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I caught up with author Daniel de Lorne to dig into his obsession with the paranormal.
When did you discover and start to explore your passion for writing?
As a kid I was a big reader, and liked coming up with my own stories, so when it came time to choose a university degree I opted for a double major in creative writing and journalism. The creative writing was the fun stuff, while journalism was where I thought I might be able to get a job.
It wasn’t until a while after university, while I was work in communications, that I got back into writing for my own enjoyment. So, about ten years ago I started writing a novel about twin vampire brothers and then went on from there.
What draws you to the genre of the paranormal?
I’ve always had a fascination with paranormal stories — as a kid it was all about monsters and vampires and ghosts. Along with that, I was keen on fantasy — Katharine Kerr and David Eddings in particular — basically anything that had a touch of magic about it. It’s not all I write though.
What I’m interested in is telling stories with gay protagonists, whether that’s romance, suspense, contemporary, or whatever.
I want to see myself represented in fiction so that’s what I write — the paranormal or contemporary side of things is just the window dressing.
Do you have to do much research or background reading to be able to write in this genre?
It helps to know what’s out there so you’re not writing too close to another book, and it’s essential to know the conventions of a genre — before you want to break them. Then, if there are historical elements in the story, doing research into that time period is necessary. But in the end, most readers are there for a good story — if they really want to learn about French colonial history, for example, they’re better off reading a textbook.
Do you draw on any personal experiences for your characters?
There are no blood-suckers in my life, but as far as drawing on personal experiences, I’ll tap into my emotions and reactions and expand on them in a way that works for the character, their development and the plot. I’m also working on a series of short stories based on places I’ve visited, but apart from the setting, that’s about all that will be similar.
Would you describe your stories as erotica?
My books fit under the romance genre because, mainly, there’s a happy ever after — or happy for now — at the end. Romance is about the development of the self through a relationship with another person. Erotica is about the development of the self through a sexual awakening. I’ve got sex scenes in most of my work, but they’re not the focus.
Where do you publish and promote your work?
I’m published with Escape Publishing, which is a digital-first publisher under Harlequin Australia. My books are available as ebooks from all ebook-sellers.
Who are your target readers?
I’m looking for readers of m/m or gay romance. Interestingly, straight women are the biggest readers of m/m fiction. I love having them as readers, but I’m also keen to reach more gay readers. I think there’s a perception in the community that there aren’t many love stories or genre fiction out there for gay men, and it would be great to change that.
What projects are you currently working on?
I’ve got a romantic suspense story coming out later in the year, and I’m getting the third and final book in my Bonds of Blood series ready for my publisher. There are also some new projects that I’m working on, so there should be more books coming out in the next couple of years. I’m keen to increase my output for 2018.
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This post was originally published on Medium and is republished here with permission from the author.
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Photo credit: Getty Images