Cherry Sparkle Burlesque Interview: The Gorgeous G.I. Jayne

September 26, 2014November 11, 2015jjeremyhicks

After an unacceptable period of silence on this blog, I break my fast from posting in a most enjoyable way, by interviewing the gorgeous G.I. Jayne, one of the army of dolls and guys performing with our local Cherry Sparkle Burlesque Company. Stay tuned to the interview to find out more about her as well as details about their next burlesque performance.

First of all, I’d like to thank you for agreeing to this interview, G.I. Jayne. And for your service with our armed forces. If you don’t mind, could you tell us more about your military service?

Sure! I have been in the Alabama Army National Guard for almost 7 years now. I joined right out of high school as a military police. At that point in time, I thought I was going to go to law school, so it seemed to fit as an MP. I was really girly in high school (cheerleading captain) and I had made a joke about joining. I actually got made fun of and told I could not handle the military, so I guess it started as me proving a point. Now, 7 years later and on my second contract commitment, I would not trade it for the world! It is definitely the best experience and I look forward to many more years of serving our country.

You went from captain of your cheerleading squad to a facing off against terrorists as well as military criminals. At this point, I’m thinking G.I. Jayne is the real Captain America. All you need is the costume. Not that I am complaining about the costumes you choose to use now. 😉

Obviously, your stage name references your military background but does it have anything to do with G.I. Jane, the Demi Moore movie about the first female Navy SEAL?

Haha! You are not the first to ask this. Actually, when I came home from basic, a woman that I considered my second mother made me a cake that said: “Welcome Home, GI Jane.” It became an inside joke then and I took to the name. When coming up with a stage name, I had a hard time trying to find something that suits me. After weeks of thinking, I thought back to that and decided that it was the perfect fit! But I love people referencing me to Demi Moore because she is so bad ass and it’s awesome that it is what comes to mind when people here it:)

Well, I think you qualify for all-American badass too. Cheerleader turned military police who performs burlesque on the side. I couldn’t write a better female action hero. Demi Moore could never hope to pull off that kind of a performance without a green screen and a stuntwoman.

How did you come to join Cherry Sparkle? And how long have you been a member?

I have been a member since December of 2013 (almost a year). My entertainment manager actually booked them at the bar I was managing at the time, The Crimson Tiger. I was very uncertain about what they did and was a little standoffish about having booked them. The night they came, we were packed! The audience was going crazy. They really showed out and had fun doing it. I knew that I had to be a part of what Kaitie had created. So I auditioned the very next week and was thrilled to be accepted.

And as they say, the rest is history, right? Having seen you perform onstage and then interacting with you offstage, I doubt I am the only one who is happy that you changed your mind about burlesque and Cherry Sparkle.

Did you have a background in dance, theater, or performance art prior to joining the company?

I do! I took ballet, tap, jazz, and many other forms of dance as a child. I was on danceline all through elementary school, and later became a cheerleader all through high school at a place where dance performances were taken very serious! Even as cheerleaders, our sole purpose and what we lived for were our dancing skills.

How would you describe your role in Cherry Sparkle Burlesque and your performance style?

I am known as more of a neo style dancer. I always try to bring something different to the table that people would not expect of me. In our last show, I actually did a little poi with glow sticks. That was ALOT of fun!

Given complete creative control and few limitations on budget, what song would you perform to onstage and how would you garb yourself for this performance of a lifetime?

There is one song I got really worked up over and have wanted to do forever, I just have to find the right venue that we perform at to make it work. It is a song by Five Finger Death Punch called the Wrong Side of Heaven. It is the ultimate military tribute but the video is truly what makes the song. If I could have it my way, I would do some kind of dramatic routine with a projector in the background playing that video. It is so touching. It would not be so much about me dancing, but for just a few minutes, everyone in the building paying respect to our fallen soldiers and the ones who continue to suffer. Of course I would have to have it complete with smoke and fire and all that fancy jazz just to make it even more awesome 🙂

That’s not only an exciting choice, Jayne, but also a heartfelt one. I’m sure my family and friends who have served would appreciate it greatly. After all, it was my cousin, a Marine combat veteran, who introduced me to that song and its stirring video.

