Author Interview & Giveaway with Jesse Petersen

Some authors and their books really take me by surprise and I fall in love with them almost immediately.  This is true for the Club Monstrosity Series by Jesse Petersen.

When I started reading the first book, Club Monstrosity, I was so in awe that I couldn't wait to get my hands on the second part, Monsters in your Neighbourhood.  I had already enjoyed Jesse's zombie series but I didn't expect this series to be even better.

So I asked Jesse to be a guest on the blog so you can all check out the author and maybe find out a little bit more about Club Monstrosity.  I hope it will have you grabbing a copy sometime soon and also enjoying it as much as I did.

Make sure you enter the contest!  Jesse is giving away a copy of her amazing new release!  Don't miss out on it!

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Amber - Welcome back to Amberkatze's Book Blog! It is great to have you here as a guest! Could you start things off by telling us a little about your new series, Club Monstrosity?

Jesse - Thanks for having me back! So Club Monstrosity is a two-book series about real life monsters who belong to a support group that meets in the basement of a New York City church. When someone starts killing them off the way they were destroyed in their famous movies and books, they have to figure out if they want to live in hiding, or follow their instincts and monster out. The first book of the same name, CLUB MONSTROSITY is out now. The second book THE MONSTERS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, will be in stores July 29.

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

Jesse - I got the glimmer of the idea for the monster support group in the basement of a church (like AA) and then it just took off from there. The hardest part was figuring out the monsters.

Amber - I love the unusual characters in the book. Are you a big horror movie fan? Was it hard to decide which characters to include?

Jesse - Yes, deciding about which monsters was hard. I knew Natalie was a Frankenstein's Monster, but otherwise I started going through lists of classic movie and book monsters and choosing. The other difficulty is getting around copyright. Monsters from old books are open season, but you have to be careful about monsters from the movies of the early 20th century. Sometimes Warner Bros gets a little snippy. There's a reason why one of them is a Swamp Creature, I'll put it that way.

Amber - The idea of having a Monster Anonymous group is just wonderful! Did you sneak into some AA meetings for research purposes?

Jesse - No, I just kept thinking about Fight Club where the characters are addicted to going to support groups.

Amber - The debut book in the series, Club Monstrosity, is already out and the sequel, The Monsters In Your Neighborhood, is due for release in July. How many more books do you have planned for the series? When can we expect them to be released?

Jesse - That's it. I would love to write more books, but the sales just don't bear that out. So THE MONSTERS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD is the end of the series.

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

Jesse - Since the monsters mostly have picked their own names, I liked that they had chosen very normal ones. Natalie, Alec, Drake, Linda. They don't want to be seen. And Kai, of course, has picked something a little more exotic, being a mummy.

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

Jesse - Actually the book had a different cover which we didn't love, so we asked to go back and I sent a few images. Ultimately they came up with the current sort of Warholesque covers which I ADORE.

Amber - The covers for the series are really cool! Who did the artwork?

Jesse - The art department at Pocket Books did the covers.

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

Jesse - I write full-time and have since 1999. I support our family through my writing. I write or do promo about 70 hrs a week, all told.

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

Jesse - I have always wanted to be a writer. I actually make my main living in romance, but I had the idea for MARRIED WITH ZOMBIES and just wrote it for my own entertainment. When it sold, I was shocked. It's fun to write something different and snarky.

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

Jesse - Well, I wish both these series had done better financially. I write what I like to read, but there may not be a giant audience that wants to read snarky, funny, tongue-in-cheek urban fantasy. That's life, unfortunately.

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?

Jesse - I am a heavy plotter and I write at least 50 pages a week, so it takes me about 6 weeks to write one of my urban fantasies. Probably 8 weeks total after editing.

Amber - What are you listening and watching lately? Is there any music or other media that influences your writing?

Jesse - I don't listen to music at all while I write, it's too distracting. Summer lull has slowed down my tv watching, but I'm excited Venture Brothers is back after such a long hiatus.

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

Jesse - After writing Club Monstrosity, I think paranormal creatures would have it pretty bad in modern life, so I'm not sure I'd want to be anything. LOL Having those powers comes at a cost. It's like being a celebrity, except you don't make any money, you're just getting followed and harassed and you have to adjust your life all the time. I like being anonymous, so I think I'd just stick with human.

Amber - Thank you for being a guest on the blog! I hope you will stop by again sometime!

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Contest Time!

Jesse is very kindly giving away a Kindle copy of Club Monstrosity!    One lucky winner will get to read this wonderful book!

However, If we get more than 2,000 entries on the Widget then I will offer up a second copy.  So we could have two winners!

If we get more than 3,000 entries I will offer a third copy!  Three winners!

So make sure to tell your friends and get them to enter!

