ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN DE MODE OF LITERATURE JUL-SEP-OCT 2022 (Vol V, Issue XXVII) | Article Published on: 6TH JAN 2023 | www.demodemagazine.com
'THE PRINCE'S POISONED VOW' BY AUTHOR HAILEY TURNER
'MECHANIEK: LOST PARADISE' BY AUTHOR JC COMPTON
'YOU'LL BE FINE' BY AUTHOR JEN MICHALSKI
'SALAMAT SA INTERSECTIONALITY' BY AUTHOR DANI PUTNEY
'CLUBBED TWO' BY AUTHOR ROBERT KARL
'THE BLOODSHED OF THE BETRAYED' BY AUTHOR A. L. SLADE
1. 'THE PRINCE'S POISONED VOW' - BY AUTHOR HAILEY TURNER
"Hailey Turner writes LGBTQ+ science fiction and fantasy with romance, delving into many different subgenres, and always writing around the core theme of found family. She began writing as a child, hiding away in her room with notebooks she would fill with stories that grew more complex as she got older."
Every country is built on revolution.
THE WARDEN. Soren is a nameless, stateless man, tasked with keeping watch over Maricol’s borders. He isn’t meant for politics, only dealing with the dead. His past was buried in the poison fields, but after a fateful encounter with a prince, Soren comes to realize he can’t keep what magic burns inside him hidden forever.
THE PRINCE. Vanya Sa’Liandel was the spare who survived the Houses’ murderous games to become the Imperial crown prince of Solaria. He has a duty to his country, but he’ll owe his life to the wardens. Payment of any kind is costly, especially when he’s at risk of losing his heart to the man who saved his life.
THE COG. Caris Dhemlan hears the siren song of clarion crystals better than anyone in Ashion. That skill for inventing has enriched her bloodline, but it’s who she can become that will ultimately entangle her with the Clockwork Brigade.
THE PRINCESS. Eimarille Rourke should have been raised to be the queen of one country; instead, she is the prisoner of another. Guided by a star god, Eimarille bides her time in a gilded cage, spinning a political web to gain a throne and start a war the world isn’t ready for.
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THE JOURNEY OF AUTHOR HAILEY TURNER
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Hailey grew up surrounded by different artistic communities. Her passion for creating worlds led her to get a BA degree in creative writing and pursue publication. Her time at university opened her eyes to what a writing community could be like. Since then, she has found her tribe of amazingly talented authors who have long since become her own form of found family.
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Hailey grew up surrounded by different artistic communities. Her passion for creating worlds led her to get a BA degree in creative writing and pursue publication. Her time at university opened her eyes to what a writing community could be like. Since then, she has found her tribe of amazingly talented authors who have long since become her own form of found family.
Science fiction and fantasy have always been Hailey’s favorite genres to read since she was a little girl, so it only made sense to write what she loved. Hailey doesn’t limit herself to one single subgenre of science fiction and fantasy, preferring to follow her muse to the next exciting story. That decision to never remain in one place creatively is an echo of her love for traveling, and Hailey sets her books in all manner of time periods and locations.
From near-future dystopian Earth to an alien-poisoned planet to modern-day New York City with all manner of magical creatures as your neighbor, Hailey enjoys bringing the reader along on a wild adventure. She loves exploring societal themes in her stories while also showcasing the relationships between people as they grow. Whether romantic or platonic, Hailey takes great joy in letting her characters forge strong bonds with each other over the course of a series.
Writing will always be Hailey’s passion, while science fiction and fantasy will remain her one true literary love. Her goal is to provide a wonderful escape for readers, whether on the earth or amongst the stars.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF AUTHOR HAILEY TURNER - www.haileyturner.com
Read Author HAILEY TURNER's interview with DE MODE & about her upcoming books in the JUL-SEP-OCT 2022 GLOBAL ISSUE (MAGAZINE).
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2. 'MECHANIEK: LOST PARADISE' - BY AUTHOR JC COMPTON
"JC self-published their first series, Undertakers Inc., an LGBTQ+ all-inclusive vampire romance series, in 2021. In 2022, they joined Spectrum Books Publishing and released Mechaniek: Lost Paradise, a post-apocalyptic LGBTQ sci-fi steampunk novel set in a world ruled by mechanics. When JC is not writing, they are usually cooking for themselves and their spouse."
