Marta Acosta

Winner of Esri Rose's Bound to Love Her

2008-05-02T18:09:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Anonymous, aka, SIRENA, who won the random drawing for Esri Rose's debut novel, Bound to Love Her! Sirena, please email your mailing address to me at marta@martaacosta.com and your prize will be sent to you.

Thanks to everyone who visited the blog and kept the conversation lively. I will be having more interviews and contests in the future.

And a very special thanks to Esri for being such a good sport about answering all of my questions and for dropping by through the week to talk about her writing. Good luck, Esri!

Q&A with Esri Rose & Contest for BOUND TO LOVE HER

2008-04-27T16:13:00.000-07:00

"A sexy, Legolas type meets his match in Esri Rose's witty, fast-paced tale."

Colleen Gleason, author of the Gardella Vampire Chronicles

"This wouldn’t happen if I’d written about hobbits, but my publisher said women readers wouldn’t go for short guys with hairy feet."

Esri Rose

I've been e-pals with Esri Rose for some months now, so I'm delighted that she's my guest this week. Esri is one of the Boulder, Colorado writers who have ganged up to make their mark on the paranormal/fantasy market and her new novel, Bound to Love Her, will be released this week.

Esri let me read an advance copy of her novel and I have to admit that, yes, she did change my perception of elves. From now on, I won't automatically think, "Keebler." I appreciated the environmental theme, which is so timely, and I enjoyed all the local color. One of these days, I'll get to Boulder.

"A delightful fantasy sure to appeal to anyone who loves wit, mystery and magic!"

Kathy Love, author of Fangs for the Memories

Esri will be giving away a copy of her novel. And, while she did some publicity work for the Homebrewers Association, she declined to throw in a keg as part of the prize. (I made that up. I forgot to ask her about throwing in a keg.) If you'd like a chance to win her hawt elf action novel, just leave a comment. A winner will be chosen at random on Friday eve.

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MARTA: Welcome, Esri, and congrats on the publication of your debut novel, Bound to Love Her. Please tell us a little about your novel.

ESRI: It’s an urban-fantasy, romantic-suspense comedy featuring elves. The reviewer at Romantic Times Magazine (4 stars!) came up with a tight synopsis, so here it is:

Walking her neighbor’s dog leads Erin into the woods, where she discovers a dying elf. Galan’s ties to his land were broken by the usurper, dark-elf Fellseth. Now landless, he should have died, but somehow he bonded with Erin and it’s her life force that’s keeping him alive.

Once Erin grasps the reality of the situation, she’s determined to save this sexy stranger. But Galan doesn’t stay a stranger for long, since their forced proximity leads to some interesting situations. Not content with driving Galan off his land, Fellseth now sets his sights on Erin. How did Erin manage to get in the middle of an elf war? - Jill M. Smith.

MARTA: What is it about elves? Do you feel that they’ve been unfairly stigmatized as tiny and green? Does your book have a subterranean political message that elves are people-ish too?

ESRI: You know, there isn’t a day that goes by when an elf doesn’t come up to me and say, “Thank you. Thank you for setting the record straight.” I have medication to prevent this from happening, but I stopped taking it.

People do look confused when you say, “I’ve written a romance featuring elves.” You can see them sorting through the possibilities: Santa’s little helpers? Harry Potter house elves? Keebler? This wouldn’t happen if I’d written about hobbits, but my publisher said women readers wouldn’t go for short guys with hairy feet.

MARTA: Your story is set in Boulder. How did your setting influence your story and the ecological theme?

ESRI: Boulder has an interesting mix of environmental awareness and rampant consumerism. We conserve a lot of wilderness so we can consume it in the form of recreation and a healthful environment. In the ElvesAmongUs universe, elves represent the “pure, unchanging world” ideal, but the world changes with or without humans.

Humans represent “nature as a resource,” but it’s not a resource we have to use up. When Erin starts providing energy for Galan, she becomes a resource for nature, and it opens up new possibilities. Galan doesn’t have to die, although he changes, and Erin finds love in an expanded world. Together, they take a middle way. Did I mention that Boulder is also a hotbed of Buddhism? All that stuff is in the background and kind of seeped in. I just set out to write a fun book.

MARTA: What books, movies, and/or television shows have inspired you as a writer?

ESRI: Well, Orlando Bloom in "Lord of the Rings" inspired the hell out of me, but I didn’t watch any of the subsequent movies -- too many methyl-cellulose-coated monsters. If I were teaching a class on storytelling, I’d recommend Nick Hornby’s books as examples of theme, David Sedaris’ essays for narrative flow, and Jane Austen for character development. Jenny Crusie is really good with dialogue, as are you, for that matter. I’ve also been heavily influenced by "Seinfeld" and British television. I like the situational humor that results from the fact that we’re all imperfect and weird.

