It's All About Me — Deal With It.
Posted by TammyJo Eckhart |
Hi. I'm TammyJo Eckhart, Ph. D. — let me tell you a little bit about myself before you explore the rest of this site.
Whether it's science fiction, contemporary fiction, fantasy, horror, or historical fiction, my literature offers something for everyone of mature taste who loves strong, powerful women and sturdy, caring men. I delve into the nature of human relationships on their most intimate, most intense, and sometimes most frightening levels. Much of what I have written has been called 'erotic' in our split-personality society (the one that thinks it's okay to use to sex to sell potato chips, but not okay to educate people about the realities of sexuality in all its forms). I've published some non-fiction as well, including book reviews on a vast array of topics and published my own scholarly articles on women, mythology, gender, and slavery. You can see more about this on the publications page where you'll also find discussions of my writing process, my thoughts on publishing, and snippets of my fiction.
Whether it's a look back into the Bronze age or a journey into the far future, the odds are good that I have a story set in a period or genre you will enjoy. In part, this is because of my academic background. I hold a Bachelor of the Arts degree from Drake University, a Master's degree from Columbia University and a doctorate from Indiana University. All are in the field of Ancient Mediterranean History with minors in Women's History and Folklore. I've taught dozens of college, university, and community courses ranging from the period of earliest human civilization until today. I appreciate the differences in societies as well as valuing those commonalities that mark us as human beings. All of this shows up in my short stories, novels, and even the role-playing games that I run.
I approach my writing as I do my life, doing nothing I am ashamed of and doing it to the best of my ability. Human culture is complex, so I apply my scholarly background and ability to research in order to create vibrant and believable worlds where my characters and their lives explore things you, as a reader, can only dream about, but with the feelings and rationality that you will recognize in yourself regardless of your ethnicity, gender, nationality, orientation, race, religion, or sex. Life is never as simple or as complex as we first imagine and each of my stories reveals a truth about being human, or formally human, or never human, that has touched people from all walks of life. My writing is, however, for the mature reader. Note that I didn't say 'the adult reader'; age is not the only criteria for maturity. You must be willing to challenge yourself to enjoy literature of any substance or be left reading the same old ideas in the same worlds over and over again — stagnating your mind and soul in the process.
Consider this website a basic resource about my writing and about me. To learn more, explore my links or introduce yourself to me at a convention. I love talking to old fans and new ones. I love seeing that sparkle in someone's eyes when they thought my work 'wasn't for them' and then saw themselves reflected in my words or appreciated having their horizons expanded.
Are you ready to have your own boundaries pushed, your mind expanded, and your heart opened? Take my hand. I promise I won't bite...too hard.
Love, Peace, Hugs, Kisses, Whips & Chains,
— TammyJo Eckhart
How I Got My Start: Circlet and Cecilia
The following essay was written as part of the 25th anniversary of Circlet Press, my first publisher.
Circlet Press started me down the path toward becoming a published author, but more importantly, down the path of self-acceptance.
I met Cecilia Tan, founder and publisher of Circlet Press, back in the mid-1990s at an erotica reading night hosted on the campus of Columbia University by Conversio Virium, a kink group I helped form and served for three years. I met Laura Antoniou at the same event. At the end of the reading, I approached Cecilia and asked permission to submit a story for her publishing house. I didn't yet know about the formal processes of submitting work, but I followed her directions and submitted my first piece of fiction for pay.
I was so thrilled when the story I sent was chosen for inclusion in the 1995 anthology, S/M Futures: Erotica on the Edge. My story, "One Day in the Life of the Landfords," was the first in that collection. It was a story inspired by the rise of more evening news documentaries that examined a case or an individual for 1-2 days, an example of the writing challenges I often set for myself. I felt empowered by the belief that my work was strong enough to be put in that position.
In the next few years when people asked me to read that story out loud I relived that feeling of signing a contract and holding that book in my hands again and again.
Most publishers might have tried to keep a new author to themselves, but not Cecilia. I felt motivated when she suggested that I send more of my stories to Richard Kasak, who at that time was the head of one of the big erotica publishing houses right there in New York City. I emailed him and mentioned Cecilia in the letter. He asked me to send him what I had, so I sent him three stories I felt were finished. He invited me down to his office to talk. Kasak published my first two books.
I eventually went on to do books with Greenery Press and other publishers, too. I didn't forget Circlet, though, and they didn't forget me. I've been in two other Circlet anthologies, I've had a few microfictions on their website, and they published my trilogy, Beyond the Softness of His Fur. Cecilia also wrangled me an invitation to speak at Frolicon and let me bunk with her in the hotel. I have always felt that I could reach out to Cecilia and my editors at Circlet for advice.
Through the 20+ years I've been published, Cecilia has continued to encourage me. They were never angry at me for turning to other publishers, even when doing so turned out to be a big mistake. In fact, after my work appeared in vampire erotica anthologies, Cecilia told me that I should look for an agent, because my work deserved a bigger potential audience. I think she and my editors at Circlet would have published the book, but I took her advice, and I'm still waiting for some publisher to have the courage to take it from my agent's hands.
Cecilia might not have looked much like me, and our backgrounds were different, but when I heard her read, when I read her work, and when I talked with her, I found something very important: acceptance and diversity. The mid to late 1990s was a cooperative mixture of kinky folks as various clubs and organizations in the city shared educational materials, went to each others' events, and were just plain friendly with each other. But stereotypes existed, particularly in the porn that was coming out. My writing, my life, didn't fit neatly into that femdom stereotype.
Circlet Press was not and is not only a fantasy and science fiction publisher, but it actively looked for an array of sexualities, genders, races, ethnicities, and almost any other category a person might be defined as in the stories it puts out and the authors who create them. The bravery of Circlet was crystal clear to me when they accepted my idea for a trilogy about a future where animals have been genetically modified and trained to be slaves to humans. The story isn't about animal abuse; it is about what truly makes up humanity, and the power of love to create heroes willing to risk it all in the face of corruption at the highest levels. A less courageous publisher would have sent the idea back in disgust.
Circlet Press had the strength to take on Beyond the Softness of His Fur. They also had the kindness to give me time to recover from an injury and my mother's death, extending the deadlines for the trilogy's second and third books. My editor, Bethany Zaiatz, gave me good feedback that I know improved the trilogy. Beyond that, Bethany and Cecilia have both continued to encourage me as a writer. That means more than large royalty checks (though naturally those would be welcomed as well!).
I continue to read and enjoy Circlet books because I feel like I learn something new every time, while at the same time I feel reassured that it is okay to be me. I know if you read their books, you'll feel the same way no matter who you are. It is always difficult to imagine a new world without role models. Even those of us with good imaginations are influenced by what we see, hear, and experience. I get a lot of my world-crafting from my study of history. To reach more people, I need help from editors and publishers who also know that fiction has the power to encourage and educate as well as arouse.
