Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: Tim Lieder is an expert in the weird and scary, as well as a good friend and great author. Today he’s here to talk about his collection of his Christmas themed horror stories, Sugarplum Zombie Motherfuckers. Tim, can you tell us a bit about this book?

Tim: There are three short stories in this book. The Xmas Video was a story about zombie porn that was directly inspired by Michael Hemmingson’s “Hardboiled Stiff” which I had published in Badass Horror. “Santa Claus Dies” was the kind of story I used to love when I first edited anthologies, the kind of hard-drinking loser stories that filled up Teddy Bear Cannibal Massacre.

Sabitha: What made you decide to self publish Sugarplum Zombie Motherfuckers?

Tim: The reason why I chose to self-publish was because of “The Man in the Red Suit”. This story was originally inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann’s “The Sandman”, particularly the beginning when the narrator talks about his father telling him horrifying stories about a Sandman who steals children’s eyes. I had written one story in this vein and it amused me to write another one, only to make it about Santa Claus, whose mouth stunk of spoiled milk and sucked the life out of reindeer to make them fly. The second inspiration for “The Man in the Red Suit” was the Serbian genocide and the banality of evil. For some reason, I was having trouble selling it to the better horror magazines.

Sabitha: We have a lot of writers in our community. What’s your writing process?

Tim: I revise, give up, dig up an old story, try to revise that one. Sometimes I rip pages out of a public domain book of classic literature and steal phrases. If I’m getting confused about a story, I go back and revise it again to remember who is doing what. If I really hate an old story, I replace every “t” with a “g” and then run an autocorrect. Then I see what can come out of that. Basically, I am never going to give a word count because a productive day might involve getting rid of 1200 words as much as it would involve typing 320 words.

Sabitha: Do you have a “fan-cast” – do you have actors you’d cast as your main characters?

Tim: My favorite story in this collection is about a girl who grows up hearing horror stories about Santa Claus and when she’s an adult, joins a Serbian militia and helps to commit genocide. I’m not sure anyone would want to adapt it.

Sabitha: What book do you tell all your friends to read? 

Tim: There are a lot of books that I tell my friends to read, but I am China by Xiaolu Guo is a beautiful work about expatriates, world politics and the ways that privilege informs political stances. I also love everything I read by Junji Ito. He’s either the scariest or the funniest manga artist working today, depending on your mood.

Sabitha: Does the location the story takes place mean something to you or to the work?

Tim: “The Xmas Video” takes place in an apartment in the 1980s and the college is the University of Minnesota. “The Man in the Red Suit” takes place in 1990s Bosnia where militias were murdering Muslims while the rest of the world ignored the genocide. I’m obsessed with the ways that humanity can justify and ignore its atrocities. Whether Florida is trying to censor all African-American studies or Poland criminalizing suggestions that it was in any way complicit in the Holocaust, we love to forget just how evil we are. In the case of the Serbian (and Rwandan) genocides, America didn’t even have to forget. Americans were too busy paying attention to Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan to bother about mass graves. Even today, the main takeaway from Bosnia is that it’s just another reason to hate Tony Blair for his interventionist policies.

Sabitha: These stories sound like they draw on some of the richest traditions of horror, where the greatest threat isn’t the monster outside the walls, it’s the monster within our hearts. Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Tim: You can find me on Tumblr, Dreamwidth, and Facebook. If you want to read Sugarplum Zombie Motherfuckers, you can find the e-book here and audiobook here, or look wherever books are sold online.

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: Today we’ll talk to Iain C.M. Gray about his British zombie apocalypse novel, Zombies Wha Hae, and his short story collection, The Ruined Road. Iain, can you introduce us to your books?

Iain: I am the author of a collection of short stories, The Ruined Road, which is an eclectic mix of styles and genres, covering a variety of topics from anthropophagy to Mormons, prostitution to fratricide and all sorts in between. I have also written a zombie book, called Zombies Wha Hae.

Sabitha: Does the location the story takes place mean something to you or to the work?

Iain: Zombies Wha Hae is set in my original hometown of Greenock. The book follows the fate of a variety of random Greenockians who happen to find themselves in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. There are scenes of drug addiction, alcoholism, and domestic and sectarian violence; just another Friday night in Greenock (forgive me my flippancy, please, I do know these are serious issues, and I hope I deal with them with sensitivity and some humour).

Sabitha: What inspires you to write?