MARTA: Tell us a little about your path to publication? Was it straight-forward or twisted and dark, filled with shady characters?

ESRI: Pretty average, I think. Five books, seven years, skipping from genre to genre… I got my agent, Jennifer Unter, when she judged the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers mainstream contest category. Telling Lies won that for me, and she tried like hell to sell that book. Our rejections said things like, “unforgettable read,” “startlingly truthful,” “utterly clever and fun.” But publishers were bailing out of chick lit, I’m not a southern writer, and the book is funnier than most women’s fiction. It was difficult to categorize.

Then Kensington asked, “Does she have anything else?” I said I had a paranormal romance and I understood that genre was selling well. Bound to Love Her was only the second book I’d written. I wasn’t really thinking about elves anymore, but I’m back into that universe and enjoying it very much. Kutara (she’s the elven boss) makes it all worthwhile.

MARTA: What’s next for you? Will there be a second novel featuring Erin and Galan? Do you have any projects in other genres?

ESRI: I’m finishing the second book now. The pointy-eared gang and their human buddies from the first book show up in the second one, with a new romantic couple. I also have the first draft of a humorous mystery finished. I think, once I have a little momentum going and don’t have to spend every spare moment promoting myself, I’d like to have two different series going. What does anyone think about Loyal Clark as a mystery-writer pen name?

MARTA: You’re part of a group called The Wet Noodle Posse. Would you recommend that aspiring writers join a group? What are the best and worst things about being in a writers’ gang?

ESRI: Worst thing: Buying all your talented friends’ books can break the bank. Best thing: You learn so much, and it helps to know you’re not the only desperate crazy person with a doughy ass and a fetish for office supplies. Seriously, they’re a great group of women. I owe them a lot.

One thing I haven’t done is find a critique partner. When I first worked with Danielle Chiotti, my editor, I was like, “This is great! She tells me what to fix!” But I didn’t form that relationship until I had to. Up till then, family members were my only readers.

MARTA: Where can readers find you on the internet and keep up with your books?

ESRI: ElvesAmongUs.com. You can win stuff, watch a video where I interview an incubus-possessed ring, and see pictures of Musette La Plume, my cat. Come on by.

MARTA: Gratuitous inane question. Let’s say that some genius wants to cash in on the elf trend and the dog trend, so he plans to make a live-action film of your novel featuring dogs with voice-overs. (Yes, it is a brilliant idea!) What kind of dog would play what role? (I.e., an Afghan hound could play Galan and be voiced-over by Matthew Broderick.)

ESRI: You’re killing me. Do people get to ask you these questions? Okay, here goes.

An Afghan is exotic, but a bit too frilly. Galan is laid back and sexy, and he will joke about almost anything, including the prospect of his own death. For him, I see a sleek Chocolate Lab voiced by Chris Noth from Sex in the City. Erin, my heroine…she’s energetic and a little nervous, with red hair and a tendency to jump at life. She’d be a Shiba Inu voiced by Claire Danes. Fellseth is the villain – sly and seductive. He’s a Weimaraner voiced by Rupert Everett.

MARTA: Anything else that we desperately need to know?

ESRI: Everyone should know how to perform an emergency tracheotomy. Also, too much sun is bad for you. Stay inside and read a book.

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Thanks, Esri, and that emergency tracheotomy tip can come in quite handy!

For those who'd like to win a copy of Esri's novel, leave a comment. Esri will be dropping by through the week to answer any questions or comments you have.

Winner of Night Huntress Book Contest

2008-04-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Aile, the winner of the contest for Jeaniene Frost's Halfway to the Grave and One Foot in the Grave! Aile, email your mailing address to me so we can send your prize.

Now, following Aile's blog address, I discovered that she's Linda M.S. Mason, an urban fantasy writer. Be sure to visit her site and read sample chapters of her novels.

Thanks to fabulous Jeaniene for contributing this books for the contest, and thanks to everyone who participated. I hope she'll be back when the third book in her series is released!

Next week I'll have an interview with very funny Esri Rose and she'll be giving away a copy of her debut urban fantasy romance, Bound to Love Her. Hope you'll come by.

Jeaniene Frost Interview & NIGHT HUNTRESS Series Book Giveaways

2008-04-20T16:23:00.000-07:00

"Jeaniene Frost has written a kickass book with a heroine who fascinated me, a hero who was delicious, and a slowly escalating sense of terror and sexual tension that was very difficult to put down."

Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

I'm very happy to have Jeaniene Frost, the NYT bestselling author of Halfway to the Grave, as my guest this week. The first novel in her Night Huntress series quickly became popular with urban fantasy readers, and her second, One Foot in the Grave, will be released this week. Her first novel was also won the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award in the urban fantasy category.