Mechaniek: Lost Paradise is a post-apocalyptic LGBTQ sci-fi steampunk novel set in a futuristic world ruled by mechanics.
In the distant future, in a world ravaged by a toxic war, mechanics are now the ruling class. Taliesin is a peaceful fisherman on the isle of Ethia, bearing only a large scar on his forearm from the toxic rains that ravage the planet. One day, he is caught up in a toxic storm and saved by the renegade mechanic Merrick. They fall in love and find a tropical paradise they name “Paradise Island”. Merrick then brings Taliesin back to Ethia, promising to return after fixing his mechanical sailboat. If they were to be separated, they vow to meet again on “Paradise Island”, but Merrick never returns. After hearing that Merrick may have been arrested for piracy, Taliesin attempts to board a mechanical galleon to the city and a mysterious man offers him to play the role of the lost prince and pretend to marry his own son in exchange for Merrick’s freedom. Little does Taliesin know that memories will resurface, confirming he was actually the lost prince, the son of the man who ordered the kidnapping of Merrick as a child and the murder of his mother. The most important theme in the story is true love, the sort that survives even lies and manipulation, and how love in itself is self-sustainable. We also see some not-so-good characters change because of love. The story ends on a cliffhanger: what will happen to Taliesin, Merrick, Nex, Goram, and Toweren thereafter? Find out in the next volume in the series, coming out later this year.
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THE JOURNEY OF AUTHOR JC COMPTON
JC is the non-binary, French American author of LGBTQ+ fantasy, sci-fi, and paranormal romance novels. Born and raised in France, they grew up in a multicultural environment which has shaped their passion for meeting new people from all around the world. The home was filled with English classics of literature and poetry such as books by Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Brontë, and Robert Browning, science fiction novels by Isaac Asimov, and JC also enjoyed the French classic authors Honoré de Balzac, Emile Zola, or Victor Hugo, and fantasy novels by C.S Lewis, Anne Rice, and Tolkien. Literature, poetry, the beauty of words, and the romantic beauty of JC’s hometown on the coast all seemed to complement each other, forming an auspicious environment for creativity to blossom.
A shy and quiet kid, JC began to write their own stories at an early age, both in the form of novels and graphic novels, later preferring the novel format because they could express more in the same number of pages. They naturally followed the literary program in their high school, focusing on literature, philosophy, and foreign languages then studied the English language in the USA and East Asian studies and history in Canada
A world traveler passionate about languages, JC is fluent in French, English, and Japanese, and has traveled to many countries. Their most unforgettable journey was to India, sparking their passion for Indian culture and languages.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF AUTHOR JC COMPTON - www.jccompton.allauthor.com
Read Author JC COMPTON's interview with DE MODE & about his upcoming books in the JUL-SEP-OCT 2022 GLOBAL ISSUE (MAGAZINE).
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3. 'YOU'LL BE FINE' - BY AUTHOR JEN MICHALSKI
"Writing a novel that opens with the death of a parent is not exactly a comedy at heart: “Although Michalski says this is a family comedy, there is a tragedy at the heart of it. What she found in writing this novel and the one on which she's currently working is that you can’t separate levity and tragedy, just like in real life. You might be at the funeral home, but something funny happens there, and you laugh and your family laughs and it’s a moment you’ll share, one that will warm your heart during those gutting periods of grief. She wanted to capture that duality, even if it meant the book is difficult to characterize as one way or another.”
After Alex's mother dies, she takes leave from her job as a writer for a Washington, DC, lifestyle magazine to return home to Maryland’s Eastern Shore. There, she joins her brother Owen, a study in failure-to-launch, in sorting out their mother’s whimsical and often self-destructive life. Alex has proposed to her editor that while she is home she profiles Juliette Sprigg, her former high school fling, owner of a wildly popular local restaurant, and celebrity chef in the making. While working on the story and trying for a second chance with Juliette, Alex meets Carolyn Massey, editor of the town newspaper. Matters get complicated when Carolyn begins to show more than a professional interest in Alex, and Alex’s Aunt Johanna, who has transitioned to a woman, comes from Seattle and reveals a family secret. Alex may have to accept her family for who they are rather than whom she hoped they would be, and just maybe apply the same philosophy to her heart and herself. Named a “Best Small Press Book” by Buzzfeed, You’ll Be Fine “has plenty of heart” according to Kirkus Reviews and is “[A]n enjoyable story about an adult trying to grow up.”
