Euro Pride Con Author: Hans M Hirschi

Release Day! Finally… If you’re an author, you know how exciting this day is, and just a little scary, because now the story is out there, anyone can read it, anyone can have their say. The characters are no longer yours, they the reader’s, and they have to stand on their own.

Today I get to release my fifth novel and since all my books are very different from each other, Willem of the Tafel, my attempt at writing Science-Fiction, is making me very nervous. I’ve always struggled with genres, the best way to define me would be “defiant”, but given that my heroes are gay, I’ve found a home in that snug little corner of literature. And people have been nice, even though my stories rarely stack up to your typical gay romance novel, not even Jonathan’s Hope.

My post here today is also my chance to meet readers who will be heading to Munich and Euro Pride Con, in just six weeks. So thanks to RJ, Marc and the rest of the organizers for putting up this amazing event on European soil, and thanks for allowing me the opportunity to present myself to those of you who haven’t heard of me yet. Strangely, I hear there are still pockets of humanity who haven’t heard of me… Let’s remedy that, shall we?

I’ve been writing for the longest time, but have only began to publish fiction two years ago with Jonathan’s Hope, my opus 2, being the first of my novels to be released in July 2013. Since then I’ve released a total of five novels, I’ve been in a couple on anthologies and I put out a free e-book on my husband and my journey to parenthood. Plus I blog regularly, so I’m frequently found with blisters on my finger tips.

I’m living the dream of playing author, with an enormously supportive husband who keeps pushing me (and paying for it) and a son who keeps me firmly grounded in reality. I couldn’t be luckier, even though I’m not quite the bestseller, yet. Writing for me is really truly a passion, and given that I write an average of fifteen to twenty thousand words a week, you can safely assume I don’t have much of a choice. Sure, there are weeks when my pen rests, vacations are such examples, when I enjoy just being with my family, dangling my soul and resting. Once I’m on a roll though, I freak out when the clock ticks six pm and the family comes home expecting dinner (and I’m still sitting with my breakfast plate next to my laptop.) Luckily, I’m also pretty good at kitchen wizardry and usually manage to smoothen things over without anyone noticing that it wasn’t quite ‘planned for’… (Hope hubby doesn’t read this.)

Six more weeks until we all meet in Munich, this year’s first convention for me. I haven’t been to the Bavarian capital since 2012. I used to work there regularly, so it’s going to be a welcome return, and I can’t wait to have my “Weisswurst” for breakfast (you’ll see) and plenty of decent Weissbeer (they like it white in Bavaria for some reason.) But I’m also looking to meet new colleagues, along some old friends and hopefully lots and lots of readers. I just had a discussion with a reader today, about her reaction to a scene in Willem, how she was prepared for what was to come, yet still started sobbing as the emotions took over. For me, tears are the highest form of praise. Not to mention therapeutic.

Release day it is, and now the characters are all yours. As an author I outline an imaginary world for you, and I set you off to wander about, but it is how your color it in your mind that determines how you’ll like the story. It is how you interact with the characters that will influence your impression of the story. Today, I humbly turn Willem, Hery, Stéphane, Magda, Bongani, Nosizwe and the others over to you. Be gentle, okay?

I look forward to meeting you in Munich, to exchange hugs (if that floats your boat), to chat about your impressions of this future world, and to discuss just how probable it is (or not.) Willem of the Tafel invites you to look at a potential future for humanity, and narrates an epic tale of survival, second chances, hope & undying love.

Welcome to my world,

Hans M Hirschi