Author Interview with Terri Garey (Contest Included!)

My author guest this week is Terri Garey! Her new gorgeous looking release, A Devil Named Desire is out now and I already have my copy waiting for me on the Kindle.

I love Terri's Nikki Styx series and was really surprised at how much I enjoyed her last release, Devil Without a Cause. Terri is definitely a must read author and I hope that if you haven't already had the pleasure of reading her work that you will give it a try after reading the interview.

So enjoy finding out all about the new book, series and the author. I hope you all enjoy the interview and take the time to enter this weeks contest. You could win a copy of one of Terri's great books!

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Amber - Welcome back to Amberkatze's Book Blog! It is great to have you here again as a guest! Could you start things off by telling us a little about your second book in the Devil's Bargain series, A Devil Named Desire ?

Terri - A DEVIL NAMED DESIRE is the of the Archangel Gabriel, who is the keeper of an ancient text known as the Ars Goetia, the Key of Solomon. The words of the Key hold unspeakable power, but can only be translated by someone pure of heart. When Gabriel's old friend and onetime brother, Samael the Fallen (better known as the Devil) forces a desperate young woman to translate the Key in return for her sister's life, Gabriel is driven to stop her in any way possible, even if it requires he become human to do it. What he doesn't know is that Samael is out to prove that he's not the only angel who can be led into temptation, and that when temptation comes in the form of a beautiful woman, it can be impossible to resist.

Amber - The first Devil's Bargain book, Devil Without a Cause, was a spin-off from the Nicki Styx series. Does this new book also fit into that world?

Terri - Yes. In Devil Without a Cause, Sammy Divine (the Devil) was offered a chance to learn a lesson by playing guardian angel. In A Devil Named Desire, Sammy turns the tables on his old friend Gabriel, and attempts to teach him a lesson regarding the nature of temptation.

Amber - How did you come up with the idea for the Devil's Bargain series? Was Sammy dying for his own set of books?

Terri - :) Sammy has a very strong personality, and his character became stronger in stronger in each subsequent Nicki Styx book. He has his own story to tell regarding his original fall from grace, and isn't quite the same as the one that the world is used to hearing. I really enjoyed patching together my own version of his downfall, and the world he inhabits, with a mixture of biblical stories, myth and legend. Sammy's kingdom is a dark one, full of shadows and secrets, strange creatures and strange landscapes. He rules it all --Lord of the Abyss, High Prince of Darkness -- but aches for the simplicity of what he's lost. I guess you could say he's a bit complex. :)

Amber - Where is Nicki? Is she ever coming back?

Terri - Nicki is coming back - she makes an appearance in A DEVIL NAMED DESIRE, actually. :) I'm currently working on a novella centered around her wedding to Joe that will be available in e-version sometime in 2012.

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

Terri - Each book takes about 9 months to write. I've never been the fastest writer in the world, and quite frankly, I don't want to be. I don't want rush it when I'm writing a book; it's a creative process that requires a lot of effort and imagination on the author's part, all designed to make it an effortless read for the reader. I start with an overarching concept, a clear image of my characters and their motivations, and an inciting event - a spark that sets the book in motion. Then I plot and plan several chapters in advance, letting the story evolve, but always knowing where I want to end up.

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

Terri - Names are critical! I can't fully visualize a character unless I know their name, but once I do, the creative juices start flowing. I remember driving along one day, thinking about this story idea I had for a spunky young woman who saw dead people, and wondering what her name might be. I brought up a visual image of what she would look like, and BAM, there was Nicki Styx: funky, fashionable, and a bit of a smartass, straddling the world between the living and the dead just like the River Styx divides the Underworld. She wouldn't be Nicki without her name. :)

Amber - 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?

Terri - I've been very lucky with my titles, and they usually come to my mind first, before I write the book. I've only had to change two of my original six, but even then I got to choose the alternate titles as well. DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY, YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I HAUNT, DEVIL WITHOUT A CAUSE and A DEVIL NAMED DESIRE were all original titles that were kept.

Amber - How much say do you have in the book publishing process? Eg. Do you get to pick the cover?

Terri - No, I don't get to pick the cover. My editor is great about asking what my ideas are, and she then communicates them to the art department, who does their own creative thing. :) Authors have very little say in their covers. I did ask for graveyards, which I've gotten in various forms on each cover, so I've been lucky.

Amber - If the series was going to be made into a TV series or Film, who would you like to see playing Sammy and Nicki?

Terri - Zooey Deschanel would make an awesome Nicki, and I've always seen Sammy as a cross between Simon Baker (The Mentalist) and Billy Idol.

Amber - Are you working on any other projects? What is next? Maybe some YA like other authors?

Terri - I've thought about YA, but I'm not really sure I have the voice for it - right now I'm finishing up Nicki's wedding novella, and working on the third Devil's Bargain book, which is all about Sammy!

Amber - What have you been reading, watching and listening to lately?

Terri - I've been on a bit of a movie binge, actually, and listening to a lot of Florence & the Machine.

Amber - Who has been your biggest inspiration in life?

Terri - My mom. She had seven kids and a fairly tough life, but she was always kind and loved to laugh. She died too young, but handled even that with grace and dignity.

Amber - If you could live anywhere in the world. Where would you live?

Terri - Oo, tough one. I haven't seen enough of it yet to decide!

Amber - Thanks for stopping by again!




Nicki Styx Series

#1 - Dead Girls Are Easy
#2 - A Match Made in Hell
#3 - You're the One That I Haunt
#4 - Silent Night, Haunted Night

The Devil's Bargain books

#1 - Devil Without a Cause
#2 - A Devil Named Desire

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Contest Time

I am giving away one of Terri Garey's book, winners choice! So you can get the new release or pick a Nicki Styx book.


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The contest will stay open until Sunday 12th of February 2012 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.