I was interviewed by Nonny at Evolution in February, 2006. Go there! They have some wonderful links and a great community!
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D. Jordan Redhawk is the talented author of multiple published lesbian romance novels. Two of her novels, Warlord Metal and Tiopi Ki Lakota, have recently been reprinted by PD Publishing, with Castle Walls forthcoming this summer. More information can be found at Writing in Shadows, Redhawk’s personal webspace. She has graciously taken the time to answer a few questions for us here at Evolution.
Evolution: Warlord Metal just came out in December; how do you feel about your experiences with PD Publishing?
D. J. Redhawk: Working with PD has been great! They’re interested in putting out a quality product, and it shows in the level of detail they put into a manuscript – from the technical edits to the covers. (Have I mentioned the covers are AWESOME?)
Of course, the editing process was fairly simple, as all novels have been through rigorous edits with other publishing houses. I doubt the professionalism will change when and if I get around to signing a previously unpublished novel, but I’m certain edits will become far more extensive.
Evolution: Tell us about your current projects. What’s new in your world?
D. J. Redhawk: Late last year I finished a lesbian romance / adventure about the Iditarod sled dog race. I began a post-apocalyptic novel called Orphan Maker, but have shelved it indefinitely.
At this time I’m in serious edits and rewrites of Born of Silence, a pseudo vampire novel I wrote two years ago. Three novels were originally written, and I’ve gone through a ton of beta readers and notes to reorganize the first book. I’m about a fifth of the way through it right now.
Evolution: You recently mentioned in your LiveJournal that you’re intending on submitting to Tor Paranormals. Could you tell us about this?
D. J. Redhawk: That would be Born of Silence. The main character is lesbian and, while the romantic aspect isn’t the central focus of the story, it does exist fairly blatantly on the page. I’d heard that Tor was looking for paranormals that held a romantic subplot and that alternative romances would be considered. Hence my decision to submit to them.
Evolution: What do you think of the state of the lesbian romance market?
D. J. Redhawk: Very small. Very incestuous. There aren’t all that many houses to go with. Some have a better eye for a quality product and others don’t, just like any other subgroup of publishers, but the interconnection between them is pretty extensive. The owner of this house is best friends with the editor in that one; or this editor isn’t that great, but pissing her off will ruin chances of being signed with the third house over there. You’ve got to tread carefully and remain professional at all times. Don’t burn your bridges.
I don’t know if it’s this way with the larger publishers, but I expect it is to some degree. The microcosm of small publishers may simply make it seem more intense and political.
Evolution: Do you have any advice for writers who are working on projects with a GBLT romance focus?
D. J. Redhawk: Keep writing. Take risks with the characters, but remember that you’re writing a romance. Nearly every heterosexual romance out there has a happy ending, and gays and lesbians want the same. The occasional disastrous finish might be fun to play with, but it won’t sell books.
Evolution: Do you have an agent? If not, have you considered getting one at any point, or are agents for this market difficult to find? (Or totally unnecessary?) With your move towards traditional publishing as per your Tor submission, do you intend on looking for one?
D. J. Redhawk: I do not have an agent. Considering all my novels are through small press, having an agent would be more of a liability than not. My royalties are piddling small, advances non-existent, and having to pay an additional percentage to someone to do what I can do for myself seems ridiculous.
For my eventual Tor submission, I do want an agent. I’ll probably go the suggested route of having two or three researched and prepared. If Tor should *gasp* want my manuscript, I’ll contact the first agent on my list and ask if they want to represent me in the negotiations.
Small press contracts are fairly self explanatory and, if you’ve got some clout, easy to change to get what you want. You just have to pick your battles. With a large publisher, however, they’ve got hundreds of writers jockeying for a contract. They’ve got the advantage when it comes to contracts, and an agent would really be an asset in that area.
Evolution: Are you a member of RWA? (If so, how has it helped you as a writer? If not, why not?)
D. J. Redhawk: No. In my opinion, RWA is heterosexual in nature. It’s not going to do me any good as a lesbian romance writer. They don’t have experience in dealing with lesbian publishers and the romance formula isn’t quite the same. Which is not to say there’s not a lot to learn from romance writers! I frequent the blogs of several and have learned a lot as far as the business and writing goes. I simply don’t see a need to pay dues to an organization that’s not going to assist me as a lesbian writer.
Evolution: What are some of your favorite romance books or writers, and what draws you to their work?
D. J. Redhawk: Ooooo, goodie!
Nene Adams is a spectacular writer! Her books are historic in nature and rich with visual and visceral detail. Her current books through Cavalier Press are Victorian mysteries ala Sherlock Holmes and most entertaining.
Linda Crist is another excellent choice, specifically Galveston 1900: Swept Away. Another historical work, the backdrop for this romance is the Galveston hurricane of 1900. Her characters are very believable, and her research extremely diligent. Anyone who has seen documentaries of the hurricane will see hints of the information in her book.
K.G. MacGregor and Blayne Cooper both write contemporary romances about today’s women and the issues they meet. MacGregor’s Shaken series deals with alcoholism and recovery, and Mulligan is about older lesbians who have loved and lost, and found love again. Cooper (with T. Novan) wrote Madam President among other things, a sweet romance that nevertheless deals with hard issues inherent in the White House. Her Unbreakable is an excellent read, as well.
Evolution: Where do you get the inspiration for the romances you develop in your novels?
D. J. Redhawk: Inspiration comes from many places. I don’t know that I conjure the romance itself first so much as the situation in which the characters find themselves. First comes the situation (I want to write a story about the Iditarod.) Then comes one character (What kind of woman would run the race? What sort of family would she have? History? Support network?) Then the second character (How would they come together? What would be the best way to show conflict, yet portray a growing involvement with the first character?)
I’ve written a novel that started from a song about rape (Warlord Metal) and the imaginary woman who would pen the lyrics. I’ve written a historical romance (Tiopa Ki Lakota) because I wished to research the Indian culture. (Interesting note: the choice of tribes boiled down to the only language book I could discover – Lakota. I originally had another tribe in mind, but couldn’t find a book about their words.)
I’ve worked on a novel that began as a spin off from a TV show I thought sucked (Orphan Maker), a Cyberpunk tale that was inspired by The Last of the Mohicans (CyberEpic), a series of short stories after listening to a folk song my Mary Dolan (Slow Movin’), and a pseudo vampire series after watching Queen of the Damned (Born of Silence, et al.)
Songs, television, books, movies, magazine articles, chance meetings, snippets of conversation — all can result in inspiration. It’s just a matter of letting these things settle in your mind and . . . ferment. LOL!
Evolution: Open mic time. *g* Is there anything else you would like to add?
D. J. Redhawk: As talkative as I am, you actually think you’ll get something here? LOL!
