Check it out Here!

You can now find the reviews, interviews and contests over on the Revamped site!

Amberkatze's Book Blog - Revamped!

Labels: Author Interviews, Contests, General, M. R. Sellars

Some of you may already know Marla Mason from the books written by T.A. Pratt where as some of you won't know anything about the sorceress of Felport. Here is your chance to find out a little bit about the bad ass and if you enter this weeks contest you could even win one of the books T.A. Pratt has written about her.

Enjoy!

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Amber - I am sure alot of my readers have already met you in the books written about your adventures by T.A. Pratt but maybe you could tell my blog readers a bit about yourself?

Marla - Not much to tell -- I'm a sorcerer, I punch things that get in my way,
I have a few loyal friends and a lot of fair-weather sycophants on my payroll, and my one single sacred duty is protecting my beloved city of Felport from whatever might threaten it. Mainly supernatural things.

Amber - There are alot of people out there who would love to be a sorcerer. Do you have any advice for them?

Marla - Keep your eyes open, your ears open, and your mind open. (But not too open, or something nasty might move in.) And just remember you're never as good as you think you are.

Amber - Being chief sorcerer of the city of Felport is, from what I have read, hard work. What do you like to do to relax?

Marla - Hard work *is* relaxing.

Amber - Have you heard anything from Pelham lately? How is Rondeau doing?

Marla - Pelly is still enjoying his world tour, disposing of a certain something for me. Last I heard he was in the Himalayas. He'll be back in a year or two or three, when his business is done.

As for Rondeau... Rondeau hasn't been himself lately. If you read what happened to us in Spell Games, you'll see what I mean.



Amber - How are you coping after your brush with death last year?

Marla - I like the occasional brush with death. It helps me keep my edge.

Amber - If you could change something in your past what would you change and why?

Marla - Not much in my distant past -- there were bad things in my childhood, sure, but they helped make me the person I am today, and that's a person I'm happy with, so I wouldn't risk altering it. I did, recently, have a very dear friend die, and if there were a way to save him... Well, let's just say I'm working on it. (Surely you realize your question isn't strictly hypothetical? There *are* ways to change the past -- they're just almost never worth the trouble they cause.)

Amber - How is it working with T.A. Pratt on the books? Do you feel he writes about your adventures well? Were there any disputes?

Marla - Ha, "working with." I don't have a collaborator; I have a stalker who digs through my trash and makes up motivations for what he observes of my behavior (which is never the whole truth anyway). And he's not above lying to make a better story. I'm just glad everyone assumes the things he writes are fiction. Makes my life impler when nobody believes I really exist.

Amber - As chief sorcerer of the city of Felport I am sure you have alot of stories to tell. How many more books would you like to see out on the shelves?

Marla - I could do without the books entirely, but things keep right on happening to me, so I guess this could go on indefinitely. Certainly I'm going to have to deal definitively with some of my more persistent enemies someday.... and more immediately, I've got that dead friend I want to bring back to life. That's probably enough for a couple more books right there.

Amber - Marla, I heard your brother is visiting. Is that going to be a new story? Or is he just passing through?

Marla - Yeah, my brother was in town, for a while, but he's gone now. It... wasn't a very successful visit. I don't want to talk about it. My stalker T.A. Pratt wrote a book about it, called Spell Games, if you want more details on our happy reunion.

Amber - If the books were going to be made into a TV series or film who would you like to see playing you and your friends?

Marla - I don't really watch TV. I'm sure if you asked Rondeau he'd have some opinion. He'd pick somebody more handsome than he is though.

Amber - You are stranded on a desert island. What 5 things would you both hope to have with you?

Marla - Sometimes I think it'd be a nice break to get stranded on a desert island. Maybe a few hundred books, a lot of rum and fruit juice, a couple of willing servant boys, a grass hut... Nah. I'm allergic to that much fresh air ans sunshine. I'd just teleport or fly back home in such a situation.

Follow Marla on Twitter

Read a short story featuring Marla

Read my interview with T. A. Pratt (with links to my reviews)



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Contest Time

This week I am giving away one Marla Mason book to one lucky winner. If you win this weeks contest you get to choose which Marla book you would like. That means you can start at the beginning or get the book you are missing from the series.

To enter the contest post here saying who you would like to see playing you if your life was made into a movie or TV Show!

No actress or Actor = 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 3rd of May 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, T. A. Pratt

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

I met Paula Brackston in a Book shop in the city of my birth, Cardiff, Wales, while visiting family. It was pure coincidence that I happened to be there and come across her amazing novel 'Book of Shadows'. I loved the book and read it on the plane back to Austria.

So please welcome Paula to Amberkatze's Book Blog for her first ever blog interview! Make sure you check out the book review I wrote and get yourself a copy. It really is an amazing read.

If you are lucky you may even win a copy in this weeks contest (see below)

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Amber -  Welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog!  I came across your book totally by accident when we met in the Cardiff Borders while you were signing books!  I really enjoyed Book of Shadows and I am sure a lot of my blog readers would too. Maybe you could start things off by telling them a bit about the book?

Paula – Hello, Amber. Hello, everyone. Book of Shadows tells the tale of immortal Witch, Elizabeth Hawksmith. We follow her story through 17th century Wessex, Victorian London, Passchendaele in 1917, and the present day.

Amber - Book of Shadows it quite unique.  How did you come up with the idea?

Paula – I’ve always been fascinated by the idea that there is magic going on all around us, even now, but not everyone can see it. I wanted to create a character who could be a modern day Witch, but who would have her origins deep in the past.

Amber -  With a lot of magic and history you cover a wide range of subjects in Book of Shadows. What kind of research did you have to do for the book? 

Paula – I read heaps. I really enjoyed losing myself in the different periods I was studying for the book. And I discovered so many enthralling things about witchcraft! The house was full of pictures, books, and objects relevant to the subject. I find it helpful when I am writing to have things around me that push my imagination in the direction it needs to go for a particular story to develop.

