My guest this week is author of the Felix Gomez adventures Mr Mario Acevedo! I love the Felix Gomez series and I am looking forward to the fourth book in the series Jailbait Zombie which comes out this week.
Get to know the author by reading the interview and checking out the blog he shares with author Jeanne Stein. Then make sure you read till the bottom of this post to enter the contest to win a cool prize!
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Amber - Hello Mario and welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog! I have been following your series about the vampire Felix Gomez but I am sure there are some of my blog readers who haven't read them yet. So could you start things off by telling everyone a bit about Felix the series so far?
Mario - My vampire detective keeps getting in deeper trouble. He’s a veteran of the Iraq War and his vampirism is a unique form of Gulf War Syndrome. So far, Felix has fought off vampire hunters, alien gangsters, renegade vampires, and indigestion.
Amber - Book #4 in the series, Jailbait Zombie, is due out soon. The title of the book promises zombies but what kind of trouble does Felix get himself into this time?
Mario - Felix defies the Araneum (the world-wide network of vampires) when they order him to do something against his principles. (What? No spoilers.) He does the right thing and it makes things worse for him. This happens as Felix travels to rural Colorado to wipe out a plague of zombies and tangles with the fiendish and diabolical zombie reanimator, one of my favorite villains yet.Amber - How did you come up with the idea for the series? Was it a long process?
Mario - Actually I only came up with the idea for the first story. My agent told me he could sell a series easier than he could a stand-alone. At the time he asked if I was working on the sequel. I said, Funny you should mention it because as we speak, I’m writing the manuscript.
Amber - Both you and Felix have been to war and know alot about army life. So is he based on you? or are you based on him? ;)
Mario - No, Felix is not based on me. He’s younger, taller, and still has all of his hair. Bastard.Amber - With Felix being a vampire the series could go on forever. So what are the plans for Felix's future? Are there more books coming? Is there an end in sight?
Mario - I’m working on book 5. Felix goes to Charleston, South Carolina, to stop a war between rival werewolf clans. After that, we’ll see. Carmen (another vampire and former flame) was kidnapped by alien gangsters. She’s still stuck in space somewhere and I’d like to rescue her. And Felix hasn’t yet mentioned his most dreaded adversaries, his sister’s in-laws. Yikes!
Amber - Your books really go into details about equipment, guns etc that impress me as a reader. Did you have to do alot of research or is it all about stuff you know already?
Mario - I’ve always been a gun geek. When I was four years old, I really did ask for a machine gun. I remember the first girl I kissed (Debbie Black) and the first machine gun I fired (an M60 serial number #67783256). I’m such a romantic.
Amber - When did you start writing and why? How long did it take for you to get published?
Mario - I started writing a novel back in 1987 on a Tandy Model 80. It was so long ago the computer had a pilot light and the word processing program did spell check in Olde English. I gave myself the most dangerous dare possible: I can write a novel. After that, it was doom. I didn’t get The Call until November 2004 when HarperCollins offered a contract for three Felix Gomez novels.Amber - Why Urban Paranormal Fantasy? Is it a genre you liked yourself?
Mario - There was no such thing as urban fantasy when I first got published. I just wrote about a vampire detective and nymphos. Who knew that would be a genre? I like the genre because most of the books are written by brainy women with keen literary insights and dirty minds.
Amber - What have been the ups and downs of your writing career so far? Any advice for people out there thinking about writing for a living?
Mario - The ups are many. I’ve met a lot of great people--fellow writers, fans, book promoters, store staff, my agent, my editor. Plus, it is awesome to see your books on the shelf. The downs? Putting the damn words on paper is as painful as pulling teeth with rusty pliers. It never gets easier. Advice for aspiring writers? Max Shulman said it best: Marry money.
Amber - What kind of books do you read when you have the chance? Any must have series or authors?
Mario - I like good books of any genre. I wish had more time to read them all. My favorite authors are Michael Connelly, Robert Crais, Laura Lippman, Richelle Mead, Kat Richardson, and Jeanne Stein.
Amber - How do you relax? Any hobbies? Favourite TV Shows?
Mario - Relax? What’s that? I work until I drop from exhaustion. Is drinking considered a hobby?Amber - A lot of authors have playlists to accompany their books. Do you have any musical influences when writing?
Mario - No, the voices in my head don’t need a soundtrack. It’s noisy enough.
Amber - What’s next? More Felix? Any other projects you can tell us about?
Mario - Yes, more Felix. One more book at least. I’ve been pitching ideas to my agent but as they say at the: carnival, close but no cigar.
Amber - You are stranded on a desert island. What 3 items would you hope to have with you?
Mario - A pirate boat (made from a converted luxury yacht with a crew of lusty first mates (or would that be second mate, third mate, etc.?)) Food (which includes olives and maraschino cherries for cocktails. Booze is considered food.). Massage oil.
