Chapter 1: What inspired Jane Laboucane to create Nancy Screw?
The Last Show with David Cooper, where we utilize nonlinear reverse inverse backward thinking protocols. It sounds like this. Imagine Nancy Drew, the iconic, fearless, young, amateur detective. Now imagine her a little different, working as a dominatrix named Nancy Screw.
Well, that is what you can read in the book Nancy Screw in the case of the Dirty Benjamins that is available wherever books are sold. I am here with that book's author, Jane Laboucain, who's an indigenous writer living in Toronto. Jane, what a pleasure it is to have you on the show. Thank you for having me.
You have taken Nancy Drew, the epitome of buttoned up virtue, and you have turned her, in your book, into Nancy Screw. At what point do you realize I'm either onto something genius here or perhaps career ending?
I think genius. I mean, the idea came about after several drinks over Christmas with my family. We have a fantastic sense of humor. And that's actually where the series started, was just riffing off of my mother, father, brother-in-law, sister. So I think it's a great time.
Chapter 2: How does Nancy Screw's character differ from Nancy Drew?
I've had a lot of great feedback on it. People think it's just fun, campy, over the top. And that's exactly what I was aiming for.
You did something dangerous riffing with the family. Those had to be there moments when you take them and you translate them into art, whether it's comedy or writing. It's always a risk, right? In this case, I think the risk paid off, though.
Absolutely. I also would not necessarily qualify that as a risk when it comes to my family. I would say it's more of a good time.
All right, well, let's talk about the good times that Nancy Screw has in your book. She makes her living as a dominatrix and as a private investigator, which is, I think, relatable to most people. A lot of people hustle multiple jobs. Do those jobs require the same core skill? Like, is reading clients as a dominatrix the same as, you know, reading people and discovering clues of crimes?
Chapter 3: What unique skills does Nancy Screw use as a dominatrix and detective?
Absolutely. I think the qualities bleed over into both of her jobs. So there's one, you need to be able to read your clients. When you're investigating different cases, you need to be able to read potential what's the word that I'm looking for.
People that you're investigating, you know, you might have some curiosity about some people, maybe they're telling the truth, you know, what you need to say in order to basically get your answers.
So tell me about some of her adventures in the book. Is there power play? Is there what's going on?
So she is hired by a woman who has invested a substantial sum of money into these brothers private equity fund. So the name of the book, The Case of the Dirty Benjamins, it's not referring to money. It's actually referring to two people.
twin brothers named baron and theodore benjamin so she's investigating the dirty bench that is courtesy of my brother la i thought it was a phenomenal um sort of title for a book so kind of built the story around that
That's also slang for cashier in the U.S., Benjamin Franklin, so there's a lot of pun there.
That is exactly. So it's, not to get too far ahead, but each of the titles in the series is something kind of cheeky, double entendre.
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Chapter 4: What adventures does Nancy Screw embark on in her investigations?
The next title in the series my mom actually came up with, and it is Nancy's Screw in the Case of the Pearl Necklace. So props to my mother for that one.
And no double entendre there because that would not be safe for radio. It's just literal pearls that people wear that could go stolen. Yes. What kind of trouble does she get into as a detective? And then I got to ask, what kind of trouble does she get into as a dominatrix?
So as a detective, she kind of skirts the edge of danger, kind of thing. She plays with it. She likes to put a toe over the line of what is considered legal. She's really unapologetic. To give you maybe an idea of the types of things that she gets into, her promise to her clients is that she'll do whatever it takes to solve the case. But privately...
She also promises to do whomever it takes to solve the case. So that might give you some kind of idea.
Chapter 5: How does humor play a role in Nancy Screw's stories?
Okay, I've got that. And then what does a dominatrix like Nancy Screw do in her evenings? Are we just having clients and kind of, I don't know, getting the whip out and the leather and all that kind of stuff?
Yes. So I would say it's more light types of BDSM, and it's more used for comic relief as opposed to anything else. So she has clients who have particular, say, affinities for different types of things that they're into. So there's one person who's into sensory deprivation. There's one person who's into being humiliated. So there's a lot of opportunities just to have a ton of fun with that.