Jeaniene's fans have been eagerly awaiting One Foot in the Grave, and reviews indicate that they will not be disappointed. According to the Romantic Times, "Proving that her first book was no fluke, Frost ratchets up the action and stirs up the suspense big time in her second Night Huntress novel."

Jeaniene will be giving away copies of Halfway to the Grave and One Foot in the Grave! To enter the contest, just leave a comment on this post. The contest closes Friday evening and the lucky winner will be announced next week. She'll also be stopping in to answer your questions and comments.

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MARTA: Congratulations on the breakout success of Halfway to the Grave. Can you tell us a little about this book and the Night Huntress series?

JEANIENE: Halfway to the Grave is the first book in the Night Huntress series. It introduces Cat Crawfield, who’s on a mission to rid the world of the undead. She’s strong enough to kill vampires, since she’s half-vampire herself. Cat’s been raised by her mother to hate anyone without a pulse, but Cat’s perceptions are challenged when she’s captured by Bones, a Master vampire who shows Cat another side to life after undeath. Bones teaches Cat that vampires, like humans, can be both good and evil. But just as Cat is starting to embrace her half-vampire nature – and Bones – she’s caught in the crosshairs between a murdering undead crime ring, the government, and her family.

MARTA: What can fans expect from your new release, One Foot in the Grave? What kind of adventures will Cat and Bones have?

JEANIENE: One Foot in the Grave shows Cat in her new position of Special Agent for a covert branch of Homeland Security. Cat’s run from her past, but it – and a certain vampire she left behind - has finally caught up with her. Like my first novel, One Foot in the Grave has lots of action and danger, but it also has more humor, new characters, revelations about Cat, Bones, her father, and, well, a steamy scene that I’m sure I’ll be hearing about from readers ;-).

MARTA: Who or what inspired you to write urban fantasy?

JEANIENE: Wow, it’s really hard for me to give you a short answer on this one. For one, I’ve loved horror movies since forever, and many horror movies have supernatural elements, so I’m sure that was a big factor. Then, I’ve been a big vampire fan since before that became trendy, lol. Add that to my love of romance novels, humor, and strong female characters, and there you have the recipe for the Night Huntress series. I didn’t even find out what genre it fit into until after I sold. People would ask, “What kind of book did you write? Horror, romance, humor, paranormal, or action?” and I would shrug and say, “All of the above.” Later I was told I’d written urban fantasy, or urban fantasy romance.

MARTA: Urban fantasy and cross-genre fiction has been on an upswing lately. Any theories – and I don’t mind if they’re half-baked.

JEANIENE: They will be half-baked theories, because I can’t say for sure why certain trends are hotter now than others. I can guess that the popularity of paranormal TV shows like The X Files and Buffy, the Vampire Slayer contributed, as well as the success of the Harry Potter series, which had a ton of fantasy elements in it and rocked the publishing world in countless ways.

MARTA: You’ve got a story included in the upcoming anthology, Weddings from Hell. Does it also feature Cat? Do you think any story about a wedding automatically falls into the “horror” category?

JEANIENE: Ha ha, yes, weddings CAN be scary events. My story in the anthology is called "Happily Never After," and it features new characters Isabella and Chance. Bones has a very minor role in the story, but Cat’s not in it at all, since it takes place before the events of One Foot in the Grave. I had fun writing this story, so I’m eager to see how readers respond to it. It’s a lighter, funnier take on my vampire world – though okay, a villain’s head does get ripped off in it. I just couldn’t help myself *evil grin*.

MARTA: I hope that this isn’t too personal, but what about cookbooks scares you? Are you afraid of any particular type of cookbooks, or the entire species of books that cook?

JEANIENE: The entire species of cookbooks, of course! Know why? Because they have recipes in them that I’m supposed to cook. I am a terrible cook. Really, I’ve made myself sick on some of the bad meals I’ve prepared. Since I’m not trying to punish my husband, it’s better for him – and me - if we get pre-made meals from the grocery store, or order in.

MARTA: What do you think is the weirdest thing about publishing and/or your career?

JEANIENE: The uncertainty of it all. In a regular job, you (usually) have a decent idea if you’re performing well, how much you can expect to receive for your efforts, and whether you have any kind of future with your company. In publishing, however, that’s all up in the air, and it changes with every book. An author can be a bestseller today and a flop tomorrow. It’s a bit surreal.

MARTA: Can you sum up your books in haiku form for our readers with ADD?

JEANIENE: Oh ye gods, this’ll be awful, but if you insist...

A half-dead redhead,
an English vampire,
and a world with fangs, ghouls, and phantoms
makes for a wild ride
on the undead side.

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Sigh. See why I didn’t try for a career in poetry?

MARTA: What’s next for you? Do you have a five-year-plan or are you just in a piña colada state of mind?

