Corpses, Candles & Cauldrons: The Magical Mysteries of M.R. Sellars
Interview by MICHAEL SAMHAIN

Initially ignored by the Pagan community, M. R. Sellars has become one of the most popular authors of Pagan-oriented fiction. His mysteries feature amateur detective Rowan Gant, an out-of-the-closet practicing Witch, and incorporate many themes and ideas common to modern Paganism. Since the publication of Harm None in 2000, Sellars has received critical acclaim - as well as not a few protests from within the Pagan community. Following the success of Harm None, Sellers continued the series with "Never Burn a Witch" (2001), "Perfect Trust" (2002), "The Law of Three" (2003), and the newest Rowan Gant mystery, Crone's Moon, just out this fall.

Sellars lives in St. Louis, Missouri, where I recently talked with him about the ups and downs of being an author visible to the Pagan community as well as an out-of-the-closet Witch within the mystery writer community.

newWitch: What was the impetus for Rowen Gant, and why did you decide to make him a Witch?
M.R. Sellars: I've been writing as long as I can remember and have had a few short stories published over the years. But I eventually gave up on fiction and went into IT (Information Technology) for my living. However, I never lost my love for writing and continued to jot down ideas. One day as I was going through some of my old files, I ran across a partially finished manuscript - a science fiction mystery with a Pagan twist to it. It was an absolutely horrible story, but it sparked an idea.

I thought, "I really like mysteries and thrillers, and lots of other people do, too. What if I write a thriller with Witchcraft and Paganism as the twist? With Paganism as part of the story, I can sneak up behind people who don't know anything about it and smack them upside the head. Maybe they'll enjoy the sotyr, and learn a little bit, too." This ride rolled around in my head for another couple of months, and one Friday night I came home from work and went upstairs to my office and started writing. Six months later, Harm None was born.

How did you get started on your Pagan path?
My mother was a Witch, but she kept it hidden because of the era. My father was a secular humanist. My parents were all about me being exposed to whatever I was interested in. As a child, I was taken to Pentecostal churches, Baptist churches, I even went once to High Mass on Christmas Eve at a Catholic church and it was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. In my early teens, I developed an interest in Pagan paths and Wicca. I bounced around; I did a lot of solitary stuff and was helped along by my mother. I studied more, became more diligent, and went on from there. I'm a kitchen Witch, really.

"Harm None" was not well-received by the Pagan community at first. Why is that?
When Harm None hit the streets, I could not give it away - to Pagans, that is. They saw the cover - the words, "All Is Forgiven," a big red pentacle, and a blurb on the back with the words, "murderous Satan-worshipping witches" - and they all thought I was going to make Pagans look bad. So I bought 250 copies of the book, sent emails to festival organizers around the country, and told them I'd send them a signed copy of the book to put out for raffles or whatever. As a result, people started reading the book and recognizing my name; eventually I was able to get a couple of online journals to review it. Those 250 books were the best investment I ever made and now I have some fanatical fans.

What other challenges have you faced?
Once, during a phone call with my New York editor, I was informed that I had to change several things in the book. It really tore me up when I started looking at the suggested changes: they said, "The cats need to talk;" "Rowan needs to cast a spell on the bad guy and make him freeze;" and my favorite, "Rowan needs to fly on a broom." Basically, what they wanted was Harry Potter meets Charmed. Then I was told that I hadn't researched my witchcraft enough. I almost dropped the phone. Then I said, "What do you mean, researched my witchcraft? Have you read my bio?" The editor said, "Yeah, but you practice the wrong kind of witchcraft."
Another challenge is that I'm a cross-genre writer, and no one knows how to categorize my books. Many bookstores just don't have my books at all - but if they did, they might be shelved in Paganism, mystery, science fiction/fantasy or even horror. So keep looking!

Do you feel responsible to the Pagan community?
Absolutely! When you get tagged as a "Big Name Pagan" and you go to the festivals, people look to you for guidance. Some people take to heart anything that comes out of my mouth. That's actually pretty scary! I feel a responsibility because I am a public figure. If I'm at a festival and the media shows up, the event organizers grab me by the ear and trot me out there and I'm expected to look good and be a representative of the community.

Who is your biggest influence?
Dorothy Morrison. She walks the walk, and she doesn't get down on people for having a different view of the religion. She might debate it with you, but she won't think any less of you because of your views. She's been a mentor, even though we are two completely different types of writers, and she's the kind of Witch I aspire to be.

How did the two of you meet?
It was during that tough period I spoke of before when Harm None had been on the streets for six months and I was having a hell of a time getting Pagans to pick up the book. I got myself invited to The Real Witches Ball in Columbus, Ohio. Dorothy Morrison was a headliner; I was already a fan of her work, but had never met her.

The day came for my presentations and, to be honest, I was nervous. I looked up and saw that I was getting a fairly respectable attendance, relaxed, and went back to inspecting my notes. A few moments later, I turned around and there, sitting in the front row, was Dorothy Morrison. I vapor-locked! But then I got myself together, told myself to "suck it up" and pretend she wasn't there, and that is what I did. I proceeded to give a rip- roaring workshop on "Paganism and Its Treatment in Modern Fiction." In the end, I got a standing ovation, countless handshakes, and even a few hugs from some of the ladies.

Needless to say, I was feeling pretty good about myself. That is, until Morrison walked up to me and, with that head-cocked-to-the-side-posture and sweet Texas drawl, she said, "Mister Sellars, when you're finished here, come back to the dealer's room and see me at my table." I felt like I had just been called to the office by the principal. So, I did the only thing I could do - I went to the dealer's room, shuffled up to Morrison's table and meekly said, "Ms. Morrison, you wanted to talk to me?" The next thing I knew, she was grinning ear-to-ear, telling me to pull up a chair, and pouring me a drink. Since then, Dorothy and I have become the best of friends.

Where do you hope to go from here?
What I would really love to do is get on the Bestseller's list and make enough cash so I could buy all those nice things for my wife and daughter without having a part-time job. I don't need a mansion, though!
I have also considered going back to college. I never got a degree, but I've just always thought that getting a degree in English, a teaching certificate, a tweed jacket and a pipe, then landing a job somewhere as an old crudgemudgen English teacher would be cool. Whether or not that'll happen, I don't know. I do know that I'll continue to write!

You can learn more about M. R. Sellars at his website at www.mrsellars.com.

Michael Samhain is a freelance writer living in the St. Louis metro area, where he and his family share their home with two overly possessive and extremely jealous cats. He can be reached at samhain@worldnet.att.net.