I’d like to introduce Jason Beymer, author of Nether (urban fantasy) and Rogue’s Curse (dark comedy). Hope you enjoy his answers to my questions! Check out the links to connect with Jason and where to buy his books!

 

 

Have you always wanted to be an author or is it something that has come about fairly recently?

Lifetime thing. I used to write and rewrite the Tale of Peter Rabbit before I even knew how to construct a letter. Then I moved onto my own Choose your own Adventure knock-offs. I wrote my first “novel” in high school. It was terrible, but I thought it was better than anything ever written. I had all the characters cast for the big-budget movie to come. Why wouldn’t Hollywood want to snatch up an exciting well-written masterpiece from a cocky pimple-faced teenager? Now I can’t even look at the thing. Horrible.

What inspired you to write your current novel?

My dog inspired Nether. I have a 12-year old miniature dachshund named Poe. In Nether, her name is Pearl. The only difference between them is that Pearl can talk. Oh, and she eats people.

What writers have influenced you the most and why?

Ray Bradbury has influenced me more than any other author. I love his prose and that he’s unafraid to take his stories in any direction. Connie Willis influenced me as well with Passages and The Doomsday Book.

What is your favorite genre to read and why?

I like science fiction/fantasy because there’s so much room to take a plot. Unlimited, as long as the author can frame something outlandish and make it believable.

Do you write in your favorite genre that you read or do you get out of your comfort zone?

Out. Rogue’s Curse is a fantasy/comedy. It’s a roller coaster ride with plot twists a’plenty.  The story takes place in our world 2000 years after the Rapture. For my second novel, Nether I wanted to push the envelope even more. I incorporated different themes: shapeshifters, talking dogs, zombies, teenage demons…even a jaunt through the afterlife. Comfort zones are for wimps.

Are you currently published? If so, tell us a bit about your books.

I have two books published: Rogue’s Curse and Nether.

Rogue’s Curse is a dark comedy set 2000 years after the Rapture. A rogue named Doban discovers the talisman responsible for the Rapture and it embeds itself to his skin. Now the entire kingdom is after him. Doban must turn to the only woman who ever loved him—a woman he once left to die in a tomb—for help. Rogue’s Curse has tons of sex, monsters, palace politics, romance, humor and adventure.

But mainly the focus is on the relationship between Mona and Doban. What has happened in the two years since he left her to die in the tomb? How did she survive and escape? And most importantly, can they set aside their differences long enough to stop a second Rapture? At its heart, Rogue’s Curse is about second chances, and whether or not we repeat past mistakes when presented the opportunity.

2000 years after the Rapture, the world still sucks.

Nether is an Urban Fantasy about a guy named Burklin. Burklin had it all: a spacious two-story house, a shapeshifting wife, a wide open future. That is, until his father ripped out his soul and trapped it inside an opinionated dachshund. Now he’s lost everything, leaving him a slave on mop-up duty for a homicidal teenage demon. His father is sleeping with his ex, the possessed dachshund won’t stop talking, and the cleanup jobs keep getting messier. Burklin would give anything to have his life back–even if it means turning against his manipulative father and destroying their chance of winning the Nether’s Demon Lord Sweepstakes.

Opportunity knocks with a dead woman’s hand. When the demon’s latest victim won’t stay dead, the rules of life and death change. Freedom lies within Burklin’s reach, but to get it he’ll have to defy his father, the ex-wife he still loves, and the Nether itself.

Just how far is he willing to go?

Which character of yours do you relate to the most?

Sadly, I most relate to Burklin from Nether. We’re both equally paranoid. And like him, I have an opinionated dachshund that won’t shut up. It wasn’t difficult to climb into Burklin’s neurotic head and know how he would react to every situation.

Which character has been the most difficult to write?

Lorraine, also from Nether. Lorraine is Burklin’s ex-wife. She’s a shapeshifter, and she’s sleeping with Burklin’s father. Lorraine is a plus-sized, strong-willed, tough woman. But beneath the exterior she is an absolute mess of insecurities. This is what leads her to accept the power to shapeshift in the first place.

What is your current project and how soon can we expect to see it?

Currently I’m working on a sequel to Rogue’s Curse. It takes the series in a cool new direction. I’ve finished a solid draft and it’s nearly ready for beta-reading. I can’t wait to start talking about it!

Connect with Jason:

Website (Nether) (Rogue’s Curse)

Facebook

E-mail: jason@beerandtv.com

Twitter: @beerandtv

 

You can buy Nether and Rogue’s Curse through Lyrical Press and Amazon!