Category Archives: Interview

Interview – Bishop O’Connell & Concours/Giveaway (+traduction)
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Welcome to Bishop O’connell, the author of the An American Faerie Tale series. The first book, The Stolen is out. You can find a review here. Thanks to the author for the answers.
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Bienvenue à Bishop O’Connell, l’auteur de la série An American Faerie Tale, son premier tome The Stolen est sorti aux US. Un avis du premier tome peut se retrouver ici. Merci à l’auteur pour ses réponses.

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Can you present you in a few words?

I’m an early graying, geeky, kilted, Irish-American storyteller. I also happen to be brilliant, charming, witty, devastatingly handsome, and humble beyond compare. Oh, and a bit sarcastic.

How would you describe the American Faerie Tale series?

It’s a modern faerie tale, my attempt to build a world that is exactly like ours, but has faeries, warriors, wizards, and monsters—and their magic—hiding in plain sight. Most of the time, most people catch only a glimpse of those hidden things out of the corner of their eye, but sometimes they don’t vanish when people turn and look.

How many books do you intend to write for the series?

I don’t have a set limit in mind, though if it goes how I’d like, it will be quite a few books, perhaps as many as twenty.

Spoiler alert: My intention is, around book four, for the series to start following Fiona —the stolen child the book is titled after— as she grows up and comes to terms with who and what she is, her place in the faerie world, and what that means about her place in the mortal world.

Was it difficult to write the first book? How long did it take?

Actually, the first book practically wrote itself. It started as a short story with just Brendan and Caitlin, who were both very different than the characters they are now. During a period when I was only working part time, I decided to turn it into a full novel. I finished the first draft in just over three months. I then spent the next three years editing and rewriting it. So, it wasn’t hard to write it, but at times it was hard to rewrite.

Did you need to do a lot of researches for your books?

I did, but probably not on the subjects you’d think. I have a good knowledge base of faerie tales, so I took them and added my own twist. I did a lot of research on the Irish and Welsh languages, studied maps of the locations in the book, and even did some medical research for Edward and Caitlin. I did sometimes refer back to some old Irish/English/Scottish faerie tales, just to ground myself.

How did you create your amazing world with so many faeries?

Originally the idea was that all the monsters of legend were real, but were actually faeries. Vampires, werewolves, demons, zombies and the rest, were, in fact, faeries. The passing of time had warped our collective human memory of them into the pantheon of urban fantasy monsters that we know today. In fact, originally the oíche were the source of vampire legends, and Brendan (and the rest of the Fianna) were lycanthropes/shape shifters. Thankfully I broke from the idea of yet another vampire novel early on and decided to make the faeries my own. I thought of the two courts you find in most faerie tales; summer and winter, light and dark, seelie and unseelie, and decided on a third court. While Dusk and Dawn would reside in Tír na nÓg, this third court would reside in the mortal world, built from members of the two original courts. That meant building a hierarchy, and like any hierarchy, there would be nobles and a peasant class, the latter I called the have-nots. Once I had that, it was easy to slip it just under the surface of our world. However, it made sense to me that if faeries lived alongside humanity, even hidden from view, they’d be impacted and shaped by our influence. For example, why use magic when technology is easier and readily accessible? So, my faeries became urban faeries. They didn’t ride horses or carry bows. They drove sports cars; had guns, cell phones, and stock portfolios; and owned night clubs.

Can you tell a little more about The Stolen?

In the end, it’s a story about heroes. Not the perfect, super-powered heroes who can’t be hurt and always make the right choice. These are normal people, for the most part, who stand up against darkness and do their best. They make mistakes, some of them monstrous, and they struggle for hope, but in the end they keep trying because it’s what good people do.

What can readers expect from the upcoming sequels?


In The Forgotten, the second book, you learn more about Dante and his world. There are new antagonists, some of whom show just how much the mortal world knows about magic and faeries. It also draws in other mythologies: Russian, German, and Native American. For anyone who has ever visited/resided in Seattle, there are some parts that I think will make you smile. Here’s a hint: the Freemont Troll isn’t just a sculpture.

Who are some of your influences?

Tolkien was my introduction to the world of fantasy, and soon after that I found Terry Brooks, R.A. Salvatore, Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, and later Jim Butcher. I also love the classics: James Joyce, Plato, Edgar Allen Poe, W.B. Yeats. Well, you get the idea. I can think of two books though that really inspired me, and to this day I always like to have a copy of each in my library so I can give them away to someone: Faerie Tale by Raymond E. Feist, and The Wood Wife, by Terri Windling. I also grew up playing Dungeons and Dragons, and I actually draw a lot of influence from that and the other roleplaying games from my youth.

Do you have a favorite author? Or a favorite book?

It’s hard to pin it down to just one. I really like Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series. John Scalzi is becoming a favorite; I love his sense of humor. My favorite book is undoubtedly Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig. It appealed to the philosophy student in me (my major in college) and really taught me to think critically about the world, life, reality and ask questions, even if they might not ever be answered.

Are there any other projects you’re working on or thinking about starting in the near future?

Obviously The Forgotten, but I also have a literary fiction piece that is waiting for rewriting, Luna and the Star, which is about a man who loses his wife, and while grieving discovers some pictures and a handwritten story from two little girls meant for their father who never received it. I also have ideas for a high fantasy trilogy, the first book of which is drafted but needs to be rewritten to connect with the American Faerie Tale series. It will be a side series, providing depth and history of some characters and creatures. There is also a short story I’ve written, a fantasy western that I really like and want to expand into a full novel at some point. Oh, and the third American Faerie Tale book, which will take place mostly in New Orleans.

Thanks so much for this interview. It’s great to know my story appeals to those outside the United States!

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Pouvez-vous vous présenter en quelques mots ?

Je suis un homme aux cheveux gris précoce, en kilt, geek, conteur irlando-américain. Il m’arrive aussi d’être brillant, charmant, plein d’esprit, terriblement beau et humble au-delà de tout. Oh, et un peu sarcastique.

Comment décririez-vous la série the American Faerie Tale ?

C’est un conte de fées moderne, ma tentative de créer un monde qui est exactement comme le notre, mais possédant des faes, des guerriers, des sorciers, et des monstres – et leurs magies – se cachant en pleine vue. La plus part du temps, les gens n’attrapent qu’une lueur de ces choses qui sont cachées au coin de notre œil, mais parfois ils ne disparaissent pas quand les personnes se retournent et regardent.

Combien de livres comptez-vous écrire pour la série ?

Je ne me suis pas fixé une limite en tête, mais si cela va comme je le veux, ce sera quelques uns, peut-être même une vingtaine.

Alerte spoiler: Mon intention est, autour du quatrième time, de suivre Fiona – l’enfant enlevé dans le livre qui a été nommé à partir de cela – tandis qu’elle grandit et comprend qui et ce qu’elle est, sa place dans le monde fae, et ce que cela veut dire par rapport à sa place dans le monde mortel.

Etait-ce difficile d’écrire le premier tome ? Combien de temps cela a-t-il pris ?

En fait, le premier livre s’est pratiquement écrit tout seul. Cela a commencé par une histoire courte sur Brendan et Caitlin, qui étaient tous deux différents des personnages qu’ils sont maintenant. Durant une période quand je travaillais uniquement à mi-temps, j’ai décidé de la transformer en une véritable histoire. J’ai fini le roman au bout de trois mois. J’ai passé les trois années suivantes à l’éditer et le réécrire. Donc cela n’a pas été difficile de l’écrire, mais plutôt de le réécrire.

