Let's Stalk Rex Jupiter!
by Allison A. Spector
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Interview:
Allison: Absolutely—and thanks for inviting me here to share with you on this lovely New Year’s Day!
I think the best way to describe myself would be as an eclectic soul with a deep and unyielding passion to explore new ideas, fashion new worlds, and engage with Life in a dance of creativity and wonder, pulling those around to me in my wake.
Crystal: Do you have a favorite scene you would like to share with us?
Allison: Yep, sure do! Here’s a little teaser for you…
The graceful intensity of Abbie’s reflexes was both breathtaking and terrifying. One minute, she had been hypnotized by the sight of robots and spaceships immortalized on footed manjamas, and the next minute, the intriguing apparition of Masculine Confidence was airborne. It was surreal and beautiful, like a student art film…with stakes much more deadly. But she was more than capable of handling this unexpected development. Oh, yes. Being a Druid had its advantages.
One spent a lot of time outdoors.
One ate a nutritious vegan meal each day (and more than one almost-vegan meal if one was a sneaky-cheater!)
One did a lot of cardio at the Druids-Only Zumba Meetup (which was particularly lively when one got a lot of not-so-vegan coffee drinks for free as a daytime barista at the Wide‑Eyes Drive-Through Coffee Shack).
And most importantly…
One knew the importance of looking out for fellow souls downtrodden by the Establishment. Thus, Abbie’s Mighty Druidtivity had made short work of the airborne bearded beauty who had flung himself from the cliff and toward the unforgiving falls. She could hardly remember how it had all happened. But she knew that the results were glorious!
Abbie didn’t think.
Abbie didn’t breathe.
She simply did what years of training in the Bellingham Circus Guild had prepared her for—she tugged her rope to make sure it was still secure, and then her arms jolted forward as she deftly gripped Phillip Kowsky’s flannel-‐‑covered ankles…
Where did you come up with the idea for Let’s Stalk Rex Jupiter! (?)
It all started with a mental character sketch of an eccentric detective who is convinced that film noir is a practical lifestyle guide. I also had a notion to have a woman visit her own funeral, and for someone to rally against an over-the-top writer. These popped into my head when I was in my late teens. However, I didn’t do much with the story until very recently. I needed a location. Once I became familiar with the magic and beauty of the Pacific Northwest it was like—bam! The final piece of the puzzle fell into place.
Crystal: What are you currently working on?
Allison: I currently have an ongoing serial novel live on JukePop.com. It’s called The Fringers and is about a grim dystopian Jersey shore, a post-apocalyptic Seaside Heights, enslaved reality stars, and other lovely things only a former Jersey Girl could conjure! I also have a short story, Requiem, that will soon be published in the 2016 edition of 1888’s Cost of Paper.
Crystal:Do you have any special routine that you follow when you are writing?
Allison: Every evening I find a cozy place where I can stretch out my legs. I retrieve my trusty laptop and I write as much as I comfortably can. Then I scoot around the internet gathering random thoughts for further research, and track down new contests and publishing opportunities. I try to stay in the “writer world” / “writer mindset” as much as I possibly can. It’s a healthy place to be.
Crystal: Did you have to do a lot of research for this book or any other? If so do you have a fascinating fact that you have learned you would like to share with us?
Allison: Actually, I did need to conduct some research Rex Jupiter, although a lot of the information about Bellingham, WA came from having actually lived there. Most of the hard work was on behalf of Marian Krause because she knows way more about film noir than I could ever hope to understand. So lots of IMDB and TV Trope diving was needed along the way. The most fascinating fact that I learned was that you lose 5.5 minutes of life for every cigarette you smoke. This was a very essential bit of knowledge for our intrepid detective since she is both a tobacco aficionado, and extremely neurotic.
Crystal: Who are some of your favorite authors that you like to read?
Allison: Francesca Lia Block is one of my favorites, as is Lois Lowry. They were my favorite authors in my childhood. I also love the work of Neil Gaiman, and Henry Kuttner, as well as George Orwell, and Ray Ray Bradbury. My guilty pleasure is George MacDonald Fraser.
In terms of newer authors who need love and recognition, Shannon Barnsley, author of Beneath Blair Mountain merits some attention. She’s deeply gifted, and I have a feeling she’s going to pen some classics in the future.
Others worth attention are Dean Moses, JA Waters, Laura Morrison, Ryan Watt, and Eliza Knightly. People should definitely be paying attention to their work.
Crystal: Is there a genre you haven't written that you would like to try?
Allison: I think I’d like to keep going with magical realism. It’s a blast to write. Sci-fi and fantasy are also the homes of my heart. As for other genres, I’m not sure. If it feels right, it will just happen, I suppose.
Thanks again for hosting me this wonderful New Year’s day! It was an honor to be included on your blog!
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BLURB:
Trouble’s brewing in the Evergreen Jungle. When controversial author Rex Jupiter plans a visit to a Bellingham bookstore, news of his arrival attracts the attention of the mysterious Paladin, who plans on leading a mob of rioting housewives against him. But the Paladin has competition. Sleuth-extraordinaire Marian Krause has her own bone to pick with Jupiter as she scrambles to solve the death of a woman who has stolen her identity. Rex may think he has the situation under control, but when the wrath of the local Druids is incurred, pitchforks and torches may be the least of his concerns.GENRE: Humor, literary fiction, with elements of magical realism
Amazon Buy Links
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EXCERPTS:
Marian’s lungs shuddered against the fumes of the organic, locally sourced, native-friendly tobacco as it passed from the long-stemmed cigarette holder through her lips and into her body. It was a dirty, messy habit. And it was hers. The smoke floated in the air, letting forth a wave of guilty pleasure. She carefully measured out her puffs, since theauthorityoneverything.com told her that for every cigarette she smoked she would lose 5.5 minutes of her life.
Thus, she made sure that she only sacrificed 1.375 minutes at a time. She found the pleasure-to-life-lost ratio to be acceptable as everyone knew that all detectives smoked. And they did so in darkened rooms, with shades drawn, and only the light of a low-watt desk-lamp to illuminate the wisp of airborne tobacco trailing off like a faded dream.
Also, it made her feel badass. So, there.
Of course, there were disadvantages to sitting in a darkened room, the greatest of which was that it made her extremely susceptible to her husband’s Tokens of Affection, which usually fell into three categories:
(A) Crimes Scenes: composed of stolen police tape, ketchup, and teddy bears
(B) Fan Fiction: of a most Adult variety, written about Marian, and cleverly slipped in between her meticulously organized case files and resumes
(C) Brazen Thievery: which meant that her Second-Most Favorite Fedora would be missing, and she could only retrieve it following an Elaborate Series of Clues
The very thought of his categorical attentions made her want to climb down from her attic office and pay him a Conjugal Visit that instant. She would bring the Special Trench Coat and the magnifying glass and…
She slapped herself on the cheek. Love would have to wait.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Allison Spector was born and raised in the hedonistic playground of the Jersey Shore, but finds herself oddly allergic to spray tan. She is a proud graduate of Goucher College, and started her environmentally-focused career in Washington DC in 2005. She moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2008, and fell in love with its beauty and people. Allison is currently on a Midwestern Adventure and is determined to live as much life as possible—to accomplish her dreams one at a time—and to nurture her loving family, and blaze a trail of wit, whimsy, and eccentricity wherever she goes.https://twitter.com/inspectorallie#
http://www.allisonspector.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBp5oplykVU&feature=youtu.be (book trailer)
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