Author: Allison A. Spector
Genre: Humor, literary fiction, with elements of magical realism
Book Description:
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.
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About the Author
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Author Interview
What inspired you to write your first book?
Well, I had the premise for Let’s Stalk Rex Jupiter rattling around in my brain for a long time, but it never felt quite “ready” to write. There was just some core element missing that I needed before I could move forward. The idea for this book lay dormant for over a decade. It waited patiently for me until the moment was right. That time came after I had lived in Bellingham, WA, and then left this bohemian paradise for the Midwest. My homesickness for the Northwest, combined with the JukePop and 1888 Summer Writing Project created conditions for the perfect storm of creativity. I realized that there was nowhere else on Earth that this story could possibly take place but in the home of my heart. The city is a character onto itself. Once I had that I was ready.
Do you have a specific writing style?
I think everyone does. Just like everyone has distinct fingerprints or signatures, every writer has unique foibles and turns of phrase that distinguish their work from others. It’s certainly not conscious, or deliberate in my case. But I have been told that my writing has a certain “quirky” or distinct cadence to it. I’m perfectly okay with that.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
Well, I knew that my author antagonist was going to need a name worthy of his ego and desperate desire for attention. So I tried to go as over-the-top as I possibly could. Rex Jupiter was the name I ended up with. And since trolls of that nature tend to inspire strong reactions, I knew a great, riotous mob would be chasing after him. And being a farce, I wanted something fun and zany to reflect that. Thus the title, Let’s Stalk Rex Jupiter!
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Maybe, a little bit. Most importantly, I just want my readers to enjoy my silliness, and lose themselves in the quirk and the farce. But if you must have a moral it would be this – extremism of all kinds is madness. No one religion, clique, club, or social group holds the monopoly on good or bad. We’re all comprised of individuals—beautiful, insane, vulnerable, amazing individuals. Demonizing each other leads only to pain and chaos.
How much of the book is realistic?
I think my story, if taken as a metaphor for the internet, is troublingly realistic. But being magical realism, the actual events that take place in the story probably could never happen in real life. That said, the real politick behind my tale is definitely an entrenched part of the modern American experience.
What book are you reading now?
I’m reading The Opposite of Everyone by Joshilyn Jackson. It’s a very engaging and intriguing story.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Oh, absolutely. My two fellow Summer Writing Project authors, Shannon Barnsley and Dean Moses are extremely talented and it was a pleasure to be among them for our collection of stories. In addition, there are several independent authors that post regularly to JukePop.com that deserve recognition. They are JA Waters, Laura Morrison, Ryan Watt, and Eliza Knightly. They are all extraordinarily gifted and have excellent stories. I hope to see them get discovered by more readers and lit agents soon. They attract a lot of positive attention on JukePop—and they deserve it!
What are your current projects?
I have an ongoing serial on JukePop.com entitled The Fringers. It’s a dystopian tale of surveillance, paranoia and corporate greed. I also have a short story called “Requiem” that is going to be published in the Cost of Paper anthology by 1888 and Black Hill Press in 2016.
Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
I learned that, if push comes to shove, I am capable of writing 60k words in three months. If I can do that, I can do anything (muh ha ha!)
What were the challenges (research, psychological etc) in bringing your story to life?
The greatest challenge was keeping my passion alive, and my momentum going for the entire writing marathon that was the Summer Writing Project. My husband really had my back during the summer. He already handles many on the home-related duties, but he super doubled-down while I was in my writing fugue. I’m super grateful to have such an awesome partner!
Well, I had the premise for Let’s Stalk Rex Jupiter rattling around in my brain for a long time, but it never felt quite “ready” to write. There was just some core element missing that I needed before I could move forward. The idea for this book lay dormant for over a decade. It waited patiently for me until the moment was right. That time came after I had lived in Bellingham, WA, and then left this bohemian paradise for the Midwest. My homesickness for the Northwest, combined with the JukePop and 1888 Summer Writing Project created conditions for the perfect storm of creativity. I realized that there was nowhere else on Earth that this story could possibly take place but in the home of my heart. The city is a character onto itself. Once I had that I was ready.
Do you have a specific writing style?
I think everyone does. Just like everyone has distinct fingerprints or signatures, every writer has unique foibles and turns of phrase that distinguish their work from others. It’s certainly not conscious, or deliberate in my case. But I have been told that my writing has a certain “quirky” or distinct cadence to it. I’m perfectly okay with that.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
Well, I knew that my author antagonist was going to need a name worthy of his ego and desperate desire for attention. So I tried to go as over-the-top as I possibly could. Rex Jupiter was the name I ended up with. And since trolls of that nature tend to inspire strong reactions, I knew a great, riotous mob would be chasing after him. And being a farce, I wanted something fun and zany to reflect that. Thus the title, Let’s Stalk Rex Jupiter!
