Author Interview & Contest with Tracey O'Hara

February is turning out to be a busy month on Amberkatze's Book Blog. Instead of just one author guest a week I have two! I hope you can all keep up!

Please welcome author Tracey O'Hara, a new author to me but maybe one you have come across before. I was lucky enough to get an ARC copy of Death's Sweet Embrace and really enjoyed it. Now I hope to read Tracey's debut, Night's Cold Kiss.

Enjoy the interview and don't forget to enter the contest at the end. Tracey is very kindly giving away a signed copy of her new release.

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Amber - Welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog! It is great to have you here as a guest! Could you start things off by telling my readers a little about your Dark Brethren Series?

Tracey – Thanks so much for having me as part of my tour. The Dark Brethren series is a world where humans live knowingly alongside what I refer to as parahuman races. These races have vampiric type beings, shapeshifters, shape morphers, Mer-people and a whole lot more that I have yet to go into fully myself.

Amber - The second book in the series, Death's Sweet Embrace, has just been released. Can you tell us a little about the story?

Tracey - DEATH’S SWEET EMBRACE is the second Dark Brethren novel. It continues on from the first with a new protagonist -- Kathryn “Kitt” Jordan, a parahuman medical examiner and a snow leopard shifter (an Animalian). She has just lost her brother, the only family she’s had in the last 20 years, to a psychopathic killer and had her world turned completely upside down.
Now a sadistic killer is murdering young Animalians but cutting out their still betting hearts while they are alive. Kitt must join forces with a team lead by her brother’s closest friend to help solve this mystery. Problem is, her ex lover who she hasn’t seen for many years is also part of this team.

We also get to follow some of the characters from the first book, especially Oberon and Antoinette and are introduced to some new ones as well.

There is a glossary of terms on my website to explain some of the terms I use.

Amber - Now I haven't read the first book, Night's Cold Kiss, but didn't have a problem keeping up with Death's Sweet Embrace. Did you want the books in the series able to stand alone? Will readers need to read the books in order?

Tracey – I describe them as being like a TV series that follows a key group of people. Each story is a standalone story with the main character focus changing from book to book, but there will also be a overall thread that will be apparent in the books too.

Amber - How did you come up with the idea for the Dark Brethren series? Was it a long process or did it just come to you?

Tracey – First there was Antoinette, then Night’s Cold Kiss, and then half way through writing that book, the idea of the Dark Brethren came as a big bad that manipulates events from afar. This started to make things fall into place, and while I did not completely understand what the Dark Brethren were, I knew they were there. As I write each book, I am discovering more about them and what drives them.

Amber - What kind of research have you done for your books? Anything interesting or is the research boring?

Tracey – I researched forensic pathology stuff, particularly autopsies. Since I live in Australia and I set my books in an alternate version or the US, I try to make that city as realistic as I can. And even though I make up my own lore, I at least research traditional lore on vampire, shapeshifters etc so I can engage readers in the familiar as well.

Amber - How do you pick the names for your characters? Do they have any special meanings or are they completely random?

Tracey – Well Antoinette was called Antoinette because her mother was French and her father Romanian. Petrescu is a Romanian name. Christian was always Christian. Oberon was called Oberon because Oberon means bear. Kitt was always going to be Kathryn Jordan, even before I picked her species. And Raven Matokwe just came to me, it sounded real cool and heaps mysterious.

Amber - Did you always wanted to be an author? Why did you pick the Paranormal Urban Fantasy genre?

Tracey – Actually no. I only started writing about 7 years ago. And paranormal urban fantasy found me. I have always liked horror, fantasy and sci-fi. It was the story that came first, then I worked out what genre it was.

Amber - I am sure that being an author has its ups and downs. What experiences have you had so far?

Tracey – One thing that found out is how totally different it is to what I expected it to be. I love having my books out there and being enjoyed by people, but it also opens it up for me and my writing to be ridiculed and dismissed. Working full time and trying to balance everything has also been a challenge. But having someone come up and say how much they really enjoyed my story is a pretty awesome feeling.

Amber - Alot of authors have 'soundtracks' for their books. Is there any music influenced your books?

Tracey – I listen to metal, heavy rock, pagan rock and some classical. It depend on what scene I am working on and the mood I am after.

Amber - Will there be more books in the series? Which other characters do you see telling their story?

Tracey – The next book is about Bianca Sin – the white witch. I like to see each of the characters have their own book – but I would want to do it only if I can come up with a good story for them.

Amber - What books do you enjoy reading? Do you have any favourite authors/series?

Tracey – I love reading. Unfortunately the last couple of years I have not had time to read as much as I want. I read a little urban fantasy. Vicki Pettersson is one of my favourites. But I also love George RR Martin, Raymond E Feist, Stephen King and Anne McCaffrey.

Amber - Have to say that I totally loved the were snow leopard ;) But if you could be any paranormal creature, what would you be and why?

Tracey – I think I would like to be a witch. I would love the power.

Amber - Thanks for being a guest! I hope you will pop by again some other time!

Tracey – It was my pleasure and I would love to.




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Contest Time

The lucky winner of this giveaway will get a signed copy of Death's Sweet Embrace!

How To Enter

Just answer the question!

What is high on your To Be Read Pile?

No answer = No Entry

Earn more entries for each link you place about 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! However please do not make individual postings for each entry. Please post all your entries in one post.

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The contest will stay open until Sunday 13th of February 2011 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.