Derrick Ferguson: Who is Andrea Judy?
Andrea Judy: Someone recently called me a pulp pixie and I like the sound of that. I’m fresh out of grad school and obsessed with pop culture.
DF: Where do you live and what do you do to keep the bill collectors away?
AJ: I work for a large university in Atlanta, GA where I manage social media accounts, pay the bills, and generally keep the office running smoothly. My coworkers are pretty much the most awesome people ever, and we nerd out on a regular basis.
DF: How long have you been writing?
AJ: Forever? I’ve been writing since I learned how to put the pencil to paper and form coherent sentences, but I’ve been telling stories since I could talk.
DF: What writers have influenced you?
AJ: Peter S. Beagle and “The Last Unicorn” was one of my favorite things as a child, and I think that has helped keep a sense of fantasy and wonder in me even as an adult. I also loved the Jim Hensen movies “The Dark Crystal” and “Labyrinth” played on repeat at all times through my childhood.
Other writers that influence me are Neil Gaiman, Kelly Sue Deconnick, and Lisa Mannetti.
DF: What do you think about New Pulp? Is it here to stay?
AJ: I think it’s absolutely here to stay. Fast-paced, fun adventurous stories are something that world needs and that people want. Whether the name of New Pulp will stick with the genre or not, I’m not sure. I’m of the belief that pulp is the style of the writing and story, not the name of the genre or movement as a whole.
DF: What’s the best advice you can give someone who wants to write New Pulp?
AJ: The same advice I’d give any upcoming writer. FINISH WHAT YOU START. You can’t sell a story until it’s done, and you can’t rewrite something until it’s been written. It’s so easy to get caught up in talking about writing, in plotting, researching, planning, etc. Butt in char and fingers on keyboard (or writing by pen and pencil if that’s your thing) are the most important things that a new writer can learn.
DF: How did you develop the character of The Bone Queen?
AJ: I’ve always had a morbid obsession with graveyards and things that go bump in the night, so when I was tasked with creating a story for The Pulptress, I knew that I wanted something dark.
A few years ago, I studied in Paris, and visited the catacombs several times. I stayed fascinated by them, and by Paris, long after my return home, and The Pulptress seemed a perfect fit. I also wanted to put her in a place where guns weren’t the norm, and the world was a little bit different than here in America.
The Bone Queen came about because I needed someone equal to The Pulptress, someone that could be her shadow. I love spooky, supernatural things so I dove right in to giving The Bone Queen the ability to rise the dead by eating their bones and never looked back.
DF: When she made her first appearance in “The Pulptress” did you know you were going to write a novel about her?
AJ: I had no idea there would ever be a stand-alone work about her! In fact I wasn’t even sure there’d be a story in “The Pulptress!”
A little known fact is that my story in “The Pulptress” was written from scratch at the eleventh hour. My computer corrupted and I lost everything I had from the story and had to start over right at the deadline. I was so focused on making sure the story was sharp (and done!) that I never entertained the possibility of doing more with her. Luckily, the new version worked much better than the lost drafts (and was much better for Paulette and Pascal) and as soon as it was turned in and off for edits, I took a nice long nap before I even entertained the possibility of doing anything else.
After “The Pulptress” released, there was a lot of interest in her, and the story was really popular. Eventually I was approached about doing an origin story for her. I jumped at the chance. I adore villains and I think there’s a distinct lack of lady villains so getting the chance to explore where she came from was an incredible opportunity.
DF: Tell us about the novel itself. What is THE BONE QUEEN about?
AJ: The Bone Queen is about where this villain came from and how she gained her powers. It follows Renata, a devotee of the goddess of death, and her band of survivors as they struggle through Black Plague ravaged France. The dead are rising and going to war, and the living are barely scraping by. Renata vows to find the person responsible for this abomination against death and sets onto a path that explores just how much she’s willing to give up to achieve that goal.
DF: Tell us about your future plans for The Bone Queen.
AJ: The Bone Queen will be making another appearance in my second digest novel with Pro Se which will throw The Pulptress and The Bone Queen into battle once again. I’m very excited about this story and can’t wait for everyone to see it!
DF: Anything else you’re working on that we should know about?
AJ: I have a superhero story coming out in “Capes and Clockwork”, a steampunk superhero anthology that will be out soon. It’s about a female detective whose left arm can turn into anything she’s touched, and her hunt for a killer who freezes people from the inside out.
DF: What audience are you trying to reach with your work? Is there an audience out there for Andrea Judy?
AJ: I think my audience is anyone who enjoys a good, fast-paced story with a bit of darkness to it. I rarely write with a specific audience in mind. I write to tell an awesome story!
DF: What’s a typical Day In The Life of Andrea Judy like?
AJ: Hm... typical… Usually I’m up by 5:30. I work out, and then goof around on the Internet, schedule posts on social media, and read my favorite webcomics before going to work.
I’m lucky that I get to read during my commute so I usually am reading some new book. It’s awesome because this way I can go through 2-3 books a week just by reading on the train.
During lunch I try to write or work on something but it doesn’t always pan out that way. When I get home, I sit down and write at least 750 words before I eat. After that I write, edit, read, watch a movie or play video games.
Derrick Ferguson: Anything else we should know about Andrea Judy?
Andrea Judy: A fun fact is that I’m very short. I’m under five feet tall and I think a lot of my friends are convinced I am actually a pixie and not a human at all.
