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Monday, September 7, 2020

Blog Tour- WILD, DARK TIMES by @esoteric_austin With An Interview & #Giveaway! @btwnthelinespub, & @RockstarBkTours 



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
Interview
9/7/2020
Instagram Post
9/8/2020
Interview
9/8/2020
Instagram Post
9/9/2020
Guest Post
9/9/2020
Instagram Post
9/10/2020
Excerpt
9/10/2020
Instagram Post
9/11/2020
Guest Post
9/11/2020
Excerpt

Week Two:
9/14/2020
Guest Post
9/14/2020
Instagram Post
9/15/2020
Review
9/15/2020
Instagram Post
9/16/2020
Review
9/16/2020
Instagram Post
9/17/2020
Review
9/17/2020
Review
9/18/2020
Review
9/18/2020
Instagram Post

1 comment:

  1. 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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