Author Interview with J.E. and M. Keep
I’m interviewing authors J.E. and M. Keep today on my blog. They’re the author duo behind post-apocalyptic, science fiction, romance novel “When Dreamers Wake”. Thanks for answering my questions, Joshua and Michelle!
Author Interview
When did you know you wanted to become an author?
It wasn’t really until it was almost already a reality. We’d been writing since we were children, but the notion of making a living writing seemed far-fetched, to put it mildly. That was something for more fortunate people with a pile of family wealth behind them, we thought.
But we wrote anyhow for our own enjoyment, to please one another, and we began to post it online for others to read, which got us fans who volunteered to make us a site for it. We did that, then made our own site, and over the years accumulated more readers, then one day we stumbled across a news article about the explosion in independent publishing and how it changed the field for writers.
We gave it a try, then lo and behold two years later we make enough to provide a living. Which is more than we ever dreamed of before.
Where did you get the inspiration for When Dreamers Wake?
Several sources. The draw to a post-apocalyptic setting was likely from our love of Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake trilogy, which did such a good job of exploring the characters involved. Not to mention some video games we both love, like the Fallout series. Then for the disaster itself we had in mind a sort of “What if” scenario revolving around the creatures of the Cthulhu mythos sort of stomping over humanity on their way to do important, unfathomable things.
How long did it take you to write When Dreamers Wake from start to finish?
It took us about a month of serious writing together to get the full thing finished. It was a fun time though, so that helps make the work fly by so fast!
What is your editing process?
We revise each other’s work as we go, but then we send it off to an editor we’ve hired to give it another edit before our final personal examination of the work. So overall there’s several phases involved, and we like to ensure we leave a gap of some months between our own person reviews to ensure we’re not just reading what we intended to write!
What was the most challenging part about writing When Dreamers Wake?
We don’t want to spoil anything, but the most challenging but probably one of the most entertaining parts was probably contending with the big upset in the plot that comes along with the character Adrianna. The original vision for the story took an abrupt turn when we had Leon encounter her, and we liked it so much we ran with it.
What are your writing goals for 2014?
To finish a couple other novels we’re working on currently, and to get started on and complete a couple more. We’re looking to get more of our longer, involved stories out of our heads and onto the page, while also trickling out the occasional short story for our readers who love those!
Are you working on something right now? If so, can you tell us more about it?
We’re always working on several writing projects! The one we’re most excited for currently is one of the first full-length novels we wrote. It’s been revised, edited and revised again a lot since then, but the fantasy tale of an angelic figure meeting a demonic-half-breed is one we’re excited to get out there.
We love the characters, the story, and we’re very excited to let their intriguing romance play out before readers at long last.
About When Dreamers Wake
Title: When Dreamers Wake
Author: J.E. and M. Keep
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic SciFi
The Old Gods have risen and moved on, leaving Earth in ruins.
Leon liked that just fine.
He got along better after the collapse of society, and has his own vision for how things should be run: with him in charge of his own fate, with many lovers beneath him.
Yet when he has a run-in with a beautiful and mysterious woman, his life will never be the same.
Author Bio
J.E. & M. Keep love to combine fantasy, scifi, horror, romance and mystery into exciting and titillating novels.
They are long term, loving partners in a very happy relationship and because of this, they love to torture their characters. Dark romance touches all of their stories in one way or another, from elicit trysts to forbidden love.
Some of their work contains dubious consent and erotic pain, so it’s not for the faint of heart. Their stories are often called twisted and arousing — at the same time.
All work is 18+, trigger warnings available on the second page of every book. If you want to hear about new releases, sign up for the newsletter!
Website: http://www.jmkeep.com
Newsletter: http://www.jmkeep.com/newsletter
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jmkeep
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jmkeep | http://twitter.com/jekeep
Giveaway
There is also a tour-wide giveaway for a gift basket with a Call of C’thulhu RPG Guide Book, “The Dreamers Awake” tote bag, a Strange Aeon’s Magazine (#11) and a Paracord Bracelet.