Let's Talk with Josh Aterovis

Like mysteries? Well, then try Josh "The Fox" Aterovis. Mmmm. Tasty:

Which has the more annoying cast: Ghost Hunters or Ghost Adventures?
[Josh Aterovis] Oh my God. They’re equally annoying. Are you kidding me? “What’s that? Did you hear that? I heard something!” I can’t stand to watch them. I prefer the creepy corniness of Haunted America.

What got you into writing Young Adult fiction?
[Josh Aterovis] I didn’t intentionally set out to write YA fiction. I just started writing and that’s what came out. Once I decided I wanted to write a series, I always planned for Killian to age with each book, so he won’t stay a young adult forever. I’m not a big fan of series where the character remains static and never changes, ages, or grows. I think you quickly run out of interesting stories to tell.

Was there an inspiration for your sleuth Killian Kendall?
[Josh Aterovis] Not in the sense of it being inspired by any one person. When I came up with the idea for Bleeding Hearts, Killian was just there already, fully formed and ready to tell his story. In some ways, I’m sure there are bits of myself in him, especially his sense of being “outside” — that was definitely me as a kid — but in most ways, he’s definitely not me...or anyone else I’ve ever known, for that matter.

The interesting thing about your books which sets them apart from other YA books is that they tackle homophobia. Why was this important to you?
[Josh Aterovis] When I started Bleeding Hearts, there really were no YA books that tackled homophobia and it was something I’d faced every day growing up in public schools in rural Maryland. I always felt very alone and scared and as if there was something wrong with me, so it was important for other kids like me to know they weren’t alone and there was nothing wrong with them. The same year BH was published, Alex Sanchez published Rainbow Boys and the gay YA genre grew from there, proving there was a need for books like that.

Are there any plans for fiction outside of YA or the mystery genre?
[Josh Aterovis] I have a contract for a book called Breaking Masks, due out tentatively in 2011. It’s a romantic comedy I co-wrote with a friend. It’s sort of a spin-off in that the main character is Jake Sheridan from Bleeding Hearts (and later books in the Killian Kendall series). We’ll see how that’s received before I start planning anything else in that vein. I’d love to one day write a true fantasy novel, but I’m not sure when I’ll have time to do that much work. The world-building alone intimidates the jebus out of me.

Who are your inspirations in writing?
[Josh Aterovis] Mystery-wise, definitely Marcia Muller. I patterned my series on her Sharon McCone series, the way Sharon has aged and grown with the series, keeping it fresh and interesting for thirty years. I should be so lucky!

In the movie in your head, who would play Killian?
[Josh Aterovis] I’m so bad at this. If Chace Crawford wasn’t so tall, he’d be good. Oh, I know! I just saw Hunter Parrish in It’s Complicated. He’d be pretty good. Or the ubiquitous Zac Efron, although I’m not fully convinced he can actually, you know, act. Like I said, I’m not very good at this. Any ideas?

[Daventry Blue: For some reason, I saw the blond kid from Queer as Folk when reading it.]

Who is killing the great chefs of Europe?
[Josh Aterovis] Julia Child’s zombie corpse. Duh. She eats them with lots of butter and white wine.

[Daventry Blue: Um...ew.]

It's the start of a new year. We're both music whores. What was a favorite CD from last year?
[Josh Aterovis] Ahhh, you can’t ask for just one! My head will explode. I’ll limit it to my top ten. I loved Florence and the Machine’s Lungs, Bat for Lashes’ Two Suns, Elizabeth and the Catapult’s Taller Children, Joshua James’s Build Me This, Ingrid Michaelson’s Everybody, Paloma Faith’s Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful? (my favorite title of the year), Brandi Carlile’s Give Up the Ghost, Diana Birch’s Bible Belt, The Bird and the Bee’s Rayguns Are Not Just the Future, and Jake Walden’s reissue of Alive and Screaming with his gorgeous cover of “Bleeding Love.” Music whore, you say?

[Daventry Blue: LOVE me some Joshua James and Brandi Carlile!]

Is it hard being so damn adorable?
[Josh Aterovis] Terribly. Especially when I can’t find a boyfriend.

If you were going to do a porn, who would you want to co-star with? Don't judge me!
[Josh Aterovis] Heh. You know, I’ve never wanted to do porn. Film one maybe, but I think I’d rather be behind the camera. If I had to choose...nah, never mind. I think I’ll keep that to myself. Gotta keep a little mystery, ya know?

Where on-line can readers find you or your books...or both?
[Josh Aterovis] These days, the best way to keep up with me is to add me on Facebook or MySpace. Those get updated much more regularly than my actual website. You can purchase my books through any bookstore (brick-and-mortar or online) or order signed copies through my website.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Josh-Aterovis/109313316155
MySpace: www.myspace.com/joshaterovis
Website: http://www.joshaterovis.com/