How To Enter      

Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter the contest.   Keep the contests going by using the Bookdepository.com and Amazon.com links/Banners below and around the site.   Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners you must claim your prize within 7 days of the winner being announced!

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Author Interview & Contest with Jess Haines

I love having guests on the blog and I am extremely happy when those authors come back time and time again!

So I am very happy today to have author Jess Haines back on the blog.  Find out more about her new release, her books and enter the contest!

Enjoy!

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Amber : Welcome back to Amberkatze's Book Blog! You have a new H&W Investigations book out! How does it feel to have the series doing so well?

Jess : Thanks so much for having me back! I’m delighted how well the series is doing. When I first started out, I had no idea so many people would enjoy my work, and I still get a thrill every time a new fan tells me they just discovered my books.

Amber : What can your loyal readers expect from this new installment, Forsaken by the Others?

Jess : Shiarra has gotten herself into hot water this time. For her own safety, the vampire Royce sends her to stay with one of his allies in Los Angeles.

While she’s gone, she has to deal with angry werewolves, back-stabbing vampires, and zombies that just don’t know when to quit. Oh, and fringe-hobo vampires with a minor obsession with karaoke.

Amber : How about the people who haven't yet tried the H&W Investigation books? Should they start from the beginning? Why?

Jess : While I like to hope that you can pick up what’s happening in each book without having to pick up the earlier ones, you’ll get the most bang for your buck if you know the history behind how she ended up in the mess she deals with in Forsaken by the Others.

Here is the read order:

Book 1: Hunted by the Others
1.5: Spark of Temptation (short story in the Nocturnal anthology)
Book 2: Taken by the Others
Book 3: Deceived by the Others
Book 4: Stalking the Others
Book 5: Forsaken by the Others

Amber : How is the series doing in regards to your ideas and plans? Is everything on track?

Jess : So far, everything is going according to plan. I’ve done some refining over time and added some unexpected flourishes along the way, but the overarching plot has stayed on track.

Amber : So how long do you want to keep the H&W Investigations open? Do you have an end in sight?


Jess : I do have an end. In a perfect world, it will end in nine books (assuming I get another contract to continue the series with Kensington after I turn in the 6th book).

Amber : How much say do you get in the publishing process once you hand in the book?

Jess : Let me see if I can demystify the process a bit. Note that not all publishers necessarily do it the same way—this is just my experience.

With Kensington, first I write outlines which go over the major plot points of the novel, long before I write it, and send those to my editor. So far, he hasn’t mentioned anything needing changes at that stage. After I write the book, I give it to my editor. He reads it and lets me know if it is accepted as it is or if it needs some changes. I’ve never had to change anything major. Mostly just adding small touches to clarify points or scenes that need it. I can always veto those changes.

After that, the book goes on to copy edits. That’s where a copy editor reviews every page, checking for spelling, grammar, and similar content-related errors. I get to review and, if I like, veto those changes, too.

Lastly, the book goes to the page proof stage—a printout of what it will look like when it’s bound up in book form—and I have one last opportunity to make corrections before it goes to print. In a nutshell, that’s how the editing process works.

Amber : How long does it take from finishing all edits for ARC's arrive on your doorstep? Do you see any versions before this?

Jess : I think the above might answer the second part of your question. As for when the advance reader copies arrive, I usually get them about 3 months in advance of the release date.

Amber : Are you working on any other projects that you can tell us about?

Jess : At the moment, aside from the blog tour, I’m working on the 6th book in the H&W Investigations series, which is as yet untitled and guaranteed to be full of drama, zombies, and inappropriate pants feelings.

Amber : Are there any projects you aren't working on but want to start up if and when you have the time?

Jess : I’ve got quite a few, actually. I don’t want to give any details because I don’t have anything else (aside from book 6) contracted and I don’t want to get anybody’s hopes up about particular stories that haven’t been written/sold yet.

Amber : What have you been reading lately? Do you have any recommendations for us?

Jess : I’ve been doing a ton of reading, catching up on my mountainous TBR pile! If you like urban fantasy, give Yasmine Galenorn’s Otherworld series a shot. If you like gritty, dark urban fantasy, Chuck Wendig’s BLACKBIRDS was excellent. If you like paranormal romance with a steampunk flavor, I strongly recommend Delilah Dawson’s WICKED AS THEY COME.

Amber : And what about TV and Films? What has been keeping you entertained lately?

Jess : I’ve recently discovered and fallen in love with Dexter! I know it has been on the air for quite a while, but I hadn’t seen it until it recently came up on my (also mountainous) Netflix queue. In the last month or so I’ve devoured the first six seasons.

I was also behind the times on the Harry Potter movies, and only recently got to watch the last 3 movies. That was a great series that only got better with each successive film.

Amber : Do you ever listen to music when you are writing? Have soundtracks for your books?

