Calliope's Domain

REVIEW: Touched by an Alien by Gini Koch

2011-05-09T17:44:00.000-07:00

How can a sexy marketing manager join forces with an Alpha Centauri male in Armani to save the planet-using hairspray, a Mont Blanc pen, and rock n' roll?

Easy...

She's Touched by an Alien

Marketing manager Katherine "Kitty" Katt steps into the middle of what appears to be a domestic dispute turned ugly. And it only gets uglier when the man turns into a winged monster, straight out of a grade-Z horror movie, and goes on a killing spree. Though Kitty should probably run away, she springs into action to take the monster down.

In the middle of the chaos a handsome hunk named Jeff Martini appears, sent by the "agency" to perform crowd control. He's Kitty's kind of guy, no matter what planet he's from. And from now on, for Kitty, things are going to be sexy, dangerous, wild, and out of this world.

Okay, so picture MEN IN BLACK gone Rom-Com and you're got a pretty good idea of what TOUCHED BY AN ALIEN is like. The heroine, Kitty Katt (who, no, is not a stripper), took the news that aliens landed some thirty years ago on Earth in stride. No, really. I mean, if this had been about vampires she would have freaked and there would have been questions about blood, immortality and souls, but aliens? She basically gives the equivalent of an emotional shrug and moves on to more pressing matters. Like the Bad Aliens trying to kill her. You ever read the ANIMORPHS series? Do you remember the Yeerks? Those slug-like things that would crawl inside people's ears and take them over? Well, imagine those except as jellyfish instead of slugs and instead of taking their hosts over these guys go for a timeshare. Yup, a time share. Well, if they actually manage to be successful, they go for a timeshare. If they're not successful...well, when these guys are in control they alter their host's form to look kinda like Frankenstein-gone-Animal-Kingdom so unsuccessful mergings tend to go, er, wild. When the latter happens, super secret alien agents are deployed to neutralize the buggers. If the former, the big bad hides, plots, fumes and next thing you know evil scheme is launched and super secret alien agents are deployed to neutralize the buggers. Like I said, very MIB.

And then there's Kitty. Like the back cover blurb says, she goes from mild mannered (HA! Not even!) marketing manager serving jury duty one day to BAM! being the target of alien assassins. Which is when the aforementioned super secret alien agents show up and Kitty's life goes the way of James Edwards, only with a SUCCESSFUL romantic plotline thrown in.

Now, just to be clear, I don't generally like Sci-Fi, but the sarcastic, funny tone Koch employs makes the whole alien thing inconsequential. It was a hilarious book and a great read. That being said, it wasn't a PERFECT book. Some of the events were just kinda...cliche. And at times Kitty just seemed too perfect, too smart, too everything, with everything lining up just a tad to easily. But overlook that and it's impossible not to enjoy it.

Best part? Hands down Kitty's first big battle where she faces off against the Superbeings for the first time. Totally knocks it out of the park and shows her mettle. You go girl!

Best line? "My crazy's working a lot better than your sanity."

My rating: ♥♥♥♥/5

INTERVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Angie Fox

2011-04-09T17:55:00.000-07:00

Alright boils and ghouls, at long last, I've another interview to share with everyone, as promised, and this one's pretty dang awesome.

Ladies and gents, let's welcome the lovely Angie Fox, author of the Demon Slayer series featuring Lizzie Brown and her fantastically unbelievable Jack Russel Pirate. Once upon a time, Lizzie was just your average run-of-the-mill preschool teacher until one day she wakes up and BAM! Her dog can talk, her biker witch Grandma shows up and whisks her off to fight the good fight because, oh by the way, she's a demon slayer, and then a mysterious, yummilicious bad boy pops up complete with his very own hidden agenda and things just go downhill from there.

But why am I blathering on about this when Ms. Fox can tell you all about this herself!

So, now without further adieu, enjoy! (Oh, and y'all did notice the "giveaway" part of this post's title, yes? Stay tuned after the interview for the deets!)

(1) So, I guess I may as well start with the basics: how exactly did Angie Fox break into the publishing world?

Very slowly. I’d been writing for seven years. During first five, I produced two books. Then I decided to focus harder and wrote my third book in just under a year. I was writing mystery/suspense and having a tough time of it. I’d outline, I’d write pages and pages of character notes, I’d force myself to do those little note cards. And I hate note cards. In retrospect, I was fighting my voice. I’d write these serious, research heavy chapters and then sneak off to read the latest Katie MacAlister book, or giggle through a few chapters of MaryJanice Davidson. It took a while for it to click and for me to realize that hmm…maybe I should write the kind of books I love to read.

I had this spark of an idea about a preschool teacher who is forced to run off with a gang of geriatric biker witches and The Accidental Demon Slayer was born. Instead of a 20-page plot outline, I had a 5-page list of ideas, one of which included “but little did they know, all the Shoney’s are run by werewolves.” Instead of following the rules, I broke a few. Instead of painstakingly writing over the course of a year, I grinned my way through the book and had a complete manuscript in five months.

The opening chapters did well in contests and caught the eye of an editor, who asked to see the whole thing. That same editor bought the book less than a week after I finished it. And I didn’t write one single note card.

(2) Your current series, the Accidental Demon Slayer series, is about a pre-school teacher who one day has her terrier start talking, her biker-witch grandma show up and a mysterious hottie come out of the wood work. At this point, there are four books released. Do you have a definite idea of where this series is going? Tied to this and “it depends on my publisher/sales” aside, have you an idea how long the series will be?

I know exactly where the series is going. It used to drive my editor nuts because we’d be editing book 2 she’d say, “what about X” and I’d say, “Oh we can’t do that because Y happens in book 4.” And it would.

The books were very well plotted out because I wanted the main character to have a complete journey, to come into her own as a demon slayer, so I had to plan out how that would span the books. That said, I also made sure each book is a complete story on its own. It drives me crazy as a reader to pick up a book and then learn it’s a middle book of a series and I’m hopelessly lost, so I will not do that in my books.

Oh and to get back to your original question, there will be four books total in the Accidental Demon Slayer series. I’d originally planned for five (and I may still write book 5) but after my publisher started having problems releasing their books, I decided to give the series a satisfying ending after book 4.

(3) The aforementioned mysterious hottie turns out not to be a vampire or a werewolf or even a dragon but a griffin from Greece. Of all the critters bouncing about there, why a griffin? Why Greece?
Have you seen how many hot men there are in Greece? I was there in 2002 and was blown away. I knew I had to write about a hot Greek.

As for why Dimitri is a griffin, I wonder why more paranormal authors don’t write about griffins. They’re strong, sexy and griffins are one of the only creatures who mate for life. In fact, the griffin was a symbol of marriage and fidelity in the early Christian church because they are so loyal and focused on love and family. What better hero is there than a man who is dedicated to family and wants to find one woman to love?

(4) How about the story itself – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?
Out of my warped brain. Seriously, sometimes I’ll think of an idea or make a character do something and it seems pretty reasonable to me. Then someone will say, “How do you even think of that?” Whoops.

But I will tell you this – I’m a big believer in really thinking things through before starting a book. I can’t tell you how many decent ideas I rejected before saying, “What if you had this accidental demon slayer…” Because you have to be 100% invested and downright entertained by the book you’re writing. As a reader, I can always tell the authors that love what they’re writing. And those are the ones I buy.

When a writer is invested in a book, the story evolves from there. Like when I sat down to write The Accidental Demon Slayer, I had no notes about a sidekick for my heroine. But in the second chapter, when she’d learned she was a demon slayer and all hell was after her, she took comfort in her dog. As I was writing, I thought, ‘This is a sweet moment. Now how do I throw her off?’ Simple. I made the dog say something to her. Nothing big. After all, he’s only after the fettuccine from last week. And he knows exactly where my heroine can find it (back of the fridge, to the left of the lettuce crisper, behind the mustard).

It amused me, so I did it. Thanks to her unholy powers, my heroine can now understand her smart-mouthed Jack Russell Terrier. I think the most important thing when you sit down to the keyboard is to be willing to follow your story in new directions, because if you’re enjoying the surprise, chances are your readers will too.

(5) Tale of Two Demon Slayers takes place in Greece as oppose to the US; have you been to Greece yourself? How was it making such a drastic change in setting?

I’ve been all over Greece and I absolutely love it. It’s a gorgeous country where you are literally tripping over history everywhere you look. It was a perfect place for an ancient griffin clan to live.

The drastic change in setting – to Greece – in A Tale of Two Demon Slayers worked really well because it was different. It made the book unique and it drew in a lot of readers who wanted that inside look at life on a Grecian island (The majority of the book takes place on Santorini). Plus it was a hoot to take the biker witches out of their element (Southern US dive bars) and plop them down in an exotic locale.

I’ve spent a lot of time on Santorini, so the details – from the wine they drink to the way the sandy soil feels under their feet – are as real as you can get.

(6) Is there any research that goes into your writing? How does that go? What sources do you use most?

I’ve had a ball with research for the Accidental Demon Slayer series. The biker witches ride Harleys, and I’d never been on a motorcycle before. Plus, I had to figure out how to get Pirate the dog onto a bike.

I went online and learned about the Biker Dogs Motorcycle Club, made up exclusively of Harley riders and their dogs. I ended up meeting some of them, along with a few other bikers along the way. These bikers were so great to me. They hoisted me onto the back of their Harleys (with dogs in tow). They took me to biker rallies (note to self: don’t wear pink). And they laughed at me when I tried to put my helmet on backwards (I still say I was distracted by the Pomeranian wearing a tiny pair of motorcycle glasses).

After a few outings with my new biker friends, I was able to make my geriatric biker witch characters a lot more realistic. And I took home some great pictures, too.

(7) Is writing a full-time job for you? What’s a day-in-the-life-of-Angie-Fox like?

Yes, I’m lucky that this is my full-time job. My most productive time is in the mornings. That’s when I get 99% of my books written. I write in the same place – this green couch in our living room and I always have a Diet Coke on hand. In the afternoon, I head to my office to answer emails and do administrative work. Or sometimes I forget about that part and keep writing!

(8) On your site you’ve set a number of quizzes which tie into contests for your readers to be featured in some capacity in upcoming works. This seems like such an awesome idea, and yet not many authors would give such an opportunity. What made you?

My readers are just so cool – from the email “fuzzies” I get in my inbox every day, to the readers who send me chocolate and Australian Tim Tam cookies when I’m on deadline, to the readers who show up at booksignings every time I have a new release out. I can’t imagine not doing cool things for them. The quizzes and the contests are a way for me to have an extra bit of fun with my readers and to try and give back just a little of what they’ve given me.

(9) You’ve also recently had a short story released in the anthology My Zombie Valentine along with Katie MacAlister, Marianne Mancusi and Lisa Cach. Was it more difficult to write a short story compared to a novel?
Yes! Why didn’t anybody tell me that? When my editor first called me about writing a novella for My Zombie Valentine, I knew exactly what I wanted to write about: a lonely New Orleans voodoo mambo who is sick of dating the party guys she meets at her shop in the French Quarter. So she decides to voodoo herself the, “perfect man for her.” Only she forgets to specify that this hunk be alive. Turns out the perfect guy for her died 160 years ago and is buried in St. Louis Cemetery Number One. He shows up all hot and naked (clothes can’t be re-animated). He’s trying for one last chance at love, she’s trying to put him back in the ground. It was a fun novella to write, but it did take me longer than I thought to get it exactly right.

My brain is trained to think in terms of novel-length books, so it was a challenge to keep it short. I described it to my husband by saying that writing a novella is like cooking Thanksgiving dinner for one person. All of the elements are still there, just on a much smaller scale.

(10) Have you plans for any other works outside of the Demon Slayer world, or at least Lizzie’s POV? What’s coming next for you?

Yes. Actually, I just finished a novella for the So I Married a Demon Slayer anthology. This is the story of the one succubus who got away after the events in The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers. It was a fun story to write because I was able to explore the world of Shiloh, a sexy half-succubus and the demon slayer that she accidentally marries. That book is coming out in August of 2011.

I’ve also signed on to write a new series for St. Martin’s Press. It’s about a paranormal MASH unit. My heroine is a surgeon who has been drafted into the unit and the hero is a demi-god who is the commander of an elite military unit. He’s so sexy. I love it. The first book in that series is called The Monster Mash (for now, that title could change) and it will be out in 2012.

(11) What do you consider the most difficult aspect of writing? The easiest?

The hardest part is finding the exact right word or thought or character name. As Mark Twain said, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.

The easiest part is after it all comes together.

(12)Finally, some random questions about you:
a. What are your hobbies aside from writing?
I’m a huge reader. I love paranormals, mysteries, historicals, biographies and apocalyptic horror. My husband and I are also big theatre buffs.
b. Could you please describe your dream day?
What? You mean after the pool boys wake me up with breakfast in bed? Let’s see…after that, since I’d be in Greece, I’d head down to the beach with a good book. We’d be on Santorini, so I could look out over the caldera. Then it would be out with my husband for dinner and dancing, and maybe a late show.
c. If you found a genie, what would be your three wishes?
I’d like my own dog to be able to talk
I’d like chocolate to be a health food
Oh and did I mention those Greek pool boys?

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And there you have it. Now, it's time for the giveaway! Angie has got to be one of the most generous authors out there. No. Seriously. Just swing by her blog, her website, her Facebook page and BAM! you're likely to win something! So, it's no big surprise that she's graciously offered to send one lucky commenter a signed first-edition copy of A Tale of Two Demon Slayers! So, what are you waiting for? Hit the comments and make with the discussing. Oh, and FYI, Angie herself will likely be dropping by sooner or later. CONTEST ENDS FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2011. Winners will be posted on Saturday.

Be sure to also swing by Angie's website for all the latest 411 on her past and future releases, not to mention whatever else may be going on over there. And also be sure to pick up her latest release, Last of the Demon Slayers, no doubt available at bookseller near you.

Although, you should probably be aware that there was a bit of an...incident and consequently print editions are just a little bit...tricky. I know, I know, I'm not being clear, but the explanation can be found on Angie's blog, as well as exact details on where you can find your very own copy of this exciting series' thrilling conclusion! (...I went way too TV commercial with that last comment. Sorry. Heh. ^^")

Okay, enough of me, GO. COMMENT. WIN!

Sulkathon 2011

2011-04-06T23:55:00.000-07:00

Hello my little lovelies, have you missed me? Yes, I know, once again real life has gotten in the way of our time together and I've been a bit (ok, ok, a LOT) MIA of late. But, don't despair! Because, yep, I'm back! Again!

For those of you out of the loop, this week is when some of North America's best and brightest writers, along with thousands of their loyal fans, converge in L.A. for the Romantic Times Convention. And then there are those who DON'T converge in L.A. for the Romantic Times Convention, such as yours truly. And I'm not alone. Stacia Kane, author of the incredibly original Downside series, decided to fight back by putting together SULKATHON 2011, where we prove we can have our own damn fun all by our damn selves. To can get the full scoop on her blog, but the gist of it is that those left out of RT and instead are left to wallow in disappointment and angst gather together on Twitter to sulk because, as you know, misery loves companies.

Oh, but did I mention the contests? The giveaways? The chatting in jammies into the wee hours of the morning under the hashtag #SK11? No? Well, maybe you should go check it out, don't you think? Like, NOW - Because this weekend we are redefining sulk and showing the world that we don't need RT to have fun!

But, WAIT! Before you go rushing off to check it out the awesomeness there's something you should know. On Saturday, you'll be able to find an interview and giveaway with Angie Fox right here on Calliope's Domain. And, yeah, way behind me will FINALLY be getting around to posting some reviews of the books I've read in 2011 as well as some other updates, so stay tuned!

That is all. You may now go check out the deets on Sulkathon 2011.

Seriously. Go. Now. ENJOY.

Beastly

2011-03-07T19:55:00.000-08:00

So, yesterday I went with friends to see BEASTLY and I have to say it was pretty much just OK. For those who don't know, BEASTLY is a modern-day take on the "Beauty and the Beast" tale where a New York teen is transformed into a hideous monster in order to find true love. Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE the story of Beauty and the Beast - hands down my favourite fairy tale and the Disney adaptation is my favourite animated feature. It's a virtual cornucopia of favourites. Well, the story is. This movie, however...well, it just doesn't hold up to expectations.

First, let me mention some of the good things. The make-up, in particular that of the witch, Kendra, and Kyle's Beast form, was original and creative. In lieu of fur, fangs, horns and claws, Kyle goes beastly with baldness, tattoos, unhealed scars and...well, ok, on his neck there were these ripples that made his skin look like tree back. I have no idea how to sum up that last one with a single word. Sorry. Anyway, point being, BEASTLY derives the Beast's ugliness from human characteristics rather than animal and in doing so gives the message that the "beastly" nature allude to in the title is all too human.

It was also great seeing some familiar landmarks. The film was filmed in Montreal so there were several scenes, in particular one shot at the train station in Hudson, that I recognized, which was a nice change from settings usually only familiar to me because of other movies.

Neil Patrick Harris gave a great performance as blind tutor, bringing a much need infusion of sarcasm to the film. Likewise, Alex Pettyfer's clueless actions when it came to wooing a girl unimpressed by expensive gifts threw in a nice dash of humour. I think it comes without saying that the romance element was pretty strong and for much of the movie was carried off with the air of doe-eyed innocence.

And that about dries up my "pro" list. Unfortunately, the movie was riddled with plot holes. Take, for example, the fact that, in keeping with the original fairy tale, Kyle gets the beauty, in this case a scholarship student from his private school named Lindy, to join him in his exile by blackmailing her father. Specifically, Kyle happens to witness her old man kill his drug dealer and snaps some photos on his cellphone. He then uses that information to coerce her father into agreeing to have Lindy go stay with a complete stranger (that would be Kyle) to protect her from the wrath of the drug dealer's brother. Lindy never learns of this. Seriously. He's walking around with photos of her dad and a dead drug dealer on his phone and she NEVER finds out.

