Read the publisher's summary of Kerrelyn Sparks' new novel, Forbidden Nights with a Vampire: "As the owner of a hot nightclub, she's more unconventional than most of her fellow vampires, and if some think her a little out of control, then so be it. But after three former employees filed a complaint about her temper, Vanda is sentenced to an anger management class. Worse, Phil Jones agreed to be her sponsor. Phil, the mortal who is forbidden to her . "
Read the publisher's summary for Beverly Rae's new release, I Married a Demon: "Jennifer Randall ignored her instincts and rushed into a vacation-fueled romance and quickie marriage to devilishly handsome Blake Barrington. But as a Level 10 Protector with the super-secret Society, how’s she supposed to keep the man she adores happy while hunting down gargoyles, zombies and other evildoers of the Otherworld? As if balancing work and newlywed nookie sessions wasn’t hard enough, now she’s been assigned to find the Bracelet of Invincibility before a high demon lord can claim it. And Blake seems hell-bent on distracting her at every turn."
The link above also leads you to an excerpt if you are mature enough. Although it's even more fun to read adult content when you're not mature. Just saying...
Read Love Vampires' interview with Chloe Neill about her new release, Some Girls Bite. "The series, told in the first person by our spunky heroine, Merit, tells the story of Merit's initiation into the world of the Chicago Vampires. Vamps have just announced their very chichi existence to the world, and Merit must make the transition from English Literature to ancient katana, and from book-obsessed grad student to obsession of a Master vampire. It's a bit awkward at times, as you might imagine."
This is a very short, but very sweet tribute to Sam and Dean Winchester of "Supernatural." It's a veritable chocolate truffle at the end of dinner. Enjoy!
Okay, I never thought of Dolly Parton and the Winchester Brothers together, but the pairing of her song and their video is most felicitous. I'm grinning. Kudos to Ash4897 for the clever editing.
"Sexy, steamy, and laugh-out-loud funny, Davidson's chick-lit foray into the paranormal is delightful."
-Booklist
"Ms. Davidson delivers danger, action and plenty of sarcastic humor"
-Darque Reviews
"Entertaining vampire chick lit that is hugely appealing to both paranormal and non-paranormal romance fiction fans alike."
-Love Vampires
I'm delighted to have MaryJanice Davidson, the NYT bestselling author of the comic Undead (aka Queen Betsy) novels, here as my guest. MJ is also giving away a copy of her latest book, the eighth in the series, Undead and Unwelcome, to one lucky Vampire Wire reader.
You can learn more about MJ at her website, and what strikes me is her humorist's instinct to downplay her accomplishments, which are considerable. In addition to her most famous series, MJ has also written:
sort stories and novellas in anthologies likeBite, Cravings, and Over the Moon
MJ is a great example of "the harder you work, the luckier you get." She began sending out stories in her early twenties and then jumped into the e-book market with her Young Adult novel, Adventures of the Teen Furies. Her breakout novel, Undead and Unwed, was first published as an e-book, before print publication rights were picked up by Berkley in a three-book deal. You can read more about MJ's road to success in All About Romance's excellent in-depth interview.
Our pal, SciFi Guy, says of Betsy, MJ's shoe-obsessed vampire queen, "I love this character and I love this series. There are lots of snarky vampire heroines in paranormal but none quite like Betsy. She rarely fails to crack me up no matter how silly the plot or situation...and I must say I always like the way the action sequences are described. For a self-absorbed fashionista, Betsy packs a mean punch."
To enter the contest for one of TWO COPIES of Undead and Unwelcome: Leave a comment for MJ, or tell us about a funny paranormal that you like, hate, feel ambivalent toward... What kind of humor cracks you up in a paranormal/urban fantasy? What makes you go meh? The contest runs through the evening of Wednesday, October 14. ---------------------------------------
MARTA: Welcome, MJD! Did you ever dream that you’d reach the level of success when people would know you simply by your initials?
