Author Interview & Contest with Casey Daniels!!

A Hard Day's Fright is the new release in the Pepper Martin series. I am enjoying the new story about the cemetery worker who can see ghosts. Poor Pepper can only get rid of the spooks by solving the mystery of their deaths!

I am a big fan of the books and I couldn't resist asking author Casey Daniels back to Amberkatze's Book Blog to talk about what Pepper is up to this time, what her future holds and what else the writer is up to!

I hope you enjoy the interview! Make sure you enter this weeks contest! Casey is being very generous and is giving away three books! So that means three lucky entrants will get a Pepper Martin book of their choice!

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Amber - Welcome back to Amberkatze's Book Blog! I can't believe this is your fourth visit here and your seventh Pepper Martin book is due out! Please start things off by telling us a little bit about A Hard Day's Fright!

Casey - There's always a lot going on in Pepper Martin's world. In A Hard Day's Fright, the book that will be out on April 5, Pepper's latest adventure involves a ghost from the 1960s, a girl who attended a Beatles concert in Cleveland in 1966 and then was never seen or heard from again.

Of course, Pepper is reluctant to get involved...that is, until she finds out someone she's close to has a connection with the case. The ghost isn't looking for Pepper to solve her murder, she just wants Pepper to find her body; she can't rest in peace until she's properly buried. Lots of Sixties throwback fun in this one, including a Dylan-esque poet. One of the reasons I decided on this story line was that I thought it would be interesting to explore what happens to a group of friends when one of their number goes missing. Pepper discovers that more than forty years later, Lucy Pasternak's disappearance still haunts her circle of friends.

Amber - The Pepper Martin series deals with ghosts and haunting. Do you believe in ghosts? Ever seen one yourself?

Casey - Do I believe in ghosts? Absolutely. Have I ever seen one? No, not up close and personal, but I have seen evidence: mists in pictures when there shouldn't have been any there, hearing knocks coming from graves, getting messages via mediums. Sure, plenty of people think it's nonsense, but I think there's too much evidence to say ghosts don't exist.

Amber - A Hard Day's Fright is a really cool title. How do you come up with the titles for your books? Do you always go with the first title or is it hard to come up with the right one?

Casey - So far, all the titles have been mine, and they have been fairly easy to come up with. That being said, I'll admit I'm having trouble titling Pepper Martin #8, which will be out in January 2012. Stay tuned, not sure what we'll end up with for this one!

Amber - What other paranormal subjects would you want to write about besides ghosts?

Casey - In the Pepper books, I've avoided piling on any more paranormal happenings for this reason: I believe in ghosts. So I don't find the Pepper stories a stretch. Though it's not likely, I believe that what happens to Pepper is possible. But if I started adding vampires or zombies, etc., . . . .well, then to me at least, things get a little dicey and a whole lot less
believable. That being said, that doesn't mean I wouldn't like to write about other paranormal things in other stories. In fact, I once wrote a YA horror trilogy under the name of Zoe Daniels. It was about shapeshifters who turned into black panthers. It was very cool, and very fun to write.

Amber - A lot of authors are writing YA series. Have you considered writing a YA book?

Casey - See above, I answered your question before you asked it! In addition to the Year of the Cat trilogy I wrote as Zoe Daniels, I also wrote a YA trilogy as Connie Laux. It was called Blood Moon and was about a haunted amusement park. I loved writing YA, and that was long before it was hot, hot, hot. Maybe someday I'll have the chance to do it again.

Amber - Do you have a favorite character that you've written, one you wish you could revisit or add a couple of chapters about?

Casey - Hands down, Pepper is my favorite, but of course, I'm still writing about her, so I don't think that counts in regards to your question. Who would I like to revisit . . . hmmm . . . interesting . . . and difficult to answer because in stand-alone books (as opposed to series), the story is complete by the end of the book. So it's hard to imagine taking those characters anywhere else. I do have plenty of new characters in mind and I'm hoping to have a chance to write about each and every one of them!