Honestly, I spent most of the movie thinking she'd find out and run away, get caught by the vengeful brother of the rug dealer and Kyle, having followed after her, would end up being shot and that'd be when she'd make her declaration of love. I mean, Belle's Beast got killed by Gaston, didn't he?! He got stabbed in the back and almost fell off a parapet, for crying out loud! Not to mention backing up to where he was attacked and fought off a pack of wolves on her account. And that was on top of having fur, fangs, horns and claws! When the Beast got his "I love you" he had damn well earned it!

Kyle? Yeah, not so much.

Personally, I think y'all should hold out and pick it up on DVD. It's not a bad movie, but with movie tickets on average being over $10 these days (and I'm rounding down there, folks), it's not worth the expense, I'm afraid.

My rating: ♥♥♥/5

INTERVIEW: Ann Aguirre

2010-11-17T13:06:00.000-08:00

Alright boys and girls, I know it's been awhile but would you believe I've gotten myself buried? Again? I've been working on my application for the teacher education program available at some Ontario universities. MAJOR headache. I've also finally finished the rough draft of the book I'm writing and have been reading three books at once, just because. But, now, at long last, I've another interview to share with everyone.

This time my guest is Ann Aguirre, author of the sci-fi series, Sirantha Jax, the UF series Corrine Solomon and, under the pseudonym "Ava Gray," she pens the paranormal romance (to put it loosely) series, Skin. PLUS, she also writes a paranormal apocalyptic action in collaboration with Carrie Lofty. And, yes, that IS a lot of series. O_O

So, now without further adieu, enjoy!

(1) So, I guess I may as well start with the basics: how exactly did Ann Aguirre break into the publishing world?

I signed with Laura Bradford in March of 2007. On April 11th, my husband's birthday, we pitched my romantic science fiction novel, Grimspace. We had an offer from Anne Sowards within a couple of weeks.

(2) Is writing a full-time job or have you got an alter-ego thing going on à la Clark Kent?
I write full time, and then some.

(3) Your first series, a sci-fi romance/adventure, deals with Sirantha Jax – a Jumper slash, um, rebel leader – as she adjusts to her new life in the aftermath of the world order’s shake-up. What inspirations led you to develop your mythology?
I love science fiction films and television, but from other women, I often heard the complaint that SF in books was too dry or technical for them to enjoy as much as movies and TV. So I set out to write a SF series for women. Now, the majority of my readers say, "I've never read SF before, but I love this." Music to my ears.

(4) Jax is puts a whole new spin on heroines – after all, she’s in outer space using her mind to navigate ships through some pretty bizarre short cuts. It’s pretty unique. How did your Jumpers come to be?
I sat down and started writing. Pretty cool, huh?

(5) Now, March. How would describe your hero?
Damaged, but determined to do the right thing. Devoted, dedicated, deliciously intense.

(6) The relationship between Jax and March has had its rocky moments but some how it all comes out seeming a lot more real because of it. Has it be hard setting the development of their relationship?
Yes.

(7) Now, you’ve also got your Corine Solomon series which as Corine, a touch sensitive, getting pulled into some pretty intense situations on account of her unique talent. It’s pretty different from your Jax series; where did the idea come from?
I keep a bunch of slips of paper in a Buddha cookie jar. Whatever idea gets drawn by the idea money, that's the one I write next. (Not really. I wanted to write UF set in Mexico. Everything came out of that desire.)

(8) How does writing Corine and Chance compare to writing Jax and March? Is it very difficult shifting gears from one to the other?
No. I don't write them at the same time.

(9) And then there’s your alter-ego, Ava Gray. First question: why the pen name for the Skin books when Corine and Jax are both written under Ann Aguirre? What’s so different about the Skin series?
Ava Gray is romance with graphic sex. It's better to brand that separately, so I can write SFF and YA under my real name.

(10) And isn’t there a YA series – Razorland – in the works for next year? What’s the scoop there?
It's dystopian, post-apocalyptic fiction. You can learn more here: http://www.annaguirre.com/books/ya-novels/razorland/

(11) Your next publication, Killbox, the fourth Jax novel, releases August 31. What can you tell us about this book?
I feel it's the best one so far. Heartbreaking, though. Learn more here: http://www.annaguirre.com/books/jax-series/Killbox/

(12) Now, in a perfect world where publishers bow to your every whim, how long do you plan on the Jax, Corine and Skin series being?
Jax wraps up in six books in 2012. Corine is open-ended, so I will write those as long as readers want them. The Skin series may well be complete now, though I don't rule out spin-offs set in the same universe, depending on how the rest of the releases do.

(13) Any other series cooking up in that apparently rather crowded imagination of yours?
Yes, always.

(14)And on that note, how do you manage all these series, pen names, and genres? How has your head not exploded?
Carefully? Plus, my head's full of hamsters who thrive on stress; they devour it like grated carrots.

(15)How exactly did you come up with your characters? Are any of them based on real people? Trade secret. If I told you, then everyone who read your blog could do it. I'm protecting my livelihood here.

No, no, they're not.

(16)What sort of research is done per book? Any particular texts you rely on? Could you break down your research process?
Depends on the subject matter and how much I already know about it. Every book is different. I use the internet a lot, but I also have friends and colleagues who know a lot about various areas. I have one friend who I ask about legal stuff, another about forensic procedures and another who specializes in computers. I'm not shy about asking questions, and I do try to get things right.

(17) Finally, some random questions about you:
a. What are your hobbies aside from writing? My release schedule doesn't leave me that much time for anything else, but books still top the list. Books, movies, music, shopping with my daughter, video games with my son, yoga. I don't know if that stuff counts as hobbies so much as my life, though.
b. Could you please describe your dream day? I get to sleep for twelve hours, and then read and watch movies for the other twelve with nobody wanting anything from me. Not even once.
c. If you found a genie, what would be your three wishes? Health for my family.
Happiness for my friends.
Plenty of work for me.
Thanks for having me.
--A

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And there you have it. Be sure to swing by Ann's website over here or over here for all the latest 411 on her past and future releases, not to mention whatever else may be going on over there. And also be sure to pick up her latest release, Killbox, no doubt available at bookseller near you. (Was that too much? I went to far into promo-land, didn't I? Oops.)

RELEASE: Nalini Singh's Play of Passion

2010-11-03T18:26:00.000-07:00

In his position as Tracker for the SnowDancer pack, Drew Kincaid must rein in rogue changelings who've lost control of their animal halves- even if it means killing those who've gone too far. But nothing in his life has prepared him for the battle he must now wage-to win the heart of a woman who makes his body ignite...and who threatens to enslave his wolf.

This is the NINTH book in Nalini's Psy-Changeling series - the awesome story of a future world filled with psychics, shapeshifters and humans that's just reached its breaking point. You might remember Nalini from her interview on this blog a few months back. She is truly an amazing writer and her work is always worth the read so what are you waiting for? Get your butt out there and scoop it up - you won't regret it.

Also, as an extra perk, Bitten by Books is holding a contest that looks more than tempting. Check it out.

REVIEW: Bring on the Night by Jeri Smith-Ready

2010-10-07T22:16:00.000-07:00

Jeri Smith-Ready's BRING ON THE NIGHT

Recovering con artist Ciara Griffin seems to finally have it all. A steady job at WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll. A loving relationship with the idiosyncratic but eternally hot DJ Shane McAllister. A vampire dog who never needs shots or a pooper-scooper. And after nine years, it looks as if she might actually finish her bachelor's degree!

But fate has other plans for Ciara. First she must fulfill her Faustian bargain with the Control, the paranormal paramilitary agency that does its best to keep vampires in line. Turns out the Control wants her for something other than her (nonexistent) ability to kick undead ass. Her anti-holy blood, perhaps?

Ciara's suspicions are confirmed when she's assigned to a special-ops division known as the Immanence Corps, run by the Control's oldest vampire and filled with humans who claim to have special powers. To a confirmed skeptic like Ciara, it sounds like a freak fest. But when a mysterious, fatal virus spreads through Sherwood—and corpses begin to rise from their graves—Ciara will not only get a crash course in zombie-killing, but will be forced to put her faith, and her life itself, in the hands of magic.

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I have to admit that this book was not at all what I expected. I mean, wow, talk about your wild rides; just when you think you've got it figured out BAM! in goes the wrench and the whole thing gets tangled.

The story is set three years after the end of Bad to the Bone, the previous book, catching up to 2010. It picks up with a bunch of surprises. David, Ciara's friend and boss at the radio station, engaged to Ciara's bestest best friend ever, Lori. Ciara's is FINALLY just ONE class away from scoring her degree and graduating after like forever. Oh, and remember that pesky deal she made with the Control so that Shane, her vamp boyfriend, could keep in contact with his not-vamp family? Yeah, it's drawn time to pay up. Thus the second chapter picks up with Ciara's final day of training, orientation, initiation, whatever you want to call it.

She then proceeds to go home to Shane and her loyal Blood Hound (ha ha), Dexter, and OMG is there a twist right there. It's a perfect fairy tale moment. Naturally, such a happy, sunny, lovey dovey moment is followed by the Mutant Chicken Pox Virus From Hell breaking out, killing a friend and yep, it's a character you've met and likely already crushed on. About the time zombies start popping up like Pop Tarts, that's when the real twists start happening and it's not until you've gone completely pretzel that things just...explode.

It's intense. It's unbelievable. And the biggest SPLASH of all you just simply don't see coming.

And the most amazing thing of all? For the first time, there isn't a mad, Looney-Toon fanatical group that takes Ciara hostage.

Shock.

Definitely a recommended read, hands down. So what are you waiting for. Go. Fetch. Read. Enjoy. You won't regret it.

BEHIND THE SCENES with TRACY FRITZE

2010-09-30T15:06:00.000-07:00

Ok my little boils and ghouls today I've got something extra special to dish out for y'all - something that a bit different than the usual author interviews. I was holding off until I had time to do some blog maintenance and now that I have...MUAHAHAHA! It is time! (Somehow that "It is time" line now sends my mind straight to images of a skinny baboon gesturing a lion towards a protruding rock formation with a stick. Huh.)

So, we all know authors. They write books. They blog. They do interviews. They have signings. After actors they're pretty much the most visible artists out there. And like any celebrity they've got people standing behind them, propping them up and making them look good.

Take Tracy Fritze for instance. She's assistant to MaryJanice Davidson, author of the Queen Betsy series who only last month was interviewed here and has graciously deigned to be interviewed herself. So, without further adieu, enjoy!

(1) So, you're an assistant to an author. What does that entail? Could you run through your typical day?
Well, I actually only work 12 hours a week (ok I am only paid to work 12 hours a week). Some days I go to MaryJanice’s home and work in the office there. Go through the mail, pay bills, and send out prizes or donations. Most of the time I actually work from home. I monitor her email, a Yahoo Group, Facebook, and keep her calendar for her. She is very flexible about when I actually work so you may see me on line at odd hours of the day!

(2)Do you do this part-time or full-time? If part-time, what's your alter-ego up to? Is it hard to balance?
Well, I pretty much answered this in #1 – part time. I also work as a Financial Secretary for my church and do all the office/financial work for my husband’s business. I am trying to start my own business selling bracelets that I make as well. Oh, and I have two kids! One just left for college and the other is in 10th grade. So I don’t really have time for an alter-ego!

(3) How exactly did you come by the job? Did you know MaryJanice previously?
I was actually looking for a job that fit the specific days I had available and found the job through a local temp agency. I actually had never heard of MaryJanice before this. I know, I know – makes her diehard fans a bit upset to hear that!

(4) How much interaction do you have with your boss? Is it in person or via phone/internet?
Quite a bit actually. Most of it is via email but when I am working at her house, she is just down the hall & I bug her all the time!

(5) Are there any anecdotes about the job you'd care to share?
Well the best one is in the forward of UNDEAD AND UNFINSISHED already! When I came to work and was locked out of MJ’s house. After pounding on the door, calling the house, and calling her cell, her elementary aged son opened the door in his underwear!

Apparently MJ was sick in bed. What MJ didn’t know was that I had just colored my hair that morning & turned myself into some sort of demonic pumpkin. My scalp was nearly bleeding from washing my hair about 20 times! Being locked out of her house was just icing on the cake. I had actually started to cry because I just couldn’t take it anymore!

(6) What are the best/worst parts of the job?
The best part for me is being able to work from home so much. I am actually quite an introvert! The worse part for me is when I get slammed with mean fan-mail. I tend to take the negative comments personally which is strange because I have nothing to do with writing the books!

(7) Finally, some random questions about you:
a. What are your hobbies aside from writing?
I am not a writer at all. I am a reader though! I have a goal to read 50 books this year ; I am on book 40 now with over 3 months to go! I also bead; I make bracelets that I sell to whomever will buy them! I just started selling them on a website that is for selling homemade products (Etsy.com)
b. Could you please describe your dream day?
Ah….a dream day….wake up to a wonderful, homemade breakfast. Lounge around reading and checking email. After a luxurious shower, be presented with a sensible, yet delicious lunch. Spend the afternoon reading, beading, and watching movies. Cook dinner with my hubby. The evening would be spent doing things together as a family. Wait – this pretty much describes my days now (except I am cooking all these meals in real life!). I am very blessed.
c. If you found a genie, what would be your three wishes?
1. An unlimited number of wishes
2. & 3. Rather mute considering wish #1!

ANNOUNCEMENT: Jennifer Rardin

2010-09-29T14:47:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure if you've heard or not by now, but last Monday (September 20th) Jennifer Rardin passed away. If you're a regular of my blog you may remember her interview here back in February; she was an amazing writer who gave the world the Jaz Parks series about an assistant to a vampire assassin for the CIA. When an artist dies, the loss is always that much greater for all that she could've done disappears with her. Whether it be a writer, a painter, an actor or a musician, their death robs the world of all that potential, all that imagination, and the world seems a little bit darker as a result.

Jennifer Rardin's death is no exception to this. She will be sorely missed. Please be aware that memorials may be made to the Riley’s Children’s Hospital. Jennifer's Jaz Parks series still has two forthcoming volumes: Bitten in Two, set for release on November 8, 2010, and a yet untitled book (coincidentally, originally intended as the series' end) due out next June.

(10) You’ve mentioned that the eighth book in the series is written as a possible ending for the series with the potential to continue further left open. So, what’s coming next once the door has closed on Jaz? And how about yourself – where do you see yourself five years from now?

I’ve just finished a YA urban fantasy called Shadowstruck which my agent is currently marketing. I’m hoping it will be picked up soon, because it’s actually the first in a two- or three-book series, which would mean I’d have at least one more book to write to finish that story arc. Which is way cool and something I’m eager to continue.

I’m also prepared to write an amazing new urban fantasy series which, while quite unlike the Jaz Parks books, is still designed to make you laugh, gasp, and stay up until four a.m. just so you can see what happens next! Hopefully I’ll be able to begin writing that early this summer.

My habit is to write my main (paying) project during the day, and then to work on my sideline project at night. Now that Shadowstruck is finished, I’ve begun writing a musical comedy for the stage. Broadway, here I come!

Five years from now? Hmmm. I’ll be staring down the big 50. At least one of my kids will be out of college. I definitely plan to be writing, hopefully better stuff than ever. On a laptop that walks—and talks—and makes pizza. That would be awesome.

(11) Finally, some random questions about you:
a. What are your hobbies aside from writing? Probably my second passion after writing is gardening. I also enjoy travel so much that if you said, “Hey, Jen, do you wanna go to the store with me?” I’d be out the door immediately. Yeah, I don’t have to go far. I just like to go. Hiking is a major pleasure, as is saying things that make my hubby’s eyebrows shoot right up into his hairline. Which isn’t easy, because he has one of those military cuts. But I keep trying!
b. Could you please describe your dream day? First of all, this day must last for forty-eight hours. Don’t know how you’re going to swing it, but there it is. So I get to sleep until noon, and yet still have tons of time to . . . write 3,500 words. . .run two miles . . . shower for forty-five minutes . . . have a delicious lunch with my girlfriends . . . spend the afternoon planting flowers . . . spend the evening playing cards with my kids . . . hop in the car and travel somewhere new and exciting with hubby.
c. If you found a genie, what would be your three wishes? Health, happiness, and long life for my children and their children. (That sounds like one, but I think it probably counts as three, or possibly four, but I’m assuming this is a generous genie.)

INTERVIEW: MaryJanice Davidson

2010-08-22T17:12:00.000-07:00

Alright lady and gents, boils and ghouls, guess who's back from her vacation! And to kick off my triumphant return I have an interview to share with none other than Ms. MaryJanice Davidson. Did you know she invented the vampire chick lit genre? No joke. She's also no stranger to various best-seller lists and to top it all off, the chick can write some pretty darn fine books. Take her Undead series for example: one day Betsy Taylor is just your run-of-the-mill, shoe-obsessed, self-absorbed, bubbly secretary. Then she gets hit by an Aztec and wakes up your very-much-not-run-of-the-mill, shoe-obsessed, self-absorbed, bubbly vampire queen. How can that not be a great read?!

*cough, cough* Ok, my epic fan girl moment is done. I swear. And, now without adieu, enjoy!

(1) So, I guess I may as well start with the basics: how exactly did MaryJanice Davidson break into the publishing world?

Through bribery and desperation. Actually, I just kept submitting stories until I was buried under an avalanche of rejection slips. To all aspiring writers: do. Not. Quit. I collected over ten years of rejection slips before UNDEAD AND UNWED sold.

(2) Is writing a full-time job or have you got an alter-ego thing going on à la Clark Kent?

