It's
extremely exciting for a new author to be able to say, hey, I HAVE A FAN! Ahem.
Anyway, Brandy Newton--a fan who's been a great beta reader and friend as well
as my new cover artist as of Owned!--agreed to ask me a few
questions of things she wants to know about me/my books.
What inspired
this amazing world where humans have been pushed to the bottom of the social
ladder by supernatural beings?
As flattered as I am for it
to be called amazing, I can't claim credit for the idea--even though I do try
to make it my own instead of copying what others have done. I discovered Obsidian
Butterfly by chance, and I devoured all of the books leading up to it. Laurell
K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series was the first one I read where supernatural
beings were out in the open, and the idea fascinated me. (Granted, Obsidian
Butterfly was the first I read and the one I stopped liking the series at,
so I have no idea how it's progressed.)
I know other authors have
experimented with varying shades of it over the years, though I'll admit I
haven't read many of them. When Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse books
followed, I kept wondering why they would settle for a struggle for
integration--and what would happen if they decided that wasn't good enough.
I know there are other
books out there, but I haven't read most of them! I read mostly fantasy books.
I didn't even read a book in a universe like this until after Recoil and Ravel
were published and I was working on Bought--and then I found Nicholas Bella.
It's so cool to see the different way people take the idea.
I've also wondered what
would happen if the Death Eaters had won in Harry Potter, so hey, maybe I'm just
a sucker for the bad guys.
tl;dr: I have a sick mind
and I love watching characters squirm. If they were real, I would be so in for
it.
When writing
your first book "Recoil," what were the challenges in bringing it to
life?
So here's the embarrassing
truth: Recoil is the second story/book I have ever finished in my
life--and the last one was when I was in college taking a fiction writing
course.
The biggest challenge was
in getting over that block of "I've never finished anything before. How am
I going to finish this?" I really wanted to play around with characters I
knew very well and go with the "what might have been" path. I
struggled a little until I threw out what I'd been taught about
writing--outlining, writing in order, detailing the world out first, plotting,
and so on. When I started writing what I wanted to write in the moment, it
seemed to flow from there for the most part. I write by starting with something
I want to write; I write until I'm out of ideas/inspiration for that scene. If
I want to write another scene, I mark it as a ***TBC*** with any notes I want
to include, then I skip ahead or go back.
There are reasons editing
takes me longer than actually writing!
Beyond that, I'd never had
anything published before. I'm still stumbling through the process, and I had
no idea what I was doing. I'd been told not to write about vampires because
they're "out," and I was under some pressure to try to write what was
"popular" instead of what I wanted. I was afraid the characters
weren't good enough, that the story wasn't strong enough... and then that I'd
get a lot of flak for the ending. Ahem.
I did some research and
found eXcessica, and I submitted to them not expecting anything to come of it.
To my shock, they accepted
me into the author co-operative. From there, it was a journey of "oh,
shit, am I really doing this?"
The world of
your "Ripples in the Status Quo" series has seen vampires,
werewolves, witches, and of course humans. Will we be seeing any other
supernatural beings in your future books?
"Of course
humans." Feh. Who needs humans?
The honest answer here is
that I don't know. I've thought about it, but the series is set up so that
supernatural beings as a whole agreed to step out together and subjugate humans
together. (Those who didn't agree were declared legally human, and then that
was that.) To work other beings in would be a little tricky, because I would
have to a) account for why they weren't involved and what they've been doing
and b) ...decide what I would what to add.
I really like the fae, and
I think it would be interesting to bring them in--so that could happen at some
point. (If I did, though, I'd be comparing myself to Jim Butcher's fae in the
Dresden Files books, and man, I don't think I could do it!)
When writing
about supernatural beings what do you find most challenging?
Consistency and creativity.
I've written on and off in
this world for a long time, so consistency isn't usually a challenge, but when
writing the RISQ books, I tweak some things to make them better suit what I
want for the series. I'm afraid of realizing I contradicted myself
earlier--which is why I have notes. Lots and lots of notes.
There are also so many
books centered around supernatural beings that it's difficult to bring
something new in. It feels like it's all been done before, and one of the
hardest (*mature* hardest *snicker*) things is finding my own voice and my own
perspective. Vampires and werewolves have been easier for me, because witches
and magic are a bit more involved. The more possibilities there are, the more
difficult it is for me to rein in and decide on which path I want to take.
