eSpec Books interviews Misty Massey, editor and contributor to The Weird Wild West edited by Misty Massey, Emily Lavin Leverett, and Margaret McGraw. Check out our Kickstarter campaign at: http://kck.st/1udizgM

What is your favorite western movie and why?  A Fistful of Dollars.  It was the first western I ever paid any real attention to, and I was utterly fascinated by the anti-hero playing both sides against each other.  So much fun!

What is your favorite spec fic/western mash-up? Since someone else has already said Firefly, I’ll go with Cowboy Bebop.  Again, we find that Misty is attracted to the anti-hero, since Spike Spiegel is not really a good guy, but certainly not a villain either.  That ending scene can bring me to sobs every single time.  Bang.

Can you tell us anything about your story/artwork for The Weird Wild West?  At the moment, I’m finishing a western fantasy novel, so the story I’m submitting to the anthology is a prequel, focusing on Durango, a young woman who makes her living as a wrangler of unusual creatures.  None of the secrets of the novel will be given away, and of course readers don’t have to have read the short story to enjoy the novel, but I thought it would be fun to explore the character of Durango a little before releasing the novel.

What interested you in working on this project? Last summer, Emily, Margaret, and I were attending Congregate.  Margaret had presented the first page of a weird western story during a workshop, and we were encouraging her to submit it somewhere.  All of a sudden, the topic shifted to how much fun publishing a weird western anthology would be, and boom!

Which Wild West archetype (Gambler, Outlaw, Saloon Girl, School Marm, Railroad Man, Pioneer, Cowboy, Lawman or Indian) would you chose to be and why? I’d like to be a Gambler, because in my current life, I am lousy at gambling!  Playing poker has to be fun, because so many people love it, and I’d like to feel that particular thrill sometime.

Have you written/created anything else in a weird western vein? Please tell us about it. At the moment I’m finishing a weird western novel – with any luck, by the time the anthology comes out, there’ll be news about the novel being sold!

What are some of your own works readers can look for?  My first novel, Mad Kestrel, is still available for Kindle and in print.  My volume of short stories, Kestrel’s Voyages, is available for the Kindle as well.  And my short story “Drawing Flame” is appearing in The Big Bad II, coming to e-readers and bookshelves everywhere on December 15, 2014!

How can readers find out more about you?  Visit me at mistymassey.com

Misty Massey is the author of Mad Kestrel (Tor), a rollicking fantasy adventure of magic on the high seas, and Kestrel’s Voyages (Kindle DP), a set of stories following Captain Kestrel and her daring crew. Her short fiction has appeared in Rum and Runestones, Dragon’s Lure and The Big Bad II.  Misty is one of the featured writers on Magical Words (magicalwords.net). When she’s not writing, she studies Middle Eastern dance and performs with Mythos Tribal and Chimera. You can see more of what Misty’s up to at her website, mistymassey.com or find her on Facebook and Twitter.

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Facebook: Misty Massey
Twitter: @MistyMassey
Goodreads: Misty Massey
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Misty-Massey/e/B001IQXT44/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1418174577&sr=8-1
Blog Address:  http://mistymassey.com/