Jess : I try not to. It tends to distract me more than anything. Though I did find one particular song apropos to a scene in Taken by the Others…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giaZnIr-faM

Amber : If you could choose any location to spend a couple of months writing, where would you like to write?

Jess : I think somewhere with very few distractions. A cabin in the woods, probably. As much as I enjoy traveling, when I go somewhere new, I have a tendency to spend a lot of time being a tourist. If I was going to get any work done, I would need to be somewhere familiar but quiet. I loved the forests of New Hampshire and the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York as a kid. If I just wanted to get away from it all to focus on writing I think those would be great places for that purpose.

Amber : Thank you for being a guest on the blog again! I hope you will be back again soon!

Jess : Thanks again so much for having me back, Amber! I hope everyone enjoys Forsaken by the Others!

Forsaken by the Others Book Description: 

The Others–vampires, werewolves, things that go chomp in the night–don’t just live in nightmares anymore. They’ve joined with the mortal world. And for private investigator Shiarra Waynest, that means mayhem…  Have a one night stand with a vampire, and you can end up paying for it for eternity. P.I. Shiarra Waynest, an expert on the Others, knows that better than most. Yet here she is, waking up beside charismatic vamp Alec Royce with an aching head…and neck. 

Luckily, Shia has the perfect excuse for getting out of town–namely, a couple of irate East Coast werewolf packs who’d like to turn her into a chew toy. On Royce’s suggestion, Shia temporarily relocates to Los Angeles. But something is rotten–literally–in the state of California, where local vampires are being attacked by zombies. Who could be powerful enough to control them–and reckless enough to target the immortal? Following the trail will lead Shia to a terrifying truth, and to an ancient enemy with a personal grudge…

Find out more about the Author & Blog Tour! 


BlogTour Calendar Link

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads 

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Contest Time!

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Author Interview & Contest with Alex Hughes!

Back in September I read an amazing debut called Clean by Alex Hughes.  I loved the thrilling mystery which involves telepathy, addiction, a lack of computers and some flying cars.   It had some really unusual and realistic concepts and I was hooked from the first chapter.

Now book two in the Mindscape Investigation Series is ready to make an appearance and I can't wait to see what happens next.  

I hope you enjoy the interview with Alex and also the excerpt from the new release, Sharp.   Make sure you take the time to find out more about the author and also don't forget to enter the contest!  Five lucky people will win a copy of Alex's new release!

More about Alex :

Alex has written since early childhood, and loves great stories in any form including scifi, fantasy, and mystery. Over the years, she has lived in many neighborhoods of the sprawling metro Atlanta area, including Decatur, the neighborhood on which Clean is centered. Her work is dark, complex, action-filled and a little funny. Her Mindspace Investigations series has been called "A fun blend of Chinatown and Blade Runner" by James Knapp, and Publisher's Weekly called her "a writer to watch."

When not writing you can find Alex in the kitchen cooking gourmet Italian food, watching hours of police procedural dramas, and humming to delightfully obscure music.

 

Places to find Alex:

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

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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 Mindspace Investigations Series, Sharp?

Alex - Sharp picks up about six weeks after Clean. Cherabino is avoiding Adam due to what happened in the last book, and he is struggling to recover from an injury which is affecting everything--and which he has not told the police about. He shows up at a crime scene, and the victim is one of his old students from the Guild. Plus Tech parts are disappearing all over the city through a coordinated hijacking ring. It’s a big week.

Amber - How did you come up with the idea for the Mindscape Investigations Series? Was it a long process or did it just come to you?

Alex - The process took about two days for a creative writing class project. It started with a book I had just read, a TV show idea, and the struggle of a friend -- all of the ideas just slowly came together.

Amber - After having the first book, Clean, done and released, was it hard to focus and carry on with the series?

Alex - Surprisingly, yes. I had to figure out how to write a series, how to write on a deadline, and I had a frustrating experience trying to learn how to write to an outline, which is not my strength, all within a few months. It was intense! But I’m very happy with the results and with what I learned along the way.

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?

Alex - This is a really tough question to answer, because I’m in the process of learning how to write faster and more efficiently. Clean took me ten years and seven revisions to get right, whereas I got Sharp to a good place in about four months, after a few months of planning the series. I’ve experimented with outlines and synopses, I’ve borrowed processes from writing teachers, and I continue to learn and to stretch myself. I started out as a pure pantser, someone who writes completely by the seat of my pants, but that doesn’t get me where I want to be without a great deal of extra work. So I’m learning how to plan more, and where to plan, and how. It’s an adventure.

Amber - What kind of research have you had to do for your books? Anything interesting or is it all boring?