Amber -  Are you anything like your main character Elizabeth?  Or is she based on someone else?

Paula – Ha! I wish I was more like Elizabeth. I’m such a wimp, and she is so strong and determined. That is one of the best reasons for writing, I think – to be people we are not, just for a while. That said, there are surely elements of a writer in all their characters, I suppose. Which means there is something of me in Gideon, too, or vice versa, which is a little worrying.

Amber -  Do you intend on writing a sequel to Book of Shadows?

Paula – I’m considering it. A number of people have said they would like to see one. You know how when you finish reading a really good book you miss the characters quite badly? Well, it’s the same when you finish writing a story. It would be good to spend another year or two with old friends.

Amber -  What are you working on at the moment?  When is your next release due out?

Paula – Ah, that’s a little complicated. I’ve just finished a book that is in the same vein as Book of Shadows. It’s set in the present day and the 13th century – two parallel stories which ultimately converge (I never was any good at geometry). There’s a good deal of magic in that one – Merlin is one of the central characters. That will probably come out next winter/spring. The title isn’t confirmed yet.

Meanwhile, I have a new book due out in August, but this is a completely different animal – a contemporary comedy entitled ‘Nutters’. Snowbooks are publishing that for me under my pen name, PJ Davy. It’s challenging working on such different projects, but I hope it keeps my writing fresh. I’m currently working on a comedy-horror screenplay about werewolves, which I am developing with the Film Agency for Wales. Well, you did ask!

Amber - Book of Shadows is paranormal, historical, a little romantic and also slighty Young Adult.  What genre would you class it?  And why did you pick that genre to write about?

Paula – It’s fantasy, or historical fantasy, albeit in a pretty mainstream way. I don’t ever pick a genre. I just get an idea in my head and then write that story.

Amber -  Do you think it is harder being a British author than being an American author? 

Paula – Can’t answer that, I’m afraid, although I should imagine it’s tough wherever you are.

Amber -  Book of Shadows 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?

Paula – The process was long coming – I had been writing for nine years before getting my first full-length work of fiction published. During that time I sold short stories and wrote a travel book and had non-fiction anthologised several times. Then everything seemed to happen very quickly. I signed with Snowbooks last July, and Book of Shadows is already out, which is incredibly speedy. Snowbooks made a fantastic job of the cover, don’t you agree? I get a real buzz seeing my book in shops now, and I love getting feedback from readers.

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?

Paula – If you want to write, just do it. And keep doing it! Don’t expect to get it right first time. Perseverance is key. Even Doris Lessing attributes a large part of her success to being able to ‘stick at it’. It is miserable having your work rejected, but you learn to cope with it, mainly by writing more. And more, and more…

Amber -  What did you do before you became an author?  Do you still have a 'normal' job? 

Paula – I’ve done all sorts. I’ve worked as a travel agent, a nanny, a secretary, run a riding school, been a goatherd, and taught English as a foreign language. For the past three years I have worked part-time as a script reader, which has been really instructive, and I run creative writing workshops and classes. I did an MA in Creative Writing in 2004.

Amber - What books do you read when you have the chance?  Any must have authors or series?

Paula – I’m a promiscuous reader. The book I’ve just read is invariably my favourite – very fickle of me, I know. That said, I love reading Sebastian Faulkes, Martin Amis, Rose Tremain, David Mitchell, Magnus Mills… I feel a very long list coming on.

Amber - What music, TV series or films do you like and do any of them influence your work? 

Paula – When we were children my brother made me stay up late and watch horror films with him, so perhaps that’s how I’ve ended up writing a screenplay about werewolves! I like films, but don’t watch much TV, apart from Frasier, which always makes me laugh. If I’m feeling stressed I re-watch a favourite movie – Pulp Fiction, Withnail and I, something absorbing and well-written.

Amber - If you could write any book you wanted about any subject.  What would you write about?

Paula – I’m lucky to be able to say I am doing exactly what I want with my books now. Thank you, Snowbooks!

Amber -  You are stuck on a desert island.  What 5 things do you hope to have with you?

Paula – Assuming I’m not allowed my children, partner, or dog (or are they there with me?)… let’s see. OK, my laptop, solar powered, of course; gallons of mosquito repellent, or I’d be eaten alive; a wind up radio; a feather mattress; and one fine bone china tea cup and saucer. I’m no Ray Mears, but I could tolerate most things if I could spend some time in a comfortable bed with something like tea out of a decent cup listening to a play on Radio 4. Good grief, now I sound about 95!

Amber -  Thank you so much for being a guest on Amberkatze's Book Blog!  I hope you will come back again!

Paula – Thank you for having me here. I’ve really enjoyed my first ever blog interview.




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Contest Time!

Paula has kindly said she will send the winner of this weeks contest a signed copy of 'Book of Shadows'! and because I loved the book so much I am going to pick a second winner who will get a copy of 'Book of Shadows' as well! So that means there are 2 copies up for grabs!

Oh and as always...more sales through Amberkatze's Book Blog Amazon site means more prizes!

Feeling lucky? How do you enter? Post a comment letting us know which authors you have or/and would like to meet!

No author = 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 12th 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, Paula Brackston

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

My guest this week is author Molly Harper!

Her debut novel, NICE GIRLS DON'T HAVE FANGS is due out on the 31st of March and I got to read an ARC copy last month and wrote this review!

So find out more about the author and her new series just in time for the release of the first book. And if you enter the contest you could even win your own copy of the new cool new series to watch!



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Amber - Welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog! I l was lucky enough to read a review copy of your debut book Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs! Which comes out this month. Maybe you could start things off by telling my blog readers a bit about the book?