Avez-vous eu besoin de faire beaucoup de recherches pour vos livres ?

Oui, mais peut-être pas sur les sujets que vous pourriez penser. J’ai de bonnes connaissances en contes de fées, alors je les ai pris et les ai ajoutés à ma propre sauce. J’ai fais beaucoup de recherches sur les langues Irlandaises et Welsh, étudié les cartes pour les locations du livre, et même fait quelques recherches médicales pour Edward et Caitlin. J’ai vérifié quelque anciens contes de fées Irlandais/Anglais/Scottish, juste pour être sûr.

Comment avez-vous créé un monde si fantastique avec tant de faes ?

A l’origine, l’idée était que tous les montres des légendes étaient réels, mais étaient en fait des faes. Vampires, loups-garous, démons, zombies étaient en fait des faes. Le temps passant a changé la mémoire humaine collective en un panthéon de monstres d’urban fantasy que nous connaissons aujourd’hui. En fait, à l’origine, les oíche étaient la source des légendes des vampires, et Brendan (et le reste des Fianna) étaient des lycanthropes/changes formes. Heureusement, j’ai coupé court mon idée d’un autre roman de vampires assez vite et j’ai décidé de faire des faes à la place. J’ai pensé aux deux cours que l’on retrouve dans la plus part des contes faes ; l’été et l’hiver, la lumière et l’obscurité, seelie et unseelie, et j’ai décidé de faire une troisième cour. Alors que le crépuscule et l’aube pourraient resider à Tír na nÓg, cette troisième cour résiderait dans le monde mortel, construite par les membres des deux cours originelles. Cela signifiait construire une hiérarchie, et comme chaque hiérarchie, il y aurait des nobles, une classe paysanne et la dernière serait appelée les have-nots. Après avoir fait cela, c’était facile de passer la surface de ce monde. Cependant, cela faisait sens pour moi que si les faes vivaient en parallèle des humains, même si cachés à leur vue, ils seraient impactés et changés par notre influence. Par exemple, pourquoi utiliser la magie quand la technologie est plus facilement accessible ? Alors mes faes sont devenus des urban faeries. Ils ne montent pas des chevaux et ne portent pas d’arcs. Ils conduisent des voitures de sports, portent des armes, des téléphones portables, possèdent des portefeuilles d’actions, ainsi que des night clubs.

Pouvez-vous nous en dire un plus au sujet de The Stolen?

Au final, c’est une histoire au sujet des héros. Pas les super-héros parfait pleins de pouvoir qui ne peuvent pas être blessés et qui font toujours les bons choix. Ceux la sont des personnes normales, pour la plus part, qui s’opposent à l’obscurité et font de leur mieux. Ils font des erreurs, certaines monstrueuses, et ils se battent pour avoir de l’espoir, mais au final, ils continuent parce que c’est ce que les bonnes personnes font.

A quoi peuvent s’attendre les lecteurs pour les prochains tomes?


Dans The Forgotten, le second tome, vous en apprendrez plus au sujet de Dante et son monde. Il y aura de nouveaux antagonistes, certains montrant combien le monde mortel connait la magie et les faes. Il y aura aussi d’autres mythologies : Russes, Allemandes et Native American. Pour ceux qui ont visité ou résidé à Seattle, je pense que certaines parties vous feront sourire. Voilà une idée : Freemont Troll n’est pas seulement une sculpture.

Quelles sont quelques unes de vos influences ?

Tolkien a été mon introduction au monde de la fantasy , puis très vite aprés j’ai découvert Terry Brooks, R.A. Salvatore, Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, et encore Jim Butcher. J’aime aussi beaucoup les classiques : James Joyce, Plato, Edgar Allen Poe, W.B. Yeats. Oui, vous voyez l’idée. Je peux penser à deux livres qui m’ont vraiment inspiré, et à ce jour j’aime toujours avoir une copie de chacun dans chacune de mes bibliothèques pour pouvoir les faire découvrir à quelqu’un : Faerie Tale de Raymond E. Feist, et The Wood Wife, de Terri Windling. J’ai aussi grandi en jouant à Dungeons and Dragons, and j’ai été beaucoup influence par ça et les autre jeux de rôle de ma jeunesse.

Avez-vous un auteur préféré ? Ou un livre ?

C’est très difficile de n’en choisir qu’un seul. J’aime vraiment beaucoup la série Dresden Files de Jim Butcher. John Sclazi est en train devenir un de mes préféré, j’adore son sens de l’humour. Mon livre préféré est sans doute Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance de Robert Pirsig. Ca attire l’étudient en philosophie en moi et m’a appris à penser de façon critique le monde, la vie, la réalité et à poster des questions, même si il se pourrait bien qu’elles n’aient jamais de réponses.

Avez-vous d’autres projets sur lesquels vous travaillez ou pensez commencer dans un future proche ?

Bien sur The Forgotten, mais j’ai aussi une fiction littéraire qui attend d’être réécrite, Luna and the Star, qui est au sujet d’un home qui perd sa femme et alors qu’il est en deuil, il découvre quelques photos et une histoire écrite à la main de deux jeunes filles pour leur père qui ne les a jamais reçu. J’ai aussi des idées pour une trilogie de fantasy, le premier livre qui est écrit mais qui a besoin d’être réécrit pour être lié à la série American Faerie Tale. Ce sera une série à part, permettant de découvrir l’histoire de certains personnages et créatures. Il y a aussi une histoire courte que j’ai écrite, un western fantasy que j’aime beaucoup et que j’espère pouvoir allonger pour avoir un véritable roman. Oh, et le troisième livre de American Faerie Tale, qui prendra place surtout à la Nouvelle Orléans.

Merci beaucoup pour cette interview. C’est génial de savoir que mes histoires plaisent à d’autres en dehors des Etats-Unis !

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Author website: http://aquietpint.com/

An American Faerie Tale, Book 1

Synopsis: Tonight, for the first time in over a century, a mortal child will be kidnapped by faeries.

When her daughter Fiona is snatched from her bed, Caitlin’s entire world crumbles. Once certain that faeries were only a fantasy, Caitlin must now accept that these supernatural creatures do exist—and that they have traded in their ancient swords and horses for modern guns and sports cars. Hopelessly outmatched, she accepts help from a trio of unlikely heroes: Eddy, a psychiatrist and novice wizard; Brendan, an outcast Fian warrior; and Dante, a Magister of the fae’s Rogue Court. Moving from the busy streets of Boston’s suburbs to the shadowy land of Tír na nÓg, Caitlin and her allies will risk everything to save Fiona. But can this disparate quartet conquer their own inner demons and outwit the dark faeries before it’s too late?

Thanks to the author, you can win two signed copies of The Stolen, one international and one US only.

Merci à l’auteur, vous pouvez gagner deux tomes signés de The Stolen, un international et un US.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Come back and check out more posts and giveaways by following the dates here.

Interview – jenn Bennett + Concours/Giveaway (+traduction)
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We’re happy to welcome today Jenn Bennett the author of the Arcadia Bell series and the Roaring Twenties series.

Nous sommes heureuses d’accueillir aujourd’hui Jenn Bennett, l’auteur de la série Arcadia Bell et Roaring Twenties qui sortira bientôt en Français chez ADA.

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Can you present you in a few words?

Thanks for having me on your blog! I’m the author of the Arcadia Bell UF series, the Roaring Twenties paranormal romance books, and the upcoming YA contemporary, THE NIGHT OWLS.