Alex - I’ve done a great deal of reading on the brain, behavior, and some on addiction. I spent a lot of time with a decades-long AA sponsor, who was kind enough to read the first book and give feedback as well as share his life and experience with me. He took me to a meeting, and he was endlessly patient in answering questions.

I also went to the Writer’s Police Academy this past year, and have done a great deal of research on forensics and crime scene study on my own. It’s fascinating stuff.

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

Alex - To be honest, I steal names from people I’ve met and names I see out and about in the real world. If everything else fails and I need a name, I go to the internet and ask for the list of most common US names and choose something that sounds good for the character in question.

Amber - Did you always wanted to be an author? How did you get into writing?

Alex - I’ve always *loved* to read, and I was writing even as a small child. When I came across The Ship Who Searched, however, I was so entranced I must have read the book ten times within a year. I decided I wanted to do that. I wanted to write books that touched people. So I started working on getting better.

Amber - Will there be more books in the series? Do you have a specific amount of books in mind for the series? An end?

Alex - I have nine books blocked out in general terms, with an end in mind. I’m enough of a pantser, however, that in practice this might turn into eight books or ten. There’s also plenty of room for short stories and novellas in the world.

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

Alex - Without any question, I’d like Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock in BBC’s Sherlock) to play Adam. He can do flawed and interesting and still make me like him. For Cherabino, I’d like someone with a tough edge I can really see being a cop but who can still be vulnerable on-screen. The actress who plays Jo in Eureka (I believe her name is Erica Cerra) is not what I physically picture for the character, but she has the right energy in the early seasons of the role and grew in the later seasons. I’d love to see her audition. For Paulsen, I think Alfre Woodard, the commander from Memphis Beat, would do an amazing job. I wrote Paulsen before I saw that show, but the energy she had in the role made me think of my character very strongly.

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

Alex - I have been extremely fortunate in that my editor has asked my opinion about many things during the process. I worked in marketing for many years, so when she asked for my input on the cover, I sent a packet that included reference images and sketches like I would have for the graphic designer back in the day. I was extremely fortunate in that the final cover of both books ended up a lot like my original concept, only better. The art department at Roc is incredible.

Amber - What are the good times and bad times of being an author?

Alex - The good times are, without a doubt, the emails from fans who’ve enjoyed the book. That makes it all worthwhile. Bad times include deadlines, juggling multiple priorities, and figuring out the industry as it’s changing. But the readers have been incredible, and I am extremely grateful to each and every one.

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

Alex - This answer changes depending on the day you ask me, because I love to read so many different things. Some recent authors I’ve loved include Kylie Chan, Jennifer Estep, and Janice Hardy. I’ve also loved the nonfiction writings of Oliver Sacks and Atul Gawande.

Amber - What are you listening and watching lately? Is there any music or other media that influences your writing?

Alex - I like obscure music that has some complexity to it. Lately Lindsey Stirling and The Piano Guys make me happy. I loved seeing The Civil Wars in concert on TV; their harmonies are amazing. I’m a long term Gutan Project fan, and Two Steps from Hell are amazing composers.

On the TV side, I’m really into Face Off lately. The movie makeup they do on that show is jaw-dropping. I was hugely into Eureka before they cancelled it. I love Burn Notice and The Closer. TV is really doing amazing things these days with story and character, and with creative people being creative. I love both.

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

Alex - Hmm. I had to pick only one? Only one? Tough choice. I guess I’d be Faerie, old and strong, living in the outskirts of the human world near a state park full of trees. All the benefits of both worlds, and enough resources to outrun trouble from either direction.

Amber - Thank you for stopping by again! Good luck with the new release!

Alex - Thank you for having me!

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An excerpt from Sharp, Mindspace Investigations Book #2

By Alex Hughes

“Please, come in,” Lieutenant Paulsen said without looking up from her desk. “Close the door.”

I pulled the door closed, suddenly wary, and took a seat in her battered guest chair. The seat squeaked as I sat down. A feeling of oppression filled the room, but I couldn’t tell if it was Mindspace or my own panicky mind. With the increased stress of the morning, I was starting to see floating lines of light go in and out of my vision. I took a deep breath and tried to calm, to slow my heart rate. Whatever was going on with Paulsen, I’d need to be at my best to handle it, not struggling to keep my attention.

Paulsen pushed some papers into a folder and set it aside. Pulled another folder toward her. Then she looked up. I expected her to speak, but she only cleared her throat. For the first time ever, I could see every year of her sixty-mumble age written on her face, wrinkles cutting deep, her warm brown skin ashen.

“Are you okay?” I said.

“I’m fine,” she said firmly, the phrase imbued with all the weight of decades as a cop trained to show no weakness. Then she paused again.

Paulsen was a decisive woman, a strong woman. A cop who got things done and constantly held me to her high standards. If she was pausing, this would be bad.

