Authors Interviewing Characters: S.E. McPherson
S.E. McPherson Interviews Characters
Logan Cardot technically doesn’t exist. According to the Black Lapels—the soldiers who run his country—and their Swordsman church, he should never have been born.
In Wanted Boys, the first book in the same-named adult queer dystopian series by S.E. McPherson, Logan is kidnapped by the Black Lapels who imprisoned his parents, and now must navigate a world very different from the basement where he spent the first seventeen years of his life. Fortunately, he meets Jace: a master liar who plans to carve out a place for them to live peacefully in love together.
S.E. McPherson: Logan, why don’t you introduce yourself and tell us where you are now?
Logan Cardot: Hi. I’m the, uh, “unnatural” kid who’s not supposed to exist, I guess. [Chuckling shyly] They brought me to Childers’ Coast, a home for boys born unlicensed like me. I thought it would be hard to fit in, but the guys have been great, actually. Especially Jace. He’s sort of taken me under his wing and tried to—
Jace Evans: [Interrupting] Hey, what’s all this about? You interrogating Homeschool? He doesn’t like attention, you know.
SEM: Hello there, Jace. It’s a friendly interview. Nothing to concern yourself about.
Jace: [Pulling another chair over next to Logan’s with a squeal of metal and grinning] You won’t mind me sitting in, then, yeah?
SEM: I’m sure I haven’t the faintest chance of stopping you. Logan was just telling me how you’ve tried to make his transition to Childers’ Coast easier.
Jace: Didn’t have to do much. Homeschool’s all brains. Did he tell you how easily he slipped into the crew for our little midnight raids? He’s a better partner in crime than anyone else at ChilCo.
Logan: I thought it might be best not to publicize the criminal activities.
Jace: Eh, you worry too much. She won’t tell on us, will ya, Scribbles? Oh, you don’t mind nicknames, do you?
SEM: I suppose not. You two take a significant risk, carrying out “criminal activities” at a home governed by Black Lapels. Are you worried about what they’d do to you if you were caught?
Logan: [Quietly] Yes.
Jace: They won’t mess with us. And if they do, well…I’ve been meaning to test out the bombs I’ve designed. I think I’ve got all the materials I need to take out a Lapel base, should I need to.
SEM: You’d fight soldiers?
Jace: [Laughing] I’ll fight anybody if they fu—uh, sorry, we allowed to cuss in here? If they mess with my family. Honestly, for what they’ve already done to Logan, the Lapels have earned it.
Logan: And for what they’ve done to Jace, the Swordsmen have earned death, too.
SEM: You’re referring to the Church of the Holy Sword, that you both attend on Sundays?
Logan: Mhmm. I mean, I attend under duress, but yeah, I’m talking about the psycho cult that runs this whole damn country.
Jace: Uh, we can argue about that one, I guess. I’m a Swordsman, and I don’t think the church has done anything particularly harmful to—
Logan: [Firmly] They have.
SEM: Given that the Swordsmen believe queer people are “unnatural” and should be illegal, I would think you’d both be happy to see the end of the theocracy.
Logan: Could you keep your voice down?! Nobody knows we’re [whispering] gay.
SEM: Oh, my audience is already aware you two are together. In fact, they’re rooting for you.
Jace: Is that so? [Smirking] Good. People with sense. We’ll be out of Hallsburg soon enough, and then we don’t have to hide anymore. I’m going to be an engineer, did you know? And Logan…what do you think, linguist? You speak enough languages.
Logan: [Shrugging] Maybe. That would be fine. Don’t really care, as long as we’re together.
SEM: This question is specifically for Logan. Do you foresee any difficulty in getting out of Hallsburg and building a life together?
Logan: I…yes. Yes. I’m not sure it’s possible, to be honest. I hope it is, but… I don’t know.
Jace: What do you mean, you don’t know? Of course we’ll get out of here. Of course we’ll have whatever life we damn well please. If I want something, nothing can stop me, and I want Logan. That’s all there is to it.
Logan: Jace has a lot of faith.
SEM: And you don’t?
Logan: I’ll fight for that future, but I know it’s a long shot. I know how hard it will be to carve a place for ourselves in the world. How violent, probably. But Jace is dangerous; if anyone can do it, he can.
Jace: [With a snort] I’m dangerous? Homeschool, you put me to shame. No one can stop us. You’re not scared, are you?
Logan: [Visibly lying] No. I’m not scared.
Follow the boy who’s afraid he’ll die alone, hiding from soldiers who believe he shouldn’t exist, and the boy who’s afraid of nothing and believes he and Logan can make a life together in Wanted Boys, available now. The Wanted Boys series is an adult queer dystopia where found family is the only thing that can save the boys who will change the world.
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S.E. McPherson (she/they) has been a writer of fantasy and speculative fiction since she was eight years old, binding books with a hole punch and tied yarn. While she took a brief two-decade detour into the career of a marketing executive and won many boring business writing awards, she’s found her way back to storytelling and illustration. Her debut novel A King’s Trust was named to Kirkus Reviews’ Top 100 Best Indie Books of 2025 and Best LGBTQ+ Indies of 2025.
Category: Interviews, On Writing
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