One of the things I find
most awe-inspiring about Butcher and Brandon Sanderson is their ability to
world-build and to remain consistent. Their "magic" systems have
rules, and even when they seem to be "broken," there's an underlying
reason. That's what I want to go for, but I'm still working it out in my head.
(I reference authors
outside of the M/M genre a great deal, because I've been reading their books
for years. My best friend literally only got me to start writing M/M about a
year ago, so it's still new!)
Authors love
all their characters, otherwise they wouldn't write them but which character is
your favorite so far?
This is like asking me
which of my three cats is my favorite (Tas, my fluffy black one who does nose
bumps) or which of my five ducklings is my favorite (the only brown-spotted one
in the bunch) or which of the kids is my favorite (the small one. The husband
only acts like one, and it's less endearing than the actual one). I mean, man,
how can you expect me to pick which one of my darlings I love the most?
Okay, okay. Real answer.
Khaz's inspiration comes
from my close friend, and measuring up is difficult. He's fun to write, but
he's also difficult to write, because he's extremely multi-faceted. Ashton is a
blast to write, because he says what's on his mind, but keeping up with his
level of snark can be tiring. Reese is a little stoic for my tastes, but it's
nice to write a genuinely nice person for a change. Jace is coming into his
own, but he's still developing, so I'm on the fence about him.
Noah is my favorite to
write because of his story. He has the most difficult road of all of them, and
it's only just begun. You'll get more of it in Owned, but he's the most special
to me because I've written the character he's based off of through some pretty
rough times in my life.
And then there's Elias.
Elias is my favorite character in the books. He's a manipulative, megalomaniac
asshat who has entirely too much influence for his own good. I only intended to
write Elias and Jace once, for the free short story I put out there (Bought)
but that one's had the best reception of all of them...and I very much enjoyed
writing him. I literally wrote half of Bought in a few hours because I
was so involved in the story.
You may--eventually--get a
peek into his head. Spoiler alert (okay, I kid): it's a dark place.
Your next
book "OWNED" is due out in March. What can readers expect from this
newest addition in the "Ripples in the Status Quo" book?
Owned is where the first three
start to come together. It picks up shortly after the end of Recoil and
about three weeks after the end of Bought. You'll get to find out what
happened to Khaz and Noah at the end of Recoil, and you'll get to see
how the dynamic between Elias and Jace has evolved since the end of Bought.
(Yeah, the timeline is a little screwy, but Bought was intended to be a
short set outside the main story line, so it threw things a little bit out
off.)
Recoil ended in a dark place; I
consider it a Dark Romance. Ravel is also what I consider a Dark
Romance, and it's a happily for now. Bought came from the darkest
corners of my mind, and it's Dark Erotica with dubious consent.
And then there's Owned,
which is somewhere...in the middle. (Dark Erotic Romance, perhaps?) There are
eight chapters--and one of those is told from Jace's POV, and it's going to sit
somewhere around 30k words.
I ramble. In terms of
content, readers can expect to see a fair bit of sex, but they can also expect
to see just what impact it has on the characters. There is no sunshine (which
is good for the vampires in the world), and there are no rainbows (much to the
dismay of the leprechauns that don't exist). Here's Brandy's summary of it
(slightly modified to take out a spoiler), which is...well, pretty apt. (And
no, I'm not forgetting you calling me a diva for whining about how hard it is
to write blurbs. Nope.)
Khaz messed up. Big time.
His split second decision should have been the end. It was only the first
ripple that sets off the rest. Did he do the right thing?
Elias was promised a
slave--a slave that was part of the rebellion. He looked forward to breaking
him as he had his werewolf Jace. Problems arise when Elias finds out his new
pet has been taken from him by Khaz and now he's going to make Khaz pay for
taking what was his.
And while we're on the
topic of Owned, I'd like to share the cover Brandy created for me.
She came up with this after reading the unfinished beta draft, and I was giddy
because it's exactly what I would have wanted. Oh, and this is her first book
cover. Ever. I'm still in awe.