Had she found out my telepathy wasn’t working? It was better now, healing slowly in dribs and drabs more or less at the pace I was expecting, but I’d been keeping it a secret. Cops didn’t like secrets.

“Am I being fired?” I asked, and tried with everything in me to stay calm.

“No,” she said, then amended: “It’s possible.” She cleared her throat. “DeKalb County and the City of Decatur have decided to cut police funding again. By millions. Every department is being hit, across the board. Not just equipment budgets. Not just training this time. We’re being forced to let people go. And the damn politicians are going after what they call wasteful practices. Things like vacation time, recovery time from injuries, and most of all and especially . . .”  She paused here again and met my eyes.

“Especially contractors. Unlicensed contractors are at the top of the list of cuts.”

I sat back, the chair squeaking again. I was numb. Wait, this wasn’t about my secret? That almost made it worse.

“How long?” I asked. I liked this job. I needed this job.

“Not yet,” she said firmly. “Not quite yet. We have a couple of months before things go into full effect. I’d suggest—in strong terms—you go out and find yourself a license. A certification. Something on paper, in the next six weeks.”

I took a breath. “Six weeks? Wait, my Guild certification doesn’t count?” That was half a million ROCs in training, more, even if the Guild had gotten far more out of me in labor afterward. Before they kicked me out for the drug problem that had landed me on the streets, years ago.

“It’s suspended, has been for a decade according to the information you gave us.” She put her hand on the folder in front of her, what had to be my file.

“I have the training! I thought you guys liked that I was an independent. There aren’t that many people outside the Guild, much less at my level. Even they say my training’s still good. It’s not like I can’t do the job.” And with the normals hating the Guild and fearing telepaths, well, I’d thought my lack of certification (of affiliation) was a plus. Apparently not.

“I know,” she said, and sighed. “I know. But the commissioner’s under pressure to make cuts. A lot of pressure. And politically, well, it doesn’t look good for you. Don’t be an easy target.”

“This isn’t fair.” I tried to reach out, to peek into her head, but all I got was a sense of mourning, and determination. No matter how I tried to push, that was all the information I could get, and even that moved away like sand through my fingers. Paulsen was familiar, which helped, but we were right after lunch, approaching my afternoon cutoff for reliable telepathy,, and my heart was beating a hundred miles an hour.

I pulled back and focused on what she was saying in the here and now, “—work in the interview room will be critical. Cherabino’s cases too. Give them a reason to keep you. Give me ammunition.”

I took a breath. “Right before Christmas. You’re telling me I could be laid off right before Christmas.” I felt like I was in free fall, like I was standing at the top of a cliff looking down at my life on the streets again. And to make it over Christmas—Christmas still made me think of my mom before she died. Did we have to add another heartbreak on top of that one?

She paused. “This is the worst-case scenario for everyone. I’m sorry.”

“I know,” I said, and stood. I clenched my hands together so she wouldn’t see them shaking. So I wouldn’t be tempted to lash out. So I wouldn’t burn whatever bridges I had left. But I wanted to.

Three years clean, and none of it mattered in that moment. I wanted my drug, I wanted to fall off the earth and run away. But I couldn’t. I wouldn’t. I’d come too far, I’d built too much to give up now. No matter how much I wanted to.

So instead of being stupid, I did what any sane Narcotics Anonymous member did—I called my sponsor. And then I went outside to the smoking porch and I chain-smoked, six cigarettes in a row while outside the awning it rained, a nasty hard rain that suited my mood perfectly.

I had to keep this job. Whatever it took, whatever I had to pay—I’d pay in blood, if I had to. I couldn’t fall back down that cliff to the streets. I just didn’t have it in me, not a second time

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Contest Time!

There are FIVE copies of SHARP up for grabs!  Will you be one of the lucky five?  Make sure you enter (US ONLY!)

How To Enter        

Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter the contest.  

Keep the contests going by using the Bookdepository.com and Amazon.com links/Banners below and around the site.  

Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners you must claim your prize within 7 days of the winner being announced!

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Author Interview with Tate Hallaway (Contest Included!)

I read a lot of good books in November but one of my favourites has got to be Precinct 13 by Tate Hallaway. I was hooked within a few pages of starting and loved the original and fresh new world. My only hope now is that there will be some more books about Tate's new characters.

Have you read Precinct 13? Have you tried Tate's books? You are really missing out if you haven't!

I asked Tate to be a guest on the blog and now you guys have the chance to read the interview to find out more about the author, her books and what the future holds. Then make sure you enter this weeks contest for your chance to win a copy of Precinct 13!


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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 latest release, Precinct 13?

