Welcome Adele,

Adele and I are in a critique group together. She’s a very talented writer. I know you’ll enjoy her interview. 

Adele Gardner (they/them, Mx., gardnercastle.com) is a fiction writer and award-winning poet, as well as an artist, photographer, and sometime musician with way too many interests! This genderfluid, bi night owl loves libraries, samurai films, jazz and folk music, and reading comics with cats, and also answers to their mystery/horror byline, Max Jason Peterson.

Gardner’s most recent poetry collection, Halloween Hearts, is available from Jackanapes Press (https://www.jackanapespress.com/product/halloween-hearts). Over 500 short stories, poems, artworks, songs, and articles have appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Clarkesworld, Strange Horizons, PodCastle, Daily Science Fiction, and more, while eleven of Gardner’s poems won or placed in the PSV Awards, Rhysling Award, and Balticon Poetry Contest. 

Writing fiction and poetry primarily in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and mystery, Gardner is a full/active/professional member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA), Horror Writers Association (HWA), and Sisters in Crime (mystery writers), as well as a lifetime member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association (SFPA) and the Poetry Society of Virginia (PSV). With master’s degrees in English literature and library science, Gardner is a graduate of the Clarion West Writers Workshop for writing science fiction and fantasy. They work full-time as cataloging librarian at a public library, for whose patrons Gardner conducts regular writing workshops. Gardner also leads workshops and appears on panels at local conventions and events at the Poe Museum, leading attendees to create poetry and fiction and sharing their expertise.

Editing chops include guest-editing the Arthuriana issue of Eye to the Telescope and coediting Dwarf Stars 2022 with Greer Woodward (https://sfpoetry.com/ds/22dwarfstars.html). Gardner also serves as literary executor for father, mentor, and namesake Delbert R. Gardner, who started them down this writing path.

Artistically, Gardner is a member of the Hampton Arts League with thirty-six illustrations (watercolor, colored pencil, pen and ink, pencil, linocut, silkscreen, photography, and more) published in the small press, including twelve as cover art. Seventeen pieces have shown in exhibitions, some earning entry into the statewide Virginia Artists Juried Exhibition and winning honorable mention at the TNCC Annual Student Juried Art Exhibition & Film Festival. Gardner’s currently focusing primarily on watercolors and colored pencils to illustrate their picture books and create fan art for their favorite show and book series, The Magicians (https://www.scbwi.org/members/adele-gardner). With a wide range of styles and subjects, Gardner’s favorites are fantasy and cats.

Where do you live? Currently, I live in Newport News, Virginia. I spent my childhood in upstate New York in the Finger Lakes region. Our family has also lived a few years in Richmond, Virginia, and Radcliff, Kentucky (near Elizabethtown). I love the many water views in coastal Virginia, as well as all the opportunities to enjoy art, music, and writing events in the Tidewater region; but the kid in me still misses the snows of upstate New York and Kentucky. My favorite part about Tidewater is the chance to stay close to my family; after all the moving around, we’ve worked hard to stick together. 

When did you know you wanted to become a writer? I’ve known ever since I was a child of two just learning to read. My father was a writer and college English professor who made up songs and stories for us, cheerfully discussed writing, and read us some of his poems. Dad also rewrote the lyrics to some of the songs he sang to us, which helped me understand from a young age how the audience could participate in the content. I grew up loving books and wanting to write them and be part of the story. I created my first picture book—The Zoo Book, which I wrote and illustrated (badly!)—when I was four. 

When I was nine, I knew I wanted to be a full-time writer. I figured it made the most sense to write for an audience whose age I’d already moved past, so I started out by creating picture books. My mom typed copies until I learned to type at age ten. We left space for the individually drawn illustrations I added to each copy, presenting copies of these books as gifts to family, friends, or teachers. 

