By - Melissa Jones Mcginnis How did you get into the nerdy realms? What were some of your earliest nerdy memories? I can’t remember a time that nerdy things weren’t around me. My mother always read to me and of course, I favored the fantasy style. Something about escaping to another world that only exist at the peak of my imagination fascinated me. However, it wasn’t until Lord of the Rings books and then soon after Harry Potter that my interest reached new levels. Magic, dragon, fantastical beasts, and abilities. How could anyone not fall in love with such wonder? My earliest memories would, of course, be reading through my fantasy style books but that’s not what set with me. My best friend and I used to pretend we lived in Atlantis where there were all sorts of magical beings. We each played a certain character. Mine was Lynx shapeshifter Jade. She had long white hair with bright red eyes. She was my first unique creation and the starting point to my nerd/fantasy journey. What genre(s) do you write? What is/are the title(s) of your book(s)? I write young adult/clean adult fiction. Although I have stretched my reach to epic fantasy. My current titles are “War of Souls” and “War of Blood.” “War of Minds” should release some time this year. Then it will be a completed trilogy. What did you get into first, cosplay, or vending at events? What are some of the different bits of satisfaction you get from these? I was first introduced to the nerd community as a vendor. For years I had wanted to go to cons and nerd events but honestly, I didn’t know what to expect and I have social anxiety so I didn’t go. I missed out. Being an author and trying to push my books forced me into the vendor world. It's incredible! I never feel more welcome than when I go to cons or nerd events. Everyone loves each other and 100% support whatever you are into. Plus being a vendor, you get to see the behind the scenes stuff like a famous guest that they bring in before the crowds get there. What is your favorite con story? So, I was a vendor at the Geek’d Con in Shreveport LA last year. The biggest con I have ever done. Samantha Smith (aka Mary Winchester) was a guest. No lie, I watched her come in before everyone else and I got the chance to talk to her one on one. She, of course, signed a photo for me and after I gave her signed copies of my books, she pulled out her ebook library and suggested a few books I should read. I of course still have both the picture and the paper she wrote her favorite book on. It was incredible and a moment I will never forget. What are some of your favorite events? Geek’d Con is my top because of Samantha but also because of the unique people I met. Geekmas was fun and I’m looking forward to Kilgore Geekend. Who are some of your favorite local authors? What are other local authors doing that you appreciate and/or admire? To be honest, I haven't read any local author's stuff. Simply for the lack of time I have. With the crossover of Cosplay and Modeling with the increased focus of Body Positivity, who do view how Cosplay has dealt with this subject? I fully believe cosplay was upholding body positivity way before it was popular to do so. The geek community is so supporting I could never see anyone shaming someone else because they dressed as a character they loved. I am grateful that the modeling industry finally came around to the idea of uniqueness. In terms of body shape and personal style. What is your opinion on the aggressive growth of all the nerd conventions and events in North and East Texas? FINALLY! Too long has there been a lack of representation for the large group of geeks. We have been forced to play our games and like our nerd lore in the confines of our homes. Or we would have to travel to larger cities to be with our people. However, I think the nerd stigma has become the next fashion scene, and now the people who would have never given it a chance to realize that its more than space ships and magic spells. It’s a family and a way to escape into your world. Who are some of your favorite local non-author vendors? What are some clever vendors out there local that you think, “I wish I thought of that!”? Tipsy Travelers Troupe and Mettlen Design, but Wood your Meme is the most creative thing I have ever seen. Any final thoughts? Thank you for allowing me to be part of your blog and thank you to the entire geek community for showing me so much love and teaching me what it means to love myself. There is nothing more powerful than being happy and content in your life. And the best way to do that is to enjoy the little things. By Amber Royer We writers have our routines and methods of fueling creativity. Sometimes it’s a place where we feel particularly productive, or a time of day when we are most alert. Chocolate and coffee are both associated with writing, and creating in general. Have you ever wondered why? Creativity is a balance of daydreaming/mental wandering and sheer dogged focus. Most writers are good at the first half of that. But a lot of us can use any help we can get on achieving the mental focus required to barrel through a draft, and to hold all the details in our heads required to edit that draft into something coherent. And if we see that something is working for our peers, we’re more likely to give it a try. So all those mugs that say things like, “I turn coffee into books,” can be inspiring. Coffee, of course, is known to boost energy and keep you focused. (It does this by blocking the adenosine receptors that tell you you’re getting sleepy and that your concentration is ebbing.) And the routine of making it, or going to a favorite shop to order it can signal to your brain that NOW is the time when it is supposed to crank out words. (Which means that even if you have to switch to decaf, a regular coffee shop writing meet-up can still work wonders for your word count.) Recent studies have also shown that people who eat chocolate at least once a week perform significantly better cognitively. Is this why so many writers reach for it while struggling to find the right words? Or is the benefit a side effect of the psychological associations that chocolate has? It’s impossible to tell, and I’m not sure it matters. After all, marketeers have done an excellent job of selling us on the idea that chocolate equals romance, intrigue, euphoria, and decadence . . . which can spark inspiration for a variety of scenes in a novel manuscript. However it works, chocolate does seem to have a positive effect on writing productivity. According to the Washington Post, a study at the Luxembourg Institute of Health found that, “Eating chocolate was significantly associated with superior ‘visual-spatial memory and [organization], working memory, scanning and tracking, abstract reasoning, and the mini-mental state examination’ . . . these functions