Tate - Precinct 13 is the story of Alex Conner, the ‘accidental’ coroner of Hughes County, South Dakota. Through a series of misadventures involving tattoos and snakes, Alex unlocks her secret superpowers and is introduced to Pierre’s resident paranormal police division, Precinct 13. Along the way, she wrestles with the truth about her past: that despite being told she was crazy, all those things she saw in the dark allies and under bridges in Chicago are real… and out to get her.

It’s my usual style in that, despite the fact that hilarious hijinx ensue, there’s a dark undercurrent of seriousness throughout the whole novel.

Amber - How did you come up with the idea for Precinct 13? Was it a long process or did it just come to you?

Tate - Ideas are funny things. This one I hashed out with a friend and fellow writer, Rachel Gold. A lot of it was, “Yeah! That would be cool, and then…!” and I ended up writing up a twelve-page proposal for my editor that incorporated a lot of that enthusiasm over the course of a couple of weeks. But, truthfully a lot of the things, particularly the character of Valentine, lived in my head a long, long time before they ever achieved text, as it were. And, then, once the contract is signed… the story continues to percolate and change as I write my way into what I thought I was going to write, you know? So, I think to be fair to the messiness of the creative process, I would have to say that the idea of Precinct 13 probably took me a year or more to generate.

Amber - Precinct 13 has a nice variety of supernaturals. Are there any paranormal creatures you just don't like, and would never use in your books?

Tate – I hate to buck the trend, but I’m not overly fond of zombies. I’ve written about them a couple of times now, partly out of a desire to understand their appeal. I’m still not sure I get it, even though I adore films like 28 Days Later and Shaun of the Dead. But, so, even though I’m not terribly keen on them, I still would write about them.

Are there any I would ‘never’…? That’s such an awesome question. Mummies, maybe. I don’t see that as a big issue, though, since mummies aren’t terribly popular. Mermaids? I would probably write about a mermaid, though—I actually think mermen are even more interesting…. So, I don’t know. In some ways, one of the fun things about being a paranormal writer is finding the supernaturals that no one has thought to try to make sexy or interesting and exploit them.

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

Tate – Demons. Demons and angels. I wrote about angels in my other persona as Lyda Morehouse, but those books were more science fictional than straight-up romances (there are romantic elements, but you’d be disappointed, I think, if you went looking for them for hot angel sex, for instance.) I’ve recently done a TON of research into Japanese demons as part of my Anime obsession and I have to say there are a lot of really fascinating demons out there.

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

Tate - Naming. That’s a really important process for me. Sometimes, depending on the character, it’s a matter of looking through a baby book or at a baby naming site on the web and picking something I like the sound of. But, so for some… it has to be just right. Valentine being the big one there. Like I said, he lived in my head a long time before allowing me to use him in this story, so I’m sure his name changed over time. In that case, the name came to me along with the character—like a kind of magic. You know, where suddenly you have an image in your head and he tells you his name…. But, I will also say that for Precinct 13, two of the people are randomly named for baristas at my favorite coffee shop: Spenser and Devon.

Amber - If Precinct 13 was going to be made into a TV series or Film, who could you see playing the main characters?

Tate - D’oh! I hate this question partly because I don’t watch enough TV. How about this…. What I really want is for the voice actor J. Michael Tatum (he voices Sebastian from “Black Butler”) to be Valentine in the Anime version.

Amber - Will there be more books about Alex? Will we find out more about her evil step-mother?

Tate - No. My publisher has passed on the opportunity for me to write more books in this universe. Frankly, this sucks. I quite obviously wrote the book with sequels in mind or I would have tied up a lot more loose ends.

I’m currently trying to decide what to do about that, actually. I’m thinking about trying to write an e-book. If I decide to do that, I will probably post installments as I write them on my various web pages. I actually started a chapter, but I ran out of steam partly because I feel very discouraged at the moment. I have no contract for any books in the future with any publisher and I’m very adrift in a way I haven’t been for years. I’m working to push my way back out of this doom and gloom, but, quite frankly, it’s difficult.

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?

Tate - For novels for publication I have a very rigid process. I never start a book without having a proposal already written, which means I have the entire plot already thought out from the beginning, middle to the end. But, since the proposal tends to have a lot of sketchy transitions, there’s still a lot of wiggle room for things to ‘just happen’ along the way. The difference is that I know where I’m going from the start.

However, I’ve been doing a lot of fan writing for fun during this low period (in fact, I do believe fan fic has kept me sane and still writing, despite crushing depression over my career) and I’ve been experimenting with just starting… there’s something really awesome, fun, and freeing about writing that way. It’s much easier, however, to fall into the never-ending soap opera mode or the petered-out-because-I-wasn’t-going-anywhere issue too.

Amber - Precinct 13 is definitely more Urban Fantasy than your previous books but you obviously love the paranormal. Why did you pick the genre? or did the genre pick you?