Owned by R Phoenix
A Ripple in the Status Quo
Story
Published 11 March
Paranormal Dark Romance
No one denies Elias Ivers
what he wants--especially not someone who’s little more than dirt beneath his
expensive shoes. Ivers was promised a slave recently captured from the
Rebellion, and it would have only been a matter of time before the witch broke
a mere human to be his pet as a beautiful match to his already enslaved
werewolf. However, when Malkhaz takes what should have rightfully been his,
he's determined to make the vampire pay. Malkhaz had never imagined one hasty
decision would both change his life and put him in over his head.
LINKS
LINKS TO COME
Others in Series
Ripples in the Status Quo is
a dark series featuring stories within a world where supernatural beings seized
control from humans and relegated them to the bottom of the food chain. Used
for food, entertainment, and worse, nothing protects them from the hands of
those who claim them as slaves.
But there are some who don't
adhere to the status quo the world at large has accepted...
The RISQ world has little
place for humanity--and the author's idea of romance may not match yours. As
such, there are no guarantees of happily ever afters, and content may be
offensive to some readers.
More information about the
books can be found on my site at
http://rphoenix.theupsideis.com/index.php/books/.
The suggested reading order
for Recoil, Ravel, and Bought is below, though these three works can be read in
any order. Owned picks up where Recoil and Ravel left off...
Recoil, Reveal, Bought
Excerpt
(Subject to further edits since I edit until the last second)
“You’d better hope I’m as
good at sucking up as you are at sucking cock,” Mays said, and Khaz hesitated--not
for long, but long enough for him to silently berate himself for his own
carelessness. He’d known something hadn’t been quite right from the start, but
he’d thought they were in the clear now that he’d given the werewolf what he
wanted.
“Yeah? Why’s that?” Khaz
asked, relieved to find his voice reflected disinterest instead of his growing
trepidation.
“Because I already had a
buyer lined up for him,” the slaver replied, and Khaz’s heart sank further at
the sight of his smug smile. “And Elias Ivers doesn’t like the word no very
much.”
The words hit him like a
physical blow. Even in the midst of his shock, though, he didn’t miss the way
Mays’ human slave trembled and bit back a whimper upon hearing the name. Well,
that didn’t surprise him, not with what Khaz knew of the intended buyer. The witch
had put a bid in on Noah?
It might have been funny if
it hadn’t filled him with despair, and Khaz had to swallow back the maniacal
laugh threatening to bubble its way from his throat.
Elias Ivers. Elias Fucking
Ivers.
Of course it had to be him.
Why wouldn’t it be someone he could easily contend with? Why wouldn’t it be
someone he could work around? Motherfucker, he was screwed six ways from
Sunday.
Khaz wasn’t usually violent,
but right then, he wanted nothing more than to slam his fist into the wall. He
didn’t. He could feel the heat of Mays’ eyes upon him, could feel the greedy
bastard’s glee as it swept over him like some tangible tidal wave, and he
refused to let the self-satisfied prick gain any more pleasure from his
predicament.
Fuck.
Resentment swept over him
and through him, searing him from the inside out. He’d been so stupid to agree
to Mays’ little deal. The ‘wolf had gotten a free blowjob out of it, and the
stab at Khaz’s dignity hurt more than he would ever admit to. Now he had to
contend with a man rumored to be next up for Witch Elder. He would have had the
influence to fight it before the Takeover, when he’d held the wealthy and elite
in the palm of his hand.
But now? He struggled to
survive as a two-bit whore sucking and fucking in alleys and street corners to
keep a roof over his head.
Author
After years of wasting her B.A. in English
and being the adult no one wanted talking to their children about the
usefulness of college degrees, R. Phoenix decided it was time to dust off the
old nag. She settled down and started writing books in the Ripples in the
Status Quo universe, a dark world of her own devising where supernatural beings
have risen up and taken over the world - and relegated humans to the very
bottom of the food chain. These stories are the paranormal romance chronicles
surrounding the vampires, werewolves, witches, and humans whose experiences are
outside the norm. Her search history is for research purposes, not nefarious
schemes. (Really.)
When she's not writing, learning new synonyms
for naughty words, or knee-deep in sexy gifs (to make sure scenes are
anatomically possible, of course), she's apparently preparing for the
apocalypse. She's attempting to learn how to cook without setting fire to the
kitchen, garden without drowning the plants, and tend to what she suspects will
be a horde of ducks. Her son, husband, and cats occasionally let her take naps.
Uninterrupted. She's spoiled rotten that way.
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