translate to every day tasks, ‘such as remembering a phone number, or your shopping list, or being able to do two things at once, like talking and driving at the same time.’" Another thing known to keep you mentally sharp (while increasing your vocabulary and reducing your overall stress levels)? Writing. It’s kind of a loop. Which may explain how I wound up fueled by coffee, writing an entire trilogy about chocolate. There’s a lot of influences that went into the novels, but the whole coffee shop-writing scene definitely had an impact. The Chocoverse is comic space opera set in a future where there’s about to be a galactic war over who gets to control the production of chocolate. So far, Earth has a monopoly. My protagonist, a failed telonevela star turned culinary arts student, has other ideas. The trilogy includes all my favorite tropes – love triangles, found family, bad-boy heroes, heroines with steep arcs, unusual and artificial intelligences, secrets uncovered, space pirates, over-the-top slapstick humor – within the assumption that the region known as the chocolate belt (roughly 20 degrees North and South of the Equator) has become Earth’s economic center. And that when Earth made its first First Contact, things went wrong, and we didn’t wind up at the center of a Federation, like Star Trek promised us, but rather, are on the outskirts of galactic life, dealing with the fact that our assumptions about a grand future were wrong. But the big themes are really about over coming prejudice, hope paid forward, and the power of love, even without shared cultural context. Welcome to the Chocoverse! I hope you enjoy – either with or without a nice cup of mocha. ---- Amber Royer is the author of the high-energy comic space opera Chocoverse Trilogy. Book 3, Fake Chocolate, was just released April 14. Binge the whole trilogy, starting with a dose of Free Chocolate now! Free Chocolate Book Trailer Pure Chocolate Book Trailer Already caught up? Here’s the synopsis for Fake Chocolate: When disease ravages Earth's cacao plantations, Bo Benitez returns home to help with the media spin to hide that chocolate is in danger of being lost forever. HGB has come up with a new product - one which doesn't appease the cocoa-addicted murderous, shark-toothed aliens threatening to invade the planet. Someone has to smooth things out. Just when Bo starts to make headway, someone tries to kidnap her. While trying to avoid more would-be-kidnappers, Bo finds out that HGB is developing a cure for withdrawal from the Invincible Heart. Will she let her need to be physically whole again tie her to HGB and its enigmatic CEO? When she gets a key piece of evidence that would unravel secrets from three different planets, she has tough choices to make about the future of her world and its place in the galaxy. Follow Amber: Website, Instagram, TikTok: AmberRoyerAuthor Longer Bio: Amber Royer writes the CHOCOVERSE comic telenovela-style foodie-inspired space opera series (available from Angry Robot Books and Golden Tip Press). She is also co-author of the cookbook There are Herbs in My Chocolate, which combines culinary herbs and chocolate in over 60 sweet and savory recipes, and had a long-running column for Dave’s Garden, where she covered gardening and crafting. She blogs about creative writing technique and all things chocolate related over at www.amberroyer.com. She also teaches creative writing in person in North Texas for both UT Arlington Continuing Education and Writing Workshops Dallas. If you are very nice to her, she might make you cupcakes. By David Doub What got you into writing? I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was a kid. Honestly, I think it was reading the Ramona Quimbly books that helped me see myself in literature. She was spunky, but easily embarrassed, smart but not always focused – just like me. It was a revelation to realize that a real person was out there writing those books. When I was in the fourth grade, I had a teacher encourage me to become one of those people writing books. That’s why I’m so big on encouraging young writers. I teach kid’s writing camps in the summer, and you would not believe the creativity of some of those kiddos – especially the very young ones. I can dump out a tub of Legos and say, build a set, make a storyboard, then write a story, and the only hard thing is getting them to move from one activity to the next. I tried that exercise with adults once – they just looked at me like, Huh? You want me to what? But my experience also brings out how important it is for people to see themselves in literature. My friend’s teen daughter came with us this past weekend to help with filming the Fake Chocolate book trailer, and she said she likes to read, but the minute the character is described it throws her out of the story, because it’s always someone who looks nothing like her. Sci-fi in particular has very few Latina protagonists – but I have a number of friends who are super into Sci-fi even though they don’t see themselves reflected there. I was talking with one of my best friends late one night about what she loves about the Marvel Universe, and Star Trek, and Avatar the Last Airbender (seriously, we went on the Paramont Studio Tour together last time we were in California just to see the Star Trek stuff) – and our shared fangirling was part of the influence behind the Chocoverse. I even gave the character my friend’s last name. She told me all she wants is the hashtag #BenitezGirlsRock . Use it liberally, por favor. What was the start of the Chocoverse Trilogy? Why Chocolate? The first book in the trilogy is Free Chocolate. Imagine a future where the aliens make first contact. Only, the guys who show up are commodities brokers intent on taking samples. They get coffee cherries and sugar cane. Pero like . . . they make a translation mistake and miss chocolate. Chocolate becomes the only thing Earth has to trade with the galaxy, which makes Earth’s economy extremely unstable. Fast forward a hundred years, and the whole situation has come to a breaking point. Little does Earth know, but there’s an alien coalition debating whether to declare war to open Earth’s borders to force trade. And there’s internal war brewing over misuse of power in the company that controls Earth’s mega-secure cacao plantations. And there’s secrets. And history between planets and peoples. And there’s a failed telenovela star, who suffered scandal and tried to isolate herself by enrolling in culinary arts program on a backwater planet far far away. Except – Bo’s still a bit naive and optimistic, despite everything, and is convinced that if she takes a gig with the big, cold company, she can steal a cacao pod, share it with a select group of aliens, and by ending the monopoly on chocolate, bring balance to her world. Sound like the setup for a telenovela