Interview with Dickon Springate from Beyond Death Publishing about “Discordant Love Beyond Death,” a para-romance / dark fiction anthology including works from Dickon Springate, Karen Peralta, Dave Higgins, Ben Monroe, A.M.Henle, Shayna Diamond, and Dianne Arrelle.
Describe the anthology, “Discordant Love Beyond Death,” in a few sentences?
DISCORDANT LOVE BEYOND DEATH offers up twenty-two fabulous inspired short stories, by a fresh line-up of authors from around the world, ensuring that there is something for everyone; especially those with a love of the macabre.
What inspired you to compile these great short stories in an anthology?
It was while I was working on my previous anthology, 1816:The Year Without Summer, and I received a couple of stories that were really great, but they didn’t quite fit the brief, yet they were too good to simply pass over or reject, so I reached out to the authors and discussed various ways that they could be used, and through those chats the main idea for the next anthology sprung up.
How did you select the authors and stories to include?
As well the couple that were automatically included from the initial discussions, I put word out through Twitter and Facebook and finally approached several authors whom I have worked with before. All told we filled up the slots quite quickly.
This anthology has a Kick Starter pre-order campaign. For people new to the crowd-funding process, can you tell us about it and why you decided to go that route for the anthology?
As well as being able to present a very polished and user friendly site to allow readers to purchase their advanced copies, it also gave us a chance to do something a little different from the norm, but allowing the audience to really get involved both by having their name included in the rear of the book, but also the chance to have their name immortalized by being used in a story of their choice.
It also afforded us the chance to offer both books and merchandise at a discounted price point.
What are your favorite stories in the anthology?
Now that would be telling. Honestly, as an editor I worked hard with all the authors to ensure that they were all the best versions they could be, so I don’t really have a favourite. I could, however, tell you which one I found the creepiest … I will just say mushrooms and leave it at that.
For people not familiar with dark affection / para-romance, can you describe it for us?
Paranormal Romance, or Para-Romance in a subgenre of romantic fiction that includes elements that defy description, much like ghost stories, horror and dark fiction.
Dark affection is a similar subgenre that deals with very strong emotions, but not always necessarily passionate or romantic, and because many of the stories were neither romantic nor lustful, I felt that the anthology straddled both categories without fitting into either perfectly.
What do you like about the dark affection / para-romance genre?
Featuring stories that danced the line between dark affection and paranormal romance gave us the chance to display really ground breaking and thought provoking tales designed to stop you dead in your tracks, question your previously held preconceptions of what is right and wrong, before allowing you to return and continue reading.
Who do you think would most appreciate this anthology?
This will certainly appeal to horror and dark fiction fans, as well as those who felt books like 50 Shades should have been a whole lot darker, not to mention anyone who wants something different to the usual sickly-sweet Valentine's Day offerings.
Do you have a favorite dark affection / para-romance main character?
Much like favourite stories, I can’t really say who I like the most, but I can say that there are certainly a couple of characters that I would hate to encounter in a darkened alley late at night.
What do you have in mind for your next project?
My next project is a return to my cosmic horror roots, with a collection of imaginative retellings of classic Mexican urban legend origin stories but with a deft Lovecraftian twist added into their backstory or main protagonist.
"Discordant Love Beyond Death" Description:
"Love takes on many forms, as does death, and this anthology features twenty-two stories that dance the line between Dark Affection and Paranormal Romance, where death is not the end but merely the start of some truly original tragedies, tales that will often stop you dead in your tracks, challenging you preconceptions of what is right and wrong, before allowing you to return and continue reading.
DISCORDANT LOVE BEYOND DEATH offers up twenty-two fabulous inspired short stories, by a fresh line-up of authors from around the world, ensuring that there is something for everyone; and with many being on the macabre side, we believe that this anthology makes the perfect alternative gift for those who want something a little different come Valentine's Day."
More Information
Check out the anthology on Kick Starter.
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Visit the Beyond Death Publshing website.
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