Tate - The genre kind of picked me. My editor actually thought I was supposed to write paranormal romance, but I ended up turning in something very much more urban fantasy. I’m not sure how that happened, except that when Valentine showed up he was already an established lover, so there wasn’t a chance to make him ‘the first blush’ so many people love about paranormal romance.

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

Tate - I choose the titles (though, in the past, I’ve had to negotiate with my editor over the titles on occasion.) I write the stuff in between the covers, but the rest is down to the publishers, the marketing department, and the cover committee. I have been asked to offer suggestions for a cover scene, but no one has ever taken me up on anything I’ve put forward. Most of the time, the process for the cover goes: “hey, please send a character description or section of the novel for the artist to read that has a lot of description,” and then there’s a flurry of activity in which I start to feel like I have some input, and then I get a .jpg of the finished product that usually looks nothing like anything I sent them or talked about.

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

Tate - Uh, well, as I said, I’m a bit at loose ends at the moment. I am currently working on a superhero romance that’s WAY out of usual genres—it’s GLBT and possibly more erotic than my usual fare. I love the premise to bits, though. The idea is that our non-powered hero who thinks he’s been dating a superhero discovers that his lover is actually THE super-villain. It’s very much like a Tate project though in that while there’s a lot of hilarity, there’s also a serious and romantic undercurrent to the story.

Amber - What are you listening and watching lately? Is there any music or other media that influences your writing?

Tate – I read a lot of Manga and watch far too much Anime. Currently, one of my favorite Manga is Bakuman, which I can’t recommend enough to my writer friends. It’s the sort of story that should be irritating because it’s a Manga artist and writer trying to become Manga artists and writers. But, it’s actually a very gripping story that explores a lot of the issues that affect anyone engaged in the creative process at any level. I’m still working my way through Bleach, my current Anime obsession. Bleach, alas, also influences a lot of the music I listen to, which means I have far too much J-pop on my .mp3 player. I’m also a huge Avengers/Marvel fan.

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

Tate - I have a lot of favorite authors. I have to admit that it’s been a while since I’ve had the patience to read a full novel-length piece, however. So there are a lot of comic books and Manga around the house at the moment.

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

Tate – I’d love to be immortal and, given my current obsession, I’d love to be a shinigami (soul reaper/grim reaper, from Japan.) You can find a surprising number of Anime/Manga that involve shinigami—Soul Eaters, Black Butler, and Bleach to name a few. There’s really no exact analog in Western culture, except possibly a psychopomp—someone like Charon, the ferryman, who transports the souls of the newly dead to the afterworld.

Amber - If you could meet any famous person, alive or dead, who would you be? and why?

Tate – I would make my partner really happy if I could meet British author (still living) Phil Rickman and become close enough friends with him that we could have him over for dinner. She adores his books, and I would gain a ton of relationship points which I could coast on for years.

Amber - Thank you so much for being a guest on the blog!

Tate – Well, I always love stopping by! Thanks for having me again!

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Contest Time!

I am giving away one Kindle copy of Precinct 13 to one lucky entrant!

How To Enter

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Author Interview with Linda Joy Singleton (Includes Contest!)

Another week, another author guest! This time around I asked author Linda Joy Singleton some questions about her Seer Series and the many other books she has published!

I came across The Seer Series somewhere or other and quickly devoured the first two books. The next two came along pretty quickly after that and now the last two are on my wishlist for Christmas. I am also very eager to read her Dead Girl books and can't wait to try them!

Linda's books maybe for young adults but so far I am loving them. Full of mystery and some lovely paranormal elements they are very addictive. So I hope that this interview and my reviews of the series so far will give you a solution as to what to buy that younger reader in your life for Christmas! After all you can read it first...or borrow it after they are finished with it ;)

Don't forget to enter the contest! You could win yourself a copy of the first book in the Seer Series!


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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 us a little about your Seer series?

Linda - I had such fun getting to know Sabine and her friends. I especially loved Dominic's connection to animals and Opal, Sabine's spirit guide. I was lucky to be contracted for 6 books then also the spin-off with Thorn, BURIED. There are some short stories, too, including Dark Lifer's Revenge which is free on Nook and Amazon.

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

Linda - I had the idea for a mystery series with a psychic sleuth over 20 years ago, and the original title was Psychic Sleuth. When I sold the series to Llewellyn/Flux, they came up with the title THE SEER. I wrote the first book in about 4 months,

Amber - I have only read the first four books in the Seer series so far. Did you know how many books there would be and how the series would end?

Linda - When I plotted the series, I came up with about 10 title suggestions. Each title was contracted separately, so I was never sure how many more books I'd be asked to write. The series was supposed to end at 5 books and there's a 3 year gap between #6 Magician's Muse came out. I was just happy whenever I was allowed to write more books. BURIED: A GOTH GIRL MYSTERY, is a spin off, and at this moment the last book, although I have started a sequel to BURIED called REAPER that I might self-publish.