in itself? Yeah. That’s intentional. As to the chocolate? I’d done a couple of cruise lectures about cooking/gardening for Royal Caribbean and wound up visiting a cacao plantation the day after I’d done a craft chocolate tasting aboard the ship. The different takes on chocolate from my audience – some of whom were horrified by the flavors in dark chocolate and broke into my “ooops I ran out of the expensive stuff, here’s some milk chocolate from the store” bag, and some who were converted to looking for flavor notes in dark chocolate for life – juxtaposed against watching a demo the farmers did on hand-grinding cacao – it was something I wanted to explore more. There’s a lot to chocolate as a plant, as a superfood, as an economic indicator. The fascination colored the series, especially as I started interacting with craft chocolate makers, chocolate sourcers and farmers. Personally, I find Humor the hardest to write. I am curious how you view writing Humor and how do you approach it? There has to be a balance to it. Humor only works if there’s something at stake for the characters, and something more serious you are trying to say underneath it. My novels are very much about overcoming prejudice and finding mercy, peace and hope. That could easily come across as preachy or cloying. The humor – some of which comes along with some really dark moments – cuts the sweetness. Strange Alliances said I indulged in, “rather canny writing which balances raucous humour with downright nastiness.” Yeah. They get me. At a con this summer, the guy who introduced me for my reading said my premise sounded like a 4-AM bar bet (fair, no?) but with thoughtful underpinnings. He asked how I’d pulled that off. It’s research. You have to know the real-world facts of anything you introduce. Yeah, I know, I play fast and loose with the genetic possibilities of aliens actually being able to have kids with Earthlings, and with the medical stuff that happens to poor Bo – but as inaccurate as that stuff is, it’s calculated, because it’s EXACTLY how it would be done in a novela or a space opera series. And that’s what makes it funny. I think I did a better job of explaining the tropes I was doing a send-up of in Books 2 and 3, to help audiences who aren’t familiar with soap opera get the jokes. People who hadn’t watched those kinds of shows before came away a bit confused as to what the book was trying to do. At one point when we were discussing how to get a wider audience for the second book, my agent asked if I was planning on making Bo my ‘verse’s Deadpool to be able to better set up the jokes, but I finally decided that since she didn’t break the fourth wall in the first book, it would be weird if she did it later on. She comes close, though. What are some of the most common questions aspiring writers ask and what seems to help them the most? How do I finish a novel? This is probably the most common question I get, from both teens and adults. There seems to be a barrier at 2,000 words where the new wears off, and people start to realize that maybe the shiny in their heads reads like mud on the page. So they start a new project, because that’s easier. And the new’s back. Until they hit 2,000 words again. But you know what? There’s never going to be an idea alone that will get you past that barrier. I think outlining helps, and other prep steps like character interviews, maps, and writing out how the history/tech/etc. works in the world. But you can get caught in that step and never actually do the writing. There is no shortcut – you have to write your first novel. It will be a learning experience. Most likely, it will be awful. But it will teach you how all the moving parts of a novel work. And once you finish it, you will realize that yes, you can do this. And then, you will have a manuscript on which to practice all the other writing advice people will give you as you edit that raw draft into something better. How much is your writing influenced by the south and North Texas in general? The DFW Metroplex is a heavily multicultural area, which I feel is reflected in the worlds I create. It is also a great area for fandoms, as we have FenCon and Fan Expo Dallas. I wind up making a lot of fan-ish references in the Chocoverse books. It is part of the in-verse shtick that the wide variety of aliens Earth encounters after first contact view Earth Sci-Fi as quirky cult classics – and that some of the same movies popular now are getting their 374th sequel. We also have DallasChocolate.org, which holds a huge chocolate festival each year – and a hugely talented group of local chocolate makers and chocolatiers. You can guess how big of an influence that has been. Are they any good resources in Texas you have found that have helped you and others in your writing? Check out Writer’s Organizations ‘Round Dallas. WORD has a calendar of local writing events and a map of writing organizations. There are so many groups catering to all genres and writing levels. Personally, I teach for both Writing Workshops Dallas and the University of Texas at Arlington Continuing Education Department, and would love to hear from interested students. Are there creators in Texas that you are enjoying their work? What other creators are you enjoying? These three are local: Rhonda Eudaley also does space opera. My favorite work by her is Tarbox Station. Bill Ledbetter has a novel out called Level 5. (I think there’s a sequel either out or in the works.) It’s a lot more serious that what I do, but it has a ton of interesting things to say about AIs. A Lee Martinez does fun sci-fi and fantasy. I’m a fan of anything involving robots and love things with mystery/thriller elements, so I recommend checking out his The Automatic Detective. What upcoming writings do you have coming up that you can share with us? The Chocoverse Trilogy is done with Fake Chocolate, which just launched April 14. So for those of you who like to wait for a series to be done so you can binge read all at once: now’s the time to get your chocolate fix on. Seriously. People tell me my books make them hungry. You want to at least have some hot cocoa or something in the house. If you want a sample story, I have one called Sublingual Breakdown available now through Bookfunnel that you can download. My project for the summer involves a time traveling bachelorette party. If I can actually manage to write a time travel book that holds together logic-wise, it’s going to be amazing. Is White Chocolate really Chocolate? Yes and no. Yes, in the same way that bacon and pepperoni are really pork. If you’re avoiding pork, you’re not just going to eat rendered bacon fat, because it comes from the same source as pork chops, right? White chocolate is made of cocoa butter, which is pressed out of the cacao beans and separated from the solids that make up the percentage