BooksChatter: ℚ Lovesick Titans: Lovesick [2]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Amanda Meuwissen to talk about Lovesick Titans (26 April 2018, Amanda Meuwissen, 366 pages), a Superhero Gay Romance, book two in the Lovesick series.

“Overall, this book took everything that had been building up in the first book, made it all explode in the characters' faces, but then wrapped everything up in a satisfying way and left me with a warm, happy feeling. This was a story of mental illness, superpowers, friends, family, and love, and I'm really glad I read it!” -Kristen Burns (Read full review)

Teaser: KCR Preview || The Series || Author Q&A || About the Author || Giveaway & Tour Stops ||

A very warm welcome to Amanda Meuwissen; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

What was the inspiration for Lovesick Titans ?

"This book was initially inspired by The Flash and Captain Cold of DC Comics, specifically their depictions in the CW TV universe, but also because their dynamic in the comics is one of my favorites between nemeses. Beyond that kick-off point, however, the depth of character and themes of the plot are based closer to home on my own experiences with bipolar depression and trauma recovery. I’m a geek with a lot of heart, and I love to share love stories that prove we can overcome anything."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"The journey that the superhero protagonist Danny or ‘Zeus’ goes through is very personal for me, as well as his supportive network of friends and family. I think I have a lot in common with both protagonists in this story (Mal or ‘Prometheus’ being the second and nemesis character) but neither of them is completely me."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for Lovesick Titans - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"This is actually very exciting for me because the artist, Veronika Dolnikova, had been a reader of mine who I admired for her art and asked if she’d be willing to work with me on the character images for both books in this series. Then my cover designer, Mario Hernandez, who has done all my books so far, did the rest.

Since it is a two-book series with two equal protagonists, each book sports a different character and theme befitting them.

So book 1, Lovesick Gods, is Danny in costume with lightning all around to represent his abilities, with a tragedy mask on the back cover.

Book 2, Lovesick Titans, has Mal in costume with ice all around and a comedy mask on the back. The series focuses a lot on inverted expectations. In this case, the ‘hero’ isn’t always heroic and is actually experiencing severe depression (tragedy), while the ‘villain’ has more heart than expected and ends up more the hero (comedy).

It was fun to play with this idea, and the way both artists brought the work together made for a fantastic pair of matching covers."

Why should we read Lovesick Titans and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book series unique?

"There aren’t many novels with a superhero/villain setting. People tend to think it’s resigned to comics (which I also love), but that doesn’t have to be true. Everything found in sci-fi or fantasy also fits the superhero genre, so if you like those things, you’ll enjoy this as well. It also does what all good sci-fi and fantasy stories should—puts a lens on the human condition, in this case, exploring how people can recover from hitting rock bottom, how we sabotage ourselves but can always come back, and how love can be found in unlikely places. It’s also smoking hot for the love scenes, for those who enjoy that."

Can you tell us something quirky about Lovesick Titans, its story and characters?

"I probably spent more time trying to decide on the superhero/villain names than anything, and eventually landed on a Greek theme, which led me to call the setting Atlas City. The idea being that the first big villain of the city called himself Thanatos, so the first real hero dubbed himself Zeus to inspire hope in contrast, and others continued to follow that example as an unwritten rule. The abilities were key to the characters, so I knew lightning and ice were it for my protagonists, making it easier once I chose Greek gods, but Prometheus was admittedly tough to settle on. Why is he ice, you might ask? Because the mythic character stole fire from the gods, a notorious thief. It fit Mal’s character all too well."

Who would you recommend Lovesick Titans to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"This is adult for sure with some heavy themes of depression, talk of suicide, past child abuse, death of loved ones, violence, and sexual encounters, including one that could be very triggering for some as it starts off non-consensual because a character is not in his right mind until he realizes what he is doing and then corrects himself and tries to make up for it. I have been told it is handled beautifully and is very important to the plot, but it does deserve mention. What I’ve heard most from readers though is exactly what I felt while writing this series—how therapeutic it can be for anyone who has experienced such things, seeing several characters come back from being in very dark places."

If you could / wished to turn Lovesick Titans and the Lovesick series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"I envisioned Mal’s actor first and landed on Daniel Henney, which some people might be familiar with as the voice of the older brother Tadashi in Big Hero 6. He is also an accomplished live action actor and fits my vision of the character well. He’s the right age of mid-30s, Korean-American, tall, and gorgeous. He also has a knack for giving a brilliant, endearing smile while also being able to play cold and villainous, which is important for both leads, since duality and moral ambiguity is a recurring theme.

For Danny, I keep coming back to Domhnall Gleeson, who people will remember most recently as General Hux in the newer Star Wars movies. He’s a few years younger than Henney, which is important, but about the same height, and while Irish, he can do an American accent flawlessly. He’s a natural redhead, which I wanted, and just like Henney again, he can play both a loveable heroic character and a cruel rogue with the flip of a switch—which at times is exactly how the story plays out.

I adore making full dream casts and definitely need to consider who I’d want to play the other characters as well."

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"I always assumed I would stick to urban fantasy, maybe dabble in high fantasy and sci-fi, because that’s what I enjoy consuming as a reader and viewer, but I surprised myself last year by completing and submitting to my publisher a straight-up contemporary romance and loved it. I have another in the works for the future as well. So, while I usually veer toward the fantastical, I might do more contemporary in the future, though it will always be m/m romance at its core."

What is your writing process?

"I write every day, on one thing or another. When starting a new novel, I usually get a concept and characters forming in my head first and then just start writing notes, maybe the abstract of the base storyline, titbits on the characters and their backstories, and go from there. As I move forward, I might skip ahead and write a future scene with just dialogue, and then go back and flush things out that lead up to that conversation, but I am always, ALWAYS taking notes as the full story develops in my mind. If I go more than a day without writing something though, I go a little mad."

What is in store next?

"My next book is the contemporary romance I mentioned, A Model Escort, which I jokingly say is a bit of an m/m Pretty Woman, though the twist is that the protagonist hires an escort for companionship, not sex. I also am moving forward with my publisher on an urban fantasy title, Coming Up for Air, about a mermaid saving a drowning thief and stepping out of the water to woo him. While those are in the publishing phase, I’m working on writing my next two titles, another urban fantasy somewhat superhero story like the Lovesick Series, and another contemporary romance about a retired dance choreographer finding love with his young neighbour after moving to the beach to heal from hip surgery. So, I am all over the map and always working on something, with at least one new published title a year."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"I have a ten-year-old cat, Helga Von Puff-n-Stuff. I wish I could claim her name, but the vet tech who saved her as a rescue kitty named her, I just couldn’t change it once I heard it. She’s a bit of a terror, but I love her dearly. I’m actually writing a cat into one of my upcoming novels based on her look and personality. She is a character, that’s for sure."

Hello beautiful Helga! Love your name :-) Lots of head scratches and belly rubs to you! Amanda, thank you for sharing her with us :-)

Lovesick Titans concludes a hero & villain's dark love story and the indistinct lines between good, evil, and sanity. Sometimes not even a Titan can stand up to a God.