Welcome to another Friskbiskit Author Spotlight and please give a warm welcome to m/m author Winnie Jerome. Winnie is here today to tell us about her new release with Torquere, entitled SPIKENARD: FREEDOM TO FLY.
Zhong Shi is a young dragon in the early days of China, known for being headstrong and a little vain. His lover, Chen Jing, keeps him out of trouble, and keeps him happy, at least until he and Chen Jing are assigned to meddle in the affairs of humans. When a terrible accident befalls Chen Jing, though, Zhong Shi worries he'll never be happy again.
In modern America, Sebastian has boyfriend problems when he meets David. He's definitely attracted, but trying to be true to Luke, who spends more time fighting with Sebastian than loving him. When things start to go horribly wrong, Sebastian finds himself turning to David, looking for the kind of understanding only a soul mate can give. The stories of the two couples begin to intertwine in the way of myth and magic, but will Sebastian and David be able to make things right in time?
Don't miss the excerpt from Spikenard: Freedom to Fly at the bottom of this post.
Tell us about your recent publication.
"Spikenard: Freedom to Fly" has two stories running in parallel about two couples. The first one takes place in China, around 400 B.C., the other in modern day America.
The storyline in China concerns a young Chinese dragon named Zhong Shi, mated to an older dragon named Chen Jing. Zhong Shi is vain and a bit flighty, and it's up to Chen Jing to keep him grounded. However, that changes when Chen Jing is struck with a horrible curse, leaving Zhong Shi to care for his lover.
In San Francisco, we meet Sebastian Crawford, a college student who's having boyfriend problems. While out on a class assignment, Sebastian meets David Peterson, a forty-something IT consultant who's still wounded by a messy divorce and an even messier breakup. Something clicks between them, but Sebastian wants to remain true to Luke.
The two stories intertwine, and when they finally resolve, the outcome will forever change Sebastian and David's lives.
What gave you the idea for this story?
Several reasons - this is my first novelette, so I wanted to stretch my legs and write something with more emotional weight and more intricate than my short stories.
I've always loved Chinese dragons and Hong Kong cinema, so I wanted the story for Zhong Shi and Chen Jing to have both elements.
Chinese dragons are very different from Western dragons - they lack wings, have a more serpentine body, and have hair (a mane, beard, and hair on the end of their tail). Unlike their Western counterparts, they are beneficial. They bring rain and will give advice to kings and emperors. Although they love beautiful things, they aren't obsessed with hoarding treasure. They don't breathe fire, and they can shape shift into any form they choose. They are especially vulnerable to iron, which blinds them.
As far as the Hong Kong cinema influence - HK cinema tends to have a smörgåsbord of genres; some action, comedy, high drama, all packed into one. Zhong Shi's and Chen Jing's story follows that format - there's comic moments, action, smut, and some fairly intense angst.
Against this weighty primary tale, I wanted to contrast Sebastian's story, which takes place in the modern day. My favorite stories are ones where longtime friends get together, so I wanted to write one where getting together may not have been the best of ideas.
What is your favorite guilty pleasure?
Damn, I can only pick one. I would have to say expensive, snobby chocolate.
How did you start writing?
When I was little, I used to make up stories with my brothers and sisters. That just became a natural thing, and so when my grammar school teachers gave me homework that involved writing stories, I loved it.
When I was a teenager, if something lame or out of character happened in a movie or a comic book, I would talk about it with my brothers and we would talk about how it should have been written. Then, when I went to college, I found an online group that was posting erotic stories. I was over the moon - I could write and I could do it about sex? I jumped in, and the rest is history.
What was one of your favorite books as a kid?
Ozma of Oz. I wanted to read the Wizard of Oz after I saw the movie, but the only Oz book my family had was Ozma of Oz. So I read it, and I loved the descriptions of the Land of Ev, the Gnome King's underground kingdom, etc. That's when I realized that the books had more depth than the movie and I wound up reading every one that L. Frank Baum wrote.
What kind of impact do you hope your work will have on readers?
There's a lot of mixed emotions that occur when one partner in a relationship becomes the other partner's sole caregiver. More so when the caregiver isn't ready to shoulder that much responsibility. I wanted to explore that with Zhong Shi, and really have the readers feel the roller coaster of emotions he experiences.
Sebastian's story is a bit lighter - he has to deal with trying to hold together his relationship with Luke while he's very strongly attracted to another man. However, it's no less important than Zhong Shi's story, and I'm hoping the readers will enjoy his journey, also.
Kirk, or Spock?
I always had a thing for dashing heroes, so it would have to be Kirk.
For an excerpt from Spikenard: Freedom to Fly, please follow the link below.
Zhong Shi was relieved when he came within sight of the lair he shared with Chen Jing. He had worried during the entire way back that Lao Yu would regain his bearings and chase them. He had never seen such a powerful creature -- especially one with illusions that could fool his draconic sight.