Molly - Jane came to me as the hapless victim of the question, "What would be the most embarrassing way possible to be turned into a vampire?" When all the other vampires are telling their romantic origin tales of plague and war, poor Jane has to confess that she was fired from her job as a children's librarian, replaced by someone who starts workplace fires, given a gift certificate to Shenanigans as a severance and then used it to get drunk. At the bar, she meets a tall, handsome (somewhat pale) stranger. She sobers enough to drive home, but her car breaks down. While she's walking home, she falls in a ditch and a drunk hunter mistakes her muddied form for a deer and shoots her. The handsome stranger, who happens to be a vampire, turns her to keep her from dying. Wacky antics, romance and murder accusations ensue.

Amber - In Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs you managed to write about vampires and make it just that little bit different to all the other vamp books already out there. Did you do that on purpose or was it just the concept that came to you?

Molly - I wanted to keep it a little lighter than some of the books out there. I have always loved TV shows, books and movies that mix humor and horror. What I loved about Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel was the one-liners and fantastic dialogue. They were very funny, sharply written shows that just happened to be about vampires.

Also, I'm a total gore wimp. I can't handle a lot of blood and guts. So I wrote something for someone like me, who likes a little bit of a scare, without being grossed out.

Amber - What kind of research did you have to do for the book? Did you get together with any vampires or werewolves?

Molly - I didn't really do much research when it came to shaping my "vampire lore." Some of my rules for vampires were necessary for plot devices, i.e. vampires needed to be allergic to silver because Jane has to handle silverware at a family dinner with relatives who don't know she's a vampire. However, when it came to Jane's reading about her vampire roots, I looked up some old vampire legends from around the world.

Unfortunately, I don't know any vampires or werewolves to get together with.

Amber - Are you anything like your main character Jane? Or is she based on someone else?

Molly - Jane is written in my "voice." We have very similar senses of humor, we're both avid readers and sources of endless, useless trivia. But we are different in that Jane tends to "wait and see" a lot more than I do. She's pretty timid. If I have a problem, I tend to charge ahead and try to fix it... although that can make the problem worse sometimes. Her issues with men and relationships are the polar opposite of my personal life. Also, our relationships with family are very different. I get along very well with my parents and siblings, who are very loving and supportive. And my grandmother has only been married once and loves me dearly.

So overall, there is some of my personality in Jane, but her issues are all her own.

Amber - When can we expect the next book in the series? How many books are planned in the series?

Molly - NICE GIRLS DON'T DATE DEAD MEN will be released on August 25, 2009. NICE GIRLS DON'T LIVE FOREVER will be released in December 2009. For now, those are all of the titles contracted for the series.

Amber - Any plans to release a full version of Guide for the Newly Undead?

Molly - You know, you're the second person to ask that in the last two days. I hadn't considered it, but if there's enough interest, who knows? It's a fun, fascinating idea.

Amber - Do you have any other projects you are working on? Or are you just keeping to this series for now?

Molly - I had time to write a non-paranormal romantic comedy between vampire books last year. I'm hoping that sells soon. And I'm working on a werewolf romance I hope to finish up before the summer. It's a lot of fun and the main character is a human, very different from Jane- a little more in touch with her anger and definitely more sexually confident.


Amber - Why did you pick the paranormal genre? Or did the paranormal genre pick you?

Molly - I think I was destined to write in the paranormal genre. My parents are both avid readers and gave me a respect for books pretty early on. I've always been fascinated by ghost stories, vampires, werewolves, mysteries of the unexplained, etc. When in elementary school, I checked out the library's paranormal non-fiction books so many times, the librarian sent a note home to my mom. Naturally, I wrote something that I would want to read, so I wrote about paranormal creatures.

Amber - Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs 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?

Molly - It took me about a year to write and edit an acceptable draft. Starting in August 2007, I spent about three months using agentquery.com to ruthlessly stalk potential agents. I ended up with offers of representation from three. But I went with Stephany Evans because she offered advice on how to make the book better before she signed me. She didn't have to take the time to do that and it meant a lot. She sent the manuscript out to publishers and I think about two weeks later, we got an initial offer. We had a small auction between several publishing houses and chose Pocket Star Books.

I love my Pocket Star editor, Jen. She's very gentle, but doesn't put up with a lot of nonsense. She's made the editing process as painless as possible and lets me have a lot of input on content. We did change the original title because it was a little too close to other paranormal series. I came up with a list of alternative suggestions. She workshopped them with other people at the publishing office and they liked NICE GIRLS DON'T HAVE FANGS the best. I didn't have a lot of input on the cover, but I like the design overall. I am very excited about the cover of NICE GIRLS DON'T DATE DEAD MEN.

I've loved almost everything about getting published. I get so excited every time I get a package from my agent or publisher. Just knowing there is someone out there, reading my work, trying to get it on bookshelves, is humbling and wonderful.

I can't say I've hated any part of the process, although re-writes aren't a lot of fun. You sort of "move on" in your head after you finish a book, particularly when writing a series. I lost count of the number of drafts I wrote of Book 2, NICE GIRLS DON'T DATE DEAD MEN. But I know it will be a better book because of the changes.

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?

Molly - Writers write. Reading about writing, taking classes, participating in writers' groups can help you hone your craft. Being a writer means sitting down at your computer/notebook every day and committing words to paper. It's about the discipline of building your story, even when you're tired or stressed or just don't feel like it.

For me, the writing is the fun part. It's what I look forward to, even though it's a lot of work. I've come across people who seem to think the writing is just a small part of being a writer. They're designing web sites and t-shirts to promote a book, while they've only written three chapters. I don't blame them. It's great to daydream about what you'll do when you're published, but until you have a tangible product to put out there, you're not going to get very far.

The great thing about becoming an author has been the comments from people who have enjoyed my work. I never expected such positive feedback! To know that I've entertained people and made them laugh, makes me feel so good.

The only bad part of the process has been the waiting! I had no idea that it takes so long for a book to go to press. I'm so impatient to see the book on the shelves. But I know it will be worth it in the end.