Let’s take a moment to discuss your day job, when you’re not keeping America safe or raising our spirits with your stimulating performances. I hear that you are making the change from bartender to bar owner. Could you tell me more about your new business and when we can look forward to the grand opening?

I am! It is called the Darkhorse Saloon and it is located at 1113 Noble Street. We are very excited about it. My dad, my stepmother, and I are the owners. Our vision is for it to be more of a relaxed, chill out lounge that focuses on a lot of live music. We will have karaoke, open mic, and even free food during happy hour. We are set for a grand opening on Friday, October 10th!

What’s your favorite part of a burlesque show?

Definitely the variety of everything that we do and how it all comes together. It is about being comfortable in your own skin and loving the you that you are. I love seeing all of our hard work pay off. Show days are always the most fun because we are all a bundle of nerves and stressed to the max, but once we get on that stage it is a feeling like no other. We definitely have the best fans to always make what we do possible!

What’s your least favorite part of performing?

I guess just the nerves. There is not really anything I do not like about performing, but you always have that thought in he back of your mind of, are they going to love me or hate me? But if I did not get nervous before a performance, there would be something wrong.

Finally, when will we be able to see you onstage with Cherry Sparkle again?

We will be performing the opening weekend of The Darkhorse Saloon on Saturday, October 11; and I cannot wait to share my exciting weekend with all of these amazing girls. It is so nice to be able to share this moment with them and I look forward to seeing all of our fans in the audience:)

Well, I hope to share it with you. That’s one show and grand opening I don’t want to miss. And I hope our readers out there don’t miss out on it either.

Thanks again for sitting down with me for this interview. As always, it has been a pleasure. I appreciate what you’ve done for my nation as well as my morale. Keep up the good work on all fronts, G.I. Jayne. You’ll always have the support of this writer.

If you’d like to check out more about G.I. Jayne or Cherry Sparkle Burlesque Company, click the links below:

G.I. Jayne’s Facebook Page

Cherry Sparkle Burlesque’s Facebook Page

Cherry Sparkle Burlesque Interview: Talking Nerdy with the Sizzling Sparkletini

July 26, 2014November 11, 2015jjeremyhicks

Just in time for arguably the largest annual event in geekdom, San Diego Comic Con, I bring you my interview with the nerdy, comical emcee for the Cherry Sparkle Burlesque Company. I’ve had the privilege to know the brainy, beautiful lady behind the performer for a couple of years now. It was nerd-love-at-first-sight when our first conversation turned to Klingons, Vulcans, and the glories of Star Trek, so it was my pleasure to sit down and interview for my blog. Without further adieu, I bring you the smart, the sexy, the sizzling Sparkletini.

Names, most cultures believe, have power and meaning. So I always like to start these interviews by finding out why each dancer chose her particular stage name. Why Sparkletini? What does it mean to you?

Well, the term comes from what the other girls referred to my personality as effervescent and “sparkling”, and everybody loves a good martini! What could be better than a “sparkletini?”

Who talked you into joining Cherry Sparkle? And why did you want to join?

The owner of the company, the lovely Miss Cherry Sparkle has a wonderful man in her life AKA Killa Gorilla…lol…that has been a friend of mine for many years, and due to “life” in general we lost touch. Until a year ago, when we made contact again; and he informed me about the wonderful woman in his life and their beautiful children, and introduced us. She then asked me if I would come to a show. I was more than happy to do so…and so it began. I told her I would love to audition. I was so very entertained and in awe of this new thing happening in Annison, Alabama, and I wanted so bad to be a part. Also…believe it or not…prior to Eric contacting me, I had a dream about being in a burlesque group…maybe a little ESP. But in real life, I am a critical care nurse who works in a local ICU. This for me is a outlet and relief from the horrible things I see in a day’s work. It reminds me that there is life, grace, humor, and beauty still out there in this world.

Had you performed as a burlesque dancer before you joined the company?

Actually no… but in my dream I did!

Did you have a prior background in dancing, theater, or performance art?

