Josh Vogt Finds more creative uses for feather dusters in the second installment of The Cleaners, The Maids of Wrath.
Welcome Josh, You keep yourself busy as an SFWA member, Editor and a freelance writer, what do you find yourself doing in your free time? Do you even have any free time?
Strangely, yes, I do somehow manage to find free time—though, admittedly, much of that gets split between reading and more writing, since they’re things I still love to do to relax. Other activities include training for mud run obstacle course like the Spartan or Tough Mudders, very amateur fly fishing, cooking, or game nights with friends.
What inspired you to create Enter the Janitor and The Maids of Wrath?
The title, Enter the Janitor, popped into my head during a brainstorming session and I immediately thought of putting a fantasy spin on the idea. Once I had the main concept, creating a world populated by sanitation workers with magical powers developed oddly easily.
Could you give a summary of the first book in The Cleaners series, Enter the Janitor?
In the first book, Dani, a germaphobic college student, stumbles across an old janitor using strange powers to dispatch a nasty monster that has popped up in the ladies room of the university library. More than a little freaked out, she manifests previously unknown powers that get her “recruited” by the Cleaners, a secret supernatural sanitation company that keeps the world safe from magical muck and corruption. The janitor, Ben, is also tasked to act as her mentor—something he’s certainly not happy about.
The second book in the series, The Maids of Wrath, Could you tell us about it?
During an equipment training session at the Cleaners, a maid goes berserk and actually tries to kill her sparring partner with feather dusters (magical feather dusters, of course). As more emotionally erratic outbursts happen, the Cleaners have to figure out the cause before every last one of them succumbs to it, and their whole organization is shut down.
Could you describe for us a little about the character Dani, what would she rather be doing if not cleaning up supernatural messes?
Dani started out as a medical student, wanting to go into the research side of that career path to do what she could to cure diseases. She’s continued her studies sporadically, and is sometimes torn between that former path and her new duties as a Cleaner, which could let her protect the world from germs and whatnot—though more magically augmented germs that manifest as monsters the size of trucks.
If approached by Hollywood about The Cleaner series, would you ever consider signing a movie deal?
I’m always open to that. I think it would work well as a TV series or an online show than a movie, perhaps. I don’t know any authors who wouldn’t at least consider it!
What about some of the other characters in the story, Could you tell a little about Ben, Dani’s coconspirator?
When you first meet Ben, he’s an old janitor with a crusty attitude and sense of humor. He’s world-weary, for a variety of reasons, but he’s also one of those guys who is loyal when he feels you deserve it. He doesn’t give up, even when he might be in over his head, and truly believes in the work he does. Funny thing is, I’ve had numerous readers come up and tell me, “This guy…he works in my school/hospital/office building!” It’s fun to have a character people can recognize and feel is authentic.
With The Maids of Wraths Completion, is it too soon to ask if there is anything you could tell us about a third book in The Cleaners series?
Book #3 is currently titled The Dustpan Cometh, and I’m wrapping it for edits pretty soon! It should be out either later this year or early next (perhaps at Emerald City Comic Con). At the moment, I can say the Cleaners face the return of an old foe—but in a highly unexpected context. There’s also another antagonist I’ve had fun playing with, while also adding to some of the mysteries underlying the main plots so far.
Other than The Cleaners series, you are also the author of the Pathfinder Tales. I would also like to know a little about that story. Will we be seeing more stories containing this setting?
My Pathfinder Tales novel, Forge of Ashes, follows a female dwarven barbarian who returns home after being away for a decade and finds her family disgraced and in ruins. She’s determined to discover how this happened and restore her family’s honor, but in doing so, uncovers a far nastier, far older plot that could bring about unexpected devastation. Lots of fighting and mayhem in this one! I’d love the chance to write another Pathfinder novel, and hope to do so. In the meantime, if you go to http://paizo.com/pathfinder/tales/serial, you can find a bunch of free short stories, including The Price Paid, a prequel piece to Forge of Ashes.
What would be the one piece of advice that you would pass on to anyone wishing to publish a novel?
If what’s you really want, then don’t give up. Rejection will happen, but you have to keep going, keep writing, and keep getting better. Perseverance can make all the difference.
Would you like to take this moment to thank someone special in your life, maybe someone who has inspired you?
I will raise a toast to the late Terry Pratchett, whose work made me laugh until I cried, but also encouraged me to consider a lot of new perspectives on life. His humor inspired me to bring more of the same into my own writing, something I always work to improve.
Also, a thanks to my mother, Beth Vogt, who is an award-winning author, editor, and someone I’ve loved sharing this writing adventure with.
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If you would like to read more about Josh Vogt, The Cleaners series, or dive into the many resources that he makes available fledgling writers, visit him at jrvogt.com. Make sure to remember to take your mop with you.
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Interview by Daniel Abbott – SFFWorld.com © 2016
