O F Cieri (she/her) chats with Carolina Cruz (they/them) about Joe Meek, the origins of ska, and how Nine Inch Nails would destroy a midcentury pop music producer in her queer pulp horror novel Backmask.

Nicholas Hush, 1960s record producer, has a vision for the future of pop music. After a series of prophetic dreams, he wants to combine occult imagery with upcoming trends to create a new, groundbreaking look. His secretary, Valerie Chill, is tasked with finding consultants and funding while he crafts the perfect album. Quickly their project becomes entangled in other, larger machinations, and two teenage pop acts become responsible for international intrigue, brainwashing, and an occult massacre. Inspired by pop music history and written in the style of 60s horror pulp, Backmask is the fake history of a conspiracy theory surrounding the Satanic agenda to control children's minds.

O F Cieri (she/her) is the author of the queer urban fantasy novel Lord of Thundertown, the pulp horror novel Backmask, and the collection Lockdown Laureate. You can connect with her and her work at her website: ofcieri.com

Carolina Cruz (they/them) is the author of the vampire horror romance Blood in the Water and the queer fantasy series The Creed of Gethin (beginning with The Unwanted Prophet). You can connect with them on instagram @ninawolverina

Sebastian Nothwell (he/him) chats with Tess Carletta (she/her) about writing a quiet and reflective moment of queer joy to rejuvenate those who are fighting to survive.

The Kings of Oak and Holly have woven their fates together in an unbreakable bond. The further adventures of Wren Lofthouse, Shrike the Butcher of Blackthorn, and their friends continue in this collection of short stories, including…

Bruises Bloom in Blackthorn Briar
…wherein a moment's comfort is sought between Cemetery Gate and the Solstice Duel.

Sentiment
…wherein the Oak and Holly Kings return to Wren's ancestral home to retrieve certain articles of a sensitive magical nature.

Bookseller & Bone-Setter
…wherein an unfortunate accident forces Hullvardr to reveal certain fae truths to his mortal beloved, Mr Ephraim Grigsby.

The Unveiling of Daniel Durst
…wherein Daniel shows his true self to his guardian for the first time.

A Quiet Solstice
…wherein the Oak King yields to the Holly King.

Tess Carletta (she/her) is the author of Kit & Basie, a queer cozy fantasy romance, its sequel collection Patchwork, and the fantasy novel Goldheart. You can connect with her at her website: tesscarletta.com

Sebastian Nothwell (he/him) is the author of Oak King Holly King, its sequel Tales from Blackthorn Briar, and the fantasy-of-manners romance Fiorenzo, amongst other titles. You can connect with him at his website: sebastiannothwell.com

JP Rindfleisch IX (he/they) chats with Sebastian Nothwell (he/him) about the appeal of cozy fantasy, from spiteful inspiration to the hidden sharp edges beneath slice-of-life stories and the eternal question of who a character is if not a hero.

JP Rindfleisch IX (he/they) writes cozy fantasy about grief, transformation, and queer joy wrapped in found families, botanical magic, and the occasional raccoon familiar. His works include the novels Mosswood Apothecary and Mandrake Manor, amongst other titles. You can learn more about them at their website: jprindfleischix.com

Sebastian Nothwell (he/him) is the author of Oak King Holly King, its sequel Tales from Blackthorn Briar, and the fantasy-of-manners romance Fiorenzo, amongst other titles. You can connect with him at his website: sebastiannothwell.com