Back when I was in college I had a career in radio, I also started doing stand-up comedy for benefits shows, which led to me start doing stand-up in bars and other venues. I also have been in several plays growing up and throughout my life and was once the Wicked Witch of the West in “The Wizard of Oz”.

How did you evolve into your role as emcee (MC) for the company?

I started in the company to provide skits and comic relief to give more variety to the show and after the very first show the owner asked if I would MC because she liked that way I used improv and involved audience in my performance. She thought I could keep a good “flow” to the show . Needless to say, I was shocked and honored!

What is your favorite part of performing?

Seeing the audience laugh and having a good time! I love to laugh and the endorphins give me a natural high like no other! I like to provide that to the audience as well as ask them questions and “put them on the spot”. Incorporating the audience makes them feel a part of the show and shows that we appreciate them! Besides if it weren’t for them we wouldn’t be here using our talents!

What are the least desirable parts of a performance for you?

I don’t like it when I have a “stiff” audience … For once something being “stiff” is a bad thing…LOL! I like my audience to “play” with me! People need to learn to relax, let loose and enjoy this thing called life! Also, I don’t like it when people yell out rude comments and boo the male performers! We all work so hard and it isn’t easy performing in front of people, especially almost naked! To the hecklers, I say, “Let’s see you get up on stage and see if you can do better!”

From our previous conversations, I know that you’re a proud nerd, an avid role-player, and fan of science fiction and fantasy, particularly Star Trek. If you had your choice, which Star Trek character would you cosplay for a stage performance? Why?

I guess most would expect the very beautiful, sultry, openly sexual, Betazoid Diana Troy. But I identify most with a mixture of Jadzia Dax, Captain Kathryn Janeway, and Seven of Nine. Jadzia Dax is a most interesting character because she is beautiful, strong, intelligent, and most of all “chosen”. The symbiotic life form that resides within her, Dax, gives her an edge by giving her a multitude of life experiences and a wealth of knowledge from both a male and female perspective over many lifetimes. I also feel I am like Captain Janeway because I am passionate about the people I care about and often sacrifice my own happiness to help them. And I am the Seven of Nine of the group since I am new to this “sexiness” and new way of life. But I would love nothing more than to just be a Vulcan science officer with sunglasses, a cigarette, and a beer, completely illogical! And maybe get down to some Star Trek emblem pasties!!

If you could do a burlesque version of a fantasy character, who would it be? Why?

Oh, without a doubt, Daenerys Stormborn Targaryen from the Game of Thrones series – no explanation needed for the hot Mother of Dragons!! With some Targaryen sigil pasties and dragon wing fans and FIRE! Sorry got a little carried away. I am currently working in a Final Fantasy VII skit involving the unspoken tension between Aeris and Tiffa and who actually hooked up with Cloud!

So, when will we see you on stage again with Cherry Sparkle?

This Saturday night at Black Market Bar & Grille, located in Five Points, in Birmingham, Alabama at 10 PM!

Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed, Miss Sparkletini. It was well worth the wait. And stimulating as always. Have fun at the show and always remember to leave them laughing. I know I try.

Be sure to check her out at the show this weekend in Birmingham. And follow/like her and Cherry Sparkle Burlesque at the links below:

To find out more about Sparkletini, like her page on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/SparkletiniCSBC

To find out more about Cherry Sparkle Burlesque Company, check them out on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/thecherrysparkleburlesquecompany

Digging up Dirt on Author Paul Stansfield

July 10, 2014November 11, 2015jjeremyhicks

When I’m not writing or procrastinating, I am an archaeologist by trade. I’ve worked for a number of companies all over the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic region; most recently, I’ve been employed by Louis Berger, a major infrastructure company with offices in dozens of countries around the world. This job brought me into contact with another archaeologist who spends his nights turning his fevered thoughts into fiction. This gentleman with the mad muttonchops, Paul Stansfield, is a veteran field archaeologist, a serious sports enthusiast, a top-notch beer pong partner, and a good friend.

