This week my guest is author Devon Monk. Back in November I read her debut book Magic to the Bone and loved every minute of it. So I was really excited when Devon agreed to let me interview her and even more excited when I saw what prizes she is giving away (see below)! Although I can't win...boo hoo! The second book in the series Magic in the Blood is due out on May 5th so if you haven't read Magic to the Bone yet here is your chance to get to know a little bit about the books and the author!
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Amber - Devon, Welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog! Magic To The Bone came out last year and Magic in the Blood is due out soon. Can you tell my readers a little but about the Allison Beckstrom series?
Devon - Sure! And thank you for having me here. The books are set in modern day Portland, Oregon where magic is the new technology that can be used by anyone who is willing to pay the price. The price for using magic is pain. You use magic, it uses you back. Simple as that. Allie Beckstrom is a Hound, a person who can track illegal spells to the caster. She pays the price of pain for using magic and sometimes magic makes her pay a little more--it takes away her memories. Still, she won't give up fighting for the people she loves, or the city she cares about. Plus, there's a sexy stranger, Zayvion Jones, who seems to be involved in secret dealings with magic, and who may or may not be the kind of man worth trusting with magic, her heart, or her life.
Amber - Magic to the Bone saw Allie going through alot, physically and mentally. Are things going to be easier for her in Magic in the Blood?Devon - Some things are going to be easier for her, but her world is about to become much more complicated when she gets wrapped up in blood magic, old vendetas, and secret branches of the law and other hidden organizations who have their own idea and rules as to how magic should be used, and by whom.
Amber - Are you anything like Allie? Or maybe she is based on someone you know?
Devon - I guess I can be a little sarcastic, so maybe our senses of humor are similar. Mostly she's based off of all the women in my life who have shown me that strength doesn't always mean carrying a gun or chasing bad guys. It means doing what's right for others, and having the grace and stamina to hold your head up, and keep going no matter what the world throws at you.
Amber - Magic to the Bone really impressed me. You managed to give the reader of the paranormal genre something new and unique. How did you come up with the concept? Did you intend on making your series different to the books already out there?
Devon - Thank you! The first book was based off of a short story I'd written for an anthology that was looking for stories that blended "magic" with "business". The story was ultimately rejected, and I happily reworked it into the first chapter of the book. I say happily, because by the time I had finished the short story, I realized I wanted to know more about Allie and the world she lived in and knew it would take a book (or three) worth of words to do the idea justice.
Amber - What kind of research did you have to do for the books?
Devon - I drove around Portland taking a bunch of pictures so I wouldn't mess up my details and distances. I also reasearched a lot about the city's history. Not a lot of that ends up on the page, but it was useful for me to know.
Amber - How many books can we expect to see in the Allie Beckstrom series?
Devon - Right now, there are six books under contract. I've written three, and am currently writing book four. The story could easily go out another three books (nine in total) so there's always that possibility. Plus, the more I write in the world, the more I discover about it that I want to explore. So who knows? I guess some of how far the series goes is up to readers liking it enough to read it, and the publisher seeing that there is an audience who would like to see the series continue.
Amber - Do you have any other projects you are working on? Or are you just keeping to this series for now?Devon - As far as novels go, I'm only working on this series right now. (well, I might have a project or two in my back pocket, but they're in the early planning stages and not ready for submission yet.) I also have a short story that will be out soon, "Skein of Sunlight" in The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romace II. That was a real change for me since I've never written vampire fiction before.
Amber - Why did you pick the paranormal genre? Or did the paranormal genre pick you?
Devon - I think paranormal picked me, or rather Allie's story fit so nicely in the paranormal genre that I am very happy this is where we landed.
Amber - Did you always want to be a writer?
Devon - Yes. Always. Well, that or a teacher. I feel very lucky I am able to pursue a career I love.
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?
Devon - I wrote short stories for fifteen plus years before my book ever sold. Even though I sold over fifty short stories, and wrote six books in that time, once a year, for fifteen years, I would give up writing. There is a lot of rejection that goes along with breaking into print. There are long, long spans when it feels like no one is ever going to like your work enough to publish it. But if you keep going, keep writing, and keep sending, it will happen. My advice to anybody out there writing a book is: don't give up. And if you do give up, get over it, and un-give up.
Amber - What did you do before you became an author? Do you still have a 'normal' job?
Devon - I did a lot of office type jobs, and am a mom of two great sons. The day I got my agent, I quit my "normal" job. Luckily, I also have a supportive spouse, because the paychecks didn't instantly pour in, Lol!
