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ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN VORAKA
Article Published on 20th November 2023 by Gabriel Valor | www.vorakamag.com
JC Compton's new release, "The Strange Story of Stanley Suspect," is the first book of the Transcrypted series, a series featuring all gender-nonconforming main characters from the underworld. Stanley Suspect is not your ordinary paranormal investigator. Living alone in London with his three ghosts, this young transgender man, who hates nothing more than Christmas and carolers, can exorcise a poltergeist or have tea with your deceased relatives, but his life lacks something. Tormented by dreams about his haunted childhood home and a murder that happened there, he is waiting for fortune or a great adventure to come knocking on his door and help him escape his fears – and debts. And it does when a beautiful clockmaker succubus who committed a crime seeks his help. But as they flee to Scotland together and encounter strange and magical creatures, so does Stanley's past catches up to him, and he discovers the crimes committed by him and his father and his dark destiny.
Liar, crook, sweetheart, and always a child at heart, Stanley Suspect is coming out of the transcrypt to take you on a journey to the underworld and his upside-down reality, but can you trust him? Between ghosts, demons, dangerous women, and the trickster fairy folk, you might just want to become the devil's advocate to find your way through the mazes of the mind. Every path leads somewhere, even if not where you expected...
In this new dark Victorian series, JC explores our childhood dreams and nightmares, between fairy tale creatures and monsters, and what is perhaps our greatest fear: that of losing our sanity. Largely inspired by the author’s own experience growing up in a (haunted) old house, this work is for all the adults whose fears were never listened to as children, and who learned to mask them, just like Stanley learned to hide from a world that does not recognize or accept him. It is also an ode to dreams and the magical worlds children believe in, which may not be as imaginary as we think. What if that sound of footsteps on the staircase at night was real? And those dolls on the dresser, did they not just move? What about that rattling sound in the wardrobe? Everyone needs a ghost child friend like Cornelius, and a feather token from the cat-sìth to come to their rescue when in trouble – demonic or angelic! Believe in magic, and you will always find your way, even when all hope seems gone.
In the Transcrypted world, nothing should be taken for granted, and things may not be as they seem, but love and friendship are the lifelines that keep the characters together as they make their way through a world of danger. Fast-paced, spooky, and delightfully humorous, this bone-chilling series will keep you hooked and have you constantly holding your breath!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JC Compton is the French-American author of LGBTQ+ fantasy, dark fantasy, romance, and sci-fi novels. They are the author of the acclaimed Undertakers Inc. paranormal romance series, as well as the Mechaniek dystopian sci-fi series.
Born and raised in a small village on the North coast of France, JC’s childhood was marked by the beauty of the nature around them: the ocean, the forests, and the romance of old stone cities and monuments. They loved nothing more than running barefoot on the beach to the ocean on sunny days and hiding in the warmth of a library with old books on rainy days. The bookshelves of their home were filled with classics of both English and French literature, which JC read over and over, particularly the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Browning, Victor Hugo, Baudelaire, and Zola. But it was a closed, small world, and JC always wanted to go out into the world and meet many different people. Passionate about East Asia and especially Japan, they obtained a degree in East-Asian Studies in Canada, before traveling around the world and finally moving to the USA in 2013.
JC’s literary journey began as a child, writing short stories about magical worlds. As a teenager, they turned them into graphic novels, before returning to written words. They completed their first novel at age 25, a yet unpublished high fantasy saga. They then wrote the opening sequence for Undertakers Inc. the next year, but it remained unfinished for many years. They picked up the story again in 2020 and self-published it in 2021 before being signed by Spectrum Books a few months later. JC’s books were an immediate success, with many bookstores referencing them. Their readers often mention how they were drawn into the stories became emotionally involved with the characters and read the book in one sitting. JC is also known for its very emotional descriptions of nature and its relation to humans.
JC often cites Anne Rice and Tolkien as models, and they love the writings of Stephen King, Anne Bishop, Isaac Asimov, and George Orwell. A good story must be breathtaking make you both laugh and cry with the characters and have a good balance of action and romance without falling into cliches. Their upcoming series, Transcripted, will take readers into the dark world of the human psyche, fairy tales, and our deepest fears.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR JC COMPTON
How did you transition from childhood short stories to published LGBTQ+ fantasy, dark fantasy, romance, and sci-fi novels?
As I grew up, I continued writing, and my stories became longer and longer, until they were full novels. Also, the themes evolved as I became an adult, but the fantasy part remained. I've always wanted to write stories that happened in other worlds.
How did your upbringing in a French coastal village influence your writing?
Growing up in a very isolated place surrounded by the ocean gave me a special relationship with nature. Nature accepts everyone, unlike the world of humans. It frees us humans from a lot of unnecessary concerns of our daily lives in cities and brings us back to essential things, like how simple happiness can be. It also made me very aware of the beauty surrounding me, which is also free of charge. We spend our lives pursuing material things we don't need and sometimes putting aside the essentials benevolently given to us by the Earth.
How have classic authors like Poe, Hugo, and Zola influenced your writing style and themes?
To continue reading the full interview, click here to download the November 2023 Literature special issue XI.
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