MJ: Not a chance. It’s completely weird to me that my name is a world-wide recognized acronym, like the CIA. Or FEMA. My big life’s goal was to marry a nice guy, have nice kids, keep a roof over my head, and maybe, maybe try to get a book published when I was in my fifties. Hitting the NYT list while in my mid-thirties was never the plan, though I’m certainly on board, don’t get me wrong.
MARTA: Would you tell us a little about what’s happening to Queen Betsy in your new novel, Undead and Unwelcome?
MJ: Surely, but what follows is a SPOILER ALERT for Undead and Unworthy so be aware.
Betsy travels to Cape Cod with Antonia’s body (Antonia literally took a bullet for Betsy at the end of Unworthy. There she, Sinclair, and Jessica meet up with…oh…fifty thousand or so pissed off werewolves. And back home, the long-promised breakdown of the Devil’s Daughter occurs, leaving Marc caught in the middle.
I’m almost done with the next one, Undead and Unfinished. In this one, Betsy and her sister, Laura, go to Hell so Laura can learn how to use her powers. They end up bouncing through time, seeing how Sinclair and Tina came to be vamps, and ending up 5,000 years in the future, where Betsy meets herself. And irritates the bejeezus out of herself.
MARTA: I have a dog, Betsy von Snoggle.
MJ: Well. That’s, um, nice.
MARTA:…who’s a little funny looking so no one notices how fabulous she is next to my more glamorous dog.
MJ: My! What an interesting story. (cough)
MARTA: Do you have a book that you dearly love, yet feel hasn’t been noticed enough?
MJ: Hmm, good question! I withdraw my earlier, snarkier comments. Definitely my Jennifer Scales series. I co-write it with my husband, so it’s one of the few things with my name on it that’s got lots of description and is actually a nice long book that isn’t all dialogue. There are four books in the series; we’re writing book 5, Rise of the Poison Moon, now.
It’s my only series that started out as a young adult series and then (since we got fan mail from readers all ages…from 8 years old to 68 years old) was re-printed and marketed as Fantasy. Because readers don’t see it in the romance section with all my other books, many of them don’t know it exists…they don’t think to go to an entirely different section in the book store to look for my work.
MARTA: Many paranormal readers are seeking the angsty stuff, and you go for the laughs. I’m of the mind “dying is easy, comedy is hard.” What compels you to write humor? What’s tough about writing humor?
MJ: There’s nothing tough about writing humor. I know, you were hoping to hear something along the “writing’s easy, just sit down and open a vein” line. (And, ew! Who are these people? Open a VEIN? Just sayin’.)
MARTA: Actually, I wasn't, but thanks for grouping me with those people.
MJ: I can’t not write funny; I’m relentlessly immature that way. The one non-fiction book I wrote, Escape the Slush Pile, is funny, too. Shoot, people will write me and tell me my acknowledgements page was hilarious. Like I said. Relentlessly immature…it works for me!
MARTA: Tell us a few writers or performers who’ve influenced you.
MJ: Oh, boy, let me think…Carl Hiaasen, for sure. Lewis Black and Jim Gaffigan (“Hooooot Pockets!”). But mostly, it’s the serious writers and actors who influence me. Part of the reason I came up with Betsy is because it seemed like alllll the vampire books were relentlessly determinedly not funny. Downer! I wanted to go a different route. The more downer-esque or serious an actor or book, the more knee-jerk my reaction is…I get compelled to riff.
MARTA: You’re amazingly prolific.
MJ: It’s true!
MARTA: …and including the Queen Betsy series; theFred the Mermaid series; the Alaskan Royal Family books; the Gorgeous series; your Wyndham Werewolf books, and all your contributions to anthologies. How in the world do you keep all the storylines and characters straight when you’re writing multiple series? Do you have a mind like a steel trap, or is it like another inanimate object?
