Blogging from A to Z: V is for Volcano Lady

You may recall from a previous post that I’m a big fan of independent authors.  Today, I’m honored to have steampunk indie author T.E. MacArthur, author of the Volcano Lady series, as my guest.  Enjoy this delightful interview!

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m a cat person. Yup! That’s me. My cat disagrees but I’m 100% certain I am a cat too. Cats are natural storytellers. Ever look in the eyes of a cat at 1:30 am – they’re starving to death aren’t they, just ask them. So effective are they at storytelling that you get up, go to the kitchen, and find their bowl is still … full. What’s worse is that it isn’t the first time you’ve fallen for this ruse. That’s the power of a well-crafted narrative. It’s the epitome of getting your audience to shun reality in favor of the new paradigm. Full suspension of disbelief that such an adorable, furry little purring machine could never be so supremely self-possessed that it would wake you up at O-Dark-Thirty because the kibble is shy a ¼ inch from the top of the bowl. Masters of Illusion. Purveyors of Science Fiction and Fantasy.

 

T.E. MacArthur

When did you first start writing?
Remind me again when the Cretaceous era ended?

I honestly don’t think there was a time when I wasn’t writing. For a little while, I deluded myself into thinking I was a comic book artist. I wasn’t horrible, but I wasn’t very good either. I’ve tried plenty of “art” from portraiture (I like the Elizabethan style because perspective and reality never bother to interfere) to Happy Little Trees (because Bob Ross’s voice and instructions can calm me down after work like no other.)

 

What’s your newest work?
The Doomsday Relic. It is a Volcano Lady story, with Lettie, Tom, Miranda, and a bevy of villains. I’m trying something new this time – instead of a full novel, I’ve written a novella and presented it as a Victorian gazette. The layout is meant to evoke the old magazines with their serial stories. I also chose a larger publication size: 7” x 10”. Your average trade paperback is 6” x 9”, but I wanted it to feel and look a little different, yet still fit in a backpack or man purse (oops, I mean, “messenger bag.”)

 

What is it about? It’s the no-holds-barred adventure of Lettie Gantry, off to the American West, in search of an ancient temple and an old enemy. More gadgets and secrets. Chases. Escapes. Everything you want to read when you’re at the beach – or at home curled up with a glass of wine, a catnip high kitten, the door shut against your weird neighbor and the screaming toddler from upstairs, and Expedition Unknown on in the background. Okay – that’s really specific to me, but you get the idea, right?

 

Where do you get your ideas?
Childhood cartoons and those brilliantly odd TV shows from the 60s and 70s. There are a couple of homages to The Wild Wild West and The Rifleman in The Doomsday Relic. I was very sad last weekend, as I realized that the Saturday Morning Cartoon really doesn’t exist anymore, does it? I’d wake up at the crack of freaking dawn to sneak downstairs to the old black & white TV, with my trusty tape recorder, and I’d make sure I got every episode of Josie and the Pussycats – songs and all.
I think the 60s and 70s were relatively uninhibited. You had a doped-up dragon, a kid on a psychedelic trip with his magic flute, bee-musicians having all sorts of adventures, and a blond racecar driver who spent most of her time dealing with a serial-killer uncle. Sometimes, some barely-disguised soft bondage sneaked its way in, leading many of us growing up then to have a skewed sense of what constituted fun. Good stuff, I tell you.
Let’s of course not forget the (British) Avengers and My Partner the Ghost.
That influence tweaked my sense of adventure. It informed my idea of what a strong woman could do (thank you, Mrs. Peel) and what excitement looked like (hey, I want to be a Secret Service Agent for President Grant!) I think it’s fair to say that I get my ideas from my childhood.

Where did you grow up, and how does that influence your writing?
I grew up in Colorado. Every year we’d take a few trips up to Cripple Creek – this charming little town on the backside of Pike’s Peak that banks on its Victorian and Wild West décor. There was the annual trip to Glenwood Springs – home of every rotten egg on the planet (okay, sulfur springs do not smell nice, but I promise you go nose-blind after the first 3 hours.) Beyond the hot springs and mineral pools, that were amazing by the way, it was also the place where Doc Holliday breathed his last. There were ranches where we went to camp. Rivers to sleep next to. Breath-taking mountains. Zuni, Hopi, and Navajo culture. All of it being the epitome of the American Frontier. I’m not sure why I don’t just go ahead and write Westerns, but I love English history too. Steampunk has allowed me to delve into both with glee!

What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
The greatest joy these days is going back to read something I wrote in high school or college and realizing that I don’t (what’s the right word to use on a family friendly blog?) suck as much as I used to. Ha! No, actually, the truth is that I’ve had people I admire greatly and some I go goofy over come up to me and say that they love my work. I’ve heard readers mention little clues I put in or emotional elements I thought might be overlooked with all the history and technology – that informs me how much they delved into the story and how well it touched them. That is my greatest joy

Of the characters you’ve created, which one is your favorite and why?
I love Lettie Gantry but I will make a confession here: I adore Tom Turner. Like Dorothy L. Sayers, author of the Lord Peter Wimsy series, I’ve fallen in love with my creation. Lettie serves as an extension of me – which should surprise no one because that’s what all authors must do to keep their writing honest. Miranda Gray is the voice of my inner snark. But Tom is the man I would fall in love with were he to walk up to me. It’s not quite fair, though: I created Tom thus he does the things I would want him to do. He cannot help but be perfect, even in his imperfections.

What are your favorite genres to read?
Well-research historical mysteries. I know I’m playing fast and loose with some elements of history, but this is Steampunk and I admit freely what I’m doing. I honestly despise poorly-researched historical novels that suggest that they are “real” or “factual.” Since I am an historian, reading something anachronistic yanks me out of the story – it reasserts my disbelief. Remember the penny from the movie Somewhere in Time? The penny that broke the spell of the modern man, destroying his submersion in the past, and dragging him back home instantly. Bad history, or repeated yet debunked historical myth are my pennies.

What are you currently reading?
One of the latest Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mysteries by Anne Perry.

What’s your favorite place to write?
Coffee Houses. I adore coffee houses. Since I live near a university, there are plenty of cafes to sit and write (if you don’t mind drop-kicking that one student, who is taking up two tables and brought in their own food, out of your way. I have no problem with this! Cafes are not study halls, they are businesses, and one should purchase food and respect space.)

What do your fans mean to you?
Everything!  I try not to think of them as “fans,” because that feels arrogant to me. They are friends of one sort or another.