Author Interview & Contest with Kelly Gay

The Hour of Dust and Ashes is book 3 in the Charlie Madigan Series and it released yesterday! Any fans of the series will be happy to see the series continue and I can't wait to get a copy to curl up with!

Kelly Gay is the author behind the series and I couldn't resist inviting her onto the blog to celebrate the release of The Hour of Dust and Ashes!

So I hope you all enjoy the interview and check out Kelly's books!

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Amber - Welcome back to Amberkatze's Book Blog! It is great to have you here again as a guest! The Hour of Dust & Ashes is due out! What can we expect from your third Charlie Madigan book?

Kelly - Thanks, Amber. Glad to be back! There’s a lot happening in the 3rd Charlie Madigan book. This one focuses on Charlie trying to help her sister Bryn overcome her ash addiction and possible possession. For the Hank lovers out there, the mystery of his past comes to light, and we’ll also see more of Rex, daughter Emma, and the hellhound, Brimstone. This book was different than the other two in that I got to take Charlie and Co. off-world into another dimension, the place that inspired our myths and ideas of hell. Good times!

Amber - I am pretty sure you have lots of ideas for the series but how do you decide which idea makes it into each book?

Kelly - I had a very good idea of where the story should go when I sat down to write the 2nd book, THE DARKEST EDGE OF DAWN. But I soon encountered a problem: what I thought should happen, wasn't exactly fitting in with the story that wanted to be told and the events that progressed as I wrote. I've since learned to just let things unfold and not chain myself to any story points I might have had to start with. Sometimes those story points fit in seamlessly and sometimes they don’t. But now I don’t force the issue and the decisions are made as I go along.

Amber - What paranormal creatures are you dying to fit into a story but you haven't managed to fit in yet?

Kelly - Two creatures that I've been very interested in writing about actually made their way into this 3rd installment of the series, so I can't spill the beans on them just yet. :)

Amber - And what about ones you would never use?

Kelly - Hmm... I don't think there's any creature I would nix right off the bat. If it fit into my story or future stories in some way, and I felt it was necessary to be there, I'd include it even if I didn't personally like the creature.

Amber - You have had some real luck with your covers. Do you like them as well? Would you have changed something about them?

Kelly - I know, right? I love them! I've been extremely lucky and happy with the covers. I really wouldn't change a single thing. I think they convey Charlie’s strength and purpose so perfectly and the images really give a sense of urgency and motion.

Amber - What about the titles? Yours or does someone else decide?

Kelly - The first one was mine. The second, I'd submitted The Dark Edge of Dawn, which ended up being changed a little (Dark to Darkest). The Hour of Dust & Ashes came about from a phone call with my editor. I had submitted a ton of possible titles and was honestly getting frustrated because nothing was hitting the mark with me or with him. I think he sensed that, so he called me up, and we just started throwing out words and phrases based on key things in the book and playing off the titles I'd already submitted. My editor is so great at mixing and matching words, and getting me to think. I had Dust & Ashes at one point paired with something else, but when he threw out 'The Hour of' and then paired it up, it was instant - Yes! That's it! Crisis averted, LOL.

Amber - Will there be more books in the series?

Kelly - There's one more left in my contract, so there will be four at the very least. After that I'm not really sure. I think there’s so much more to tell with Charlie, and there are a few other characters in my world that I’d love to write about: Pendaran, the Druid King. Ahkneri, the First One. I definitely hope Pocket wants more! We’ll see…

Amber - I couldn't help but notice that you have branched out into the YA genre. Can you tell us a little about that?

Kelly - Sure. I'm writing YA novels as Kelly Keaton. They're urban fantasy with a little southern gothic, post-apocalyptic, and paranormal romance thrown in. My world is a slightly futuristic New Orleans that is now a privately owned city-state run by the Novem, nine of the oldest and strangest families in NOLA. It's a sanctuary for all things supernatural, and where my heroine Ari, learns that she has a very unique past connected to the gods, many of whom are enemies to the Novem. The first book DARKNESS BECOMES HER is out now, and the second A BEAUTIFUL EVIL will release in Feb of 2012.

Amber - What is next? Are you working on any other projects you would like to tell us about?

Kelly - Right now, I’m working on the 4th Charlie book, which is due in November. My 2nd YA comes out in February, and I have a new project currently with my agent that we’re thinking of submitting as well. Staying busy as usual!

Amber - Are you a full time writer or do you have a day job? If yes, How do you divide your time?

Kelly – I write full-time now. It’s definitely become a full-time job, juggling two different names, writing both series, and other projects I want to do, and all the promotion, networking, business related issues, etc.

Amber - I am a happy Kindle owner and was wondering if you own an ereader yourself and how you see ebooks? Good, bad or just plain evil?

Kelly - I just read my first ebook on my new iPad. So I’m a newbie! I generally think ebooks are a great tool to reach readers. Instant gratification. Of course, one of the things I don’t like about ebooks is how easy it is for people to pirate them. I think so many people just don’t understand the difference between sharing the one copy they bought and uploading more copies to the internet.

They think since they bought the book, it’s theirs and that they can share with anyone they want. Which is true in regards to that one copy they bought, but they don’t realize the problem comes when they upload a copy to the internet. They have just illegally reproduced copyrighted material. They still have their legal copy (they didn’t ‘share’ that one), but they’ve made a second copy (and from that thousands more are made) and not only that, but they have placed a zero value on it as well. I wish ebooks came with a very easy to understand page in the front of the book explaining (in non-legal jargon) what it means to ‘fileshare’ work that is copyrighted…

Amber - What are you listening and watching lately? Read any good books recently?

Kelly - I just read Cassandra Clare's A Clockwork Angel. So good! And I just started watching the Dresden Files, which I hadn’t had a chance to see when it aired on SyFy.

Amber - What's your favorite paranormal movie of all time?

Kelly - It's too hard to pick one! But right now I will say, The Fifth Element. Awesome movie.

Amber - Thank you for being a guest again! See you soon! ;)

Kelly – You’re welcome. Thanks for having me!




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Contest Time


Kelly is giving away a signed copy of her new release!


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The contest will stay open until Wednesday 7th of September 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.