You write two different series, is it difficult to change from UF or PNR novels? What is the real difference for you?

No, it wasn’t difficult. My UF, Arcadia Bell, has a strong romantic subplot though the entire series, but the main plots are all supernatural mysteries. In contrast, the main plots in my Roaring Twenties PNR books are about the couple falling in love—the supernatural mystery is secondary.

Can you tell more about the Roaring Twenties series?

The first book is BITTER SPIRITS, and the series takes place in 1920s San Francisco and centers on the Magnussons, who are Swedish immigrants…and one of the biggest bootlegging families in the city. Each book features a different Magnusson sibling (Winter, Lowe, and Astrid). The paranormal mysteries include ghosts, cursed objects, and magic, but the main focus is on each book’s couple falling in love.

How many books do you intend to write for the series?

Just three. Astrid, the youngest Magnusson, and Bo (her oldest brother’s bootlegging captain) will have their story in GRAVE PHANTOMS, which releases May 2015.

You also have a new YA to be released, can you tell us a little more about it? 

It is called THE NIGHT OWLS, and it’s the biggest release of my career. It’s a contemporary romance featuring a 17-year-old girl who wants to be an anatomy illustrator. She meets a boy on the night bus in San Francisco and discovers he might be a notorious graffiti artist who’s been defacing local landmarks. It will release in hardcover in many different languages and territories, and I’m crazy excited about it!

Do you want to try some other genres after that?

I’m writing a second YA contemporary romance this year and might be working on a YA romantic fantasy—I haven’t decided yet. After that? I hope to be able to write both YA and adult, but as to the genres, who knows. I like writing new things. It’s a challenge!

The Arcadia Bell series is over, was if difficult to let the characters behind? Will we see them again one day?

Very difficult. It was the hardest decision I’ve made in my career, very bittersweet, but it was the right one. I’d lived with those characters in my head for several years. It was time to let them go—at least for now. I might revisit them again in the future. I’ve definitely considered it. But it would be set several years after BANISHING THE DARK, and would have a new focus.

Between all the books you wrote, who is your favorite character and why?

Hmm…maybe Jupe from Arcadia Bell. Or Bo from GRAVE PHANTOMS (May 2015). Or my YA heroine, Bex, from THE NIGHT OWLS (Fall 2015).

Your books are going to be released in French, do you see yourself meeting your French fans one day?

I would absolutely love to meet my French fans. Though, I’m afraid if I went to France, I’d never want to return to the States. Confession: I have a secret crush on Paris and will watch any movie or TV program set there (Amélie is one of my all-time favorite movies, and I LOVED the TV series The Returned). Also: books that take place in France? Those are my #1 weakness! I think I should probably visit soon so that I can write my own book that is set there, don’t you agree?

Are there any other projects you’re working on or thinking about starting in the near future?

I’ll be writing YA for the remainder of the year, but after that, I’d like to switch gears and write an adult book. Anything’s possible!

 

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Bienvenue sur Between Dreams and Reality, pouvez-vous vous présenter en quelques mots ?

Merci de m’accueillir sur votre blog ! Je suis l’auteure de la série UF Arcadia Bell, de la romance paranormale Roaring Twenties et du prochain roman de YA contemporain, THE NIGHT OWLS.

Vous écrivez deux séries différentes, est-il difficile de passer de l’urban fantasy à la romance paranormal ? Quelle est la réelle différence pour vous ?

Non, ce n’est pas difficile. Mon UF, Arcadia Bell, possède une grosse part de romance durant toute la série, mais l’intrigue principale reste sur le mystère surnaturel. En contraste, l’intrigue principale de la série de romance paranormale Roaring Twenties met en scène un couple qui tombe amoureux – le mystère surnaturel est secondaire.

Pouvez-vous nous en dire plus sur votre série Roaring Twenties ?

Le premier roman est BITTER SPIRITS, et la série prend place dans un San Francisco de 1920 et se centre sur les Magnussons, qui sont des immigrants Suédois… et l’une des plus grandes familles de contrebandiers de la ville. Chaque livre met en scène un enfant Magnusson (Winter, Lowe et Astrid). Les mystères surnaturels incluent des fantômes, des objets maudits, et la magie, mais l’intérêt principal se place sur la romance d’un couple.

Combien de livres comptez-vous écrire de livres dans la série ?

Juste trois. Astrid, la plus jeunes Magnusson et Bo (le capitaine contrebandier du plus vieux frère) auront leur histoire dans GRAVE PHANTOMS, qui sortira en Mai 2015.

Vous allez aussi avoir un nouveau YA pour bientôt, pouvez-vous nous en dire plus à ce sujet ?

Il est nommé THE NIGHT OWLS, et c’est la p lus grande sortie de ma carrière. C’est une romance contemporaine mettant en scène une fille de 17 ans qui désire être une illustratrice d’anatomie. Elle rencontre un garçon dans le bus de nuit de San Francisco et découvre qu’il pourrait bien être le célèbre graffeur qui défigure les sites d’intérêt locaux. Il sortira en hardcover dans plusieurs langues et pays, et je suis très excitée à ce sujet !

Voulez-vous essayer d’autres genres après cela ?

Je suis en train d’écrire une semaine romance contemporaine YA et pourrait travailler sur une romance de fantasy YA – mais je n’ai pas encore decidé. Après ça ? J’espère pouvoir écrire à la fois du YA et adulte, mais au sujet des genres, qui sait ? J’aime écrire de nouvelles choses. C’est un challenge.

La série Arcadia Bell est finie, était-ce difficile de laisser les personages derrière ? Les reverrons nous un jour ?

Très difficile. C’est la plus dure décision que j’ai pu prendre au cours de ma carrière, très compliqué, mais c’était la bonne. Il était temps de les laisser partir – en tout cas pour le moment. Je pourrais les revisiter un jour dans le future. J’y ai déjà pensé. Mais cela se passerait plusieurs année après BANISHING THE DARK, et aura de nouvelles idées.

A travers tous les livres que vous avez écrit, qui est votre personnage préféré et pour quoi ?

Hmm… peut-être Jupe d’Arcadia Bell. Ou Bo de GRAVE PHANTOMS (Mai 2015). Ou mon héroïne de YA, Bex, de THE NIGHT OWLS (Automne 2015).

Vos livres vont sortir en Français, vous voyez-vous rencontrer vos fans Français un jour ?

J’adorerais rencontrer mes fans Français. Cependant, j’ai bien peur que si je venais en France, je ne voudrais jamais revenir aux States. Une confession : J’ai un amour secret pour Paris et je regarde tous les films ou programmes TV tournés ici (Amélie est un de mes films préférés et j’adore la série TV The Returned). Et puis : Les livres prenant place à Paris ? Ils sont ma faiblesse #1 ! Je pense qu’il faudrait que je vienne très vite pour pouvoir écrire mon propre livre dans cet endroit, n’êtes vous pas d’accord ?

Avez-vous d’autres projets sur lesquels vous travaillez ou que vous pensez commencer dans le futur ?

Je vais écrire de YA pendant toute l’année, mais après cela, j’aimerais changer encore et écrire un live adulte. Tout est possible.

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Author website: http://www.jennbennett.net/

Thanks to the author you can win the book of your choice in the Roaring Twenties series or in the Arcadia Bell series as soon as Book Depository ships to you.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Come back and check out more posts and giveaways by following the dates here.