This Rutgers graduate and diehard fan is also a talented horror writer. In fact, the first story he told me about features overzealous camper kids who mistake the actors in a low budget zombie film for real undead. When I heard that pitch on the slow, sleepy ride to work in the Ocoee River Basin of Tennessee, I knew I’d have to read it. And maybe one day, I could talk Paul into letting me turn it into a screenplay. For now, I’ll settle for an interview with this new face in horror fiction.

How long have you been writing fiction? And what genre(s) do you prefer?

Somewhere I still have an incomplete science fiction-ish story based on my Legos that I wrote when I was about 10. I completed my first stories at about age 14 or 15. But I really started writing in earnest, and submitting, in my mid 20’s, so it’s been about 20 years total. Horror is my strong genre preference. Some of my stories are hybrids, say action/horror, fantasy/horror, or scifi/horror, but they’re usually at least horror-related in some form.

When writing fiction, do you prefer short stories, novellas, or novels? Why?

I don’t have a preference here. I come up with the story idea, and take it as far as it goes. My output has been mostly short stories, but I have written a few novellas, and three novels that I’m still shopping around.

What writer(s) has/have influenced your writing the most?

Probably Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Robert McCammon, and H.P. Lovecraft. And readers have compared stories I’ve written to Edward Lee and Joseph Heller.

Is there a work of fiction that you keep coming back to, one that you can read over and over again? If so, why?

Yes, many. Basically if I really like a novel (or nonfiction book), I’ll almost always reread it, occasionally many times. Obviously I don’t usually forget the major plot points, but I do forget some minor ones, so it’s still entertaining and thought-provoking the second, third, etc. time around. Some examples would be King’s “The Shining,” Scott Smith’s “A Simple Plan,” Thomas Berger’s “Little Big Man,” Frank Herbert’s “Dune,” and William Peter Blatty’s “The Exorcist.”

As a writer, are there common themes or topics that you like to explore?

I don’t intentionally set out to do so—I usually just come up with the story idea and start writing. But looking back, I do see some common themes and topics. Obsession, frustration, guilt (and I’m not even Catholic!), greed, revenge, and finding one’s self, to name a few. Also a fair bit of “body horror” explorations.

Where do you find inspiration for your writing, especially your newest release?

From many things. From movies (“Pink Flamingos,” “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”), books (the folklore encyclopedias called “Man, Myth, and Magic”), real life events (the Winchester House, Genghis Khan, various serial killers, seeing calves’ brains for sale in an Iowa supermarket), and even an educational filmstrip called “Hemo the Magnificent.” For my latest, “Unholy Spirit,” the inspiration was Dalton Trumbo’s great anti-war novel, “Johnny Got His Gun.”

I don’t want to get us in trouble with our bosses here, but during your day job as an archaeologist, do you find yourself creating plotlines in your head or working out story problems as you survey an area or excavate a test unit?

No, not really. Most often, solutions to story problems occur to me while I’m driving, taking a long walk, in the shower, or when I’m falling asleep. Maybe at work I’m too distracted by the ticks, poison ivy, venomous snakes, and even the rare rabid fox!

What can you tell us about your newest release? And where can we find it?

I wrote “Unholy Spirit” right after finishing a novel length manuscript in which the main character was good, and stricken with terrible guilt. So it was a nice change of pace, and quite fun, to write about an unrepentantly evil character like Keisha Cartwright. It was also a cool compliment to hear from a prior magazine editor that this story had freaked out his staff! This story is out in the current issue (July, Volume 2, No. 10) of “Under the Bed” Magazine. The site address is: http://www.fictionmagazines.com. And more information on the story is included below.

Finally, where can we find out more about you and your other works of fiction?

My blog address is: http://paulstansfield.blogspot.com , where I talk about writing, sports, underrated movies and books, random thoughts, and mostly, weird and gross foods I’ve eaten. My two ebooks (“Dead Reckoning” and “Kaishaku”) can be found at Musa Publishing (www.musapublishing.com). I also have a story (“Responsibility”) in Sunbury Press’s “Undead Living” anthology, which can be found at: http://www.sunburypress.com

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions and tell the readers here more about your work. I look forward to reading all of it. Keep on disturbing publishers and editors and hopefully one day you’ll be scaring the hell out of millions of readers around the world.