In junior high in Kentucky, I loved the annual contests for making our own books, which we wrote, illustrated, and bound ourselves. When I was fourteen, I even won the top prize at Radcliff Junior High for the Young Authors Program run by the Courier-Journal out of Louisville, KY. That was the same year when I began submitting my fiction to professional science fiction magazines. At my request, Dad critiqued my work first; a great mentor, he also showed me the ropes of how to submit and paid the postage.

So, I’ve always wanted to write and illustrate my own books—not only picture books, but works for every age level. Though I’ve continued to take art and photography classes when I could in recent years, this past year I’ve really devoted myself to making illustrations and reviving my skills, so I’m hoping this dream will become a reality soon. 

By the way—it wasn’t until I entered grad school that I had to focus and pick just one creative field, due to a severe lack of time. I love art, music, and writing, and have from a very young age. My M.A. in English features an emphasis in creative writing, but I also have a minor in music (harpsichord and guitar) and almost enough credits for an art minor and an associate’s degree in photography.

I love creative writing so very much. But I’d always planned to explore all three creative avenues. Now I have art back, somewhat—but I still miss music so much. (I was writing songs and performing at public events. Now I mostly just sing in my car, or make up songs for my cats.) Someday I hope to record an album of all my published poems that are actually (also) songs.

What do you write? I love writing fiction and poetry, SF/F/H and mystery, for many different age levels: everything from picture books through adult. This could be a problem, simply because I don’t have enough time to devote to any one thing. It would be different if I actually were a full-time writer.

Instead, nearly all my spare time goes to writing (probably way too much of it, to judge by the state of my pad). I write in my car during lunch breaks or between appointments or events. And I’ve barely scratched the surface of what I want to do. I currently have active drafts of several adult, young adult, and children’s fantasy, horror, and mystery novels, as well as several completed picture books awaiting my illustrations.

So far, I’m best known for my fantasy, SF, and horror poetry. But I’ve also had plenty of literary and even some western and mystery poetry published. Not to mention fiction in these genres as well. A lot of my fiction does tend to focus on adventure elements, with a strong romantic subplot or motivation, so I’ve touched on quite a few of the major genres. My personal preference is writing fantasy or SF adventure stories—especially with a LGBTQIA+ protagonist. And, hopefully, some humor.

Where do your ideas come from?  There’s an endless supply! Way too many. Trust me.

To generate story seeds, I advise keeping a journal in which you jot down your ideas and try writing to inspirational prompts. Soon you won’t know what to do with all the ideas flowing your way. And the more time you take to notice things, the more you’ll find ideas everywhere. Make a point to deeply observe, to drink in the world around you. Fully immerse yourself in an activity. Discuss your favorite shows or books with friends or family. Ideas will sometimes strike out of the blue, but you can definitely coax them. 

For me, it’s about life, wishes, the dreams I had last night. Thoughts, feelings, memories, hopes, fears, hard work, aspirations—all can lead to art. Some dreams make great poems; others generate reflections that may create stories or augment existing works in progress. Then there are all the emotions and sensations. What’s meaningful to you? A frequent theme in my work involves dwelling on people or things that are lost. Trying to share this struggle in a way that might help others. Doing my best to carry on for people I love, or to share some sense of their various traits with others.

There’s this thing I love about writing—the feeling of being in conversation with all the writers whose work I’ve ever loved—and with all the readers. Of being part of this joint enterprise, this joy of sharing all the complicated emotions and perspectives of other humans. Reading is transformative; so is writing. It’s the closest thing we have to telepathy, true empathy. It really helps us understand each other. And it helps us feel less alone. 

Being seen, having your voice heard and story shared, being able to resonate with a character who shares something of your soul or experiences can honestly help so very much in a world that often feels so very lonely or offers so much rejection just for being oneself. And that’s another great thing about literature. The more deeply personal the writing, the more universal it can become.