Iain: I have always been happier when I am involved in doing something creative. I used to be a musician, busking on London underground. But I had let my creative side be shelved by real life, work, family etc. I was inspired to rededicate some time to creative pursuits after reading Lonely Boy, the autobiography of Steve Jones (guitarist, founder member and joint songwriter from The Sex Pistols). There is a paragraph in the book where he talks about what motivates him to create, and he came to the conclusion that purely by being in a creative process, he is a happier person. This was a light bulb moment for me, and I have been writing ever since.

Sabitha: We have a lot of writers in our community. What’s your writing process?

Iain: Even though I do say so myself, I am very well read, and I have always had a love of books, and the written word. So my style, and choice of material is varied. I won’t be tied down to any particular genre or style. My influences are too many to mention. I squeeze in my writing in-between work and family duties, so I write wherever and whenever I can.

Sabitha: How did you choose the title?

Iain: I wrote Zombies Wha Hae first. My original idea was to write it in the style of a Russian classic. So it was originally titled, If Tolstoy Did Scottish Zombies. I still like this. But half-way through, the madness of this idea gradually dawned on me, and I realised that 500K words was probably beyond me. I was inspired to name it after Robert Burns poem/song Scots Wha Hae while I was listening to Canadian Celtic Punks sing a rousing version of it. I am equally as fond of this title as I was with the Tolstoy one.

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Iain: Here’s the UK link to Zombies Wha Hae on the UK Amazon Website, I am self-published, and Amazon is just by far the biggest market, forgive my blatant lack of ethics. If you are interested in my short story collection, here is the UK link for it. If you want to hear more about me or my influences, you can check out my website.

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: We have Whitney L. Spradling with us, to talk about her new release, Of Flames and Curses. Whitney, tell us about your fantasy romance!

Whitney: I write adult fantasy/paranormal romance. Of Flames and Curses is an adult urban-to-fantasy romance. It takes place in two realms, the human realm (New York City), and the Faerie Realm. It is a slow burn romance that contains mystery, curses, magic, evil queens, and so much more. It has been compared to the TV miniseries The 10th Kingdom. I’m horrible at elevator pitches, but if I had to give one, it would be: Her sister has just been mysteriously murdered and her quest for answers leads her to life-changing revelations; thrown into a magical world she didn’t know existed, this newly discovered half-breed must overcome her fear of loss while searching for a way to break a curse, or she will lose more than her sister to this magical world.

Sabitha: That sounds like so much fun. What inspired you to write this book?

Whitney: The opening paragraph came to me in the shower. I kept repeating it to myself until I got out and could write it down. From there, I planned out a rough idea of what I wanted to happen, then just let the words flow.

Sabitha: Was there any music that inspired you while you were writing?

Whitney: Music is my biggest inspiration when writing. For this particular book, I listened to Yellowcard a lot. Also, the song Dangerous Night by 30 Seconds to Mars has kind of become the theme song for this book. Usually, I listen to whatever genre tends to fit the book I’m writing. For Of Flames and Curses, it was a lot of old school punk.

Sabitha: We have a lot of writers in our community. What’s your writing process?

Whitney: I’m a pantser. I have a general idea of the direction I want the book to take, and a general idea of the ending. From there, I just let the words flow, and let my characters go where they please.

Sabitha: Do you have a “fan-cast” – do you have actors you’d cast as your main characters?

Whitney: Yes! Lucy Hale is my Lainey 100%. For Phoenix I’m torn between Liam Hemsworth and Lucas Bravo. Lucas Till (if he were just a tad bit older) is who I picture for Ash, however Victor Seitz (model) is the inspiration for him. 

Sabitha: What book do you tell all your friends to read? Besides yours of course!

Whitney: Anything published by Midnight Tide Publishing. Brindi Quinn’s Come True genie series is amazing. As is Lou Wilham’s Heir to Moondust series. H. R. Truelove’s Alter, Morgan Gautheir’s Mark of the Hunter, and so many more.

Sabitha:  You have great taste – we love Midnight Tide. Which character do you relate to the most and why?

Whitney: Probably, Lainey. She is kind of a loner. While she’s a loner due to her circumstances in life, mine is by choice. She’s quiet, but fierce when she needs to be. In this first book, she is definitely the damsel in distress, but in book two, she decides she’s had enough and steps up to the plate. I feel like her determination is similar to mine when I decided to write and publish books. It was out of my comfort zone, but I pushed through to do it anyway.

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Whitney: You can find all of my socials and websites here. 

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: We’ve got the wonderful Edale Lane with us again. This time, she’s sharing her lesbian Victorian detective novel, Daunting Dilemmas, with us. Edale, tell us about your novel!