It's my full-time job. It's so absurd that they pay me to do one of the things I love best.

(3) At present, you have one on-going adult series, Vampire Queen Betsy, and a YA series , Jennifer Scales, you co-write with your husband. Vampire Betsy recently got a revamp and went to hardcover with its ninth book expected out this July.
Why the format/style change? Will it continue for all future Betsy books?

I was getting fan mail from 11 year old girls, which completely shocked me. It was something I hadn't foreseen when I was trying to get published. The cute, cartoon-ey covers were a huge factor in this. I'd get "Me and my BFF just luurrrrv Betsy because she's, like, the coolest and I saved up all my baby-sitting money to buy the new book!" and be torn. On the one hand, it's not my kid, and thus it's inappropriate to lecture them on appropriate reading. On the other, it's a kid! Reading about vampires having sex upside down in the deep end of the swimming pool! So the edgier covers not only reflected the adult content, it also helped my books stand out. When UNDEAD AND UNWED came out, Betsy was the only game in town. 6 years later, you have to elbow the hip cool paranormal heroines out of the way. So the marketing department made some changes.

(4) Betsy is as about as far as you get from your typical vampire. I mean, even for the vampires in the series she’s far from normal. How did your take on vampires come to be? How did your concept of a Vampire Queen come about?

I got tired of basically reading the same vamp romance over and over: the vamp was always some ancient English lord who skulked in alleys and bitched about being eternally young and eternally hung. I wanted to know where the plumber and secretary vampires were. Where was a vampire we could relate to? Someone who worried about paying the utility bill? I couldn't relate the the ancient rich European ones, but I could relate to Betsy.

(6) The relationship between Betsy and Sinclair has had its rocky moments (I mean, at one point, she hates him, she rapes him, she loves him...and that’s all in one book!) but some how it all comes out seeming a lot more real because of it. Has it be hard setting the development of their relationship?

No, I could always relate to both of them: Betsy for being reluctant yet drawn, and Sinclair for being enchanted yet ruthless. My husband and I dated for six years before we got married; I don't know much about whirlwind romances.

(7) UNDEAD AND UNFINISHED, the latest Betsy book, had quite the cliffhanger ending. Originally, you had made comments that UNDEAD AND UNWORTHY was the start of a trilogy within the series. When did you realize that 3 books just wouldn’t cut it?

UNDEAD AND UNWELCOME. I hadn't realized Antonia and Garrett were going to bite the big one until the book before UNWELCOME, and I realized I couldn't wrap things up in UNWELCOME.

(8) You’re contracted for two more Betsy books and posted on Facebook that you’d like your contract to be extended to include a total 5 forthcoming books. Will book 14 then be the last Betsy book?

I've got no plans to end the series anytime soon. That said, I did feel it was necessary to shake things up with this latest book. There were only so many shoe sales I could write about. ;-)

(9) In developing Betsy's character in the series, do you plot it all out prior to writing each book or are you winging it as you go?

Oh my God, you're adorable! Thinking there was a chance I had planned out any of this. You're so cute. ;-)

(10) So, Betsy gets hit by a car one night and wakes up a vampire. By that week’s end, it turns out she’s not just any vampire, she’s the long ago foretold Queen of vampires. How did you come up with the idea in for the series in the first place? Why go with what you did? And was there a lot of research involved?
That's the great thing about writing paranormal...you can make your own rules. Though I do occasionally get the "a real vampire wouldn't do that" e-mail, which never fails to crack me up.

(11) You’ve also got a werewolf series set in the same world which began as a series of short stories. What are the chances of these stories going the way of Sookie’s and being re-released all together?
Slim for now...I don't have the rights to at least 2 of the novellas, and the publisher sensibly has zero interest in selling them back to me. Which is of course her perogative; it's not like someone forced me to sign the contract at gunpoint.

(12) The next Betsy book, UNDEAD AND UNDETERMINED, comes out next July (which is just cruel and unusual) and picks up just half an hour after Undead and Unfinished ends. What else can you tell us about this book?
Betsy's got some work to do! And she's not at all happy when she finds out the truth behind the Book of the Dead. Also...

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

...the Marc Thing follows Laura and Betsy back to the present, and must be dealt with. Ditto she has to explain to her friends that they're now living in an altered timeline. "Yeah, when I left for Hell, Jess? You were the opposite of knocked up. I guess that would be knocked down. Anyway, you weren't pregnant. So this is weird and awkward for me. And possibly you."

(13) For the Jennifer Scales series, how exactly do you and your husband work out the co-writing process?
My husband outlines the entire book, chapter by chapter, and then we divide the chapters based on our strengths. I tend to take the dialogue heavy ones (e.g. a scene in the women's locker room) while Tony will take the description-heavy one (headed to Crescent Valley in the fall, or what the town looks like under the sickly huge of the dome).

(14) How hard is it for you to flip from one world to another? Is it very difficult switching back and forth between them?
Actually, I like it a lot. It keeps me from getting blocked...if I can't get Betsy out of a corner, I can head to Jennifer's world for a while, or vice versa.

(15) In terms of the writing process, what is the most difficult part for you? Is it starting? Writing certain scenes? Editing or chopping up parts? What about the easiest?
The entire secod half! By then the excitement of starting a new book is long gone, but I still gotta hit my word count. Argh.

(16) How long does it take you to go from idea to finished manuscript?
About 3 months.

(17) Have you plans for any other works outside of Betsy’s world, or at least Betsy’s POV? What’s coming next for you?
I've got UNDEAD AND UNDERMINED out next July, and RISE OF THE POISON MOON just came out. Next year I've got an anthology, UNDEAD AND UNDERWATER. And the next book in the ME MYSELF AND WHY SERIES. What can I say? I like to keep busy.

(18)Finally, some random questions about you: a. What are your hobbies aside from writing? Cooking and reading. I'm so boring!
b. Could you please describe your dream day? Waking up in the chocolate bath in Hershey, Pennsylvania, with an egg cream in one hand and a pound cake in the other. Also cable TV.
c. If you found a genie, what would be your three wishes? Not a chance! All my dreams have come true. Asking for more is just greedy. :-)

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And there you have it. Be sure to swing by MaryJanice's website over here for all the latest 411 on her past and future releases, not to mention whatever else may be going on over there.

Oh! Almost forgot: I've got something new in the works for the blog so be sure to check in over the next few weeks as I have it unfold. It's going to be pretty great provided the pieces come together. Over and out, folks.

INTERVIEW: Jocelynn Drake

2010-07-28T15:14:00.000-07:00

This week's interview is with Jocelynn Drake who pens the Dark Days series, a masterful weaving of vampires, politics, war, and magic with just a dash of romance thrown in for good measure. This year sees the series having back-to-back releases with Pray for Dawn on June 29 and Wait for Dusk just yesterday on July 27. Now, without further adieu, enjoy!

(1) So, I guess I may as well start with the basics: how exactly did Jocelynn Drake break into the publishing world?

The same way that most people got a break in the publishing world: a great query letter and a lot of patience. Not long after I finished writing Nightwalker, I started sending out query letters to agents. They showed a lot of initial interest, but commented that the book was just not there yet. So, I kept trying until after two years, I queried a wonderful agent that was willing to take a chance on me. From there we tweaked Nightwalker and sent it out to editors. Within three weeks, we had a contract offer.

(2) Is writing a full-time job or have you got an alter-ego thing going on à la Clark Kent?

Sometimes writing feels like a full-time job because it does demand a lot of hours. However, I do still have a day job that I work part-time in the mornings to help pay the bills. During the day, I am a financial analyst that writes articles about the stock market and at night, I write about vampires.

(3) Your first series deals with Mira – a vampire with the unique ability to control fire – as her world teeters on the brink of a war between nightwalkers and their ancient enemies the naturi. What inspirations led you to develop your mythology?

I don’t know if there were any particular inspirations that led me down the road to creating the world of the Dark Days series beyond an overactive imagination and reading too many fantasy novels.

(4) Mira is not your average run-of-the-mill heroine; she’s pretty powerful and kickass, but as the story develops she’s revealed to be a lot more complicated than at first thought. How did Mira come to be exactly?

I’ve had Mira rattling around in my head for a long time. She is a tough, powerful creature, but her life and the circumstances that she’s survived have made her into what she is. She’s had a very dark past with losing family, and being betrayed by people that she’s trusted. This makes her a very complicated and volatile character to work with.

(5) Now, Danaus. How would describe your hero?

Danaus is a difficult character to get talking because he is very stoic and likes to hold things in. He clings hard to his beliefs because they are what give him direction and balance in a constantly shifting world. However, he is very loyal to those he sees as his comrades and he has a very deep sense of honor to him.

(6) The relationship between Mira and Danaus has this whole love-hate thing going on. Has it be hard setting the development of their relationship?

I have been very particular about the pacing of their growing relationship. These are two very old, stubborn creatures that started out on opposite sides of the battlefield. I couldn’t have them jumping into bed in the first or even the second book just because readers wanted that love affair. I needed the relationship to have a natural and cautious flow to it.

(7) How exactly did you come up with your characters? Are any of them based on real people?

My characters are not based on real people, but just my own wild imagination.

(8) How long, in a perfect world where your publisher gave you whatever you wanted, do you envision the Mira series being?

In a perfect world, I would like to finish the series in nine books to give me ample time to tie up some loose ends. However, it is looking more likely that the series will be finished in six.

(9) What about outside of Mira’s world; do you have any plans for non-Mira/Nightwalker books?

Yes, I am currently working on plans for other series within the urban fantasy genre, but they are still in the early planning stages.

(10) Your last publication, Pray for Dawn, just recently came out on June 29. What can you tell us about this book?

PRAY FOR DAWN is a book that takes a closer look a someone from Danaus’s past while bringing up the question of what a person would do to maintain and achieve their freedom.

(11) Rumor has it that this book shakes up the narration style, that Danaus’ POV is given a chance to shine. What brought about this change? Was it difficult to pull off?

PRAY FOR DAWN is actually told from Danaus’s POV instead of Mira’s because I think a lot of fans were beginning to wonder what was going on in the hunter’s head. It was also easier to show his struggle with his past by writing through his POV. It was not as difficult to write from his POV as I had expected and it was a nice break for me.

(12) Will there be more such narrator changes to come in future books, perhaps even beyond Mira and Danaus?

There is always the possibility, but Mira will always be the POV that I fall back on as the main storyteller.

(13) And now just yesterday Wait for Dusk hits the shelves on July 27. What can you tell us about this book?

WAIT FOR DUSK also tackles someone from Mira’s past as she struggles to bring order to the chaos that is claiming Budapest following the escape of the naturi. At the same time, Mira and her companions must escape the plotting of the members of the Coven if they hope to remain alive.

(14) And, ok, I’ve got to ask: what is up with, um, the new cover designs? (Specifically Wait for Dusk)

The art department went in a new direction with the covers in hopes of attracting more and different readers to the series. At the same time, the series has shifted gears slightly and the covers help to reflect that.

(15) What sort of research is done per book? Any particular texts you rely on? Could you break down your research process?

The only research that is completed for each book is specific to the location that I have the book set in. For PRAY FOR DAWN, the book is set in Savannah, Georgia so I went down to the city and explored it for a few days so that I could get a good feel for the setting where all the action would be taking place.

For WAIT FOR DUSK, the book is set mostly in Budapest, which meant a lot of online searches for interesting locations as well as different travel guides to help with maps, routes, neighborhood, as well as finding a hotel for Danaus and Mira to stay in.

(16) Finally, some random questions about you:

a. What are your hobbies aside from writing?
I play video games, go Geo-caching, and read.
b. Could you please describe your dream day?
A dream day would be getting up and slipping right into the story that I’m working on with no interruptions and no delays.
c. If you found a genie, what would be your three wishes?
I would wish for more time to write books, more time to read books, and a two week vacation in Fiji.

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And there you have it folks. Be sure to check out the Dark Days series, especially its newest installments out this summer. You can also keep yourself up to date by visiting Jocelynn online here.

INTERVIEW: Molly Harper

2010-07-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

Right, so I think I've cleared the back-log of interviews from before I had my tech-malfunction, and that means new interviews! That's right, boils and ghouls, I've got brand-spanking new interviews hot off the inbox, so buckle your seat belts and get prepare yourselves to be wowed!

First up this week is author Molly Harper who wrote the terrific and original vampire series about the newly-turned Jane Jameson and only just released a contemporary romance entitled, And One Last Thing... Now, without further adieu, enjoy!

1) So, I guess I may as well start with the basics: how exactly did Molly Harper break into the publishing world?

I wrote NICE GIRLS DON'T HAVE FANGS while working as a church secretary.

People seem to find that amusing.

I took the job at the church after leaving a reporting position with my hometown newspaper. For six years, I covered school board meetings, quilt shows, a man “losing” the fully grown bear he kept as a pet in his basement, and a guy who faked his death by shark attack in Florida and ended up tossing pies at a local pizzeria. I loved my job at the paper. I loved meeting new people every day and never knowing where I would end up. But somehow, the newsroom schedule and my husband’s police shifts did not equal "family friendly." One of us needed to take a normal job for the sake of our young daughter.

I took a secretarial position at the church, which left me with dependably free evenings for the first time in my adult life. We were living in "The Apartment of Lost Souls" while building our new home. This was the place where appliances and small electronics went to die. Every night, I would sit and wait for the washing machine to start smoking or the dishwasher to vomit soap on the floor. Then, there was the plague of frogs in the bathroom that put our daughter off potty-training for about six months. It was either write a book, or go slowly insane.

Being a huge fan of vampire movies and TV shows, I wondered, what would be the most humiliating way possible to be turned into a vampire- a story that a vampire would be embarrassed to share with their vampire buddies over a nice glass of Type O. Well, first, our poor heroine gets canned so her boss could replace her with someone who occasionally starts workplace fires. She drowns her sorrows at the local faux nostalgia-themed sports bar and during the commute home, she's mistaken for a deer and then shot by a drunk hunter. And then she wakes up as a vampire. And thus, Jane Jameson and the wacky denizens of Half-Moon Hollow were born.

It took me almost a year to complete and edit a draft of the book, which I planned as the first in a three-book series. I spent three months using agentquery.com to ruthlessly stalk potential literary agents. (There were a lot of lists involved, I don't want to re-live it.) I was gently rejected by at least half of them. I corresponded with some very nice, very patient people, but ultimately signed with the fabulous Stephany Evans of Fine Print Literary Management. Stephany was willing to take to the time to give me advice on how to improve my book before she even signed me. That meant a lot. And when she sold the series at auction to Pocket Books about a month later, it was obvious I'd made the right choice.

(2) Is writing a full-time job or have you got an alter-ego thing going on à la Clark Kent?
I am very much a Clark Kent. I work as an editorial assistant for a medical society. I write at night and on the weekends. Also, I wear glasses.

(3) Your first series deals with Jane Jameson – a fledgling vampire slash bibliophile – as she adjusts to her new life. What inspirations led you to develop your mythology?
I don’t know if I have a mythology per se. I tried to treat vampirism as a disease, a medical condition. And that sucked away a lot of superstitious rules like not being able to enter the home unless invited, fearing crosses and holy water. Other rules I needed to keep for plot purposes, i.e., being allergic to silver and sunlight. It was sort of a patchwork process.

(4) Jane is...a pretty unique take on the vampire heroine. I mean, with the exception of being locked into the nightlife and having a liquid-diet, her life is pretty normal. How did your take on vampires come to be?
I wanted my vampires to be regular Joes with everyday problems, who just happen to have fangs. I figured not every vampire is going to have a castle and a satin-lined cape to fall back on. I flatter myself in hoping that Buffy the Vampire Slayer was an influence on the way I write vampires. What I loved about the show was that it explored all of these heavy, emotional topics, but through vampires and demons. Buffy finally sleeps with her boyfriend, only to have him lose his soul and go all evil. Buffy goes away to college and her roommate is a soul-sucking, annoying weirdo from another dimension. It showed that scifi/fantasy can be cool and scary, but still smart and emotionally relevant. I don’t know if my scope is quite that wide, but I’m working on it.

(5) Now, Gabriel. How would describe your hero Jane’s love interest?
Gabriel is an old-fashioned guy. He’s lived apart from the modern world for the most part, so it’s confusing for him to encounter a woman like Jane. She says exactly what she thinks, even if it would be better if she held her tongue. He finds that intriguing. But at the same time, she exasperates him with her stubbornness and her unwillingness to just let him step in and take care of her problems for her. He would do anything for Jane, which leads him into some fairly stupid decisions. Fortunately, he’s a good enough person to find a way to make up for them.

Oh, and did I mention he’s super-hot?

(6) The relationship between Jane and Gabriel has had its rocky moments but some how it all comes out seeming a lot more real because of it. Has it be hard setting the development of their relationship?
Yes, and no. I needed to maintain that conflict throughout several books, because who wants to read three books where the main character is in a happy, settled, schmoopy relationship? That would be annoying.

At the same time, I felt bad pitting Gabriel and Jane against each other. They are capable of hurting each other deeply, but they also work best when they’re together. Having Jane spend time away from Gabriel is like benching your best player. It all works out in the end, though.

(7) How exactly did you come up with your characters? Are any of them based on real people?
I’ve only based one character on a real person, and that’s my husband. He’s the inspiration for the yummy ex-cop neighbor in AND ONE LAST THING. Everybody else either came to me fully-formed, (Mr. Wainwright) or their personality traits are sort of a mishmash of what I needed for the plot.

(8) You’re now moving on to new projects, if your upcoming releases are anything to go by. Does this mean Jane’s story is over?
My agent has proposed a fourth Jane book to the publisher, but no decision has been made. I would be happy either way. As much as I love writing about Jane and the gang, I don’t want to push the series to the point where it loses its spark.

