Behind The Pen: with Suzanne McLeod (+giveaway)

I love interviews. But I find the artists behind the stories equally intriguing, and I think they deserve as much limelight as their characters. So here, instead of a list of questions about the story, the plot, or the characters, I ask authors the same 11 questions about themselves and hopefully get a glimpse behind the pen...

Suzanne McLeod's Spellcrackers.com series is so intricately plotted, the minute I finished with The Sweet Scent of Blood, the first book in the series, I just had to know more about the artist behind the story. So delighted that she agreed to answer my questionnaire... although I'm choosing to ignore the answer to the first question, because I'm so jealous I could spit. :P
The series' second book, The Cold Kiss of Death, US release date is next Tuesday, April 26th, and if you've yet to start this series here's the perfect chance.  (giveaway details after the interview)

Q1: What is the last book you read?

Ooh, this is where I make you all jealous if you’re a fan of Ann Aguirre’s Sirantha Jax  series like me *g*. I’ve just read Aftermath, which is book 5, and doesn’t release until September this year! See, told you you’d all be green-eyed with envy!

Q2: If you were stuck on a desert island, what book would you like to have with you?

Umm, can I cheat and say my Kindle? I bought it for Mr. Mc at Christmas, and then . . . Well, I had to buy him another for his birthday a month later, as the poor soul never got to use it once I got my sticky paws on it. It was love at first read. *strokes Kindle* But if I had to pick one book . . . oh, maybe a compendium of Charlaine Harris’, or Ilona Andrews’ stories, or . . . nope, too difficult to choose just one : -D

Q3: What is your favorite swear word?

Depends on who’s listening. If no one is, and I’ve stubbed my toe or something equaaaally paaaainful, then I’ll quietly drop the F-bomb, otherwise it’s usually a polite sh—ugar *looks innocent*.

Q4: What is your biggest pet-peeve?

Links that promise one thing, but in fact lead you somewhere else. Not so much spammy links, but those that take you to a home page on a site, and whatever it is that enticed you to click isn’t easy to find, be it a review, a picture or a recipe. (Hmm, bet you can guess this has just happened to me ... *grumps*)

Q5: What quality do you most like in a man?

I daydreamed . . . er, sorry, considered this question very seriously for quite some time. I mean there are lots of qualities I like – GSOH, loves animals, patience, isn’t afraid of spiders, looks like George Clooney (opps, now I’m sounding like a dating site!) . . . but in the end I realised that what I really like in a man, and a woman, comes down to chemistry. Either we gel or we don’t :- )

Q6: What quality do you most like in a woman?

Cheating here: See above answer! (Though, y’know, it might be a bit odd if a woman looked like George Clooney *g*)

Q7: What profession, other than your own, would you like to attempt?

Ooh, well, I’ve tried a variety, like retail, bookkeeper, and electrician, but I’ve always wanted to be a saxophonist and be part of a group. Trouble is I’m tone deaf, can’t read music, and my attempts at playing the recorder would leave anyone weeping.

Q8: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Somewhere where it’s T-shirts and shorts weather all year round, with a private beach, a warm sea, an infinity swimming pool, oh, and an assistant. *dreams*

Q9: What inspires you?

Deadlines! Oh, and being evil to my characters! Lol! But on a more serious note, anything can end up as inspiration: TV, films, a walk, dreams, books, blog posts, *cough* Wikipedia *cough*, and more . . .

Q10: If you could be one person (dead or alive) for a day who would you be?

Umm, I’m never very good at these type of questions, as I’m sort of happy being me, but on a good day. *slaps self for being cheesy*

Q11: Mac or PC?

PC, definitely. I like the look of Macs, but they scare me silly *g*

Thanks to Suzanne for answering my list of questions.  

And because Ms. McLeod is so very nice she's giving away a copy of her upcoming US release, The Cold Kiss of Death, to one lucky commenter. Here's how that'll work:

• Your comment is your entry
• If you follow this blog, you receive 2 entries
• Contest is International through Book Depository
• Ends Monday April 25th at midnight (pst)
• Winner will be announced shortly after that here.