MJ: My mind has all the complexity of a rusty wad of steel wool. I always have a zillion ideas rattling around in my skull at any given time, so that’s never an issue. But sometimes I’ll have to dig up a copy of an older book and flip through it to refresh my memory (What does Laura’s adopted mom do for a living again? What color are Sara Gunn’s eyes from Derik’s Bane?) My assistant, Tracy, is going to start an MJD character/timeline spreadsheet for me…descriptions of all my characters, books they’re in, characters from other books they’ve met, birthdays, parents, etc. As you can imagine, it’ll be a pretty lengthy and ongoing project. But that’s why I pay her the medium-sized bucks.
I do screw up occasionally, and I really like it when a reader will catch it and e-mail me about it. No, really! I always forward those e-mails to my editors so we can fix it in the next edition. So please do bring any continuity errors to my attention. The buck stops with me, and I always want to try to fix it if I can. Not to mention apologize. I don’t know about you, but I friggin’ HATE being yanked out of the story by an author’s carelessness. If I can fix it, I will.
MARTA: What’s the weirdest thing one of your kids has said about the fact that you’re a writer?
MJ: Well, my daughter started high school this year. So for the first time, she’s got classmates who read my books. For example, this is a verbatim conversation we had last week:
MJ: Well, Germany wants to publish the Alaskan Royal books. So now four of my series will be in German. Good God. I friggin’ rule in Germany. I’m the new David Hasselhoff in Germany!
MJ’s KID: Mom, you friggin’ rule my high school.
MJ: See? It’s weird. It’s very extremely startlingly weird. She’s had more kids approach her with the “Is it true your mom’s MJD?” question in the last month that she had in her whole life. And of course I always apologize when she tells me about these encounters. Not just for the humiliation of being the Spawn of MaryJanice, but because I want kids to approach her on her own merits, not mine.
MARTA: A lot of critics dis books by women about young women larking whackily around, not that they’re curing cancer or anything. What’s the appeal of novels featuring young women larking whackily, and why is this a good thing for all of humanity?
MJ: You mean, besides the appeal of finishing a book and NOT wanting to slash your own carotid? Case in point: Oprah’s Book Club. Sure, she’s gotten a zillion people reading. But look at what they’re reading! Cripes. Is it so awful to want a book with a happy ending?
I mean, have you checked out some of the books on Oprah’s list? Jeez. One Hundred Years of Solitude? Everybody dies or goes insane. Or dies. Anna Karenina? She kills herself! As I Lay Dying? One guess what As I Lay Dying is about! If you guessed death, you’re practically a seer. A Million Little Pieces? Oh. Um. Let’s not get into all that again.
I don’t expect Oprah to pick a romance novel. But something where the heroine didn’t die in agony or end up in jail or die in agony or go insane or die in agony would be terrific. Listen, Oprah, I’m sorry your life hasn’t turned out the way you wanted, I’m sorry your zillions don’t make you happy, but would it kill you to give Tell Me Lies by Jennifer Crusie a try?
MARTA: Do you have a joke in any of your books that no one got, but you think is hilarious?
MJ: Um, not so much. My humor is not what anyone would call subtle. It’s easier to duck a pie in the face than avoid one of my jokes.
MARTA: What’s next for you? What book would you love to write, but your agent and editor say, “Uhm, let’s think about that later.”
MJ: Here’s how stupidly fortunate I’ve been: my agent and editors have never said that to me. And I’ve come up with some weird ones, starting with “What about a book about a secretary who loves shoes being turned into the queen of the vampires?” (the Undead series) and, most recently, “What about an FBI agent with multiple personality disorder? And get this: all three personalities work for the FBI because there’s a whole branch for people with various psychoses!” (my new series from St. Martins, Me, Myself & Why?)
From “What about a grouchy mermaid who can’t swim and is allergic to shellfish?” (Sleeping with the Fishes) to “How about if Alaska was never sold to the US and it became it’s own country with its own royal family?” (The Royal Treatment) my editors have been completely open. It’s easy to write fun and original books when you’ve got completely awesome editors and agents. (I’ve got two of each, because I write stuff all over the board.)
