This weeks interview and contest is with the author of one of my favourite series. I Love alot of paranormal books but the Anna Strong Chronicles are on the top of my list when it comes to vampire books and she is definitely the vampire I would most love to be. So I am really excited this week to welcome Jeanna C. Stein to Amberkatze's Book Blog.The fourth book in the Anna Strong Chronicles, Legacy
, was released last week so if you haven't started reading this series yet you need to catch up. So keep reading to the end of the interview to find out more about Jeanne and Anna and of course for the contest! -------------------------------
Amber - Welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog! It is really great to have you here Jeanne! I love your series and have been following Anna since the first book 'The Becoming
'. However I am sure there are some people out there who still haven't met her so many you can start things off by telling my readers about your series?Jeanne - Thanks for having me, Amber. I'm glad you enjoy the books. My series is about a thirty year old bounty hunter who gets attacked on a job and wakes up in a hospital to find she's a vampire. The series follows her adjustment to her new life as one of the undead.
Amber - Anna Strong lives up to her name! With how she manages to stay strong through her 'becoming
' and then her following adventures I have to say she is a character to admire. Is she anything like yourself? Like anyone else you know?Jeanne - I wish I could say I'm like Anna. In truth, she's much braver, stronger and loyal than I ever could be. She's a little bit Buffy, a little bit every woman. Anna is a reflection of all the wonderful women I've known in my life. She's a reflection of us all.
Amber - Legacy
is the fourth book in the Anna Strong series and I am loving every word! Are there going to be more books in the series? and if yes how many?Jeanne- I'm so glad to hear that. I have finished book five, to be released in the spring of next year, and just accepted an offer for two more books. So there will be at least a book six and seven. I really haven't planned an ending for the series, so I hope it just goes on and on.
Amber - How did Anna Strong come to life? Did you spend alot of time coming up with the idea?
Jeanne - I've always loved anything vampire, books, movies, or TV. When I had a chance to write my own, it didn't take long for me to come up with the basic idea. From there, the plots just kept coming.
Amber - Anna is a bounty hunter and can kick some serious butt! Did you have to do alot of research for your books so far?
Jeanne - Bounty hunting is another subject I've always found fascinating. In America, the laws regarding bounty hunting haven't changed since the Wild West days. I liked the idea of Anna being involved in a quasi law-enforcement job. She doesn't have to be concerned with procedure or the guilt or innocence of a bail jumper. She just has to bring him in. I also wanted her to have been a kick-ass human so it wasn't such a shock when she developed into a kick-ass vampire!
Amber - How did you get into writing? Did you always want to be a writer?
Jeanne - I've always wanted to write. It's only been in the last ten years or so that I was able to do it full time.
Amber - Your books are very paranormal and Urban fantasy. Did you always want to write books in this genre? Why do you think the genre is so popular right now?
Jeanne - I like the genre because it's edgy, contemporary, and more involved with action than romance. I think readers like it for the same reasons. It asks the question what if..what if there really were vampires walking amongst us and what if there really were ghosts and werewolves and witches what if there is more to this world than we can see. And more than any other genre, you can combine mystery and paranormal and fantasy the best of each into one story.
Amber - Do you have any other projects you are working on? Do you write full time?
Jeanne - I do write full time. Besides Anna, I'm working on a World War I trilogy with a co-author. It's an Angel/Demon story in which the conflict on earth was influenced by angels and demons. I'm also developing some ideas for another UF series. But it's just in the very early planning stages right now.
Amber - If your books were going to be made into a TV series or film who would you like to see playing the main parts?
Jeanne - This is such a hard question. Jackie Kessler just asked me that and I said I see Anna as a skinny Angela-Jolie-Lara-Croft type with short hair and thinner lips. I'd love to see Christian Bale as Anna's new love interest, Lance, and maybe Luke Wilson as Daniel Frey. It would have to be a BIG budget project, for sure!
Amber - Alot of writers these days have music play lists to compliment their books. Do you listen to any particular music when writing? Any songs/artists that suit the series?
Jeanne - I don't listen to music when I write. My brain needs quiet to concentrate!
Amber - What kind of books do you read when you have the time? Any favourite authors? Series?
Jeanne - I love so many UF writers. Charlaine Harris, Jackie Kessler, Richelle Mead, Mario Acevedo, Mark Henry the list goes on and on. I don't have nearly enough time to read, though. I find writing full time really cuts into reading time.
Amber - If you got stranded on a desert island what 5 things would most like to have with you?
Jeanne -Well, there would have to be books and chocolate. Maybe wine. A good companion. Lots of sunscreen. Sounds like paradise actually when can I leave?
