Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
I am sure by now most of you have heard about the story I am going to be discussing today with the author as this particular title has been getting a lot of pre-Pub #booklove in the book blogosphere and on #bookTwitter with equal passion! I was thankful to be selected to be one of the bloggers on this blog tour who could interview the author as I’ve been dearly curious about the story, the setting and the elements of what makes this a paranormal experience for the reader as soon as I caught sight of the premise! I must admit – stories that take place in a cemetery always make me think of the holiday the story is celebrating: Día de Muertos! Even though I’ve been referring to it in English as ‘the Day of the Dead’.
I was first introduced to the holiday in my Spanish classes in high school and then, whilst in Mexico I learnt a bit more about the holiday from my tour guide who was Mexican bourne and raised. Ever since I’ve had a special appreciation for the holiday and the celebration of life behind it – I found it to be one of the most beautiful customs and holidays to have learnt through my language classes but also because of the enriched history behind the customs during the holiday as well. When I saw “Coco” (the film) it only re-heightened the joy I had originally about the holiday and about the cultural heritage it is attached.
As you will see throughout the convo I had with Aiden Thomas – I was happily discussing the heart of the story within “Cemetery Boys” whilst asking some questions about how this story was written and what made it so dearly unique in of its own. I loved how I could balance the conversation with both questions pertaining to the story as it publishes the day after this post goes live on the blog tour and to the writer’s style and voice; especially on the kinds of stories they enjoy writing themselves.
I am wicked thankful to be on the blog tour and to be able to host the author everyone has been talking about for quite a long while now! I look forward to seeking out my own copy of the story – either in print or audio – depending on which source of mine has a copy first – one of my libraries and/or Scribd! If this is a story you’ve already read through an ARC or a bookaway, I look forward to hearing your thoughts about the conversation and if you’ve posted a review – share a link with me in the comments and I’ll visit with you.
If this is your first visit to my blog – guest features & convos are best accompanied with your favourite cuppa & brew – where you can settle in, enjoy the feature and stay a spell visiting with me and my guest author. May this new release have a plotting which will tempt your readerly heart as much as it has mine.
Cemetery Boys
by Aiden Thomas
A trans boy determined to prove his gender to his traditional Latinx family summons a ghost who refuses to leave in Aiden Thomas’s paranormal YA debut Cemetery Boys.
Yadriel has summoned a ghost, and now he can’t get rid of him.
When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.
However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.
Places to find the book:
ISBN: 978-1250250469
Published by Swoon Reads
on 1st September, 2020
Published by: Swoon Reads (@SwoonReads)
Available Formats: Hardcover, Audiobook and Ebook
Converse on Twitter via: #YALit & #UrbanFantasy #Paranormal
as well as #CemeteryBoys and #XpressoBookTours
I have been dearly curious about this ever since I first read the synopsis,..
I loved the premise of “Cemetery Boys” whilst at the same time, I loved the film Coco – I appreciate when stories dive into a cultural heritage which is positively explored through the character’s journey. In your novel, Yadriel wants to prove himself to his family and at the same time, goes about it quite uniquely wherein he has a ghost shadowing him he hadn’t expected to meet. What first inspired you to write a paranormal ghost story? What gave you the foundation for this story in other words to explore through Yadriel’s journey?
Thomas responds: Cemetery Boys was inspired by a writing prompt I saw on Tumblr — “What happened if you summoned a ghost and couldn’t get rid of it?” My main character, Yadriel came to life first. He’s transgender, Cuban/Mexican, and gay. I really wanted to explore and showcase Latinx culture, and the plot aligned perfectly with Día de Muertos! It isn’t celebrated the same way in every country, but it has a recognizable core. There’s characters from Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, Colombia and they all bring parts of their respective cultures to the Día de Muertos celebrations. It was also really important for me to write a book where queer, trans and Latinx kids could see themselves being powerful heroes. I wanted to write a fun book with good representation that they could escape into and have a happy ending.
I admit, that is such a curious thought – what would you do if you had a ghost you hadn’t planned to summon? I can see where that took your imagination off and running! I do remember there were differences in how each country celebrated the holiday but also as you said, there is uniting core to how the holiday can be recognised and seen in each of those countries as well. It must have been a lot of fun as a writer to find a way to merge those cultural identifiers and have the heart of the holiday shining through! It is commendable how you wanted to write a story that would appeal to direct audiences but also within those audiences have the kind of story they could enjoy reading just for the fun of it! We all need stories that celebrate who we are and are reads that can be enjoyed for the sheer bliss of reading!
In regards to identity, how did you want to represent Yadriel’s family – who were struggling to come to an understanding about Yadriel’s gender and how they presented themselves?
Thomas responds: Being gay and trans within the Latinx community can be incredibly difficult. We have a lot of traditions and beliefs that are so deeply ingrained, sometimes folks will blindly follow them without questioning or challenging them simply because “that’s just how it is.” I wanted to present readers with a family that isn’t intrinsically transphobic or homophobic. Yadriel’s family is not aggressively or purposefully trying to be hurtful. There’s a learning curve. These aren’t bad people; they don’t hate Yadriel or those parts of him, they just don’t understand. Very often, that teaching falls onto the shoulders of queer/trans kids, which can be exhausting. That’s exactly what Yadriel is dealing with throughout “Cemetery Boys”.
I think it would be a hard balance to find – where you could present the cultural misunderstandings about the topics in the story and to represent not only the heritage in a point of view that explains their reactions and perspective but also seeks to educate others who are outside the culture themselves that what they are seeing within the story isn’t necessarily what they might think it is – as you said, its a complicated challenge. I hope readers have seen what you were doing within the context of Yadriel’s storyline and understood why those choices were made to be a more authentic story told from a perspective his character could reflect about the life he was living.
