Author Interview with Yasmine Galenorn (+ Contest)

Author Yasmine Galenorn is one of my favourite writers. Her Sisters of the Otherworld series just keeps getting better and she has even found the time to start a new series.

About a year ago Yasmine visited Amberkatze's Book Blog and I appreciate Yasmine taking the time to visit the blog again. The seventh book in the Otherworld series, Bone Magic, came out in January and the debut book in the The Indigo Court Series, Night Myst, is due out in June. Also Yasmine had a short story in the 'Inked' anthology. A busy 2010 so far!

I hope you enjoy the interview! Make sure you enter the contest for your chance to win a book by Yasmine!

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Amber - Yasmine! It is so nice of you to be a guest again on Amberkatze's Book Blog! Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.

Yasmine: No problem. :)

Amber - Maybe you can start things off by telling my readers a little bit about your newest release, Bone Magic

Yasmine - : Bone Magic is book 7 in the Otherworld Series, and it’s a pivotal book—Camille’s life changes forever, so does Chase’s life. Politics shift, alliances are broken and re-formed. We see much more of Otherworld in this book, and the magic that embraces Camille’s life. Since each trio of books rotate through the three sisters’ POVs, starting with Camille (then going on to Delilah and Menolly), this starts off the third triad in the series. There are so many potential spoilers in this book it’s hard to say more but I was immersed in writing it and am thrilled to see how it’s being received

Amber - The Sister's of the Otherworld series is getting very intense! I am loving every word ;) How many more books will there be about the sisters? Is there an end in sight?

Yasmine – I have no idea—as many as I am comfortable writing, and I have no desire to stop yet. There are so many directions in which I can take this series, I can see myself writing for quite awhile on it before feeling drained. Right now, there are 9 under contract—I’m working on the 9th, and three anthologies with Otherworld novellas—Inked and Never After are out now. I’m still working on the Iris novella for Hexed, which comes out in 2011. We go back to discuss more Sisters books with the publisher soon. I’ll announce whatever happens when it happens—but you’ll be sure to see it if you follow my blog or check my website.

Amber - There are quite a few Paranormal books/series set in Seattle. Why did you pick Seattle? Did you consider any other locations for the series?

Yasmine – I live here. I like writing regional work because A) I know this region so well, and B) this is a magical area, very dark and gloomy and perfect for my kind of writing. I think I’d feel uncomfortable writing a series set anywhere else unless it was a fantasy setting that I created in my mind.

Amber - The three sisters and the other characters in the series have some weird but wonderful names. How do you pick character names? Do you they just come to you? or does each name have a reason and purpose?

Yasmine – The characters name themselves, at least the main characters and most of the secondary ones. Minor characters sometimes need a little help, but no—they spring in my head named and ready to rumble. ~laughs~

Amber - I saw have a new YA series coming out this year. Can you tell us a little about that? I am already drooling over the cover for Night Myst ;)

Yasmine – No, no no—trying to dispel this rumor. I am NOT writing a YA series. It’s definitely adult and definitely contains violence and sex. My description of the Indigo Court Series (Night Myst in particular) is:

Eons ago, vampires tried to turn the Dark Fae in order to harness their power. Instead, they created a demonic enemy more powerful than they dared to dream. Bent on enslaving the world, the Vampiric Fae have been quietly massing their strength for centuries. Now, Myst, queen of the Indigo Court, is rising again...and a long-prophesied war is brewing...

Born a witch, Cicely Waters can control the wind. When her Elemental warns her that her aunt and cousin are in danger, she packs her Pontiac GTO and returns home for the first time in years. But the magical town of New Forest, Washington has changed. The Indigo Court holds the city in fear; people are vanishing, and strange deaths plague the town. Swept into an unexpected and passionate reunion with her trusted childhood friend Grieve, the Fae prince who taught her how to harness the wind, Cicely finds herself with a fierce and territorial lover. But Grieve has become enslaved by Myst's court, and now both lovers must walk a fine line to survive the machinations of the Vampiric Fae Queen. Caught between two evils, both vying for supremacy, Cicely must fight for her family and her future. As she discovers the hidden secrets to her own heritage, will she lose her soul in the process?