MARTA: What’s the best thing about being so wildly successful, besides the whole “author who can actually pay bills” thing?
MJ: Well, as someone who grew up poor, it’s pretty hard for me to come up with a better reason that the paying the bill thing. My dad taught me how to hunt and fish not just because he loved it himself, but so I could help put food on the table…which I did, starting around the 7th grade. So, yeah, having money left over at the end of the month is more than I could have hoped for.
I have to say that, beyond the $$, the absolute best is going to the conferences and getting to go on book tour. I seriously get off on meeting my readers. I look forward to the Romantic Times conference all year; I’m leaving for Deadwood, SD, tomorrow for the Women Behaving Badly Fundraiser. And the book tours are absolutely fantastic. The publisher pays for everything, including nice hotels and awesome restaurants, and I get to travel all over the country and meet hundreds and hundreds of fans. It is so awesomely cool I can’t believe this is my life.
I mean, I always assumed I’d be well known. But I figured it’d be more along the lines of “have you seen this woman? She’s a person of interest to the FBI, so if you see her, call this number." You know?
MARTA: Okay, quick, which is your favorite foreign edition cover, what myth about writers would you like to dispel, and who would you like to star in a Broadway musical based on any of your novels?
MJ: Uh…uh…jeez, I feel like I’m playing Beat The Clock. Pass! All right, I’ll take a stab…favorite foreign edition cover? The United Kingdom/Piatakus version of Undead and Uneasy. Love that red wedding gown Betsy’s wearing.
Myth about writers? That we slither around in permanent funks, throwing dirt on ourselves and being all angsty and bemoaning that the unwashed masses don’t understand our “art”. None of that "O, woe is us" stuff, thanks.
Broadway musical? Well, Germany is actually making a television show out of the Undead series. Irony: Betsy makes the small screen, but I have to watch it in subtitles.
I’d like Jenna Elfman to play Betsy, either on TV or in a musical. She can sing, right? Well, who cares. Betsy sure can’t.
MARTA: Thanks, MJ, for visiting Vampire Wire and answering my questions!
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Remember to leave a comment to enter the contest for one of TWO COPIES of Undead and Unwelcome!
COMING MONDAY:MaryJanice Davidson, NYT bestselling author of the hilarious Queen Betsy novels, will be my guest here for a Q&A and book contest. Subscribe to Vampire Wire so you don't miss it!
Win a copy of Happy Hour at Casa Dracula, my first novel, at Peace, Love, & Pat. NYT Bestselling author Charlaine Harris called it "absolutely entertaining...there are several hours of fun in Happy Hour," and NYT bestselling author Christopher Moore said that the novel is, "a comedy of manners with fangs..fresh blood," and NYT bestselling author Julie Kenner said it is "a fun and flirty story that brings a new spin to familiar vampire lore."
I think it really depends, because looking hawt doesn't go far if he just hangs out on your sofa for eternity. Does he drain your best friend? Does he take out the trash? Does he invite a pack of werewolves over for Superbowl and trash your house?
"SUPERNATURAL"
All I have to say is HippieCastiel? I was delighted to see Misha Collins get to have some fun with this character. There aren't any interesting recaps up yet on last night's episode of "Supernatural," but here are some of my thoughts.
President Palin? I'm ascared.
The white suit? I suspected that Lucifer would be a fan of disco.
Best line from Dean, to his car: "Baby, what have they done to you?"
Best line from Hippy Castiel: "Ladies, why don't you get washed up for the orgy?"
Best line from normal Castiel: "The voice says I'm almost out of minutes!"
Best line from Prophet Chuck: "Stock up on toilet paper like it's gold."
