Spooky season might be over for another year, but that doesn’t mean the spooky reads stop coming! If you’re a vampire fan, then you’ll want to be on the lookout for Kellan McDaniel’s Till Death in March. But if you can’t wait that long, let us give you a little teaser with this interview!
Remember, you can keep up with Kellan via instagram.
Have you always known you wanted to be a writer? How old were you when you wrote your first story?
Oh gosh, I was very young! Several notebooks and journals still sit on my bookshelf memorializing all the gay kissing I secretly wrote while I was in middle and high school. While I have always loved writing and creating, it wasn’t until graduate school that I decided to Be A Writer. You’re never too young to start experimenting, never too old to share that work with the world.
What pieces of media would you say were formative for you? Do you see any of their features in your own writing?
I read all of Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles way back when she was sending out cease and desist orders to fanfic writers. Those novels were a lifeline and I’m so glad their wild queerness has been further unleashed upon the world by television. And while characters like Lestat and Louis have made their mark on my own in blood, it was the TV show Queer As Folk that most shaped my writing. The way the camera zoomed in on queer bodies and intimate moments… those are the images that punch you in the face and leave a beautiful bruise.
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?
When I close my eyes, I see a realistic, round, red apple. And I can see, in detail, a pair of sharp white fangs break the skin and expose the juicy flesh within. A novel is comprised of chapters, is comprised of scenes, is comprised of images. My imagination is an integral part of the writing process.
If you wanted to learn about craft, which three authors would you suggest reading?
This is like asking me to choose between my friends—literally! Three of the many whose writing I admire and who inspire me to improve my own craft are Sam J. Miller, Peng Shepherd, and Bendi Barrett.
When you’re building your world, what do you focus on? How do you try to make it come to life?
I so often set my science fiction and fantasy in the real world—in Baltimore, in particular. Like weeds growing through the sidewalk, I like to find where the fantastic can creep through the cracks, where it can thread itself into the fabric of city life. That beloved old theater? Don’t ignore it. That’s the theater where our vampire first saw a movie, where he spent time with a former lover. Grow alternate, magical history through real history.
What projects are you currently working on? Can you share any details yet?
I am actually working on another vampire book! This one’s geared towards adults, though that never stopped me when I was a teen reader. I can tell you it’s about an angry trans vampire brat named Finley and his ancient Sire, Andreas, trying to navigate their bond alongside surprising changes to Finn’s body. And yes, it’s just as hot as it sounds!
Three pictures that capture the aesthetic of your book?
Three songs you would put in your book’s soundtrack?
“Kiss Me More” by Doja Cat and SZA, “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler, and “I Want Love” by Elton John.
What would be your dream project?
This is absolutely wild, but I would love to write for theme parks. I visit them semi-regularly and think rides and “worlds” are a really fascinating vehicle for collaborative storytelling.
Which of your characters would you most want to fight a zombie apocalypse with?
Oh definitely Rosalie and Barbara. They’re 80-year-old retired busybodies, but they’re absolutely not taking any shit.
You’re stuck on a desert island and you’re allowed only three (LGBT) books. What are you taking?
If I’m stuck on an island alone, I’m taking comfort books! The Song of Achilles by Madaline Miller, The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice, and Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton. No I will not be taking objections to that last one, the dinosaurs are queer and they eat their makers.
You can collaborate on anything with anyone in the LGBT community: who would it be and why?
I don’t know how to answer this because so many of my friends are queer and brilliant and I get to collaborate with them regularly. But if we’re talking about someone I don’t personally know… Eugene Lee Yang, who’s also publishing his first YA soon! He has a strong artistic vision, enjoys playing with boundaries, and isn’t afraid to get dark.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
K.M. Szpara, writing here as Kellan McDaniel, is a queer and trans author. He is the author of Docile, Till Death, and First, Become Ashes, as well as the Hugo and Nebula Award–nominated “Small Changes Over Long Periods of Time” novelette. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland, with his tiny dog.
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