The two dragons lived in a large cavern that had been carved out of the side of a mountain of jade. A ledge was located at the entrance, sizable enough for one or both dragons to lie upon and sun themselves. Rare flowers of incomparable beauty grew along the surface of the precious rock, giving a hint at the riches within. Elaborate statues sculpted out of ivory and embellished with gold decorated the lair; strips of the finest silk edged with black pearls were arranged to drape in an attractive fashion from the ceiling, and large gold vessels decorated each corner of their lair.
Chen Jing's wives lived in smaller caves that were located lower in the mountain. The Number One Wife saw them approaching, but Zhong Shi cut off her questions and immediately sent her to fetch Tai Gong. He didn't hate Chen Jing's spouses, but they were jealous of him. By unspoken agreement, Zhong Shi and the two females spoke to each other as little as possible and kept their interactions short.
He laid Chen Jing down on the floor of the cavern, and coiled around his lover's human body as best as he could. He didn't even bother moving when his Sifu arrived -- he just couldn't bring himself to put any distance between them. If Tai Gong was offended by this lack of propriety, he didn't show it. "Tell me what has happened."
After taking a deep breath, Zhong Shi recounted the events in Lao Yu's quarters. His voice broke when he described Chen Jing leaping in the way to save him.
After Zhong Shi finished his story, Tai Gong lifted Chen Jing's eyelid with one of his claws. The bright green iris was clouded over, as if a cataract had formed, but the skin of his face was unmarred.
"It appears that Chen Jing has been struck with iron," Tai Gong replied in a calm voice. "And from your descriptions, the metal may have been enchanted."
"No!" Zhong Shi cried out. If the spells on the iron prevented it from being extracted, Chen Jing's blindness would be permanent.
"Zhong Shi, you are to leave us. Do not come back until I send for you, do you understand?"
"Yes, Sifu," Zhong Shi said.
He could barely control his anger while he touched his forehead to the ground. Once he had taken his leave and flown out of their lair, he redirected his path up to the stars. When he reached his destination, he roared at the top of his lungs and thrashed around in the sky in rage, not stopping until his fury was spent.
Mere moments after he had finished, Chen Jing's Number Two Wife approached him. "Sifu Tai Gong wishes to speak with you."
"Very well," Zhong Shi replied. He braced himself and hoped for the best.
A knot formed in Zhong Shi's stomach after he returned to the lair and prostrated himself; Chen Jing was back in his normal form, but he was still unconscious. The concern etched on Tai Gong's face spoke volumes about how successful the attempt at curing Chen Jing had been. Tai Gong indicated that Zhong Shi should rise up. "I tried my best spells, but I could only restore his form. The iron is still in his body."
"A thousand pardons, Sifu, but are you certain?"
"The metal shattered into pieces smaller than dust when they impacted, which is why he appears uninjured. I am sorry, Zhong Shi."
Zhong Shi dug his claws into the floor in order to avoid smashing the wall in rage. This seemed unfair beyond all belief -- what had his lover done to deserve this fate? "Thank you, Sifu. Will that be all?"
"I should heal your wounds." He indicated the burn marks on Zhong Shi's neck, wrists, and ankles.
Zhong Shi curled in upon himself and shook his head. "No. It is my fault that he is in this state. Until he recovers, these will remain as a reminder of my shame."
"As you wish. Please keep him under observation tonight and report to me immediately if he suffers any other ill effects."
Once Tai Gong left, Zhong Shi pressed the full length of his body against Chen Jing's. Try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to sleep. He lay awake all night and watched Chen Jing's face with a huge amount of anxiety. Fears that Chen Jing's condition would worsen, or that he might never wake up gnawed at Zhong Shi.
When the sun finally peeked over the horizon, there was movement next to him. His heart soared when Chen Jing's eyes fluttered open. "You're awake!"
"Why is it dark?"
Zhong Shi swallowed and tried to think of a gentle way to inform Chen Jing of his disability. After many long minutes, he couldn't think of anything and settled for the blunt truth. "You were struck with iron... You've been blinded."
To his surprise, Chen Jing merely said, "Can you still see, Little One?"
"Y-yes."
"Then that is all that matters." Chen Jing must have sensed his lover's confusion, because he fumbled around until his claw touched Zhong Shi's flank.
"How can you remain so calm?"
"We spend many hundreds of years without hearing as young dragons and we make no note of it.
How is the loss of sight any different?"
"Thank you for being so understanding," Zhong Shi replied. He nuzzled Chen Jing affectionately.
"I would prefer to linger, but I must speak with our Sifu about Lao Yu."
Zhong Shi wanted to stay where they were, but he knew that Chen Jing was right. He slid away with reluctance and guided Chen Jing outside. He waited for Chen Jing to rebuff him for helping, but no protest was forthcoming from the other dragon. Halfway to Tai Gong's lair, Chen Jin suddenly stopped in mid-air.
"My love?" Zhong Shi asked. Chen Jing didn't appear to notice that he had spoken. His long neck
swiveled back and forth and he seemed to be gazing at thin air. Zhong Shi tried to get Chen Jing's attention, but he didn't respond to Zhong Shi's touches.
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