Guest post written by Redneck Revenant author David R. Slayton
David R. Slayton grew up in Guthrie, Oklahoma, where finding fantasy novels was pretty challenging and finding fantasy novels with diverse characters was downright impossible. Now he lives in Denver, CO, and writes the books he always wanted to read. His epic fantasy, Dark Moon, Shallow Sea, won the Colorado Book Award. In 2015, David founded Trick or Read, an initiative to give out books along with candy to children on Halloween as well as uplift lesser-known authors or those from marginalized backgrounds. David is a regular speaker and panelist at fan cons and writing conferences. Find him online at www.DavidRSlayton.com.
About Redneck Revenant: From bestselling author David R. Slayton, Redneck Revenant is an exciting new chapter in the Adam Binder series.
Welcome to Midnight Radio! We’re talking to everyone’s favorite White Trash Warlock tonight, Adam Lee Binder, and taking questions from the Internet. We’ve chosen thirteen questions from the responses listeners sent in, so let’s get started.
- Lisa from Kansas City asks: Who was your first magic teacher, and how did they influence your practice?
My great aunt Sue taught me a little when I was a kid, whenever I’d see her around the holidays or at family picnics. She tried to tell me whatever she could, but I honestly didn’t get it until later. I think that’s partly why my mom never let me spend too much time alone with her. So, really, it was Perak, when I went to Liberty House and the first time I truly spirit walked. He taught how to ward myself and control my Sight as well as how to talk to magical creatures and which rules of etiquette to obey.
- Bryan from Orlando, FL asks: What has been your favorite part of your journey thus far?
Vic, and getting to know him. He surprises me all the time, and I love that. We’ve taken our time getting to this point, and I’m ready for the next phase, the next part of being together. We’ve both had to shift a lot and I think that’s been healthy.
- Arwen from Oregon asks: What therapeutic technique has been most helpful when dealing with the trauma of :::waves around:::?
I try to start my day by focusing on something, usually a single tarot card. I look at it and try to consider its meaning, or lesson. I’ll also ponder what it means in reverse. Okay, that and cutting back on the coffee, because Vic says I get twitchy. It’s a balance I’m not always good at, staying connected but knowing when to take breaks. Sometimes, you just gotta crack open a book and go somewhere else for awhile.
- We combined these two questions because they felt they overlapped a lot! Rosie from Oregon asks: I’d love to hear more about your music preferences, Adam. What’s on your deserted island playlist? And Robby from Sacramento asks: Can you describe his perfect music festival lineup?
Good questions, and yeah, they definitely probably match. While I love metalcore bands like Crown the Empire and Bad Omens, I listen to a lot of stuff lately, like Jake Blount. You can probably blame Vic. I’ve been really into Maxwell Luke and Stevie Howie but lately discovered Noga Erez and gotten into her stuff. It’s nice to have something to bounce to between the harder songs, though Crown is always going to be my favorite, especially the acoustic album they did where you can hear Andy’s clean vocals.
- Patrick from North Carolina asks: What is the craziest thing you’ve seen out here in the Carolinas, Adam?
It was a bear, I think. It was made of wicker or willow branches. Inside it were two fire spirits, wrestling, but it didn’t burn. It chased me for half a mile before I lost it in a swamp near Raleigh. I was trying to find one of the dark druid artifacts, a pair of dice that always rolled snake eyes when it mattered. I did eventually get them and destroy them, but that’s a much longer story.
- Susan in New Mexico asks: Hi Adam! What’s on your morning playlist?
Crown the Empire. ALWAYS. Blurry (Out of Place) is my favorite song. It’s my walk on music, if I ever had cause for a theme song. It’s also a good wake up and go song for me, but if I need something more update I default to Years & Years’ first album. Songs like Shine or Real.
- Azriel from Baltimore City asks: If you could shapeshift into one creature (mythical or not) which would it be and why?
A psychopomp housecat like Spider. First, he gets to nap as much as he wants, but mostly I really want to know where he goes when he disappears. Maybe I could figure out how to do a ride along. I wonder if there’s a spell for that . . .
- Robert from Union City, NJ asks: So, Adam, any Magickal projects you are working on, that you can discuss openly, that is?
I’ve been writing my personal Book of Shadows, which is a record of what I’ve encountered in the Spirit Realm and a journal of my personal spells. I’m also translating my family grimoire and trying some of the things I’ve found in it. So far I’ve only lit a fire in the kitchen once, okay, three times, but don’t tell Vic.
- Taylor from Iowa City asks: If you could ask the elves to dedicate a realm to one specific fun idea (a certain candy, carnival ride, fandom, etc.) what would it be?
Man, a whole world made of gummy candy would be fun and bizarre. Also, weirdly delicious. Like, gummy palm trees? Gummy sand? What would that even look like? How would it taste? I’ll ask Argent if she’s seen any place like that. Still, it would probably be stomachache city.
- Carlo from Brisbane, Australia asks: Adam, you mentioned experiencing the world going through the COVID-19 pandemic (like all of us did). Was Spirit-Walking an escape? Or did the pandemic also affect those worlds in some ways (and how)?
As far as I know the Spirit Realm was isolated from us. Since most humans spirit walk to get there, it was safe for us to visit. It was a definitely scary, and since my brother is a doctor and I was living with him at the time, I think I saw the impact more directly than others. I’m glad it’s past and hope it doesn’t come again. Maria, Vic’s mom, likes to say that we should study the past not just because we remember but because we can hopefully try to stop it from recurring.
- Jay from Avon, CT asks: Would you ever follow Maria’s academic footsteps and take on a teaching position at RCC?
I don’t think I’d ever be good at that, like talking to a room full of students. I’d probably bore them to tears, and I don’t think I’m really an expert on anything unless they start offering classes on auto mechanics. Maybe I could what Argent does and accompany them on some field trips, though I’m not sure how I’d protect anyone if things went south. I heard that thing at the ren faire got messy. Carburetors aside, if they get someone who needs training in how to use their Sight, I might be able to help them out with that.
- Bronwyn from Ontario asks: Do you ever just want to chat with Boney the Reaper?
It honestly never occurred to me until now, but now that you suggest it, YES! There’s still so much we don’t know or understand about the reapers, and I’m not on good terms with Death, so I won’t be asking her. Maybe I’ll see if I can coax him out for an interview.
- DW from Orlando FL asks: If you had to do it all over again, Adam, would you? What would you change if you could?
This is a toughie. I have regrets. Maybe if I’d never snuck into that room Vic wouldn’t have been shot, but then we wouldn’t have ended up together. It’s a tough game to play. Sue used to say that you can’t pull a thread out of Fate’s tapestry without the whole thing unraveling and I think I’m starting to understand what she meant.
And that’s all we’ve got time for. Thank you to everyone who sent in questions for Adam! You can read about Adam’s adventures in his eponymous series, including Redneck Revenant, which is out now from Blackstone Publishing!