Interview – M.L. Brennan + Giveaway (+traduction)
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We’re happy to welcome today M.L. Brennan, the author of the Generation V series. Thanks to her for answering our questions.

Nous sommes heureuses d’accueillir aujourd’hui M.L. Brennan l’auteure de la série génération V. Merci à elle pour avoir répondu à nos questions.

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Can you present you in a few words?

Sure! By day I teach college courses — basic composition and literature — but by night (and sometimes in the morning and afternoons) I write urban fantasy books. My debut was published in 2013 by Roc Books, and the second was published in January of this year. I’m in the rare and lucky position of getting two books published in one year, and the third book in the series will be released in November.

How would you describe the Generation V series?

Not your usual vampires, trickster kitsune, underemployment, Firefly & Star Trek references, family tension, violence, snark, and mystery all rolled into one ball.

How many books do you intend to write for the series?

Right now I’m contracted for four books, but I have storylines mapped out to a Book Six. Each book has both a standalone plot and some ongoing ideas, without any major cliffhangering, but I’m really excited about the direction I’m moving in.

How did you end up writing UF books? Is there any other genre that appeal to you?

I enjoy a lot of genres, and I’ve played around with worldbuilding in a lot of them. I read fantasy and a lot of its sub-genres, and I’m also a big fan of sci-fi. I’ve had a special enjoyment of UF ever since I read Emma Bull’s WAR FOR THE OAKS — I love the way she mashed together fey myth ideas with a gritty city environment and the up-and-coming band scene. I’d also read plenty of other authors who’ve done fantastic thing with UF — Patricia Briggs and Rob Thurman were also big influences on me.

What I like about UF is the chance to play with ideas and scenarios that are very current — my protagonist, Fortitude Scott, deals with the struggle of having a liberal arts degree that has relatively limited applications, and so he’s working a series of underpaying and dispiriting jobs. Money is a struggle for Fort in these books, as is figuring out who he wants to be as a person. At the same time, I like that UF seems to lend itself naturally to different variations on old classics like vampires or elves — I’ve had quite a lot of fun rethinking monsters and playing with old myths.

So Fortitude, where’d he come from?

The first thing I developed when I was setting up my series was how the vampire species would work — so I spent most of my time thinking about biology, predator-prey relationships, and how obligate sanguivores function (I know — exciting stuff). Once I had that down I knew how the family system worked — and I knew that my main character was going to be younger member of a vampire family. But I knew that there was a lot of vampire exhaustion in readers, so I also wanted this to be a vampire who played against our stereotypes. So whereas we think of vampires as being old and experienced, I wanted my vampire to be young and kind of a rube. We think of vampires as erotic and sexy — I made my vampire awkward and average-looking. So a lot of the basic parts of Fortitude came out of the circumstances of both the world I was building as well as what was going on in urban fantasy publishing trends at the time. At the same time, there was a lot of discussion about the kind of world that the Millennial was graduating into — huge student loan debts, a shrinking job market, and a whole lot of liberal arts degrees with limited workplace application. I wanted Fort to be dealing with these things.

Why choose to work with an anti-hero?

A few reasons. Firstly, I think anyone who wants to work in a genre that is as saturated as urban fantasy is right now needs to really sit down and seriously ask themselves what sets their book apart from the rest of the pack. A lot of the protagonists in urban fantasy are powerful, ass-kicking, sexy, and hugely ass-kicking. These can be plenty of fun, but I decided that I wanted a protagonist who was none of these things. It made things fun for me as a writer because Fort never had an easy way out of situations, and at the same time the smart thing would’ve been for him to hide out at home under his bed, yet I had to come up with an honest character-driven reason why he was choosing not to do that. Things that make the character walk a more difficult road than they otherwise would’ve are great for a writer, and ultimately benefit the reader. I think being a beta hero also made Fort’s voice sharper for me as the writer — to me it’s like the difference between Superman and Batman. Superman has all of these incredible alien powers — heat vision, flying, super strength — it kind of leaves him with a lot less to snark about. Batman, however, (if we ignore the whole billionaire playboy part of him) is a regular guy. A bank robber with a gun is no threat for Superman, but if Batman forgot his kevlar BatVest at home that day, this is sure a problem for him. And it gives him that extra edge of cynicism, and at the same time makes his decision to chase after the bad guys have more pathos to it than Superman’s.

Is it difficult to have many species in one book?

Yes and no. I like having a bunch of species, because it adds a lot of different viewpoints and agendas. The vampires have a very different worldview than, say, the kitsune or the ghouls, and a world that fit the vampires perfectly might not be to everyone else’s taste. Also, I’ve tried to introduce the different species somewhat slowly, so that the reader has a chance to get to know each one before I add in a new one.

But with having so many species, it’s important that they all balance out with each other. I tried to make my vampires as grounded in reality as I could, with a life-cycle and a biology that functioned, but that also set the standard for everyone else. So now whenever I bring in a new species, I have to figure out how they tick and their biology. Usually I try to pick a real-world counterpart that I can research and then pull parallels to.

What’s the hardest scene for you to write?

Any scene that introduces a new character is absolute misery for me. Initial reactions and dialogue, how to slide in basic physical description plus maintaining the mechanics of keeping it clear who is talking to who — it’s annoying, and it takes me a while to get it to where I’m happy with it. There was one scene in TAINTED BLOOD where I was introducing three new characters, and then three *other* new characters walked in through the door. After I was done with that I swore that I would never do something like that again.

List 5 characters and do word associations.

Fortitude Scott: Idealistic.

Suzume Hollis: Tricksy.

Matt McMahon: Committed.

Chivalry Scott: Purposeful.

Prudence Scott: Dangerous.

What about the writing process most appeals to you? What is the most fun?

I think the planning phase is always what gets me the most excited. I write down my ideas on pieces of paper, then when I have a pile that’s high enough I start pulling them all together. Everything seems really open and full of possibility during that time — and if I want to go in a whole new direction, it’s as easy as just pulling out a fresh sheet of paper. I like the other parts of the process as well, but once I start working on the manuscript itself and the pages start accumulating it’s much harder to insert a new idea or shift directions. Nothing depresses me more than when I come up with a fantastic new idea, but I’m already 4/5ths of the way through a manuscript and will have to tuck the idea away for the next book.

What can you tell about the future books?

In every book Fort takes a certain amount of action, usually because he feels morally obligated to do so, and then in the next book those actions have repercussions that make his life more complicated. I’m really enjoying this situation because not only does it give me a canvass to work with that has increasingly high stakes to it, but it also continues to push Fort as a character into situations that give him more growth. I’m working on the fourth book right now, but at the same time I am on the edge of my seat to see what readers think about what I did in the third!

Do you have a favorite author? Or a favorite book?

Hundreds. Literally — I’m constantly running out of shelving space for my books.

If I had to pick a true favorite, I’d be stuck on this question for the next few hours in a relentless Sophie’s Choice kind of situation. But a few books that I’ve read and really enjoyed lately include V. E. Schwab’s VICIOUS, Max Gladstone’s FULL FATHOM FIVE, and Teresa Frohock’s MISERERE.

Thank you a lot,

Thanks so much for the fun questions and the opportunity!

———————

Pouvez-vous vous présenter en quelques mots ?