of cacao you see marked on many chocolate bars. I consider it chocolate, and use it in There Are Herbs in My Chocolate as the chocolate component in several chocolate/culinary herb paired recipes. (Try the White Chocolate Grilled Sourdough with Chimichurri Sauce. It will change your life!) If you open up a bag of pure cocoa butter and take a whiff, your brain definitely registers chocolate notes – because you can’t completely separate the fat from the cacao. And this question itself is a slippery slope. I mean, is a Hershey Bar chocolate? After all, milk chocolate is only required by law to contain 10% cocoa solids. Which is a far cry from the 70%-85% bars that craft chocolate makers have on offer to show off single origin cacao beans. But some people are going to prefer a 10% bar. Who am I to tell them that it isn’t chocolate? Or that their preference isn’t valid? People start to debate what is and isn’t chocolate when you hit the percentage of their favorite bar. But that leads me to the no answer. TECHNICALLY white chocolate isn’t chocolate, because it doesn’t have a percentage to put it on the scale of chocolate types. Still, the USDA regulates it along with other chocolate products. Personally, I like caramelized white chocolate (sometimes called blonde chocolate) better than traditional white chocolate. It has elements that taste similar to dulce de leche, which adds depth to the sweetness, while at the same time keeping the chocolaty notes. ---- Amber Royer is the author of the high-energy comic space opera Chocoverse Trilogy. Book 3, Fake Chocolate, was just released April 14. Binge the whole trilogy, starting with a dose of Free Chocolate now! Free Chocolate Book Trailer Pure Chocolate Book Trailer Already caught up? Here’s the synopsis for Fake Chocolate: When disease ravages Earth's cacao plantations, Bo Benitez returns home to help with the media spin to hide that chocolate is in danger of being lost forever. HGB has come up with a new product - one which doesn't appease the cocoa-addicted murderous, shark-toothed aliens threatening to invade the planet. Someone has to smooth things out. Just when Bo starts to make headway, someone tries to kidnap her. While trying to avoid more would-be-kidnappers, Bo finds out that HGB is developing a cure for withdrawal from the Invincible Heart. Will she let her need to be physically whole again tie her to HGB and its enigmatic CEO? When she gets a key piece of evidence that would unravel secrets from three different planets, she has tough choices to make about the future of her world and its place in the galaxy. Follow Amber: Website, Instagram, TikTok: AmberRoyerAuthor Longer Bio: Amber Royer writes the CHOCOVERSE comic telenovela-style foodie-inspired space opera series (available from Angry Robot Books and Golden Tip Press). She is also co-author of the cookbook There are Herbs in My Chocolate, which combines culinary herbs and chocolate in over 60 sweet and savory recipes, and had a long-running column for Dave’s Garden, where she covered gardening and crafting. She blogs about creative writing technique and all things chocolate related over at www.amberroyer.com. She also teaches creative writing in person in North Texas for both UT Arlington Continuing Education and Writing Workshops Dallas. If you are very nice to her, she might make you cupcakes. By Melissa D. McGinnis
How did you get into the nerdy realms? What were some of your earliest nerdy memories? I feel like I’ve always been a nerdy and done nerdy stuff but my first real memory is my dad getting me comics for the first time. That is when I became obsessed with superheroes. X-men are my favorite but I can do any marvel character. What genre(s) do you write? What is/are the title(s) of your book(s)? LGBT+ based novels. I have always wanted to give a voice to those who feel like they don’t have one. My books are Drag Queen Zombies, Toys In The Attic, Superteen, Liar Liar Fangs On Fire, Monsters, Smile, Survivor, Polaroid and short stories all available on Amazon.com What did you get into first, cosplay or vending at events? What are some of the different bits of satisfaction you get from these? The first even I ever did was called the East Texas Book Bash. I literally had two books and nothing else. I was terrified and just sat there waiting for people to come up for my books and buy them. I didn’t really make money until the last 30 mins. But it made me want to do more. It is satisfying and to know that I am out there representing the LGBT+ Community. What is your favorite con story? So it was recent at All-Con. I had this kid , probably about 12 or 13, and he was starring at me and had walked by like three times before he stopped and bought buttons. They had flags and rainbows on them but he said he had to hide them from his mom because she didn’t know he was gay. It just made me feel so strongly about what I was doing and who I was and how it made a mark on people. He needs acceptance and love. That’s all he needs and not to hide. What are some of your favorite events? I loved Kilgore Geekend, East Texas Book Bash, Athens Comic Co and Tyler Comic Con Who are some of your favorite local authors? What are other local authors doing that you really appreciate and/or admire? There are two that I met that are wonderful people. C.J. Peterson and Courtney Shockey. Not only are they good authors but they are good people that have help me out. With the crossover of Cosplay and Modeling with the increased focus of Body Positivity, who do view how Cosplay has dealt with this subject? I feel like it has done its best. It doesn’t limit people but it can’t control the world and their opinions. In mine, I love to see Body Positive people rock the same thing a “Skinny” person is wearing. What is your opinion on the aggressive growth of all the nerd conventions and events in North and East Texas? It is wonderful. People need more places to nerd out and be themselves. Some people can’t afford to go to huge cons so little ones are there place to be. Who are some of your favorite local non-author vendors? What are some clever vendors out there local that you think, “I wish I thought of that!”? A Non-Author I really like is Dandelion Creations. She does soap and perfume and all kinds of smell good stuff and of course Bath Bombs. I am a sucker for a Bath Bomb. And to the second question there was one guy with a giant glass case featuring his books with lights and stuff and I was like that’s so cool and inventive. Any final thoughts? Be you because being you is beautiful. Muah. By Melissa Jones McGinnis
