with real, living, human experts—who know true things that aren’t always publicly disclosed…

I have heard of writers that could only write in one place – then that cafe closed down and they could no longer write! Where do you find yourself writing most often, and in what medium (pen/paper or digital)?

Tables and chairs most often… Yes, sometimes I write just sitting in a chair; sometimes I write just standing at a table—most often though, I’m writing while sitting in a chair, at a table. The table and/or chair could be anywhere.

Sometimes I just bend over to put in a small edit… but then I end up doing much more extensive revisions while I’m at it, and end up crouching or kneeling—as if I’m just about to finish it—until some body part gets stiff or falls asleep.

In terms of medium, I can only write poetry with pen/paper because I can’t write ‘finished from the pen,’ and have little arrows and additions drawn all over the pages… For books and plays, digital is so much faster (and I’ll know what I wrote afterwards. Handwriting, shmandwriting).

Before going on to hire an editor, most authors use beta-readers. How do you recruit your beta-readers, and choose an editor? Are you lucky enough to have loving family members who can read and comment on your novel?

I’m very lucky to have family and friends who will read and comment on my work! These days, I’ve finally written enough material that they’ve liked in the past, I don’t even have to harass them to do it. Much.

I walk past bookshops and am drawn in by the smell of the books – eBooks simply don’t have the same attraction for me. Does this happen to you, and do you have a favourite bookshop? Or perhaps you are an e-reader fan… where do you source most of your material from?

I can’t do the eBook thing. I’d like to, because so much is immediately available. But you should see the sheer number of books in our house. And we (my husband and I) reference most of them, constantly. Any new city we go to, we check out the indie bookshops. That said, we probably order most of our physical books online—because we live in the future.

I used to find myself buying books in only one genre (fantasy) before I started writing this blog. What is your favourite genre, and have your tastes changed over time?

Tough question… I’ll probably go back to revisit the classics (across genres) more than anything else. In terms of new work, I’ll probably (like you) spend the most time in fantasy, and then second place would be a tie between westerns/noir/sci-fi/adventure. I’m also a sucker for a good biography. And I’ll always stop to read a manifesto.

Social media is a big thing, much to my disgust! I never have enough time myself to do what I feel is a good job. What do you do?

Personally, I don’t check out social media at all anymore. Professionally, when it’s had to do with plays, I’ve worked with an awesome social media manager! I’ve never walked out a self-published novel before and look forward to learning from the experts as I go.

Answering interview questions can often take a long time! Tell me, are you ever tempted to recycle your answers from one to the next?

Not when the questions are as much fun as these! I truly appreciate the opportunity to share this Cosy chat with you.

About The Storybook Coroner:

Kidnapping. Robbery. Death Queens. PsychoPumps. Master Plans. Hell Holes. Gods. Dragons.

True Love.

Sandwiches.

INDIE BOOKS WE LOVE. “This is a tale full of irreverent humour, with a broad cast of gods introduced, mysteries uncovered, and grand rescue plans concocted… Easily readable and whimsical…  An interesting and entertaining romp through mythology, with a modern twist.”

– LoveReading

 Learn more and purchase this novel at the following links:

Paperback and eBook versions currently available at Barnes & Noble

Details soon at LoveReading’s Indie Books We Love

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