No, I think that's great. Let's be honest here. What's more intimidating to write convincingly, like as an author? You know, a corporate crime, finance, detective mystery, or a mild kink scene?
So the mild kink scenes are a ton of fun. What is more difficult to write, I would say, is the erotica.
Chapter 6: What challenges does Jane Laboucane face in writing erotica?
I don't know if you've ever given it a try, but I would highly encourage you to because what you typically come out with the first draft is pretty entertaining. Not something that you would want to publish necessarily, but good for a laugh.
Okay, and then how do we go from kind of a good for a laugh style to a fully written book that people like?
A lot of editing, a lot of editing. I can tell you I have lots of friends who like to write. What I always say is my first draft of anything is typically an absolute dumpster fire. So maybe by the seventh or eighth draft, you come away with something you're happy with. So it's really a lot of process, leaving it, coming back, taking a look at it.
In addition to that, one of the things that I really enjoy doing is I am a huge people watcher. Nothing creepy, but there's nothing I enjoy more than just sitting back, maybe in a bar, coffee shop, observing people doing what they're doing. Sometimes you'll hear people Maybe a snatch of a conversation. Maybe it's a particular way somebody is standing or dressed.
And you take things that you just see in your everyday life and things that happen to you, maybe friends, family, yourself, and incorporating them into your writing.
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Chapter 7: How has the audience responded to Nancy Screw's character?
So I think that that adds a lot of just interest into the stuff that you're writing.
All right, back to Nancy Screw. You've taken a beloved character from people's childhood, Nancy Drew, and you've turned it sexy, weird, different. I say that all positively, but there must be people that, you know, just kind of receive your work and hear about your work and they're like, what is going on? What has some of the response been?
So I would say, so prior to Nancy Scu, I wrote a book called 50 Worth Stage, which was based on my own dating experience. It is, I would say, rated R, certainly. And I had very similar reception with that book. So I found people either love it, they absolutely get my sense of humor, or they despise it so much that they are sending me some of the most brutal hate mail you have ever received.
So it's really, I haven't had any really in between. It's either you love it, you think it's fantastic and entertaining, or you are demanding your money back after you spend two paragraphs insulting me.
Look, I think as an artist, if you can count your diehard fans, like people who love you and get you and live and breathe you and really, really, you know, are just crazy about your work. If you can count the number of people who are like that on one hand, you're doing fine. And that's much better than having thousands of people who kind of know who you are, but don't care.
You know, I mean, she writes books.
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Chapter 8: What themes are explored in the Nancy Screw series?
I know she is, but I don't care. So I think you're doing pretty good. Not to say that your fans are small in number. I'm just saying passionate fans are what you want. Um, any other things you would want to say about Nancy screw to, to give us a little window into these books if we were to read them?
Absolutely. So I don't think I actually finished explaining. I got on a bit of a tangent, but explaining what The Dirty Vengeance is actually about. So she's approached by somebody who has invested $20 million into a fund, a private equity fund for the Benjamin brothers, Barrett and Theodore Benjamin. But she thinks something might not be quite right. So she hires Nancy and
to look into the brothers. And so Nancy spends the novel investigating along with her sidekick. So she has an elderly sidekick who's also her neighbor, that 75-year-old woman named Mrs. Jones. And so they go on these little adventures trying to figure out kind of what's going on. So there are illegal gambling rings. There are some nods to Toronto.
with regards to some illegal business in the trucking industry. So she goes along, she figures out the case, and along the way she may seduce a few characters and use some maybe unethical methods to kind of get what she needs.
Unethical, but perhaps sexy is what you're saying.
Absolutely.
All right, well, that book is called Nancy Screw and the Case of the Dirty Benjamins. I'm here with its author, Jane Laboucain, who's an indigenous writer living in Toronto. You can find that book wherever books are sold. Jane, thanks for telling me about your story and having a conversation about your writing. I appreciate you coming on the show.
Thank you so much for having me.
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