Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
M.D. Neu is a LGBTQA Fiction Writer with a love for writing and travel. Living in the heart of Silicon Valley (San Jose, California) and growing up around technology, he’s always been fascinated with what could be. Specifically drawn to Science Fiction and Paranormal television and novels, M.D. Neu was inspired by the great Gene Roddenberry, George Lucas, Stephen King, Alice Walker, Alfred Hitchcock, Harvey Fierstein, Anne Rice, and Kim Stanley Robinson. An odd combination, but one that has influenced his writing.
Growing up in an accepting family as a gay man he always wondered why there were never stories reflecting who he was. Constantly surrounded by characters that only reflected heterosexual society, M.D. Neu decided he wanted to change that. So, he took to writing, wanting to tell good stories that reflected our diverse world.
When M.D. Neu isn’t writing, he works for a non-profit and travels with his biggest supporter and his harshest critic, Eric his husband of twenty plus years.
His current works include two short stories: The Reunion and A Dragon for Christmas. He is also the author of the epic SciFi Series A New World (Book 1 Contact and Book 2 Conviction). M.D. Neu’s debut novel in 2018 was The Calling a modern day vampire retelling.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Conviction, is the second book in my A New World series, but what inspired me to write this story was the need to tell a story that didn’t cast the typical main character we’ve all seen time and time again. I wanted to tell a story about the none typical hero: a gay man who wasn’t the hero type. In fact, in Contact, Todd’s husband Jerry even says as much. It was important to set that tone from the start. Todd is a normal everyman, even more so than some of my other characters in my other works.
But more than that, I wanted to write an epic science fiction story that wasn’t a dystopian story or a story were its humans against the aliens. I wanted to tell a story where aliens come to us in need, no hidden motives, they’ve lost their home world and have been searching for a new home for twenty years. Then they find us, warts and all. I don’t believe this is a story that we’ve seen before and, for me, it’s important for us to see it. I show the world and both people as they are. None of them are perfect and they all have bigotry to overcome.
This story also reflects two themes important to me, one is immigration and refugees, in the case of the story we can’t simply say no. We have to deal with it. For good or bad, we have to figure out what we are going to do and none action isn’t an option. When you have over 2 million aliens showing up in 400 plus ships in your planet’s orbit there is no brushing it under the rug or trying to pretend they’re not there. The other theme important in the series is religion, again for good or bad, it’s important in our world and now, in the context of the story, it’s been thrown in complete ciaos. Everything we believe, or think we believe, is now called into question especially when it comes to human’s being the end all be all. Both themes are huge and people are going to deal with it differently, and I wanted to show that in this book and this series.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are quite a few books and authors that influenced me. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice is one. Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson it’s a series, but I kind of count it as one. My Ántonia by Willa Cather is another one, as is The Color Purple by Alice Walker.
These books and these authors really made me love the idea of story telling. they are all so different and when I think about their works I can see bits and pieces that I tried to emulate in my stories (I don’t know if I succeeded but I like to believe I did an okay job). I’m there are are others, but these are the ones that are coming to my mind.
Also, these authors all told stories that included people who you don’t typically see as heroes, if that makes sense and I wanted to do the same things in my writing.
What are you working on now?
Currently I’m working on my next release T.A.D. – The Angel of Death. It should be out later this year. I’m in the middle of edits and working with my publisher NineStar Press on the cover art and all that. I’d love to share the blurb:
Tad loves bouncing around in time and watching mankind grow and change. He loves humanity and helping when he can. However, his job isn’t conducive to helping people. He’s an Angel of Death.
Doug is fun loving and a drama queen. Despite his witty exterior, he has a dark history and is prone to self-destruction. He’s also an amazing drag queen and hairstylist with big dreams.
When Tad pushes the boundaries of his duties too far, his angel wings are stripped away from him and he is sent to New York City to live as a human. Lost and alone he ends up meeting Doug and the two start a friendship that will shape them both and last a lifetime. But nothing is simple when you’re dealing with a former Angel of Death and a Drag Queen. Could these two cause the fabric of our world to collapse or will they manage to keep the future as it should?
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
When it comes to book promotion I take various avenues. I do Press Releases, Events, Blog Tours, Podcasts, and small amounts of paid advertising usually on FaceBook. I also keep an active blog on my website, www.mdneu.com as well as stay active on social media like, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
When it comes to offering advice, on any subject, I tell people, go with your gut. You know what you want. You know what you need. You know what story you want to tell. So tell it. If something doesn’t feel right, then don’t do it. But at the same time, don’t be afraid to take risks. You never know what will work or what will resinate with people.
Also, as important as writing is so is getting yourself out there. Take every opportunity you can. You never know if opening up that Instagram account, may be all you need to break the New York Times Best-Sellers List.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t be afraid to ask. The answer is always ‘no’ until you ask, in which case, it might be a yes. I followed that advice to get my first book published and I continue to follow it now.
What are you reading now?
I have a stack of books right now. I’m reading New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson. I’m also reading several books as a judge for the Rainbow Awards, which I can’t say the titles of. But needless to say I have a long reading list, that I will get through. At some point. I hope.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Coming up next, other than my next release T.A.D.-The Angel of Death. I’m working on book 3 Conspiracy of my A New World series and I’m working on the second book of The Calling, currently titled The Called.
Over the next few months and into the late summer I’m going to be doing some book promotion in my local area, which I’m really pleased with. In June I’m going to be at Sacramento, CA Pride and in August I’m going to be on Writes Panel here in San Jose. I’m also looking at some other readings and signings in the San Francisco Bay Area. So there is a lot happening.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Oh man this is tough. Okay, I’m going to have to with the ones I mention before: Interview with the Vampire, My Ántonia, The Color Purple, and Red Mars (even though I would try and smuggle in the rest of the series).
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