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Maybe, a little bit. Most importantly, I just want my readers to enjoy my silliness, and lose themselves in the quirk and the farce. But if you must have a moral it would be this – extremism of all kinds is madness. No one religion, clique, club, or social group holds the monopoly on good or bad. We’re all comprised of individuals—beautiful, insane, vulnerable, amazing individuals. Demonizing each other leads only to pain and chaos.
How much of the book is realistic?
I think my story, if taken as a metaphor for the internet, is troublingly realistic. But being magical realism, the actual events that take place in the story probably could never happen in real life. That said, the real politick behind my tale is definitely an entrenched part of the modern American experience.
What book are you reading now?
I’m reading The Opposite of Everyone by Joshilyn Jackson. It’s a very engaging and intriguing story.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Oh, absolutely. My two fellow Summer Writing Project authors, Shannon Barnsley and Dean Moses are extremely talented and it was a pleasure to be among them for our collection of stories. In addition, there are several independent authors that post regularly to JukePop.com that deserve recognition. They are JA Waters, Laura Morrison, Ryan Watt, and Eliza Knightly. They are all extraordinarily gifted and have excellent stories. I hope to see them get discovered by more readers and lit agents soon. They attract a lot of positive attention on JukePop—and they deserve it!
What are your current projects?
I have an ongoing serial on JukePop.com entitled The Fringers. It’s a dystopian tale of surveillance, paranoia and corporate greed. I also have a short story called “Requiem” that is going to be published in the Cost of Paper anthology by 1888 and Black Hill Press in 2016.
Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
I learned that, if push comes to shove, I am capable of writing 60k words in three months. If I can do that, I can do anything (muh ha ha!)
What were the challenges (research, psychological etc) in bringing your story to life?
The greatest challenge was keeping my passion alive, and my momentum going for the entire writing marathon that was the Summer Writing Project. My husband really had my back during the summer. He already handles many on the home-related duties, but he super doubled-down while I was in my writing fugue. I’m super grateful to have such an awesome partner!
Excerpt
The
Paladin knew just where to go. The Shipment had arrived an hour
beforehand if his Intelligence was to be trusted. It could be. His
Sources never failed him. He was sure the payload would be kept in the
stockroom before it was added into the inventory. And he was correct.
The Paladin grabbed a box cutter from the pocket of his cape. It was hard to see in the dark and the eyeholes of his Guy Fawkes mask were too small, but these were mere trifles. Soon, dozens of the Heretic’s novels of Shameful Smarm would be loaded into his bag and artfully recycled in a socially responsible manner. No longer would readers be burned by the white-hot radioactivity of the inflammatory passages he knew lurked within those covers.
Passages housed within chapter titles like "How to Fan a Flame War," “White Privilege Rocks!," and “I Objectified Your Mama (and She Loved it).”
Whether the appropriations of the tools of troll-dom were ironic or non-ironic, it mattered little to the Paladin. The only thing that mattered was that he would soon be the agent through which a great Cultural Transformation would take place. And a glorious new age would dawn…
Or something like that.
But for now, he would start small. Yes, for now, he would have to be satisfied that the five hideous cardboard cut-outs of the arrogant, smirking Rex Jupiter would be hacked to—no, wait! Only four would be shredded. On the fifth, he would draw devil horns and a twirly moustache with, dare he imagine it, Permanent Marker.
The Paladin grabbed a box cutter from the pocket of his cape. It was hard to see in the dark and the eyeholes of his Guy Fawkes mask were too small, but these were mere trifles. Soon, dozens of the Heretic’s novels of Shameful Smarm would be loaded into his bag and artfully recycled in a socially responsible manner. No longer would readers be burned by the white-hot radioactivity of the inflammatory passages he knew lurked within those covers.
Passages housed within chapter titles like "How to Fan a Flame War," “White Privilege Rocks!," and “I Objectified Your Mama (and She Loved it).”
Whether the appropriations of the tools of troll-dom were ironic or non-ironic, it mattered little to the Paladin. The only thing that mattered was that he would soon be the agent through which a great Cultural Transformation would take place. And a glorious new age would dawn…
Or something like that.
But for now, he would start small. Yes, for now, he would have to be satisfied that the five hideous cardboard cut-outs of the arrogant, smirking Rex Jupiter would be hacked to—no, wait! Only four would be shredded. On the fifth, he would draw devil horns and a twirly moustache with, dare he imagine it, Permanent Marker.
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.
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Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting me today!
ReplyDeleteWhen writing do you prefer to type, or old school pen and paper?
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like quite the adventure and the cover is fun. It would fit well in a couple of my reading challenges too.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a really good book.
ReplyDelete