Edale: Sometimes one must lie to live her truth.

Stetson has been fooling London for ten years while her fictitious alter-ego solves crimes. But could a criminal mastermind put her carefree days of sleuthing in jeopardy?

Evelyn longs to be recognized for her talent; will her music prove to be the key in helping Stetson solve a mystery?

While Jack the Ripper terrorizes London, Stetson closes in on the art thief she has been after for months; however, will catching him place her in an impossible position which threatens to expose her?

Daunting Dilemmas: The Wellington Mysteries, Vol. 3, Adventures of a Lesbian Victorian Detective is a collection of five sequential novellas, each encompassing its own exciting mystery while furthering the story of Stetson’s life in London. If you enjoy crime dramas, Victorian era fiction, or a sweet lesbian romance, then you’ll love award-winning author Edale Lane’s Daunting Dilemmas.

Sabitha: What a delightful story! What inspired you to write this?

Edale: Years ago, before my debut novel, Heart of Sherwood, I saw a call for submissions for Private Dicks Packing Heat, an LGBTQ mystery anthology. Being a historian and fan of Sherlock Holmes, I set my work in Victorian London. Mr. X and the Blackmailed Female became the published result. I always wanted to go back and do more with my protagonist, Stetson Goody (AKA Xavier Wellington), and when I hit a snag working on Walks with Spirits in 2021, I turned all my attention to expanding one novella into 5 in Daring Duplicity. It did well and readers liked the Holmes-like Stetson, so I expanded the series with Perilous Passages and now Daunting Dilemmas.

Sabitha: You clearly love alliteration. How did you choose the titles?

Edale: Daring Duplicity got its name due to the double-life my bold heroine has undertaken. Perilous Passages was so titled because Stetson and her partner head out for a “road trip” on steamships and trains, meeting with dangerous criminals along the way. But in the third installment written against the backdrop of Jack the Ripper’s “Fall of terror” in 1888, Stetson faces her most daunting dilemma thus far. (I can’t tell you what it is without a spoiler.)

Sabitha: No spoilers! If you could pick any author to read your book, who would you want to read it? Why them?

Edale: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, of course, as he was a foundation master of the genre and the creator of Sherlock Holmes. I’d love his opinion on how I could make Volume 4 the most compelling yet.

Sabitha: What’s your writing process?

Edale: It varies depending on what manuscript I am working on. For this series, tons of research is required to recreate an accurate portrayal of 1880s London and meticulous planning to create and solve fresh, engaging enigmas. Not much “pantsing” here, except in some personal scenes between Stetson and her partner Evelyn. After all, an exceptional locked-door mystery doesn’t just solve itself!

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Edale: I have a website with a newsletter. You can also check out my Goodreads and my Bookbub. You can find Daunting Dilemmas on Amazon, and the rest of my novels on my Amazon page.

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: Rachel Corsini is here, to talk to us about a book that we all loved, Sushi and Sea Lions. Rachel, tell us a bit about your loveable rom com!

Rachel: Sushi and Sea Lions is about Daniela Verdi, who loses her career as a prima ballerina, and her very wealthy boyfriend, all at once. Her whole life collapses and she moves back to Queens, NY. While there it is up to her to discover what truly matters and figuring out that the dream life she imagined isn’t necessarily what she needed. She also reunites with her brother’s best friend, Vincent LaBate, who is dealing with his own broken life. She falls in love of course, but that’s not the whole story. 

Sabitha: A lot of romance stars a rich man falling for a not-rich heroine. You broke with that by having Dany and Vinny finding each other after leaving behind their rich lifestyles. Why was it important to you to show them finding happiness without riches?

Rachel: I feel like in a world of consumerism we are so caught up on materialism that we lose sight of what really matters. Money and status isn’t everything in the world. Daniela was horribly lonely even though she had prestige and wealth. You can have all the money in the world but be miserable. It happens a lot more than people think. In the end, what matters is how you define success and happiness. 

Sabitha: The story is set in New York, but not just anywhere. Queens feels almost like another character in the novel, because it’s rendered so lovingly. What drew you to this setting?

Rachel:  Queens is special. I grew up there, specifically in the neighborhood the novel takes place in. I had a love/hate relationship with where I grew up for a really long time, until I reached adulthood and I felt like it was special. It was important to me to convey the atmosphere of that place. Small enough that there was a neighborhood feel, a place where it seemed like people knew each other, but big enough that you could be anonymous if you wanted to. The feeling that there was always somewhere to go when you needed something, like a midnight chocolate bar. I also think novels set in New York always focus on the city (meaning Manhattan), they rarely focus on the outer boroughs because I don’t think many writers have experience with them. Queens is a part of me. I wanted to share that. 