D. Alan Lewis & A Double Dose of Lycanthropy

July 9, 2014July 9, 2014jjeremyhicks

With the release of not one but two werewolf-themed anthologies from Dark Oak Press this week, I thought it expedient and enlightening to interview one of the people who made it possible. Author, editor, and good friend D. Alan Lewis has been sweating these two Luna’s Children collections since last year, working diligently to comb through the massive amount of submissions, select the best stories, and then edit them for publication. Though he has not been alone in this daunting task, his drive and dedication have made these anthologies possible.

This is a glowing introduction and rightly so. But then again, I am clearly biased as Alan saw fit to anchor the first volume, Luna’s Children: Full Moon Mayhem, with my edgy, ultra-violent revenge fiction piece entitled “Beta Male, Alpha Wolf.” As editor, Alan also selected my Cycle of Ages Saga story about dwarves on a submarine powered by a dirty nuclear reactor for Capes & Clockwork, Dark Oak’s recent steampunk superhero anthology.

In addition to his duties as editor, technical writer, and father, D. Alan Lewis is a writer of some of the most imaginative fiction to make it onto my bookshelf. When I first met him at MidSouth Con in Memphis, this unassuming, quiet fellow with the wolfish baby blues sat behind a table with his first novel, Blood in Snowflake Garden. After reading the back cover, I took this absurdist Cold War-era noir tale of murder, mystery, and cupcakes at Santa’s North Pole home with me and enjoyed every page. You will never read another Christmas story like this one. Since then, he has written and published several pulp stories and a few novels. Of them, the gritty, unflinching supervillain tale, The Bishop of Port Victoria, is another favorite. Of course, I could go on and on about telling you about this talented technical writer turned genre author and editor; instead, I’ll let him tell you about himself, his influences, and his projects.

Q. As writers, we all come from different backgrounds and found our way to this profession in our own way. How did you make the transition from amateur to professional writer? When?

A. I grew up telling stories, some for honorable purposes and some not. As a teen and young adult, I got into roleplaying games and usually ended up running the games, since my friends loved the stories I’d weave for them. I’d toyed with writing for many years, but never got started. This was partly due to procrastination and partly due to a lack of support from family and friends. After my last divorce, I decided to jump in to the writing world with both feet. I hooked up with a writer’s group in Nashville and with their support, I managed to finish my first novel.

From there, it became a matter of networking. I’d been going to SF&F conventions for years, so I started talking to authors and publishers who attend. Those contacts lead to multiple book and story deals. And that leads to the latest work, the 2 Luna’s Children books.

Q. What genre(s) do you write? And do you prefer writing short stories, novellas, or novels? Why?

A. I’m a bit of a writing slut. I write a little bit of everything in all kinds of lengths. I have 3 novels out at the moment; a murder mystery, a pulp/noir tale, and a steampunk adventure. As for short stories, I have steampunk, pulp/noir, superhero tales, horror, and vampire & werewolf stories, and straight-up Sci-Fi.

I don’t have a preference about the length, as long as I have enough room to tell the story that I’m trying to convey.

Q. What writer(s) has/have influenced your writing the most? How have they influenced you?

A. Douglas Adams has always been a favorite and a major influence. His works were so ‘over the edge’ at times and I loved that. While I didn’t want to be his clone, I did want to write like him. Early on, all my stories were developed as comedies, but I didn’t feel that I could match his level of craftsmanship. And as I worked, I found that my skills were more along a darker path of storytelling.

Q. Is there a work of fiction that you keep coming back to, one that you read over and over again? If so, why?

A. Douglas Adam’s ‘The Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul’. I just love it.

Q. As a writer, are there common themes or topics that you like to explore?

A. I love surprise twists, so everything I write has something in it that I hope will catch the reader off guard. I also love having tortured, troubled characters. As far as topics, I don’t have anything that I include in every story.

Q. As an editor, where do you find the time and patience to edit something as daunting as an anthology?

A. Patience is needed in ample amounts, some of the time. It never fails to amaze me that some authors will send in a story riddled with errors, but if an editor misses one and it gets in the final product, those same authors will throw a fit.