Michalski admits with 'You’ll Be Fine' she was determined to write a family comedy and not a family tragedy, as in her previous family novel, The Summer She Was Under Water: “I’d noticed over the years, at readings or wherever I’d meet people who’d read my work, they always seemed surprised that I was funny in person, I mean, so much so that they’d tell me! And it bothered me that if you’ve only read my previous novels, you’d think I was this serious person when I don’t see myself that way at all. I love laughing and making people laugh.”
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THE JOURNEY OF AUTHOR JEN MICHALSKI
Like most writers, as soon as Jen Michalski started writing, she couldn't stop. She remembers when she was seven her mother folded a piece of paper into quarters, making her a "book," into which Jen wrote about her birthday party. It was her first novel, and she's been writing them ever since---on the backs of discarded office memos from her mother's work (which she brought home for drawing paper for Jen and her twin brother, Scott), into spiral notebooks she kept on a box on a shelf in her closet, and eventually on hard disks and USB files. The most important part of writing for Jen growing up was examining her sexuality. Writing, she explains, was her "emotional test kitchen," wherein she wrote about teens coming to grips with being gay the same way she was also a teen, coming to grips with being gay herself. In the late 80s, she notes, there were no novels about gay youth, nothing to make her feel like she belonged, was understood, or even existed. So she wrote her novels. Now, having turned fifty in May, Jen is the author of three novels, three short story collections, and one couplet of novellas. Her novels The Tide King, The Summer She Was Under Water, and You’ll Be Fine run the gamut from magical realism/historical fiction, family comedy, and family tragedy and have won The Big Moose Prize and Somerset Awards and a finalist for USA Book Awards. Her stories have appeared in numerous anthologies, and she’s been nominated for the Pushcart Prize six times.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF AUTHOR JEN MICHALSKI - www.jenmichalski.com
Read Author JEN MICHALSKI's interview with DE MODE & about her upcoming books in the JUL-SEP-OCT 2022 GLOBAL ISSUE (MAGAZINE).
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4. 'SALAMAT SA INTERSECTIONALITY' - BY AUTHOR DANI PUTNEY
"Putney is working on their second full-length poetry collection, tentatively titled Mix-Mix, which excavates their mixed-race Filipinx identity more extensively by, for example, reformulating text from their late father’s Asian Romance Guide to Marriage by Correspondence and their Ancestry.com profile. Mix-Mix also ruminates on Putney’s relationship with their Filipina mother and considers intergenerational trauma, inherited mythologies, and the costs associated with reclaiming one’s racial (and ethnic) identity. Putney resides in the middle of the Nevada desert close to their undergraduate alma mater."
Dani Putney’s debut full-length poetry collection, Salamat sa Intersectionality, is a lyrical triptych that traces the evolution of the speaker’s identity as a queer, non-binary, mixed-race Filipinx, and neurodivergent individual. Each “panel” of the speaker’s life represents a distinct period of growth: a youthful beginning, which features important interactions with the speaker’s parents; a sexually charged middle period that demonstrates the speaker’s explorations of queer sexuality; and a contemplative third section wherein the speaker reckons with their various “selves.” The imagery of the American West percolates through the collection to ground the speaker in their intersectional identity.
Salamat sa Intersectionality may also be thought of as an anthropomorphic sculpture—“anthropomorphic” rather than a more specific term like “human” because there exists liminality in the concept of anthropomorphism, as in not completely human but possessing human-like characteristics. Because the speaker’s existence as a queer, non-binary, mixed-race Filipinx and neurodivergent individual is necessarily caught in the crosshairs of identity, their self-expression may not be completely understood through anthropocentric terms alone. The speaker jokes that they are swamp monsters or even an angel; indeed, these sentiments appear in the eponymous poem and “Angeligender,” respectively. The in-between space of anthropomorphism cultivates a sense of freedom and creativity that enables the speaker to survive. Put another way, this collection is a reclamation of the speaker’s swamp-monster self—in choosing to sculpt their anthropomorphic form throughout this collection, the speaker gives themselves permission to exist as they are.
