We’re so pleased to have author Andrew Demcak joining us today to chat a bit about his latest release, Alpha Wave, book two in The Elusive Spark series.
Welcome, Andrew!
What’s it like being a Gender-Fluid, non-binary author, you ask? Hmmm, I guess no different than being any other author. It might be easier for me to write from many different characters’ points-of-views, but I’m not sure about that. Let me start at the beginning with a little about myself. I’ve always been an effeminate male. I was a sassy kid and then a sensitive teen who loved horror films, Goth, and Morrissey. That’s who I was. As an adult, I identify as “Queer” and I also identify as androgynous/male/non-binary. My pronouns are he/him, and I don’t believe that a little lipstick makes you female (or male.) I am effeminately masculine in my own ways. It’s all part of my spectrum.
I’ve always wanted to write effeminate male characters, and so far my plot lines have always toughened them up. I am working on a new LGBTQI2-S Teen novel, GlitterBear, that does have a bona fide effeminate male as the lead character, Sebastian, who is a plus-sized young man in love with a soccer player at his school. It’s my first foray into realistic fiction without any supernatural elements. I really want to talk about what it’s like to be gender non-binary in high school.
In ALPHA WAVE, I wanted to have many different genders represented. I didn’t do any calling out to them, but they are there if you look for them. I mean, there are aliens in the story. This was my first novel that had a female protagonist, Keira. I hadn’t thought about what it was going to be like writing from her point-of-view. I just got on with the job at hand. I was excited to have Keira meet the characters from the first book in The Elusive Spark series, especially to see what would happen when she met Lumen Kim. I thought there might be some sparks (not telling – you have to read the book.) I had already written about hyper-masculinity as toxic to LGBTQ teens in the first book, A Little Bit Langston. I tried to address some issues about female sexuality in Alpha Wave. My female readers liked what I did, so I am happy that it rings true.
About the Book
Title: Alpha Wave
Series: The Elusive Spark: Book Two
Genre/Categories: LGBT Teen Fiction, Sci-Fi
Length: 220 Pages
Blurb: Keira Fairchild is running for her life, and she won’t make it far without someone watching her back. Her powers helped her elude a slave trader, Holcomb, who planned to sell her to the highest bidder, and the deadly Paragon Academy. But now Keira needs some allies and some answers. Who is the imprisoned alien being who keeps contacting her in her dreams? Keira is aided by a group of teens–James, Lumen, and Paul–with powers like her own, and all of them are ready for a fight. The small group must rescue the captive alien and escape Dr. Albion, who seeks to steal their abilities and eliminate them. Survival will mean a desperate struggle, and none of them can succeed on their own.
Buy the Book: Amazon and Other eTailers
About the Author
Andrew Demcak is an American poet and novelist, the author of four poetry collections and five Young Adult novels. His books have been featured by The American Library Association, Verse Daily, The Lambda Literary Foundation, The Best American Poetry, and Poets and Writers. He was recently a *FINALIST* for the prestigious Dorset Poetry Prize, the Gloria E. Anzaldúa Poetry Prize, and the Louise Bogan Award for Artistic Merit and Excellence in Poetry.
He released two new YA/Teen GLBTQ2-S novels, How Do You Deal with a Dead Girl? (Big 23 Press, 2018), and Alpha Wave, The Elusive Spark series, Book 2, (Harmony Ink Press, 2018) to brisk sales. His newest YA/Teen GLBTQ2-S novel, Darkfeather, The Elusive Spark series, Book 3, (Harmony Ink Press, 2019) will be published next year. About his Teen GLBTQ Sci-Fi Coming-Out novel, A Little Bit Langston, The Elusive Spark series, Book 1, Kirkus Reviews raved “This book really … takes its place in the marginalized-will-lead-us genre, as popularized by The Matrix and the X-Men franchises.” His first Young Adult (YA) novel, Ghost Songs, was published March 13, 2014. His first literary novel, If There’s A Heaven Above, was published January 5, 2013 by JMS Books, and was nominated by The American Library Association as an “Outstanding” novel for older Teens (17+). His first play, The Inevitable Crunch Factor, won Cal Arts’ New Playwrights Series and was cast and produced in a multi-week run.
Links: Website