How did you get into the nerdy realms? What were some of your earliest nerdy memories? In truth, I think I was born a nerd and/or geek. I’ve always been a bit bookish, prone to reading things about history, geography and a host of other subjects from a very young age. Born disabled, I learned to read at age 3, probably out of necessity. But this fed my imagination and allowed me a very real (to me anyway) escape from the bonds of a body that wouldn’t do what I wanted it to do. I wrote my first short story when I was 9 years old. Honestly, that’s one of my first nerdy memories. That or the Superman lunchbox I had in Kindergarten. I remember seeing Superman II in theaters. I remember seeing the original Star Wars in theaters (I was barely 3 when it came out, yet I can remember it clear as day. One of the last real memories I have of that period of my life.) I eat, sleep and breathe geekdom. From G1 Transformers and GI Joe to the Syndicated Star Trek Original Series, these shows were my escape. I turned 46 March of 2020 and I still enjoy those shows… What genre(s) do you write? What is/are the title(s) of your book(s)? I’m known for my fiction. I somewhat “created” my genre. I refer to them collectively as “Detective Thrillers”. My Mendez Series is an ongoing series of detective books, set in and around my native East Texas area. Each book is a bit different, combining elements of a true “Whodunit?”, a Suspense tale, the conventional Thriller and a good old fashioned Mystery at time. Each book is different. In one book, you don’t know who the killer is until right at the very end. In another, not only do you know, you actually spend half the book in the killer’s POV. So, given the way the series varies, I lump them together as “Detective Thrillers.” I also have a YA Suspense story called Sutter’s Cave. Most recently, I compiled a collection of letters my grandfather wrote when he was in WW2 and released them in a book. I added a bit of history in the beginning for context but the focus of the book is the collection of thoughts written by my grandfather from the European theater. What did you get into first, cosplay or vending at events? What are some of the different bits of satisfaction you get from these? I attended my first Con in 2014. It was just as an attendee. Just wandering around, looking at everything, star struck by all the celebrities. That kind of thing. But I immediately knew it would be a good place to sell my books. I’m a nerd. I’m a geek. I love books. As I looked around at what they were buying, I noticed books were among the top things they were buying. Sure, they bought swords, t-shirts, comics, prints, and took the obligatory photo op. But there was a market for books, so I jumped on it in 2015. As of 2020, I’ve become somewhat of a regular on the scene. I have an established (if growing) following and that’s a nice thing. It’s always wonderful to see the same faces eager to see what I’ve been up to since the last event. It’s a very humbling feeling, if I’m being honest. What is your favorite con story? I have so many wonderful con stories, but my favorite one is somewhat negative in a way. I can look back on it and laugh now, but it was a learning experience. Long story short, I started going to the cons in 2014, as I said above. By 2016, I had decided I wanted to try cosplay. I am not a builder. Not “crafty” so I knew I was going to buy something rather than try to make it. Being a lover of MANY “fandoms”, It was difficult, but I finally decided to go in Star Trek TNG cosplay. I bought an Admiral’s coat, Fleet Admiral Rank Pips, the whole thing. I looked pretty good, all things considered. I wound up getting my friends to go with me, also in cosplay. At one point, they were waiting in line for a picture with someone from one of the rare fandoms I know nothing about. So, I was off to the side, in my wheelchair, just holding everyone’s stuff while they waited in line. Suddenly, this tall, gangly, young guy walked up to me, scowling like I’d just kicked his mother in the head or something. The closer he got, the more pursed his lips became. As he reached me, he looked me up and down and scoffed, “Admiral?” Even though I admit I was a tad nervous, I tried to diffuse the situation. I smiled, pointed to my collar and said, “Fleet Admiral!” Still agitated, he said, “Bit presumptuous ain’t it?” Still smiling, I said, “Well, no.” I pointed to my wheelchair and said, “Here’s my ship.” Then I pointed to my friends and said, “There’s my crew.” Still mad, he paused for a minute and finally walked away. My entire countenance fell. My day had been ruined. Or had it? Because, you see, before the kid was even out of earshot, a young girl walked up to me. She was maybe 17. Wearing a Star Trek TNG uniform and Lieutenant pips. And a battery operated tribble that shook and giggled when you squeezed it. Smiling, she saluted and said, “Hi Admiral!” I saluted back and said, “Nice to see you, Lieutenant!” We talked for a few seconds and she asked me if she could take a picture with me. I told her she could if she let me hold the tribble. She agreed. In a moment, what WAS the worst day of my con experience became one of my favorite days even years later. Within seconds, I found the lowest of the low and the highest of the high. And it’s all due to the perceptions of others. But I did learn a great lesson that day. Not everyone is nice. And that’s okay. For every person like that guy there are three like the young girl that made my day so great. What are some of your favorite events? Kilgore Geekend is my home. I look forward to it every year. I schedule my year around it. If anything else is scheduled on that weekend, it won’t happen. My people are there. Another great one is Tyler Comic Con. I’ve been going to both of them since the beginning. I’ve only missed one or two years, due to health problems. And only when I absolutely could not go. Who are some of your favorite local authors? What are other local authors doing that you really appreciate and/or admire? CJ Peterson and LM Mann are kind of my road buddies. My fellow Sabine ISD Alum Sandra Biersdorfer too. We go a lot of places together. Also, Mike Clifton and Mike Wigington. We’ve done a lot of the same events recently. They are constant faces in my world. I must also mention Anne Belle and Paul Petty. CL Parks and Patty Wiseman are each a literary force to be reckoned with in their respective genres. Honestly, I’ve been around this business for a long time. I’ve seen authors come and go. But if I were to try and list every author that I enjoy or every author that is talented or gifted or really good at XYZ, we’d be here a very long time. With the crossover of Cosplay and Modeling with the increased focus of Body Positivity, who do view how Cosplay has dealt with this subject? I don’t really know if I have a thought on it, to be honest. I’m not a cosplay person per se. I’m an author who has done cosplay once or twice. There are people some might think do cosplay an injustice by doing this or that. Others might think I’m a disservice to cosplay because I’m in