Fox Beckman is an author with a penchant for spicy stories about swords, sorcery, and smooching. Her books feature strong, nuanced characters that interrogate the status quo and subvert expectations. She hung out with us for a little bit to give us the lowdown on her books and the best way to wrangle a kangaroo.
Q) You recently finished up the Trust trilogy about a hunter of supernatural entities and their time traveling partner. Do you have any plans to revisit the world?
I intended to write a light-hearted romance about monsters and time travel, but I ended up with a three-book epic about apocalypses, ancient legacies, chosen family, and finding happiness after heartbreak. At the end of the day the Trust Trilogy is about complicated relationships, about how love can either raise us or raze us. Also, there’s a talking cat.
There’s lots more to explore there, and though I don’t have any solid plans to do so yet, someday I’d love to pop in and see what adventures Ravi and his oddball crew of friends are getting up to.
Q) One of your other projects was Brendan and the Beast, a reimagining of the classic fairy tale. What made you decide to retell the story?
Ages ago a friend and I got to talking about how disappointed we were when the Disney version of the Beast magically turned into the blandest guy imaginable. A real downgrade for Belle. I wanted to fix that, and make it gayer. Years later, Brendan & the Beast made BookLife’s Best Romances of 2024, which I’m enormously proud of!
Q) You are a member of both the Loft Literary Center and the Author’s Guild. What benefits do you think authors can get from literary associations?
The more obvious benefits are legal protections and access to specialized resources, but for me the greatest benefit to literary associations is the chance to meet other writers. We tend to be an introverted bunch, and writing can be an isolating endeavor, so any opportunity to connect with other writers is invaluable.
Q) I was looking at your author bio, have you really wrangled kangaroos?
Yes! While writing Stolen from Tomorrow I was lucky enough to work at a zoo, and my favorite task was caring for the baby kangaroos. But the males can get aggressive as they get bigger, and occasionally require a little wrangling. Pro-tip: If you ever find yourself facing off against a feisty kangaroo, the key is to get him off-balance. They use their tail like a tripod to prop themselves up, so if you can pull his tail off the ground he can’t take a swing at you.
Q) Do you have any special habits to help you to be productive, like music or having a specific time and place you always write?
I’m very much at the mercy of my muse. I don’t get a say in when inspiration will hit, and my brain doesn’t like to form regular habits, so I try to keep myself surrounded with whatever is most likely to motivate my creativity. Being in nature, spending time with friends, going someplace new, listening to music, etc. I do make curated playlists for every book I write, to get in the right headspace, which is probably the closest thing I have to a ‘process’.
Q) what is your next project you are working on?
I’ve started a novel I’m calling WILD WEST WARLOCKS until I can settle on a proper title. The vibe is Red Dead Redemption meets Supernatural; gunslingin’ outlaws, dark magic, and gay awakenings.
Q) If people want more information about your or your projects, where should they go?
You can check my website at http://www.foxbeckman.com, or Instagram and Twitter (I’ll be dead cold in the ground before I call it X) both as @foxbeckman. Pretty sure it’s the same handle on Bluesky, but I haven’t posted much there. I’m also on Goodreads and Facebook.
Final four questions –we ask everybody.
Q) When the zombies take over the world where will you be?
The BWCA—The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Great place to forage, fish, and hunt well away from civilization. If I bring my archery gear I can probably hold out a good while.
Q) What is your favorite Fandom
It used to be Dragon Age before the game studio fired all their writers. These days I enjoy a lot of fandoms, but wouldn’t call any my favorite. I’ve had too many Rowlings and Gaimans do me dirty over the years to get as emotionally invested as I used to.
Q) What piece of art, be it in the form of music, a book, a film or picture, do you think people must experience before they die?
I was fortunate enough to see the King Tut exhibit while it was touring the US, and had a near-religious experience seeing all those gorgeous, exquisitely detailed artifacts up close. Simply stunning. Highly recommended.
Q) Give one fact that most people would not believe about you?
I have a black thumb. I can’t even keep succulents alive for long!
Paper Phoenix ink 