Ok, enough of my gushing. Let's hear from Jana.
When
I started Kept Tears I knew from the
earliest moments where it would be set, even before I knew Rhys would be fae (I
always knew Aaron would be a disabled veteran). For me, setting is pretty
important. I travel a lot and I’ve lived all over. I like to put my travels
into my stories. My short story Haunted
in the Two Tickets to Paradise
anthology was based on my travels in Victoria on Vancouver Island and Crisis in Faith, my Vampires in Vegas
story is set in a city I find fascinating and over the top. For Kept Tears, I decided on Pittsburgh, PA,
and it’s a natural for me. Not only is it an iconic city in its own right, but,
like Aaron, I grew up within twenty-five miles from down town.
Pittsburgh
is a fun city and I go there often both in person and in fiction. Kept Tears isn’t the only work I set
there. My 1930’s demon hunters in the novella The Darkest Midnight in December is also set in Pittsburgh. In Aaron and Rhys’s story, I wanted to help
support some ‘hometown’ businesses, like the Church Brew Works, that Aaron and
Rhys go to on their first date. In fact almost all of the restaurants mentioned
are real as are most of the places they go to on their dates. Primanti Brothers
is one of favorite sandwich places and it’s one of those places a lot of non-Pittsburghers
have heard of.
Much
of Kept Tears is set on Pitt’s
sprawling urban campus, and there is a lot of character there, especially if
you consider the art deco beauty of the Cathedral of Learning and its
nationality rooms. The medieval-looking Commons appeals to Aaron’s geeky sense
of history and Renn fair cosplay. Aaron’s life is dominated by being a grad
student at Pitt, so its campus plays a real role in Aaron’s life.
In
polar opposites, there is Rhys’s homeland, the fae realms. This allowed my
imagination to run free. It’s a magical place, so I could do nearly anything
with it. I borrowed from existing lore and went from there. It was also
interesting to contrast Rhys’s perception of his home and Aaron’s when he first
gets to lay eyes on a world he could never have imagined existed.
Excerpt - “I had no idea the
nationality rooms in the Cathedral of Learning were so beautiful,” Rhys said as
Aaron led him back to what he called the Commons. It looked more Gothic and
medieval than castles Rhys had been in. Last week, he had been afraid that
Aaron might bolt when Rhys suggested the young man come to his house. That
adventure had gone better than Rhys expected, and he was content to let Aaron
chose more neutral grounds, like the Cathedral, until he was ready for a more
intimate setting. “I’m glad you suggested having a look around.”
“Pitt has some
really unique things. The Cathedral is one of them, and so many people don’t
even know the rooms exist. What was your favorite part?” Aaron’s eyes gleamed
as they headed into the Commons. Their footfalls echoed in the vaulted room.
Most of the wooden tables and chairs were empty.
“Other than this,
where I feel like I should be running around in armor, the Chinese Room. The
ceiling is incredible.” Rhys took Aaron’s hand, thrilled he let him. What he
wanted to do was lead the young man out of the building to somewhere more
secluded. He wondered if there was a chance he could talk Aaron into letting
his hair grow a little longer. The dark-walnut hue was alluring but, while it
wasn’t the Marine high-and-tight style, it was short, which didn’t allow for
the natural wave—what little Rhys could see of it—to do much. He considered the
possibility the hairstyle had less to do with previous military affiliations and
more to do with being difficult for Aaron to deal with if he let it get a
little longer and more stylish.
“Yes, it is. I
have to admit, I like that better than the room my cultural ancestors made, not
that the Italian Room is ugly by any means.”
“Not at all,”
Rhys replied as Aaron looked back over his shoulder intently. Rhys glanced in
that direction but didn’t see anything other than a few students meandering
through. “Something wrong?”
Aaron shook his
head. “Thought I saw someone I knew, a photographer friend, but I must have
been mistaken.
“Ah. Want to go
get some dinner?” Rhys caught Aaron’s good arm, pulling him to a halt behind
the thick stone column. Resting against the column, Rhys scoped out the main
hall. From here, it was as if they were alone in the king’s castle, and Rhys
knew something about king’s castles.
“Yes, but why do
I think you have something else in mind?” Aaron asked as Rhys tugged him
closer.
“Because
you are an intelligent man.”
Buy
it here - Ebook - http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4658
Author
Bio - Jana Denardo's career choices and wanderlust take her all
over the United States and beyond. Much of her travels make their way into her
stories. Fantasy, science fiction, and mystery have been her favorite genres
since she started reading, and they often flavor her works. In her secret
identity, she works with the science of life and gives college students
nightmares. When she’s not chained to her computer writing, she functions as
stray cat magnet.
Jana is Queen of the Geeks (her students voted her in) and her home and office are shrines to any number of comic book and manga heroes along with SF shows and movies too numerous to count. It is no coincidence the love of all things geeky has made its way into many of her stories. To this day, she’s still disappointed she hasn’t found a wardrobe to another realm, a superhero to take her flying among the clouds, or a roguish starship captain to run off to the stars with her.
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