I
am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the WILD, DARK TIMES by Austin Case Blog
Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the
giveaway!
About
The Book:
Title: WILD, DARK TIMES
Author: Austin Case
Pub.
Date: July 23,
2019
Publisher: Liminal Books (Between
the Lines Publishing)
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 192
It's the summer of 2012 and Elizabeth Megalos is a
disillusioned art-school grad getting by as a bank teller in St. Louis. One
evening, she’s attacked by a possessed coworker and saved by a mysterious,
wise-cracking sorcerer named Eddy. He drags Elizabeth and Hugh—a skeptical
scholar of the occult—to Europe, where he introduces them to his three magical
celebrity friends. Once there, Eddy explains the group's mission: preventing a
Demiurge—a creature out of Gnostic Christian mythology—from fulfilling the
visions of doom in the Book of Revelation. The Demiurge has been drawing power
from the misguided beliefs in the Mayan apocalypse and is set to start the
destruction on Dec. 21st, 2012. Through ritual magic and a series of
psychedelic experiences, the group learns that Elizabeth is the key to taking
down the Demiurge, though she can't imagine how she will be the one to stop
Armageddon.
Interview:
Hey Austin! First I want to say
welcome to Two Chicks on Books I’m glad you could stop by for a chat! WILD,
DARK TIMES sounds AWESOME and I can’t wait for everyone to read it!
Thanks so much for having me, I’m
thrilled to be here!
For the readers: can you tell us a little bit
about the WILD, DARK TIMES and the characters?
Sure. So, the story takes place in
2012 and follows Elizabeth Megalos, a former art student working as a
bank-teller who gets pulled into this cabal of magicians who are trying to stop
the end of the world. She’s pulled into the fray by Eddy, a smartass sorcerer,
and together they bring Hugh (a skeptical scholar of occultism) to Europe. They
meet Eddy’s friends Veer, Frater, and Albert who are also magicians that are
successful and famous in their respective fields of music and creating graphic
novels. I got the title from a quote from Heinrich Heine that applied to the
apocalypse but also seemed to be weirdly fitting for the debauched, drug-infused
magic and music that fills the novel.
What are you working on now?
I had to give up after getting 50
pages into an adaptation of the Epic of Gilgamesh once I realized it was just
too much for me to tackle. There were too many problematic characterizations
and honestly, I think it’s a bit of a punishment from the universe for having
the chutzpah to try and adapt the oldest known narrative in human history. Oh
well. As of now, I’m toying with an idea for a novel that’s kind of a Weird
Fiction Noir with the character roles turned on their heads. Still setting the
stage for that one.
Were any of the characters in the book
inspired by people from your real life?
Of course, they all had bits and
pieces of me and people I know blended together in them, but two of the
characters were VERY influenced by people I knew when I was in grad school in
Amsterdam. Veer and all of her lovely, bizarre quirks are based on my friend
Linda who I am convinced is a fairy. Collin, whose background in philosophy,
chaos theory, and comics made for great pub conversations and ripe fodder for
Albert’s characterization.
Who was your favorite character to write? What
about your least favorite?
I loved writing Elizabeth as the
protagonist. There’s something really wholesome about her and she also has this
unwavering determination about her that comes out when she’s properly
motivated. I liked exploring her and her fears and her motives throughout the
story. Honestly, I had the most trouble writing William/the Demiurge. I based
parts of him of real people I knew. Yeah. I knew a person indirectly connected
to some horrible things that I didn’t find out about until some time later and
by then, thank God, I was pretty far away from them. The other person was a
close friend for a long time whose mental illness and particular brand of
religiosity effectively traumatized me and seriously warped my relation to
certain aspects of Christianity. I don’t want to come across as ableist by
blaming their mental illness but, I do blame them for not seeking the proper
treatment to deal with it responsibly. Anyway, these extreme personalities went
into this monstrous creature, and I tried as much as I could to make it
multi-dimensional. That said, I think I failed in some ways to portray that and
it came across as flatter and more stereotypical as a villain than I really
wish it could have been. Its motives seem unbelievable or evil to the point of
absurdity, but sadly, much of what I experienced from those people who
influenced it were surprisingly on the nose when it came to its motives. There
are some horrid people with horrible things they’ve done and want to do in this
world, and sometimes that kind of evil is surprisingly simple and devoid of
nuance or redeeming characteristics. Sorry for the tirade. :b
What is your favorite passages/scenes in WILD,
DARK TIMES?