As the first reader, I look for a story first. Does it fit a need that my anthology needs? If so, then I look at the errors. If there are too many, I send them back to the authors and explain what mistakes I’m seeing and ask them to rewrite it. Then, once it comes back, I get to work. With Luna’s Children, there were so many stories that I had a team of editors helping me with all the stories, making sure that I didn’t miss anything.

With Capes & Clockwork, I was dealing with mostly established writers who knew their craft. I also had only 16 stories to deal with, so that anthology fell into place quickly and efficiently. The Luna’s Children books were the complete opposite. While there were a number of talented writes, there are a lot of first-timers. Still, many of those first-timers were giving me great stories, underneath all the mistakes. Luna’s Children includes 43 stories in the 2 volumes, which were drawn out of over a 150 submissions.

Needless to say, the werewolf stories took much longer to weed through, edit and put together.

Q. What special challenges do you face in editing an anthology versus a novel?

A. An anthology is a collection of stories from OTHER people. These are not my stories, so I can read it as an outsider and can spot problems and issues. When I edit my own stuff, I have to try and remember not to read it as the writer but as an outsider. While in my mind, I know how a scene is playing out in the words. But as the reader, is that scene playing out in the same way? Sometimes as a writer, you can’t see the obvious mistakes since you’re too close to the story.

Q. What can you tell us about your newest releases, the two volumes of Dark Oak Press’s werewolf-themed Luna’s Children anthologies? And where can readers find it?

A. Luna’s Children: Full Moon Mayhem and Luna’s Children: Stranger Worlds is now available on Amazon Kindle and will soon be available in print and other ebook versions. All will be available at your local and online book retailers.

Full Moon Mayhem contains 22 stories that are more based in the real world. While, the 21 stories in Stranger Worlds takes the werewolf genre into new worlds, other times, different realities.

Q. Now that these collections are finally being released, what will you be working on next?

A. Currently, I am working on the submissions for Capes & Clockwork 2, which is an anthology of Steampunk’d superhero stories. The first volume came out early this year and was such a hit that the second book was green lit immediately.

In addition to that, I’m working on short stories for the upcoming ‘Black Pulp 2’ and ‘High Adventure History 2’, both from Pro Se Productions. I’m also outlining an untitled Steampunk/Noir detective story that I hope to have out by year’s end. In the long term planning, are the next books in the Hawke Girls and the Snowflake Garden series.

Q. Finally, where can we find out more about you and your other works of fiction?

A. My website/blog is: www.dalanlewis.com

I am on twitter: @Dalanlewis

I’m on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorD.AlanLewis

And I have an author page on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/D.-Alan-Lewis/e/B006DA9P2U/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1331611519&sr=8-2

Thanks for sitting with us for the interview today, Alan. Good luck on your future projects and upcoming appearances. In the proud tradition of tired werewolf cliches, I hope you have a howling good time. 😉

Author Interview: The Priceless Konstantine Paradias

June 23, 2014November 11, 2015jjeremyhicks

Recently, I had the privilege of interviewing a fellow speculative fiction author, a native of Greece named Konstantine Paradias. Some of you may remember that he interviewed me for his blog Shapescapes earlier this year, before the release of Capes & Clockwork, an anthology from Dark Oak Press that features a story from each of us. In addition writing fiction, Konstantine is an essayist and professional jeweler. He’s also a helluva nice guy who makes for an enjoyable interview subject. But I’ll let you be the final judge of that.

How long have you been writing fiction? And what genre(s) do you prefer?

If you want to be specific, I started writing fiction since I was eight years old, scribbling the adventures of Sir Kittenchild, the richest kitten in the world. I used to jot down ideas for his adventures when I was bored in class and then play out those ideas with my brother. The stories might not have been stellar, but we got Kitten child under constant threat of assassination by ninjas, turned into a cyborg, got him to built a town made out of gold and then blow it up because he realized he’d have to let people live in it. Looking back, I think that the genre I was working with could be called absurdist fiction, but I grew out of it when I was 13 and discovered the joys of science fiction through the works of Alfred Bester and H.G. Wells.

