Thanks so much for taking the time to be with us today, Rhys. Why don’t we begin by having you tell us a bit about yourself?
Thank you for having me on the site! Let’s see… I was born and raised in Hawai’i but as a local saying goes, I was born with “itchy feet” so after graduating, I wandered around a bit. I still kind of do but I call San Diego home right now. Everyone is still back in Hawai’i so I go back every once in a while to decompress.
For a day job, I’m a graphic designer, document application manager and the owner of a small independent press called Three Crow Press. 3CP publishes two to three titles a year. I don’t have any intentions of it being a huge press. Just side projects that I’m interested in. Three Crow Press also does online reviews and commentaries. I have a stable of reviewers, mostly urban fantasy, sci-fi with some romance titles. I’ve also designed book covers for various presses, most notably Mindy Klasky and Morrigan Books.
Oh, and I live on coffee.
When did you discover your passion for writing? Was there someone in particular who encouraged and inspired your love for storytelling?
Whoosh that’s a hard question. I think I started writing when I was 12. I wrote a book but for the life of me, I can’t remember what it was about. On a typewriter. Good times.
I would say that culturally, there’s always an underlying “storytelling” element. I danced hula for years and my family really can’t shut up to save their lives so I would say storytelling is in the genetics. I also have more than a few crazy people in my family so we have some interesting things to share with one another and laugh over. Usually even long after the subject of the story is dead.
Dirty Kiss is your debut novel with Dreamspinner Press: how long did it take to write and get the story published?
Dirty Kiss probably took me a few months to write but I put it aside every once in a while. In fact, it sat without an ending for about six months as I worked on different projects. It took me about three weeks from submission to acceptance? I’ll have to go back and look. Dreamspinner Press was the first publisher I approached with Dirty Kiss. They don’t accept simultaneous submissions so DSP was pretty much my first choice for this project.
This will be a series so DSP will have first acceptance rights on the remaining books.
I love the title of the book. How did you come up with it? Did you have the story titled before you began writing, or did that come later in the writing process?
Ah, the title surfaced at some point in the book’s creation when I was looking to name the club Jae-Min once worked at. Dorthi Ki Seu is a Korean-ized version of the book’s title, Dirty Kiss. The term really means a forbidden or taboo kiss — which definitely is what happens on the club’s second floor. I also liked the play on the word Dorothy for “friends of Dorothy” but that was an coincidence.
How much research went into the writing of the book? What resources did you use?
Not a lot of research, per se. I have a fairly solid cultural base in Japanese and Korean societal structures so that part was easy. I would say the hardest part of the book was trying to make sure Cole was on the right freeway and to pace through Los Angeles’ traffic patterns to make sure he got to where he needed to be within a reasonable time. Anyone who has driven in LA knows that there’s no way in hell he could skip down the 10 or 110 during the afternoon downtown traffic at anything less than 5 mph.
I did do some cross checking on language use just to be sure I had the right context. That sounds much more complicated and research oriented than it was. Mostly I hit up fluent Korean speakers I know and asked, “Hey, does this make sense?”
What prompted you to write the book in the 1st rather than the 3rd person narrative?
Why did I write this series in first person? I felt that I couldn’t communicate the discordance Cole had with Jae’s culture without writing it from Cole’s point of view. Also, The mystery really unravels from investigation and I didn’t want the voice to be omnipotent in thought but reclusive in information. The best way to represent that is first person. The events happen in real time with the reader going along with Cole as he discovers small bits. Also, since Jae is a bit reluctant to share his feelings, I can portray that in first person. Life is complicated and I wanted to portray that not-black-and-white world that Cole lives in.
I write most things in third person, strangely enough but this felt like it needed to be first. I think it works better for the story and is more intimate when told in Cole’s voice.
In the acknowledgments, you thank Harrison Ford. Why Harrison?
Harrison Ford…who actually had no connection to me having Ford as my last name in this. Well, if I looked at one person who really shaped my idea of a hero / man in media, it would be him. He was the scoundrel, the mercenary, the pirate, the cop that many of us saw in our childhoods. From Bladerunner (my favourite movie) to Han Solo to Indiana Jones, his portrayal of the flawed hero pretty much shaped the “ultimate” guy for so many of us. So that’s why Harrison Ford. And he’s a pretty cool person.
How much creative input did you have in the cover design for the book?
