Blog Tour: Interview, Example Pages & Giveaway - Joel Graig - Journey to Gaytopia

BLOG TOUR

Book Title: Journey To Gaytopia

Author: Joel Craig

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Cover Artist: Joel Craig

Genre/s: LGBTQ graphic novel, science fiction graphic novel

Length: 64 pages

Target Audience: Young Adult and adult LGBTQ

Release Date: December 1, 2017

Blurb

Broke actors Joel Craig and Stephen Foster have just had the break of a lifetime, series regular roles on The Julianne Moore and Madonna Half Hour Comedy Show. But during the filming of the show Madonna is kidnapped by Mae Dunaway, the evil twin sister of Faye Dunaway, and whisked away into a science fiction alternate parallel universe. Joel and Stephen are in hot pursuit in efforts to rescue Madonna from the evil clutches of Mae and get help from some new friends along the way in the city of Gaytopia. Will Stephen and Joel rescue Madonna? Find out in this graphic novel that will put you on the edge of your seats and leave you wanting more.

AUTHOR NAME: Joel Craig

Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m a writer and actor. More writer right now. I live in Los Angeles with my husband, Donovan Holden who is a singer/songwriter. We both have non-creative jobs that supplement our income. We have two cats, Mia and Horatio.

What would people be most surprised to know about you?

That I’m from Nashville, Tennessee but don’t like country music.

How do you relax?

I like to swim and pet my cats, Mia and Horatio and have red wine in the evening at home.

Do you have a favorite quote (either from your own books or one’s you’ve read)?

“Never keep up with the Joneses. Drag them down to your level.” Quentin Crisp, which to me means be as genuine and real as I can be and let them know, not in so many words that you see through their crap and won’t put up with it.

“Some people play hard to get. I play difficult to understand.” Carrie Fisher

“It’s never too early. It’s always too late.” My friend Tomar

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” Mae West

How long have you been writing and what made you fall in love with writing?

I really started writing when I wrote a play. I wrote, “Mrs. Beasley,” in my twenties and just kept at it. Then I wrote a few screenplays and some web episodes of this web series I created with fellow writer C. Stephen Foster. The web series is called “What’s My Intention?” and on Youtube. The series is about this aging alcoholic actress, Stella Graves, who needs money so she teaches these students in an acting class. She’s kind of crazy but funny.

I don’t always love writing. Only when my writing is good do I like writing.

Did you always want to be a writer?

No. I wanted to be an actor. I still want to be an actor. I originally wrote to write parts for myself. My acting experience has helped my writing tremendously and my writing has helped my acting. Any writer should, at one point, take an acting class. Plays are similar to fiction in that they are both stories. The format in which they are written is different but the concept is still the same. Sometimes you have a really good play that came about from a novel or short story. There is a play version of Santa Land Diaries that was originally a story by the same name.

What are your ambitions for your writing career?

I want to turn my book, Journey To Gaytopia into an animated TV series that could run on Comedy Central or FX. I also want to put out a prose fiction version of my graphic novel but be one of those choose your storyline types, where you get to a cliff hanger and have to make a decision. Which one is the right decision? Only you decide.

What’s your favorite part of writing?

When I get so wrapped up in this whole other world and the ideas come out on paper seamlessly.

Why GLBTQ?

I’m writing a GLBTQ sci-fi graphic novel. This genre was the most creative way I could think of to bring the world of Gaytopia to the reader.

Do you write any other genre?

Plays and screenplays. I’d love to write a book of essays.

Describe a scene in your writing that has made you laugh or cry?

I love making absurd situations that are just funny. There’s a scene where Madonna is trying to convince Mae Dunaway not to kill her and put her in Mae’s fountain of youth potion. I don’t want to give anything away but the rationale is kind of silly that Madonna uses to beg for her life.

Give the readers a brief summary of your latest book.

The actors, Joel Craig (myself) and C. Stephen Foster get hired to be on The Julianne Moore and Madonna Half Hour Comedy Show. Madonna takes secret acting classes from Mae Dunaway, the evil twin sister of Faye Dunaway. But Mae captures Madonna and takes her to an alternate parallel universe as a prisoner. Mae plans to put Madonna in her fountain of youth potion. Joel and Stephen are sent by Julianne Moore to rescue Madonna even though we have never rescued anyone in our lives. So in our quest we have some adventure along the way to accomplish our goal. And we land in this city called, Gaytopia that is sort of like a gay Hollywood.

What genre does it fall in?

Graphic novel, science fiction

Share a few words about your latest book, other than the usual blurb.

I wrote this book because at least somewhere I would be a successful actor. And also, gays are the main characters and are treated like normal people just trying to make a contribution to society through their art. And I’m excited to actually finish the book.

Give us a little insight into your main characters. Who are they? Basically they are based on people I know. I play myself. C. Stephen Foster is an actual person. So is Cat Mandoo but that’s not her real name. Donovan and Chris are based on real people also. Donovan is Donovan Holden, a musician and Chris is Christopher Reidy, a writer. Julianne Moore and Madonna are real people who I’ve never met in real life so I’m only writing from imagination. But I hope they read the story and get some entertainment from it.

Will we be seeing these characters again anytime soon? Is this book part of a series?

I hope so. I don’t have plans for a sequel yet but I’d like to create an animated TV series from the book that would run on Comedy Central.

Which actor would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?

I’d like to play myself actually. But if I wasn’t available, then maybe Matt Bomer.

Tell us a little bit about your writing style.

I write a lot of dialogue. I try to write how the people are talking in my head. But it’s good to read it out loud to make sure it sounds right. If, at any time, I cringe then the dialogue and story has to change.

What does your writing process look like?

A lot of ideas happen in my head and I write them down. With the graphic novel, I write the story somewhat. Then I draw some characters and the scene they are in. Sometimes ideas pop into my head that might be different than what I originally put on paper. Sometimes the ideas are exciting and really work. Sometimes they don’t always work. But it’s always a good idea to put the writing aside for a time and then come back to it. I originally finished the book in June but I read what I had and some parts did not sound right and I was not sure how to fix them so I put the story away for a few weeks or months. I think if something seems exciting a year after I write then I keep it.

When/where is your favorite time/place to write?

I like to write at 3 or 4 p.m. In the morning sometimes I’m not ready to face any bad writing that comes up. I can deal with the possibility that I might write badly too early in the morning.

What genre/s do you enjoy reading in your free time?

Biography, autobiography, graphic novel, and I’m trying to read humorous science fiction novels.

What was the last book you read? What did you like about it?

Actually I will give you two books. One is What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton which is quite interesting and The Man From C.A.M.P. by Victor J. Banis. That later book revolves around this gay secret agent who is trying to improve lives for the gays in the 1960’s when we weren’t treated as well as we are now.

Have you held any interesting jobs while you worked on your books?

Not always but I always meet interesting people.

What hobbies do you have outside of writing?

Swimming, working out, going to theatre performances and movies, going to second hand bookstores in town and especially on small vacations. Also I’d like to try snow skiing.

THANK YOU

Example Pages

See more pages here

PAPERBACK AND EBOOK

Buy Links – Available on KU

Amazon US

Amazon UK

JOEL CRAIG is a nurse by day but actor and writer by night and lives with his musician husband, Donovan Holden. They have been married twice with the second time finally being legal. In addition to Journey to Gaytopia, Joel has also written Welcome To Nursing HELLo, a Graphic Memoir. Joel is also an actor, having appeared in the films, Sideshow and Sordid Lives as well as the web series, What’s My Intention?

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