Amber - Were you always interested in psychics? What about other Supernatural and Paranormal elements?

Linda - I've been interested in psychics since I was young but I never actually went to one until I started researching for THE SEER series. I go about once a year now. I have never seen a ghost or had any supernatural experiences. But I believe everything is possible.

Amber - You have written a lot of books so far. What are your other series about?

Linda - I wrote 3 series for younger kids: STRANGE ENCOUNTERS, MY SISTER THE GHOST and CHEER SQUAD,.

STRANGE ENCOUNTERS is about Cassie Strange who finds paranormal mysteries while traveling with her family.

MY SISTER THE GHOST: Miranda's twin comes back as a ghost and the sisters have fun & dangerous adventures baby-sitting, at sleepovers and battling shadow ghosts.

CHEER SQUAD - Competitive cheerleading with romance, mysteries and road trips.

3 series for teens:

REGENERATION - 5 teens discover they've been cloned with enhanced skills, and a wicked scientist wants them dead. #1 is only $1.99 on Nook.

THE SEER - 6 titles and a spin-off, BURIED.

DEAD GIRL WALING - Mysterious, romantic, humorous trilogy following Amber who wakes up in a different body for each book--including the body of her best friend in DEAD GIRL IN LOVE.

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

Linda - I've gone to psychic fairs, read biographies of psychics and interviewed some. For my STRANGE ENCOUNTERS series, I travelled to each location in the book, which was lots of fun. For Sword Play, I took fencing lessons. And for Magician's Muse, I read about women magicians.

Amber - Do you only write Young Adult series? Is it difficult writing about teenagers and not going too adult?

Linda - I have a picture book coming out in 2014 and have written middle-grade series, so I don't only write YA. I love YA, though, and have other books I've written that haven't sold yet. I read a lot of YA, which helps me keep up with teen, also I love to watch TV and pay attention to what teens are saying, wearing and doing. While styles and trends change, the emotions of being a teen are timeless. And I tap into my own memories of heart-break, love, hope, fear and joy when I write about teens.

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

Linda - I come up with names in a similar way as you might decide what you feel like eating or what music to listen to. It's all very intuitive, and I just listen in my head for a name that feels right for each character. When I came up with Sabine, I didn't like it at first, but it just felt like the character wanted that name, so I gave it to her.

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?

Linda - Titles, like names, usually just pop into my head. I don't always get to keep my titles, though. Here's how it went for THE SEER series.

1. Don't Die Dragonfly -- My title idea and luckily it worked for my editor, too.
2. Last Dance -- Not my title. I wrote the book with the title of Ghostly Charms.
3. Witch Ball -- My title. Inspired by an article I read on witch balls.
4. Sword Play - My title.
5. Fatal Charm - Not my title. I titled this one Kiss N' Kill.
6. Magician's Muse -- My title. Surprisingly, I got to keep it.

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?

Linda - 6 months to a year. My process is to write at least 5 mornings a week, with a goal of 2 or 3 pages. On good days I write 5 or more pages. I always plot ahead a little, so I know the basic scenes ahead. I plan the ending, too. But the middle scenes unfold with surprises along that way that make it fun (frustrating sometimes) for me.

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

Linda - I've lost publishers several times and had to start over, submitting, getting rejections and submitting again. Having a good agent helps, and I have a good one. Still rejections comes, and sometimes they can be devastating. But I always keep writing and working on ideas to improve my career.

Amber - What are you listening and watching lately? Is there any music or other media that influences your writing?

Linda - I like lots of pop music like Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Train and many more. I'm into reality shows, too, like Survivor, Amazing Race and Big Brother--I never miss a season.

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

Linda - Look me up on Goodreads. Every book I've given 5 stars to is amazing.

Amber - What is next? What are you working on at the moment?

Linda - I have a science fiction YA that's come close to selling but not yet. I'm writing a novella (only about 100 pages) that's a twist on a fairytale with romance and dogs. I may go back to REAPER and finish that sequel to BURIED if I get enough interest from SEER fans who will read it in ebook form.

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

Linda - A winged cat that can turn invisible if there's danger.

Amber - Thanks for visiting Amberkatze's Book Blog!

THE SEER Series

1. Don’t Die Dragonfly
2. Last Dance
3. Witch Ball
4. Sword Play
5. Fatal Charm
6. Magician’s Muse

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Contest Time!

I am giving away a Kindle copy of Don’t Die Dragonfly to one lucky entrant!

How To Enter

Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter the contest.

Keep the contests going by using the Bookdepository.com and Amazon.com links/Banners below and around the site.

Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners you must claim your prize within 7 days of the winner being announced!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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