Which secondary character was your favourite and why?
Thomas responds: Julian was definitely my favorite character to write! When it came to writing a love interest for Yadriel, there were a few things I knew I wanted — I wanted him to think, talk and act like a teenage boy; I wanted him to be completely secure in his sexuality; and I wanted his handsomeness to be unapologetically rooted in his Latinx features. A lot of how Julian acts is inspired by really chaotic Tik Toks created by teenage boys. I didn’t want him to be stoic and broody, I wanted him to be full of life (even though he’s a ghost) and his excess of energy to help Yadriel break out of his shell.
I love how you describe Julian because there is so much heart behind his character’s development with a lot of cleverly researched roots of seeking out his personality! I know we as writers have to get creative with how we’re researching our stories but I think this is the first time I’ve heard an author say they used TikTok! Plus, I love how you took into consideration he’s a ghost and how that plays into his personality and his habits as well.
Will there be a sequel to “Cemetery Boys” or will each new story you publish happily genre hop into themes and settings which inspire you as you create them? What are your favourite genres to explore right now?
Thomas responds: Right now I’m kind of dabbling in a bunch of different genres! My second book is already ready to be published so I’ve been taking time to explore my writing and different genres I’m interested in. I’ve been working on a contemporary romcom, as well as a Maya myth retelling, and I’ve also got a dark fantasy idea that has to do with kids cursed by Aztec death gods.
I can relate to how you’re an eclectic writer – as I am the same – dancing through genres is equally enjoyable as a writer as much as it is as a reader (which Jorie Loves A Story reflects). I look forward to seeing more information about your works-in-progress as the Maya Myth retelling caught my eye as I loved the Mayan ruins in Mexico. There was a solitude of peacefulness whilst walking through them and I oft felt it would have made an interesting place to set a story.
What were your reactions when you first heard the audiobook version of your novel and how did you feel when you first saw the cover art? I oft wondered if the voices of a writer’s characters match a narrator’s and/or if the artwork which becomes attached to their story is a representation of their own vision?
Thomas responds: Way back before “Cemetery Boys” was even a completed draft, I had commissioned Mars Lauderbaugh to do some character art for me, which I loved and shared with my editorial team. When it was time to design the cover, they sent me a list of artists to pick from, all of which were either nonbinary, trans, and/or artists of color. They included Mars because we all loved their art so much, and I immediately asked that they use Mars to do the official cover. Mars’s art captures how I envision Yadriel and Julian perfectly.
My audiobook narrator, Avi Roque, is a trans, Latinx and nonbinary and they are absolutely the perfect voice for “Cemetery Boys”. Macmillan sent me a clip of Avi reading the opening to “Cemetery Boys”, and the SECOND he said Yadriel’s name, I emailed them back and said I wanted them!
Ooh wow! I love this! I love finding out behind-the-book trivia but in this case, the answers are such a celebration of the spirit of the story itself as much as the writer who was able to celebrate having creative control and input on how their story would be seen – both in art and heard through the audiobook narration! Again, I am not sure which version I’ll have access to first but I look forward to experiencing the story once I find a copy – somehow it seems a bit sweeter knowing how the book was taken to market as it allowed voices and artists to shine in contributing to the final versions of the story before readers and listeners had the chance to see and hear it for themselves.
When you’re not researching or writing what uplifts your soul and gives you a renewal of Creativity?
Thomas responds: I love to read books and watch TV/movies when I have down time, and I find they’re really helpful in sparking my creativity, too. When I have movies night with my friends/family, I’m constantly pulling out my phone and making notes about stories ideas.
I agree – there is something special about seeing a film that can effectively kick up your own creativity quite a notch because of how brilliantly evocative the story and/or the production of the film was to increase your own curiosity about another story that could start to brew and percolate through your own mind whilst enjoying the vision of someone else. I love how stories not only lift our spirits but become the well of creative spark to help us ignite new stories to tell – it is a wonderful circle and I could definitely relate to your passion for finding a story that speaks to you irregardless of the medium it is presented inside.
This blog tour is courtesy of:
Be sure to visit the rest of the tour for more guest author features & a lovely array of insightful observations by the bloggers who’ve reviewed the story & shared their key takeaways on behalf of this story.
Find others hosting via @XpressoTours!
I am enjoying being a hostess for:
NOTE: Similar to blog tours wherein I feature book reviews, book spotlights (with or without extracts), book announcements (or Cover Reveals) – I may elect to feature an author, editor, narrator, publisher or other creative person connected to the book, audiobook, Indie film project or otherwise creative publishing medium being featured wherein the supplemental content on my blog is never compensated monetarily nor am I ever obligated to feature this kind of content. I provide (98.5%) of all questions and guest topics regularly featured on Jorie Loves A Story. I receive direct responses back to those enquiries by publicists, literary agents, authors, blog tour companies, etc of whom I am working with to bring these supplemental features and showcases to my blog. I am naturally curious about the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of stories and the writers who pen them: I have a heap of joy bringing this content to my readers. Whenever there is a conflict of connection I do disclose those connections per post and disclose the connection as it applies.
{SOURCES: Book cover for “Cemetery Boys”, author photograph of Aiden Thomas, author biography, blog tour banner and host badge were provided by Xpresso Book Tours and are being used with permission. The book trailer was embedded due to codes provided by YouTube. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets were embedded due to codes provided by Twitter. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: Conversations with the Bookish and the Comment Box Banner.}
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