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THE JOURNEY OF AUTHOR DANI PUTNEY
Dani Putney is a queer, non-binary, mixed-race Filipinx, & neurodivergent writer originally from Sacramento, California. Putney’s work interrogates the various facets of their intersectional identity, complicating notions of selfhood in relation to family, place, and literary theory. They began writing poetry "seriously" at age 17 after composing a love poem in green ink on loose-leaf paper for a boy they liked (and thought they were in love with). Before this fateful poem, they believed they were going to be a biologist or even a doctor, which their mother wanted them to become.
After graduating from high school, they went on to study creative writing at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, taking workshops in poetry, creative nonfiction, and new media writing. They received their BA in English (with a specialization in writing) from the University of Nevada, Reno, and their MFA in Creative Writing (with an emphasis on poetry) from Mississippi University for Women. Presently, they are Ph.D.on students in English (with an emphasis on creative writing) at Oklahoma State University, where they study under Filipina poet Janine Joseph. Besides their debut full-length poetry collection, Salamat sa Intersectionality (Okay Donkey Press, 2021)—which was recently named a finalist for the 2022 Lambda Literary Award in Transgender Poetry—they have published a chapbook titled Dela Torre (Sundress Publications, 2022), which meditates on their mixed-race heritage.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF AUTHOR DANI PUTNEY - www.daniputney.com
Read Author DANI PUTNEY's interview with DE MODE & about his upcoming books in the JUL-SEP-OCT 2022 GLOBAL ISSUE (MAGAZINE).
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5. 'CLUBBED TWO' - BY AUTHOR ROBERT KARL
"Clubbed Two: Anxiety, Anger, Activism by Robert Karl is the second book in his powerful and poignant historical fiction trilogy. Set in Philadelphia between 1982 to 1992 as the AIDS pandemic begins its assault, the story centers around Joey and Henry, lovers and owners of Club Sanctuary, and the diverse cast of characters who frequent their club. Their stories range from funny, and fabulous to tragic, but each character is merely attempting to make their way in a world filled with hate, fear, and heartbreak."
CLUBBED TWO is historical fiction, set in Philadelphia PA from 1982 to 1992. A love story is included, but this is not your typical gay romance novel. It's his second book in a planned three-part series exploring LGBTQ history and culture.
Much of the story is told in a first-person narrative by Joey, the owner of Club Sanctuary. Joey and his partner, Henry, continue to develop their relationship as they build the club into a huge success. However, in order to provide greater insights into the words, thoughts, and actions of various characters, the author often moves into a third-person narrative. This allows the reader to dive more deeply into the stories of characters whom Joey might not know at all. This format allows Club Sanctuary to be a metaphor for the greater LGBTQ community, without limiting the scope of the story. LGBTQ Pride; Diversity; Disability Awareness and Acceptance; Interracial Love; 1980s Queer Fashions and Fads; Ageism, Infidelity, and AIDS Activism.
Historical references are made as the characters attend the Gay Games, view the AIDS Memorial Quilt, or learn about the deaths of celebrities, AIDS activists and advocates, co-workers, and friends. Others get involved with real-life organizations, such as ACT UP, as they struggle to fight against indifference and ignorance.
Readers have described the book as profound, poignant, fun, spicy, hilarious, and an amazing book with important stories. Come along for the ride and experience life in the true spirit of the Queer community.
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THE JOURNEY OF AUTHOR ROBERT KARL
Robert A. Karl is a native son of Philadelphia, PA. He spent his adult life as an active member of the LGBTQ community there.
He earned his M.Ed. from Temple University and worked for the School District of Philadelphia as a teacher and technology specialist for 30 years. He also taught courses in Educational Technology at the Temple University College of Education.
Losing many friends to the AIDS pandemic dramatically altered his world. Living in the LGBTQ community provided the historical background for his novels, CLUBBED: A Story of Gay Love and CLUBBED TWO: Anxiety, Anger, Activism. His work is a tribute to the incredible diversity in the LGBTQ community.