Bien sûr! Le jour, je donne des cours au collège – la base de la composition et la littérature – mais la nuit (et parfois le matin et l’après-midi) j’écris des livres de fantasy urbaine. Mon premier roman a été publié en 2013 par Roc Books, et le second a été publié en Janvier de cette année. J’ai eu la chance d’avoir deux livres publiés en un an, ce qui est assez rare, et le troisième livre de la série sera publié en Novembre.

Comment décririez-vous la série Génération V ?

Des vampires inhabituels, un kitsune filou, du sous-emploi, des références à Firefly et Star Trek, des tensions familiales, de la violence, du sarcasme, et du mystère, le tout dans un même ensemble.
 
Combien de livres comptez-vous écrire pour la série ?

En ce moment je suis sous contrat pour quatre livres, mais j’ai des scénarios en tête pour aller jusqu’à un sixième livre. Chaque livre est à la fois une intrigue autonome et des idées en cours, sans cliffhanger majeur, mais je suis vraiment excitée à propos de la direction que je vais prendre.
 
Comment êtes-vous arrivé à écrire des livres de fantasy urbaine ? Y a-t-il un autre genre qui vous attire ?

J’aime beaucoup de genres, et j’ai joué un peu avec la construction du monde dans un grand nombre d’entre eux. Je lis de la fantasy et beaucoup de ses sous-genres, et je suis aussi une grande fan de science-fiction. J’ai eu une attirance spéciale pour la fantasy urbaine depuis que j’ai lu WAR FOR THE OAKS d’Emma Bull- J’aime sa façon de mélanger ensemble les idées tirées de mythes féeriques avec un environnement urbain graveleux et l’ensemble des scènes de va-et-vient. Je lis aussi beaucoup d’autres auteurs qui ont fait des choses fantastiques avec la fantaisie urbaine – Patricia Briggs et Rob Thurman ont aussi eu de grandes influences sur moi.

Ce que j’aime à propos de la fantasy urbaine est la chance de pouvoir jouer avec des idées et des scénarios qui sont très actuels – mon protagoniste, Fortitude Scott, doit faire face au souci qui est d’avoir un diplôme en arts libéraux où les débouchés sont relativement limités, et donc il cumule toute une série d’emplois sous-payés et décourageants. L’argent est une lutte de tous les instants pour Fort dans ces livres, tout comme la question de savoir quel genre de personne il veut devenir. Dans le même temps, j’aime le fait que la fantaisie urbaine semble se prêter naturellement à différentes variations de vieux classiques comme les vampires ou les elfes – J’ai eu beaucoup de plaisir à repenser les monstres et à jouer avec les vieux mythes.
 
Donc Fortitude, d’où vient-il ?

La première chose que j’ai développé lorsque j’ai commencé à créer ma série était de savoir comment les différentes espèces de vampires allaient coexister – alors j’ai passé la plupart de mon temps à penser à la biologie, les relations prédateur-proie, et comment les sanguivores par obligation fonctionnent (je sais – des choses passionnantes). Une fois tout ça mis en place, je savais comment le système des familles fonctionnerait – et je savais que mon personnage principal allait être le plus jeune membre d’une famille de vampires. Mais je savais qu’il y avait beaucoup de lassitude de la part des lecteurs concernant les vampires, donc je voulais aussi qu’il soit un vampire qui joue contre nos stéréotypes. Ainsi, alors que les vampires nous font penser à des êtres vieux et expérimentés, je voulais que mon vampire soit jeune et en quelque sorte un peu rustre. Nous imaginons les vampires comme des êtres érotiques et sexy – J’ai fait de mon vampire un maladroit au look plutôt moyen. Ainsi, un grand nombre de pièces de base servant à la création de Fortitude viennent des circonstances issues à la fois du monde que j’étais en train de construire, ainsi que des tendances de l’édition en matière de fantasy urbaine à l’époque. A la même époque, il y avait beaucoup de discussions sur la question de savoir dans quel genre de contexte les futurs diplômés devront envisager pour leur avenir – d’énormes dettes consécutives aux prêts-étudiants, un marché du travail diminué, et tout un tas de diplômés en arts libéraux avec une offre de travail limitée. Je voulais Fort ait à gérer ce genre de choses.
 
Pourquoi choisir de travailler avec un anti-héros ?

Quelques raisons. Tout d’abord, je pense que toute personne qui veut travailler dans un genre qui est aussi saturé que fantasy urbaine l’est en ce moment, doit vraiment s’asseoir et se demander sérieusement ce qui distingue leur livre à par rapport au reste de la meute. Un grand nombre de protagonistes de fantasy urbaine sont puissants, botteurs de fesses, sexy, et extrêmement coriaces. Ces derniers peuvent être très amusants, mais j’ai décidé que je voulais un personnage qui n’était pas toutes ces choses. Cela a rendu les choses amusantes pour moi en tant qu’écrivain parce que Fort n’a jamais eu un moyen facile de se sortir des situations difficiles, et la chose la plus intelligente aurait été pour lui de se cacher à la maison sous son lit, et pourtant, j’en suis venue à mettre l’accent sur un honnête personnage, ce qui fait qu’il ne choisit jamais cette option. Les choses qui font qu’un personnage marche sur une route plus difficile que celle qu’il aurait dû emprunter sont parfaites pour un écrivain, et le lecteur en bénéficie aussi. Je pense que le fait d’être un bêta héros a également rendu la voix de Fort plus nette pour moi en tant qu’écrivain – pour moi, c’est comme la différence entre Superman et Batman. Superman possède tous ces pouvoirs incroyables d’origine extra-terrestre – vision thermique, voler, super force – de telle sorte que ça laisse beaucoup moins de place pour les propos sournois ou sarcastiques. Batman, cependant, (si l’on fait abstraction de toute la partie « playboy milliardaire ») est un gars ordinaire. Un braqueur de banque avec une arme à feu n’est pas une menace pour Superman, mais si Batman oublie que sa BatV en kevlar est à la maison ce jour-là, c’est sûr que ça sera un problème pour lui. Cela lui donne cet avantage supplémentaire sur le plan du cynisme, et en même temps rend sa décision de courir après les méchants plus pathétique que celle de Superman.
 
Est-il difficile d’avoir de nombreuses espèces dans un livre ?

Oui et non. J’aime avoir tout un tas d’espèces, car cela ajoute beaucoup de différents points de vue et d’agendas. Les vampires ont une vision du monde très différente de celle, par exemple, du kitsune ou des goules, et un monde qui satisferait parfaitement les vampires peut ne pas être du goût de tout le monde. Aussi, j’ai essayé de présenter les différentes espèces un peu lentement, de sorte que le lecteur ait une chance d’apprendre à connaître chacune d’entre elles avant que j’an ajoute une nouvelle.

Mais lorsqu’on a autant d’espèces, il est important que toutes s’équilibrent les unes avec les autres. J’ai essayé de faire en sorte que mes vampires soient les plus possibles ancrés dans la réalité, avec un cycle de vie et une biologie qui fonctionne, mais qui ont également établi la norme pour tout le monde. Alors maintenant, quand j’apporte une nouvelle espèce, je dois comprendre comment ils fonctionnent ainsi que leur biologie. Habituellement, j’essaie de choisir un homologue ou l’équivalent dans le monde réel, ainsi je peux faire des recherches et puis tirer des parallèles.
 
Quelle est la scène la plus difficile pour vous à écrire ?