(9) Your most recent release, One Last Thing..., was lacking of vampires, werewolves, and all things that go bump. Why the change?
I was between books 2 and 3 in the Jane series. At that point, I’d been writing about vampires for a while and I wanted to do something a little different. My deadline for book 3 was a ways off and I was due to have our son at any moment. I had an idea for AND ONE LAST THING, and decided to spend my maternity leave working on it. It’s about a woman who finds out her husband is cheating, and uses his company mailing list to tell everyone they know what he’s been up to. She’s exiled from her little town and has to rebuild her life from there. She meets the aforementioned yummy ex-cop neighbor, wacky romance and half-naked hijinks ensue.

I finished the book in about two months. My son would sleep during the day. I would throw in a load of laundry and work on my manuscript, instead of, you know, sleeping, like a normal person. It’s the fastest I’ve ever written a book. I think because I didn’t have to be so careful about the vampire rules, and just write about interactions between characters.

(10) Do you plan on writing more contemporary romances?
I do have several more ideas for contemporaries, but I’ll always come back to paranormal romances. It’s where I’m most comfortable.

(11) Your next publication, How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf, won’t be coming out until February 22, 2011. This book is the start of a brand new series, obviously taking on werewolves instead of vamps. What can you tell us about this book?
Well, I think the cover blurb is safe to reveal, so here goes:

Even in Grundy, Alaska, it's unusual to find a naked guy with a bear-trap clamped to his ankle on your front porch. But when said guy turns into a wolf, recent southern transplant Mo Wenstein has no difficulty identifying the problem. Her surly neighbor Cooper Graham - who has been openly critical of Mo's ability to adapt to life up North - has trouble of his own. Werewolf trouble.

For Cooper, an Alpha in self-imposed exile from his dysfunctional pack, it's love at first sniff when it comes to Mo. But he has an even more pressing concern on his mind. Several people around Grundy have been the victims of wolf attacks, and since Cooper has no memory of what he gets up to while in werewolf form, he's worried that he might be the violent canine in question.

If a wolf cries wolf, it makes sense to listen. Mo is convinced that Cooper is not the culprit. But if he's not responsible, then who is? Life is complicated when a when you fall head over haunches in love.

(12) Is it set within the same world as Jane’s books? Are the werewolves the same sort as we saw in that series?

Let’s say the world is “adjacent” to Jane’s world. And yes, the werewolves are the same, with a more specific pack structure.

(13) The second book in that series, How to Talk to a Naked Werewolf, is due out just a month later on March 29, 2011. Have you any other releases scheduled for 2011?

I think the title has been changed to HOW TO FALL FOR A NAKED WEREWOLF. My title skills are weak, so they always seem to be in flux. At the moment, that is my last release for a while, but if you watch my web site and blog, I may be making an announcement soon.

(14) How many books do you envision the Naked Werewolf series to have? In a perfect world that is where the whims of the publisher wouldn’t matter.

Three. I’ve written about half of a third book, I’m just waiting for the publisher to decide whether they’re interested in expanding the series to a trilogy.

(15)What sort of research is done per book? Any particular texts you rely on? Could you break down your research process?
Most of my research consists of Googling to make sure my pop culture references are spelled correctly.

(16) Finally, some random questions about you: a. What are your hobbies aside from writing? Hmmm. I remember having hobbies… I used to cross-stitch and decorate cakes. But I don’t have time for either, anymore. I make my kids’ birthday cakes when they let me.
b. Could you please describe your dream day? I wake up and the kids have already dressed themselves and eaten a well-balanced breakfast. (Quite an accomplishment for a 2-year-old and 5-year-old.) I drop them off at pre-school, where they practically vault out of the car, because they are so happy to be there. I zip on over to the day spa to get rubbed, scrubbed and pampered. At some point, Alexander Skarsgaard drops by to administer my footrub.

I get home around lunchtime to find that some wonderful soul has done all the laundry, put away the dishes and picked up lunch for me from my favorite Chinese restaurant. Pot-stickers in hand, I retire to my office, where I write until it’s time to go pick up the kids.

I come home to find my loving husband waiting for me, with dinner prepared. (To be fair, he normally does this anyway.) We have a meal that does not involve screaming, crying, food being flung on the floor, or my food getting cold because someone needs to be taken to the potty.

The kids are practically chomping at the bit to go to bed. I get to spend the evening watching Castle re-runs with my husband.
c. If you found a genie, what would be your three wishes? -That all of the calories in cheesecake magically evaporate.

-That I could live in a world where I’m a full-time writer.

-That the Jane Jameson books get adapted into a movie starring Jenna Fischer and James Marsden. (I used to want Gerard Butler to play Gabriel, but then he went and single-handedly murdered the romantic comedy with “The Ugly Truth.”)

Wait, should I have wished for world peace? DANG IT!

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So, like it's mentioned above, Molly's next release, How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf, isn't until Feb, 2011, but in the mean time be sure to check out her backlist and pop on over to visit her website.

INTERVIEW: Nicole Peeler

2010-07-12T18:00:00.000-07:00

So, this week author Nicole Peeler was kind enough to answer a couple of questions. Her Jane True series, which is whacky, humourous and, oh yeah, something magical, just recently saw its second book, Tracking the Tempest, released on July 1 and its third, Tempest's Legacy, will be coming out January 1, 2011. So, without further adieu, enjoy!

(1) So, I guess I may as well start with the basics: how exactly did Nicole Peeler break into the publishing world?

Human sacrifice? No, not really. I basically did what every writer does, only speeded up quite a bit. I had an idea for a book, wrote book, figured out how to query agents, queried agents, found an agent, and she sold it. Basically, the way you publish a novel is hard work and research, just like the process of writing a novel is hard work and research. Put in the effort, listen to the advice you're given (rather than assuming you're such a superstar people can't understand your genius), and keep getting back up when you're knocked down--that's how you become a published writer.

(2) Your current series, the Jane True series, is about a half-selkie living in a small town by the Ocean who one day gets thrown in head first into the magic world lying just behind the normal everyday one she’d been living in . At this point, there is only the first book released with the second due out July 1. Do you have a definite idea of where this series is going? Tied to this and “it depends on my publisher/sales” aside, have you an idea how long the series will be?

I am a total plotter/outliner. I would outline you if you sat still for me. So I have a very definite idea where this story is going, and I have exactly six books planned for Jane True. I'm a firm believe in capping series . . . I guess it's from reading Mercedes Lackey as a child. She's a great one for giving her readers a perfect story arc.

(3) In developing Jane's character in the series, do you plot it all out prior to writing each book or are you winging it as you go?

I never wing! Well, I rarely wing. I outline the whole book before I start, in non-specific terms, then I outline each chapter before I write it, filling in chapter elements in later parts of the book as I'm inspired by writing earlier scenes. I think it's a great way to finish a project on time, but I do have to remember I'm not a prisoner of my outline. I have to be responsive . . . sometimes characters do things I'm really not expecting them to do. My third book ends in a way I totally didn't plan on it ending. But it made sense, and it was unexpected, which made it perfect.

(4) Now, Jane’s love interest is this vampire named Ryu. How would you describe their relationship?

Jane and Ryu have fantastic sexual chemistry. Jane's very much an unapologetic hedonist, and so is Ryu. They both enjoy sex, they're both very sensual and they are both very fun people. That said, I don't know if Ryu and Jane are good for each, long term. I don't think even Jane and Ryu know that, yet. They're just getting to know one another, like in real life. When two parties start dating, they're each trying to suss the other out. My goal was to try to create characters who are alive in the sense that we're watching them live, not fulfill the destiny I have planned for them. We all do things that are good or important for us to do, at the time, even if they aren't some sort of final solution to our existence. Jane and Ryu are enjoying one another and seeing where things go, and I, for one, am enjoying watching them do so. :-)

(5) And the story itself? How did you come up with the idea in the first place? Why go with what you did?

I was inspired to write Tempest Rising after reading one of Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse books. I'd never read a heroine that wasn't kick ass, and I thought, "I LOVE this idea." So I started to put together what kind of elements I'd need for my own non-kick ass heroine. I did want her to be magical, unlike Sookie, but, again, she couldn't start out fierce. Living in Scotland right on the Firth of Forth, and having been obsessed with Celtic myth as a child, the idea for a Selkie came to me pretty quickly. But then I realized that particular mythology had a lot of limitations . . . what do Selkies do, really, besides bask on rocks and seduce mortals? So then my brain leapt to one of the half-human children of a Selkie. Whenever I'd read Selkie myths I'd wondered about what happened to those children . . . then I realized it was my time to tell their story, they way I imagined it.

(6) There are a lot of faeries floating around your world – was there a lot of research involved? What sources do you use most?

My world isn't necessarily populated by faeries, but by the creatures of various mythologies throughout the world. I studied myth and religion throughout high school and college (I think being raised without religion, at all, made me very curious), so I already had a lot of background not only in folklore, religion, and mythology but also in theories regarding why humans invent these things. So many different people have tried to answer why it's so important to us to have these stories, and why so many of these stories are so similar in otherwise vastly divergent cultures. My book takes the approach that much urban fantasy does . . . we write stories about these creatures because we've seen them. For me, every mythology--from Mayan to Mesopotamian to an urban legend from Manhattan--is possible fodder.

(7) Is writing a full-time job for you? What’s a day-in-the-life-of-Nicole-Peeler like?

In my "real" career I'm an assistant professor at LSU in Shreveport. So my day-to-day life is quite hectic. A normal weekday sees me at the gym, then teaching, and working on book-related stuff whenever I can fit it in. I wouldn't trade my life for the world, but it's requires a lot of work and a lot of organization and prioritizing to be both Dr. Peeler, professor, and Nicole Peeler, author. Last year I really let Nikki Peeler, human being, take a back seat, so that's my goal for this year. Not only get everything done for both jobs, but carve out some "me" time. I'm doing pretty well, so far.

(8) In terms of the writing process, what is the most difficult part for you? Is it starting? Writing certain scenes? Editing or chopping up parts? What about the easiest?

I think editing is the hardest, in some ways. You want to publish the best material possible, and it's important to really engage with the editing process. But I don't get that sheer pleasure in just creating as I do when I'm writing the rough draft. That said, my rough draft is always rough, and there's real pleasure in turning that into a final product I'm really proud to have written. But while I'm editing, it can get a bit frustrating.

(9) How long does it take you to go from idea to finished manuscript?

If I didn't have to work the day job, I'd say I would have about a 4-6 month turn around on an MS form start to finish. with the day job, I'm working at about 6-8 months, roughly. Doing my Ph.D. really helped me learn to organize and execute a big project with efficiency. Personally, I doubt I could ever have become a writer without having done my doctoral work. I just couldn't start, let alone finish, anything.

(10) Have you plans for any other works outside of Jane’s world, or at least Jane’s POV? What’s coming next for you?

I do have big plans that are set in Jane's world but not in Jane's POV. They're characters you hear of in Book 2, and meet in Book 3. But we'll see what happens. Tempest Rising has to sell well before anything else happens.

(11) Finally, some random questions about you:
a. What are your hobbies aside from writing?
I belly dance, cook, read, and travel a lot.
b. Could you please describe your dream day?
Start with yoga or a bout with my friend and trainer, Dawn, at Fitness World here in Shreveport. Then I'd go get a massage. Then I'd do some good work (I'm not really happy if I haven't gotten some work done), and then I'd go for dinner and drinks with friends.
c. If you found a genie, what would be your three wishes?
I'd love a lighter teaching load, but other than that, I'm happy.

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You can find the first two Jane True books, Tempest Rising and Tracking the Tempest, in stores now and for further 411 on what's to come check out Nicole online here.

INTERVIEW: Jenna Black

2010-07-05T20:11:00.000-07:00

Alright boils and ghouls, here be my first interview since the Unfortunate MIA Period of 2010. The author is Jenna Black, who to date has two adult and one young adult series published, comprising almost a dozen books with more on the way. These books have everything, from vampires to demon possessions to fairies, so there's no chance you won't find something to love. So, without further adieu, enjoy!

(1) So, I guess I may as well start with the basics: how exactly did Jenna Black break into the publishing world?

With great difficulty! I wrote seriously, trying to get published, for about sixteen years before I finally sold WATCHERS IN THE NIGHT, my "first" novel. Actually, that first novel was the 18th I'd written. I came close many times before that with many other books, but I was never quite able to break in. But I kept writing, kept trying, and kept submitting. Being a writer was my dream, and I refused to give up on that dream even when it seemed it was impossible to achieve, which it did many times during those frustrating years of rejection after rejection.

(2) Right now you’ve got three series, one urban fantasy, one paranormal and one young adult. The urban fantasy series features Morgan Kingsley, a demon exorcist who one day finds out she’s hosting the rightful king of the demons. So far four books have been published and a fifth, The Devil’s Playground, is due out in late March. Will this be the last book in the series?

Yes, that's the final book, although there will be at least one more Morgan Kingsley short story, coming out in an anthology sometime next year.

(3) Will there be more instalments in your paranormal series, the Guardians of the Night?

No, that series is finished.

(4) In May your first young adult book, Glimmerglass, will be coming out. What can you tell us about this new series?

The series is about a teen girl named Dana Hathaway, who gets fed up with her alcoholic single mother and runs away from home to find her Fae father in Avalon, the only place in the world where the ordinary world and the world of Faerie intersect. She's hoping to find something more like a normal life, but she gets way more than she bargained for. It turns out she's a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel freely both in the mortal world and in Faerie. She can also bring magic into the mortal world and technology into Faerie. There are a lot of people--including her father--who see her as a potential pawn in a deadly game of Fae politics, and her life is about as far from normal as it's possible to get.

(5) Returning to the Morgan Kingsley series, in developing Morgan's character in the series, do you plot it all out prior to writing each book or are you winging it as you go?

I generally have an idea of where the story starts and where it's going to end. All the stuff in the middle--and the actual details of what's going to happen at the end--doesn't come into focus until I'm elbow-deep in the writing.

(6) Morgan’s world puts a new spin on demon possessions - How did you come up with the idea in the first place? Why go with what you did? And was there a lot of research involved? What sources do you use most?

I wanted my heroine to be involved in a deep-seated, emotional conflict that was too complicated to be resolved within the course of a single book, a conflict that could sustain tension throughout the course of the series. That's why I created a possessed exorcist, but I made Lugh into a good guy because that increased the complexity of the conflict. If Lugh were a villain--depicted more like a traditional demon--then Morgan would just want him gone. The fact that she likes him and wants him to win the fight for the throne adds another layer of complexity to their relationship. Because I completely made up the mythology for my series, only barely touching on the existing mythology about demons, I didn't have to do any substantive research. I generally hate doing research anyway, so I try to steer myself away from projects that would require too much of it. I like to use existing mythology as just a jumping off point, which is true in my other series as well.

(7) Is writing a full-time job for you? What’s a day-in-the-life-of-Jenna-Black like?

Yes, I write full time. I quit my day job right before the economy tanked. (Good timing, huh?) I'm still glad I went full time--I couldn't realistically keep writing two series while working a full time job. Not without burning myself out, that is. A day-in-the-life generally starts with me checking email over coffee, clad in my PJs. I do activities that require minimal brain power while I'm waiting to fully wake up, then I start writing. I usually write in sessions of about one hour at a time. (This varies wildly depending on where I am in the book, and how sure I feel about what happens next.) After an hour or so, I break to do something else, usually more email correspondence, or Twitter chattering, or website maintenance. (It's amazing how many tasks an author must do that have nothing to do with actually writing a book.) I'll then go back for another writing session, and I'll repeat this procedure throughout the day, usually stopping around 5:00 PM. If I'm doing editing, revising, or proofreading, I often do this after my regular work hours, preserving my "prime time" for the most creatively draining work. I do this seven days a week, and almost never take a full day off. I was never a workaholic until I became a full-time writer, but I have to be now or I wouldn't be able to keep up.

(8) In terms of the writing process, what is the most difficult part for you? Is it starting? Writing certain scenes? Editing or chopping up parts? What about the easiest?

The easiest part for me is writing the big climactic scene(s) at the end of the book. By the time I get there, I'm very comfortable that I know how the plot is going to work, I'm totally immersed in all the characters' heads, so I know what they'll do in any given situation, and I've got a good picture in my own head of all the action that's to come. I often have marathon writing sessions when I get to this part, because the momentum carries me right through my supposed break times.

The hardest part varies from book to book. Sometimes, it's the beginning, because I'm just getting to know certain characters and things aren't so clear in my mind yet. Usually, it will come later in the book. There's usually a place where I have big holes in my plan. For example, I might write in my synopsis something like "And then she escapes from the dungeon." That's enough information for a synopsis, but when I find that scene looming on the horizon, I've got to figure out *how* she escapes from the dungeon, and the logistic sometimes leave me stymied for a while.

(9) How long does it take you to go from idea to finished manuscript?

That varies wildly, and it depends on your definition of the word "finished." To get from an idea to a finished first draft probably takes me around three months on average. With me, there's very little delay between getting an idea and starting to write. If I'm excited about something, I feel the need to start writing right away. I don't think I'd have the patience to write anything where I had to do extensive research before I began writing. The drive to write is capricious, and when the desire is burning in me, I have to take advantage of the surge of energy and excitement it gives me. I'll have peaks and valleys during that three-month writing process--times when the words are being forced out one by one and it's all I can do to keep my butt in the chair, and times when I'm so absorbed I forget to eat.

It's much harder for me to say how long it takes before I have a real, finished manuscript, because there's so much stopping and starting along the way. I have to put the manuscript aside for a while to give myself some distance, then I go back and edit. Then I turn it into my editor, and it can take months before I get feedback. Once I get the feedback, I have to go back and revise some more, and then turn it in again and wait for my editor to read it. So from the idea first dawning to the novel actually being in its finished state can easily take a year, even if much of that time is waiting time for me.

