Kage Alan is the author of the humorous novel, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to My Sexual Orientation, just released by Zumaya Publications. His other books include Honor Unbound and Lord of the Loins. In this interview, he talks about his work, the writing process, negative criticism, and his fears and passions as an author.

Thanks for this interview, Kage. Why don’t you begin by telling us a little about yourself?

Well, I was born in a tiny village named Gershtitzleblitzen, which can be found on the cusp of the Norwegian Alps. The nuns at the convent who raised me during my formative years were very sweet and insisted that I was a shining beacon of hope in the universe who would one day... No, wait… A shining beacon of evil. That was it. Evil. Words like that tend to blend together after you turn 30.

Actually, I was born in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, and am proud to be a well-adjusted only child. It was fairly evident early on that the only way I was going to make it through adolescence was for my inner child and I to become very well acquainted. Unfortunately, he tends to be a bit of a smart alec and I learned from his example. High school was a fairly horrific experience and it wasn’t until I attended Grand Valley State University that I learned to channel my energy and ideas into something more readable. That, combined with parents who have always supported my efforts, a partner who enjoys giving me funny looks while allowing me the use of his credit card while supporting my efforts, and friends who steadfast refuse to let anything ever go to my head while supporting my efforts, has settled into the epitome of dysfunctional perfection. Perplexing, isn’t it?

When did you decide you wanted to become an author?

Believe it or not, I can pinpoint the exact moment… maybe the general timeframe or, you know, year… when the writer in me first got in my face and future-quoted Britney Spears by asking “You wanna piece of me?” Imagine, Sicily 1920… Sorry, wrong show. It was 1976 and a local theatre was showing a Shaw Brothers movie from the mysterious orient — that place where technology comes from generally a year or two before we see it here — called Infra-Man. He was a lot like Ultra-Man, only his first name was Infra, which is the only way to tell them apart on paper. My inner child took one look at Infra-Man and decided that the only way to ensure there was a sequel was if I wrote it. Yes, I get to do all the work.