Speaking of generating ideas, I lead Zoom writing inspiration sessions for Hampton Public Library (Adele’s Writers Café, free, ages 18+, registration required, one-hour sessions entirely online. Look for them especially in April, October, and November via Hampton Public Library’s Eventbrite, https://www.eventbrite.com/o/hampton-public-library-31434625791). These sessions don’t include critiques or instruction. They’re simply a time to share our creativity and write together, using prompts I made up for the session. I’m constantly awed by the insightful, humorous, and beautiful work the participants create.

Tell us about your books: So far, I have three books out, all aimed at adults and older teens. Soon there will be a fourth (see “What’s next”).

Halloween Hearts

My most recent book is Halloween Hearts, a poetry collection that’s available from Jackanapes Press (https://www.jackanapespress.com/product/halloween-hearts). All the poems deal in one way or another with Halloween themes. By turns serious or humorous, they feature icons like ghosts, black cats, vampires, and monsters; Halloween classics like jack-o’-lanterns, costumes, and trick-or-treating; but also death, loss, and grief, as well as the stark beauty of autumn. The book pays homage to two of my favorite writers, Ray Bradbury and Edgar Allan Poe. The titular poem honors Bradbury; I’ve loved all his writing since first encountering The Halloween Tree, which remains close to my heart. There’s a whole section of poems inspired by Poe, whom I’ve loved since I first heard Vincent Price read “The Tell-Tale Heart” in sixth grade—then went home and begged my parents to let me dive into their hardback set of Poe’s complete works. I talk more about my love and fascination with both authors in the introduction.

Dan Sauer, the owner of Jackanapes Press, is a talented artist and graphic designer, and I just love what he’s done with Halloween Hearts. It’s so gorgeous and gothic. I urge everyone to get the book just for his illustrations and design work! This book is available online from Jackanapes Press, as well as from Amazon. If you want to buy it in person, please visit the Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia (https://poemuseum.org/). They do such a great job of telling the story of Edgar Allan Poe, with wonderful artifacts and a memorial library. As a bonus, you’ll get to meet the museum’s black cats, Edgar and Pluto, siblings who were discovered in the Enchanted Garden as kittens. And! There are copies of Halloween Hearts in the museum’s gift shop, and I do events (three so far), so you might even get my signature. 

Dwarf Stars 2022

The second most recent book is one I edited with my dear friend and fellow poet and writer Greer Woodward, whom I met at the Clarion West Writers Workshop; we’ve remained close ever since. For the Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association, we chaired the 2022 Dwarf Stars Award, which honors the best speculative poems of ten lines or less published in the previous year. In addition to receiving submissions and recommendations, we scoured all the likely 2021 publications we could find, and ended up with 1,371 qualifying poems covering the work of 408 separate poets and multiple issues of 171 journals and anthologies. The Dwarf Stars 2022 anthology presents 120 poems by 120 different poets from around the world. (Includes one poem each by Greer and myself.) Members of SFPA voted on these to arrive at the winners (https://sfpoetry.com/ds/22dwarfstars.html), but please enjoy all of these tiny gems—so beautiful and witty, they contain a universe of emotions and insights.

Dreaming of Days in Astophel

My first poetry collection, Dreaming of Days in Astophel, came out a few years ago from Sam’s Dot Publishing, under my then-byline Lyn C. A. Gardner. The book includes fantasy and science fiction poems in a wide variety of forms. Many of them are also narrative poems, telling mini stories. Though Astophel is out of print, there are still a few copies available; you can find some at Turn the Page Bookshop, the only indie bookstore of Williamsburg, VA, https://www.turnthepagebookshopburg.com/. (Indeed, autographed copies of all three of my books are currently available at Turn the Page.)

