A warm welcome to author Killian B Brewer visiting us today !
Author Name: Killian B. Brewer
Book Name: The Rules of Ever After
Release Date: June 9, 2015
Goodreads Link: Goodreads.com/KillianBBrewer
Publisher: Interlude Press
Cover Artist: BuckeyeGrrl Designs
Pages or Words: 256 pages
Blurb:
The rules of royal life have governed the kingdoms of Clarameer for thousands of years, but Prince Phillip and Prince Daniel know that these rules don’t provide for the happily ever after they seek.
A fateful, sleepless night brings the two young men together and sends them on a quest out into the kingdoms. On their travels, they encounter meddlesome fairies, an ambitious stepmother, disgruntled princesses and vengeful kings as they learn about life, love, friendship and family. Most of all, the two young men must learn how to write their own rules of ever after.
Categories: Fantasy, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance, Young Adult
Sales Links: Amazon, Duet Website,
Interlude Web store: store.interludepress.com
Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Killian B. Brewer author of The Rules of Ever After.
Hi Killian, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.
Thanks for inviting me! I’m Killian Brewer, though most people just call me “Brew.” I grew up in a tiny town in Georgia in a house where we were encouraged to tell stories to entertain each other. I began writing seriously in college and I first started the short story that is now The Rules of Ever After in a writing workshop I joined there.
The Rules is a twist on a fairy tale where Prince Charming breaks the rules and falls for another Prince Charming. The book follows the two men on their adventures as they attempt to find a way to have a happily ever after of their own that may not follow the normal rules of fairy tales or royal life. The Rules also looks at what happens to the princesses they were expected to marry when they begin exploring their options outside of the rules too.
How do you develop your plots and characters?
I like to create my main characters first. Next, I come up with a scenario to drop these characters into and think of how they would react. If that reaction interests or inspires me, I write it. Writing The Rules of Ever After was a bit different for me because the traditions of fairy tales gave me certain elements and plot points that I had to incorporate into the story. For instance, every good story needs a villain. The trope of the “wicked stepmother” is common in fairy tales so that guided me in my development of my villain. Also, a good fairy tale has some element of magic in it, so I was able to create some situations that a more realistic plot would not allow by having a sorceress and fairies bringing spells into the story.
Who doesn’t love a good hero? Tell us about your protagonist. Was there a real life inspiration behind them?
Prince Phillip grew out of a thought I had while reading the tales of the Brothers Grimm in college. I thought, “What if a prince climbed a tower and found another prince?” Phillip, being the heir to his family throne and the male lead of a fairy tale, has certain expectations put on him to find a princess to marry and to live a specific type of “ever after.” But as a gay man, he has his own desires and expectations of life that the strict rules of royal life and fairy tale tropes don’t really allow. For Phillip, life seems to be a choice of either/or. Phillip is insecure and afraid to make that choice, so he attempts to walk a fine line between meeting expectations and fulfilling his own desires. When he meets Daniel, who is much more secure in his sexuality and less concerned with the world’s expectations, Phillip begins to rethink his approach to life.
Phillip is inspired by something I think a lot LGBTQ people feel. As a young man I definitely felt there were expectations that I should grow up, marry a woman, have children, and live a “normal” life. I worried that I would either have to live a life that wasn’t what I really wanted or live the life I wanted and disappoint my family’s expectations. Eventually I learned that you can actually achieve both, but you and others have to find a new way to look at life and write new rules for what a “normal” life is.
What real-life inspirations do you use when world building?
When developing the kingdoms of Clarameer, I knew I wanted each one to have a very distinctive landscape and character. I wanted a mountainous region, a wooded land, an oceanfront kingdom and a “breadbasket” area. For Lipponia, the mountain kingdom, I kept seeing the area around Vancouver in Canada. My partner and I drove up through the mountains there on a vacation once and it is breathtaking. Sylvania is based on the woodlands of western France where my partner grew up and the pine forests of my childhood home in South Georgia. Dealonia grew from a cross country trip I took as a teen through Kansas. I had never seen so many miles of flat land in my life. Finally, I wanted Bellemer to be a “beach” kingdom, but due to Phillip’s sadness at the beginning of the story, I wanted it to be less of a Hawaiian beach and more like the rocky shores of Northern France and Southern England.
Did you learn anything from this book and what was it?
I am a planner. I had a plot outlined for the story pretty early on and I stayed pretty true to that outline while writing the book. But I quickly learned the importance of world-building when writing a fantasy story. I had an idea for something to happen to the characters near the end of the book that I had to scrap because it would have broken the “rules” of the world I had created for this world they live in. The only way to make the scene work would be to completely rewrite a section of the beginning of the book. By stopping to rethink how to make the scene work in my world’s rules, I actually came up with something I am much happier with than my original idea. So what I learned is to plan well but also leave yourself open to the “happy accidents” that your world and your characters may create.