JEANIENE: There are still three more novels in the Night Huntress series to polish and/or write, plus a new anthology story I’m doing for Eos, so I have my work cut out for me in the next year. After that, I have a five-year DREAM, but I wouldn’t call it a plan, due to that whole uncertainty in publishing thing again.

MARTA: Where can readers find out more about your books? Websites, blogs, all that stuff.

JEANIENE: I have oodles of stuff like deleted scenes, creature mythology, excerpts and more on my website. Then I have two blogs, one on MySpace and one on Livejournal. In addition to that, I have a fan chat forum, and a newsletter. If someone doesn’t find out more than they’d ever want to know about me and my books from all those, then they can contact me and I’ll do my best to fill in any blanks.

MARTA: Everyone thinks your book covers are totally bitching. Who did the artwork? Are you happy with it or did you want, I dunno, scary clowns or something?

JEANIENE: Thomas Egner, art director for Harper Collins, did the artwork for both my covers, and count me in the group that thinks they are totally bitching! I am thrilled with my covers. The first cover conveyed sexy, spooky, and a kick-ass heroine all in one glance, and the second cover is even cooler in hard copy, because it has all that, plus the entire front flashes a hazy gold in the light and the fog around the bike seems to glow. I couldn’t ask for better covers. I may owe Tom my kidney for them – I’ll let you know if he ever cashes in on that.

Thanks so much for taking the time to interview me, Marta! Vampire writers rule!

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Thanks, Jeaniene, for answering my questions, even the silly ones!

If you'd like a chance to win copies of Halfway to the Grave and One Foot in the Grave, remember to leave a comment.

New Reviews

2008-04-15T08:45:00.001-07:00

I wanted to share a few new reviews I've received. The first is for Happy Hour at Casa Dracula from Crystal's Book Reviews:

"Marta Acosta’s Happy Hour at Casa Dracula is enchanting, wickedly witty, and undeniably fantastic! Ms. Acosta has a way with interjecting so much life into her characters, making it impossible to close the book until you are finished...Five Hearts"

The Trillionth Page also had a review of Happy Hour at Casa Dracula.

"... it’s easy to resonate with the narrator, Milagro. Her delightful and funny narration is part of what makes this book so enjoyable... a quirky, very clever and fresh take on the genre I'd shelve with favorite authors like Evanovich or Josh Lanyon."

On Monday, I'll be posting an interview with Jeaniene Frost, author of the NYT bestselling Night Huntress series, and a book contest.

New Book Deals

2008-03-24T17:34:00.000-07:00

I'm very happy to announce that Simon & Schuster/Pocket has bought two more novels. The first, to be published in 2009, is Nancy's Theory of Style. This social satire follows Nancy Carrington-Chambers, a party planner, and her hilarious plummet from grace. My fifth novel will be another in the Casa Dracula series.

Some of you will remember Nancy as Milagro's flighty, fashion-forward friend from the Casa Dracula books. She makes a bigger appearance in The Bride of Casa Dracula, and I've always had so much fun writing about her that I wanted to base a book on her.

To celebrate this two-book deal, I'm giving away a book a day this week on Vampire Wire. One copy of the new mass market edition of Happy Hour at Casa Dracula will be given every day to someone who leaves a comment. Hope you'll drop by!

Ay, caramba! Winner of Immortality Bites Novels

2008-03-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

PamK must have been sending some serious "it's my birthday" brainwaves, because she won the random drawing for Michelle Rowen's wonderful Immortality Bites novels!

Congratulations, PamK! Please email your mailing address to me at marta@martaacosta.com, and your prizes will be sent to you.

Thanks to all who entered.

Next week, I'll be giving away a copy of the new edition of Happy Hour at Casa Dracula every day and announcing some good news.

Cherie P, if you're out there, please send me your mailing address! You won the contest for MaryJanice Davidson's Unwed and Undead a few weeks back.

Michelle Rowen Interview & Contest for Immortality Bites Series

2008-03-16T17:56:00.000-07:00

"Fanged & Fabulous is a hugely fun, light-hearted vampire chick-lit romance and yet it is a surprisingly satisfying read too. Blending both sharp wit and classic romance it makes perfect reading for the summer."

Love Vampires

"Droll wit and wacky humor meet vampire mythology in Rowen's fun and clever debut."

Romantic Times

I'm very lucky that my e-pal, Michelle Rowen, had time to answer my questions about her hilarious Immortality Bites series and tell me about her new action-thrillers, too.

The first two books of her vampire series, Fanged & Fabulous and Bitten & Smitten, follow the adventures of Sarah Dearly, who got turned into a vampire on "the world's worst blind date," and thrown into the middle of a deadly vampire/hunters war. Lady & the Vamp, which will be released on April 1, continues the series from the perspective of Michael Quinn, a former hunter who has been turned into a vamp.