(10) What’s coming next for you outside of the Morgan Kingsley and Faeriewalker worlds? Are you planning a new adult series?

I will actually have a new adult urban fantasy series starting in 2011. Unfortunately, it's still Top Secret, and I'm not at liberty to share any details.

(11) Finally, some random questions about you:

a. What are your hobbies aside from writing?

I love ballroom dancing. I take lessons a couple times a week.

b. Could you please describe your dream day?

My dream day is any day when the writing is really flowing. There is no feeling quite like that, when the ideas o are flowing, and I can hardly type fast enough to keep up with them. Those are the days that make all the insecurities and aggravations of being a writer completely worth it.

c. If you found a genie, what would be your three wishes?
It's hard to answer this question and not sound like a cliche. Let's just say that I wouldn't wish for anything for myself. While my life is far from perfect, I am living my dream and am more than satisfied with what I have. I'd probably wish for world peace, a cure for cancer, and an end to hunger, or something unimaginative like that. Unless I suspected it was one of those genies who gave you wishes that always backfired--then I'd make really small wishes that couldn't possibly hurt anyone.

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Jenna's first young adult book, Glimmerglass, hit the shelves in May and for further 411 on what's to come check out Jenna online here.

Phoenix Time! / Paranormal Love

2010-06-24T15:08:00.000-07:00

So, finally, I can once again resurrect my blog thanks to my parents buying me a new laptop as a graduation present. And that means I will finally be able to post the backlog of interviews I've got horded away which are way overdue to be seeing the light of day. (And I apologize to the authors who generously took the time to answer my questions for taking so long to post them - I haven't forgotten and I swear they'll be going up soon.)

Now, despite the backlog, I've decided this first Resurrection post will not be an interview but instead will deal with something else, something that, truth be told, has been on my mind for some time now. It first sprung up when (or should that be "while"?) I was discussing Yasmine Galenorn's Otherworld series with a friend. Specifically, we were talking about one of the characters' love lives and he called her a whore. I disagreed, but he just couldn't see my point of view (but he’s a bit of a blockhead when it comes to opinions, so that’s hardly surprising), and the whole thing got me thinking.

Paranormal romance in general strives to take the fantastical and fit it to more mundane parameters. The basic formula of a couple meeting and gradually falling in love tends to be preserved, often as a secondary plot to some larger, driving adventure/mystery plot. The couple, however, are rarely your typical, run of the mill humans. Vampires, werewolves, witches, fairies, demons or shapeshifters - these books spin the wheel on the Big List of Supernatural Entities and takes their pick, combining the magic with the mundane and taking it for one hell of a ride. For example, Larissa Ione recently tweeted that a reader had accused her of creating “unrealistic expectations of love.” Considering Ione’s Demonica series is about a hospital catering to demonic patients and focuses on the incubi brothers that run it finding their mates (which so far have included a half-demon, a werewolf, an immortal treasure hunter and an angel), I can see how the reader could see the romances as being unrealistic. Gods know I was crushed to realize there would be no leather-clad incubi walking up to me in cafes to whisk me off for some sexcapades. But, at the same time, these characters were facing obstacles such as opposing ideologies, past betrayals, and difficult choices – things I’m sure no real life couple would ever have to face. *cough, cough* This blend of the believable with the extraordinary is exactly what paranormal romance is all about.

Interestingly, it's not Those That Go Bump that had my friend's feathers ruffled - in fact his problem had nothing at all to do with the fantasy component. Nope, it was all about the romance side of the equation. In Galenorn's series, the three half-fae D'Artigo sisters, who rotate the role of narrator book to book, are fighting to prevent a demon army, led by the big baddie Shadow Wing, from invading the human world while simultaneously entertaining love lives worthy of any soap opera. Camille, the eldest sister, is a Moon witch. At the start of the series, she is bound through an ancient ritual to a Svartan (think dark elf) named Trillian and later marries a youkai fox demon named Morio and a silver dragon called Smoky when Trillian goes missing. Consequently, Camille has sex regularly with all three men and not always just one at a time. This is where my friend had the problem; he saw Camille as a whore for having multiple partners. This is completely and utterly ridiculous; she’s not a whore. Sure, she has multiple lovers, but then she is half-fae and there is precedence for such in the culture. But even by human-standards, she doesn't fit the definition. She is not sneaking around or hiding; all three of her men are aware of each other and all three have consented to the relationship knowing exactly what parameters it had, a relationship which, btw, is most decidedly not open. Camille is loyal and faithful (ditto her men); the only difference between hers and the typical romantic tale is that the exclusivity is stretched to encompass three lovers instead of just one.

In my opinion, reading is supposed to be all about escape. I read fantasy because it is what I wish the world could truly be like; all that magic and potential has its appeal. The presence of vampires and shifters and witches (oh, my) in what otherwise would have been pretty mundane situations helps t0 perpetuate the idea that the extraordinary isn't so far the ordinary. Now, me, I only care that everyone's happy. Gay, straight, bi, married, unmarried, monogamous, polygamous- whatever - so long as no one's being hurt and everyone's happy I don't see why it's anyone else's business. (It's the reason I never understood why the Law cares to outlaw polygamy.) That Galenorn's series has characters that aren't strait and monogamous is an original and rather refreshing change. Although it's hardly the first variation on that theme.

Similarly, Keri Arthur wrote of werewolves who kept their love lives very open until finding their soul mate in her Riley Jensen series. Jenna Black's Morgan Kingsley series had homosexual partners, possessed by homosexual demons, who led to some pretty intense S&M scenes. Wen Spencer wrote of elves, the majority of whom viewed marriage as a political alliance and had bodyguards who doubled as lovers. Jill Myles has a series about a succubus who has two lovers: a fallen angel (who is awake only during the day) and a vampire (who, you guessed it, is only awake at night) and I'm really hoping that, give or take some modifications, the relationship/set-up/arrangement/whatever perseveres to series' end.

And then there's the other side of the coin: the Enforced One True Love types. These are the characters who, upon finding their One, have any choice for future break-ups removed. Eileen Wilks has Lily Yu, a touch-sensitive, being Lupi prince, Rule Turner's Chosen: a mate selected for him by the Goddess who first created the werewolves. Considered a gift, the bond is unpredictable, sometimes swapping magical traits back and forth between Lily and Rule, other times snapping taut and preventing them from getting too far from each other. In Christine Warren's Other series, wolves know their mates by scent and, sooner or later, give in to their urges and mark their females, whether the female is prepared or not. Kresley Cole has a whole host of similar pairings, such as the werewolves who know their mates as the one who calms their beasts or the vampires know their Brides as the one who reanimates their hearts...and other organs. The Dragonlords of Joanne Bertin's imagination are creatures who, once upon a time, saw a dragon soul and a human soul fuse and they break into two dragon/human pairings that can take centuries to find each other again.

Personally, I'm all for the happy middle ground. This can take one of three forms. First, there are those who willing choose to remove the choice to leave. Sharon Ashwood's witch Holly, for instance, makes the decision to take the vampire Alessandro her Chosen, allowing him, among other things, to feed off their shared passion instead of blood. A willing blood exchange between a vampire and his lover in Alexandra Ivy's world, for another example, consecrates a mating and causes a mark warning off other vampires to appear on the female's arm and a sort of psychic connection to open up between the couple. Second, there's the "my inner beast concurs" scenario. Patricia Briggs' werewolves can be like this: the human-side choices a mate and the wolf eventually accepts the choice, however the inverse is also possible. Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld have something similar occur when they meet their intendeds; cursed to host such demons symbolizing such things as Violence, Death and Promiscuity, these demons tend to be calmed by the females and strengthen their hosts' feelings of attraction. Finally, the third form is the classic boy-meets-girl-falls-in-love-HEA-ensues set-up we all know and love. Ilona Andrews' Kate and Curran, Linda Wisdom's Jazz and Nick, Michelle Rowen's Sarah and Thierry and Molly Harper's Jane and Gabriel all follow this example.

Which leaves me with just one more things to comment on: love triangles. Personally, I hate them, especially in series that just keep going and going. I hate waiting for the decision, and I hate it even more when my favourite isn't the pick. S.J. Day has this with her Marked series where Eve must choose between Cain and Abel and Lisa Shearin has this with her Raine being caught between Mychael and Tam.

The only thing worse are those characters (like Charlaine Harri's Sookie, and Karen Chance's Cassie) who can't make ANY decision and just seem to be stuck in a romance limbo. With yummy potential interests RIGHT THERE - this is not only frustrating, it's just plain cruel.

Houston? We have a problem!!

2010-04-06T17:35:00.000-07:00

Ok, bad news everyone. My laptop has taken a tumble and died a most cruel and unusual death. This means that for the next little while until I've got a replacement this blog will be taking a break. I know, I know - you're crushed. But never fear! Like a phoenix I shall rise from these ashes bigger and better than ever!! Muahahahaha!

Or, you know, I'll just be back. Period.

Either way, in the immortal words of the Terminator, I'll Be Back!

INTERVIEW: Jill Myles

2010-03-08T05:34:00.000-08:00

Ok, calm down, I'm not dead. Spring break and the Homework Assignment Week From Hell just kept me busy is all, but I'm back now with a fresh interview from Jill Myles, author of an amazing new series, The Succubus Diaries. This series follows the misadventures of Jackie, the world's newest succubus and already has two books out, Gentlemen Prefer Succubi and Succubi Like it Hot. So, without further adieu, enjoy!

(1) So, I guess I may as well start with the basics: how exactly did Jill Myles break into the publishing world?

The hard way! I wrote for several years (and about 4 books) and queried for a very long time. I didn't know anyone in the industry, and my resume pretty much consisted of "Hi, I'm Jill and I like to write!" Luckily, the 5th book I wrote was about succubi and seemed to be better than the last few books I'd written (which stunk) and this ended up being the one that landed me an agent. From there, he shopped it in NY and we had an offer after about a year. So it was mostly just luck and persistence - no secret backdoor handshakes on this end!

(2) Your current series, the Succubi Diaries, is about a museum docent who wakes up one morning to find she’s been turned into a succubus and next thing she knows she has fallen angels, vampires, demons and archangels coming out of the woodwork wanting her in one way or another. At this point, there are two books out with the third due out in next year. Do you have a definite idea of where this series is going? Tied to this and “it depends on my publisher/sales” aside, have you an idea how long the series will be?

Having finished writing book 3, I think there are 4 books in this series in me right now (author's note: this answer could change tomorrow. I'm fickle like that). Which is not to say that I wouldn't write more books with the same characters and if Pocket asked me to write 8 more, I certainly wouldn't say no! But I think there would be a different 'jumping off' point for additional books in the series. A reboot of sorts, or maybe a different narrator. Does that make sense? I sometimes get flashes of brilliance that allow for the storyline to twist in a new direction (and lengthens the story without feeling irritating) but they tend to be last minute flashes. ;)

(3) In developing Jackie's character in the series, do you plot it all out prior to writing each book or are you winging it as you go?

Is it bad if I say I'm winging it? I tend to be a pantser-writer -- I don't plot anything ahead to a certain point. I tend to start with a scenario for the character and spiral outward from there. That being said - I do like showing different angles of Jackie's acclimation to the world she's in. Book 1 was about exploring how a newcomer would fare in the supernatural world. Book 2 was about Jackie learning to depend on herself rather than her lovers. Book 3 is about Jackie dealing with consequences to her actions (and others). Book 4 is...not plotted yet and not contracted! But I have ideas aplenty.

(4) Jackie’s new world puts a new spin on an old mythology. How did you come up with the idea in the first place? Why go with what you did? And was there a lot of research involved? What sources do you use most?

I knew that I wanted to write about angels - have always loved (and always will) the concept of fierce, winged guardians that watch over us from Heaven. I wanted to use that concept but to veer away from current religious dogma, so I poked around in a lot of older stories - mostly the Book of Enoch (which is a biblical text but not canon). It details out the fall of the angels and the nephilim and all that good stuff. Loved that. I also read a lot of books on angels in general, but my favorite was Gustav Davidson's A Dictionary of Angels: Including the Fallen Angels. It's an encyclopedia/dictionary, so it's not exciting reading material, but I read it from cover to cover multiple times. And from there, the ideas kind of spiraled outward. The fall of the angels happened so long ago that I wondered how an immortal would fare after all that time. Would they blend in? Separate themselves from humans? And if they fell once because of misdeeds...would they keep falling? And what would be incentive enough for them to fall a 2nd time? That's kind of how my vampires were born.
(5) The first book in the series, Gentlemen Prefer Succubi, was released in December ’09; Succubi Like it Hot, the second book, came out January ’10, barely a month apart. How did you manage that?

Lots of stress-induced sobbing and binge-eating. I'm kidding - my publisher arranged it! They thought it would be nice to have both books out at the same time for readers - so that's how it got scheduled. Of course, since book 2 came out a month after book 1, that means there's a bit of a longer stretch to book 3, but I hope it'll be worth it!

(6) And, ok, with the way Succubi Like it Hot ended I have got to ask: what can you tell us about book three?

Zane is back - of course! He's one of my favorites. But he's got some ties that don't allow him to be free to be with Jackie. We're going to see consequences to something that happened in the first book, a few hinted-at questions will be answered, and we'll see Jackie encounter her first nephilim. Romantically -- all I'm going to say is that some tough choices are made in this book, and not all characters like the outcome.

How's that for author vagueness? ;)

(7) Is writing a full-time job for you? What’s a day-in-the-life-of-Jill-Myles like?
I wish! I work an 8 to 5 job at a very large financial company, so I mostly come home, kiss my husband, and then get to work on writing. It's like having two jobs. And sometimes it's more stressful than it should be, but I wouldn't change it for the world. Of course, two jobs means I am a crappy housekeeper, but my husband is quite understanding.

(8) In terms of the writing process, what is the most difficult part for you? Is it starting? Writing certain scenes? Editing or chopping up parts? What about the easiest?

The most difficult part for me would either have to be setting the scene (description-wise) because I sort of wander around my own world in a clueless haze and I forget everything. My husband often jokes that he hopes I'm never called as a witness in a court trial, because I can't remember squat and I don't notice my surroundings. So it's hard for me to sit down and consciously think, "Okay, now describe this building".

The easiest part for me is banter. I love banter and arguing and I could write that all day long (but that might make the story boring). I also love writing the beginning - it's a huge rush and it just pours out of you. The ending is different - at that point it feels like a brutal slog.

(9) How long does it take you to go from idea to finished manuscript?
Depends on deadlines! I've written a story in six weeks, and I've written one that's taken a year. My normal process tends to be fairly fast - I'd say two or three months, max. But there are so many things that come into play - for example, I started book 3 in November for Nano and I just now finished the first draft on February 2nd. I would have finished it earlier but I had a ton of author promo stuff and two books releasing and all of that sort of fried my brain, so it did feel like book 2 dragged on for longer than it should have.

(10) Have you plans for any other works outside of Jackie’s world, or at least Jackie’s POV? What’s coming next for you?

Absolutely - I tend to read a little bit of everything, so I also write a little bit of everything. Pocket Books (my publisher) has acquired my new series which is called Midnight Liaisons for now. It's about a paranormal dating agency set in North Texas, and the only people allowed to date a member of the Paranormal Alliance is another member. Of course, there's a human girl that works at the agency, and when a high-profile client's date cancels, she subs in and goes on the date instead. And you can tell where I'm going with that. It's a fun series and it deals with a variety of shifters and maybe even some vampires. These books will also feature different heroes/heroines in every book, so they're going to be more traditional romance than the Succubus Diaries. I've also got a few other projects on a backburner but they're not sold yet.

(11) Finally, some random questions about you:
a. What are your hobbies aside from writing? Sleeping and reading and buying books. I don't have time for much more. Actually, I take it back - I love watching horror films with my husband, and I'm a huge Survivor dork. I never miss an episode. Does that count as a hobby?
b. Could you please describe your dream day? I get to sleep late, I write an amazing 5k in my current book, and my house is clean. I'm easy to please.
c. If you found a genie, what would be your three wishes? A better metabolism, a bank account with at least 7 zeroes in it, and the freedom to write all day long. Okay, okay. And maybe world peace, but I'm NOT giving up the metabolism thing.

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The next book in The Succubus Diaries, My Fair Succubus, will be out December 28th. Until then be sure to check out Jill online here for further 411 on the series and what's to come!

INTERVIEW: Karen Chance

2010-02-15T12:47:00.000-08:00

Sorry about today's interview going up late - school had the nerve to impose upon my time. This week I got an interview with...cue the drum roll...Karen Chance. Yes, that's right, NYT best-selling author Karen Chance was nice enough to let me pester her with questions and now it's my pleasure to say....Oh! Look! Karen Chance has answered questions! Go. Read. Gush. Enjoy.

(1) So, I guess I may as well start with the basics: how exactly did Karen Chance break into the publishing world?

Basically, I was lucky. I couldn’t interest an agent in my work; everyone just told me it wasn’t marketable. But being the stubborn sort, I decided not to take their word for it and sent out a few copies of Touch the Dark to the few publishers I could find who would read unsolicited manuscripts (AKA, those without an agent.) And in two weeks I had a contract. I also had several offers after I’d already signed with Penguin, so apparently somebody disagreed with the agents. It’s why I tell unpublished authors not to always assume that the agents who are rejecting them know what they’re talking about. Some don’t know the market as well as you might think. If you believe in your story, make it as good as you possibly can and submit it on your own. You never know.

(2) Your original series dealt with Cassie Palmer, a ghost whisperer slash clairvoyant, who ends up dab smack in the middle of a magical war and suddenly in possession of power than she knows what to do with. Obviously my first question here is how you came up with this stuff?