Tell us about your publishing experience. Thanks to my father’s guidance and inspiration, I started submitting short stories to professional magazines at age fourteen. While it took years before any prozines published my work, I did start seeing my poetry published at age sixteen. I’ve always held a great love for the small press, where a lot of my poetry, art, and some fiction has appeared; but I’m also proud of the number of prozine short fiction publications I have at this point. It’s been thirty-nine years of hard work since those first submissions! But here’s a recent one I’m thrilled about: Clarkesworld published “Marsbodies” in text and audio: https://clarkesworldmagazine.com/gardner_06_22/

With poetry bringing my first consistent successes, it’s appropriate that my first solo books have been poetry collections. I’m hoping to have my first collection of short stories published soon. Not to mention some novels! An adult mystery is making the rounds as we speak.

How do you handle rejection? I take it really personally! Just kidding. One of the first things my dad taught me was to let it roll off my back. This is true for both life and art. 

To be honest, I have received some wonderful rejection letters. Some showed me a better approach for a story, or sincerely praised my writing even though it was the wrong fit. I’m so grateful to those editors. Who knew that rejection letters could be so affirming and encouraging?

I also have a personal strategy that helps me to roll with it. I keep detailed statistics that show me the average number of submissions I need to get an acceptance. These facts provide powerful motivation to keep going. Each rejection brings me one step closer to an acceptance. 

I talk about this more in a series of articles, “Strengthen Your Submissions Strategy,” under my two main pen names, Adele Gardner and Max Jason Peterson, as part of a joint blog created by members of the Tidewater chapter of Sisters in Crime. Here’s the final episode in the series, with links to all the previous episodes: 

https://sandinourshorts.blogspot.com/2023/11/strengthen-your-submissions-strategy.html

            But it’s definitely about much more than numbers. It’s about believing in your work and persevering until you find that one editor who loves it as much as you do. Keep honing your work along the way—but don’t automatically revise based on comments in a rejection letter unless: (1) you agree with the editor’s assessment, or (2) it’s a possible offer to reconsider the work if you revise it, and you want to do that. 

Whatever you do, keep writing—your work will continue to improve. Especially if you trade critiques with other writers, pay close attention to what works in the books you love, and look at your own work with a reader’s eyes. And keep submitting. It’s hard sometimes, but persistence really is the secret ingredient to overcoming rejections. Don’t let your rejected work grow cold, and don’t lose heart. Send it right back out there to the next market on your list.

What is next for you? I have a new poetry collection, Muse Mansion, forthcoming from San Francisco Bay Press. This one is a collaboration with my father, Delbert R. Gardner, whom I love and owe so much. This book will really be a dream come true on so many levels: getting one of Dad’s books published; having the chance to collaborate with him (it’s extra special whenever our work appears together, and this book also collects some of our jointly written poems); and having one of my fine art photographs on the cover.

Also, I’ve been so happy to spend so much time making art again this year! It’s one of my favorite things. So I’m going to be devoting more time to that in 2024. Meanwhile, I’m working on a YA novel inspired by Hamlet and an adult-level Arthurian fantasy. I’d love to make illustrations for both.

Anything else you want your readers to know? 

My nickname is Max and my pronouns are they/them. Being genderfluid and bi is an important part of my identity. I write about all kinds of people (and cats!), but I especially love stories where LGBTQIA+ characters get to thrive. There are still too few of these in mainstream culture; if you are able, please give us more! I love the ones we do have.

Did I mention I’m also a fine arts photographer? Yes to digital, but my first love is shooting black-and-white film and working in the darkroom. In addition to everything else, I hope to put together some photography books one day.

Finally, I’m so inspired by the next Gardner generation! My nephew and nieces include very talented artists, bakers/chefs, musicians, and writers! I love everything that you do and can’t wait to see where your creativity takes you.

Follow Adele: My website, gardnercastle.com, has links to all the social media sites, my email, and a listserv that functions as my newsletter at present. For convenience, here’s the social media part:

https://www.facebook.com/thegardnercastle
https://twitter.com/AdeleGardnerDRG
https://www.instagram.com/adelegardnercastle/

January’s Book Giveaway is Katherine Savage. WHOWHOO! Congrats. 

My next free book giveaway is February 1^st. Sign-up at leslieevatayloe.com, click on newsletter.