Michelle is very generously giving away a set of her bestselling novels! A winner will be drawn at random. Just leave a comment on this post before Friday evening to enter.
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MARTA: Congratulations on the publication of Lady & the Vamp, the third book in your Immortality Bites series! Tell us a little about your book and your series. Does Sarah Dearly make an appearance here?

MICHELLE: Thanks, Marta! Lady & the Vamp is the third book in my five-book vampire series and it varies a bit from the first two books, Bitten & Smitten and Fanged & Fabulous, because it’s really more of a spin-off following the character of Quinn on his “further adventures” when he leaves Toronto. Sarah isn’t in this one, however she is mentioned.

When we first met Quinn in the first book, he was an angsty vampire hunter who was turned into a vampire (obviously against his will), and that change made him realize that vamps are not the bad guys. Hunters are! So he’s filled with guilt over his past actions while still dealing with his deep-seated hatred of vampires. Finding it impossible to reconcile this, he goes in search of a magical artifact called “The Eye” which is said to grant one wish every millennium, and he plans to use it to become human again. However, there’s someone else after the artifact, a woman from his past that he recently came face-to-face with again (in Fanged & Fabulous) and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get the Eye away from Quinn and get it to her boss. As they deal with their love/hate relationship they decide to team up to find the elusive Eye and then figure out who gets to keep it.

This book was so much fun to write because instead of doing first person point of view like the other books, I got to do third person from both the hero and heroine as I sent them on a paranormal treasure hunt.

MARTA: You’ve also started a new series of speculative fantasy using the name Michelle Maddox. Why the different name? How does this series differ from your paranormal romance?

MICHELLE: Yes, I have an August ’08 release from Dorchester Publishing’s new Shomi line of speculative romance novels. I’m writing under the different name because my book, Countdown, is rather different from my regular humorous books as Michelle Rowen. The book is darker, much sexier, violent, with non-stop action and follows the story of a petty thief who is forced to play a game while teamed up with a convicted mass murderer where their lives are at stake. I had a lot of influences for this book, ie: my love of reality TV (namely Amazing Race) and shows like La Femme Nikita. Countdown isn’t part of a series, it’s a stand-alone novel, but I do have plans to write more similarly-toned books in the future as Michelle Maddox.

MARTA: Tell us a little about the books and writers who’ve influenced you?

MICHELLE: When I decided to write paranormal I was influenced by two very specific authors. L.J. Smith, who wrote what could only be described as young adult paranormal romance back in the nineties (all of which I gobbled up in a couple of months), and Laurell K. Hamilton. The first book I read by LKH was Kiss of Shadows, and it was so different from anything I’d ever read before, it really took my imagination to different places and opened up new worlds for me. I was also influenced by Tanya Huff, Anne Rice, and Helen Fielding (my original pitch for Bitten & Smitten was Anne Rice meets Bridget Jones).

MARTA: Who is your favorite fictional character, in books, movies, or TV, and what do you like about him or her?

MICHELLE: I have several favorite fictional characters. I loved Cordelia on Buffy and Angel (specifically the Cordy who was helpful and compassionate, while still being in control of her life and a bitch when necessary); I loved Nikita from La Femme Nikita because she was strong and focused while still maintaining her humanity; I’m still very fond of Anita Blake for being hard-as-nails with a soft side. My favorite male characters include Spike from Buffy who is the ultimate bad boy with a heart of gold (sometimes); I love Edward from Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight because he’s like a dangerous animal but one who would never hurt the woman he loves (although, I’ve only read the first book, so who knows what’s going to happen!); and I love Wolverine because he’s a damaged, hard-edged soul who falls in love hard and it changes him. At least, that’s how I see the character. :-)

MARTA: What do you see in the future for genre novels, especially since your novel, Countdown, will be published by Dorchester’s new Shomi line?

MICHELLE: I think what I see is a real crossover of many genres. Countdown would best be described as a cyberpunk, sci-fi, fantasy, action, romance hybrid. Lots of different elements went into it and that’s how I like to work and where you can find new and exciting avenues to explore. However, at its core, it’s still a romance novel about two damaged people who are healed when they trust their hearts to each other.

MARTA: Do you have any odd habits or quirks when you write? Anything you must have on your desk?

MICHELLE: Not as many as I used to have. Now that I’m writing full-time I have a lot more time to “get into character” with my writing. Before when my time was limited I had to force myself to get down to business so I’d burn candles to signify writing time had begun. I had to tempt myself to start writing by offering the muses potato chips and gingerale—which I would eat, of course! Now all I really need is complete silence. I can’t write with any distractions or I get very grumpy! And I do have a writing desk, but I do all of my writing on the sofa with my laptop computer.

MARTA: Required inane questions. Paula Abdul loves your books and wants to do a music video opera based on your Immortality Bites series. Who would you recommend as the singing/dancing leads? What’s the name of the big, hit song?