a wheelchair and cosplayed a Star Trek TNG Admiral. I think people need to be able to express themselves. My books are not for everyone. The same could be said for certain cosplayers. Some go more risqué than others for example. Some events might cater to a more risqué audience and not want persons more tamed in their costuming. You’re always going to be “Too” something for some people. Whether you’re a writer, artist, cosplayer or any other creative person, just remember these words…. “Those aren’t your people.” What is your opinion on the aggressive growth of all the nerd conventions and events in North and East Texas? For me personally, I’d go to a new one every week if they were near to me. That being said, I worried for a while about the saturation in the Ark-La-Tex area. Unfortunately, cons have come and gone and new cons have started in their place and died after just a year or two. The reality is there’s only so much money in a person’s pocket at any given event. If we had more opportunities locally, there’d be more opportunities to get our various products in the hands of people. But, in order to accomplish that, you’d just about have to be a millionaire. The reality is smaller cons are rarely profitable, in the sense of making enough money to put another one on next month. Still. I see all these small East Texas Towns around here and I just feel like we need to bring these small communities together by having vendor fairs and cons in areas where they don’t have to drive an hour or three. Who are some of your favorite local non-author vendors? What are some clever vendors out there local that you think, “I wish I thought of that!”? I can’t name anyone by name, but I enjoy these events tremendously. I tend to migrate toward the t-shirt vendors myself, but I have met a tone of artists out there. I learn something new at each event. Whether it’s taking payments via paypal (something I had not done before) or having author merch available to support my books. Like I said, I’ve been around a while, so I’ve tried a lot, but the biggest thing I’ve learned is that there’s always something to learn. If we ever get back to a level of public safety where these events can continue, I promise you I will learn something new each time. I believe Bruce Lee said it best, when discussing his martial arts philosophy. “Absorb what is useful, discard what is useless and add what is uniquely your own.” I’ve built my career on that philosophy and the great advice of others over the years. Any final thoughts? Whether we are authors, cosplayers, artists, voice actors or any other participant in events, we are family. Without regard for race, religion, creed, color, birth gender, gender identity or level of ability, we are one family. In a world that chastises people who CHOOSE to be one way or the other, we are uniquely positioned to be the leaders of tomorrow by respecting the differences of others. Find somebody different from you. And make them your friend. One pebble may be miniscule, but even the tiniest pebble can create ripples in the largest ocean. Here’s to the waves we will make in years to come. Love you al By David Doub What got you into comics? What got you into making comics? I started collecting comics at a very young age, my father gave me his collection from the 70s. It was mostly Batman and X-Men books. I got into making comics after seeing how easy it was to make a high quality book, it seemed easy enough I just needed to have the right artist. What is the Totally Rad Life of Violet about? What inspired you to write it? Violet takes place during the mid 1980s it's about a recovering drug addict who loves to have a good time but also wants to clean up the streets. The story follows our character as she overcomes withdrawal and grief over the lost of a close friend. She trades in drug addiction for sex addiction but in doing so uses it to help her achieve her goals of taking down the local drug kingpin. I was mainly inspired by my love for the 80s but also in my personal life I had a few junkie ex-girlfriends that helped bring my character to life. Why start with a Mature book? Texas isn’t know for being forgiving toward adult focused comics. The simple way to put it is: “sex sells” But I make a mature book in a way that it's not all just sex there's a meaningful message in my book about staying off drugs and being able to forgive yourself during those dark times. Can you describe your process in writing a producing a book? I have a pretty easy process. Most of my scripts I come from my imagination. I use the same artist for most of my books so I write out how each page should look and 99.9% of the time my artist and I are on the same page visually How was your experience doing crowdfunding? My experience so far has been outstanding, being just a average guy who had no pull in the comic book industry no fan base when starting. I've been really fortunate in how quickly I've achieved success and I wouldn't have it without the loyal fans who buy all my products What support and inspiration have you gotten from the Indie Comic Scene? Same questions but with the North Texas Nerd Scene? I've gotten much love and support from Wendy Steen Shaner (Naughty Fairy Stripper Assassins), Cara Nicole and Alfred Trujillo (Firebitch), Dan Mendoza (Still ill) & many others. In North Texas I've gotten much support from a few cosplayers (Captain Ameridad & BCharrlotteD) What are some local creators that you’ve been enjoying? I've been enjoying Chris Hays (Forgotten Isle) and Luis Torres (Ace & Starlet). It's so amazing to see their work come to life and be enjoyed from all over the country. If you could write any character or property, who or what would it be? If you could work with any creator living or dead, who would it be? I'm a huge movie buff so I would really love to write some movie based comics like "The Warriors", "Critters" and "Army of Darkness" to name a few. I would love to work with Gil Kane or Steven Hughes those are definitely my top 2 favorite artist of all time. If money and time was no object, what would be your dream comic to create? I'm technically already making my dream comics but if money wasn't a object I'd be able to put it all out alot faster. What other comics do you have coming up soon? I have quite a few. Cherry #24 from Cherry Comics "Strange Cosmic Tales" coming at the end of April A Totally Rad Life of Violet star wars parody story for May the 4th Totally Rad Babes from Outterspace #1 Totally Rad Life of Violet #3 Neon: The Next Victim #1 coming this summer. What are some of your favorite nerd events in Texas? I really love the North Texas Comic Show as well as the Dallas Comic Show https://www.facebook.com/totallyradcomics19/ By David Doub