Une scène qui introduit un nouveau personnage est une misère absolue pour moi. Les premières réactions et les dialogues, ou encore comment glisser vers la description physique de base en plus du maintien de la mécanique consistant à savoir clairement qui parle à qui – c’est ennuyeux, et il me faut un certain temps pour obtenir quelque chose qui me satisfait. Il y avait une scène dans TAINTED BLOOD où je présentais trois nouveaux personnages, puis trois *autres* nouveaux personnages entrèrent par la porte. Après en avoir fini avec eux, je me suis juré que je ne referais jamais quelque chose comme ça.

Listez 5 personnages et faites des associations de mots.

Fortitude Scott : idéaliste.
Suzume Hollis : espiègle.
Matt McMahon : Engagé.
Chevalerie Scott : Tenace.
Prudence Scott : Dangereuse.
 
Qu’est-ce qui vous intéresse le plus dans le processus d’écriture ? Qu’est-ce qui est le plus amusant ?

Je pense que la phase de planification est toujours celle qui est la plus excitante. J’écris mes idées sur des bouts de papier, puis quand j’ai une pile qui est assez grande, je commence à les retirer puis je les mets ensemble. A ce moment-là, tout cela semble très ouvert et plein de possibilités – et si je veux aller dans une toute nouvelle direction, c’est aussi très facile, il suffit simplement de tirer une nouvelle feuille de papier. J’aime les autres parties du processus aussi, mais une fois que je commence à travailler sur le manuscrit en lui-même et que les pages commencent à s’accumuler, il est beaucoup plus difficile d’insérer une nouvelle idée ou de changer les directions. Rien ne me déprime plus que quand je viens avec une nouvelle idée fantastique, mais que je suis déjà aux 4/5e dans l’écriture du manuscrit et que je devrai donc garder l’idée dans un coin pour le prochain livre.
 
Que pouvez-vous nous dire sur les futurs livres ?

Dans chaque livre Fort prend part à un certain nombre d’actions, le plus souvent parce qu’il se sent moralement obligé de le faire, et puis dans le prochain livre ces mêmes actions ont des répercussions qui rendent sa vie plus compliquée. J’apprécie vraiment cette situation, car non seulement cela me donne une toile de fond sur laquelle travailler avec de plus en plus d’enjeux élevés, mais aussi cela permet de pousser le personnage de Fort dans des situations qui le feront gagner en maturité. Je travaille sur le quatrième tome en ce moment, mais en même temps je suis sur le bord de mon siège pour voir ce que les lecteurs pensent de ce que j’ai fait dans le troisième!
 
Avez-vous un auteur préféré ? Ou un livre préféré ?

Des centaines. Littéralement – Je suis constamment à court d’espace de rayonnage pour mes livres.

Si je devais choisir un vrai favori, je serais coincée sur cette question au cours des prochaines heures dans une implacable situation similaire à celle dans Le Choix de Sophie. Mais parmi quelques livres que j’ai lus et vraiment appréciés récemment on peut inclure VICIOUS deV. E. Schwab, FULL FATHOM FIVE de Max Gladstone et MISERERE de Teresa Frohock.

Merci beaucoup,

Merci beaucoup pour cette opportunité et les questions amusantes !

——

Author website: http://www.mlbrennan.com

Generation V, Book 2

Synopsis: Underemployed by day. Undead by night.

Underachieving film theory graduate and vampire Fortitude Scott may be waiting tables at a snooty restaurant run by a tyrannical chef who hates him, but the other parts of his life finally seem to be stabilizing. He’s learning how to rule the Scott family territory, hanging out more with his shapeshifting friend Suzume Hollis, and has actually found a decent roommate for once.

Until he finds his roommate’s dead body.

The Scott family cover-up machine swings into gear, but Fort is the only person trying to figure out who (or what) actually killed his friend. His hunt for a murderer leads to a creature that scares even his sociopathic family, and puts them all in deadly peril.

Keeping secrets, killing monsters, and still having to make it to work on time? Sometimes being a vampire really sucks.

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Interview – Amanda Carlson + Giveaway/Concours
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We’re happy today to welcome on the blod the amazing Amanda Carlson who is releasing today the second book in her Sin City Collectors series: Ante Up.

Nous sommes contentes d’accueillir l’auteure Amanda Carlson qui publie aujourd’hui son deuxième tome dans la série Sin City Collectors : Ante Up.

—–

Welcome on Between Dreams and Reality. Can you present you in a few words?

I’m an urban fantasy/paranormal romance author. I love the fantasy genre in general, and really love writing action and romance. I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota with my husband and three kids.

How would you describe the Sin City Collectors series?

The Sin City Collectors are group of supernaturals employed by an agency as bounty hunters to bring in errant supes. It’s gritty work to be a Collector, and our stories revolve around one job assignment along with a romance, so each story contains both action and romance. These are stand alone paranormal romances, and every one will have their own happily ever after (HEA).

Is it difficult to write a full series with a novella format?

I thought it might be at first, but I’m finding it fairly easy and lots of fun. You have to tighten everything up, but that’s the fun part to me. I think my novellas read longer, and readers should know that each of our stories are a minimum of 30K-40K in length–and some people out there calling that a full length book these days. So, really, the stories themselves aren’t that short.

How many books do you intend to write?

I will write at least three novellas, but likely six. In my first three installments, my characters interact. With the next three, I’ll likely introduce six new characters.

Do you intend to write them in longer format?

That’s a definite possibility! I’d love to do a novel with my first six characters. That would be so fun.

Are there any other projects you’re working on or thinking about starting in the near future?

I always have something going on the side. Stay tuned! The best place to get my news first is my newsletter. Sign-up is on the front page of my website. www.amandacarlson.com

Thanks for hosting me! It’s always fun to stop by and chat. ANTE UP releases is available today and I’m so excited to share it.

 

—————————————–

Pouvez-vous vous présenter en quelques mots ?

Je suis une auteure d’urban fantasy/romance paranormale. J’adore le genre fantasy en général, et j’adore écrire de l’action et de la romance. Je vis à Minneapolis, Minnesota avec mon mari et mes trois enfants.

Comment décririez-vous la série Sin City Collectors ?

Les Sin City Collectors sont un groupe surnaturel employé par une agence de chasseurs de prime pour ramener les supes devenus rogues. C’est un travail courageux, et nos histories se tournent vers un assignement le tout avec une romance, et donc chaque histoire contient à la fois de l’action et de la romance. Ce sont des romances paranormales qui peuvent se lire séparément, et chacune d’elle a son propre happy end.

Est-ce difficile d’écrire une série complete sous la forme de nouvelles ?

Je pensais que ça le serait au début, mais je trouve que c’est finalement facile et très drôle. Je dois tout condenser, mais c’est une partie assez sympa pour moi. Je pense que mes nouvelles sont assez longues, et les lecteurs devraient savoir que chaque histoire ont au minimum 30K-40K mots en longueur – et certaines personnes disent qu’elles peuvent les considérer comme un véritable livre aujourd’hui. Donc vraiment, les histoires en elle-memes ne sont pas courtes.

Combien de livres comptez-vous écrire ?

Je vais écrire au moins trois nouvelles, mais surement six. Dans les trois premiers volumes, mes personnages interagissent. Dans les trois suivant, j’introduirais surement six autres personnages.

Pensez-vous les écrire sous un format plus long ?

C’est définitivement une possibilité ! J’aimerais beaucoup faire un roman avec mes six premiers personnages. Ce serait sympa.

Avez-vous d’autres projets sur lesquels vous travaillez ou pensez commencer dans un futur proche ?