Amber - Would you ever be able to write a book together with another author? If yes, which author would you like to work with and why?

Casey - I can't imagine writing with another author. That being said, I've never tried it so I don't know what it would really be like. Seems to me that collaborating with these sorts of things that spring wholly from our heads would be beyond difficult. Then again, if Elizabeth Peters called and said she needed my help with a new Amelia Peabody book, I'd drop everything and go running!

Amber - What is next? More Pepper? Any new projects?

Casey - As I mentioned, there will be a new Pepper out in January 2012. That book is finished. In it, Pepper visits New Mexico. There is one more book on the contract so for sure, a Pepper Martin #9. In addition, I have another new mystery series debuting this fall. It's called the Button Box Mysteries and my name on the cover is Kylie Logan. The first book is called "Button Holed" and it will be published in September. The books are about a woman named Josie Giancola who owns a vintage and antique button business.

Don't think buttons are interesting? Just start checking them out. They are little chunks of history and many of them are spectacular works of art. No paranormal elements in these books, but I'm learning a whole lot about old buttons!

Amber - How long on average does it take you to write an Pepper Martin book? Do you have a process you follow? or do you just start at page one and see what happens?

Casey - Oh, how I wish I could tell you I had 18 months to write a book! Usually, it's more like 4. Right now, I'm finished with Pepper #8, will write buttons #2, then Pepper #9, then buttons #3, etc. I'm not complaining! Believe me, I am grateful to be busy. As for a process, I do completely outline a book before I begin writing. I've learned that this saves me a lot of time in the writing stage. The outline often takes me three weeks or more and when I'm doing it, I'm always frustrated. I want to start writing--now! But I know I've got to think things through. When I know where I'm headed and how to get there, it's a much smoother trip!

Amber - It hasn't even been been a year since the last Pepper book came out. What have you been doing with your time except for writing?

Casey - Is there time except for writing? Seriously, because of the two series, I don't have a lot of down time. I do try to snatch a little R&R between books and this time, I've spent some time weaving (I made the coolest rag rug ever), knitting, and working on family history. My husband's family is having a reunion next year and I've volunteered to get together the family's history. Turns out it's a whole lot of fun. I'm getting to be a detective for real and I rejoice at every little morsel of information I uncover.

Amber - Being a recent purchaser of a Kindle 3 just wondering if you own an e-reader yourself and what you think of e-books? Do you think they help increase an authors audience base?

Casey - I don't own a Kindle or any other e-reader, though I've used one and I thought it was pretty cool. I think it's great that e-readers make more available to readers and I have a feeling kids are going to take to e-readers like ducks to water. That's a good thing. Anything that gets kids reading is a real plus.

Amber - What are you listening and watching lately? What books have you read recently?

Casey - Right now I'm reading an old Nancy Pickard mystery called "No Body," about an old cemetery and the discovery that there's really no one buried there! A friend sent it. She knew I'd be interested in the cemetery connection. Watching? I'm always up for old episodes of "Buffy," and I enjoy watching "Bones." I'm not much of a listener as far as music. Can't have any on when I write as I find it too distracting.

Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature, what would you be and why?

Casey - Chuckling at this one. I'd have to say a ghost. Guess I might have the chance to try that out one of these days!

Amber - Thank you so much for coming by again! I hope it won't be the last
time ;)





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Contest Time

Casey is being really generous and would like to give three winners each a book! Each winners can choose which Pepper Martin book they would like to win! Cool!!! Start the series, get the one you are missing or even grab a copy of the newest release! Winners choice!

How To Enter


I really don't like the 'enter me' entries and always ask a question. My imagination regarding these questions is extremely bad. So this week I want you to fuel my future contest questions!

Give me some questions for my contests!


No question = 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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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.

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The contest will stay open until Sunday 17th of April 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.