What got you into speculative fiction? Why do you like to write about magic and the like? Mostly because it’s fun. Who doesn’t love getting away from politics and work by escaping into a magical world? And it’s in those settings we can ask the most interesting questions. What is your process for writing a book? How to you flesh one out until it’s a finished project? First, I meticulously plan every chapter in an overly detailed outline that a TV serial killer would envy. Then I work out every aspect of the other world I’m writing about. How the magic works, how the governments and economies work. All of it. Then I start writing and hope to stay roughly along the rails I’ve set out. I usually don’t, but that’s part of the fun. What is the inspiration for Marshal Law? Lots of things. I think I was watching Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and thinking about how it’s a western, frontier story on a space station. Marshal Law is an epic fantasy with all the trappings and fun parts of a western thrown in. It also came from a few ideas I had that I was developing as different books. One day it hit me that these characters could all be in the same story, and now I can’t imagine separating them. What are some resources in North Texas that has helped you in your writing? I wouldn’t have gotten this far without DFWCon. There’s a good reason it’s often voted one of the best writing conferences in the country. I’ve met incredible people there (you know who you are) and learned more than I can remember. Who are some North Texas creators that you follow or want to mention? And why? I’m going to recommend the authors I worked with when I put together a fantasy anthology earlier this year. The Lost Legends: Tales of Myth and Magic includes a lot of local voices who are up-and-comers. All of them are worth looking into. What are the some of the pros and cons of being and independent author? The worst part is being lost in a sea of other writers and wondering how to stand out, but that’s also the best part. Eventually I realized those other writers were a community and not my competition. The best part is making my own books and deciding for myself how I’m going to promote and curate my work. Publishers will throw money at a new book for a few weeks and then cut it off, but I can keep my book going as long as I want. What are a few pieces of advice you would get to new and/or struggling writers? Learn the writing craft. The best way to stand out is to be someone who really knows how to write. There’s a lot of books out there in the indie market, but many writers have not taken the time to master the craft. When you read a book by someone who knows how to use their words you can tell right away that it’s going to be a special read. What other books or projects do you have coming up? Soon I’ll be releasing the sequel to Marshal Law, an exciting follow-up titled Desert Raine. I’ll finish that trilogy and start work on an epic fantasy series called The Land without Kings. Title: Marshal Law (Book One) Author: Adam D. Jones Link: https://www.amazon.com/Marshal-Law-Adam-D-Jones-ebook/dp/B07ZMS2R44/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=marshal+law+book+one&qid=1572644592&s=digital-text&sr=1-1 Available as: paperback, e-book, kindle unlimited Marshal Law is fantasy story that takes place on a frontier world. An oppressive regime rules the land, patrolling the endless desert with ruthless sandships, but the fronteir finds the strength to fight back when a rugged band of survivors discovers a forgotten source of magic. If you enjoy Stephen King’s THE DARK TOWER series or Brandon Sanderson’s ALLOY OF LAW, then you’ll be right at home with MARSHAL LAW. By David Doub Please introduce yourself and describe your chosen Creative Medium. My name is Jasmine Willis but I go by Jazzy Né (nay). I am a writer, entertainer, and graphic designer. What got you into your Creative Medium? What schooling and experiences help lead you there? What do you do to continue to learn and improve? Growing I watched my childhood heroes be actors, cartoonists, voiceover artists, etc and I knew that I wanted to be like them. Everything I know now has been through learning on my own. I've watched YouTube videos and continue to practice. I know most would think it takes major discipline, but in reality it takes a good amount of curiosity to find out what else you can learn. That's literally what I do. What are some of your favorite works? What do enjoy about creating? What are some pet peeves? I think my favorite work was a YouTube video I produced about being a Black girl gamer. It was a solo project I worked on, with some help from my husband, and I was very hype about the final product! Creating to me is an outlet. It allows me to release whatever negative or weird energies I've dealt with to be revamped and turned into whatever it is I'm working on at the time. Biggest peeve is when my pc decides it doesn't want to be nice or I overwhelm myself with too much on the plate. Who are some local creators who you enjoy their work or are just generally awesome people? Please explain why. Aww jinkies... Ummm... I'll have to say I love the works from Mixed Hues, my girls Tami and Kika (cosplayers), and DJ R.O.C.K.M.A.N.!! They may not be traditional artists but they are creators in their own right and my fave Black geeks to ever be around! What are some of your favorite local conventions? Can you share any particular fun memories? I don't have any favorites but I have attended some - IKKICON, Okashicon, AnimeCTX, and PAX South to name a few. My team, The NexCrew, hosted a panel at Ikkicon called Race: Does It Truly Matter? and while we had some folks try to troll us the turnout and learning opportunities were amazing! We got to empower our fellow geeks and encourage others to be bold in who they are. I got to host and DJ a party Okashicon! I have NEVER DJed before that was fun lol. At PAX South I was able to establish connections with amazing musicians and people in the Nerdcore music world. I have pictures on my FB page to show how short I am but that these folks are amazing!! What do you look forward to for Women of Wonder Con? What do you hope people can take away from Women of Wonder Convention? I'm looking forward to representing the Black geek community at Women of Wonder Con. I want to show young girls and boys who look like me that they too can do what I do! I want people to walk away from the con feeling empowered and riding the creative vibes. They should feel like they can do anything and their fire won't be doused by dream killers. You can find me at the following: Twitter.com/JazzNexCrew Instagram.com/jazz_necole Facebook.com/jazziewillis. Visit gcxaustin.com and thenexcrew.com to see my teams in action! The Dallas Public Library hosts the 3rd annual Women of Wonder Con on Saturday, March 7th at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library from 10am to 5pm!
