Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
There’s two of us, Cass(they/he) and Trevor(he/him).
Cass has cowritten this one, three webcomics (two ongoing, one with Trev), most of another book, and has an additional book partially written.
Trevor has cowritten this book and the aforementioned comic.
We’re both focused on writing the first draft of the second book. The outline is completed, and we have a few other books planned for the series.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Cass named it, so they’ll answer this one.
Between Shadow and Flame. The working name was Of Shadow and Fog for many years, but it was a bit close to other titles and it got changed a couple years back. Unfortunately, I didn’t think to google search Between Shadow and Flame again closer to publication, and there’s some similar titles to that now too! Learn from my mistake. Always double-check.
The name itself is meant to describe the main character and his circumstances on a few different levels that I don’t want to get into to avoid spoilers.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Neither of us are sure what makes a habit usual or unusual.
Trevor will write scenes in his head while he does other things and then add them.
Cass works very stream of consciousness, without thinking too much and just letting things flow naturally. They’re very much a discovery writer.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
For Cass, while there’s many authors I’ve loved and obsessed over, Neil Gaiman is hands down the biggest influence. I devoured the Sandman comic in high school, and have devoured just about every Gaiman novel I could get my hands on since. I think Sandman in particular in my formative years shaped a lot of how I view stories and mythology, especially with the mythology class I took at the time. He’s also such a wholesome and supportive person, everything he says is like a warm hug.
I prefer listening to audiobooks, so I can work while I draw (I do enjoy multitasking).
I also really like finding new books, especially with queer protagonists. My favorite genres can pretty much be summed up by the genres in this one. It’s very much a culmination of things I like. (Gothic horror, fantasy, young adult.)
I’m trying to expand my reading a bit more, and recently joined an lgbt book club which has been fantastic so far. I highly recommend book clubs.
For Trevor, God I don’t know, so many. JRR Tolkein, Bram Stoker, Octavia E Butler, Goerge RR Martin, Neil Gaiman, Jim Butcher, Naomi Novik, Tamsin Muir, RA Salvator, Robert E Howard, Leigh Bardugo, Lindsay Ellis, Jacqueline Carey, Anne McCaffrey, Anne Rice, Marissa Meyer.
What are you working on now?
We’re working on the second book in the series most actively, though we also are ironing out future books as we do.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Cass is the one responsible for promotion, so they’ll take this one. To be perfectly frank, I have no idea what I’m doing, and I’ve made a lot of mistakes along the way. I didn’t know to have ARCs, for example, or how to promote or do reviews. Obviously, I’m trying to make up for that now, but there’s a lot I just didn’t know.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
From Cass: I think the two biggest pieces everyone will tell a potential author is to read a lot and write every day, and I think they’re both fantastic pieces of advice. I also heard once that if it isn’t fun for you to write, it won’t be fun for others to read, and I also am very fond of that one and found it to be pretty true.
But I’d also say, stop telling yourself what you can’t do. Stop worrying about how good it is or isn’t. If it’s something you care about, it’s worth writing. There’s someone out there waiting for a book only you can write, they just don’t know it yet.
From Trevor: Read a lot of books, figure out what you like, write what you like.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
From Cass: This is so broad it actually makes things more difficult. Other than the writing specific advice I mentioned above. For life in general, well, I don’t know if it’s best, but it’s been the most important thing for me, I think. You have to be enough for yourself. Your self-worth isn’t what you create, the money you make, what you put into society. You are worth more than what you do for others.
From Trevor: A quote from the Neil Gaiman Masterclass that you can find on youtube has really stuck with me, “In order to write fiction, I needed to be honest.”
What are you reading now?
Cass: I’m cycling between a few right now. (I have ADHD, and also sometimes I just need a break because things get a bit intense for me.) Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White, Scapegracers by H.A. Clarke, and Light From Uncommon Stars by Cindy Kay. I’ve also got a pretty long to-read list. (Highlights include Cemetary Boys by Aiden Thomas, The House In the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune, Giovanni’s room by James Baldwin, and many many others)
Trevor: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
What’s next for you as a writer?
We want to finish up the series, both the main one as well as some side stories about specific characters who deserve more screen time.
What is your favorite book of all time?
Cass: What a cruel question. It’s really hard to answer because it shifts so much with my mood. But some of the ones I find myself going back to a lot (so not including some recent reads I’ve loved) include The Last Unicorn by Peter S Beagle, Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice, Dracula by Bram Stoker, American Gods and Stardust by Neil Gaimen. I guess they’re more comfort reads than favorites.
Trevor: Axiom’s End. That book was just so good.
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