J’ai toujours quelque chose sur le feu. Restez alerte ! Le meilleur endroit pour avoir des informations reste ma newsletter. Inscrivez-vous sur la page principale de mon site. www.amandacarlson.com

Merci de m’avoir reçu ! C’est toujours agréable de s’arrêter et de parler. ANTE UP sort aujourd’hui et je suis impatiente de le partager.

 

Sin City Collectors, 1

Synopsis: Welcome to Vegas. Home of the Sin City Collectors. The job description is easy: Bring the offending supernatural in to the Boss and don’t ask any questions.

Nevada Hamilton has learned a few things since becoming a Sin City Collector, and staying away from vampires is one of them. After botching her first Collection, the vamp getting away after causing as much damage as possible, she hasn’t been assigned to another one since.

But when she receives her next playing card, she’s in for a surprise. Not only is a vampire her next target, but they’ve paired her up to make sure she gets the job done right. Refusing a Collection is not an option, but when she discovers who she’s working with, making the mission as difficult as possible for her new partner becomes her top priority…

Being a hellhound isn’t enough to protect Jake Troubadour from Nevada Hamilton, no matter how thick his skin is. Finding out he has to work with the beautiful dhampir, after not seeing her for three years, is a low blow—but Jake is a professional. He takes his Collections as seriously as he does running his bar. He’ll do whatever it takes to get the job done, but after that, he’s out. No more chances for the girl who wrecked his bike and scarred his soul so long ago. But even with his heart dead set against it, this hellhound quickly finds he’s not immune to love after all.

What’s Collected in Vegas, stays in Vegas…

 

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Event
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Hello everyone, like each year, we’re doing once again our event with the authors we love and want to share with you. They kindly agreed to do some guest posts/interviews and giveaways (French, US&CAN and international) during August and September and  I hope that you’ll enjoy each of them because they’re awesome. I want to thanks the amazing Fleurine for the header because I love her creations. A special Thank you to Gilwen who wrote some questions as well. (The dates given can be changed during the event)

—-

Coucou tout le monde. Comme chaque année, nous réalisons encore une fois un événement avec les auteurs que nous adorons et que nous voulons partager avec vous. Ils ont gentiment accepté de faire des guest posts/interviews et des concours (Français, US&CAN, internationaux) durant Aout et Septembre. J’espère que vous aimerez le tout car ils sont tous géniaux. Je voudrais remercier la géniale Fleurine pour sa bannière comme j’adore ses créations. Egalement merci à Gilwen qui a participé pour les questions. (Les dates données sont susceptibles de changer durant l’événement).

 

Aout/August

8 – Concours Français / French Giveaway

10 – US&CAN Giveaway

12 – Cecy Robson

14 – Kait Ballenger

18 – Amanda Carlson

20 – Kate Serine

22 – M. L. Brennan

24 – Jenn Bennett

26 – Skyla D. Cameron

27 – Bishop O’connell

29 – Amanda Bonilla

Septembre/September

2 – Linda Grimes

5 – Concours Français / French Giveaway

8 – Stephane Soutoul

11 – Sandy Williams

14 – Suzanne Johnson

16 – Sierra Dean

18 – S. J. Harper

21 – Suzanne Mcleod

Interview with Jaime Lee Moyer + Giveaway
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Welcome to Between Dreams and Reality, can you present yourself in a few words?

Thank you for asking me to be here.

I’m a writer, a poet, a reader, a feminist, a photographer, a dreamer, a cat lover, and a history geek. I love cinnamon more than chocolate, and I’m endlessly curious.

How would you describe the Delia Martin series?

 

I think of the series as a blend of historical fantasy and mystery that mixes ghosts, magic and murder. Delia has always seen ghosts, Gabe is dedicated to finding justice for those who can’t find it for themselves. The two of them make a perfect team. The fact they love each other deeply is a bonus.The books are also about friendship and loyalty, the family you make always being there for you and having your back, and of course, love. Everything I write is a love story in one way or another.

Who are some of your influences?

Every writer I’ve ever read has influenced me in some way, both good and bad, or taught me something about how to tell a story or use language. Some of those writers are Melanie Rawn, Barbara Hambly, Kate Elliot, Elizabeth Bear, Elizabeth Moon, Ursula K. LeGuin, Ray Bradbury, Robin McKinley, Andre Norton, and Neil Gaiman. There are more, but that’s a good start on a list.

Why did you choose this period for your books?

1915-1919 were interesting and exciting years for a lot of reasons. The war years (WWI) were really the dawn of what we think of as the modern age. New technology, new social attitudes, changing roles for women—all of those things were happening at once, and spreading across the entire country rapidly. It was a challenging time to be alive.

The Great War, as WWI was known at the time, brought changes of its own. Empires fell and vanished, new, horrible weapons were used for the first time. More than nine million men died in that war.

Another major reason was that spiritualism was flourishing between 1915-1919.  Not everyone believed in ghosts, but millions of people were convinced that spirits came back from the other side to impart messages to the living. Mediums, such as Delia and Dora, were believed to be the bridge between the two worlds.

It all came together to make this the perfect time to set these books.

What do you think about ghosts? And why use them in your books?

Do I personally believe in ghosts? I’m honestly not sure. The parts of me that are firmly rooted in science, in all the things I can see and touch and prove, don’t believe.

But the dreamer and storyteller in me keeps asking what if? Far, far too many people have seen or experienced things that can’t be easily explained away. Some of those odd things have happened again and again, and people have reported the same stories for generations.

And why not use ghosts in these books? Death is a part of everyone’s life, whether we will it or not. Ghost stories of one kind or another are a part of every culture in the world. Given who Delia and Gabe are, and what they do, ghosts fit.

So Delia, where’d she come from?

One night I had a dream about a young woman standing next to the train tracks, steam from the locomotive billowing around her and mixing with the fog. This woman, who turned out to be Delia, was looking back over her shoulder. She was watching for the person who’d been following her everywhere.

I couldn’t get that dream out of my head. Once I realized Delia was being followed by a ghost the whole book fell into my head.

What do you feel is your strength as a writer/storyteller?

I am my own harshest critic. Readers have told me that enabling readers to see what I saw while writing a scene, and to feel emotion right along with my characters, are two of my strongest abilities. I do the best I can and leave those judgments up to readers.

How many books do you intend to write for the series?

As many as they ask me to write. Delia’s Shadow and A Barricade In Hell are out now; the third comes out in 2015.  Time will tell how many more I write.

Did you need to do a lot of research for your books?

Lots and lots of research. A hundred years ago really is an entirely different age. I had to research clothing styles, furniture, cars, social attitudes, news of the day—everything. The world has changed so, so much since the 1910s.

What can you tell about the future books?

The third book, Against A Brightening Sky, is set in 1919. The Great War is over and a peace treaty is being negotiated in Paris. Ghosts—all casualties of the war—fill San Francisco’s streets in vast numbers: European kings and queens, princes and princesses and minor nobility, confused soldiers trying to find their way back home. Shadows of the conflict and echoes of the war’s aftermath reach across the world to San Francisco, and touch Delia, Gabe and Isadora in a very personal way.

Are there any other projects you’re working on or thinking about starting in the near future?

Just as sharks keep swimming, writers keep writing. Since turning in Against A Brightening Sky, I’ve revised a finished novel in another series, A War For Philadelphia, and started something brand new titled A Parliament Of Queens. It’s early days yet, but I have high hopes for both these books.

