Quantum Kiss Leaves Us Breathless
INTERVIEWER: Joyce Ellen Armond

When I saw a market called Quantum Kiss: The Journal of Speculative Romance, both the author and fan in me had a literary petit morte. I couldn't wait to get to know the editors, Mary Jo and Bill, and point your attention to this wonderful new outlet for our visions of romance.

SPECROM: What attracted you to starting a showcase for short speculative romance fiction?

BILL: The world is starting to take notice of these wonderful sub-genres. Most of the big publishing houses have new book lines that cater to a growing fan base that likes to read speculative romance, but when a reader is looking for short speculative fiction, there are very few choices. We think that there is a demand and plenty of room in the field.

MJ: Speculative romance deserves at much attention as all of us can draw to it, as possible. I've enjoyed science fiction, fantasy, romance, and paranormal genres. There was always a niggling question as to why they had to be kept separate from each other. If I enjoyed them all, why couldn't I ever enjoy them all at once? And here, we can.

SPECROM: Why do you think love stories are so powerful when paired up with elements of science fiction, fantasy, paranormal and horror genres?

BILL: Love, or the quest for love, is one of the strongest, if not THE strongest of human emotions and motivators. That being the case, it is a natural extension of the existing genres. Love stories have existed in most speculative fiction since the very beginning. But when you move the love story into the spotlight and make it the focus of a tale propelled by the imaginative wonders of science fiction, fantasy and terror, you have a vehicle to transport you to new worlds.

MJ: The connection is instant and recognizable. Love factored into a story pushes a basic, instinctive button in us that can immediately make us care and identify with the "humanness" behind the character, be it rogue, princess, alien, or mutant-half-orc, while enhancing the rest of the storyteller's world.

SPECROM: What works of fiction in any genre or medium have most affected you?

MJ: Anne McCaffrey, J.F. Rivkin (penname for the two authors who wrote the Silverglass trilogy), Wendy Pini (ElfQuest), and Marion Zimmer Bradley. I fell in love with dinosaurs over 30 years ago -- before dinosaurs were "cool" -- and that love expanded to include anything dragons. "Back then" strong female characters were a rarity, but J.F. Rivkin's books never compromised on exactly what and who the story centered around. ElfQuest began as a comic book produced by WaRP? and has progressed to many graphic novels. Wendy Pini's artwork, and emphasis on equality, and the strength of love and family in any culture, made me realize that I needn't have to "compromise" on my beliefs either. And the same with Marion Zimmer Bradley. I'm proud to say I own her complete set of Sword and Sorceress anthologies and continue to gobble them up.

BILL: I love science fiction, but have read a lot of fantasy (and most other genres) too. Dune is one of my all time favorite books. I think it is the perfect mix of a mysterious, exotic future populated by passionate people who's efforts and actions change the future of all mankind. There are also a couple of love stories tossed in for good measure. I think Paul marrying the Princess, even though he is in love with Chani is classic romance.

SPECROM: Describe the elements of your perfect submission, other than, you know, typo-free and submitted in the correct format.

BILL: Much of what we want is common in all genre fiction. We want to see something new and fresh. We want strong characters, whose actions drive the story forward. But in addition to those fiction standards, we need some special things, too. We want the romantic and speculative elements to be tightly interwoven. We want the "relationship" to be the driving force, be it characters who have just met and are struggling to come to grips with some strange and unexpected feelings, or a couple who know they want each other, but forces of man, nature or history are keeping them apart.

MJ: Hm. Generally, I love stories that begin with obvious potential. Not to be a great story, though that would naturally follow. But the heroes or heroines, the world they live in, the life they lead, whatever they strive to be or do, comes across as "potential energy." And then the story should capitalize on that energy set-up, and deliver in the end.

More specifically speaking? A love-story in a fantasy setting with a happy ending. And I know my partners may wince at that. I have so much vying for my time during the day that I am very selective about what I am drawn into for my down times. The one thing that will snare me every time, is some sort of fairy tale setting, strong (but imperfect) characters, determined to do what's right and struggle with daily shortcomings to achieve their goals and their love in the end.

SPECROM: Do you have any submission killers (like my arch-nemesis, the virgin heroine), or something that just isn't appropriate for Quantum Kiss?

BILL: This is a tough question, because in the end, appropriateness is decided on a case by case basis. What is considered inappropriate is a matter of personal taste, but a good rule of thumb is that anything gratuitous; gore, violence and even sex, will be a hard sell. Those things are fine if they need to be there to tell the story. But in the end, our editors will decide what is appropriate. Other submission killers include; boring us, rehashing the same old fantasy/scifi/horror tropes, fanfiction, unrealistic or unsympathetic characters and events happening without a reason.

MJ: A submission is abandoned if there is no happy ending. We want to showcase romance because the stories uphold things we believe in strongly - dreams, love, people, and love conquering all odds.

One problem we've run into consistently is the difference in a "love story" submission and a "Romance" submission. A story can be great, and sweet, and the protagonists' strength and belief in each other and their love apparent throughout, but without the struggle to be together, the self-examination and growth of the characters, then the genre of Romance has not even been accessed. The journey of the characters' relationship, is what we're constantly looking for.

SPECROM: What's your best advice to an author trying to balance the romantic and speculative elements of story?

MJ: Find your world, write in the voice you're comfortable with, and make sure the characters and their world are fully integrated with one another. Otherwise, a reader knows the characters will end up living happily ever after, so make them worry that this time things might turn out differently.

BILL: This is by far the biggest problem we see with our submissions. Most of them, even if exceptionally well written, lack either the romance or speculative element. Many times the author has merely tacked one of those elements onto a straight romance or speculative fiction story. Placing two lovers on a strange planet does not fulfill the speculative fiction requirement any more than raucous, zero-G sex on a Galaxy Class battlecrusier makes it a romance. The two elements need to be different sides of the same coin, without which the coin, or the story, ceases to exist.

SPECROM: What's your vision for Quantum Kiss during the next five years?

BILL: We will keep growing in popularity until we are able to pay our writers pro rates, win many industry awards and become a name well known to all who enjoy speculative romance...what else?

MJ: We will compile a long archive of fabulous stories from extraordinary writers who break through genre-boxes and enjoy a good romance story now and again. Ideally, we'll see authors listed on Quantum Kiss, whose writings will also have been recognized by the Best Sellers' Lists as well!

You can find submission guidelines and read some marvelous (if I dare say so myself) short speculative romance at Quantum Kiss right now: www.quantumkiss.com.