C. M. Alongi is a sci-fi/fantasy author from Minnesota, and has written CITADEL (out June 20th) and the BLACKWING novella series (4 installments out now). She's also the creator of the TikTok video series CaFae Latte.
What got you into writing your own stories? No idea. I've been doing this for as long as I can remember. Insanity, maybe?
What genre do you write?
Fantasy & Science Fiction
How would you describe your writing style?
Very character-driven, with bittersweet optimism. I do believe that there is good in the world, and that it's worth fighting for (thank you Samwise Gamgee). But there's a high cost to get it. And there's also a big gray soup between good and evil.
What comes more easily, plot or characters?
Characters, definitely.
Do you cross over genres or do you only stick to one?
I cross over all the time. It's probably giving my literary agents an aneurysm, since it's not a smart marketing move. But I write what I like, and I have ecliptic likes.
What is your "writer's den" like?
A single desk shoved into the back corner of my apartment.
How do you get into the flow for writing? Do you have any rituals?
Nope. I put on some music (usually try to match the aesthetic of whatever I'm writing) and then crank out as many words as I can in whatever time I have.
What is your personally most significant achievement as a writer, and why? At the moment, probably my CaFae Latte series on TikTok. It's a video series about a café run by fairies, and I get numerous comments every day about how it brightens people's moods, helps them see themselves in fiction (especially the queer and/or autistic crowd), and makes them laugh. One episode included a character who helped an autistic character who had gone nonverbal due to trauma involving a vampire ex-boyfriend (long story), and I got an email from a fan who had used that method to help their autistic brother out of a similar nonverbal episode. That just warmed my heart.
What would be the greatest achievement for you to aim for as a writer if anything were possible? Almost all of my stories have themes of diversity and feminism, so if it made people in the real world more open-minded about those things, THAT would be awesome.
What are you most grateful for as a writer? The fans who are making it possible for me to do this full-time, rather than having to work part-time at a deli. (I am SO CLOSE to being able to quit.)
Do you have a day job? What is it? Working food service at an Italian deli. In terms of jobs, I could do much worse, and it's a healthy environment with a lot of great coworkers. But, ya know...food service.
Has a real-life experience informed your writing? Share the scene it inspired. Obviously my food service experience directly impacts some of my CaFae Latte videos (although I have thankfully been spared having to deal with real-life Karens). More personally, I am a queer Buddhist woman, with two autistic cousins, two queer roommates, and several friends of color. My characters reflect that.
Do you read the same genre you write? Why, or why not? Yes and no. I read EVERYTHING. While fantasy and sci-fi take up most of my bookshelf, I also have a good number of literary classics, mysteries, and non-fiction.
Pro tip: switching up genres helps stave off reading slumps and book hangovers.
Do you read fellow indie authors' works? Why or why not? I tend to read whatever crosses my path, which sometimes includes indie authors. I honestly don't know many off the top of my head, thanks to self-publishing getting so much better, almost indistinguishable from traditional publishing to the common reader.
Is there an author who inspires you? Rick Riordan was a big influence in terms of keeping my interest in Greek Mythology, as well as how he handles character dynamics. And George R. R. Martin taught me how to ruthlessly murder my characters.
Give us three fun facts about yourself.
I got a black belt when I was thirteen.
I'm a dog-lover living with cats.
Bullet journaling is the only thing keeping my life organized.
What's one of your funniest experiences? My mother is a New York Times Bestselling author, and so is used to fans gravitating toward her in things like book conventions. Well this year we both went to MarsCon (a local sci-fi/fantasy con here in the Twin Cities), and thanks to CaFae Latte, everyone gravitated toward ME. It was hilarious.
What is something about you that few people know? I'm aromantic asexual. It's not that I hide it, it just doesn't come up often. This is a queer identity, and basically means I do not experience romantic or sexual attraction. Marriage has always been a "meh, maybe" for me, kids an absolute no-no, and this is probably a big reason why. I'm gonna be that old spinster lady who lives in a tiny house with a dozen dogs, and I can't wait.
Do you have any hobbies? Knitting, crocheting, reading, and walking.
What's your favorite holiday?
Halloween, although Christmas is a very close second.
What's your favorite season?
Spooktober!
Do you have pets?
Technically, no. My parents have a dog, and my two roommates each have a cat, and those cats hate my furniture. (And yet one of those cats always cuddles up to ME when I'm trying to get work done rather than either of them. Don't know how that happened, but here we are.)
Featured Book: To Kill a Necromancer
In a world of greed, gods, and monsters, paladins are chosen to do what no mortal human can. Granted divine attributes of their chosen deity, they protect the broken fragments of human civilization from any and all threats. Often from necromancers, those born with the ability to speak with and raise the dead. Such a power inevitably corrupts and turns each and every necromancer evil. Why would you like to feature this book?
TO KILL A NECROMANCER is the first of my epic fantasy novella series, where a paladin and a necromancer are forced to work together to save the world, which is largely inspired by Ancient Greece and Rome. Think Diablo II + Dungeons and Dragons + LGBTQ+ characters.
"Loved this book!!! So glad I bought book 2 already The world she made and the characters in it vibrant and fully fleshed out. Yes I called in sick to read this and the second book today."
Who was your favorite character to write and why? Both Jinua and Ontiku are fun to write in their own way. Jinua is one of those "I do what I want, deal with it" badasses. She goes against an entire army of zombies and comes out on top. But she's young and naive, so she does and says dumb things, too. Ontiku is her sassy, jaded, sarcastic counterpart, so his dialogue is always a joy.
What was your favorite scene to write and why? Probably the part where the evil necromancer sends her entire army of zombies after Jinua, and she tricks them into going into a barn so they can set it on fire.
What was the spark that started this book? Playing Diablo II with my brother while stuck with Covid. (I was fine; it was just a cold.) In Diablo, you can play one of a variety of characters, such as sorceress, druid, amazon, etc. Two of the options are necromancer and paladin, who each have very different powers and personalities, and I though, "Heh. Wouldn't it be funny if the necromancer and paladin were forced to work together to fight off the forces of evil and defeat Diablo?"
The possible fanfic idea turned into character notes which then turned into thirty pages of worldbuilding notes, and I kinda had to write it out from there.
What's the message you worked into this book?
Be true to yourself, and oppressors love rewriting history to suit their own needs.
Find out more about the author and her writing here.
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