So excited to bring you our July SOTM interviews! Hope you guys are staying nice and cool wherever you are. :)

First up, our Author of the Month: hulettwyo

Tell us how you got into Buffy the show and Buffy fanfic.

First, I want to say a million-billion thank yous to the person who nominated me!  Oh, the scream I scrumpt when I got that email!

I was aware of the show and vaguely aware of the characters, but I didn’t properly watch the show until 2010 when I was 38 years old.  It was on the TV in the living room, and I wasn’t really paying attention because I was dinking around on my laptop.  I asked, “Why’s that guy in a wheelchair if he’s a vampire?”  Back to season one, episode one we went, and I watched it all the way through two or three times.  I wanted more of that world and those characters, so I started reading fanfic, then I started writing it, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

For my first story (trying desperately not to cringe – I’m reworking it and will eventually post the new version), the question, “What could’ve happened if Spike hadn’t burned up in the Hellmouth?” popped into my head and wouldn’t go away.  I typed out a rough first chapter and thought it would, but it didn’t, so I kept typing.

My ideas for my other stories came from random places.  Songs, bits of TV shows, movies, or books, one idea came from a meme I saw on Facebook, and one was a Spuffyfied rework of a funny post I saw somewhere about waxing your hoo-ha.  I’ve written one story from a prompt about mind-reading, another story came from a discussion in a chat room when Ghost of the Robot was doing Stage-It shows, one came from a Spike statue I used to have, and one came from walking around the carnival that comes to town each June.  Most times, I’ll see, read, or hear something and think, “I can totally make that Spuffy,” and off I go.

Who is your favorite character to write and why?

Spike is my favorite character of all time.  There’s just so much you can do with him.  In my stories, he’s an abused teen, the Master of the Hellmouth, a wealthy businessman, a vampire prostitute, a recovering addict, a drummer, a sex slave, a time-traveler, an agoraphobe, a boyfriend for rent, a carny, and a celebrity bodyguard, among others. 

My muse does love to torture the poor guy – he’s so damn pretty when he’s hurting – but I do try to make my muse give him some happiness and comfort.

Which story of yours are you most proud of and which was the hardest to write?

Trying to pick a favorite story is like trying to pick a favorite child.  Probably ‘Service Unit’ or ‘Coming Through’ for my Spike is a vampire stories.  I’m rather partial to ‘Not Long to Wait’ as well, although that’s Spike/Dawn and not Spuffy.  For my Spike is a human stories, probably ‘Oblivious’ or ‘Clean Slate’ or ‘It’s Easy Time, Until It’s Not.’  It’s really hard to choose.

The hardest to write, as far as researching and hoping I’m not completely screwing everything up, is probably ‘Bruises.’  It’s been a minute since I was a teenager, so trying to write how teens would act or react is a bit difficult.

As a writer, what would you have changed on the show and why?

I’d have yeeted Angel out of Sunnydale long before the end of season three.  Not that I don’t like Angel, I just really really don’t like him with Buffy.  And bringing his brooding butt back in season seven to basically undo all the Spuffy would not have happened.  I also wouldn’t have killed Tara because she's fricking awesome and I love her.

THANK YOU SO MUCH! We are so glad to have you at SAD! You are amazing and we appreciate you!! 

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Next up is our Commenter of the Month: VioletMoon

Tell us how you got into Buffy the show and Buffy fanfic.

Getting into the show was such a journey, so forgive me if I get long-winded.  BtVS premiered when I was in high school, but I couldn't get into it even though I had loved the movie. I gave up after the first episode, but I vaguely knew of Buffy and Angel's romance, and thought it made for an interesting story.

Fast forward to 2006 - I had just finished binging the amazing Farscape, and was looking for a new fantasy show to love.  Bones was on the air at the time, and I was enjoying David Boreanaz’s role so much, that it made me curious to see him portray a vampire. I went on YouTube to watch some clips, but I kept seeing scenes of Buffy and Spike (and obviously, we know how amazing they are, so I was very intrigued). 

And then a friend of mine had sent me her old BtVS videotapes to watch, and this time I got hooked immediately. I ordered all the DVDs right after. 
I became obsessed. I knew all the lyrics to the OMWF soundtrack, before I even got to the third season, kind of obsessed. The love for that show, and Spuffy, hit me really hard. 

As for fanfiction - I was already reading and writing fic for another show (Third Watch). Members from that community were actually the ones who had recommended Farscape and Bones, and had also sent me the Buffy VHS tapes. So I feel like this all paved the way to the BtVS fandom.  

I mainly read Spuffy fics now...and the reason I started reading them is because I wanted more :) I still do. I want to see them have the happy ending they deserve, but also see explorations of them in other universes, angsty scenarios, comedies, etc. I  just want it all!

What motivates you to leave comments?

• I want the author to know that someone is reading and enjoying their hard work. 
• I’m being provided with free entertainment about two of my favorite characters of all time. You bet I’m going to appreciate that and leave you some love. 
• If I feel any sort of emotion - sadness, happiness, comfort, etc. 
• Even if one line sticks out for me - something romantic, a joke, a haunting description, etc. I want to make sure I highlight that line and comment about it. 

This also goes for artists and their art work! I've definitely squeed over art that has been posted here. 

Do you also write or are you strictly a reader?

I also write! Which is another reason why I love commenting - I want to give an author/artist the same giddiness and motivation that I get each time I receive a new comment. 

This also ties in to what motivates me to leave comments  - for me, writing is very personal, and putting myself out there could be scary. So when I receive kind words on something I bared a piece of my soul on, it makes me really happy. And I want to be able to give that back. 

Were you a lurker before you started leaving comments or did you comment right away?

I can't really remember, but I think I started leaving comments pretty early on. I definitely remember being so excited when I first discovered fanfic, it just felt like a whole different world. 

How important is it to receive a reply from the writer when you leave a comment?

Not very, because I totally understand that life gets busy (I even have a bunch of comments that I haven’t replied to yet).  But I do love the interactions and reading the author's responses, especially when they give an insight into what they wrote. 

Thank you thank you thank you, VioletMoon! We love having you here and you bring so much to the community! 

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And that's a wrap! Hope you're all having a great summer! Hydrate! :) 

Chelle, Dusty, GetItDone, and GriefCounseling