Amber - What did you do before you became an author? Do you still have a 'normal' job?

Molly - I was a newspaper reporter in my hometown for six years. I covered education, but I ended up writing about courts, cops, quilt shows and everything else you can imagine. I loved my job, but our family life became too hectic. I took a job as a secretary at a Baptist church to provide a more stable day-to-day schedule for our young daughter. I had free evenings and the mental energy needed to write for the first time ever! We were living in what we called, "The Apartment of Lost Souls" while we built a new house. My husband worked nights and every single evening after I put our daughter to bed, something broke down. The washing machine started smoking. The dishwasher vomited soap on the kitchen floor. There was a mysterious re-occurring wet spot on the carpet we never did figure out. It was either write, or go crazy. I think I made the right choice.

I still work full-time writing for a medical advocacy group. I write at night after our kids go to bed.

Amber - What books do you read when you have the chance? Any must have authors or series?

Molly - I didn't start reading TWILIGHT until I was almost finished with NICE GIRLS DON'T LIVE FOREVER. I didn't want to be influenced by such a popular series. I loved it! I think I read the first three books in two weeks. I could read Harry Potter over and over again... and I have.

I'm also a huge Stephen King fan, Nora Roberts, Jane Austen, Olivia Goldsmith, and on and on. I sort of like a smattering of everything.

Amber - What music, TV series or films do you like and do any of them influence your work?

Molly - I flatter myself in hoping that Joss Whedon's been an influence on me. I loved that his secondary characters were so integral and interesting. And of course, the dialogue. I'm a huge movie buff, though I like a lot of schlocky scifi antics and weird British comedy. Hot Fuzz and Death at a Funeral are two of my current favorites.

Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature. Which one would you be and why?

Molly - Obviously, being a vampire would be pretty cool. Or maybe an Immortal, like those featured in Highlander series - all of the benefits of eternal youth without the blood-drinking.

But if we were talking comic book characters, I would probably want to be a superpowerful psychic in the line of Jean Grey or Emma Frost. I'm a huge X-Men fan. I blame my college buddy and fellow author, JC Hutchins, for giving me all those extra copies of Wizard magazine.

Amber - You are stuck on a desert island. What 5 things do you hope to have with you?

Molly - My IPod (assuming I have some way of charging it,) a boxed collection of the Harry Potter series, a lifetime supply of Godiva truffles, and a First-Aid kit, because I'm pretty accident prone.

And Sawyer, from Lost.

I would get lonely. That's all I'm saying.

Amber - Thank you so much for being a guest on Amberkatze's Book Blog! I hope you will come back again!







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Contest Time!

Molly said -

For a prize, I will offer a signed copy of NICE GIRLS DON'T HAVE FANGS, a signed cover flat and some promotional bookmarks

Sounds good? Well keep reading to find out how to enter!

This week all you need to do to enter the contest is post here letting us know what kind of strange, odd or just boring jobs you have had! ;)

No job = 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 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 NICE GIRLS DON'T HAVE FANGS then there will be another winner drawn! Maybe even two if people order alot ;)

The contest will stay open until Sunday March 29th 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, Molly Harper

My guest this week is British author Suzanne McLeod. Her first book in the Spellcrackers series called 'The Sweet Scent of Blood' was a wonderful read and you can read the first chapter here and my review here.

I hope you all enjoy the interview and spend the time to enter the contest! Suzanne is giving away a lovely prize and I am sure there will be alot of interest!

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Amber -  Welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog!  It great to have a Brit here as a guest! I hope you will start things off by telling us a little about your Spellcrackers series?

Suzanne – Amber, it’s great to be here, and thanks for inviting me . Spellcrackers.com is a dark/urban fantasy series which features Genevieve Taylor. Genny is a sidhe and she works as a magical trouble-shooter in present day London; but it’s an alternative London with witches in Covent Garden, goblin workers on the Underground, a troll police force based at Old Scotland Yard, celebrity vampires in Leicester Square and various other fae such as the naiads, dryads and satyrs. In The Sweet Scent of Blood, [book 1] when one of the celebrity vamps is accused of murdering his girlfriend, an old debt forces Genny into proving his innocence and plunges her deep into the heart of London’s secret vampire society.

Amber -  How did you come up with the idea for the series?  Was it a slow process or something that just happened?

Suzanne – I always knew I wanted to write a series with a character who got involved in mysteries and murder and had to solve them. From there it was finding my main character, Genny, and deciding on both her back story and the world in which she lived; and how both had shaped her. Then I wanted her to have a job that would bring specific problems to her, problems that it would be logical she would be able to deal with. But I didn’t want her to be either police [too many rules and regulations to take into consideration] or a PI, hence Spellcrackers.com where her job is to clear up any nasty or dangerous spells. The process of the idea wasn’t and isn’t so much slow, as ongoing; I’m still discovering/creating parts of Genny’s world as I write more about her and the other characters.

Amber -  Genny is a lovely character and I really liked her.  Is she anything like you?  Or someone you know?

Suzanne – Thank you. Genny isn’t based on anyone, she’s her own character *g*. Although, like all the characters I create, she has some of me in her [my liking for liquorice and bacon sandwiches, plus she gets to wear cool clothes – although that’s more wishful thinking for me *g* – but in the main she thinks and reacts as I would imagine someone brought up in her world and with her experiences might actually do so. She’s a great believer in honour, and keeping her word [something drummed into her by her father] and watching out for her friends, but she also has a cynical side to her that means she doesn’t trust easily; this makes it difficult for her to rely on others and can be a bit of a blind spot with her.

Amber - Did you have to do a lot of research for 'The Sweet Scent of Blood'? 

Suzanne - My research tends to fall into three categories: the first is where I cuddle up on the sofa with hubby and my two dogs, close my eyes and daydream, sorry, think *g*. [usually when there’s football on the TV!] This sort of research covers everything from characters and their backstories and paranormal abilities; plot - i.e. who gets killed and why, and who might the murderer be; and worldbuilding. The second type is where I get a spark of an idea and then chase it down through books and the internet to see if it will work. One such spark was the health warning on the back of a packet of liquorice. There's a substance in liquorice [glycyrrhizin] which if taken regularly in the right quantities can cause hyptertension – high blood pressure which is due to increased blood volume – a fascinating fact [fascinating to me anyway] that led me to all sorts [sorry!] of ideas to do with the vampires and ultimately to Genny's liking for liquorice torpedoes. The third aspect of research is the practical one, where I get to spend time walking round London, sourcing places to go into the books – frex Covent Garden which works out great as the witches’ market – and investigating and photographing the locations so I can get the geography, distances and descriptions accurate.

Amber -  Did you always want to be a writer?  Did you pick the paranormal genre or did it pick you? 

Suzanne – Writing is something that I’ve only come to recently – about five years ago now, partly due to becoming self-employed and having a bit more time and partly because I decided to give it a go. Before that I was a reader first and foremost [with a habit of at least 5 or more books a week] and although writing had crossed my mind a couple of times, I didn’t even keep a journal. And as one of the things everyone tells you to do when you write is to write what you love, I think in that respect the paranormal genre picked me.

Amber -  Do you write full time?  What jobs have you had in the past?

Suzanne – I’m lucky in that I’m self-employed in my ‘day jobs’ [I’ve got a couple – bookkeeper, and managing some rental properties]. They’re not the sort of jobs that are nine to five, but are more sporadic in the time they take up. This all means that some days I can be a full-time writer which is wonderful. In the past though, I’ve worked in retail, pubs and nightclubs and even a short stint in a call centre selling insurance.

Amber -  How many more Spellcrackers books will there be and when can we expect them?  Any other projects you are working on?

Suzanne – My publishers [Gollancz] have bought the first three Spellcrackers.com books. Book 2 – The Cold Kiss of Death is out in July 2009, Book 3 – The Bitter Seed of Magic is the one I’m writing now, and that one is due out in 2010. I’ve got plenty of ideas for more adventures in Genny’s world for the future, so I’m hoping if the publishers like how the first three books go, that I will get the chance to write more of them. Currently Spellcrackers.com is the only project I’m working on but that could change in the future.

Amber -  So where are all the British paranormal writers?  Or have I missed them?  I know of Simon R. Green and now you are on the scene but shouldn't there be more? Or are we Brits too busy watching Dr Who and Torchwood to write anything? ;)

Suzanne – Mike Carey [of Marvel and DC Comics fame] is another; I’m a big fan of his, and his Felix Castor novels about an exorcist working in London are wonderful and have a very interesting take on werecreatures. Then there’s Natasha Rhodes. She writes about Kayla Steele; a supernatural crime fighter [her books are in on my TBR list, which gets longer every week ] Liz Williams is another author on my TBR list. I’ve read her science fiction and thoroughly enjoyed it, but she also writes a series of paranormal books called the Inspector Chen mysteries which I’ve heard great things about and am itching to read. Oh, and nobody should be too busy to watch Dr Who and Torchwood *g*.

Amber -  What have been the good and bad times of being an author?  Any advice to anyone out there working on their first novel?

Suzanne – Doing something that I love and actually getting paid for it, and then having people tell me they’ve enjoyed reading my book, have to be two of the absolute best. And of course, the opposite is true when I hear that someone hasn’t enjoyed my book. Even though objectively I know that not everyone will like my books [there’s plenty of books out there that aren’t my cup of tea] it’s still *my* book-baby and that can be a bit of a downer. Oh and advice to anyone writing – write as regularly as you can so you keep those writing muscles exercised, and finish the book! Don’t spend time going over and over the early chapters looking for perfection because by the time you get to the end, the beginning will always need a re-work, one that’s not always possible to *see* until you do get to the end.

Amber - What books do you read when you have the chance?  Any must have authors or series?

Suzanne – I read as much as possible in my own genre; it’s my favourite [otherwise I wouldn’t write it] But I also read crime, historical, thrillers, romance, SF or anything else that takes my fancy. Must have authors have to be Patricia Briggs, Rachel Caine, Jim Butcher, Kelly Armstrong, Laurell Hamilton, Ilona Andrews, Kim Harrison and the list goes on – my husband always says Amazon is likely to go bust if I stop reading *g*

Amber - What music, TV series or films do you like and do any of them influence your work? 

Suzanne – TV series are Moonlight, Blood Ties, Being Human, Torchwood, Blade, Underworld and all the usual, likely suspects. I’m really looking forward to seeing True Blood when is hits the UK in July. As for films I’m a bit of a wuss, so I don’t usually watch any really scary films like Halloween or Friday the 13th , and Unbreakable still gives me nightmares, so I prefer ones like Hellboy, Underworld or Transformers. A couple of my all time favourites are The Lost Boys and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. I tend not to do music too much, [I write and think in silence, so there’s not much time left for music] and I think probably everything I watch, read, see or listen too influences my writing in some way, even if on a very subtle level.

Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature. Which one would you be and why?

Suzanne – Umm, good question! I had to think about this one. I think being some sort of shapeshifter would be really cool; that whole walk in something else’s shoes thing with the ability to see and experience the world through a different perspective would be amazing.

Amber -  You are stuck on a desert island.  What 5 things do you hope to have with you?

Suzanne – A computer with internet access [probably cheating with that one!] A generator so I can run the computer. The underground smugglers’ cellar complete with booze out of Pirates of the Caribbean one, oh and Johnny Deep to go with it *g* and something to keep any nasty/scary insects away!

Amber -  Thank you so much for answering my questions!  Keep in contact and let us know when the next book is out!

Suzanne - Thank you!






Contest Time!

Suzanne said to me -

I'd be delighted to offer a signed copy of The Sweet Scent of Blood to go along with the interview for your blog readers, along with a magnet featuring the cover art :-)

Now you know about the prize now you need to know how to enter! This week all you need to do is post here letting us know the which actor or actress you would take with you on a desert island ;)

No name = 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 March 22nd 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, Suzanne McLeod

There is still time to enter the Jaye Wells contest! But you have to hurry! The contest ends tomorrow afternoon and I really want to give away another copy but the Amazon sales through the blog aren't that impressive so far!

However there is definitely one copy of Red-Headed Stepchild up for grabs and don't forget this is the best book I have read this year and you really need to read it! So even if you check back tomorrow and see you didn't win, still go out and get yourself a copy!

Labels: Author Interviews, Contests, Jaye Wells

This week I am very very excited to have author Jaye Wells here as a guest on Amberkatze's Book Blog. At the beginning of this year an ARC copy of her debut book 'Red-Headed Stepchild' found its way to me and I devoured it and wrote this review. I know it is only March but this book is the best book I have read this year. I cried when it was over and hate the fact that I have to wait at least another year for the next part.

'Red-Headed Stepchild' is the first book in the Sabina Kane series and it is a must buy. The book comes out on the 31st of March and if you finish reading the interview you could try your luck and enter the contest and win yourself a copy.

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Amber - Welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog! I loved your book Red-Headed Stepchild and can't wait for everyone else to get a copy and enjoy it too! But first they all need to know what it is about. So maybe you could start things off by telling my blog readers a bit about the book?

Jaye - RED-HEADED STEPCHILD is the first in a planned trilogy about a character named Sabina Kane. She's a mixed-blood assassin who's sent to kill the leader of a rival vampire sect. The mission reveals a plot to start a war between the vampire and mage races, and also uncovers secrets about Sabina's own past. Helping her navigate this treacherous situation is a high-strung demon sidekick, a nymph roommate who used to work in faery porn, and a mysterious mage with a nice ass. So really, there's something for the whole family.

Amber - In Red-Headed Stepchild you introduce the reader to a whole new twist on vampires. How did you come up with the idea for the series? Was it a slow process or something that just happened?

Jaye - There were really two big moments of inspiration that impacted the direction of the series. First, the first line "Digging graves is hell on a manicure," came to me while I was driving. I pulled over immediately to write it down. From that first line, I wrote a flash fiction (250 words) story for a contest at the Clarity of Night blog. That story got a lot of support so I started thinking about turning it into a novel.

I'd written two paranormal romances before this, but I wanted to tackle an urban fantasy. But in order to do that I knew I'd have to take the plunge and do some major world building. This is where the second key inspiration came in. I'd always loved the mythology behind Lilith. And I love the idea of the fabled first wife of Adam going on to spawn her own dark races, who exist in the shadows of our world. So I spent a few weeks just researching and brainstorming. From the beginning I wanted to do something different with vampires, and this world building period was when I came up with most of the big changes. At the end I had this very short story and this very long world building document. And from those two things I built Sabina's story.

Amber - Being a natural red head and being teased all of my childhood because of it...then colouring it at the earliest chance...I have to ask. Why did use red hair to make your vampires stand out??

Jaye -This goes back to my world building. Lilith is the mother of all the dark races, but each race has a different father. For vampires, the father is Cain. As punishment for killing his brother, Abel, God placed a mark on Cain to identify him as a murderer and liar. There's been lots of theories about what exactly this mark consisted of. One was that Cain had red hair. In addition, there's some old vampire folklore that claimed all vampires had red hair. So, I basically combined those two elements. In the books, the age of the vamp is indicated by the shade of red--the darker the shade, the older the vamp. Since Sabina is mixed blood, she has black hair with thick streaks of red.

Amber - Sabine Kane is an amazing character. Is she anything like you? Or someone you know?

Jaye - There's some of me in all my characters, but Sabina is different in some major ways. That's one of the challenges of writing first person--always being mindful that your character is not you and staying true to their personality. Sabina is much more confrontational and prone to self-sabotage than me.

Amber - Actually you have some pretty cool characters in the book. How did you know what characters you would need to support Sabine? Who is your favourite?

Jaye - Giguhl is by far my favorite character to write. From the beginning I wanted Sabina to have a sidekick. I've always been pretty fascinated by hairless cats and for some reason it made sense to me that a demon might take the form of one. He's so fun to write because he provides some much-needed comic relief.

The rest of the characters grew organically as I began building the story. They're all composites of a bunch of random influences. I love writing each of them for different reasons.

Amber - Did you have to do alot of research for Red-Headed Stepchild? If yes, what kind?

Jaye - Definitely. I'm a research nerd so I tend to do a lot more than I need. In addition to the mythology and folklore I mentioned earlier, I researched a bunch of random stuff. Motorcycles, guns, hairless cats, catnip, demons, wine, names, settings, etc, etc. I'm always a little worried the FBI is gonna known down my door one day based on my Google searches.

Amber - Did you always want to be a writer? Did you pick the paranormal genre or did it pick you?

Jaye - I always wrote, but I never seriously considered fiction writing as a career. I always thought it was like being called to the priesthood--you just knew you were meant to do it. And I never felt that way. Instead, I went into magazine and freelance writing. But eventually I grew bored with that and took a class in writing fiction for fun. I was hooked immediately.

Paranormal definitely picked me. During the class I mentioned, the teacher suggested we go home and look through our bookcases to see what we read the most to get a clue of what we might want to write. I was shocked at how much vampire fiction I'd read over the years: Anne Rice, Katie MacAlister, Lynsay Sands, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Christine Feehan, etc. Plus, I'd had this story idea in my head for years that I could never really make work. But when I made the love interest a vampire it suddenly gelled. That idea became my first novel--a paranormal romance. After that I never looked back because every idea I've had since has had a paranormal element.

Amber - How many more Sabine Kane books will there be and when can we expect them? Any other projects you are working on?

Jaye - Right now I have three contracted, but I'm hoping it will go beyond that. The second book, MAGE IN BLACK, is scheduled for a January 2010 release. No word yet on the third book, tentatively titled GREEN-EYED DEMON. I will also have a short story, a prequel to Red-Headed Stepchild, in the MAMMOTH BOOK OF VAMPIRES, VOL. 2 coming out Winter 2009.

Amber - Red-Headed Stepchild is your debut. 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?

Jaye - I've been incredibly lucky. Orbit has been a pure pleasure to work with, and they involved me in every step of the process. RED-HEADED STEPCHILD was my original title for the book and I was thrilled to get to keep it. I'm so not an artist so the cover I left to the pros except for a little input in Sabina's appearance. Craig White did an amazing job capturing Sabina, and the cover is just gorgeous.

The only thing I didn't like about the process was the wait. I sold to Orbit in January 2008, so it's been hard to be patient waiting for April to get here. But it's been so fun watching my manuscript transform into a novel. So cool.

Amber - What have been the good and bad times of being an author? Any advice to anyone out there working on their first novel?

Jaye - Most the time, it's the coolest job ever. But the challenge is being able to stay focused ont he things I can control. It's too easy to get distracted and forget my first responsibility is to write good stories. If I'm stressing about reviews or other distractions, then I find it difficult to get in the zone with my writing.

For first timers, my best advice is this: For your first book your goal should just be to finish. Don't read every craft book out there, don't let anyone read it while you're writing--just finish the damned thing. Once you know you have the discipline to sit down and write a complete book and the desire to do it again, then you start working your craft. It's a process not a race to the finish line. Even multi-published authors are constantly trying to improve their craft. So get over the idea that perfection is possible. Keep your eye on improvement instead.

Amber - What books do you read when you have the chance? Any must have authors or series?

Jaye - I read a bit of everything. I just finished The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon. It's an amazing novel. Of course, I read my fair share of paranormal, as well. Some of my favorite authors include Christopher Moore, Kim Harrison, Charlaine Harris, J.R. Ward, and Sherrilyn Kenyon.

Amber - What music, TV series or films do you like and do any of them influence your work?

Jaye - I'm pretty eclectic in my tastes. The Blade series and Underworld definitely influenced Red-Headed Stepchild. My favorite TV shows right now are Battlestar Galactica, Californication, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Lost and The Office. I also have a shameful love of reality TV. As for music, my iTunes looks like the soundtrack to schizophrenia. I made a playlist for Red-Headed Stepchild and it includes everyone from Marilyn Manson and Godsmack to Pat Benatar and Heart to The Silversun Pickups and The White Stripes.

Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature. Which one would you be and why?

Jaye - Probably a mage. The ability to zap people who annoy me is very appealing. But since most mages have this code about using magic responsibly, I'll go with were-platypus.

Amber - You are stuck on a desert island. What 5 things do you hope to have with you?

Jaye - Ryan Reynolds, sunscreen, red wine, Swiss army knife (with corkscrew) and chocolate. No rescue needed, thanks.

Amber - Thank you so much for answering my questions! Keep in contact and keep that red hair dye handy!




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Contest Time!

This week I am giving away a copy of Red-Headed Stepchild. As soon as I have the winners details I will pre-order him or her a copy so they will get the book as soon as it is released. However there could be more than one copy up for grabs! Keep reading...

Orders for anything on Amazon.com using the box below will make Amberkatze's Book Blog some money. If enough people order through this link this week I will use the money to get more copies of Red-Headed Stepchild. So that means if there is enough money on the account for one copy then there will be two winners. If there is enough funds for two books then there will be three winners and so on. However if there isn't enough funds there will be only one winner.

So buy using this box and we could have more prizes!



Now you know about the prize now you need to know how to enter! This week all you need to do is post here letting us know the best book you have read so far this year.

No book = 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 15th 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, Jaye Wells

My guest this week is someone that I have been dying to interview for over a year. Back when I won an ARC copy of his first book I wasn't doing author interviews and then when things here started taking off I really wanted to wait for his second book to come out before inviting him here as a guest.

So finally the second book is finally out this month! So please welcome, after a long wait, Mr Mark Henry! Zombie extrodinaire!

I hope you all enjoy the interview as much as I did and keep reading down to the end and enter the contest!

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Amber - Welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog! It is a pleasure to finally have you here as a guest and I hope you will start things off by telling us a little about your cool zombie series?

Mark - I'm definitely glad to be here and you've totally hit on one of my favorite topics, oddly enough. Amanda Feral is not what you'd call nice, or pleasant even. In fact, most people think she's a beast, and they're more right than they know. Amanda's a zombie, a flesh-eating ghoul with a preserved consciousness and an appetite for fine dining, foul humor and haute couture. Along with her best friends, Wendy (another zombie with an eye for the forbidden fruit: chocolate) and Gil (a fashionable vamp with an eye for the gents), Amanda gets into all sorts of undead trouble in a Seattle that's more supernaturally grim than you expect.

Amber - The second book in the series 'Road Trip of the Living Dead' is due out now. What can readers expect in this new installment?


Mark - A whole lot more of the same craziness. With her mother dying, Amanda is trying to avoid the inevitable reunion, but when Gil's luxury vamping business produces one pissed-off and ravenous customer they've got to get out of town...and quick. There destination seems predetermined, Ethel's hospice center in decidedly unfashionable Rapid City, South Dakota. Along the way they meet up with dust devils, elder gods, an unusual hood ornament and a transient named Fishhook. There's gruesome murders, zombie outbreaks and the requisite shocking humor. Without that it wouldn't be an Amanda book.

Amber - How did you come up with the idea for your zombie books? Why did you choose a female lead?