MICHELLE: Huh. Interesting question and one I shall think very seriously about, of course...LOL. Let’s see... the big hit song would have to be “I Was Bitten...Now I’m Smitten” which would be a big, jazzy Broadway deal with high kicks and lots of red sequins. In the lead as Sarah, I think I see Christina Aguilera with dark hair. As Thierry...Hugh Jackman (who is my ideal for Thierry already...and he can sing and dance, after all!), and as Quinn, probably...Chris Daughtry rocking out with his hunter/vampire issues. Yeah, that’s ideal. What a production! ;-)

MARTA: Where can readers find you online and keep up with your books?

MICHELLE: I have two websites to go along with my two pen names, Michelle Rowen, and Michelle Maddox . I have a frequently updated blog, and I’m also on MySpace and Facebook.

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Thanks, Michelle, for the Q&A! Remember, if you'd like to win all three books in Michelle's Immortality Bites series, just leave a comment before Friday evening!

Winner of HAPPY HOUR OF THE DAMNED

2008-03-02T17:07:00.000-08:00

Let's raise a toast to Sarai! She's the winner of Mark Henry's hilarious debut novel, Happy Hour of the Damned!

Sarai, please email your mailing address to me at marta at martaacosta dot com, and your prize will be sent to you shortly.

Thanks to everyone else who left a comment. I'll be running more contests and interviews as soon as I attend to deadlines for my next novel. I hope to have good news about an upcoming project, too.

Contest Winners and Mark Henry's HAPPY HOUR OF THE DAMNED and Contest

2008-02-24T15:28:00.000-08:00

TINA, you won the copy of Amanda Ashby's You Had Me at Halo. PLEASE email your address to me (marta@martaacosta.com) so you can receive your prize!

Congratulations to TETEWA! You won a copy of Mary Castillo's Switchcraft. Please email your address to me so you can receive your prize.

This week at Vampire Wire, I'm giving away copies of books by Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison, Lynsay Sands and MaryJanice Davidison. Oh, and me, too.

"Who knew skincare-obsessed zombies were so much fun? " --Jeaniene Frost, author of Halfway to the Grave

"Happy Hour of the Damned is 'Sex and the City' meets 'Dawn of the Dead' and I'm the bastard child of Ira Levin and Jackie Collins." -- Mark Henry

Well, when I heard that there was a novel about cannibal zombies called Happy Hour of the Damned coming out some two years after my own Happy Hour of (Fill in Paranormal Theme), I thought, hmmm.

My long-time readers will know that I think brain-eating cannibal zombies are one of the hot and exciting new themes in contemporary literature. So I'm delighted to have author and zombie-aficionado Mark Henry here today so I can grill him mercilessly about copy-catting, brain-eating, long-term therapy, and haute couture.

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MARTA: Tell us a little about Happy Hour of the Damned, including your original, non-copy-catty title.

MARK: Yeah yeah. Everyone is instantly going to notice that our titles are similar. What they don't know is that they sort of grew up side by side rather than yours influencing mine, which makes us sort of literary soul mates, only with shark teeth. Happy Hour of the Damned's original title was The Undead Socialite's Guide to Nightlife, which I loved. Unfortunately my publisher didn't. My wife and I brainstormed for about a week and finally came up with a choice of two: HHotD and Cocktails with Evil Spirits. I was happy with either.

As for what it's about...here's a blurby thing.

Happy Hour of the Damned is a crass little zomedy in urban fantasy clothing, starring Miss Amanda Feral as an advertising executive whose run in with a stranger leaves her with that not-so-fresh feeling zombies tend to get. Unperturbed by her undeath, Amanda is enthralled by all the new sights, sounds and, ahem, flavors. When her succubus friend, Liesl, turns up missing, it's up to our gal, her BFFs vampire Gil and fellow zombie Wendy to track the sexy demon down. Along the way they encounter demonic bowling leagues, 12-step groups for the recently deceased, barrista assassins and, of course, a plot to instigate the final zombie apocalypse.

MARTA: Your writing sounds a little gonzo and makes me think of Christopher Moore. Would I be wrong if I assumed that you are primarily a humorist?

MARK: Nope, you'd be dead on. I do try to inject humor into everything I write, regardless of genre. This doesn't always fly with my critique group who tend to get a little squicked out when I write things like a terrorist mall bombing comedy. I doubt that one will ever see the light of day. As for Christopher Moore, I quiver at the mention. You should have seen me at his last signing, all fanboy. Sad.

MARTA: If so, what do you think about the state of humor and writing?

MARK: I think some of the best of it is sitting in the memoir section (Notaro, Burroughs, etc), but Moore's popularity has definitely opened some doors for those of us who like a little fantasy in our comedy rather than the other way around. I've yet to read Rankin, Holt or Aspirin and I'm ashamed to say I've never opened Hitchhiker's Guide. I'm going to go hide under the table now.