Amber - Thank you Jeanne for taking the time to answer my questions!
My Reviews of -
Legacy
The Watcher
Blood Drive
------------------------------
Contest time!This week there will be 2 winners! One winner will win one Anna Strong book of their choice. While the other winner will win a set of Anna Strong Chronicles magnets (see photo).
To enter the contest make a comment on this thread telling me - Which character in a book would you most like to be? I would love to be Anna Strong so let me know who you would like to be and why!
No mention of a character, no entry!
You can also have an extra entry for posting about this contest somewhere on the web. You must make a comment with the link to where you posted about the contest so I can confirm your entry. If you post at 2 different places on the web that counts as 2 extra entries, 3 places is 3 entries and so on.
The contest will be open until Sunday the 7th of September, 4pm CET (you must check in to see if you won because I will draw another winner after 7 days if the prize hasn't been claimed).
So enter away and tell your friends!
Labels: Author Interviews, Contests, Jeanne Stein
At 31 August 2008 at 12:09, 
G in Berlin
I would like to be Mercy Thompson, from Pat Briggs books.
I just finished Ms. Stein's first two na Strong books- what a coincidence! I posted your contest in this http://bigappletobigbear.blogspot.com/2008/08/serendipity.html
I'm sorry I don't know how to embed that- do you?
Also, I loved Black Magic Woman- thanks again so much for that.
At 31 August 2008 at 12:32, Joanne (NeedSun)
I just added these books on my wish list for Amazon so I was delighted to read this interview. Thanks very much to both Amber and Jeanna C. Stein for taking the time to do this.
The one character that I have always wanted to be since the first book I read in the series is Garnet Lacey. There is just something about her life that rings a bell for me.
I think I'd like to be Anita Blake (Laurell K. Hamilton), but from the early books. Back then she was really tough and kick-ass, that's one of the reasons that got me hooked on the series. The nice, hunky guys wouldn't hurt, either. :D
Alternately, I'd go with Eve Dallas - she would be my choice without all the supernatural stuff.
Which character in a book would you most like to be? Wow - That is tough! Right now I would like to be Theodosia Browning from the Tea Shop Mysteries by Laura Childs. Partially because it is what I am reading now, but also because she is a strong, smart, inquisitive and creative women. Mostly all the characters I identify with are that way. Tomorrow I might want to be Mercy Thompson from the books by Patricia Briggs or Maggie from Madelyn Alt’s Bewitching mysteries or even Rachel from the Hollows series by Kim Harrison… DARN this is hard...
At 1 September 2008 at 23:38, Calliope
Oh gods, what a tough question. I think I'd have to go with Cat from Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series. Not only is she kickass, powerful and has a fulfilling job with a great team...but she has a freaking amazing love interest. How can anyone not want a hot, British vamp like Bones?! She's one freaking lucky dhampir!
A great interview and sounds like another great series to bet lost into. I had to scour my brain before I recalled my favorite assassin-who-doesn't-exist. Remo Williams frmo teh Destroyer series always left me wanting to learn the art of Sinanju.
And for the contest, I posted links at MMD and my Livejournal page.
At 3 September 2008 at 09:35, cheesygiraffe
Oh Amber this is tough question!
I love Eve Dallas like a lot of people mentioned but I don't want to be her, she doesn't have enough emotion. I also love Rachel Morgan, maybe I'd like to be her. *shrug* I'm trying to think of someone with a kick butt personality that isn't so cold. I guess I'd like to be Stephanie Plum. She's so funny! Not kick butt though. :P But dang she's got some fine men!
At 3 September 2008 at 12:44, Unknown
I was trying to figure out, in the books I've read, which female characters I most identified with or most wanted to be like for any number of reasons. I've heard someone mention Arya Stark from the Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. I must agree. She's strong and brave and she's only a child. Just imagine what she could be when she grows up some. Not to mention Daenerys. There's someone I definitely admire.
I also wouldn't mind being pretty much any of the female characters in the Dune novels, though probably with less manipulation and abomination (I'm particularly fond of Lady Jessica).
Then there's Phédre, from Jacqueline Carey's novels. Despite not feeling particularly interested in feeling pleasure with pain, like Phédre does, I admire her resilience and her courage and her spirit. I wish I could be as strong as she is (and I'm not talking about being physically strong).
Rita (Xeyra)
by Kelley Armstrong
Thanks for the interview! I am in the of reading Legacy now and loving it!
Hummmmm...if I could be a character...what a question! I am trying to think of one and they all have such up and down sides. I don't think I can choose just one. Can I have a mix of Kate Daniels, Joanne Baldwin, Sirantha Jax, and Wren Valere?
Thanks again for the interview!