Press coverage about WOW Con 2019: http://kabooooom.com/2019/03/women-of-wonder-con-2019-report/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjXshtdnTEY https://dallaslibrary.librarymarket.com/events/women-wonder-con-2019 More information about Women of Wonder Convention can be found at: http://www.womenofwondercon.com https://www.facebook.com/WomenOfWonderCon By David Doub
What inspired you to make Beast King? I wanted to go for something that felt familiar but was also different. I feel like we need more main characters that are more human and relatable. But a good chunk of my inspiration comes from the Hulk and Wolverine. What was the process like making Beast King? I would say it is just like anyone else making a comic. Run into unfortunate setbacks, make progress and then suddenly you’re to broke to make progress, and then when you’re finally done it feels like it took forever to get there. But it’s always worth it to see the finished product. How was your experience doing Kickstarter? Well I’ve now had around 5 successful kickstarters so it’s not that difficult for me. But in the beginning it was very confusing as I didn’t know anyone or know anything. So I was pretty clueless but managed to fund my first one as I met other creators and learned the way of things. Crimson Gate Comics now has several different titles now. What was that process like doing multiple books? It can be tedious at times. Especially since one of the series, Crosser’s Gate, isn’t mine. I have to make sure I have the funds to keep mine going while also making sure Crosser’s Gate is making enough for Trevis to be able to justifiably keep the series going since he is a full time artist. The ultimate goal is to release about two new issues of each series a year at least so I am hoping we can get there soon. How has the experience been doing shows and store appearances to promote your books? I would say fairly good. I can usually manage to sell a good amount of our comics wherever I am at. I think I have only ever had one bad experience but that was just because nobody was showing up at the comic shop that day. I am hoping at some point I can start doing more conventions as I have only been able to do one or two a year. If you could work with any creator or on any character who or what would it be? I would say I would want to work on Wolverine or The Hulk as those type of stories I feel are where I do best. I like working on characters that are flawed in some way. Plus they are my top two favorite Marvel characters. What are some upcoming comics you have coming out? So this year we are releasing a new series called Ungodly Champion hopefully no later than April. It’s a story of a tournament of the gods held in modern times where gods choose their champion to fight in the tournament. It could be described as Avataar the Last Airbender meets mortal Kombat. Hopefully by June we will be releasing Beast King #4 as well. https://www.facebook.com/CrimsonGateComics/ http://crimsongatecomics.com By David Doub
Most Readers know you from your Sabina Kane and Propero’s War series, but in recent years your focus has a changed a little like with High Lonesome Sound. Is this a conscious change of your writing or a more organic evolution? It was both. When I wrote High Lonesome Sound, I was doing an MFA program at Seton Hill and needed a novel to write as my thesis project. I wanted to use the program as a way to stretch my chops a bit, so I decided to try something new. At the same time, Urban Fantasy was sort of dying out in the market, as far as traditional publishing is concerned, so I knew I needed to start thinking about what I wanted to try next. All of that came together in HLS, which was an idea that had been whispering to me for a few years. The story of a small mountain town with a strange annual ritual, a mourning husband who’d do anything to get his wife back, and a teen girl with the powers she hasn’t yet realized. You offer a lot of writing advice one your site, Twitter, your Wells Writing Workshop newsletter, workshops and seminars through Writing Workshops Dallas and so on. Why do you do offer so much advice and lessons for other writers? Part of the reason I went back to get an MFA so far into my career was that I felt I finally knew just enough about writing after ten years to be able to teach it. Getting the degree was partially an attempt to ensure I knew how to teach well. Also, few writers manage any sort of longevity in this business without having side gigs. It happens that I love teaching, and it felt like a natural evolution for me to mentor newer writers. I just started Wells Writing Workshop because so many people who don’t live in North Texas have asked how they can learn from me since they can’t take my local classes through Writing Workshops Dallas. Right now, the subscription to the newsletter is free, but soon there will be a section of paid subscribers to access my writing lectures, early drafts of my craft books, discounts on my online classes, and initiations to write-ins and retreats. You can see what it’s all about for free until Feb. 1 here: https://jayewells.substack.com/ You worked with FenCon for many years. What is it like working with a convention and can you tell us a little bit more about FenCon and your experiences there? I didn’t actually work with FenCon. I attended several times, and I was a GOH as the Writing Workshop Faculty one year. Unfortunately, my schedule hasn’t allowed me to be able to attend in a few years. But what I really like about FenCon and fan cons of this type is that is begins to feel like a family. You see the same fans and pros year after year, and everyone is there because of shared love of geek culture. What are your thoughts of the recent boom of conventions, be them comic cons or nerd cons or the like? I think if the con is well-run by people who respect both the pros’ and the fans’ time and needs then it’s a good thing. I love going to events where I can connect with my fans and maybe have a chance to earn some new ones. I also enjoy being able to discover new writers, artists, and the like to become a fan of myself. What are some of the most common questions aspiring writers ask and what seems to help them the most? Most new writers are far more worried about selling their work than they are writing great stories. If you haven’t finished a single story, don’t add stress to yourself by trying to learn who the best agents are and what you’ll wear to the Nebulas when you win. Write first. Learn craft first. Once you start getting a handle on the tools of the trade and you’re finishing stuff, then you can worry about where to sell and what you’ll say in your award acceptance speech. It’s important to find joy in the process of creating. If you’re too dependent on things you can’t control—advance, awards, bestseller lists—then you’re setting yourself up for heartache. How much is your writing influenced by the south and North Texas in general? I’ve never actually written a story set in Texas. I’m not sure why except that my work has always had a supernatural or arcane bent and Dallas isn’t the most woo woo city. I’ve written several things set in New Orleans, and High Lonesome Sound was set in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, and early on I wrote a couple of stories set in North Carolina, where I used to live in my late-20s. So the South has definitely been an influence as far as settings go. But I honestly think the biggest influence North Texas has been on my writing has been that it’s an incredibly affordable place to live, which is really important when you’re a full-time writer. Are they any good resources in Texas you have found that have helped you and others in your writing? Texas has so many writing groups, retreats, and conferences that you almost never have to leave the state to get your career going. Dallas Area Romance Authors was a huge influence in my early writing career in terms of mentorship and resources, but I have sadly quit RWA recently due to the much-publicized race issues and toxic leadership in the organization. Luckily there are other great groups offering classes and mentorship, like Writing Workshops Dallas, where I teach and mentor. https://writingworkshopsdallas.com/ In addition, WORD is a great web site that offers a calendar of writing classes and events https://www.wordwriters.org/ Are there creators in Texas that you are enjoying their work? What other creators are you enjoying? If I listed the writers I admire in Texas then the list would be booklength. The amount of generosity and talent in our state when it comes to fiction is pretty staggering. But I’d be afraid of forgetting someone if I listed names and then risk making a friend mad. On my substack newsletter, I do a weekly Woo Wednesday post where I list all the things I’m loving that week, including books, shows, movies, etc. Those posts will always be free on the newsletter, so if you’re curious about what I’m digging at the moment, check it out here https://jayewells.substack.com/ What upcoming writings do you have coming up that you can share with us? I’m just coming off of a sabbatical from writing, so anything I’m working on now is in such early stages I don’t feel like I can share details yet. But you can find a list of all of my published work at my web site http://jayewells.com/ Otherwise, I just wrapped up a six-month mentorship through Writing Workshops Dallas with six talented writers. I hope to offer another one later this year in addition to the Wells Writing Workshop online. |
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