I had a lot of input. Dreamspinner also gave me the lovely Anne Cain whom I’ve worked with in the past. Fantastic artist. She always delivers a good product. Anne’s got a great eye and a good sense of colour and balance. Those are critical because yes, books are judged by their covers.
Are there any parts of the story that originated from your own life experiences?
Aish, another hard question. I would say that some of it is. I certainly have understanding in the conflict between being traditionally Asian and trying to blend into a more contemporary American society. There’s a lot of guilt in breaking with one’s filial and familial responsibilities, even if you’re doing it for your benefit. There are still some things I cannot break from nor do I try because it sits wrong with me.
There’s a phrase you’ll hear a lot of Asians say in one form or another; “It just is”. Of course many of us say, “Asian thing”. There’s a lot of base acceptance for behaviours on certain things like speaking with older generations in the family. And see? Now I’ve gone off on a tangent. Told you I ramble. :::grins:::
Do you find you draw your characters from the people you know, or do they even resemble you in any way?
There are some similarities in philosophy, I would say. Scarlet is based on a few people in my family, most notably an uncle (or two). If anything, the situation between Jae and Cole resembles the conflict of straddling a native culture and the surrounding society. There’s no wrong, per se but some people have a hard time understanding the conflict. I wanted to portray that conflict in a realistic manner.
The cat. That cat lives with me. Her name is Neko and she is a little diva.
Do you write full time? If not, how many hours per day do you attempt to dedicate to your writing?
I think I have three jobs, all full-time. I try to write daily. I also write yaoi for a mostly Asian reading audience. Those tend to be serialized on a daily basis. I write a chapter, skim for huge errors then post. Those run about 3000 words, sometimes more. The day job however pays for the cat food.
Do you typically outline your plots before you begin the writing process, or do you write in a more freestyle fashion?
For the yaoi, I freestyle because I change things on the fly. For my other writing, M/M and Urban Fantasy, I try to loosely plot. Those change too as something in my head shifts to angle the story better. I’m not too closely in love with a plot. Especially if I find myself writing into a corner that I have to back track out of.
What has been the most difficult topic you’ve ever approached in your writing?
Homosexuality in an Asian culture is pretty difficult but I would have to say I’ve written about the ramifications of being molested from the perspective of a male character. It allowed me to explore the feelings of helplessness and suicidal thoughts. I did post a notice with that chapter asking readers to reach out to others if they’ve been in that situation. I wanted to show someone coming through the experience and healing. It’s a hard subject to discuss, especially with a mostly female Asian audience but I tried to handle it gently and with a positive resolution.
It does get easier but ask for help. I think that’s what I wanted to leave everyone with.
Of all the characters you’ve created, do you have one in particular who stands out among the others as a favorite? If so, who and why?
Wow. Probably Scarlet for Dirty Kiss. Or Claudia. They’re strong wo(men) who have made their own way in life. I like that in a character.
Of all my characters, I would have to say Kai Morgan from an urban fantasy I’m working on. He’s an elf raised human in a post-apocalyptic (sorta) world. Yeah, can you tell I love do social and cultural studies? Kai’s unapologetically bisexual but that’s not a major point in the book. Agents liked him but his sexual nature made it difficult to be marketed as UF or sci-fi. I might market him out to smaller presses. I like his thought process. He’s noble in his own way but pragmatic. I think he’s more like Jae but much more open.
Are you surprised by the ever growing female fan base of Male/Male romance?
Not really. I come from a yaoi background where probably 90% of the readers are female.
What was the best piece of advice you’ve ever received with respect to the art of writing? How did it change the way you approach your craft?
”Write every day. There’s no difference between the days you ‘feel’ like writing and the days you don’t have a ‘muse’. No one can tell. And if you don’t like something, go back and change it but it’s a job like any other. Just sit down and do it.”
Stephen Brust said that and at first, I was reluctant to believe it but honestly, it’s true. Don’t wait for a muse or inspiration. Plough through it. Just AICFOK: Ass in Chair, Fingers on Keyboard.
How has it changed the way I write? Oddly enough it makes it easier on those days when I have to post 3000 words a day for 30+ days. I’ve found I do some okay writing when I’m brain weary and pressured from inside. It’s like an absinthe and coffee cocktail. :::grins:::
Will you share three things you’ve learned about the business of writing as a published author?
Three things?