While I like science fiction, I prefer mine to be rubbery, but not too chewy. Space opera is the poison of my choice, with some of the greatest fiction works under its belt (including, but not limited to Roger Zelazny’s Lord of Light which has been consistently blowing my mind even after the 12th read). While I love me some hard sf, I always find it very hard to find an author who can tread the line between establishing an outlandish technology with theoretical science and writing a good story. Greg Egan and Neal Stephenson belong to these chosen few.

When writing fiction, do you prefer short stories, novellas, or novels? Why?

I prefer short stories, as I always had a very poor attention span and found it very hard on writing longer form fiction back when I was young. My brain, unfortunately, tends to jump between ideas and starts bugging me constantly when I try to keep it in line. Shot stories allow me to build a world and tear it down if I choose in as few words as possible, presenting snippets of history from that Universe for the reader to go through.
I also prefer short stories because, to me, they have always felt like a writer’s ultimatum. Spinrad’s Carcinoma Angles always felt like a punch to the face and I have No Mouth And I must Scream felt to me (when I was 14 and clueless) like waking up from a nightmare only to find myself trapped in a fever dream. Furthermore, short stories allow for greater experimentation. Fredric Brown’s story Answer is the best AI-gone-bad story ever and it’s only 150 words long. Silverberg’s When The Legends came home is distilled awesome and Kadrey’s still life with apocalypse is a silent parade of horror set against a burning skyline.

What writer(s) has/have influenced your writing the most?

Well that’s a doozy. Let’s see: Michael Moorcock (because if it’s weird and awesome, it’s good for you), Chuck Pallanhiuk (like stepping into a freezer stacked to the top with nothing but jar full of human eyeballs in brine), Harlan Elisson (because the man is a typerwriter goblin that reverse-grants wishes), Maya Angelou (because I Rise is my favorite poem and I don’t even like poetry), Kurt Vonnegut (because cynicism ALWAYS works), Aldous Huxley (utopia sucks) and George Orwell (dystopia is pretty terrible, too), Ward Moore (because the end of the world is always good for a laugh) and Philip K. Dick (who is grimmer than gangrene and more bitter than arrow frog venom).

As a writer, are there common themes or tropes that you prefer to use in your work?

People tell me I always like to do this ‘fish out of water’ thing and how pretty much everyone in my stories is ‘always angry all the time’. I think this is a miscommunication, mostly on my part. See, I don’t really believe that being angry or eschewing responsibility solves anything. Going postal only serves to turn you into the butt of everyone’s jokes.

Whether it’s the end of the world or just the end of your own little bubble of reality, the only choise is to buckle down, get up on your feet and get your ass walking. I have always tried to make a point of this in my stories, especially when I deal with time travel. Anything that is even remotely a ‘get-out-of-jail-free’ card is anathema to me, when I write my stories. There is no magic sword that will kill the bad guy. Going back in time to make yourself rich will only make things worse for you. Machine immortality? Yeah right. R’Lyeh rises from the deep? Surprise, fart-face, deep one illegal immigrants!

Nothing can solve your problems for you. No-one can help you. You are alone against a cold and cruel and uncaring universe and the best you can hope for is for some good company everyonce in a while.

Where do you find inspiration for your writing, especially your Capes & Clockwork story?

You know, I have no idea. Used to be, I would say it was other peoples’ stories, until I started writing in earnest and those things lost their luster as they were buried under the muck and grime of everyday cynicism. I’d like to say it’s music, but that doesn’t help anymore. Electroswing sounds like diesel-powered rocketships and people wearing power armor built out of old Cadillac parts. Movies? Comic Books? I wouldn’t dare change an iota of anything that I like. People? Maybe. I guess they are crazy enough and weird and kind and mad and cruel and loving enough to fit the bill. All the weirdos (myself included) and the mad, we each have a story to tell, if only we could have the proper backdrop.

Beneath Familiar Suns was such a story. I decided tow rite it after discovering that Isaac Newton wasted his entire life trying to prove the existence of the substance known as phlogiston, when gravity (whicvh he considered a side project) was the thing that ensured his place in the scientific pantheon. I always thought what sort of world we would live in, if Newton’s phlogiston theory had come true. If one of the things we call the fundamental forces of the universe turned out to be considered new-age hogwash. And when I thought of what sort of world that would be, I made them fight.

