One of the titles that I am most known for, and by far my biggest seller, is the first book in the dark urban fantasy series Mother, Dearest, a title that was nominated for Best Speculative Fiction in the 2021 Queer Indie Awards.
The thing that I like the most about having written it is the simple fact that it comes across as something different depending on who reads it. Some have described it as a psychological horror. Others as urban fantasy and some have even described it as "gay shit with magic", which I loved as a description and therefore kind of adopted it myself.
I'd originally written it as a ghost story. Yes, really. I was more or less happy with it as that, especially as I am a sucker for a good ghost story. When it came time to go through the first draft, I started taking bits out, adding bits in and all sorts. It seemed to grow in to something else before my very eyes. No longer was it a story of a man being haunted by his dead mother. Instead, it turned in to a story that was set in our world but populated with fairy-tale creatures, deities, strange nightmarish creatures and more, all wrapped up in a nice bow with the use of magic, mental health issues and a healthy does of LGBTQ+ characters who weren't the stereotypical gay best friend or comedic relief. I will admit, there are some darkly comedic moments in amongst the destruction, the mental health scenes and more, but I wanted to put that in as a way of showing it was a coping technique for the main character. I do much the same in real life.
One of the things that I am most proud of, in relation to the book, is the reception it has gotten from readers, especially LGBTQ+ readers, who appear to have taken some of the characters to heart. They wanted to know about Naz, about the nonbinary/pansexual siren named Satara, about Trent and more. I loved that. I was a little surprised at the love for Trent, as I'd deliberately written him as someone with no conscience, but people adored him and wanted to see more. One reader even described him as a "sexier Negan", so that was both funny and strange. Readers also seemed to really love, and also appreciate, that I didn't shy away from the mental health issues that the main character had. I wanted them to come across as authentically as possible so I based some of them on the issues that I have had to face in the past. Obviously I dramatised them slightly, in the interest of the story, but they have been praised for how they were portrayed. I also really appreciate the kind comments I've received over the fact that the LGBTQ+ characters aren't just window dressing. I firmly believe that representation, in all forms, matters so some are heroes, some are villains. I'm over the moon that people have seen that and enjoyed that, especially as an LGBTQ+ writer myself.
Talking of comments, I have had to deal with a hell of a lot of homophobic abuse where the Mother, Dearest series is concerned. One, as I mentioned earlier, called it "gay shit with magic", another thought that posting "you write gay books" under each post would be insulting to me. It's a real shame that people feel the need to do that. It really is. Behind each book, whether you like it or hate it, is a person that has worked hard on bringing it to life. It's okay to not like it. It's okay to not give it a good rating or to give it a good one if you did enjoy it. What isn't okay is to abuse the author behind the words.
All in all, writing the book was a real eye-opening experience for me and I've gone on to write three other books. One is the second in the series, one is a stand-alone science-fiction book and the most recent is a Sherlock Holmes story. There are days when I don't like writing very much, especially when I get waves of homophobic comments with each release, but I've met some amazing authors and readers who have gone out of their way to support my work.
Thank you and I'll be back soon with some more stuff about my other books so take care, be safe and stay saucy and magical.
Mother Dearest is available now from the following links.
US Kindle
Amazon.com: Mother, Dearest: Book One eBook : Scattergood, Patrick: Books
US Paperback
Mother, Dearest: Scattergood, Patrick: 9798601879170: Amazon.com: Books
UK Kindle
Mother, Dearest: Book One eBook : Scattergood, Patrick: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store
UK Paperback
Mother, Dearest: Amazon.co.uk: Scattergood, Patrick: 9798601879170: Books
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