Sabitha: Regi the cat was obviously the best character, and I’ve heard a rumour that the fictional Regi is based on your own real life version. Can we see a picture of Regi? 

Rachel: Fiction Regi is based on my Regi. There are some differences like age, but for the most part they are the same.

I have given you a picture of Regi as cat tax. You’re welcome.

Sabitha: This book draws on more of your life than just Regi. Like Dany, you did ballet, and you trained as a teacher. Why did you choose to bring so much of yourself into the book, and where do “you” end and “Dany” begin?

Rachel: This was the first book I’ve ever finished.  There is some wisdom in the adage “write what you know.” I think this was also a little bit of therapy for me. It allowed me to process a lot of things that I was dealing with when I wrote the book. It was easier to use Dany as an outlet for that instead of saying myself, even though she was a lot of myself. 

Superficially, I was never a prima ballerina, though I dreamt of being one at one time. So that’s a major difference between Daniela and myself. Daniela is also more dreamy than I am, more romantic. I really heightened that in her character to show that Vincent helps balance her wonderful overzealousness for life. I am that perky and bubbly and happy in real life. I tend to take whatever upset or sadness I’m feeling and internalize it. I wait to cry alone. Daniela does the same thing. She only shows that side of herself to special people and I do the same. It’s hard for me to be vulnerable. Dany is more vulnerable than I am for sure! 

Sabitha: What does Regi think of your writing? 

Rachel: Regi is unamused by everything that I do. She could care less. I think she is excited about the possibility of being famous though. 

Sabitha: We’re so excited for everyone to be able to read this book. Where can people pre-order it? And where can they find you online?

Rachel: They can preorder my book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Apple Books! They can find me online on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: P.K. Reeves joins us to talk about her supernatural new adult novels from the Lineage Series. P.K., can you introduce us to you, your books and your characters?

P.K.: I have two books out so far in the Lineage Series—this  will be the foundation for the shared universe I’m writing my second series in. The books in the Lineage Series are Heir and Vampire Magic. We follow Audrey Sanders, a young woman who didn’t know she was a part of the supernatural world until she was turned into a vampire. Personally, I’m a Filipino American trying to reconnect with my Filipino heritage.

Sabitha: These stories sound imaginative and heartfelt. What inspired you to write and publish them?

P.K.: It really started as something to do while I was at work, and it just turned into a book lol. Really, there wasn’t any inspiration beyond that—until I realized that self publishing was an option. Then I realized I could share my stories with others. 

Sabitha: We have a lot of writers in our community. What’s your writing process?

P.K.: I tend to get straight into writing, then after the first draft I read for anything I feel that is missing. It can take either one or two more drafts to get the story I like. Next is getting beta readers and sensitivity readers, and then using their feedback to adjust the story. Finally I run my book through the editing software and to see if I missed anything. Next is the copy/line edit—with at least two rounds of that. Finally comes the proofreading! 

Sabitha: What book do you tell all your friends to read? Besides yours of course!

P.K.: Lirael by Garth Nix! I read this series back in middle school. I have the ebook, paperback, and audiobook versions lol!

Sabitha: You have good taste in books! Which character do you relate to the most in your novels and why?

P.K.: Hmm, off the bat I would say Audrey. We’re both biracial Filipino living very Americanized lives. Both our mother’s cultures were pretty much ignored in the households we grew up in. 

Sabitha: It sounds like writing Audrey is deeply meaningful for you. When you picture your ideal reader, what are they like? Do you hope to show Filipino American identity to them?

P.K.: My ideal reader is probably someone like me when I was younger. The only Asian culture that was pushed by mainstream media was either Chinese or Japanese. I hope that my books show that Filipinos and culture from the Philippines is really amazing and diverse! 

Sabitha: I’m so glad you shared your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

P.K.: You can find all of my socials, books, and my newsletter sign up on my website. You can connect with me on my Twitter and Instagram. You can find Heir and Vampire Magic for sale from all online bookstores.

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: F.K. Marlowe joins us to tell us about her books and free flash fiction. F.K., what kind of stories do you tell?

F.K.: I write horror with a paranormal twist, and YA fantasy with fangs and sass.

Sabitha: What inspired your current work in progress?

