Interview With Author Paul Cogan
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am an award winning up and coming new Canadian author specializes in writing LGBT adventure/romance adult erotica novels.
My debut first gay novel, Murder and Lace, shortlisted as Best Gay Debut at the Rainbow Book Awards. My debut first lesbian novel series, Lotus Blossoms and Hooking Into Love were shortlisted finalists in the Lambda Literary Awards.
I can generally be found procrastinating about international politics on various social media platforms on the internet, daydreaming up a storm at home with my Husband of twenty years or simply sitting on my behind at my laptop fighting with the various future novel characters struggling to get out of my gray matter and demanding their respective literary freedom in my next published manuscript.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled – THE AI ESKIMO, which is book number six in my new AI CHRONICLE SERIES of books. The AI CHRONICLE SERIES is a series of books written about a futuristic gay world, where Artificial Intelligence will not only determine the very future of humanity itself but will also restructure the very nature and definition of gay identity, gay orientation, gay love, and gay relationships. With this new AI Chronicle Series, I am attempting to integrate the Erotic Fiction genre with the Mystery & Action genres hoping to produce a futuristic world that will leave my readers both hot and wondering
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write completely naked, in a darken space, wearing ear plugs, chewing unflavored chewing gum. JUST KIDDING! I do however make it a point to record something in my daily life, from any and all of my senses, that triggered my imagination to envision some form of writing, be that a scene, character, event, conflict, plot, or story-line.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am almost exclusively influenced by new authors and new works written in and about the current or future world unfolding around us and what it informs us about ourselves and our humanity. The storied classical writers and their works may serve to inform us of the nature and technical aspects of the writing profession they do not serve us well in understanding the creative aspects of writing.
What are you working on now?
I am now working on an initial draft for book number seven in my new AI Series struggling not only with a new and unique story-line but also trying to determine which of the current gay community subcultures I will spotlight in this book and how much research and speculation I will have to develop to kick the story-line into the year 2050 which is where the rest of the series takes place.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
A combination of a third party authors hosting site (https://allauthor.com/author/pfcogan/) and my own authors website (http://pfcogan.com).
Do you have any advice for new authors?
First, and foremost you have been moved to become a “Story Teller”. Like the wise elders of past generations who told important and inspiring stories over an open fire and/or someone sharing their lived experiences with others what you have been moved to do is tell a “story” that will in some way touch the lives of everyone who hears it.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Don’t give me impossible – give me possible!
What are you reading now?
I would have to list the contents of my Kindle Library here to answer that question. On average I consume a new eBook title every two days. I read exclusively within the Gay genre covering all manner of subcategories.
What’s next for you as a writer?
That really depends upon just how much longer this new AI series intends to hold me captive. Like most gay writers the path to imagining the future of gay writing has not always historically been an easy one. The challenge for gay writers has always been imagining the direction of straight future writing. I’m sure that whats next for me will certainly entail representing how gay peoples from disparate and marginalized groups will continue to evolve and develop going forward into a the future straight culture that in and of itself has no real sense of what their own straight sexual landscape will look like.
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?
Three or four totally empty/blank journals. They would allow me to record/write about the adventures of my time on the deserted island for publication after my eventual rescue.
Author Websites and Profiles
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