Amber - Thank you so much for your time! I hope you will come back again sometime!
Mario - Thank you! Happy fanging.
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Contest TimeMario has kindly said he will give the winner of this weeks contest a brand spanking new copy of his newest release Jailbait Zombie! Oh and the book will come complete with the infamous Devil Duck!
So to enter this weeks contest tell us - Why paranormal? What makes you as a reader come back time after time to this genre and why did you get into it in the first place? No answer = no entry!
Earn another entry for each place you link this contest on the net. Make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries!
The contest will stay open until Sunday March 1st 2009 4pm CET. Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners and will pick new winners for any prizes not claimed within 7 days.
If you are claiming a prize, have emailed me and have not heard back before the 7 day limit is up then post a comment here on the blog. Your email may get sucked into my spam filter.
Enjoy!
Labels: Author Interviews, Contests, Mario Acevedo
At 22 February 2009 at 10:09, 
Michelle Olsen Sasak
I love paranormal because it's so much more interesting than real life. Zombies, vampires, werewolves, witches, shifters, fairies, etc. are all great, and even as a child I gravitated toward the more imaginative and out there book subjects. I like to be taken away to another world when I read, and paranormal worlds are the best for being totally different than real life but still amazing.
At 22 February 2009 at 10:58, Unknown
Amberkatze, grats on another entertaining interview! Mario -- I will freely admit that I haven't read any of your books before now, but you've interested and entertained me enough here to start!
I started reading Urban Paranormal Fantasy as a "break" from my "high literature" reading schedule (books assigned in my college courses, "classics" and the 1001 list), but the strong female characters, fresh-look-at-the world (by altering a familiar one), and the human character observations keep me coming back (not to mention the occasional steamy scene ;^) I enjoy them once in a while.)
Oh, and I posted this contest to my blog, too: http://gategypsy.livejournal.com/72745.html
At 22 February 2009 at 16:50, Vickie
My blog:
http://iyamvixenbooks.blogspot.com/2009/02/contest-at-amberkatzes-bloginterview.html
Shefari/Paranormal Mystery:
http://www.shelfari.com/groups/18260/discussions/103536/Mario-Acevedo-interview-and-contest
Why do I keep coming back to paranormal?
I like to escape when I read and what better escape is there than vampires, were-critters, witches, zombies, and the people who love them....
Excellent action of all types.
Mario, urban fantasy is written by smart women who have dirty minds....so are the women who read urban fantasy.....
At 22 February 2009 at 17:39, Zita
Paranormal lets my imagination out to play. I can't think of a better reason to read than that!
If I could be a fantasy creature, I would be a mermaid. Then I (with all my mer-friends) would dump all the garbage in the ocean back on the land :-)
I linked this interview in my blog http://zita-h.livejournal.com/
Why paranormal?
Its so much more exciting to read then the thriller/mystery/romance books and I could only read so much mystery before I wanted something more. Its just so much fun to read for me. It gives me a break from reality.
aawwww maybe just one more Felix book after Jailbait Zombie? Is that what i read? I'll keep my fingers and toes crossed for more Felix!
Can't wait for Jailbait Zombie! I am going out and buying it when it comes out. (even if i happen to win a contest :)
Angela K220
First, because I love horror. I love the paranormal and supernatural. I just loved things that should spook and scary me; I love things that walk on the fringe, the darker side of things.
Second, because they are an escape from this world.
Blogged your contest:
http://www.morbid-romantic.net/2009/02/16/book-giveaways-0216-0222/
Valorie
morbidromantic@gmail.com
At 23 February 2009 at 01:09, Okibum
Mario and Amber,
I just recently started reading Paranormal. It has been a genre that I love to watch and then I realized, if the movies/shows can be so entertaining, I wondered if the books can be as good. They are! I was excited to see your books Mario because I can really connect with your character. I am Latina and I used to be in the military. I was never bitten by a vampire, but one can always dream...
Oh, and the fantasy creature - a vampire, of course.
At 23 February 2009 at 02:13, Wendy
My love for paranormals all started in Middle School, and I started hardcore, with Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series, but I also read lots of YA books. Since then I've updated to more refined tastes instead of reading pretty much anything put in my greedy hands.
Question - Do I have to read your books in order? 'Cause I'd like to read Jailbait Zombie but not if I'm going to be totally lost since I haven't read the others. So should I start with the first book?
At 23 February 2009 at 05:10, nimrodiel
Why Paranormal?
That's a h*ck of a good question. I've been reading vampire, werewolf and faerie stories since well before there was a defined paranormal genre.
There is just something enjoyable about the hint of magic that gets breathed into a plot with the unexpected. One of my absolute favorite books (whose title is escaping me btw), never calls her blood suckers vampires, instead refering them to the russian name that their steppe wandering culture calls them.