People always ask me that and I always feel guilty because I don’t have an answer. At least, not a good one. I have spent years studying history and mythology, sometimes for my classes at university and other times for fun, and it just evolved. Part of what made it come together for me was my sister loaning me some urban fantasy books to read. I’d always read a lot of fantasy, but urban fantasy was a new genre for me. I loved it, but I also saw some areas/topics that weren’t being addressed and voila—a series was born.

(3) The character of Cassie is great: she’s got all of this power she doesn’t know how to use, all of these factions wanting either kill her or control her and yet still manages to have the heroic sense of right and wrong and the will to stick to it. Exactly how do you envision her evolution?
I try never to spoil my own books, so I can’t be too definite here. I can say, however, that the Tarot card motif in Cassie’s books is there for a reason. Cassie started out as the Fool—not stupid, but very naïve/ignorant about the way her world works. She is slowly progressing through the major arcana as the books progress, and is gaining more experience/confidence along the way.

I wanted to do something different with Cassie, to show a regular person thrown into extraordinary circumstances. Some people don’t like her because they find her “weak” in comparison with other kick-butt supernatural heroines. I can accept that, although that is changing somewhat as the story goes on. But I think her struggles are more realistic and, to me anyway, more interesting than someone who is super powerful to begin with and doesn’t have to put forth much effort to beat up the bad guys.

The Fool's Journey takes someone from the early stages of life to their ultimate best destiny, with lessons and dangers along the way. It's about growing up, gaining experience, exploring your abilities and learning to trust your own judgment. It's the quentissential coming of age story as told through the tarot.

(4) This series you’ve mentioned is meant to be nine books long, with four published and one more on contract. Have you any idea when you’ll learn the fate of the remaining four would-be books?
I assume sometime this year or next. I’m hopeful, and cautiously optimistic, about the life of the series. The first four books have done reasonably well, so here’s hoping I’ll be allowed to finish the story.

(5) Right, so, it has to be brought up: Here’s Cassie running about trying to do the right thing, stay alive, and not incite anyone else to add her to their hit-list. And then there’s Pritkin and Mircea. How would you define these guys and their relationship to Cassie?
In the major arcana motif, Pritkin is the Magician that Cassie encounters on her journey. In the books, he’s a mage who acts as a cross between her bodyguard and her teacher, trying to get her self-defense abilities up enough that she isn’t a sitting duck. He’s also one of her main links to the human part of the magical community. Mircea is the Emperor in the major arcana, a strong, powerful individual who can also be quite manipulative. In the books, he’s a master vampire who constitutes Cassie’s main link to the senate—the governing body of the vampires. He’s also her sort-of-kind-of-maybe love interest, although Cassie hasn’t had a lot of time to decide how she feels about that. The relationships of all the characters are evolving as the series does.

(6) There is a heavy historical element to your books, what with all the time jumping and “Oh, this character is actually so-and-so” – this being the case, exactly how much research goes into these books?
A good amount. I once spent the better part of two days trying to find out what color carpet a particular London theatre had in 1889. I tend to be a little obsessive about the details, because I think it makes the books read as more realistic if I get them correct.

(7) In the first Cassie book there is this one scene set in the parking lot out back of Dante’s – and then it seems everything keeps going back there in the following books. Was this intentional? How far ahead/detailed do you outline?
Yes, it was intentional. I knew that there were parts of Touch the Dark that wouldn’t make sense until later, and just had to hope that people would trust me to tie it all up. As for plotting, I have the whole series outlined, meaning that I know the basic things that need to be in each book. But I don’t have such a rigid, play-by-play concept that it isn’t malleable. If I come up with a really good idea, there’s enough give that I can usually slot it in. And if not, I can always do a short story about it!

(8) Now, spinning off from the Cassie series is the Dory series, starring the half-human, half-vamp daughter of Mircea. How long after creating Cassie did the idea for Dory emerge? Pretty soon. I do a lot of back story on my characters, and she was always part of Mircea’s. And her first book was actually written quite early on. It forms a diptych with Claimed by Shadow, the second Cassie book, finishing up a major plot point from that book. I intended it to come out after CBS, which is when I wrote it, but the powers that be at Penguin had other ideas.

(9) Dory is almost the complete opposite of Cassie – is it difficult to shift from one perspective to the other with the writing?
No, not really. Maybe because they are very different, they each exist as a complete, separate entity in my head. I think if they were more alike, it would be harder not to have things bleed over.

(10) And then you have Lia who has starred in three short stories by now – how exactly does she fit into the larger picture, or does she?
Everything fits together into the overall storyline, although Lia is not a main character in the events Cassie has to deal with. Basically, she was a way for me to do some very fun things with the Weres and war mages without overly complicating the Cassie books (any more than they already are!)

(11) All of your books and short stories to date have been set in the same world, however none of the characters have met or seem to even be aware of each other. Do you ever plan on having them crossover?
Actually, there’s plenty of characters who have met—Dory knows Mircea, Radu and Marlowe, for example, all of whom know each other and are known to Cassie. But I assume you are talking about the main protagonists (Dory and Cassie haven’t met yet, for example). But it’s pretty much a given that that’s only a matter of time. Cassie is dating Dory’s father, after all!

(12) Have you any plans to write anything outside of the Cassie/Dory/Lia world? What about future plans once these stories have concluded?
I have tons of other things I’d like to do, but first I’d like to finish what I’ve started! There’s five Cassie’s and at least three Dory books left to go, and as anyone who reads me will tell you, I don’t write as fast as some. So I have plenty to keep me busy for the time being.

(13) With over a year until your next publication, you’ve made mention of taking the opportunity to write free short stories to be posted on your site featuring Mircea, Pritkin and others to tell back-story that wouldn’t have a place in the main tales. Have you any details to share on these?
I’ve promised a Pritkin POV, a Mircea POV and a Francoise POV, and there’s also a good chance I’ll manage to squash in one more. They should be fun. The books are first-person from the heroine’s perspective, so it will be nice to change that up a bit.

(14) Finally, some random questions about you: a. What are your hobbies aside from writing?
Cooking (badly), travel, music (listening, I don’t play any instrument known to man) and small, useless dogs.
b. Could you please describe your dream day?
Right now? A day with nothing to do!
c. If you found a genie, what would be your three wishes?
Three more of me. I could definitely use the extra hands—and brains!

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And there you have it, boils and ghouls. Don't forget that the FREE online short featuring Pritkin front and centre is going to be released in just a few weeks - March 31! And be sure to check out Karen's site for news on upcoming books.

Giveaway Winner & INTERVIEW: Jennifer Rardin

2010-02-08T05:36:00.000-08:00

First things first: the winner of the Nalini Singh giveaway is...Eshani! Congrats! Please e-mail me with your real name and mailing address so I can pass it along to Nalini who'll be mailing your prize out to you.

Today's interview is with Jennifer Rardin, author of the kickass awesome Jaz Parks series which tells the adventures of, big shock, Jaz Parks, a vampire hunter turned CIA assassin turned assassin-assistant. The series is currently six books long and book seven is still, gasp, almost a year away. I'm pretty sure that at moment the series should be closing, or at least pausing, at book eight. Anywhos, enough of my babbling - that's not why you're here, so let's get on with the show, shall we?

(1) So, I guess I may as well start with the basics: how exactly did Jennifer Rardin break into the publishing world?

It wasn’t easy. Those ninja outfits cost a lot, and they still don’t get you past the building guard unless you move r-e-a-l-l-y slow. Then you have to bribe the mailboy to let him ride in the bottom of his cart, and he only likes Mars Bars, which aren’t that easy to track down in the middle of Manhattan. So.

I decided to take the more traditional route. Which means that I wrote a book (in the space of about two years) that I originally called Club Undead. Then I wrote a kickass letter to several agents letting them know how smart (and profitable) it would be for them to represent me. A year later one of them agreed. At which point she pitched it to several editors, a couple of whom showed interest within about three months. I yelled, “Let the bidding begin, baby!” Fourteen months later Once Bitten, Twice Shy hit the shelves . . . and here we are!

(2) Your series deals with Jaz Parks – vampire hunter turned CIA assassin turned CIA assassin assistant – who is not exactly human. What inspirations led you to develop your mythology?

I adore urban fantasy. Before I filled my time with writing, I spent many long hours reading story after story after . . . well, you get the drift. And I discovered a lot of gaps in the genre that I felt should be filled. Immediately. By me.

That’s not to say that I’m the Diva of Organization. I had a lot of terrific ideas going in. But in no way did I have Jaz and Vayl’s world completely mapped out. And I did that on purpose. I don’t think authors do themselves, or their readers, a service when they insist on pigeon-holing every detail of this new world they’ve created from the get-go. They fall so deeply in love with their universe that they can’t help but describe it, in excruciating detail (which we call information dumps) which make me snore like a fat old Santa. I’m not saying I haven’t dumped a few times. But, damn, I try to avoid those suckers like fly-covered trash cans. Not attractive, you know? Plus they slow the story down soooooo much! And I want mine to be page-turners.

(3) Jaz has very strong ties to her family – having even done missions with her brother and father – which is a rather rare characteristic among heroes, many of whom tend to either be working from Lone Ranger status or else practicing a friends as family philosophy. What made you decide to go this route?
This is one of those missing elements I mentioned above. I noticed very few heroes in the UF that I was reading spent time with their families, if they even had any surviving relatives to begin with. And that bugged me. Regular people like me (and, I figured, my future readers) have to juggle work with family all the time. So why not the heroine of my book? I thought it would be fascinating, and occasionally hilarious, to see how Jaz worked some of those conflicts out.

(4) Now, Vayl. How would you describe your hero?
Vayl will always be a little bit of a mystery to me. Part of this is, frankly, because he’s a guy. And that’s okay. Guys are fabulously charming and wonderful, but in some ways I just don’t get them. However, I love mysteries, so I love Vayl.

I see him as a deeply passionate, conflicted creature who controls his cravings masterfully. Except when it comes to Jaz.

(5) The relationship between Jaz and Vayl has had its rocky moments but somehow comes out seeming a lot more real because of it. Has it been hard setting the development of their relationship?
It was only hard with the first book, which makes sense, I guess, since that’s when you’re first feeling out a relationship. Once I figured out where they were going, it became so much fun there were days I couldn’t believe people were paying me to do it.

(6) For someone who isn’t the boss, Jaz seems to really excel at dealing with the conflicting personalities of her team, keeping them all working while still helping them out with personal issues. It’s rather inspiring. How exactly did you come up with your characters?’ Are any of them based on real people?
It’s hard to say exactly where my characters are born. Each contains facets of people I know. But they are their own creatures. Some grew in my mind over years. Some appeared out of necessity and only became individuals because they, and the story, demanded it. I like them because they’re all so quirky you just wanna hug them. Until they pull some bonehead move that makes you want to shake the crap out of them. You know. Like real people.

(7) Your next publication, Bitten in Two, won’t be coming out until late 2010 which is a scary long break especially in a series that has previously been having two releases a year. What’s up with that?
My understanding is that Bitten in Two will release in January 2011 because Orbit is planning a rather special buildup to the release starting in October 2010. That’s all I can say about that at the moment.

(8) On that note, there’s been some mention of short stories being posted on your site during the interlude to alleviate some of the angst. What can you tell us about these shorts? What are these Minion Chronicles seen on your site?

Yeah, I know you guys have never had to wait so long between Jaz adventures before, and I feel your pain. So I’m doing my best to make this year of waiting one that’s as full of fun and entertainment for you via my website and my facebook fan page as I’m able.

So I’ve begun the year by writing a brand new interactive short story called The Minion Chronicles: Paul and Brady Get Hoodoo with the Voodoo. Every Monday I post a mini-chapter, after which I offer readers three choices for the following week’s plot twist. The majority vote gets the twist.

Later in the year (given time) I’d like to write at least one more Granny May story and one more Jaz & Vayl mini-adventure for my fans to enjoy as well.

(9) The Jaz books take place all over the world and in some instances feature various native traditions coming to life – what sort of research is done per book? Any particular texts you rely on? Could you break down your research process?

Generally speaking, as soon as I know where Jaz and Vayl’s mission will take place, I try to get as familiar with that city and country as possible. So, for instance, with Bite Marks (which took place near Canberra, Australia) I did a great deal of Internet research on the area. This included reading personal travelogues, looking at thousands of pictures, studying the history and folklore of the country, learning about the plant and animal life, etc. Details I always need to know (that you might not expect I’d have to research) include what time the sun rises and sets, the time difference between my chosen country and the US, the day and night-time temperatures, the currency, what side of the road people drive on, and what kinds of vehicles people typically drive.

For Bite Marks I also lassoed two Australian women into helping me make sure details of the book were correct. (You’ll see their names in the acknowledgements.) I sent them dozens of questions during the writing of the book and they answered them faithfully, thank goodness! I also requested some information about kangaroo habits from some rangers who worked in the area about which I was writing, and they were kind enough to reply very quickly with helpful information as well.

This kind of research starts out pretty heavy at the beginning of the writing, continues throughout the first draft, picks up again a great deal during the first rewrite, and then slacks off quite a bit until, by the time I’m working on the copyedit, I hardly do anymore research at all.

(10) You’ve mentioned that the eighth book in the series is written as a possible ending for the series with the potential to continue further left open. So, what’s coming next once the door has closed on Jaz? And how about yourself – where do you see yourself five years from now?

I’ve just finished a YA urban fantasy called Shadowstruck which my agent is currently marketing. I’m hoping it will be picked up soon, because it’s actually the first in a two- or three-book series, which would mean I’d have at least one more book to write to finish that story arc. Which is way cool and something I’m eager to continue.

I’m also prepared to write an amazing new urban fantasy series which, while quite unlike the Jaz Parks books, is still designed to make you laugh, gasp, and stay up until four a.m. just so you can see what happens next! Hopefully I’ll be able to begin writing that early this summer.

My habit is to write my main (paying) project during the day, and then to work on my sideline project at night. Now that Shadowstruck is finished, I’ve begun writing a musical comedy for the stage. Broadway, here I come!

Five years from now? Hmmm. I’ll be staring down the big 50. At least one of my kids will be out of college. I definitely plan to be writing, hopefully better stuff than ever. On a laptop that walks—and talks—and makes pizza. That would be awesome.

(11) Finally, some random questions about you:
a. What are your hobbies aside from writing? Probably my second passion after writing is gardening. I also enjoy travel so much that if you said, “Hey, Jen, do you wanna go to the store with me?” I’d be out the door immediately. Yeah, I don’t have to go far. I just like to go. Hiking is a major pleasure, as is saying things that make my hubby’s eyebrows shoot right up into his hairline. Which isn’t easy, because he has one of those military cuts. But I keep trying!
b. Could you please describe your dream day? First of all, this day must last for forty-eight hours. Don’t know how you’re going to swing it, but there it is. So I get to sleep until noon, and yet still have tons of time to . . . write 3,500 words. . .run two miles . . . shower for forty-five minutes . . . have a delicious lunch with my girlfriends . . . spend the afternoon planting flowers . . . spend the evening playing cards with my kids . . . hop in the car and travel somewhere new and exciting with hubby.
c. If you found a genie, what would be your three wishes? Health, happiness, and long life for my children and their children. (That sounds like one, but I think it probably counts as three, or possibly four, but I’m assuming this is a generous genie.)

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And there you have it. Be sure to keep an eye tuned to Jennifer's site to look out for what's new and for the 411 on Bitten in Two, Jaz Parks book 7, due out next year! And thanks, Jennifer, for hopping by!

INTERVIEW & GIVEAWAY: Nalini Singh

2010-02-01T08:42:00.000-08:00

This week we're lucky enough to have an interview with author Nalini Singh to share. Ms. Singh is the author of a whole slew of books including a bunch of Silhouette Desire romances and not one but two hit series. The first, the Psy-Changeling series, deals with a futuristic world where mundane humans living along side shapeshifters are lorded over by those with psychic abilities and essentially chronicles the events surrounding the fall of its world order. The second series, the Guild Hunter series, is rather new, the first book having come out just last year, and tells of the Hunters who track down renegade vampires trying to escape their angel master's service (I know, I know - that doesn't make much sense, but trust me - you have to read the to understand fully.) Oh, and did I mention book two in this series is due for release TOMORROW? And Archangel's Kiss looks to be one hell of a ride, so don't miss out! And now enough of my jabber! That's not why you're here, is it? No? Didn't think so.

(1) So, I guess I may as well start with the basics: how exactly did Nalini Singh break into the publishing world?

There's both a long version and a short version of this story. I'll go with the short version today. The summer I turned 18, I decided I wanted to write a romance novel, and since I'd been voraciously reading Mills & Book novels at the time, I decided it would be a M&B. I completed the manuscript over that summer. I'm so proud of that - though it was smartly rejected (and in hindsight, I can definitely understand why), the fact that I had written an entire book gave me such huge confidence.

After that, I knew this was what I wanted to do. I kept on writing and submitting and writing and submitting...until I caught the interest of an editorial assistant at Silhouette Desire. A couple more submissions and a revision letter later, she bought my first book!

In case you think this all happened very quickly - nope. Took years of persistence, but it was so worth it.

(2) You currently have two series on the go: Psy-Changeling and Guild Hunters. The Psy-Changeling series deals with a futuristic world where shapeshifters oppose the emotionless humans with psychic abilities who essentially rule the world. At this point, there are seven books released with an eighth due out in July. Do you have a definite idea of where this series is going? Tied to this, “it depends on my publisher” aside, have you an idea how long the series will be?

The Psy/Changeling series has a very definite story arc and has had from the start. I tend not to think in terms of number of books, but more in terms of the storyline. I think we're coming very close to the end of the first arc and this will start to become apparent in BONDS OF JUSTICE.