1. Don’t fall in love with a storyline. You’ll get trapped into trying to make the story work into a structure that might not be correctly built. Give yourself some leeway to change things up.
2. Learn the difference between a writer and an author. A writer is the person creating the book. That person writing it. An author is the one selling what has been written. They’re two different jobs. Separate them in your head and distance yourself from the job you’re not working on at that moment. Don’t worry about marketing when you’re writing and don’t stress over the story if you’re in author mode. You can be cranky and mumbling all you want when you’re being the writer but you have to be “on” when you’re an author.
3. Treat your fans well. Many of them are giving you an hour (or more) of their work day for your book. They’ve done their jobs so they can pay you for something you’ve chosen to do (usually on your out-of-work time). Respect that hour of their work. Interact with the fans as the author — the face attached to the name — and with great courtesy. Try to answer everyone, even with only a thank you. You might have spent months writing but they’ve just spent money and a few hours on you, time and money they might not have had to spare. Celebrate that with them.
If you were to offer a word of advice to a new author just starting out, what would it be?
Take things in stride. Some days are going to be shitty and you’ll want to cry. Cry if you have to, wipe your face and then get back to it. Don’t take yourself so seriously. Remember to laugh at crappy things that happen and celebrate that first one-star review. Learn from your mistakes and remember that you’ll never write as well as your favourite author if you don’t take risks. Play with styles. Find a voice you are comfortable with and most of all, try to find a new way to tell an old story.
What is the question you’re most frequently asked by your fans?
Usually there’s a question on whether or not I’m sane. Um, let me see. From my yaoi readers, I’m usually asked if I’ve been in the situations I’ve written. Most of the time, I get emails saying that they’ve found something in my books that touch them. For that I’m very grateful.
So far, the biggest question when I’m writing as Rhys Ford is what sex I am. Sometimes I feel like I’m in a porn chat room. Age / Sex / Preference? Heh. I also get asked if I’m Asian.
Have you had any particularly memorable fan experiences?
I get yaoi gifts a lot. If I’d known writing about a lavender bunny was going to get me plushies, I would have written about a black dragon or something harder to find. :::grins::: But I do treasure those. The bunnies are great. They’re also great to give away as prizes since I can find them easily enough.
I would have to say having someone cry when she met me. That was a bit… overwhelming.
I’ve not met anyone other than Anne as Rhys Ford and Anne doesn’t count because mostly we talked, drove around San Diego and spent hours at Golden City, a great Chinese restaurant in San Diego.
I am waiting for someone to correct me in my Korean which will have me scrambling to my translators and dictionaries, I am sure.
Digital media—the e-reader/tablet computer/Android apps—is changing the way people access and enjoy books. What pros and/or cons do you see surrounding the business of e-publishing? How do you see digital media evolving in the years to come?
I don’t think I can predict where digital media is going only because tech changes constantly. I’m a bit of a tech head so I do try to keep up with what’s being developed. There are several media delivery systems that I think are going to break once R&D finally gets around to pushing past a few issues. I’m looking forward to the evolution/development of LED enabled “gorilla” glass so we can have clear touch screens.
As far as e-publishing, I’m not necessarily against self-publishing but I think a greater care should be taken on the production side of things. Get an editor and investigate the use of a good cover artist. I
When you have the chance to sit down and enjoy some quiet reading time, what sorts of books are you most likely to pick up? Who are your favorite authors?
I actually read quite a bit. I usually run the gamut between M/M books, mysteries, urban fantasy and sci-fi. Every once in a while I’ll stray over into romance.
Favourite authors? Josh Lanyon, Donald Kingsbury, Ilona Andrews, Lynn Flewelling, Ace Atkins, Greg Rucka ad J.D Robb (but I don’t like her writing as Nora Roberts).
If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?
I wish I were a better artist. On the scale of Ursula Vernon who has MAD skills.
Aside from writing, what else do you enjoy doing? Do you have any hobbies?
Hobbies? Hobbies become jobs. :::grins::: I would say listening to music which is a huge part of my day. Reading, of course. Cooking which is kind of like a therapy. And apparently driving around Southern California since most of my friends live in other counties. Oh and Rock Band.
If time travel were possible, what time period(s) would you most like to visit? Why?