I love the scene in the middle where
it’s just Veer comforting Elizabeth while talking about her particular brand of
spirituality. Without giving too much away, it’s the heart of the story: all
the monsters and drugs are great, but this scene is the crux of the narrative.
What kind of research did you have to do for
the story?
What was great about writing this
story was how so much of it was taken from things I learned getting my Master’s
degree studying Western Esotericism and Mysticism. I was able to learn about
ritual magic, Kabbalah, near-death experiences, occult societies, and lots more
from a scholarly perspective and all this was such great fodder for WDTs. Also,
my living in Amsterdam at the time was helpful for some of the more…let’s say creative
bits of the book.
Who is your ultimate villain?
Hmm. Probably one of the notable
fascists from history or now. Hard to say who makes the top of the list.
Hitler, Pol Pot, Putin, Franco, and Bolsonaro are decent candidates of
horrible.
What inspired you to write urban fantasy?
Learning
about occultism and religion academically has a tendency to remove a lot of the
wonder and mystery from the world. Writing urban fantasy is a way for me to
broach magical things in a way that allows for me to feel that wonder but also
acknowledge a sort of lost innocence that comes from that sort of learning.
Lightning Round Questions
What are you reading right now? Or what do you
have on your TBR that you’re dying to read?
It’s been harder for me to get into
reading during the quarantine. I am looking forward to eventually getting to
Coyote Songs by Gabino Iglesias.
Instagram, Twitter or Facebook?
Eh, I guess Twitter. At least it’s
helped me connect with people I wouldn’t normally and gain perspectives I
wouldn’t otherwise have.
Favorite Superhero?
I want to say Dr. Strange, but growing
up my go-to was always Spider Man. Gotta love a nerdy everyman.
Favorite TV show?
Probably Stranger Things? Adventure
Time and Twin Peaks also come to mind.
Sweet or Salty?
Both together: salted chocolate
caramels are one of the best treats ever created.
Any Phobias?
I used to have an irrational fear of
poison ivy that kept me from even approaching any plants for a while. It’s not
nearly as bad now, but it still sets my nerves off if I see it.
Song you can’t get enough of right now?
Fade
into You by Mazzy Star
Fall 2020 Movie you’re most looking forward
to?
Geez…I’m so far away from the
Zeitgeist. I honestly don’t even know what movies are coming out now.
Thanks so much Austin for answering my
questions! I can’t wait for everyone to read WILD, DARK TIMES!
Sure thing! Thanks so much for having
me! J
About
Austin:
Austin Case received a Master's Degree from the
University of Amsterdam in Western Esotericism and Mysticism. His academic
knowledge of the occult and other peripheral phenomena has given him a unique
take on fantasy and other speculative fiction.
Giveaway Details:
5 lucky winners will win a signed
finished copy of WILD, DARK TIMES, US Only.
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
9/7/2020
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Interview
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9/7/2020
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Instagram Post
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9/8/2020
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Interview
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9/8/2020
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Instagram Post
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9/9/2020
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Guest Post
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9/9/2020
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Instagram Post
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9/10/2020
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Excerpt
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9/10/2020
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Instagram Post
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9/11/2020
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Guest Post
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9/11/2020
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Excerpt
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Week Two:
9/14/2020
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Guest Post
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9/14/2020
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Instagram Post
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9/15/2020
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Review
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9/15/2020
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Instagram Post
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9/16/2020
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Review
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9/16/2020
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Instagram Post
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9/17/2020
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Review
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9/17/2020
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Review
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9/18/2020
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Review
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9/18/2020
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Instagram Post
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the book is great and if it were to be transformed into a movie and combined with the リングトーン it would be great.
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