Once that arc is complete, the second will start. And the second one is much more open-ended. I would like to do some "tangent" books in that arc - i.e. books that might not necessarily have fit the first arc, that perhaps explore different parts of the world.

(3) The first book of this series, Slave to Sensation, introduce Sascha, a Cardinal (naturally powerful) psy with apparently defunct abilities, and Lucas, the alpha of the local leopard-shifter clan. Since then these characters have continued to appear with more frequency than any other coupling. Why?

I think this is because they are the "anchor" couple for the pack, being the alpha pair. Not only that, Sascha is intimately connected to the Council through her mother, so she and Lucas just naturally end up being in more scenes.

I love seeing previous couples appear, but I'm very conscious that they must be integral to the plot of the current book and with each book, this balance is different.

(4) Where did you get the idea for the Psy-Changeling series, in particular the Psy?

I've always been fascinated by psychic abilities and one day, I had the thought, "What if it wasn't a gift to have such abilities? What if it caused the most vicious insanity, the kind that led to murder? What then?" And that's how the Psy race first took shape.

(5) And how about the inspiration for your second series, Guild Hunter? It is completely different and deals with the relationship between angels, the vampires they create and the humans that hunt down runaway vampires; what sort of influences affected this series? In particular, where did you get the idea for the interdependent relationship going on? For the Cadre of Ten and its members?

I get asked this question a lot and it's a difficult one to answer. I just saw an image in my mind one day of an archangel in a Tower. Who was he? Why was he there? And that's how it began. After that, I sat down and started writing and the story just poured out of me.

(6) The second book in this series, Archangel’s Kiss, is due out tomorrow. What can you tell us about this book? About how Elena and Raphael, the primary coupling, develop?

This book explores the next step in their relationship. Yes, they're together, but there is a huge power imbalance between them. AK explores what that means, and we get to see how an archangel and a hunter might just be able to navigate eternity...together.

(7) One of the great things about this series is that it begins having several of its characters already in committed relationships, or at least with the base-work already in place: Sarah and Deacon, Ashwini and Janvier, Ransom and his librarian. What made you decide to do it this way?

It just worked out that way, and I think it's very natural. Most single women Elena's age have some friends who are as single, while others are in short-term relationships, and still others who are in stable long-term relationships.

(8) The series so far has dealt with the relationship between Elena, the Hunter, and Raphael, the angel, but the series isn’t called the Elena and Raphael series, so what are your plans for the series in terms of narrative/POV?

When I started, I intended to write one book. Just one. The end. Yes, what was I thinking?! LOL. So this series is a work in progress. Right now, I'm working on book 3, and it looks like Elena and Raphael will be in the starring roles again.

However, I have a feeling that book 4 may shift the narrative focus to another one of the characters - it depends on how the story develops, but that's what's shaping up at present.

This series is flexible in that sense - there is room for another character (or characters) to become the focus, while remaining in the same world.

(9) Last year you released a short story in e-book format – any chance of that ever being made available in print?

That's up to the publisher, and I'd certainly hope it will one day come out in print. This will likely depend on the overall level of interest in the series.

(10) And speaking of short stories, you have contributions coming up in Burning Up, a mass-market anthology with Angela Knight, Meljean Brook, and Virginia Kantra in August and a yet unnamed anthology to be released in 2011 with Ilona Andrews, Meljean Brook and Sharon Shinn – anything you can say about these works?

The novella in BURNING UP is "Whisper of Sin," a Psy/Changeling story featuring Ria, Lucas's administrative assistant, and her wicked, wicked leopard hero. It's set slightly back into the past, so you get to see some of the characters when they were younger.

The 2011 anthology will have an angel theme, so I'll be writing a Guild Hunter novella for that.

(11) Is it more difficult to write short stories compared to novels?

I think it depends on the writer. For me personally, I love writing novellas. I enjoy the shorter, tighter focus. It gives me a chance to exercise different writing muscles from my full-length works. I think it probably helps that I got my start writing category romances - it really taught me to write tight and make every word count.

(12) Finally, some random questions about you:
a. What are your hobbies aside from writing? I love to read, and I travel a lot. I want to see every inch of the world!
b. Could you please describe your dream day? Me on a tropical island with a really good book, delicious food, and a gorgeous man-servant? *grin*
c. If you found a genie, what would be your three wishes? Now this one, I'll have to spend time pondering. Because you know, with a genie, you have to make exactly the right wish, or else...*

Ok, now hold on to your hats, boils and ghouls because this week's interview comes with an extra special treat: guest Nalini Singh has graciously offered a prize to one lucky commenter to be chosen at random next Monday! And what is this prize you might ask? A copy of the anthology Must Love Hellhounds which also features stories from authors Ilona Andrews, Meljean Brook, and Charlaine Harris. I know, totally squeel-of-joy worthy, yes? So, head to the comments, make with the gushing and check back next Monday to see if you've won!

Oh, and you can check out Ms. Singh online at her site here.

REVIEW: Spellbent by Lucy A. Snyder

2010-01-27T08:52:00.001-08:00

Took me awhile to finish this, but in the end Lucy A. Snyder's first book in a new urban fantasy series wasn't too bad. Dealing with a young sorceress trying to rescue her boyfriend from Hell, I think this might be the only story I've ever read where the main character lost half an arm and an eye in like the second chapter and kept them lost for most of the entire book. And even then what she gets back is hardly the same. The world is one that runs parallel to our own, where people referred to as "Talents" are able to weild various sorts of magic and the beasts of myth and lore are a lot less theoretical than we thought. Jessie, the story's heroine, is a Babbler, using various odds and ends to draw on their ambient spiritual power and perform various spells. With her is her familiar, a ferret named Pal, who possesses a wealth of magical intel and is actually a giant spider whose spirit inhabits the ferret's body as part of his criminal sentence. Blocked at every turn by a corrupt political leader only too happy to paint Jessie and anyone who could help her as the villians.

Honestly, while the story was awesome, there were some funny antics, and I really loved Pal, I found that there was just something off about the way the story flowed. Sometimes it was quick, other times she'd be doing things and I'd just be like "Um, don't you have something you have to be doing right now?" There was no character development that I could see and at times Jessie would say or do things that were just plain stupid. And then it's over and I was...surprised. I expected there to be something more to the story but aside from incurring trouble while rescuing the boyfriend this book really is about rescuing a man from Hell. Once he's rescued, the story is over. The End.

Don't get me wrong - it's a good book and well written - it's just that there's something off about the plot and its flow that irked me. I'm hoping the next book, Shotgun Sorceress due out in October, is better.

Oh - and lookey over to the right and check out the widget for Kelley Armstrong's The Summoning available for reading free online right here. And it comes with a contest you can learn all about with a click here. Enjoy!

INTERVIEW: Eileen Wilks

2010-01-25T12:39:00.000-08:00

So, this week's interview is with the very talented Eileen Wilks, author of the World of the Lupi series as well as several Silhouette Desire installments. The World of the Lupi series originally began as the short story Only Human in the 2003 anthology Lover Beware. The following year the story of Rule and Lily was given a major face-lift and republished as a full length novel, Tempting Danger. Since then the series has grown to include four more books published with a fifth, Blood Magic, due out just week and s couple more short stories including Originally Human in Cravings with Laurell K. Hamilton, Inhuman in On the Prowl with Patricia Briggs and, just this year, Human Nature in Inked with Karen Chance. Now, without further adieu, the interview (Hey! That rhymed!)

(1) So, I guess I may as well start with the basics: how exactly did Eileen Wilks break into the publishing world?

Slowly! I wrote 4 complete novels plus a couple false starts before I figured out the whole "write to the market" thing and sold. That book was a short contemporary romance I specifically targeted for Desire.

(2) In addition to a bunch of Silhouette romances, you’ve got the World of the Lupi series which seems to have a lot of mythology and tradition tied to it. How ex actly did inspiration for that series come about?
Well, my first two books--the ones that didn't sell--were a mix of sf and romance. I've always thought in terms of mixing romance with sf/fantasy, and I'd been thinking about various elements of my lupi world for some time before I had a chance to incorporate them into a story. That story was a novella, but it wanted to be a book. Or a series. I had a terrible time keeping it within the page count for a novella. After I turned it in, I asked my editor if I could make it into a book. She said yes--and backed it up with a contract. (I love my editor.)

(3) With the exception of the fourth book, Night Season, all of the novels have focused on the characters Lily and Rule. What sort of creator insights can you offer on these characters? How exactly have they developed for you? Are they turning out like you thought they would?
In many ways I write in order to further discover the characters, so I can't say they've turned out like I expected. I didn't expect. I yearned to find out. That said, Lily showed up pretty fully formed right from the start. She's grown and changed over the course of the series, of course, but she was vivid for me from page one.

(4) There are also short stories dealing with fringe characters Kai and Nathan in the anthology On The Prowl, Molly and Michael in Cravings. Have you currently plans for any other short stories? Do you find it more difficult to write short stories compared to novels?
I love to write novellas. They're a change of pace for me. The challenges are different from those involved in writing a long book, and that helps me stay fresh. I've got a couple idea nudging at me for a novella, and hope to be able to pull one of them together after I finish the current w.i.p. (That's writer-speak for work-in-progress.)

(5) On Feb. 1 the next Lupi book, BLOOD MAGIC, is due out. What can you tell us about it?
I hope you don't mind if I just quote the blurb I've got up on my site. I worked hard on it, and like to use it as much as possible. Lily Yu’s world changed when she met Rule Turner, known to the human world as “that werewolf prince.” It’s been eight months since everyone else’s world changed, too—when the Turning hit. That shifting of the realms has magic seeping back into the world in quantities unseen since the hot news story concerned a pair of human babes raised by wolves who went on to found a new city: Rome.

Lily is a homicide cop turned FBI agent. She works for a special Unit within the MCD—that’s the Bureau’s Magical Crimes Division. Lily became a cop to stop the monsters , though it was human monsters she had in mind at the time. These days, the perps she tracks may be a lot more—or a lot less--than human.

In Blood Magic, Lily and Rule are faced with their most dangerous opponent yet, one the law can’t touch. One who can’t be killed. One whose like hasn’t been seen in our world since long before those wolves fostered Romulus and Remus.

Oh, one more thing about Blood Magic: Grandmother is back.

Those of you who haven’t read the previous books in my World of the Lupi series may be scratching your head about now. Someone’s grandmother shows up and you’re supposed to get all tingly? You might be more interested in some of the other characters in Blood Magic, like the assassin. Or the dragon. Or the ancient, undying enemy willing to wait for centuries to achieve what really matters.

Revenge.

(6) Afterwards, there’s been mention of another book, BLOOD CHALLENGE, to follow. Obviously, it’s too early for you to talk about it, but, on a related matter, do you already know the direction this series is taking or is it open-ended and you’re playing it by ear? How many more Lupi books do you plan for/are in the works?
I don't have a set number of books planned, but I do have an ending in mind. I figure eventually the time will come that I want to wrap things up, though I'm not there yet. Right now I'm contracted for 3 more Lily & Rule books. The first of them in BLOOD CHALLENGE, which I'm working on now. I have an arc in mind for those three books--beyond that, I don't know.

(7) In a perfect world, if your publisher suddenly gave you carte blanche and told you to go crazy, what would you like to do with the series? (i.e. like giving a particular character a novel of their own)
Hmm. I might write a book about a character I've mentioned in a couple books--the Etorri Rhej. I'm fascinated by her. I don't think anyone else is--at least, I haven't heard from readers dying to hear more, and that isn't surprising, because she's barely mentioned. But I know a lot more about her than has appeared in any of the books.

(8) In what genre would you classify the Lupi books? They seem to have a little bit of everything.
I try not to classify them. They get shelved in romance, but the world-building is more urban fantasy. But they're also police procedurals--sometimes--or more straight fantasy (Night Season) or even thrillers. This cross-genre-fication may make it harder for new readers to find the books, but I can't seem to help myself.

(9) Aside from the Lupi and the Silhouette romances, have you plans for any other series in the same or similar genre?
No definate plans. I'd love to write more about Kai & Nathan one of these days. I also have a very different "magic is real" kind of world percolating in the back of my brain. Don't know if it will turn into a book or series.

(10) Finally, some random questions about you:
a. What are your hobbies aside from writing?
I love to read, obviously; I also love to garden and to quilt. I exercise because I have to--my brain doesn't work well when I neglect my body. I also like to paint things--walls, furniture, canvasses--though I haven't done that much lately. Not enough time. I'm thinking of trying origami.
b. Could you please describe your dream day?
My dream day varies, depending largely on where I am in a book and what's going on otherwise. Today I'd describe it as a day when I wrote 10 brilliant yet almost effortless pages, had supper out with friends, then went home and started reading a new book by one of my favorite authors. Charlaine Harris, maybe, or Kelley Armstrong. Though I'd love to visit Butcher's Harry Dresden again soon, too.
c. If you found a genie, what would be your three wishes?
Three wishes? Oh, my. I guess I'd wish that Borders, B&N, and Walmart would order in all my backlist--all of the lupi books--and keep them in stock at all times, lol. Then I might be very cliche and mention the lottery. Not a whopping huge lottery, mind, but it would be nice to be able to buy health insurance and have a comfortable cushion. Then I think I'd ask for great health, because I'd just as soon not need that health insurance.

And there it was. A major thanks to Ms. Wilks for taking the time to answer some questions; it was great having you. Be sure to keep an eye out for that aforementioned Lupi book coming out next week: Blood Magic, and try to swing by and pay a visit to Ms. Wilks' website which can be found here.

Over and Out.

REVIEW: Twice as Hot by Gena Showalter

2010-01-25T08:36:00.000-08:00

So last Friday I picked up Gena Showalter's Twice as Hot, the long-awaited second book in the Tales of an (extra)ordinary girl that tells the story of Belle Jamison, a young twenty-something who, after a host of other small-time jobs like maid and coffee house girl, ends up a government agent when a mad scientist spikes her latte and she ends up being able to control the four elements with her emotions. While the first book followed her adapting to her abilities, defeating a bad guy and falling in love with Special Agent Rome Masters. In the second book...well, here's the blurb:

Set the world on fire? With Belle Jamison, it’s always a possibility. Literally.

Planning a wedding is tough. Especially when the bride can shoot fireballs from her eyes and accidentally torches her dress, the groom returns from a dangerous mission with selective memory loss and the man responsible now desires Belle for his own.
Any other time, Belle would turn to her ultra sexy fiancé Rome Masters for comfort. But the only thing he can’t remember is her – and now his ex is determined to win him back. With the help of her trusty empath sidekick, an optimistic Belle continues to plan her wedding, fight a new band of supervillans, and tries not to accidentally on purpose start too many fires. . . except when she gets Rome into bed. . .

Covers of first book: on left, the reissue which came out in Nov. '09

You've got to admit - while it sucks having your fiancé get hurt in and of itself, and having him wake up with no memory of you is pretty bad too, having the love of your life who doesn't remember you tell you he's not marrying you because he plans on remarrying his ex has got to be freaking unbearable. And as one by one (and, ok, once by twos) her friends leave her, Belle is left alone to deal with the mess her life as become. The growth and maturing Belle undergoes is bloody impressive as events conspire to show her that (1) she can handle anything the world cares to throw at her and (2) sometimes you ARE strong enough to handle things on your own. And considering that her fiancé is behaving like a total ass, the lessons could not have come at a better time.

The book is laced through with hilarity, new characters and a boat-load emotion. The only thing I wasn't thrilled about was Rome's treatment of Belle. Yes, he's got memory loss - but some of the things he does/says to her are just plain cruel (i.e. asking her if because of her powers there is some addictive agent to her saliva - because, you know, god forbid he likes kissing her because of her - there has to be some other reason). The scenes with Sunny, Rome's daughter with his treacherous, back-stabbing bitch of an ex-wife (who, FYI, was actually almost-likeable before she pulled this) are adorable - and to see how different Belle and Sunny's relationship is compared to the first book is heart-warming.

Ultimately, by the time that last page has been read, I was wishing for the third book (which I don't believe is planned for at the moment - Ms. Showalter mentioned on her blog that it depended on the success of this book).

Check out Gena online at her site here and be on the look out for titles in her two other big series, Lords of the Underworld and Alien Huntress.

REVIEW: The Stepsister Scheme by Jim C. Hines

2010-01-20T08:48:00.000-08:00

So, I've just finished reading Jim C. Hines' The Stepsister Scheme and I've got to admit it had one of the most original spins on an old theme I've ever seen, basically taking the traditional fairy tales and twisting them in ways Christensen and the Grimm brothers never saw coming. The fairy tales, based off their original incarnations as opposed to the Disney-fied creations of today, Take Cinderella, for instance. We all recall how she was virtually enslaved by her Wicked Stepmother following her father's death and who doesn't remember Jacques and Gus helping their "Cinderelly" with her chores along with the other mice and birds. And then, with the aid of her fairy godmother, she sneaks out, goes to the ball, meets Prince Charming, runs off, losing a glass slipper, is found by the prince and happily ever after ensues. And for the most part, this holds true in Hines' adaptation. The fairy godmother is actually a tree enchanted with the spirit of Cinderella's mother, but otherwise is mostly in agreement - right down to Cinderella chatting it up with the household rodents and birds.The hitch arises when one reaches the "happily ever part."

After Cinderella (a.k.a. Danielle de Glas) accidentally has doves attack her stepmother and stepsisters at her wedding, the stepsisters seek revenge by kidnapping her prince and running off to fairyland. Fortunately, the Queen Beatrice has her super secret princess force (Bea's Princesses - like Charlie's Angels but with gowns and manners) to embark on a rescue mission. Sleepy Beauty is Talia, a desert princess turned ninja assassin extraordinaire; Snow White is a kickass sorceress whose magic is based on - what else? - mirrors and neither of them had their princes survive to live happily ever after so now work for Queen Bea, acting as bodyguards slash...well, they deal with security, enough said.