MARTA: You were a psychotherapist before entering the extremely stable and lucrative writing profession. Have you analyzed why you decided to write a novel with a female protagonist?

MARK: Hah! Believe me there's nothing lucrative or stable about the helping profession. In fact, I'm much calmer now. Neither my editor nor agent call in the middle of the night with suicide threats, so I'm good. As for the self analysis, that's a cinch. I've always been around women. My father worked a ton, and I'm an only child and an observer to boot. So mature for my age plus unlimited access to women's interaction plus twelve years of counseling women equals female first person protagonist. The simple answer is: it worked for this series.

MARTA: How did you embrace your inner fashionista? Did you study Vogues as if they were cultural artifacts, or have you always harbored a passion for upscale fashion?

MARK: Research! I got some strange looks at the bookstore with my armfuls of fashion magazines. The side effect is an unhealthy obsession with "America's Next Top Model" and "Project Runway." You have to admit couture fashion is art.

MARTA: Time for a little Hollywood math. Give me an equation for your book. (I.e., "It's like Night of the Living Dead meets Bridget Jones times Hunter Thompson.")

MARK: Oh crap, I love this game. And you'll laugh when you hear that I was actually naive enough to do a high concept pitch to an editor at a conference. It's a good thing it worked. So here goes. Happy Hour of the Damned is "Sex and the City" meets "Dawn of the Dead" and I'm the bastard child of Ira Levin and Jackie Collins.

MARTA: Who are some of the writers who've influenced your work? Or, you can just list your faves.

MARK: Oh my God, well first off Stephen King was huge for me as a horror geek. David Sedaris for his sick humor, likewise John Waters films play a huge role in influencing what I write. Anne Rice, quite a bit. As for favorites, Christopher Moore is up at the top. I love Konrath's Jack Daniel's series (another male writer doing a female protagonist). Liz William's Detective Inspector Chen series is just flat out brilliant.

MARTA: Back to the psychotherapy. Why do you think paranormal and fantasy books are so popular now? Does it say something about our zeitgeist?

MARK: Escapism. Pure and simple. With so much to escape these days, it's no wonder. I know I'd rather pick up a book than catch the tiniest blip of bad news on TV. And it's all BAD news. A dust-bowl scale recession looming, an endless war against whatever, people losing their homes, tragedy no matter where you look. Give me fiction any day.

MARTA: What's next for you?

MARK: I just delivered the second book in the Amanda Feral series, Road Trip of the Living Dead. So, in the month or so that my editor needs to turn it around and request revisions, I'm finishing up the first in a new urban fantasy series called The Dark Rites of Joe Barkley, where an impotent incubus and a hooker with a limp probe a bizarre series of murders at a secluded sex therapy clinic. Then it's on to American Minions, the third Amanda book.

MARTA: Where can readers find you on the net?

MARK: I'm all over the place, really. But the best place to find all my links is my website.

MARTA: Gratuitous inane question. You get to have one super power for a week AND you get to be best friends with a character from books or television/film AND you get to conquer a villian. What's your power, what's your name, who's your best friend, and what villian do you conquer? Also, what's your catch phrase?

MARK: Jesus, this is a hard one.

Power: Mind Control
Name: The Elusive ?
Best Friend: Minty Fresh (Moore, of course)
Villain Conquered: Oh no. I'm the villain.
Catch Phrase: You only think you think you did. You never know, you know?

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If you'd like to win a copy of Mark's fabulous new cannibal-zombie-fashionista novel, just leave a comment. The contest runs through Friday evening.

You can read an excerpt from Happy Hour of the Damned on Mark's site, and my pal, author Amanda Ashby, also has an interview with Mark on her blog.

Interview with Mary Castillo & SWITCHCRAFT Giveaway

2008-02-17T17:40:00.000-08:00

"When you grow up in a haunted house like I did, the supernatural is going to work its way into your work sooner or later!"

Ever envy someone else's life and think, "If only..."? My guest this week is Mary Castillo, the author of Switchcraft, a story about two friends whose souls get switched into each other's bodies when a New Age meditation session goes drastically wrong. Publishers Weekly called the novel "effervescent" and the Romantic Times said, "Castillo allows her heroines to scramble and make entertaining and illuminating discoveries. Toss in some danger, and this is first-rate fun!"

Mary, a former journalist, describes her writing as "romantic comedies with a Latina twist." She's also written Hot Tamara and In Between Men and contributed to the anthologies, Friday Night Chicas and Names I Call My Sister.

Mary will be giving away a copy of her sexy romantic comedy, In Between Men, too. To enter the contest, just leave a comment after the post. The contest runs through Friday evening, and Mary will be stopping by throughout the week to answer your questions and comments.