I think I’d go to 1887 to convince Kalākaua not to sign the Bayonet Constitution. Maybe Dallas to tell John F. Kennedy to not ride in that car or to tell Martin Luther King to stay off the balcony. Or perhaps 1901 with penicillin and antibiotics for McKinley. I think the world would be a better place for those men to have been in longer.
If you had the opportunity to sit down to dinner with one famous person, either past or present, who would you choose and why?
Oh so difficult. Janis Joplin. She fascinates me. She was such a primal but tragic figure. Her soul burned brighter than her body. I’d want to experience her brilliance and flaws.
How would you describe your sense of humor? What makes you laugh?
Sadly, I have two senses of humour. One is very dry and geek oriented while the other is that of a five year old. I laugh heartiest at a youtube video of a pig farting near two dinosaurs. I also cannot watch Fantasia without dying of laughter at the Hippo Princess (Hyacinth) and the Crocodile Prince. His face! It is so gleeful in lust / hunger for her. It kills me.
I’m not a big pun person. And pithy sayings tend to leave me MEH.
Do you have an all time favorite fictional character? If so, who is it?
Dear Lord. Um, Milo from Phantom Tollbooth.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
People who correct or question someone else when they know damn well what that person is saying. I think it’s arrogant and makes someone feel bad. I’m also not fond of practical jokes for that same reason.
Do you have a favorite personal mantra, quote, or saying that describes your outlook on life and the way you approach each day?
It doesn’t matter who you love so long as you love.
I also like: Suck it up. Forgive yourself. Take a deep breath and keep going.
Do you speak more than one language? If so, which one(s)?
I barely speak English. Okay. I grew up speaking pidgin which is kind of like a Hawaiian Creole. It’s considered a recognized language. The English I speak tends to be a bit formal because as I entered school, a “proper” English was emphasized over pidgin. I can usually suss out Japanese and some Korean. I can speak a Castilian Spanish and can mostly understand So Cal and Tex Mexican but I read Spanish and Italian better than I can understand rapid fire speech. And I know enough Portuguese from listening to my relatives to know all the bad words and what to say when it’s time to gossip.
Of all the modern conveniences, which one would you most likely say you couldn’t live without?
The internet.
Do you have any new projects coming up that you’d care to share with us?
I am working on Dirty Kiss 2 (Yet Untitled) and two urban fantasies. Black Dog Blues will probably get a once over and some rearranging while the other is in the early throes of my hatred. I also have another M/M fiction/romance that I’ve started. I’m finishing up a serialized yaoi soon so I can concentrate on those.
Thank you again for spending some time with us, Rhys. Will you tell us where we can find you on the Internet?
Usually on totalfark.com or buzzfeed but I have a blog (rhysford.wordpress.com/) and I can always be reached at rhys_ford@vitaenoir.com
And we’d love if you’d share a favorite excerpt from Dirty Kiss with us.
Let me go find something. And thank you again for having me!
Dirty Kiss Excerpt:
I ended up in front of Jae’s squat brick apartment. If anything, the early dusk light made the place look even more depressed. I parked the Rover, easing the seat belt off. A sharp pain darted through my belly and I gasped, swearing at the tightness curling the scar tissue under my shirt. Pressing my hand on the tear, I hissed through the pain in my side.
Around me, people continued their lives, televisions blaring and screaming at children who wouldn’t eat their dinners. It was early enough that the evening news filtered through the noise, a steady droning update on the price of being human. The neighbourhood was like one of many in the county, a collection of poor on the edge of desperate.
Before I left the force, I’d been working on establishing contacts in a community like this one, spackled together homes bursting with families too large for their walls. It made for a tense living and despite the glowing stories of success that occasionally surfaced in the news, most of the time, life here was a brutal, hard ride where violence was fed to a child in its breast milk. Death was a common visitor for one reason or another.
I’d worked a more Hispanic neighbourhood but except for the language on the signs here, it looked the same. The bubble-slash Korean on the barricaded store-fronts was foreign to me but I guessed they announced the same types of specials that would draw in someone with a tight fist on their wallet. The air smelled a little different, less oil than the streets I’d been learning on but harder spiced, a lingering anise undercurrent that soon was lost under a rush of coppery stink when I sniffed.
Blood burbled in my nose and I reluctantly touched the bridge. It was tender but there was no crackling rice sound that I could hear. I chanced a look at my face and winced. A bit swollen where I’d bashed my cheek against the frame but the bruises forming under my eye and across my nose gave me pause. They promised to be a brilliant black and purple if given a few minutes. If Jae-Min had ice then I would profess my dying love. When I almost lost my footing on the curb, I gave up ice for the hope of a strong shot of any kind of root alcohol.