Amber - There are alot of Paranormal Genre authors writing YA books. Did you always want to write something YA? How did the series come about?

Yasmine – No, actually, I am not a YA writer. While I think it might be fun, I’ve come to the realization that I do not write YA and am not geared toward doing so. The series, however, started with a vision of a forest in my mind, with all sorts of twisted and odd creatures—distorted Fae—and the main character, Cicely Waters—was walking through the forest, searching for her aunt. It grew from there.
Amber - Are you working on any other projects or are you happy and busy enough with the two you are busy with now?

Yasmine – I have other things I’d love to write (standalone novels) but right now, I’m writing three books and a novella each year. I simply don’t have time to write anything else.

Amber - Your books have some really amazing covers. How much say do you, as an author, have in the finished product? For example, can you ask them to change the cover if you don't like it?

Yasmine – Very little and no, absolutely not. I get cover consult, my editor and I talk it over, but they have no obligation to use my ideas and I have no say in the final cover. I really love my cover artist—Tony Mauro—who is doing both series for me, and value his work so much. He’s really drawn people to my books, and I love that he so easily envisions my characters the way I do.

Amber - What are you reading, watching and listening to lately? Any recommendations?

Yasmine – Reading—not much, I’m so busy, though I love the House of Night Series by PC & Kristin Cast, the Morganville Vampire series by Rachel Caine, and the Mercy Thompson Series by Patricia Briggs. I have quite a wide variety of authors I read and subjects/genres that I enjoy. Amy Tan, Daphne du Maurier, Ray Bradbury, Tolkien, Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Darkover Series, Neil Gaiman, Diane Mott Davidson, JA Jance, Greg Bear, Tad Williams, and oh, so many that I didn’t mention here.

What I’m watching: Bones, Fringe, Medium, InuYasha, and Bleach are my top five, also love the nonfiction shows like Cold Case Files, 48 Hours, City Confidential. Love the Food Network challenges. Love old sitcoms that made me laugh when I was younger. And there are others—anime, assorted other stuff.

Listening: now there’s a huge list because I have a playlist for each book. My absolute favorite is Gary Numan—love his work both old and new. He’s gorgeous and talented and seems very pulled together. Also am loving Ladytron lately, Crystal Method, Air, Beck, and so many others that I can’t possibly begin to list them all here. Check my playlists if you want to know what I love.

Amber - There are so many online sites eg, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace etc. to get in touch with fans. Which sites are you signed up with? Is it hard to keep up with them all? Do you think they are good?

Yasmine – It is so freakin’ hard to keep up with all of them and I need my husband and my assistant to help me do that. I have a Face Book Fan Page—I recently closed my profile page to private just to give me some breathing room, and started the fan page. I’ve gotten some flack about it but too bad—you want to interact with me on FB it’s going to be through the fan page. I also have a MySpace page we keep up to date, and I’m on Twitter. I have my blog, and the catch all for my information: my Website which I wish people would check before asking me simple questions on the social networking sites—ninety percent of the time the information is right there on my website. I have a mailing list which people can sign up for too.
I enjoy Twitter most, I think, MySpace second, and I really have a hard time with Facebook but know I should keep a presence there. I don’t autofollow on Twitter, but do try to reply to @ replies as soon as I can. My D’Artigo Sisters have their own Twitter, and so do my cats. :)

Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature, what would you be?
Yasmine – One of the Fae in my world. I love writing about the Fae—they are so powerful, dark and unpredictable.

Amber - Thank you again for being a guest on Amberkatze's Book Blog! I hope you will stop by again soon!





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Contest Time!

This week I am giving away a Yasmine Galenorn Otherworld series book! Winners choice! So if you are new to the series you can start at the beginning and if you are missing the newer installments you can catch up!

How to enter?

Tell me who your favourite sister is! If you haven't already read the series then pick from Witch, Werecat or Vampire! ;)

No Sister = No entry!

Earn more entries for each place you link this contest on the net. You can post on Facebook, Twitter & MySpace but 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 of your email or receipt to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.

Make sure you post your links here so I can confirm your entries.

Keep the contests going by using the Amazon links below and around the site!





The contest will stay open until Sunday 28th of February 2010 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.

Good Luck!