What inspired you to write this story ?
I think I was inspired by love and how complicated it can be.
What's the most important thing to you when it comes to writing a complicated story like this ?
When I started writing this story I wanted it to be like an indirect love note to every reader . I wanted it to grab their attention and make them feel emotions that they might have avoided in the past. I believe the most important thing in this story are the relationships that the characters have with each other and the way these relationships make my readers feel.
What are some themes in this story and why did you choose to write about them ?
At first glance , Love Yokai might seem like it's just a Shounen Novel with an outrageous plot but it's more than that. It's about women's rights , equality, love , sacrifice, and power. I chose to write about these themes because I wanted to create something unique and impactful . I didn't want SA to just be there for drama and shock value but instead to give us the chance to talk about how negative SA really is. The Monsters in this story sexually harass people and that's because I deliberately wanted to send the message that Sexual predators are monsters in my book and also in real life. Eros' Pheromones turning women into Zombies is a direct metaphor for men's natural desires that end up killing women.
I love Eros, but this symbolism that's attached to him isn't a reflection of who he is as a person and I make it clear by stating that he has no romantic feelings and he doesn't experience lust therefore the destruction of women caused by his Pheromones might not be his fault and it kinda reminds us of how society makes it seem like women are the problem when they get raped. Yes the story mirrors how women are treated sometimes in our society and the more you read the more you learn about my opinions on SA.
Eros might be redeemable but he's an entity that has been infused with a very poetic pain.
Is Eros good or evil ?
Each reader will have to decide that for themself.
You said the relationships are important to you in this story. What are some qualities that your main characters have that can help relationships thrive?
Enmei has a gentle heart and she admires Hudson and Eros. I think her personality can really help relationships to thrive and help their society as well.
Is Love Yokai a fantasy or romance ?
It's a Shounen and Fantasy Novel with an identity crisis, struggling to become a Romance , becoming unsure along the way and finally finding peace within itself .
( I'm sorry for answering the question using personification on my book I just felt like readers would like it better like this )
Who likes who ?
Eros likes Himself .....maybe
Which character do you love writing about the most ?
Eros . I really like the way he speaks and his mannerisms.
Hudson keeps calling Eros Space Face or Space Case and Eros calls him Starboy. How did you come up with these nicknames and why does Eros Call Hudson Starboy ?
Eros' first 'devoid of beauty ' mask was shaped like the planet Saturn with its rings and so Space Face kinda stuck. It also has a nice ring to it. As for Space Case it's basically the same thing but with implications that Eros is hard to deal with or attracts a lot of drama.
Eros calls Hudson ' Starboy ' in a mocking and insulting way because in the past Hudson wanted to join his band and become a star but Eros thought he was talentless and bullied him for his ambition.
What stands out about the women in your book ?
Their ability to forgive , their ambition and how dedicated they are to whatever cause they believe in.
How do you stay grinding as an independent Author ?
My characters are so hot that I couldnt keep them to myself so I decided to market. I have no contract , no team but a whole lot of passion and faith. If this story touched you in any way I'd be grateful for your support. My first 100 supporters will get a digital gift.
Which character would be the worst roommate ?
Eros. He'd go through your stuff at 2am , burn your diary because it reveals too many "inferior feelings " then act like you're the problem when you tell him to go back to his planet.
How do you keep writing this book while being homeless and not able to afford your basic needs ?
I have written 25 chapters in this book and that's a lot to write while trying to be safe and sitting on the side of the road but I never gave up and I hope my readers will be kind enough to donate to me. My cashapp is $blockednormal.
Who's most likely to cry over a cartoon ?
Orion. He'd either remember his sister back home or envy the cartoon characters because they are not in an apocalypse
Who's most likely to have beef with a friend over being left on read ?
Definitely Cole. He'd always texts Elias to meet up and instead of replying Elias would just leave the house to meet him. Cole would probably bring it up in every arguement they have though.
If you put your characters into a groupchat what would happen ?
Elias would be the one to start the groupchat
Cole would send a picture of him and Elias at an arcade one day when they both skipped school and said they were sick.
Jackson would call them out on their lies
Hudson would probably say something about science and some kinda fantasy film turning the groupchat into a studygroup or movie trip planning
Jarett would join Hudson to talk about science
Eros would probably start typing something then just leave the group and block them all instead
Enmei would join Hudson in discussing science topics and argue with him about still being friends with Eros
Venus would probably piss off Enmei just by being in the group
Alto would definitely become friends with Jackson
Hotaru would ask Venus questions about what it's like being an Alien
Orion would either get sad talking to Hotaru because of his sister being back on their home planet or he'd be happy to talk to her because she reminds him of his sister
What's the aesthetic of this story and what would it look like as a pinterest board.
Since they are in college I guess it's varsity jackets , a college campus , red plastic cups at parties , lab coats for science class , guitars for their band and supernatural monsters. I guess the visuals are like college life meets apocalypse and cool superpowers.
Girls like Eros but somehow they hate liking him ....? There are alot of conflicted emotions in this book. Can you explain why this happens without spoiling the story ?
In this novel Eros is an attractive young man who would be loved whether he has supernatural charm or not but his supernatural charm causes obsession and it makes girls become mesmerized by him. We've all had that crush that we like so much it gets in the way of our goals and distracts us from everything else. Liking Eros is like that but worse because he doesn't like anyone back but he doesn't always reject them instead he takes their energy and becomes stronger so liking him isn't easy and it's actually very dangerous.
Most girls hate liking him because they know he doesn't have romantic feelings but they can't stop no matter how they try so after a while it feels like they like him against their own will and it feels painful....
The game is called Drop Dead or Love. How did you come up with this concept of a game forcing a deviant Cupid to fall in love for the sake of the universe ?
I wanted a shounen with a hero who had big emotions that didn't distract from the action. I wanted his emotions to draw in the readers without making it a drama so I created Hudson who felt everything and Eros who felt nothing.
People say shounen isn't about romance but I wanted love to play a big part in my story without it being a romance so I made Eros a Cupid who can't fall in love who also hates the idea of love but I also made a deadly game about Love and made Love his oppressor . This way it's about love even if it really isn't a romance.
I wanted to make his love life a constant mystery or plot point because shounen often avoids the Main Characters feelings unless it's a crush that he's chasing after who doesn't feel the same way and so I flipped that. Eros doesn't chase he attracts ....literally.
He's a strong , proud cupid man who is determined to show the world his strenght NOT his heart.
Q and A Complete. That's all for now ....Welcome to Eros' Freaky friend group