Gypsies Stole My Tequila is the new release from Adrienne Jones. Out from Bedlam Press, this novella is full of... well, wait -- let me back up.

I know Adrienne Jones. This review is going to be as unbiased as I can make it, as will the interview below. Just up front, though -- I know her, and she's good people. But outside of that she's written a novella that knocked my socks off. Seriously. I got no socks on right now. Barefoot. Because of a novella.

Gypsies Stole My Tequila is one of those stories that you read while sitting uncertain as to what it is. Is it a horror story? A comedy? A fictional look at the effects of fame? A study in the power of music? The truth is it's all of those at once. Jones isn't afraid to mix and match bits of whatever genre helps her story the most. Because what matters the most to her is story, and that tightly held belief shines through every page of this coming-of-advanced-age story.

Joe Blood, the lead of the story, is an ageing punk legend. He is trying to move forward in his own life, but life isn't what he wanted it to be. It never is, is it? So Joe, wrapped up in either his own madness or that of a demon, strikes back. And is stricken. A lot of stricken, truth be told.

Joe, his scooter Road Bastard, and his friends have to find a way to be themselves, find themselves, and in some cases, save themselves. The only way they know how! ... They don't know how.

Which is the point. Who among us does know how? How do we find out? Where does this fucked up life lead any of us? Ya' know, the usual questions. And they're big questions to ask for a novella. Jones lives up to them and even exceeds them. You'll laugh and cringe and want to cheer and then laugh and wince. All within a few pages.

Because Gypsies Stole My Tequila is just that good. I'm actually a little jealous of it, and of Jones. It's a story I wish I could write as well as she does. There's a life and spark to it that make me smile. She's a damn fine writer, and she's gifted us with a damn fine novella.

Below you'll find a small chat between her and myself.

Adam P. Knave: When did you start writing?

Adrianne Jones: First grade -- I won a Valentine's Day poetry contest, first prize out of grades 1 through 5. It was a big deal, but unfortunately I was as uncomfortable before live humans then as I am now, so when I had to read it on the radio, it sounded a bit like a mouse having an asthma attack.

APK: And when did you first decide that you would do it as a career choice?

AJ: I've always sort of danced around it, freelanced here and there, but I guess I started getting “serious” about fiction writing about five years ago when I wrote The Hoax. It started out as an experiment, but the story wouldn't stop writing itself, so I just kept going. Then one day I realized I had a novel. A big, sloppy, disorganized novel at the time, but it gave me my first sense of, "Hey, this is cool. I just created a world. I AM GOD HERE!"

APK: Who are some of your favorite authors and books?

AJ: It's hard for me to think of favorites, so I'll just name a few that did something for me. A Separate Peace by John Knowles, The Wasp Factory? by Ian Banks, The Restraint of Beasts by Magnus Mills, The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, Damage by Josephine Hart, and The Hogfather by Terry Pratchett. It's always been a mixed bag.
 
APK: You mix genres, never staying in one place long enough to be pinned down. What is it about that mash-up of genre notes that appeals to you?

AJ: I get asked this question a lot, and the truth is, I didn't know I was mixing genres until I started reading other people's reviews of my work. I've always just written the stories I wanted to write, and didn't really think about genre. But apparently I'm some sort of mutant crossbreed. I can live with that.

APK: Though you do mix and match genre pieces, do you have a favorite genre to read?

AJ: Lately I've been reading a lot of humor, but it really depends on my mood. I love paranormal fiction in any form, be it horror, fantasy, or science fiction, but at the end of the day I just love reading good writing and good stories.

APK: You tend to favor male leads in your stories. Is there a reason behind it?

AJ: Heh, I do, don't I? I'm not one hundred percent sure why I'm more comfortable writing men, but I am. I spend a lot of time around men, always have. My brother and I are very close in age, and I grew up observing him and his friends for years. Most of my closest friends are male, and I guess I find male relationships fascinating in that they're so different from what society would have you believe. Popular culture presents this image of men as these doddering, Fred Flintstone types that lack substance and emotion, but that's so far from the truth. Men get angry at each other, feel jealousy, betrayal, affection, regardless of sexual orientation. They're complex beings, and maybe I like exploring and revealing that side of them. The gender stereotypes cut both ways.

APK: In Gypsies Stole My Tequila there are a number of twists and turns in the plot. Were these thought out well beforehand or off the cuff?

AJ: As with everything I write, it was about half and half. I did some basic planning of the story I wanted to write, but during the process, Joe Blood kind of took over and did his own thing. Outlines can be helpful to get you started in a certain direction, but I believe in smashing them to tiny bits once the story starts flowing.

APK: Why an ageing BritPunk? Did the Ramones not touch you in a special place enough?

AJ: Yes, the Ramones touched me in a special place. I had to go to the doctor and get shots afterward. As for Joe Blood, I wanted him to be the ultimate anarchist, so that the mundane life he devolved to would have a greater contrast. A former punk rock star was the perfect springboard for that. As far as him being British, I think that was spill off from that particular year. I'd been to England several times, and spent time in different regions with friends of friends. I found a particular group's dialect amusing and charming, so I kind of injected that into Joe Blood. When I look back to the short stories I wrote that year, I find several of them were set in England, so maybe I was off on an Anglo kick at the time.

APK: What is it about Joe Blood that drew you to him as a character?

AJ: Joe is a misfit, and that's something I can relate to and think everyone can to some degree. But as out of place as he is in the world, he is who he is, and that's the transition he has to make -- not to conform to his surroundings, but to become confident with his own skin.

APK: Gypsies Stole My Tequila is about friendship, age and purpose in life. It's also about a scooter. Why a scooter?

AJ: I'm not sure where Road Bastard came in; that scooter turned into a kind of character in its own right! It's a junky old thing, barely runs, stalls out all the time. I suppose it added to Joe's state of degradation, a kind of “look how the mighty have fallen” feature in his life. But ironically, Joe loves the pile of junk, so maybe it's an extension of the character.

APK: Do you play music?

AJ: I do not, but I grew up around it; all of my uncles were musicians, and they used to bring instruments to the house and spend the afternoon jamming. I've always been drawn to musicians, as I think many people are. If I'd lived in Medieval times, I'd definitely have run off with a minstrel.

APK: What are some of your most loved bands?

AJ: Lately I listen to classic jazz almost exclusively, but over the years I've been into everything from doom metal to reggae. I think my favorite era of music was the dawn of New Wave, that whole checkerboard shoes, chalk-striped pants, geek chic thing that was happening with artists like Joe Jackson and Elvis Costello.

APK: Take a second and pitch Gypsies Stole My Tequila to people.

AJ: Gypsies Stole My tequila is one of those stories where you're not sure if the character is losing his mind, or if something supernatural is happening, and it's ultimately up to the reader to decide. I've had readers comment to me on how frightening they thought the demon was, while others almost defensively insist that it was simply a metaphor for fear of aging. Mostly it's a black comedy, and the main character is a goofball compilation of a few eccentric people I've known in my life.

APK: Do you like the idea of writing sequels and if so, is there more to tell about Joe Blood?

AJ: I do like the idea of writing sequels, and am currently in the middle of writing a sequel to my novella Temple of Cod. Joe Blood's story, however, has been told. I think Gypsies Stole My Tequila is a nice tightly wrapped package from start to conclusion, and there really isn't anything more I can do with it. I kicked the shit out of him, then kissed his boo-boos and sent him on his way. He's all done.