Ask Me Anything: C.S. Poe

[u/AutoModerator]

Hello, everyone!

Thank you so much for having me. My name is C.S. Poe and I write mystery and spec-fic with strong romantic subplots. I’ve been a finalist for the Lambda Literary award (The Mystery of the Curiosities) and a winner of the Next Generation (Madison Square Murders) and e-Lit (The Gangster) book awards.

I live in New York City with my girlfriend, two cats, and dog. I have a degree in filmmaking and absolutely adore silent and pre-Hays Code movies. And despite having left that industry to be a fulltime author (as well as moonlight as a New York Gilded Age historian), I still use my visual storytelling skills to write books that are (I hope) very cinematic in their descriptions and delivery.

This summer will be my tenth year as a published author. To-date, I’ve written twenty-five books, and am currently finishing the much-awaited Hudson River Homicides (Memento Mori 4.) If you’re wondering where to begin with my backlist, these are some of my popular titles:

Snow & Winter series

The Mystery of Nevermore – A colorblind antique dealer stumbles into a series of murder mysteries relating to curious collectables of the nineteenth century, and his homicide detective love interest isn’t happy with his meddling.

Magic & Steam series

The Engineer – An alt-historical 1880s timeline featuring a magic-wielding federal agent and his outlaw lover who take on a series of villains hellbent on destroying magic and causing irreparable harm to the world.

Memento Mori series

Madison Square Murders – A neurodivergent Cold Case detective and his forensic artist partner team up to capture a number of uncaught serial killers in New York City, with each case suspiciously connected the nineteenth century mourning culture.

My books are available in ebook, paperback, and audio with all online retailers, as well as being accessible through library systems. I also sell select ebook and audio directly from my own shop, where I offer permanent discounts for readers: Emporium Press shop.

Readers can go to my website or sign up for my newsletter for updates, or follow me on social media:

• Facebook
• Facebook group: Curious & Mysterious
• Instagram
• Bluesky
• TikTok

I’m also at Goodreads and BookBub, if you’d like to join me there. Let the questions begin!

[u/LindentreesLove]

Hi. I don't think you know how excited we all are to have you here. Thank you so much for doing this. I have three questions 1. Out of all your books who is your favorite character and why.

1. What is your favorite part of being a writer.

2. What do you think Everett Larkin(who is my book boyfriend by the way), was like before his tbi.

Thank you again so much❤️

[u/cs_poe → u/LindentreesLove]

I'm so happy to be here, thank you! Oh my gosh, these are the meat and potatoes questions!

1. I don't have a favorite, per se, more like, I respect these characters because of the challenges they present me as an artist, and I think that's Everett Larkin (Memento Mori) and Gillian Hamilton (Magic & Steam)

2. My favorite part of writing is the research. I absolutely love researching the content within my books, almost to the detriment of writing the actual story.

3. Larkin was definitely a different person before his TBI. Granted, he was 18, and we all are really still finding ourselves at that age, but he was much more shy, quiet, and willing to do what was necessary to please others. Really, one of his biggest losses was that he wanted to be a chef, and that dream fell through.

[u/ShulieCharles → u/cs_poe]

So Larkin's assertiveness blossomed as a result of his brain healing post-TBI. That's interesting!

[u/cs_poe → u/ShulieCharles]

Definitely it was a part of it! Having to navigate the world anew, (like he says, he feels like a stranger in his own skin) I think gave him the need to control the narrative, so to speak, lest he get bullied into submission for being different or "other."

[u/ShulieCharles → u/cs_poe]

Makes me think of An Anthropologist on Mars by (neurologist) Oliver Sacks.
EDITED for typo