Amber - What books do you read when you have the chance? Any must have authors or series?Devon - I love so many books, I couldn't list them all. When I'm writing, I hardly get the chance to read, so I am chronically behind in my TBR pile. But for urban fantasy, I have a total fan girl crush on Patricia Brigg's Mercy Thompson series and Ilona Andrew's Magic series.
Amber - What music, TV series or films do you like and do any of them influence your work?
Devon - I love all kinds of music and like to listen to alternative rock when I write. (Shout out to my local alt-rock station, 94.7 FM. Stream it. Online.) As for movies/TV everything by Joss Whedon, especially Firefly and Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog. I wish I could write dialogue half as well as he can. I also love fantasy (Princess Bride, LotR trilogy) science fiction (Fifth Element, Serenity, original Star Wars) superhero movies (X-men 1 & 2, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight), comedies, romance, historicals, action adventure, indy films, and Pixar. I guess each of the shows I listed have a sense of longing or needfulness in them, a need to be loved, to be free, to be respected, to be equal, to be whole, to make a difference, those kind of stories, those kinds of emotions, probably influence the kind of stories I tell.
Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature. Which one would you be and why?
Devon - Huh. Any paranormal creature? Can I make something up? A werefaedezompire? Half animal, half fae, half demon-zombie umpire...er...I mean vampire. Is that three halves? Maybe I should have thought this through before answering....
Amber - You are stuck on a desert island. What 5 things do you hope to have with you?
Devon - Can I count my family as one thing? After that would be coffee, and a sand/wind powered computer/wifi connection. Oh, I'd have a boat, wait, that means I'm not stranded, right? Okay, so strike the boat, and give me water and shelter and food and unlimited yarn and knitting needles. Does that make five? Wait--I didn't say books. I'd have books too...so...oh, I know, make the shelter out of books, heck, make it a huge book castle! (see? smart.) and the coffee pot would also be a genie bottle complete with a java spirit who would grant my wishes to get off the island...maybe give me gills so I could swim home...except I said my family was with me, so maybe I'd be hittin' the waves for a little peace and quiet...although I could always use the yarn to knit earplugs...or gags...or a raft out of turtles so I could go find a new, quieter desert island without so many friggin' people around yammering and sunbathing, and training monkeys to act out their favorite Godzilla movies...hold on...what was the question?
Amber - Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and for being a guest on Amberkatze's Book Blog! I hope you will come back again!
Devon - Thank you, Amber! It was great fun!
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Contest Time!Devon has two amazing prizes to give away. One winner will get a signed copy of her first book Magic to the Bone
while another winner will get an ARC signed copy of the second book Magic in the Blood
(not due out till May!).If you are entering and have a preference to which book you win please state so in your entry! Otherwise you could end up with the first or the second book.
So are you feeling lucky? How do you enter? Post a comment letting us know which book character you would like to be and why? (The why is just because I am nosey and want to know)
No character = 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 19th 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.
Have fun!
Labels: Author Interviews, Contests, Devon Monk
At 12 April 2009 at 15:54, 
Vickie
http://iyamvixenbooks.blogspot.com/2009/04/amberkatze-interviews-devon-monkand.html
Non-paranormal character: I think I'd like to be Maisie Dobbs of Jacqueline Winspear's series set around WWI. Maisie starts as a house servant, finds her way to be an aide and nurse in WWI. Then becomes a private investigator. She has a sort of psychic ability that helps her along the way.
Paranormal character: I concur with the first poster. I would like to be Sookie Stackhouse. She is so tough, keeps getting back up even after being emotionally and/or physically wounded. She has intriguing friends and allies and an amazing ability (or disability as she thinks of it).
I would love to win either book. I have Devon on my Wanton Book Yearn List, I don't have either one on Mt Git'r'Read, so it's all good.
At 12 April 2009 at 17:51, Starfire
Hmmmm, any character whatsoever?
Hmmmm... right now I think I'd really like to be Karrin Murphy from the Dresden Files books - she's smart, strong, streetwise, and hey, I live in hope that she'll get the wizard of my dreams ;-)
Other than that, I think I'd like to be Kaylin Neya from Michelle Sagara's Chronicles of Elantra set. Because again with the smart and streetwise - and not only is she a damn good fighter, but she's also a healer. Plus, between Nightshade and Severn, her life is NEVER boring ;-)
Competition-wise, I'd love to win a copy of Magic to the Bone - it's on my "must read" pile, but I just haven't managed to get a copy of it myself yet.
