Sunday, 29 March 2009
This week I am really happy to have a Young Adult author here as a guest. Stacey Jay's debut book 'You Are So Undead To Me' was so much fun that I am really annoyed I have to wait till January next year for the second part! Zombies and romance sound like a bad combination for a book but Stacey did a great job and you can read my review here.
Read the interview, buy the book and enter the contest. Not in that particular order but do all three things anyway ;)
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Amber - Welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog! I loved your book You Are So Undead To Me and can't wait to see what Megan gets up to next! However I am sure some of my blog readers haven't come across your book yet. Maybe you could start things off by telling my blog readers a bit about the book?
Stacey - Thanks for having me Amber and I'm so glad you enjoyed the book! For those who haven't heard about "You are So Undead to Me", it's about Zombie Settler, Megan Berry, dealing with the return of her powers while falling hard for her tutor and learning that someone wants her dead and is going to use black magically raised, flesh-hungry zombies to do it. It's kind of "Buffy" meets "Night of the Living Dead" and has been referred to as "Twilight with sprinkles". I'm guessing the sprinkles are because of the jokes? Regardless, I liked the comparison because I like sprinkles. (I haven't read "Twilight" yet--I know! what rock have I been under, right?--but I just got a copy from the library that I'm going to read on spring break.)
Amber - In You Are So Dead To Me you have a interesting twist on the zombies and the 'Settler' angle is really cool (wouldn't mind trying that job out myself). How did you come up with the idea?
Stacey -I wanted to have Megan be more of a problem solver than a butt-kicker (though she does end up kicking some tail now and then). So I thought it would be better if the zombies had reasons they crawled out of their graves, issues they needed Megan to take care of for them. That opened up the zombies to be both humorous and scary, and that was fun to write.
Amber - What kind of research did you have to do for the book? Did you actually meet any zombies?
Stacey -I did a lot of research into voodoo rituals, but the one zombie I managed to track down stood me up when I refused to take him to Starbucks for coffee. I told him McDonald's new coffee is better, but he had to be all zombie coffee snob and so...yeah...it just didn't work out.
Amber - When can we expect the next book in the series? How many books do you plan to write about Megan?
Stacey - The next book, "Undead Much", will be out in January 2010. It's a lot scarier than the first book and has a cliffhanger ending (which I wasn't allowed to do with the first book since we weren't sure if we were going series or not when I finished that manuscript). So I definitely want to write a third book and have one plot line laid in book two that could stretch through a fourth book, but whether or not I get to do books three and four depends on readers. Buy those books ya'll, and I'll get to make more!
Amber - Do you have any other projects you are working on? Or are you just keeping to this series for now?
Stacey -I have a super secret squirrel project I'm working on right now that I'm OBSESSED with. I can't say much about it, but I'm crossing my fingers my editor will love the book as much as I do and I'll get the go ahead to get chatty about it soon.
But I also have another book already edited and ready for release Spring 2010. It's called, "My So-Called Death" and is about a girl who finds out she's genetically undead--a zombie--and goes to zombie school where she ends up solving a murder or two. It was a blast to write and will be released from Flux books.
Amber - How did you end up writing a Young Adult Paranormal book? Was it something you always wanted to do?
Stacey - Yes, absolutely. This kind of book is what I've always wanted to write, ever since I was a kid. I love the young adult genre. I also write for adults under a couple of pen names, and I enjoy that, but YA is where my heart is. I am so thrilled and feel so lucky to be writing books for teens.
Amber - You are So Dead to Me is your first book. What was the process like for you? Did you have any say in the title? Book cover? etc? What did you love about bringing your first book into the world? and what did you hate?
Stacey - Well....YASUTM was my first YA book. I've actually been published for awhile in romance, but the experiences were very different so I still felt like a newbie. I didn't have final say on the cover (but I love it) or the title (which I also love), but I got to give my opinion and felt the powers that be cared what I had to say which was nice. I loved the whole process really, but my favorite part was getting the Advanced Reader Copies on my doorstep. I was just...blown away. It finally seemed real!
Amber - What have been the good and bad times of being an author? Any advice to anyone to anybody out there thinking of writing a book?
Stacey -The good times are getting to play pretend for a living. How fun is that?! The bad times come when you get stuck writing something you're not passionate about. There are times when I've been in the middle of a project and had things going on in my life that killed my writing buzz, but I've still had to get the job done because I have four kids to help support. Those books try the soul. It doesn't mean they don't end up being good books I'm proud of, but the getting them to that good place can be exhausting and stressful. So my advice would be to choose your projects carefully and give them all that you've got, every last bit of passion and enthusiasm.
Amber - What did you do before you became an author? Do you still have a 'normal' job?
Stacey - I was an actor before I was an author and just barely made enough to pay my rent and eat ramen noodles for most meals. Now I'm a full time mom-writer. So yes, I have a normal job, it's called taking care of four kids, lol. My youngest is only 4 months old so I'm still deep in feeding and diapering mode. I'm doing cloth diapers...which are freaking gross....like way grosser than pussy zombies. But they're less expensive and better for the environment and yada yada so...there you go. Ah, a window into the glamorous writer's life ;).
