Behind The Pen: with Barbara Ashford (+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...

Just last week I had the pleasure of reading Ms Ashford's debut novel, Spellcast, and still a week later, I can't get it out of my mind.  I think it's forever taken residence in my heart & my soul. So, what do I do when I'm granted such an unexpected gift of amazing?  I bug and pester the people responsible. I'm so happy that Ms. Ashford had the time to participate in this segment, because I'm psyched to know more about her.  And due to my sheer annoyance enthusiasm, DAW is offering up a copy of said book, for one lucky commenter.  So without further adieu...

Behind The Pen: with Jennifer Estep (+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...

Jennifer Estep's Elemental Assassins series was one of the very first Urban Fantasy series I found when I really started getting into UF, way back in Feb 2010.  The series is so much fun with it's bad-ass heroine Gin Blanco, and her evil arch nemesis, Mab Monroe. If you haven't checked out this series yet, you really must. The fourth book in the series, Tangled Threads, will be out next Tuesday, April 26th. Make sure you pick up a copy.


Q1: What is the last book you read?
Right now, I’m reading The False Princess by Eilis O’Neal. It’s about a princess who finds out that she’s not really a princess after all.


Q2: If you were stuck on a desert island, what book would you like to have with you?
I’d love to have all the books by Donald Westlake. As Westlake, he wrote the Dortmunder books, which are really funny comic crime capers. As Richard Stark, he wrote the Parker books, which are about a thief who always gets the job done. That way, I could laugh or read a dark, gritty thriller, depending on my mood.


Q3: What is your favorite swear word?
Black-hearted sons of bitches. I know it’s more of a phrase, but I like it ;-)


Q4: What is your biggest pet-peeve?
People who don’t keep their promises or are late for an appointment. If you say you’re going to do something or be somewhere, you should do your best to meet those obligations.


Q5: What quality do you most like in a man?
A sense of humor.


Q6: What quality do you most like in a woman?
A sense of humor.


Q7: What profession, other than your own, would you like to attempt?
I’d love to try something really quirky and cool, like being an ice cream taste-tester or a screenwriter.


Q8: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I’ve always wanted to visit Alaska, so I would say there, although I imagine that I’d get tired of the snow and cold very quickly. LOL.


Q9: What inspires you?
Everything. Books, movies, TV shows, new stories, the people around me, a beautiful photograph. Anything I read, see, or hear about can spark a story idea.


Q10: If you could be one person (dead or alive) for a day who would you be?
Hmm. I’ll say someone really rich like Bill Gates so I could transfer a few million dollars over to the real me. LOL.


Q11: Mac or PC?
PC, since that’s what I use every day. Maybe someday, I’ll branch out and try a MAC. LOL

Thank you Jennifer for answering my laundry lists of questions.  And because Jennifer is so generous, she'll be giving away a copy of her upcoming release, Tangled Threads, to one lucky winner.  Here's how that'll work:

• Your comment is your entry
• If you follow this blog you receive an extra entry
• US & CAN only
• Contest ends next Thursday, April 28th at midnight (pst)
• Winner will be announced here shortly after that

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.

Behind The Pen: with Kevin Hearne (+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, and the characters, I ask authors the same 11 questions and hopefully get a glimpse behind the pen...

Kevin Hearne's new Iron Druid Chronicles is one of Del Rey Spectra's most anticipated releases this Spring, and after reading the first book, Hounded, I can understand why.  His writing is fresh, his characters are three dimensional, and his world of Druids, goddesses, and funny Irish wolfhounds is original and extremely entertaining.  I couldn't have been happier when Mr. Hearne agreed to answer my list of questions.  

Q1: What is the last book you read?

Truthseeker by C.E. Murphy. It had a Monty Python allusion in the first ten pages so I was hooked.

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

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The struggle (and the necessity) to affirm one’s unique identity in the face of a society that favors uniformity—that’s catnip to me.

Q3: What is your favorite swear word?

I rotate among a series of ass- prefixes. Right now I think “asskitten” is pretty funny…which probably indicates my dire need for therapy.

Q4: What is your biggest pet-peeve?

Spammers. They’re fucking asskittens.

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

OK, I’m just going to point to the Old Spice Guy.

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

I like braaaains. Most of my friends are women and most of them are smarter than me. I never get bored when I talk to them because they have a wider conversational range than the majority of men I know. Sports and cars and stuff are great, don’t get me wrong, but once you’ve exhausted sports and cars and stuff, you have to say good-bye to your guy friends and find a woman to talk to.

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

Type design. I am SUCH a font snob. I once spent a whole week drawing nothing but lowercase double-story g’s. The week after that I became obsessed with ffi ligatures.

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

Gah. I’m not well-traveled—a condition I hope to ameliorate—so what I say now might change in a year or two. Right now I’d say southwestern Colorado—a place in the San Juan Mountains. The kind of place Sam Elliott talks about in those commercials, using that virile voice of his. Actually, scratch that. You know what I want? Wherever I live and wherever I go, I just want Sam Elliott to narrate it. “When Kevin first came to this land,” he’ll rumble in a smoky basso profundo, “he stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Corrupt politicians exploded under his benevolent gaze. Spammers went sterile and the people loved him. They named their children after characters in his books and they gave him gourmet tamales. Microbrew draughts fountained from the earth in the wake of his passing, and everyone agreed that life was generally better when Kevin was around. I guess you could say Kevin has serious issues to imagine a scenario like this, but because it’s me, Sam Elliott, saying it, it’s warm and manly and all-American, and you can’t think of anything more charming or desirable than whatever it is I’m talking about right now.” Yeah, that’s what I want.

Q9: What inspires you?

Trees. My wife. Letters to a Young Poet. A finely crafted beer. Sam Elliott’s voice, clearly. And music! Yngwie Malmsteen and Six Parts Seven when I’m writing everyday scenes, DragonForce for battles. When I turn on the DragonForce, muthafuckas gonna die.

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

William Bloody Shakespeare. To have that facility, that skill with language—well, I’d have to change my shorts first, and then I’d go to’t. I’d write a play called No, It’s Too Perilous.

Q11: Mac or PC?

Mac

After reading Mr. Hearne's answers here, you can probably see why I consider Hounded one of the funniest books I've read recently. A great big thank you to Kevin!  So happy to have you stop by.

Jessica, thank you so much for inviting me to chat!

Del Rey was generous enough to offer up 3 copies of Hounded to 3 lucky commenters.  Here's how that'll work:

• Your comment is your entry
• Followers of this site get 2 entries
• US/CAN only
• Contest ends next Thursday, April 21st at midnight (pst)
• Winner will be announced Friday, April 22nd

Behind The Pen: with 1/2 of Cat Adams (+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...


I've read and loved the Blood Singer series by Cat Adams. The series is filled with vibrant characters and un-guessable plots. So naturally I began to wonder "Who are these brilliant writers?"  "What are they like?" I was thrilled when they agreed to answer my questionnaire.