Thanks for the competition :-)
Starfire
At 12 April 2009 at 18:51, Nancy
Devon and Amber, great interview. I was so glad I didn't have coffee (or anything spurt-able) in my mouth as I read your island answer, Devon! You are a stitch!
My answer about what character I'd like to be changes. Today I'll opt for being Josnnr Baldwin in Rachel Caine's Weather Warden series. I've always wanted to control the elements.
Light,
Nancy Haddock
At 12 April 2009 at 19:09, Donna
I would pick Anna Strong's character from Jeanne C. Stein's Anna Strong Chronicles. I like Anna's no nonsense, kick your a** if you get in my way attitude. And being a sexy vampire has it's pluses, obviously.
Devon's books look very good, right down my alley of book picks. I would take either book if I won, since I have not started reading this series yet. But I have already added them to my TBR list.
I posted this contest on Twitter: http://twitter.com/FantasyDreamer/statuses/1506492491
It is very hard to choose a character I'd like to be because I like so many. Well, maybe I choose the heroine from Acheron (by Sherrilyn Kenyon). She was quite charming :) I want to be her because she could heal the invisible scars of the most wounded man with some tender care.
chayanna82(at)hotmail(dot)com
At 13 April 2009 at 20:50, Pissenlit
Great interview! I was laughing so hard! Also, oh my gosh...I totally loved Firefly and Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog!
If I could be any book character, I would be...very undecided! Okay, I'm just going to randomly pick one and it'll be...Sira from Julie E. Czerneda's The Trade Pact Universe Trilogy. She starts out in A Thousand Words For Stranger without any memory of who or where she is and only has a compulsion to stay hidden, find a specific ship and get off that world. She's a strong character...Also, she gets Morgan. *happy sigh*
At 14 April 2009 at 19:31, Lori T
Hi Devon and Amber~
Great interview! I loved Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog, too. I absolutely love your covers and think your books sound amazing.
I think that I would like to be Mercy Thompson...she is strong and just seems so down to Earth. Plus, there is Adam.
If I am lucky enough to win...I would go with Magic in the Blood as I already have Magic to the Bone.
At 16 April 2009 at 14:52, Cathy M
It tends to change depending on what book I am reading, there are just so many great stories about strong women that always works for me. I would pick Stephanie Plum for the daily humor in her life, and Eve Dallas for her mental and physical strength, and the way her love for Roarke brings out the softer side of her personality, and enhances her role as a woman, wife, and cop.
I would love to read Magic in the Blood.
I would like to get Magic to the Bone if I win.
I narrowed it down to two characters. I'd like to be either Kate Daniels from Ilona Andrews' series or MacKayla Lane from Karen Marie Moning's Fever series. Kate because she's tough and Curran= yummy, and MacKayla because she's tough and strong and because I'd love to spar with Barrons :)
At 18 April 2009 at 10:24, drey
*sigh* Do I really have to pick just one character? =P Right now it would be Mercy Thompson, because I "just" read Bone Crossed. She's strong, learns from her mistakes, and doesn't back down when it comes to those she cares about.
I'd love Magic in the Blood - I have Magic to the Bone in my TBR pile (picked it up last year, and just haven't gotten around to it yet).
Linked here.
Tweeted here.
Thanks for the giveaway!
At 18 April 2009 at 18:00, 
Jackie M (Literary Escapism)
A. You know I've already linked to you before today, but for some reason I am just now getting over here to enter this fabulous contest.
B. Any book character? I haven't had a chance to read Devon's first novel (I know, shame on me - so it doesn't matter which one I win, if I do), but I really don't have a book character that I would like to be. There are so many fabulous worlds and characters out there I really don't think I could chose just one. And I really don't think you can pick a character without taking their world with them since one's surrounds have an impact on who a person is (or so I believe). So I really don't have a character I would like to be. Does this count?
C. Oh and I did pimp you out on Facebook today so people knew their chances for entering were drawing to a close since you're way over on the other side of the Atlantic. :P
At 19 April 2009 at 13:09, barbmccrea
WOW, this book looks so good, I haven't had a chance to read any of the series yet, would love to start with this one!
If I could be any Book character, I would have to pick, Ginny Weasley she starts off Quiet and reserved, and ends up being the heroin we all knew she could be.
barbmccrea at hotmail.com
by Kelley Armstrong
Sookie Stackhouse because to me she's very independent, very human (except for her special ability), and she pretty much has the pick of the litter when it comes to guys. She is someone I can see walking down the street and I could wave hello to.