The door was sadly lacking a large doorknocker so I leaned on the bell, feeling the warmth of the light beneath its rubber surface. The door creaked open and a flustered Jae-Min appeared, his dark hair ruffled as if he’d spent more than a few minutes running his fingers through it. My body responded first, a stirring of my sex inside of my boxers. He looked too damned good, lean and sensual in casual cotton pants tied at his waist and a thin white shirt that turned transparent under the porch light. His mouth was wet, drops of water trembling on his lower lip and my teeth ached anew, less from the rattle of being broadsided by the van and more from wanting to sink into his full lips.
“Hyung!” The feel of his arm around my waist blotted away the pain in my side. It felt good to be touched; I didn’t realize it until just then but I’d missed being touched by someone other than family. Stumbling forward, I let him catch me, his hands sliding down over my hips as he shut the door behind us. He was smaller than me, slighter in body but he certainly was strong enough to hobble me into the apartment.
“Am I old enough to be called that?” I mumbled, the ache in my nose beginning to spread across my face, lodging into my cheekbones. “Don’t I have to be at least twenty years older than you? How’s your head?”
“I’m fine but you look like shit. What happened?” Jae smelled good, a blend of citrus and sex. I might have been imagining the sex part but the green tea and grapefruit scent was real. Even through the cloud of blood I was trying to breathe through, I could smell him. Being bashed about apparently made me horny. “Who did you piss off?”
“You’ve known me for what? Three days and you think I pissed someone off?” I tried to sound credulous but he rolled his eyes at me and dumped me on his couch. My elbow hit the frame and it stung up to my shoulder. “Ouch. Fuck.”
“Stay there,” Jae ordered before he disappeared into the bathroom. “I’ll get something to wash off your face.”
His cat took a leap from the counter and landed neatly on the coffee table. She pulled her feet under her sleek body and squatted, staring at me with her orange-yellow eyes. A bit of fang slid from under her lip, the barest hint of a threat in case I moved wrong. I shrugged off my jacket, silently hoping that the show of a gun in my shoulder holster would give her pause but the fang only got longer. Sighing in defeat, I attempted to make some show of affection towards her.
“Neko, right?” I called out to the man making noises behind me. “The cat? Her name’s Neko, right?”
“What?” Jae came back, spreading out gauze and tape on the table and sitting down next to his cat. She mewed at him, a pleasant sweet sound that belied the evil I suspected lurked within. He stared at my shoulder, edging slightly back on the table. “You’ve got a gun. Why do you have a gun and why is it in my house?”
“I thought it would be a good idea considering someone shot at you yesterday.” I drew the Glock out and tapped the bullet load out of it. Checking the chamber, I was satisfied it was empty before taking off my gear and stowing its ammunition in one of the jacket’s pockets. “There, better?”
“Yeah. Thanks.” He scritched at her ears before handing me a couple of aspirin. I was about to dry swallow them when he handed me an open water bottle. “Don’t do that. They’ll stick in your throat.”
“Thanks.” Putting the rim to my mouth, I watched his hands as he opened a package of antiseptic wipes. The bottle tasted as I imagined he would taste, spiced sugar and a hint of candlelight; as well as the flat taste of recycled Los Angeles tap water.
“What did you do?” His touch was light as he dabbed off crusted blood from a cut near my eye. I knew from the quick glance at my face in the Rover’s side mirror, Jae couldn’t be very impressed by the battering I took. The car was in better shape, its solid metal body easily shaking off the brunt of the Ford’s assault. “Hold still. It’s dried too much. This is going to hurt.”
“I went to talk to Victoria. You’re right. She’s a bit of a bitch.” I swallowed the girlie scream that scrabbled along the edge of my tongue. The sting from the salve crept slowly over my skin and I bit my tongue so Jae wouldn’t hear me make noises I preferred to make in bed with company. “That hurts like a mother-fucker, just so you know.”
His fingers were warm on my face, the edges of his palms brushing along my lips. My tongue darted out before I could stop it, skimming over his skin. He stopped dabbing at my face, pulling back slowly. I smiled, wondering if the pain was making me bolder or I was just tired of fighting the want of him.
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