F.K.: I’m amazed how many horror stories I’ve released into the wild. This is my attempt to corral them.

Pennies for Charon is a nice fat collection of my horror stories, some already published, some brand new. It’s packaged in a frame narrative about a vengeful sybil who’s been trapped in a bottle for three millennia and is rather miffed about it. To revive her powers, she sneaks into Charon’s shack while he’s punting dead souls across the river Styx, then steals and eats the “pennies” hoarded there. Each penny is a story collected from one of his passengers, and as the sybil digests them, she absorbs their emotions. Since they are horror stories, the emotions are predictably dark, and you can guess where that might lead, for an already twisted soul!

Sabitha: That sounds delightfully dark! What’s your writing process for horror?

F.K.: Mercurial chaos! Like a magpie, I’m attracted by anything shiny, including new ideas, so my writing folder is a jumble of scattered thoughts and plots in various stages of development. It sounds unproductive, but I don’t often suffer from writer’s block – if something’s not working, I just skip onto the next idea. I can’t sit down to write without a cuppa though.

Sabitha: Can’t get anything done without tea! If you could pick any author to read your book, who would you want to read it? Why them?

F.K.:  Neil Gaiman! His imagination seems to spark endlessly. Wouldn’t he be fantastic company on a long plane flight?

Sabitha: When you picture your ideal reader, what are they like?

F.K.: I’m sitting in a cozy pub with them, spinning a tale over a pint, in front of a roaring fire. It’s raining outside, and we’ve a long evening ahead of us. As I tell them my story, I can see them chuckling along with some parts, clutching the arms of their chair at others. When I finish, they sit there quietly, considering, then ask me questions that make me think about my own story in a completely new way. Wouldn’t that be lovely?

Sabitha: It sounds just about perfect. What do you most want your readers to take away from reading your book?

F.K.: Firstly, simple enjoyment. Beyond that, I believe everyone recreates the stories they read in a whole new way based on their history and experiences. So, readers say, “Hey, X character represents idea Y, right?” and it’ll be an exciting, different slant that deepens my original idea in ways I’d never anticipated. So, creating something in their own imaginations. If they’re kind enough to tell me about it, well, that’s just the best buzz in the world.

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

F.K.: My Amazon page is here. I post a free flashfiction horror with an audio version each month on my website. Tell me what ideas my stories gave you on Twitter under my alias ‘The BelleDame’! 

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: Today we’ll talk to Dewi Hargreaves about his new release, Eyes on the Blue Star. Tell us about your experimental dystopian novel!

Dewi: My new book, Eyes on the Blue Star, came out a week before Christmas! It’s a short dystopian novel set in far-future America, long after the fall of the United States. Our modern world is little more than myth, and the US has been replaced by regional successor states, some democracies and some dictatorships, with the anarchic Ganglands lying between them. We follow the stories of an ex-mercenary, a teenager, and a freedom fighter as they make their way east to Bostonia in search of a better life.

Sabitha: That’s such fascinating world building. Can you tell us about your writing process for a novel?

Dewi: My process changes between stories depending on the project, but right now I’m having the most success with writing out a scene-by-scene outline before I begin and then following that – it keeps things on track and minimises the need for rewriting.

Sabitha: Do you have a “fan-cast” – do you have actors you’d cast as your main characters?

Dewi: Ooh, that’s a fun question. I don’t think much about how characters look when I’m writing – beyond the general details like build, hair colour, age etc—but I think Henry Cavill could play a brilliant Housen—the ex-mercenary character who wants to settle down and start a family. I could see Kirsten Dunst doing a good job as Ryley, too—the tough, witty rebel who is working underground to overthrow the Governor-General’s dictatorship. They spend a lot of the book together, and I would love to see those two actors traversing a post-apocalyptic world together.

Sabitha: What book do you tell all your friends to read? Besides yours of course!

Dewi: There are so many—too many, probably! At the moment it’s A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R R Martin, which is a collection of three heroic fantasy novellas—they’re brilliant examples of how to write neat, tidy short fantasy fiction, so I recommend it for that reason alone—though the Games of Thrones-ness is an added bonus.

Sabitha: How did you choose the title?

Dewi: It took some choosing! For most of the drafting process it was known as Bostonia, which is the name of one of the successor states. When it was finished I brainstormed a few names, including We, the People, but in the end I settled on the Eyes on the Blue Star because it is the catchphrase of the rebel group in the story who are trying to restore democracy, and I liked the sense of hope in bleak times that it evokes.