The story was from Danielle's POV and written in third person. Being just as new to the world as the reader, Danielle was the perfect narrator, always asking the questions the reader wanted answered, always having the necessary things explained to her which gave the story a different sort of flow than usually experienced. Indeed, if only Danielle wasn't so blasted nice to the point of being sickeningly so she'd've been perfect. Oh, and did I mention Danielle turns out to be pregnant? Husband MIA, off on wild adventure, evil stepsisters out to kill her AND pregnant - talk about a bad day.

With fairies interfering and making things worse, goblins being helpful and trolls a la Cousin It look, Hines' The Stepsister Scheme puts a unique spin on the fairy tales you thought you knew.

Book 2, The Mermaid's Madness, will be dealing with mermaids (yup, like Ariel only, you know, not) and is something I'm really looking forward to, especially if it goes anything like the first one. Also, look for the third book, Red Hood’s Revenge, to hit shelves in July and be sure to visit Jim C. Hines online here.

INTERVIEW: Ilona Andrews

2010-01-18T08:39:00.000-08:00

So, special treat today is an interview with Gordon, one of the masterminds behind the pseudonym Ilona Andrews, author of the simply amazing Kate Daniels series. This series began back in 2007 with the publication of Magic Bites, and has since grown to include two more published novels with a third due out in late May and a short story published in last year's Must Love Hellhounds anthology. It is such a pleasure to have been given this opportunity and the time and effort that went into answering these questions is truly appreciated. I hope y'all enjoy!

(1) ILONA ANDREWS is a pen name for your husband-wife team-up. Why did you decide to use a pseudonym at all and once you had, how did you decide on the name?

We took our names and sort of put them together. Andrews is my Grandmother's maiden name and Andrew is also my first name, but I prefer Gordon, Ilona is my wife's first name. We did not feel comfortable using our real names as we are somewhat reclusive and the publisher also said that for the genre a female name would appeal more to the fans.

(2) How do you guys divide the work-load?

We sort of discuss or hash out the plot before we sit down to write it out. If we both agree on an idea we like then Ilona writes the first draft and I edit or change it and send it back to her. This happens several more times until we finallysettle on a finished draft. Honestly Ilona is more the go over it and over again type, while I am more of a "it's done, leave it alone, next", type person. So we fuss and fight until we are both happy with it.

(3) Right now you’ve got two series going; Kate Daniels and the Edge, both with very unique takes on our world. I’m sure you get this a lot, but what was the inspiration for these worlds?

Well, we do live in Georgia, so that has to be some of it. Also, we are both Sci-fi and fantasy fans who are intrigued with the idea of the Earth going through cycles of tech and magic. We both grew up with cartoons likeThundarr and He-Man in which sorcery co-exits with super-science and advanced technology. As far as the Edge goes I think we all would like to believe that we could leave our mundane world and step into a new and frightening one.

(4) Coming up next for you is the publication of the much-anticipated fourth Kate Book, Magic Bleeds. Now, if I’m not mistaken, this series is set to be seven books long, so Magic Bleeds is right in the middle; does this have any impact on the events taking place in the book?

I don't want to be to spoilery, wait that is not a word, but everything changes and not just for Kate. This book is sort of the transition from the early books where Kate was sort of unsure and outmatched to a more confident and capable Katewho knows what she can and what she has to do. Perhaps most importantly the nature of Kate and Curran's relationship is resolved, for better or worse.

(5) It’s been said that this is a rather emotionally-charged book; did you have any sort of aids to help you get the mood right? (i.e. particular music, images or movies)

We watch a lot of anime with our daughters and they usually have conflict and emotional content. As far as music goes Nine Inch Nails, Stabbing Westward and Rage Against the Machine are good if you want to get all worked up.

(6) Also coming out this year is the second Edge book, Bayou Moon. What can you tell us about it?

Bayou Moon is William the wolf's story. It is his chance to be the hero and get the girl.

(7) These two series are unquestionably different; was it difficult for you to go from writing Kate to writing an Edge book before going back to writing Kate?

No, actually it is very nice to take a break from Kate and write something different. I think it helps to make both series better than if we wrote them all back to back.

(8) Recently, you’ve had the publication of a couple of short stories, among them the adventures of Andrea and Raphael while filling in for a recovery Kate in Must Love Hellhounds and the upcoming story of Saiman and Kate’s first meeting in Dark and Stormy Knights edited by P.N. Elrod. What other short stories are in the works?

Yes we will have a story in an as yet unnamed anthology to be released in 2011 with Nalini Singh, Meljean Brook and Sharon Shinn. The stories all center around angles or angelic beings.

(9) Did you find it difficult to write short stories compared to the novels?

I think we have always found it harder to write short stories. There is a definite talent to it and I think we are better at novels.

(10) As mentioned previously, Kate’s story is set to end at book seven and the Edge, as it stands now, will be finishing with Bayou Moon. Have you considered what will be coming next for you?

We are not sure. We have sent out proposals for Edge 3 and 4 as well as a few chapters of other stories which we hope Ace will pick up as a series, fingers crossed. As far as the Kate books, if people want to keep reading them we would be more than happy to keep writing them.

(11) A number of your readers have expressed interest in having various characters having their own series (such as Julie and Derek or Nick the Crusader). Is there the possibility of spin-offs?

I think that goes along with the previous question in that if we do more Kate books or books in that world they would eventually have to be about other characters. I started a Nick book but need to work more on it, a grown up Derek and Julie could also be an interesting idea for a series.

(12) Finally, some random questions about you:
a. What are your hobbies aside from writing?
a. We work out, Ilona dances and I lift weights. Ilona knits and I play computer games. We read when we can, Ilona likes romances while I prefer heroic fantasy as well as Sword and Planet books.
b. Could you please describe your dream day?
b. My dream day would involve a big breakfast followed by a day at the beach or on a boat. That evening we would eat take out and watch cheesy movies.
c. If you found a genie, what would be your three wishes?
c. I guess I would wish for and end to hunger and war, for myself I would want to be immortal or simply to stay the same age and to be able to speak all languages

Awesome. Magic Bleeds is due out May 25th and look for Bayou Moon to hit shelves (always wanted to say that) later this year. To learn more about Ilona Andrews and her books please check out her website by following this link.

Cover Themes

2010-01-15T19:20:00.000-08:00

Has anyone else noticed that all of the sudden cover art seems to be getting rather...generic? Don't get me wrong: urban fantasy has some of the best covers around but, I don't know, maybe with the sheer number of books out there a set number of templates have come into use or something. I mean, check it out some examples:

THE MAGIC COUPLE

Here you have books with the classic male/female team up. Magic swirls and sparks around the man's hand, identifying him as the big, strong, magic weilding hero, while the female stands just behind him, shielded by his magical experience it would seem. There is a gritty, shadowy feel to the colouring, as if a film covers the scene, setting the scene before the first word is even read.

OH, LOOK! SHE HAS A BACK!

A lovely new trend where kickass heroines are shown before desolate landscapes with a post-apocalyptic feel to them. The heroines are dressed in skin-tight dresses (usually black) with low or no backs, a hand or two visible, their head/face kept out of shot or turned away. I can appreciate that; the idea likely being so that you can use your own imagination or insert yourself as the heroine. Bars of solid colour across the top, coordinated with the landscapes, provide space for the author's name or the book's title to be written. Interestingly, in this case, Caine's book was released November '05, Harrison's June 'o6, just seven months between.

NOT WORTH LOOKING AT

Continuing with the same reader-insert/imagination concept, there are covers which show their female lead with their back (covered this time) to the reader and weapons often in hand, as they peer forward in the direct their adventures, their story. I like to think it's as if the heroine is posed set to start in on the story, ready to undertake her adventures every time the book is opened.

SOMETHING YOU SHOULD SEE

Again the heroine has her back to the reader, but now her face is turned slightly towards the side, almost as if she's trying to see the reader from the corner of her eye. In these instances, she stands before windows, both standing indoors and yet in darkness as though in the act of searching, and each carries a characteristics that hint at the plot; Mercy holds a book, Cassie stands in tendrils of ghostly smoke. The...point though is that these women are posed, their clothing designed, specifically to allow the tattoos on their backs to be seen.

THE SMOLDERING STARE

Wrapped in a passionate embrace with their lovers, these male vampire/female human pairings have someone a little more interest in fixing the reader with a sexy, come hither stares - hers with an innocent, virgin air further inferred by her white gown and stark contrast to her pale, all-in-black vamp boytoy, his with a feral and possessive edge that's only intensified by his partner's apparently willing offering of her neck. Both are set against essentially solid-coloured backgrounds with the clothing being likewise simplistic which only serve to give more forcus to those stares. Don't they just give you chills?

LET'S BE CLEAR: THIS IS A ROMANCE

So, just in case there was any confusion, doubt or misunderstanding regarding a book's romantic element there is nothing that clears it up more than the main characters in mid foreplay right there on the cover. Really, what more is there to say on this?

Obviously there are tons of other variations, but you get the idea. My final observation is the trend in the covers of a series.

A SERIES

Common to all the covers is a lion visible only from the head to about his shoulders and a red-haired girl weilding a sword with some indication of the book's setting seen in the background. The similarities in the covers allows for a easy, visible association of the books as belonging together - something particularily useful should there be no handy note made on the books (FYI: I HATE it when serial books failed to have their series title printed somewhere on the books and I bow to Orbit Publishing for not only writing it on the cover AND the spin, but for numbering the books as well. INGENIUS! If the other publishers would follow suit, it would be perfect!)

Christine Feehan's Dark series

2008-11-04T13:17:00.000-08:00

So, sorry about the sudden lack of posting, but this is midterm and term paper month and I’m a bit buried with the studying.

This week I’m looking at Christine Feehan’s Dark series, which just recently saw its eighteenth book, Dark Curse, published and, no, is not over yet. Okay, little note here, but it can’t be helped. What is up with these never ending series? I mean, it one thing when it’s Piers Anthony or Terry Pratchett, whose Xanth and Discworld series respectively are "world" based. But when you're dealing with the same set of characters or, even worse, the same narrator and it's starting to make The Neverending Story seem short, you become torn between wanting to known how it ends (provided it ever does) and just getting tired of having no happily ever after book after book. But I digress.

Ok, so what is it about these vamps that make them unique? Well, we're talking about an entire species of males who, as they remain bachelors over the centuries, lose not only their emotions, but their ability to see color. Now that, my dear friends, is a twist. Oh, and FYI, important distinction: the whole colorblind-emotionless-bloodsucking thing has them being called "Carpathians;" it's only if they cross a line and start killing their meals that they become vampires and lose their soul. For the Carpatians, they hold out hope that eventually they'll find their one true love and be restored. Naturally, there haven't been any females born in a long, long time and turning humans fails more often than not.

The Dark series gives new meaning to corny. I mean, they're so corny that they trudge right through the land of bad right into the category of funny/amusing. Take the first book for example, Dark Prince. Mikhail Dubrinsky is the oldest known Carpathian (we'll get back to that later) and just when he decides it's time to call it quits and walk into the sun, he howls out his despair to the skies and wouldn't you know it but his one true love just happens to be on vacation and staying a nearby inn, hears his howl, and telepathically connects with him, thus restoring his hope and setting off the courtship. Talk about being lucky. All-in-all the book was something between a B-movie and a classic soap opera, complete even with a random character who pops up and is all angsty (not that any of them aren't all angsty) and is told to try a change of scenary in America. You'd think that would somehow be a set-up for the next book, but that vamp's story isn't until book three.

The appeal for this series really is in its abundant corniness. You keep reading simply to see how much more cliche it could get and it never fails to disappoint. What's more, you find yourself falling in love with the characters as you go along. One of the more recent publications of the series was Dark Celebration that featured/centered on a reunion of all the past couples; which with a series so long (this was the sixteenth book) was an ingenius move on Feehan's part. One book, Dark Hunger, was even a graphic novel illustrated by Zid and Imaginary Friends Studio and published by Berkeley, supposedly their first manga ever. It's based on a short story in the anthrology Hot Blooded, but the reviews I've read have made it clear you shouldn't bother with it: even the review posted on Amazon notes the short story falls flat of Feehan's usual standards.

The series truly is worth the read: Feehan's Dark series is one sure to leave its bitemark on the vamp genre. It's not something you want to miss out on!

Lynsay Sands' Argeneau Vampires

2008-10-09T21:32:00.000-07:00

Ever notice how there are hundreds, if not thousands, of vampire books out there. I mean, it’s like good old Bram set off a wildfire of vampiric inspiration when he put pen to paper and gave us Drakey-Poo. But that's not the issue I'm getting at. No, today's intro rant, boils and ghouls, is that each new incarnation of Mr. Fangy tends to come complete with its very own vampire-origins story. Talk about seeing creativity at its finest! Some authors use biblical 411, drawing on the vagueness surrounding Cain or Lilith. Others go with demon-possessions gone awry or curses from witches or gypsies. There's the old blame-it-on-the-bat ploy and the similar "OMG, got bit by some other sort of creature/extinct beast/alien/demon/whatever" ploy.

On a side note, I have a point of contention here: have you noticed that these "victims" of course somehow divine the not-at-all-obvious way to pass on their infection and of course do so, with their victims doing the same until presto! we have a species. I mean, did the whatever leave a manuel or something?

But, I digress. Back on topic, the less popular version of the origin story is the scientific one, where authors use a disease or blood disorder or simple human evolution as the cause for vampirism. It's following in this vein (haha, get it?) that, I have to say, the most...intriguing and original explanation emerges, without question taking the cake. So much so that how ever Lynsay Sands ever thought of it is beyond me. Author of the very popular Argeneau Vampire series, which apparently recently became the Argeneau and Rogue Hunter series, her books follow a family of vampires as one after the other they find their "true Lifemates".

So, what's her cake-taking explanation you ask? Well, her vampires hail from the long-ago-sunken Atlantis where their scientists, eons ahead of their time, created nanos which were meant to heal the human body of any injury, infection or disease. However, due to a glitch in their programming, the nanos took their job to the next level, healing absolutely any damage the body suffered, from skin damage brought on by the sun to cellular damage brought on by age to cancer to, well, anything. This resulted in a society of immortals with Wolverine-like abilities and an unfortunate need for regular ingestions of blood to give the nanos raw material to draw upon. To facilitate this need, the nanos apparently saw to it that their hosts evolved to include telepathy and retractable fangs. And voila! We have vampires.

Now, come on, you can't tell me that the idea of Atlantians turned blood-sucking immortals because of nanos is not freaking cool! See? Totally cake-taking.

And the books aren’t half-bad either.

Personally, I have to admit I haven’t quite caught up to the newest release, which hit the shelves September 30, having only just finished the fourth...um...maybe it was the fifth...book a couple of months ago, but so far there hasn’t been much to complain about. It’s hard not to fall in love with the characters, and even harder not to laugh at the situations and circumstances that bring together each book’s central lovebirds. I mean, we’re talking about things like a hemaphobic vampire coming home to find a psychologist tied spread-eagle in her bed and a videogame designer falling for his almost-pathologist after repeated visits to the morgue as a would-be cadaver. And yet somehow, Sands manages to make the ridiculous work, throwing in just enough seriousness to make her books more than just comic relief.

It’s my opinion that the Argeneau family dynamics are really what make the books; somehow, managing to define the ideal without being cliché. They’re the perfect balance of best friends, mentors, protectors, loners, and black sheep, giving an element of realism that’s not exactly the easiest thing to pull off when dealing with vampires. They even have relatives in Europe, a tragic uncle that’s gone MIA, and a family matriarch whose abusive husband managed to flambé himself, raised more than half of the youngest generation. Just your ordinary, run-of-the-mill, picture-perfect, immortal vampire family doing any 50s sitcom proud. What’s there not to love?

The most important thing perhaps about the series is that there’s enough variety and originality in each plot, that the stories are more than carbon copies of each other with only the fine details changed. Each character has his or her own unique history and personality that is incorporated into the stories, and the meddling and manipulations of Marguerite, the aforementioned family matriarch, (whose own love story is told in book nine, Vampire, Interrupted), make every book its own.

I have to say though, I’m a bit skeptical about this new book; it’s breaking a lot of the traditions the previous books have had and looks to be taking the series in a new direction. First, a minor note, is the title. The first six books had “bite” in the title as a running theme, the next three had “vampire,” and the title of this new book? The Rogue Hunter. And what’s it about you ask? If you were going to guess an Argeneau…you would actually be wrong (which kind of explains why the series title had to have that slight modification I mentioned earlier). It’s about Garrett Mortimer, a vamp introduced back in Lucian's book, Bite Me If You Can. And here's a big shock, Mortimer's night job? Well, He's a rogure hunter, d'uh. In this book he's on assignment and falling in love with workaholic lawyer Samantha Willan, who's literally the girl next door.

I think the big mystery with this book stems from the fact that Sands' has picked up on this virtual unknown secondary character from three books ago and made him into a star. I mean, it's not as if she's run out of Argeneaus or that the Argeneaus themselves aren't varied. So, what's the sitch? Why is this book is included as part of the series? Why can't it be a stand alone? Or a spin off? All right, I get that it serves to lead the way into Decker's book, The Immortal Hunter, due out March 31, 2009, but even then...there's the question of why she didn't simply pair Mortimer with an Argeneau female. Oh, and did you notice that on Amazon The Immortal Highlander isn't identified as being part of the Argeneau Vampires but as a Rogue Hunter novel? What's up with that?All these questions can have but one solution: I'm heading out to get my hands on The Rogue Hunter ASAP. How about you?