It’s your last meal on earth. What do you choose?
I would want my last meal to be comfort foods and things that remind me of my childhood. I would start out with a big plate of chicken and dumplings, my mother’s homemade mac and cheese, and a heaping pile of collard greens. Also, I’d want what we southerners call a “cathead” biscuit. It is a made-from-scratch biscuit that is as big as a cat’s head! I would wash it all down with a mason jar full of sweet iced tea, the house wine of the South. For dessert, I would want a giant slice of key lime pie.
“Phillip, don’t believe all those stories your scribe told you. Magic is not defeated by waiting for someone to come rescue you from it. You have to fight it.” Daniel paused and took a breath before reaching out to take Phillip’s hand again. “I sat around for two years waiting for someone to come along and fix my problems. No one came, and nothing changed. Then I realized that maybe the person I was waiting for was me. So I went out to find my own answers.”
“I’m not you. I don’t even know where to begin.” Phillip sat back on the edge of the bed.
“You begin the way everyone does,” Daniel explained, “one foot in front of the other.”
“I’ve barely been out of this castle. I don’t know what’s out there.”
“Well, you’re in luck. You know someone who does.”
“What? Who?” Phillip cocked his head and stared at Daniel in confusion.
“Me!” Daniel winked and pointed to his chest. “I know what’s out there. I’ve been wandering all over the kingdoms for months now. I’ve studied the maps and the histories. I know how to fight and how to survive.” Daniel stood up. “I’ll come with you,” he continued. “I’ll help you find her, and we’ll bring her down together. We will fix this.”
Daniel could almost see the wheels turn in Phillip’s head as he considered Daniel’s offer. He looked over at his father, then back down at his feet before glancing up to Daniel with a look of tentative hope. “Why would you do that?”
Daniel pondered the question for a moment, unsure of the answer himself. The pain in Phillip’s face touched Daniel’s heart and made him want to bring back the mischievous, laughing man he had met just two nights before. This was not his problem, and he had his own concerns to deal with, but looking at Phillip’s terrified face, he knew he wanted to help. He knew he had to.
“I’m not being completely selfless. I’m still going to be looking for my own answers. But I can help you look, too.” Daniel held his hand out to Phillip. “Come with me. Let’s go get you some food and make a plan.”
“You’re just saying this to get me to eat.”
“No. As I said, I feel responsible. If I hadn’t gotten in that bed—”
“But you did.” Phillip mumbled before turning to look at Daniel with his eyes wide. “And you passed the test. I thought for sure you were the answer—”
“The test? I still don’t understand about this test.”
“Yes. You were the first to spend the night in the bed and be kept awake by the pea under the mattresses. Okay, maybe some of the others could have passed if I hadn’t—”
“Phillip? You think a pea kept me awake?” Daniel stepped back and knitted his brows; he had clearly missed some element of that awful night’s events. Though he was glad to see some sign of activity from Phillip, Daniel was thoroughly confused. “Why was there a pea under—”
“Yes. You passed the test. Maybe it is a sign!” Phillip stood and turned to Daniel; excitement spread across his face. “Maybe you are here to help me.”
Killian B. Brewer grew up in a family where the best way to be heard was to tell a good story, therefore he developed an early love of storytelling, puns and wordplay. He began writing poetry and short fiction at 15 and continued in college where he earned a BA in English. He does not use this degree in his job in the banking industry.
He currently lives in Georgia with his partner of ten years and their dog. Growing up in the South gave him a funny accent and a love of grits.
The Rules of Ever After is his first novel.
Where to find the author:
Facebook: Facebook.com/KillianBBewer
Twitter: @KillianBBrewer
Pinterest: Pinterest.com/KillianBBrewer
Home Page: killianbbrewer.com
Tour Dates & Stops: June 9 – 22, 2015
9-Jun
10-Jun
11-Jun
Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews
12-Jun
15-Jun
16-Jun
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
17-Jun
18-Jun
19-Jun
22-Jun
Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Interlude Press Gift Card. 5 e-copies of ‘The Rules of Ever After’ by Killian B. Brewer
This sounds great! What fairy tale needs a makeover??? Hum. I’ve noticed a couple of them have been made over recently. Cinderella was always my favorite growing up. My daughter’s was Rapunzel, she had very long blond hair liked to tell everyone she was Rapunzel. 🙂 I just discovered the release of His Beautiful Beast. So far, I haven’t found a remake I haven’t enjoyed. Has Sleeping Beauty been made over? Maybe Snow White? This one has been added to my TBR list and I hope to pick it up soon.