EditorLiz Fitzgerald Interviews Caleb James, the author of HAFFLING
Liz:  Tostart, your real name isn't Caleb James, it's Charles Atkins, why did youdecide to use a pen name?
Caleb:  Yes,totally true.  The major reason for goingwith a pen name is that HAFFLING is in a different genre from all my otherbooks.  It's YA−although definitely foradults, as well.  But I don't wantsomeone who really likes HAFFLING to reach for one of my dark psychologicalthrillers, like THE PRODIGY or CADAVER'S BALL and be disappointed, because theyare nothing like HAFFLING.   Liz: So, how many pen names do you use?
Caleb:  Atpresent I write under three names. Charles Atkins, which I use for adult mysteries and thrillers, CharlesAtkins, MD, which I use for my medical and clinical books, like THE BIPOLARDISORDER ANSWER BOOK, and now Caleb James for YA.  I've also ghost written where my name doesn'tappear at all.
Liz:  On toHAFFLING.  Have you thought about writinga prequel?  And what do you think aboutprequels?
Caleb:  Notbefore you asked, but it's an interesting question.  In general, writers need to know a lot abouttheir characters' histories so in a sense a prequel for Alex, Alice and theirmother already exists.  It's the story ofhow things fell apart for this family. It would be Marilyn's first trip to the Unsee, her seduction by Cedricand the horrible circumstances that drew Alex and Alice into the McGuire'shouse of horrors.  It would also lay downthe origins of Alex's fairy, Nimby and why Marilyn and the Nevus family are soimportant to the scheming of mad Queen May.
Liz: It sounds like a pretty dark story.
Caleb: Yes, but Alex is a hero in the true sense.  He saves his sister, kills the man whomolested her and is responsible for bringing to light decades ofwrongdoing.  So while dark, thisunwritten prequel contains the story arc of a pretty good novel.  Even the side themes of this much-youngerAlex figuring out how to reunite his family and coming to terms with being gay...andto having an annoying bare-breasted fairy on his shoulder.
Liz: I love that about Alex and HAFFLING, yes, he'sgay, but it's not exclusively a gay novel.
Caleb: Right, and that's the way I wanted it.  Like in the beginning where Alex is layingdown the crap-fest that's his life.  Hisbeing gay is just a part of who he is, and frankly the thought of having timefor a romance doesn't even register.
Liz: Clearly that doesn't last long.  I love the way the relationship between Alexand Jerod comes about, and how you stretched things to where we don't even geta kiss till halfway through the novel.
Caleb: Timing romantic storylines requiresfinesse.  You never want to make thingstoo easy for your lovers, because it's the tension−Does he like me?  Is he even gay?−that keeps the reader turningthe pages.  Obviously there are lots ofways to do this, such as boy gets boy, boy loses boy through some conflict ormisunderstanding, and boy gets boy again through the resolution of the conflictor misunderstanding.
Liz: So when's the next one coming out?
Caleb: The sequel is currently swimming in my head,but Charles Atkins, MD and Charles Atkins each have a book to get back to theirrespective publishers, so the sequel to HAFFLING, which has the working titleof EXILE, will likely have to wait till the winter.
Liz: Any hints what it will be about?

Caleb: Hmmm. I hate to talk about things not yet written, it's the one place I have abit of superstition about writing, that if you talk about things they losetheir momentum and their juice.  But I'llgive you this, just as HAFFLING speaks to the magic of love, so too will EXILEtake the reader through a journey about the absolute transformative power oflove.
HAFFLING is available as both an e-book and paperback.
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