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Dewi: Night Beats readers can find purchase links for the book over at my website, and from there they can find the Amazon link for their country! And they can find me across the internet in various places. This link collects my website, social media, and book links all on one nice, neat page.

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: We’ve got the incredible Sascha Stronach with us today. Sascha, please introduce us to your queer science fiction novel The Dawnhounds (Against the Quiet #1).

Sascha: Gideon the Ninth meets Black Sun in this queer, Māori-inspired debut fantasy about a police officer who is murdered, brought back to life with a mysterious new power, and tasked with protecting her city from an insidious evil threatening to destroy it.

The port city of Hainak is alive: its buildings, its fashion, even its weapons. But, after a devastating war and a sweeping biotech revolution, all its inhabitants want is peace, no one more so than Yat Jyn-Hok a reformed-thief-turned-cop who patrols the streets at night.

Yat has recently been demoted on the force due to “lifestyle choices” after being caught at a gay club. She’s barely holding it together, haunted by memories of a lover who vanished and voices that float in and out of her head like radio signals. When she stumbles across a dead body on her patrol, two fellow officers gruesomely murder her and dump her into the harbor. Unfortunately for them, she wakes up.

Sabitha: Everything about this sounds amazing. I’m curious about the creation process. Was there any music that inspired you while you were writing?

Sascha: I had a playlist I had going in a loop for most of the writing process, and the one song I keep coming back to Stick and Poke’s Teeth on a String. It’s this dark surreal fairy tale told in only three minutes—what is Hainak but a dark wood with a couple of street signs? 

Sabitha: From music to movies! Do you have a “fan-cast” – do you have actors you’d cast as your main characters?

Sascha: I do but for time I’ll just go for the big one: Shohreh Aghdashloo as Sibbi. In early drafts the character was a lot physically larger, alchemically roided-up, but I saw Shohreh in—god I think it was Grimm of all things—and went “Oh, yeah, that’s her.”

Sabitha: What book do you tell all your friends to read? Besides yours of course!

Sascha: VanderMeer, Mieville, right now I’m really enjoying Kerstin Hall’s Second Spear. If The Dawnhounds didn’t give it away, I kinda like fungi. 

Sabitha: Everyone should love fungi. If you could pick any author to read your book, who would you want to read it? Why them?

Sascha: Jeff VanderMeer. I feel like I’m too old and hirsute to say “Senpai notice me” but The Dawnhounds never would’ve happened without his influence. 

Sabitha: When you picture your ideal reader, what are they like?

Sascha: Rangy old punk, fine with a little darkness in their fantasy, mycology enthusiast, willing to punch a cop to protect a queer.  

Sabitha: I suspect we have some of those in our community! What do you most want your readers to take away from reading your book?

Sascha: The police exist solely to protect capital and will act in ways deeply harmful to society in order to remain that way. Also mushrooms are cool and you should be fucking more gay people.

Sabitha: Indeed! Thanks for sharing your story. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Sascha: You can get it now at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. You can find me on Twitter.

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: AJ Pagan IV joins us to talk about his thought-provoking science fiction novel, Brian, Created Intelligence. AJ, can you start by telling us a bit about the book?

AJ: This story revolves around the world’s first bodiless human brain, created to study and produce real artificial intelligence. Brian the brain does not know he’s a human—he’s been told and believes himself to be an artificially intelligent system.

Sabitha: What inspired you to write this book?

AJ:  As I earned my Master’s in organic chemistry and wrote my thesis, I was searching the job market and came across the still burgeoning technology of 3D organ printing. Well my brain had a thought, what if someone created a brain? 

Sabitha: It’s always fun when a scientist writes science fiction. What’s your writing process?

AJ: My writing process: brain brew for months or years and research the hell out of what I want to write so I’m not ignorant of what’s real. Once it feels right, wake up at 4AM and write ~2k words a day or more every day until the story is out of me. There are minor exceptions.

Sabitha: What book do you tell all your friends to read? Besides yours of course!

AJ: Hyperion (and The Fall of Hyperion) is the best book in existence. 

Sabitha: What do you most want your readers to take away from reading your book?

AJ: I want people to realize this sort of horrible technology is getting close and we need to ensure it never comes about. I don’t want to be a slave nor create one nor have ANY in existence. Everyone deserves all human rights. Body or not. 

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?
AJ: You can find my book on Barnes and Noble, all independent book stores can order it, and Apple/Google/Kobo ebook as well. You can find me on Twitter, on my website, and in Southern California most days.