*****

About the Author: JAIME LEE MOYER’s Delia’s Shadow won the 2009 Columbus Literary Award for Fiction. Moyer has sold short fiction to Lone Star Stories, Daily Science Fiction, and to the Triangulations: End of the Rainbow, and Triangulations: Last Contact anthologies, and edited the 2010 Rhysling Award Anthology for the Science Fiction Poetry Association. Moyer lives in San Antonio with writer Marshall Payne, three cats, three guitars, and a growing collection of books and music.

Website: http://www.jaimeleemoyer.com

Twitter: @jaimeleemoyer

Delia Martin, Book 2

Synopsis: Delia Martin has been gifted (or some would say cursed) with the ability to peer across to the other side. Since childhood, her constant companions have been ghosts. She used her powers and the help of those ghosts to defeat a twisted serial killer terrorizing her beloved San Francisco. Now it’s 1917—the threshold of a modern age—and Delia lives a peaceful life with Police Captain Gabe Ryan.

That peace shatters when a strange young girl starts haunting their lives and threatens Gabe. Delia tries to discover what this ghost wants as she becomes entangled in the mystery surrounding a charismatic evangelist who preaches pacifism and an end to war. But as young people begin to disappear, and audiences display a loyalty and fervor not attributable to simple persuasion, that message of peace reveals a hidden dark side.

As Delia discovers the truth, she faces a choice—take a terrible risk to save her city, or chance losing everything?

Giveaway:

2 persons will be able to win 1 copy of Delia’s Shadow (trade paperback) and 1 copy of A Barricade in Hell (hardcover). The Giveaway is open to US/Canada only.

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Interview with Felicity Heaton
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Welcome on Between Dreams and Reality, can you present you in a few words?

I’m a British paranormal romance writer and I’ve been writing since 2005. I’ve written over forty-five books in my career as a writer, and around forty of those are still available. I love to write passionate paranormal romances, with high-octane action, intense emotion, and heroes who will make your toes curl!

At the moment, I have three series on the go and one I completed last year. The completed series is the Vampire Erotic Theatre series, with the delicious heroes of Vampirerotique, London’s premier naughty theatre for vampires. The ongoing series are the Her Angel series with my take on sexy passionate angels determined to protect their women from a terrible game between Heaven and Hell, and the Vampires Realm series, which is packed with twisting plots, vampires to die for, and is a huge world encompassing ten books at present, with the next one just out a few days ago. And also my new series Eternal Mates, which is set in the same world as the Vampire Erotic Theatre but it takes a look at the wider world outside the theatre, with all manner of fae and demon species, and plenty of hot-blooded alpha heroes determined to have their mates.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I never really wanted to be a writer. I wrote a little in school when I was a teenager because we had to write the opening chapter of a gothic horror and it really got my mind working, and my teacher liked mine so much that she read it out to the class. I wrote more for it, had a whole plan for the story, but then schoolwork took over and it fell to the wayside. I didn’t write until 2003 after that. I got really into writing fanfiction for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and was running my own fanfiction website for my stories. A friend who was writing the same genre as me convinced me to give writing something original with my own characters a go. I took a little convincing but I took the leap and really loved it. I began publishing my books back in 2006 after being with an e-publisher for a year. It was just something I came to naturally. I didn’t set out to be a writer. It just sort of evolved into my career. I was actually a full-time web developer throughout most of my years I was writing too, balancing both. I went full-time writer in 2011 and I still can’t believe this is my job!

Can you present us your last books?

My latest book is Hunger, which is a book in my Vampires Realm series. Hunger is all about Eve, a vampire hunter turned vampire, and her mission to have revenge on the man who betrayed her and was responsible for her becoming a vampire. The hero, Tor, is a vampire assassin sent to escort Eve to her new vampire family’s mansion, and he becomes embroiled in the game of cat and mouse with her as they fight to take down her betrayer and stop him from creating an army to rise up against the pureblood vampires family with, and Tor also fights to make Eve embrace her new life.

Readers can learn all about it, and download a six chapter sample at my website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/hunger-vampire-romance-novel.php

How do you find your titles? Did you imagine them all when you started the series or do you brainstorm each time?

No, I don’t come up with them when I begin a series. I might have ideas for maybe two or three, but I tend to come up with them as I go along and each story comes to me. I like to choose titles that suit the book and say something about it.

Who are some of your influences?

I don’t really have what I would call influences. I don’t take inspiration from other authors in my genre, or allow them to influence what I’m writing. I prefer to focus on writing stories my way, with my own takes on paranormal species and mythology. My imagination is my only influence. I listen to it and the crazy detailed worlds it dreams up for me and go from there with my books.

What would you most like potential readers to know about you and/or your books?

I’m not really sure. If they love paranormal romances with passion, action, emotion and drama, then I would love for them to check out my website and maybe come and visit me on my social networks to learn more about my books, my characters, and my worlds.

Website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk

Blog: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/blog/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/felicityheaton

Twitter: http://twitter.com/felicityheaton

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/felicityheaton

Mailing List: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/newsletter.php

If you could meet any characters in your book, who would it be and why?

I would love to meet the characters from my Eternal Mates series. Probably all of them. They’ve really come to life for me and they’re all so different and entertaining. I’m sure I would have a blast with them. Most of all, I would love to meet the elves, especially Vail and Loren.

Could you describe your average day and writing practices?

I tend to be working on a project every day alongside marketing work and other admin work that I have to do for my books and my business as a writer. I don’t have a set schedule for each day. I tend to start with checking emails and responding to them, seeing what I have on my to-do list for the day, and then split my time between everything that needs my attention, including whatever project I’m working on at the time.

When you sit down and write do you know how the story will end or do you just let the pen take you?

Yes, I always know what’s going to happen in the story as I work to an outline. I’m very much the plotter. Because I love writing big worlds with overlapping stories, multiple reappearing characters, and twists and turns galore, I have to plan them out in advance before I begin writing the first draft. It helps me write the best story possible for my readers.

What’s the most positive thing a reader has said about your books?

I love it when readers leave reviews for my books, and I tend to read as many of them as I can. They’ve said so many wonderful things about my books, characters and the worlds I create that I can’t think of just one positive thing that stands out about the rest. It’s thrilling to have so many readers sending me compliments about my books, and telling me how they can’t wait for the next one. It really inspires me to keep writing.

Do you write full time? If no, do you hope to eventually do so?

Yes, I’ve been writing full time since 2011, when I left the day job behind. It’s fantastic that I can make my living from something I’m really passionate about and something that makes me really happy.

What can you tell about your future books?

I’m currently editing Tempted by a Rogue Prince, which is the third book in the Eternal Mates series. I actually switched my entire writing and release schedule for the year around in order to write this one sooner, because readers really want the next book in this series, and I have been desperate to write this story since I first came up with the concept for the series. I absolutely adore the hero Vail, the mad elf prince. He’s dark, tormented, and broken, and I’ve wanted to put him together with his fated female since he first walked into my head, and straight into my heart. I’m loving his story, but I have to be careful to maintain the balance between dark and light in this one.

 

About Felicity Heaton:

Felicity Heaton is a USA Today and international best-selling author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In her books she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons!

If you’re a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.

If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling Vampire Erotic Theatre series. Or if you prefer huge detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the new Eternal Mates series.

 

If you want to know more about Felicity, or want to get in touch, you can find her at the following places:

Website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk

Blog: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/blog/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/felicityheaton

Twitter: http://twitter.com/felicityheaton

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/felicityheaton

Mailing List: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/newsletter.php