Elengil also likes renting cheesy vampire films, even though we both hate the horror genre.
The last few times we've been at a big bookstore we've both wandered over to where The Nymphos of Rocky Flats and x-rated blood suckers were shelved and picked them up and put them down as we weren't buying books that day.
At 23 February 2009 at 05:35, Jeanne Stein
I'm not going to enter the contest because--well, Mario and I are writing partners and if he doesn't give ME a copy of his latest, there'll be hell to pay. But I wanted to say that seriously, Mario is not only a wonderful writer but a great guy. Now if you tell him I said that, I'll deny it. Zombies is his best ever and you should RUN to the bookstore and pick up lots of copies.
(Okay, is that good enough, Mario? Are we even on the bet now?)
J.
At 23 February 2009 at 08:08, Chris J.
First, a big Thank you Amber and Morio!
Very entertaining interview and started off my morning Great! :)
I haven't read any of the books, yet but I need to check them out quick! lol I love the covers!
As to the questions:
Why Paranormal? I have always loved vamps, scary and Fairys and it has just grown over the years and I love it more all the time. A regular story just won't do it for me!
How did I start reading Paranormal?
It all began with a radio station that did scary stories late at night and I listened every week faithfully. Then Stephen king movies. When I started really reading around 12 for pleasure it was with ghost books and Stephen king. Kinda set the pace I guess. Then when I helped out in a book store for a friend about 7yrs ago, I discovered more authors, more books and I now read anywhere from 50 to a 100 books a year. :)
Thanks for a Great Interview and a new author to check out!
At 23 February 2009 at 09:30, Vickie
If I could be a fantasy creature, I'd choose shapeshifter. I wouldn't have to give up food (if you saw my fluffiness, you'd understand this sentiment)and I could change into whatever I want, not just one like I would if I were a were-creature. Also wouldn't have to wait for the full moon to change out.
At 23 February 2009 at 09:42, Vampy Nurse
I was just reading what Chris J said about staying up listening to scary stories, and it reminded me.... when i was like 6 i think, no more than 7 for sure... i used to stay up and watch "Elvira: Misstress of the Dark" anyone remember that?
Then my dad brought home "The Amittyville Horror" and i loved it! later like in 6th grade i watched "The Lost boys" and was like... this is the BEST movie ever! After that i read Dracula...
that was all i needed- I was HOOKED!
At 23 February 2009 at 11:22, Unknown
What a great question! I'm a daddy's girl and my dad has always been a fan of vampires and werewolves, so I grew up seeing pictures of these creatures and once I reached a certain age, we would watch horror flicks together and I've been fascinated ever since. I never get bored reading about the paranormal because there are so many possibilities.
At 23 February 2009 at 14:39, StyleVamp
Hello Mario & Amber...great interview (very funny)
Why Paranormal? I read genre all across the board, from chick lit to memoirs, autobiograhies etc..But I always come back to read Paranormal. To me it's exciting, unpredictable and depending on the author can be insiteful or disturbing.
There are so many areas to explore, where as in romance (which is great) is and can be predictable.
I never get bored with this genre...
At 24 February 2009 at 07:40, Asylumgirl
Paranormal is the best genre out there, in my humble opinion. It can be so many things to so many different and diverse people. I have always loved vampires and as I got a little older, I realized there were so many more monsters to love. Besides that, who doesn't like to be scared? It's just fun. Who needs the reality of day-to-day life, all the bad things that truly happen to good people. Give me paranormal any time! LOL
Deidre
At 25 February 2009 at 05:51, Ruth Schaller
Okay, to answer the question - I have always loved the darker side of life. My father had all of these books about ghosts and witchcraft and I sucked up all the info like a sponge. The very first horror movie that I watched when I was four years old was Night of the Living Dead. Ever since then I have always held a strange and sometime morbid fascination towards anything and everything paranormal. Life just seems to boring without it! There has to be something more than the way things stand now! :D
At 27 February 2009 at 06:25, Terin
Why paranormal? What makes you as a reader come back time after time to this genre and why did you get into it in the first place?
Because the real world is just too REAL. Paranormal is an escape, a what if. And if the world could really be that way, then could be like one of the incredible characters in the book.
I don't know what first hooked me on paranormal. I have always been attracted to witches, vampires, and ghosts. Oh my!
At 27 February 2009 at 17:53, Jamie
I started reading paranormal books about two or so years ago and haven't been able to put them down yet! I love escaping in the books and another world that anything you could imagine might happen. They're thrilling and entertaining and so much more.
I've never read Mario's books before, but i've been looking for a new series to read. I think I found it!
by Kelley Armstrong
Mario, you're a hilarious! I couldn't stop laughing at your smart aleck comments. ;)
I like paranormal because it's out of the ordinary and not so boring as real life. I seem to enjoy the urban fantasy more, the paranormal romance is starting to make me nauseous with all the love crap.