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MARTA: Mary, would you tell us a little about your supernaturally fun novel, Switchcraft?

MARY: I like to think of Switchcraft as “Thelma & Louise” meets “Freaky Friday,” except they don't drive off a cliff at the end! It is the story of two best friends, Nely and Aggie, whose friendship has been rattled by Nely's baby. But when they go on a girls weekend to a luxurious New Age spa, they get a little closer than they thought when they switch bodies and realize that the grass isn't greener.

MARTA: Your previous books have been contemporary romantic comedies. Why did you decide to use a paranormal/supernatural theme in this novel?

MARY: I had been working supernatural themes into my books starting with In Between Men. Isa takes a soccer ball to the head and suddenly has visions of Joan Collins giving her sex advice. In my novella, Till Death Do Us Part (Names I Call My Sister), I hint at a family ghost. When you grow up in a haunted house like I did, the supernatural is going to work its way into your work sooner or later!

MARTA: Why do you think switching bodies is such an appealing theme to audiences? Were you inspired by any of the movies that features body switching? What does it say about who we are?

MARY: I think that everyone at one time or another wonders what it would be like to be someone else. (Especially if she's a beautiful actress who is sleeping with George Clooney!)

Switchcraft came to me when I was three weeks pregnant and I had this moment of intense of envy for my friends who were still dating or, who were in the "romantic" era of their relationships. It is very human to overlook the blessings we have in front of us and covet the blessings that others have.

MARTA: Have you ever wanted to switch identities with any of your friends? If so, why? With any famous or celebrated person?

MARY: After writing Switchcraft, especially the scene when Nely & Aggie look at each naked for the first time (while they're in each other's bodies!), I have no desire to switch with my friends. I like who I am and I've worked hard for my life. And yet, I wonder what it would be like to spend a day as Angelina Jolie or Gwen Stefani. I wouldn't mind having a housekeeper, personal assistant, chef and a night with Brad or Gavin.

MARTA: Do you think you'll be writing any more paranormal books?

MARY: There will always be a paranormal element to all of my stories. I'm writing a ghost story right now and its gotten so real that there are nights when my husband has to accompany to the bathroom!

MARTA: As a Latina, do you want your characters or stories to say anything about identity?

MARY: Yes, that we Latinas are just like everyone else. I get emails from readers who are disappointed that they didn't learn more about Latino culture from my books. A handful have complained that they came away from the book with a sense that we're like everyone else and I always reply: THAT'S THE POINT! Well, my replies are much more diplomatic than that.

MARTA: Have you faced any challenges as a Latina author, or had to deal with any misperceptions about who you are and what you're writing?

MARY: Oh yeah. One person is going to come to my stories with a very different perception of what it means to be Latina. Another person may come to my book expecting a comedy or a romance. To put it politely, some readers are more open minded and accepting than others.

MARTA: Who are some of your favorite writers and books?

MARY: I'm a big fan of Jacqueline Winspear, Marisa de los Santos, Marsha Moyer and Sara Gruen. I'd love to have lunch with Isabel Allende although I fear I'd be so tongue-tied and nervous that I just stare at her and hope that her genius will touch me.

MARTA: What's next for you, and where can readers find you on the web?

MARY: I'm working on a ghost story. That's all I will say because it could change as I cycle through the drafts. Readers can find me at www.marycastillo.com.

MARTA: Obligatory inane question. Your agent comes up with a big money deal for you. You can rewrite any classic novel you like and put whatever spin on it you want. What would you choose and why?

MARY: I would rewrite Jane Eyre and set it in Mexico. I'd make Bertha a crazy white lady and reverse the insinuation that people of color are passionate and therefore out of their minds. Then again, if I had to wear that much underwear, I'd go nuts, too.

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Thanks for answering my questions, Mary!

If you'd like to win a copy of Mary's second novel, In Between Men, just leave a comment. A winner will be chosen at random on Friday evening.

YOU HAD ME AT HALO Contest Winner

2008-02-09T11:47:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to TINA, who won the copy of Amanda Ashby's You Had Me at Halo! Tina, please send me your address (marta@martaacosta.com) and Amanda will send you a copy of her debut novel.

Thanks to all who left a comment, and thanks to Amanda for coming by. I'm looking forward to her cannibal zombie teenage novel.

Next week, I'll be giving away copies of the mass market paperback edition of Happy Hour at Casa Dracula, so be sure to check in.

Also, Brandi V., please try sending me your address again -- I haven't received it and would like to mail your prize to you.

Upcoming interviews will include Mark Henry, author of Happy Hour of the Damned, and Mary Castillo, author of Switchcraft. Lynsay Sands will also be by to give away a copy of her not-yet-released novel, Vampire, Interrupted.