Are you a fan of vampires? Are you a fan of westerns? Are you a fan of lesbian vampires in neo-westerns? If the answer to all of these questions (or, actually, any one of them) is yes, then boy do we have the interview for you today! We spoke with Genevieve McCluer (author of the aforemention lesbian vampire neo-western) about everything under the sun* and you can read it right now!
And, when you’re done, don’t forget to follow her on twitter!
*disclaimer: not quite everything
Have you always known you wanted to be a writer? How old were you when you wrote your first story?
Yes, though I used to want to be a screenwriter rather than a novelist. That was back when I was in around fifth grade, when we were having to take tests for future jobs and the like.
What are your favourite genres to read and write, and are there any genres or tropes you wouldn’t write?
I really like romance and fantasy. The only thing I’m really not willing to write is anything romanticizing abuse, which is tragically common in straight romance novels, though tends to be better in our neck of the woods.
When you close your eyes and imagine an apple, what do you see? An actual apple, a sketch of one, a blackness? Do you think that impacts your writing process?
I can kinda vaguely see an apple but I have to be focusing very hard on it and it’s not too defined, though I can certainly see the general structure. And yes, this does likely affect my process a good bit, as I tend to not overly focus on descriptions, as nothing takes me out of a story more.
Which three authors would you say influenced your writing the most?
I’m sure Janet Evanovich is responsible for my love of telling rather episodic romance adventurey stories, while Roger Zelazny is why I write the sort of fantastically mundane characters that I write, and while I doubt I deserve it, I’d like to think that Douglas Adams adds more of the wit.
When you’re building your world, what do you focus on? How do you try to make it come to life?
It depends on the story. I’ve worked on building the world from the ground up for some, but for all of my Toronto stories, the pieces have just kind of kept falling into place on top of each other as necessary for each story.
What projects are you currently working on? Can you share any details yet?
I’m currently working on a rogue-like romance game about dating the daughter of the god of luck, but it’s still very early in development as I’ve been having to learn some rudimentary Python for it. For novels, while I’ve been working on a few things, I’m about to get back to the final proofread for Cold Blood, my lesbian vampire neo-western about the War on Terror before it comes out April 1st through Bold Strokes Books and April 12th everywhere else.
Three images that capture the aesthetic of your book?
Machetes, six-shooters, and vampire fangs.
Three songs you would put in your book’s soundtrack?
The Undead West by Knock Galley West, ‘39 by Queen, and Highwayman by The Highwaymen.
What would be your dream project?
Honestly, Cold Blood is pretty high up there. Lesbian vampire revenge thriller dealing with politics, what more could I ask for?
Which of your characters would you most want to fight a zombie apocalypse with?
Kalila and Dorenia from Cold Blood would certainly be up there, being some of my most actiony protagonists. I suppose after that, I’d have to go with Alys from Thor as they can cook and shapeshift.
You’re stuck on a desert island and you’re allowed only three (LGBT) books. What are you taking?
Casting Lacey by Elle Spencer, Princess of Dorsa by Eliza Andrews, and Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst.
You can collaborate on anything with anyone in the LGBT community: who would it be and why?
I would love to write a fantastical legal thriller dealing with fiend crimes with Carsen Taite.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Genevieve McCluer was born in California and grew up in numerous cities across the country. She studied criminal justice in college but, after a few years of that, moved her focus to writing. Her whole life, she’s been obsessed with mythology, and she bases her stories in those myths.
She now lives in Arizona with her partner and cats, working away at far too many novels. In her free time she pesters the cats, plays video games, and attempts to be better at archery.
Follow on Goodreads | Order her books
