Deadendia | Author Interview | Book Tour

I’m so excited to be a part of the book tour for Deadendia that is hosted by TBR and Beyond Tours. I was really excited to also be able to interview the author for this book!

INTERVIEW

How would you describe Deadendia in one sentence?

Comedy-horror about a group of friends working in a theme park built on a portal to hell. 

Can you introduce us to the main character(s) of Deadendia?

Barney is a trans, wrestling-obsessed optimist who ran away from home to live in a theme park. Norma is his deadpan best friend whose been working at the park long enough to be completely unfazed by ghosts and goblins. Barney’s dog Pugsley gets possessed by an ancient demon king and gains magical powers, but also a lot of responsibility. And Courtney is a demon working for the angel’s as an ambassador on Earth, but has a dark past even they don’t remember. 

Do you know from the beginning how your books will end or do you let your characters decide their journey?

I’m someone who can’t really start writing anything unless I know what the ending will be. To me, the ending is the author’s statement – what has this all been about? That said, sometimes when I eventually get to the ending, the characters have changed and I’ll need to make slight adjustments to give them the ending they really deserve. 

Do you have a favorite scene, moment, or quote from the book?

Avoiding spoilers details, I think my favourite scene is when Barney discovers the identity of the Watcher. It’s always fun watching seeds you’ve sowed pay off, and most people I’ve talked to haven’t seen it coming. 

What is something readers will find in Deadendia that they may not realize based on the
synopsis?

The story starts off as a series of monster-of-the-week adventures, like you’re reading season one of a tv show. But before long, our characters will be swept up in a cosmic war between angels and demons. It always remains a comedy, but the stakes become huge.

What’s something you hope readers will take away from Deadendia?

I’ve always wanted to represent people who don’t often get to be the main character of a big, fantasy adventure. I hope readers know that anybody can be the hero. And if they feel lonely, there’s entire worlds of people out there who know exactly how they feel.

What are three books you would recommend if someone enjoyed Deadendia?

GeGeGe no Kitaro by Shigeru Mizuki, a series of manga about friendly Yokai (Japanese ghosts).

Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann and Kerascoet is very dark but also very funny, probably my favourite graphic novel. 

The Backstagers by James Tynion IV and Ryan Sygh, just as queer and spooky as DeadEndia, but set in the world of high school drama clubs.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Synopsis:

Barney and his best friend Norma are just trying to get by and keep their jobs, but working at the Dead End theme park also means battling demonic forces, time traveling wizards, and scariest of all–their love lives!

Follow the lives of this diverse group of employees of a haunted house, which may or may not also serve as a portal to hell, in this hilarious and moving graphic novel, complete with talking pugs, vengeful ghosts and LBGTQIA love!

Synopsis:

In the second installment of this quirky, heartfelt, LGBTQ adventure comic, war is brewing across the thirteen planes and as always, haunted house attraction and portal to hell Dead End is right at the center of it.

It’s been weeks since Dead End was destroyed and as it reopens as a hotel, resident tour guide turned hotel manager Norma is determined to leave the ghosts of the past where they belong. But with her friendship with Barney up in the air and angels and demons using the hotel as their literal wrestling ring, Norma soon finds that unwanted ghosts can appear at any moment, especially when they’re your own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR