My guest this week on Amberkatze's Book Blog is author Maria Lima! Her first vampire book Matters of the Blood
was released last year and the sequel Blood Bargain
is due out on the 29th of November. I really enjoyed the first book and can't wait for the next release! Get to know Maria and then enter the contest below!
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Amber - Hello Maria and welcome to Amberkatze's Book blog! Maybe you can start things off and tell my readers a little bit about your Blood Lines series?
Maria - It's about family, alienation and assimilation and the nature of being different. It's set in a fictional small town in the Texas Hill Country, a place of beauty and also of isolation.
Amber - Matters of the Blood
was released last year and Blood Bargain is due out soon. How many more books can readers expect in the series?Maria - I'm contracted for one more in the series, but there's always room for more.
Amber - How did you come up with the idea for the series? Are you a paranormal genre lover?Maria - My series began from a very odd visual that popped into my head one day--a woman, locked in a mortuary/morgue when one of the sheet-covered corpses rises up and begins talking to her. At first, it was more a romantic comedy, but I soon realized that wasn't my strength, so over the many drafts, it became the mystery-based contemporary fantasy it is now.
I adore the paranormal genre so much; there are so many brilliant books written in it and so many stories that can yet be told. I grew up in a houseful of readers, with every genre imaginable on the shelves, from bestselling mainstream fiction to gothic romances, horror, science fiction...you name it. Since my parents never censored what I read, I was exposed to quite a variety from an early age. I read Dracula at age 11 or 12 and loved the whole idea of vampires. As I kept reading in the genre, discovering Tolkien, then eventually Emma Bull, Charles deLint, and others, I realized that what resonated most with me was the fantasy/paranormal set in a contemporary real world.
Amber - Are you working on any other projects? Do you have anything else in the works?
Maria - I recently turned in an essay to BenBella Books for an upcoming anthology on the TV show, Supernatural. The book, In the Hunt, will be out in March 2009. I'm currently working on the 3rd book in the Blood Lines series and honestly, I have no clue what I'm going to try next. I'm considering a couple of ideas, but nothing concrete.
Amber - Did you always want to be a writer? Have you had any other interesting jobs?
Maria - My mother says she always knew I'd be a writer. I loved to write, make up stories, think up scenarios. Oddly enough, most of the writing I did during my teens throughout my 30s was strictly non-fiction. In various corporate jobs, I wrote marketing copy, newsletters, feature articles, etc. -- all of which I love dearly. I
really began writing fiction seriously after I turned forty.
My career's been rather mundane--first in Human Resources for various corporations, including Sea World of Texas, then I switched careers and went into tech, focusing on the Internet. I'm now the Director of Client Services for a leading interactive agency in the Washington, DC area.
Amber - What are the ups and downs of being a writer? Or is it just happy all the time?
Maria - The ups: seeing your book for the first time in print, on bookshelves, in someone's hand; getting a fan email from someone you've never met who enjoyed your work; the ability to create worlds, people, situations and have it make sense and be entertaining.The downs: the writing -- no, really. It's tough to make this work and tough to write a full length novel while still working at a very demanding day job. I adore both my job and the fact that I write professionally, but balancing both isn't easy. The writing itself can be frustrating, annoying, soul-sucking and draining, like any creative endeavour. It's also amazing when the words come and the magic happens.
Amber - What books do you like to read when you have time? Do you have any favourite authors or series?
Maria - I read a great variety, mostly contemporary fantasy, mystery and non-fiction essays about pop culture. My list of favourite authors would take up reams of paper, but here's a few I highly recommend: Neil Gaiman, Lois McMaster Bujold, Charlaine Harris, Emma Bull, Charles deLint, Melissa Marr, Christopher Golden, Kat Richardson. There are so many more!
Amber - If you books were going to be made into a TV series or film who would you like to see playing the main characters?
Maria -
Keira : Minnie Driver or Liv Tyler
Adam : Adam Ant (in his 80s heyday)
Tucker : a younger Liam Neeson or an older Jared Padalecki
Niko : Julian Rhind-Tutt
Bea : Salma Hayek or Laura Harring (in the interests of full
disclosure, Laura's my stepsister)
Amber - What do you do to relax? Any special routines to help you get in the writing mood?
Maria - I love to watch TV shows on my iMac (via iTunes). I watch Supernatural, Pushing Daisies and other magical realism type shows along with character-driven shows. It helps my brain turn off the day job thoughts and tune back into creativity.
Amber - You are stranded on a desert island. What 5 things do you hope you have with you?
Maria - Mab (my MacBook Air), my Kindle, a great WiFi connection, a generator and Harry Potter's wand so I can conjure up the rest. ::g::
Amber - Thank you again Maria for being a guest on Amberkatze's Book Blog! I hope you will come back again!
Read Maria's Agatha Award nominee Best Short Story 2004 called the Butler Didn't do it
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Contest Time!
Maria has kindly donated a prize for this weeks contest! The winner will get a signed copy of her first book Matters of the Blood
.Maria likes watching Supernatural! What TV Series are you enjoying at the moment? Post your answer on this thread and you will be entered into the contest. No answer no entery!
If you want to earn yourself a second entry then post about this contest somewhere on the web and post a link so I can confirm your entry.
The contest will stay open until Sunday the 23rd of November 4pm CET. All entrants should check back in to see if they have won. I do not go looking for winners and I will draw a new winner if the prize isn't claimed within 7 days.
Enter away and don't forget to send your friends ;)
Labels: Author Interviews, Contests, Maria Lima
At 16 November 2008 at 09:26, 
Mandy
I enjoyed reading this interview. I haven't read any books by Maria Lima but after reading this interview, I'd be interested in reading her books. My favorite series will be Bones - started watching it this year and I love the chemistry between Booth and Dr. Brennan but they're taking TOO long to figure out they're perfect for each other.
At 16 November 2008 at 09:59, shaunesay
Thank you for visiting us Maria I'm looking forward to trying your books out!
I don't get a lot of TV watching in, and don't have the channel True Bood is on though I'll definitely be getting it once it's available on DVDs. When I do catch TV lately, I've been watching The Big Bang Theory (they are so funny!) and the Mentalist. I also love Ghost Hunters, Stargate (both types) and have caught a few episodes of Sanctuary.
I would love to be entered for this contest! Thanks again Maria and Amberkatze!
The networks always cancel the shows that everyone likes. There's already speculation that Fox will cancel Dollhouse before it has much of a chance and Dollhouse doesn't start until Jan-Feb. Although why Whedon is working with Fox again is mindboggling.
As for the shows I'm currently watching, strangely, none of the paranormal types. I've been watching Top Chef on Bravo, Grey's Anatomy on ABC, and usually whatever cartoon is on that will capture Ian's attention.
At 16 November 2008 at 12:11, Maria Lima
@SciFiGuy - thanks! And I know what you mean about cancelled shows. So many of my favorites over the years (Firefly, Wonderfalls, Dresden Files, etc.) have been short-lived. Thank goodness for DVDs.
I can't believe I forgot to mention True Blood as a favorite show - ::facepalm:: It's totally one of my top ten this year.
Glad to see so many of you all commenting. I enjoyed doing the interview!
Hope you all enjoy my books. :)
At 16 November 2008 at 14:23, Larry Kollar
Enjoyed the interview! I'm proud to count Maria as one of my blog-buddies, and I'm just waiting for the bookstore to let me know that my copy of Blood Bargain is there. I'll have to check the spine carefully for signs of pre-use, as the ladies running the bookstore where I ordered it seemed keenly interested. ;-)
No need to enter me; I already have a signed copy of Matters from a previous contest (thanks Maria!). I need to remember to loan it to my sister-in-law next time she comes up, since I think she'll like it…
At 16 November 2008 at 20:42, Kimberly B.
Terrific interview! I'm really looking forward to reading Maria's books!
My favorite shows right now (please don't let them be cancelled) are Pushing Daisies and The Middleman. The latter was on the Family Channel this summer, but was poorly advertised and I don't think it fit in well with their usual teenager soaps. Plus it's clever and funny and made for geeks like me, so like Firefly and Wonderfalls (and Pushing Daisies? Say it isn't so) it will probably be cancelled, sniff.
Thank goodness we always have books!
At 17 November 2008 at 01:35, Caffey
Hi Amber! Hi Maria great meeting you! I got a chance to get a glimps into your second book, BLOOD BARGAIN when I had received a small book that had a chapter of your book and flipping it over, had a chapter of another book from your publisher. I was totally into it then and yours have been on my wishlist!!
Great reading your interview. I always had a huge appreciation for authors in writing their books. I know it would take me a day to read it while you work so hard week after week putting this book together. It reminds me that I often wish there were more ways to thank you for what you do. So know it is appreciated even though enough of us don't write and tell you, but know in our heart we do!
I'm not much of a TV watcher at all! I'm planning to check out some of these! I did record TRUE BLOOD and going to watch that. I so wish that they would bring back MOONLIGHT. It was so great! It being on a Friday night when many go out, it didn't give it much of a chance. I still hang on to some hope they will bring that vampire show back! I also enjoy PUSHING DAISIES and I just heard they are canceling this one too! UGH! We lose all the good shows and too many crime drama shows on (I prefer the true story shows of that, like FORENSIC FILES). Too besides paranormal shows I love that game show Deal Or No Deal. Good to have something fun to watch too!
Sadly all of my favorites have been cancelled by now. I'll never get sick of Buffy, Freaks and Geeks, The Sopranos, or Friends (yes, I know, don't really go together do they?) I suppose out of new TV shows, I'd have to go with Grey's (although it's treading dangerously close to jumping the shark right now), Project Runway, and Top Chef. Also, what ever happened to Legends of the Hidden Temple?
At 17 November 2008 at 06:21, Ruth Schaller
Hmm... what TV shows do I watch?
Mon - CSI: Miami
Tues - House and Fringe
Wed - Ghosthunters
Thurs - Grey's Anatomy
Fri - whatevers on HBO
Sat - whatever
Sun - True Blood - I'm so saad it's coming to end so quickly!
I used to watch Supernatural - damn I love those guys *sigh*, but I buy the seasons as they come out on DVD and then have a Supernatural marathon...Jenson Ackles *sigh*
At 17 November 2008 at 07:19, October Woman
I, too, am a Supernatural fan! Though in the interest of full disclosure, I'm a TV fan! I love to read, but next to reading I also love TV (and movies and Netflix) and I'm not ashamed to be a couch potato. Besides Supernatural, some of my favorites this season are Bones and Life on Mars, among others. And my all time favorites are Buffy, Charmed, and Friends.
At 18 November 2008 at 04:37, Marlene
Hi there. Great contest. I don't watch any paranormal series but I do watch loads of Reality TV. I even run a server on survivor-central. Right now I watch among others: The Biggest Loser. Survivor,Charm School, ANTM and Dancing with The Stars. British Shows I watch are Strictly come Dancing and I am a Celebrity .Get me out of Here! Yes I am a reality TV junkie.
I have been so busy that I actually haven't had time to watch any of my fav shows. I love House. CSI (Vegas and New York), NCIS....I would love to watch True Blood (But I don't get HBO). We just started getting into Smallville. But really, I usually have one of our 350 movies playing in the background while I work on my school stuff!
Thanks for the interview!!
Natasha A.
At 19 November 2008 at 13:22, MsValerie
My guilty TV pleasure this season is "Sons of Anarchy." What a great show! It has all my favorite stuff...sex, romance, violence, and some of the best connivers I've seen on TV. I read on a blog somewhere that it was based on "Hamlet." Don't know if that's true, but it is certainly possible.
Next up would be "Life." I'm so glad that show was renewed.
My continuing favorites are CSI (the original) and Criminal Minds. I used to love "Numbers" but find I'm getting annoyed by the lectures/lessons that play such a part of that show. I mean, really! Last show SuperBrain was lecturing FBI agents on blood spatter...I really wanted one of the characters to snark!
At 19 November 2008 at 13:26, Janicu
I recently discovered the show "Life" about a cop who was wrongly imprisoned for 12 years I think, until a lawyer helped him out and proved that he was innocent. So now he's working as a cop again while trying to figure out who framed him. AND he won a huge multimillion dollar settlement, so he's an ex-convict millionaire cop! Really interesting show.
I hope to win the book but I'm scared of the one week after the 23rd deadline because I'll be on vacation for 2 weeks :( If by some SLIM chance I win, I'll try to check my email overseas..
At 20 November 2008 at 03:37, Cherie
Thanks for the great interview. I'd love to win cuz I've had Matters of the Blood on my wishlist for like... forever!! (Though I checked and see that I'm #5 for it on PaperbackSwap now, though I wonder how fast that's been moving. *shrug* So I won't cry too loudly if I don't win. LOL)
Anyway, favorite TV shows that I follow, which is much easier to do with DVR. I'd never be able to keep up with everything or have a social life otherwise! LOL
My favorites are True Blood, Weeds, Californication, Dexter, House, Bones, Heroes, and Lost. I also usually try to catch Supernatural and Ghost Whisperer each week as well, and The Tudors when it's back on. Mike is trying to hook me on Fringe now too... it's okay, and I'll watch it, but so far, I'm not "hooked". LOL
At 22 November 2008 at 17:50, annalisa
Enjoyed reading your interview. Your books sound like really good reads!
I don't watch much tv since most of the shows I loved watching were taken off the air. I do try to catch Grey's Anatomy and Project Runway. I would love to see True Blood, but I don't get HBO. Hopefully, it will come out on DVD!
by Kelley Armstrong
Great interview Amber. Loved your first book Ms. Lima and couldn't agree mroe with your recommended reading list, especially de Lint and Marr. I have been watching and enjoying My Own Worst Enemy which has a great cast and thoughtful storylines. So of course the network cancelled it.