A very special welcome back to author V. S. Holmes. Today we’re chatting about Heretics (Stars Edge: Nel Bently 4), an LGBTQ science fiction novel.
Bio:
V. S. Holmes is an international bestselling author. They created the BLOOD OF TITANS series and the NEL BENTLY BOOKS. Smoke and Rain, the first book in their fantasy quartet, won New Apple Literary’s Excellence in Independent Publishing Award in 2015 and a Literary Titan Gold in 2020. Travelers is also included in the Peregrine Moon Lander mission as part of the Writers on the Moon Time Capsule. In addition, they have published short fiction in several anthologies.
As a disabled and non-binary human, they work as an advocate and educator for representation in SFF worlds. When not writing, they work as a contract archaeologist throughout the northeastern U.S. They live in a Tiny House with their spouse, a fellow archaeologist, their not-so-tiny dog, and own too many books for such a small abode.
Welcome back to Reviews and Interviews. Please tell us about your newest release.
Heretics is the fourth of my Stars Edge: Nel Bently Books. The series is campy, snarky science fiction. This adventure brings Nel back home in hopes of saving Earth from the fate that befell the planet she excavated in the previous book–suspicious allies, unassuming enemies, and as always Nel’s foul language and dirty jokes abound!
What inspired you to write this book?
It began as an exploration of complicated humans, and how we explore our own plus a few explosions! When Nel’s dig site becomes the focal point of an intergalactic feud, she’s tossed into a world of high tech and higher stakes. I also wanted to flip the racist ideas behind “ancient aliens” theories on their heads but still mix science fiction and archaeology. All of Nel’s stories explore the ideas about how where we come from impacts where we’re going, and decolonizing archaeology and science.
Heretics follows Nel as she returns to Earth in search of killer sound waves. She discovers she no longer fits in the place that made her. I often explore how our personalities differ from what others and ourselves expect them to be, which is a theme very close to my heart, as a queer person.
What’s the next writing project?
I’ve got a few irons in the fire! The fifth (of six) Nel adventure is well on its way, due out this October. I’m also drafting my next fantasy series, which takes place within my Blood of Titans world, but follows some new and side characters (also featured: a raptor cavalry.) My current side project is a complicated, queer, gothic fantasy that is a dark, sexy, raw thing different from most of what I’ve written to date.
What is your biggest challenge when writing a new book? (or the biggest challenge with this book)
Certainly the biggest for me is getting the middle bits to fall into place. I often know where the protagonist(s) start. and have a nebulous, thematic place I want them to end up–even if I don’t know the details yet. But finding the perfect pieces and how they fit together to link the two is always tough. It’s also the most rewarding though!
If your novels require research – please talk about the process. Do you do the research first and then write, while you’re writing, after the novel is complete and you need to fill in the gaps?
I do a bit of both. If the plot hinges on something, like physics, I’ll do some research as I’m developing that scene–and often have to change stuff around to account for what I learn! If it’s a smaller piece, specific, or more part of the atmosphere and world-building, I’ll write in a filler with an asterisk, and take care of it during revisions. I’ll also do this with characters who I haven’t named yet, or whose ranks I can’t recall. It helps me maintain that flow when I’m in the crucial discovery stages of drafting.
What’s your writing space like? Do you have a particular spot to write where the muse is more active? Please tell us about it.
My work as an archaeologist takes me far afield, so half the time my writing space is at the mercy of the No-Tell Motel deities–and my boss. For those times, my headphones and a good instrumental Spotify or YouTube playlist are my must-haves. When I’m home, however, I’m at my desk, where I have a gaming rig (which also helps with some of the big programs I need as an indie author and podcaster!). My desk is surrounded by art from friends, plants, and dozens of natural curiosities and bones that I’ve collected. Some of my favorites include a mounted vampire bat and an animation cel of Molly Grue from The Last Unicorn–she glares at me whenever I’m running behind on deadlines!
What authors do you enjoy reading within or outside of your genre?
I’m loving Mira Grant and S. T. Gibson currently, and often return to J. A. Pitts and V. E. Schwab when I’m in need of a familiar comfort read. While I do read non-fiction, I haven’t gotten back into reading heavier work since the pandemic. When I do, I’m looking forward to checking out Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs, which has been on my TBR for a few years!
Anything additional you want to share with the readers today?
Something that’s pretty darn cool is that an excerpt of Travelers (which recently became an internationally bestselling LGBTQ Science Fiction in Canada and the U. S.) is headed to the Moon this winter as part of the Writers on the Moon time capsule, which will be delivered to Lacus Mortis via the Peregrine Moon Lander Mission! It’s so incredible to be a part of this mission, and to share that particular piece, where Nel muses on humans being explorers, included. Plus, I think it’s pretty funny that my character who hates space ends up literally going there!
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