Is there a work of fiction that you keep coming back to, one that you can read over and over again? If so, why?

From the top of my head, I can think of three books:
-The Elric Saga, bY Michael Moorcock which was the first fantasy book I ever read, before Lord Of the Rings and Harry Potter. As to why I go back to it? Well, do you know many books that tell the tale of a sickly albino elf-prince who uses an evil balck sword and melds with his past and future selves to save the Multiverse?

-Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut. Bastards getting what’s coming to them, by virtue of cosmic meddling, topped with the bitter-sweetest ending I’ve read so far.

-Choke, by Chuck Pallanhiuk. The scamming adventures of a sex addict who thinks he could ever be loved so much, he would never need to be loved again. Also, time travel (in a fashion) and Jesus-clones. Or something. Just read the damn book.

When Capes & Clockwork was published, you interviewed me for Shapescapes, your blog located at the following URL: http://shapescapes.blogspot.com/2013/10/what-i-think-about-stuff-capes.html. What other content can visitors find on your website? Can any of your short fiction be found there? If not, where can they find it?

Well the blog is filled with articles on roleplaying, comic book reviews, the first pages of a webcomic that was not meant to be, the occasional rant about the state of pop culture and yes, some of my short stories, filed under ‘Fairy Tales From Far Away’. As for where you can find my stories. Fiction Vortex has published ‘Nth Chance’ and ‘The Vilkacis’; Black Denim Literary recently went online with ‘Crucible Invictus’; Aphelion Online still keeps a copy of ‘The Gears that Ground The Hearts of Children’ in an online back issue. You can find UnFortunate, on DarkFire publishing’s website and the list goes on and on. But for a full list, then just click Here (http://www.doyoubuzz.com/konstantine-paradias_1) and you can find my complete list of published short stories.

Besides Shapescapes, where can we find out more about you and your work online?

I am currently employed as a book reviewer for Albedo One, where I post some of my work. A number of my stories are available for free on other websites but my personal favorite is Chris Boyle’s audio rendition of my short story ‘Echoes in Porcelain’ on ep 33 of Bizarrocast.

But if you are looking for a flash fiction fix, then why not try the page that I am maintaining with a few other indie writers, titled Augmentations on Facebook? There you can get your weekly cyberpunk fix in 250 words or less, with an awesome bit of art by independent artists to seal the deal! https://www.facebook.com/Augmentations?fref=ts

As far as your own work goes, what are you working on currently?

At the moment, I am pitching a serial, trying to get a comic book going and trying my hand at a Young Adult novel. One is about a magical product reviewer in a world where science has discovered magic, the other is about serial killers trying to stop the world from ending and the third, about a young girl monster Hunter, struggling to live a normal life in the worst place in the world.

I don’t honestly know when these are going to be done, but I am guessing sometime within the year, before the advent of Tezcatlipoca’s wrath.

What will be coming out next for you? And where can we find it?

At the moment, my work has been published in the 2014 Science Fiction Writer’s Sampler, which is available on Amazon, free for a limited time. My essay on Battle Royale has been published by Haikasoru, in the BR SLAM BOOK and my short story ‘Oi, Robot!’ is coming out in Third FlatIron’s Master Minds anthology, all of which is available on Amazon.com

Thanks for sitting with me today and telling me a bit about you and your work, Konstantine. It’s been enlightening and quite entertaining. Hopefully, we’ve helped to connect you with more readers. Best of luck with your creative endeavors. Look forward to reading them.

You can click any of the cover images in this interview to find out where to buy Konstantine’s various works, and the Shapescapes banner should take you right to his blog.

You can find him on Facebook at the following URL: https://www.facebook.com/konstantine.paradias?fref=ts

Follow him on Twitter @KonstantineP

J. Jeremy Hicks — Author

Field archaeologist turned screenwriter and novelist. Co-creator and author of the Cycle of Ages Saga. Co-founder of Broke Guys Productions.

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