By setting the novels in a specific place and time (Philadelphia, PA during the 1970s through the 1990s) the author uses Club Sanctuary as a metaphor for the LGBTQ community and the many characters in the books embody the fabulous, funny, and flawed people of that community.
The author openly discusses issues of internalized homophobia, racism, ageism, sexism & other problems that continue to exist within the Queer community. Ignoring these problems does nothing to provide a solution. The author believes that open, honest communication is essential to preserving our culture and our world.
Currently retired, he is the proud Gay Dog Dad to Zuna, the Awesome Boston Terrier. Living in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he enjoys the beauty and culture of La Isla del Encanto, the Island of Enchantment.
Read Author ROBERT KARL's interview with DE MODE & about his upcoming books in the JUL-SEP-OCT 2022 GLOBAL ISSUE (MAGAZINE).
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6. 'THE BLOODSHED OF THE BETRAYED' ( #1 THE MERCY CHRONICLES) - BY AUTHOR A. L. SLADE
"The Bloodshed of the Betrayed (Book One of The Mercy Chronicles) is an emotional story about the gift of emotions and their torment once stripped away. A.L. Slade takes everything we know, or thought we knew, about angels and recreates it to fit her imagined universe. Laramie is an intriguing character & I connected with her. The romance is a pure joy to read & reconfirmed my belief that love is love."
Unable to feel emotions, angels are God’s devoted soldiers, who are tasked with carrying out God’s will. One of which is to answer the question: can angels handle the gift of emotions without it interfering with their loyalty to God?
Enter Laramie. Angel Laramie is given emotions as a trial to decide once and for all if angels are ready to feel again. However, she soon becomes sidetracked by an infatuation with a human called Maggie, prompting her to neglect her orders and allow her mission to fail. She returns to her superiors in hopes of helping the human only to learn her feelings were a test. Her failure means her banishment to Earth until she fades away forever. Magda Mercy is a twenty-three-year-old college student with dreams of becoming a doctor. Her life changes forever when her brother returns on leave from the military with devastating family news. In exile, Laramie is confronted by Lucifer with a confounding revelation that changes everything Laramie has ever known as an angel. Lucifer presents an offer of eventual immortality in exchange for Laramie’s ceaseless fidelity. When Laramie declines, Lucifer lashes out by tormenting the innocent Maggie as punishment for Laramie’s refusal. Laramie must now do everything in her power to save Maggie and prevent Lucifer from realizing his goals, even if it means reaching oblivion sooner
The Bloodshed of The Betrayed is a diverse dual point-of-view fantasy/adventure novel for the upper YA markets that touch very maturely on dark subject matters.
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THE JOURNEY OF AUTHOR A. L. SLADE
A. L. Slade is the 18-year-old author of “The Bloodshed Of The Betrayed” the first book in the anticipated series, “The Mercy Chronicles.” Slade brings this skillfully adapted tale to life with her endless creativity and descriptive story-telling as her hopes to enlighten readers and portray young autochories in a brilliant way is the backbone of her writing career. Slade has spent the past five years cultivating her first book, "The Bloodshed Of The Betrayed" to be able to share it with the world. Slade has been writing for as long as she can remember and has been a part of the writing field since early 2017 when she first self-published her book with a self-publishing company under the title ‘Retribution.’ Since then, she has gone back and implemented revisions to her book. She was unsatisfied with the preliminary result and has spent the past five years editing, revising, and developing her story into its truest form. Slade’s craft has always come very naturally to her and is undoubtedly her greatest passion in this world.
The author openly discusses issues of internalized homophobia. Slade is a young Canadian author, and her primary influence for writing is to spread awareness towards marginalized communities and minorities, as she elects to write about POC and LGBTQ+ members to represent the underrepresented respectfully and accurately. Not only has she written the novel, but Slade has also designed the cover herself, enabling the book to be precisely the way she envisioned it to be from the very beginning. For A. L. Slade, writing allows her to create a world that is something incredible, and what makes it unique is knowing that she can be a part of it.
FOLLOW THE AUTHOR ON TWITTER.
Read Author A. L. SLADE's interview with DE MODE & about her upcoming books in the JUL-SEP-OCT 2022 GLOBAL ISSUE (MAGAZINE).
Download/Order the full issue here.
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