Today I am so pleased to welcome Steven D. Brewer to Joyfully Jay. Steven has come to talk to us about his latest release, Rewriting the Rules. He has also brought along a great giveaway. Please join me in giving him a big welcome!
Humorous, Friendly Adventure Continues
Some authors write to challenge their audiences or get across some important point with their stories. OK. I’ll admit that that the majority of my stories offer a particular cultural bias (gay AF). But, I mostly write to have fun. And I want my readers to have fun too.
Rewriting the Rules is the final novelette of Revin’s Heart, my steampunky fantasy adventure with pirates and airships and a trans protagonist, available on June 23 from Water Dragon Publishing. It’s an adventure story about a young man whose life gets derailed and he ends up choosing to go off with pirates.
When I first conceived of the story, I had recently reread Treasure Island and was idly wondering what would have happened if Jim had gone off with Long John Silver, rather than returning with the respectable folks. The similarities really end there. But that was the genesis of my thinking. Why does the adventure have to stop?
I was really happy when I got a review for one of the earlier Revin’s Heart novelettes where they said:
Humorous, friendly adventure continues in the sixth installment of Steven Brewer’s Revin’s Heart tales, this one titled Then They Fight You.
[…]
Revin’s three (three!) romantic interests (two female and one male, if you’re interested) all feature in the story, and part of what I mean when I say friendly adventure—and part of what I love about Steven Brewer’s stories—is that their interactions are, well… friendly. Mainly. There are some moments 😉
It’s true that there are some moments of fear, darkness, and terror. But, on the whole, the majority of the story is about the strong bonds that Revin forms with the other characters in the story.
Revin has great mentors: a male-male couple, one of whom — the pirate captain — came from humble beginnings and the other — his first mate — is from the aristocracy. Each both offer Revin complete acceptance plus invaluable advice, support, and guidance. (To learn how they meet, I’ve written a side story, Where There’s a Will There’s a Way, that will appear in the Revin’s Heart collection in January, 2024.)
Revin’s romantic interests, similarly, cut across social boundaries, leaving him to navigate complex social differences and cultural practices. But, other than a few missteps and hiccups, Revin forms powerful bonds with his romantic partners and it all just works out. But how it works out may surprise people. And, to really see how it plays out, you’ll have to wait for the follow-on novella Devishire!
Finally, Revin, who grew up under truly oppressive conditions discovers the father figure he never knew he needed. As he transitioned, he was forced to break with his family who treated girls as chattel to be married off for financial advantage. And, when and where he least expects it, he discovers acknowledgment, acceptance, and love.
Recently, after hearing me read, someone told me that it’s obvious I love my own writing. And I do. I love the feels and I hope the emotions resonate with my readers: respect, friendship, and powerful bonds of love.
Blurb
When peace is no longer possible, one must either go to war or run away.
Abandoned by the nobility, everything goes wrong for Revin and he makes a run for it, ready to give up all hope. But when confronted with the choice he must make, will his heart lead him true?
Warnings: violence.
Series Blurb:
Revin, a young man from a poor mining town, has pulled himself up by his bootstraps to become the student apprentice of a law professor. But then, everything goes wrong: their airship is captured by pirates and Revin loses his mentor. Born female, Revin must make his way in a world oriented toward men while he struggles with his own identity.
Set against the backdrop of a war between island nations, Revin must navigate a world divided between the aristocracy and the common people. And, as a promising young man, he must choose whom to align himself with — and to serve. But what does Revin’s Heart say?
Universal Buy Link: https://waterdragonpublishing.com/product/rewriting-the-rules/
Bio
Steven D. Brewer has been a fan of science fiction and fantasy stories for as long as he can remember. He still remembers getting scolded for not reading chapter books in fourth grade because he was avidly consuming the Hobbit, late at night, by flashlight under his covers. And he probably got his copy from his older brother and most important mentor.
As an author, Brewer identifies diverse obsessions that underlie his writing. His early interest in natural history, life science, and environmentalism he learned from his father, an ecologist and ornithologist. He attributes seeing his mother study German for his abiding passion for languages that led him to major in Spanish (as well as Biology) and subsequently learn Esperanto and use it for international correspondence and travel. His fascination with Japanese culture grew from writing haiku and haibun in Esperanto. And his mania for information technology and the Internet led him back to graduate school where he earned a Masters in Earth Science and a PhD in Science Education.
His scattered interests led to an eclectic employment history. He did farm work and food service growing up in southwest Michigan. He has worked as a large-animal caretaker, an archeological faunal analyst, a hunter of the fastest lizards in the world, a gas-station attendant, a bilingual teacher’s aide for a migrant-worker education program, and an edutainer with live animals and a portable planetarium. For the past quarter century he has served as a non-tenure-system faculty member in higher education.
Brewer currently teaches scientific writing at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He lives in Amherst, Massachusetts with his extended family.
- Author Website: https://stevendbrewer.com/
- Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/limako
- Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/author.sdbrewer
- Author Mastodon: https://wandering.shop/@stevendbrewer
- Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7883389.Steven_D_Brewer
- Author Liminal Fiction (LimFic.com): https://www.limfic.com/mbm-book-author/steven-d-brewer/
- Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Steven-D.-Brewer/author/B00EEIA8MO
Giveaway
Steven is giving away a $10 Water Dragon Publishing gift card with this tour:
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- Void where prohibited by law.