Oh, and here's something that I think every time I see the show. The set designers do an amazing job. I worked in theatre and I used to like to watch crews and designers construct sets that looked old and dilapidated. Yeah, sometimes they use blow torches and chains and grime to get the right look. If you check out the sets for "Supernatural," there's always such attention to detail, and the motel rooms are an especial delight (although I'm sure I spot some high end wallpaper occasionally).
I found this interview with the very talented production designer, John Marcynuk.
It's Friday, so I thought you'd need something peppy to brighten up your day. Peppy is one of those words my mother says. Sir Tom Jones and hawt actors provide the peppiness. Videos by Tisreina.
Congratulations, Dena 65! Please send me an email with your mailing address so I can forward it on and you can get your prize. Special thanks to Dutton Books for offering this prize!
Dena wished that there was a sequel to "Forever Knight," a good series that ended too abruptly. Thanks for all the entries about shows and series that deserved to be continued.
NEW CONTEST: My new contest is all kinds of fabulous. Eagle Rock Entertainmentis giving me two copies of the just released second season DVDS of "Blood Ties."
The series, which aired on Lifetime, never had a real chance to find its audience, but it was really deserving of attention. "Blood Ties" inspired a devoted following and a campaign to keep it going. The excellent ensemble cast featuring Kyle Schmid as Henry Fitzroy, the sexy, unapologetic vampire who was selected Ultimate Hawtest Vampire in the Vampire Wire poll.
Here's the scoop about the DVDs:
The set features nine full episodes, plus a bonus photo gallery and Season 1 trailer. Based on the book series written by Tanya Huff, which is in its 17th printing, Blood Ties is a captivating crime drama dripping with mystery, suspense, horror, and romance...
In season two, private eye Vicki Nelson (Christina Cox) and her vampire cohort Henry Fitzroy (Kyle Schmid) continue to encounter esoteric cases involving paranormal occurrences. In addition to the complications of solving murders and unraveling occult mysteries, the plot thickens with the romantic tension between Nelson, Fitzroy, and Nelson’s former partner Mike Celluci (Dylan Neal).
The story only gets murkier as Christina, the vampire who original gave Fitzroy that first bite 480 years ago, pops into the picture to shake up the story even further! Living up to its tagline, Blood Ties truly is “A Crime Series With Bite.”
TO ENTER THE CONTEST:Leave a comment saying which vampire or supernatural rule you like, don't like, or could add to the mythology. For example, maybe you think vamps should be able to see themselves so they could update their looks. Or maybe you think they should all have the ability to talk to cats. Or maybe you love that werewolves are ruled by the moon. Whatever.
The contest runs through Sunday night, October 18, and two winners will be chosen at random. Good luck getting this terrific prize!
Here's the original promo for the series. The voice-over is kinda cheezy, but imagine that Sean Connery was saying it and you'll be fine.
The VampChix have a Q&A with Kerrelyn Sparks, author of the funny Love at Stake series. "I’m currently working on book nine, which features a sexy were-panther hero. I also have half-vampire children and shapeshifter children in the series. I have other plans for expanding the world, but that’s a secret for now!"
Read the publisher's summary for Beverly Rae's new release, I Married a Demon: "Jennifer Randall ignored her instincts and rushed into a vacation-fueled romance and quickie marriage to devilishly handsome Blake Barrington. But as a Level 10 Protector with the super-secret Society, how’s she supposed to keep the man she adores happy while hunting down gargoyles, zombies and other evildoers of the Otherworld? As if balancing work and newlywed nookie sessions wasn’t hard enough, now she’s been assigned to find the Bracelet of Invincibility before a high demon lord can claim it. And Blake seems hell-bent on distracting her at every turn."
Read Love Vampires' interview with Chloe Neill about her new release, Some Girls Bite. "The series, told in the first person by our spunky heroine, Merit, tells the story of Merit's initiation into the world of the Chicago Vampires. Vamps have just announced their very chichi existence to the world, and Merit must make the transition from English Literature to ancient katana, and from book-obsessed grad student to obsession of a Master vampire. It's a bit awkward at times, as you might imagine."