Mark - The initial idea was a response to the glut of chick lit coming out about 3 years ago, that, and I found Sex and the City was a decent show, irreverent and funny. Pair that with a love of Douglas Winter's skewering of Bret Easton Ellis and Jay McInerney in his short stories, Less than Zombie and Bright Lights Big Zombie, and I had a recipe for a parody. The idea needed a framework, though. Urban fantasy was the closest fit, so that's what I did.

Amber - Is it hard writing from the perspective of a female? Do you get any help with that? or are you secretly a woman?

Mark - No. It's not hard at all. But I'm lucky to be able to draw not only from the women in my family and circle of friends but upwards of 800 female clients that shared their innermost thoughts and desires. It's quite the advantage.

Amber - Female hygiene products aside. Did you have to do much research for your books so far?

Mark - I did do quite a bit of research into the fashion (stacks of Vogue, Elle and Glamour do cause some odd looks at the cash register) and we tested out the drink recipes, that was fun.

Amber - Amanda is a fascinating character and seems like alot of fun to have around. Is she your ideal woman? Dead or undead?

Mark - Close. I love strong irreverent women, that's for sure. My wife is one. Amanda is probably an amalgam of all the characteristics I look for and love crammed inside this beautiful woman, who just happens to be dead and deadly.

Amber - Did you always want to be a writer? Did you pick the paranormal genre or did it pick you?

Mark - I didn't start writing until three years ago. Prior to that I was a psychotherapist for about 12 years and thought that would be my career for the rest of my life. Only, as it turns out, it's not such a fun job. The clients were the best and I loved helping each and every one. The broken social service system made helping nearly impossible and ultimately burnt me the f**k out. As for how I came to write paranormal, I'm pretty sure it chose me. I love reading literary fiction and memoir, but when I sit down to write, only the weird comes out so...Paranormal it is!

Amber - What have been the good and bad times of being an author? Any advice to anyone out there working on their first novel?

Mark - Well the good times are anytime there's a sale. Not that I've had many, but the times I did, are fantastic, and crazy-making. Their haven't really been any bad times, compared to my past career as a psychotherapist, the writing gig has been a breeze. As far as advice, I'd just let aspiring writers know that there's room for just about any story. Look at mine. Who'd have thought you could sell a predominantly villainous heroine that eats street kids and is bored by the idea of saving her own friends?

Amber - Have you always been into zombies? Do you like any other paranormal creatures? Are you one yourself? Know any?

Mark - Always. Well, maybe not always. I was watching Night of the Living Dead and the Italian zombie flicks before I was even out of elementary school. My mother was and is a fan of horror films and introduced me to the genre at a pretty young age (today, it'd be seen as neglectful, but I wouldn't have it any other way, in fact, I'm happy to (and do) infect my own Godchildren with the zombie fan virus). I'm a fan of anything that's not "normal" from vampires to schizophrenics to yeti drag queens with air-brushed claws.

Amber - If you google Mark Henry there seems to be some other Mark Henry's out there who are a tad more famous than you. However you are extremely well known in the paranormal genre...your website, the reluctant adults, helping other paranormal author friends, book signings etc. It seems like alot of work. How do you find the time for it all and how do you relax?

Mark - I'm not going to lie, it's definitely a lot to juggle and I'm afraid it's often the writing time that suffers, but it's not always like that. The work is cyclical. I'm in the middle of a big promotional push now for Road Trip of the Living Dead, so I'm not writing as much, but it'll pass and things will even out. My biggest recent distraction was the relaunch of the League of Reluctant Adults site and new forum. Now that it's off and running, I'm able to breathe.

Amber - What is next? Another Amanda book? Any other projects you are working on?

Mark - I'm working on two projects at once (which isn't good for me), the third Amanda book, Battle of the Network Zombies, and the first in a new series about an incubus with an erectile dysfunction, which had better be good (I've been working on it long enough). After those are off to my agent and editor, I'm going to try my hand at a YA book (actually a mash up of a middle grade idea about life in Purgatory and my goth Nancy Drew, Velvet. The ideas are percolating.

Amber - What music, TV series or films do you like and do they influence your work?

Mark - I'm loving 80s throwbacks like The Presets and Cut Copy, anything electro. I also dig some of the neo-soul coming out of London and my old stand by is old-school goth and punk. Obviously the music flavors the work as some of the scenes have their own soundtracks, but oddly enough, I don't write well with music playing. I love movies, pretty much any genre except for the standard hollywood comedies. They grate on my nerves like nothing else. Give me a dark comedy any day, over Mall Cop or the latest Scary Movie sequel. God they're the opposite of funny. John Waters has been a huge inspiration, particularly the early stuff (Female Trouble, Pink Flamingos--watch Mink Stole's performances and tell me you don't hear Amanda a bit). My favorite show just got cancelled, Pushing Daisies. I loved the magical realism. Now I'm back on the reality shows like a crackhead.

Amber - If zombies are out there and you get infected. Should we shoot you in the head and put you out of your misery or are you happy to go around eating brains?

Mark - Absolutely let me loose to chew through some humanity, I can spot an asshole from a mile away. Won't we all be happier with less of those around?

Amber - You are stuck on a desert island. What 5 things do you hope to have with you?

Mark - Hmm. Five things. My wife, my dogs, a breezy bungalow, a personal chef (if we run out of food, I'll just eat the chef) and a loaded eBook reader (I don't have one now, but I figure it'd be as good a time as any to make the change).

Amber - Thank you for the interview Mark! Keep up the great work!

Check out my reviews of Mark's books -

Happy Hour of the Damned

Road Trip of the Living Dead






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Contest Time!

So Mark says to me -

And let's do a giveaway. Get people started on the series with a signed Happy Hour of the Damned, eh?

I am sure you are all happy with that offer??

To enter the giveaway all you have to do is comment here telling us about your favourite zombies. It could be a film, book or comic but let us know what you think about the undead who love to eat brains!

No Zombies = 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 8th 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, Mark Henry