Amber - When is the best time for you to write? Any particular atmosphere needed?
Stacey - I love writing in the mornings and the best atmosphere for me is a quiet one, but I don't get that very often. I've learned to tune out the background noise and get the job done, but quiet mornings are a treasure.
Amber - What books do you read when you have the chance? Any must have authors or series?
Stacey - I read everything I can get my hands on and a LOT of YA. It's my genre so I have to stay educated. I've been reading a lot of paranormal lately and so much of it is just excellent. That said, I haven't had something suck me in and get me series-addicted in a while. I would LOVE to find that series, however. Hopefully my readers will have some suggestions.
Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature. Which one would you be and why?
Stacey - A unicorn because I could be all pretty and sparkly and grant wishes and work magic but still mess people up with my horn if I needed to.
Amber - You are stuck on a desert island. What 5 things do you hope to have with you?
Stacey - My husband. Sunscreen. A big stack of good books. My computer (with solar battery). Fishing pole.
Amber - Thank you so much for answering my questions! I look forward to your next release and hope you will stop by again in the future!
Stacey - Thanks Amber! I'd love to come back again, looking forward to it!
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Contest Time!!!This weeks contest prize is not a book. Don't look sad though because if you win this weeks contest you will get your very own "You are So Undead to Me" t-shirt! This prize is only for the US entries where as if the winner is overseas they will get a $10 Amazon gift certificate instead.
There could also be a second book prize! The more people buy through Amazon.com this week will also add to the prize. If there are enough sales (use the links around the site) to buy another copy of "You are So Undead to Me" then there will be another winner drawn! Maybe even two if people order alot ;)
Feeling lucky? How do you enter? This week all you need to do to enter the contest is post here letting us know what book series are you addicted to?
No series addiction = 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!
You can also earn extra entries by emailing your friends about the contest. Just make sure you send a copy to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.
The contest will stay open until Sunday April 5th 2009 4pm CET and the winner will be picked by a randomizer. 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, Stacey Jay
posted by Unknown at Sunday, March 29, 2009 | 
60 Comments:
At 29 March 2009 at 11:04, 
Vickie
http://iyamvixenbooks.blogspot.com/2009/03/amberkatze-interviews-pararnomal-ya.html
Put the interview on my blog.
The series I am addicted to.....Sookie Stackhouse (Charlaine Harris), Anna Strong Jeanne C Stein), Eve and Roarke (JD Robb), Greywalker(Kat Richardson), Dresden Files (Jim Butcher), Queen Betsy (MaryJanice Davidson), Inspector Richard Jury (Martha Grimes)....and so many more....
Well, most series I was addicted to are finished (Harry Potter, Twilight, Tamora Pierce has finished all but two of her series, and is there going to be a seventh Outlander?) but Percy Jackson and the Olympians is one I'm still on the hook for (the fifth and final one comes out in May) and the Ranger's Apprentice series has no end in sight. There are numerous others from many genres, but this is a good sampling. Please enter me. Thanks!
At 30 March 2009 at 08:59, StyleVamp
Gee that's a hard one...
-I'm addicted to Patricia Briggs:
Mercy series
-Marta Acosta..Casa Dracula series
-L.A. Banks Vampire Huntress series
-C.E. Murphy Joanne Walker series (she is taking way to long for follow up book)
-Kat Richardson the Greywalker series
-Patricia Briggs: Alpha & Omega series
Hmmmm I can't just pick one lol
At 30 March 2009 at 12:57, Chris J.
Hey Stacey!
So good to see you here! I am looking forward to this series and what a cool contest!
As to series I am addicted to:
Lora Leigh (the breed's)
Sherilyn Kenyon (all, she is awesome)
Charlaine Harris (Sookie series)
LK Hamilton (Merry gentry and Anita Blake series)
Keri Arthur (Riley Jensen Series)
Thanks Stacey and really enjoyed the blog!
Amber, I emailed this contest to me friends and commented here! Thank you both and have a Great Week!
At 31 March 2009 at 11:17, Nancy
My series addictions (in no particular order) include but aren't limited to books by:
Rachel Caine
Victoria Laurie
Charlaine Harris
Linda Wisdom
Vicki Lewis Thompson
P.C. and Krisitin Cast
Madelyn Alt
Kelley Armstrong
Jim Butcher
And a host of non-paranormal mysteries -
Joan Hess
Charlaine Harris
Jan Burke
Robert B. Parker
Roberta Crais
Janet Evanovich
Carolyn Hart
Jill Churchill
And ever so many more!
Stacy, I'm MOST eager to get my hands on YASUTM!!
Light,
Nancy Haddock
by Kelley Armstrong
I love the Twilight Series, Outlander Series and the Shopaholic Series.