AOTW- Darynda Jones

Darynda Jones


About the Author:
Winner of the 2009 Golden Heart® for Best Paranormal Romance for her manuscript FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT, Darynda was born spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike. After the Golden Heart final, she pimped herself as best she could, landed an amazing agent and sold to St. Martin’s Press in a three-book deal. Darynda lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of more than 25 years and two beautiful sons, aka the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys. She can be found at http://www.daryndajones.com/.

Interview with Darynda Jones

Darynda Jones is author of First Grave on the Right which won the 2009 Golden Heart® for Best Paranormal Romance along with two other novels in her Charley Davidson series; Second Grave on the Left and Third Grave Dead Ahead which is coming out in January, 2012.

Holly: Hi, Darynda! Would you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Darynda Jones: Sure! And thanks for having me! Sadly, there’s not much to tell, really. I’ve been writing forever. I started writing seriously in 2002, finaled in the prestigious RWA Golden Heart in 2009, landed an amazing agent soon after that and sold soon after winning the Golden Heart that summer. It’s been an absolute dream come true.

 

Holly: Do you remember how your interest in writing began?

Darynda Jones: I remember writing my first play when I was six. Before that, I would scribble stories onto paper. The need to write, to create, has always been inside me. Right next to my liver, I think.

Holly: Could you tell us a little bit about your first novel in your Charley Davidson series, First Grave on the Right?

Darynda Jones: I love writing Charley, just so you know. She is everything I would love to be. She says what’s on her mind without worrying about the consequences. I worry about consequences to the extreme. I under-tipped once. It’s haunted me for years.

In a nutshell, Charley Davidson is a PI who was born the grim reaper. She solves mysteries for both the living and the dead. And they both get her into all kinds of trouble. I basically wanted a strong, independent heroine who was thrust into a paranormal world within an everyday setting. She has to walk the line between both worlds all while juggling her day job, dead people popping in and out of her life, and a super hot love interest who definitely keeps her on her toes.

Holly: What was your inspiration for this novel and the writing process like?

Darynda Jones: My inspiration was every strong female lead I read about and watched on TV. I love Buffy, Stephanie Plum, Eve Dallas, Sydney Bristow, Lorelei Gilmore, and on and on. Throw them into a pot, toss in a pinch of ADD, and you have Charley Davidson. Her skills at sleuthing involve more than her fair share of luck, but she looks good doing it.

Holly: Which came first the plot or the characters?

Darynda Jones: Definitely the characters.

Holly: Your second novel in the series was also published this year, Second Grave on the Left. Can you tell us a little bit about it and how the characters and plot progress?

Darynda Jones: In Second Grave we get to learn a little more about Charley’s love interest, Reyes, and we get to see Charley in action. Now that the introductions are out of the way, we get to focus more on Charley and what she does best. That’s right, comebacks. But there is a real mystery with her best friend/assistant Cookie’s friend missing. Also, Reyes is insisting that he doesn’t need his corporeal body anymore, and since it’s being tortured by demons (a ploy to lure Charley to them), what better time to be rid of it? Unfortunately, there are other considerations, like the fact that he has the power to bring about the end of the world. So Charley has her hands full what with finding a missing woman, dealing with her father’s past, and stopping the destruction of the Earth. All in a day’s work.

Holly: Did you have a harder time writing the second novel than the first in this series?

Darynda Jones: Actually, no. By that time, I was so into Charley’s head, that the story flowed much nicer. Now, making it a stand alone, as all books must be, even in a series, was not as easy, but with my editor’s help, I got that down as well.

Holly: Your third novel is set to come out in January 2012 called Third Grave Dead Ahead and I admit I am curious to know all about it, and I love the names of these books! Very catchy, would you mind if I asked did you come up with them?

Darynda Jones: I did, yes, although Third Grave was originally titles Third Grave Straight Ahead. My web designer emailed me one day. She hated typing the word Straight over and over and asked if we could change Straight to Dead. I loved it! I wrote my editor immediately with the change, and Third Grave Dead Ahead was born!

Holly: Do you think this going to be the last book in the Charley Davidson series or do you have future books in mind?

Darynda Jones: Books 4 & 5 have already sold to St. Martin’s Press, so definitely more. And I have plotted beyond that. We are hoping for a longer series.

Holly: You have a YA series coming in April 2012, the first book Death and the Girl Next Door. Can you tell us a little bit about this novel?

Darynda Jones: Sure! Here is a quick blurb:

Things get turned upside down for sophomore Lorelei MacAlister when the Angel of Death starts high school in her small town. What she doesn’t know is that she has been slated to die. It’s simply her time. And Death has been sent to do the deed. But when she touches him, when she peers into his eyes and reaches into his heart, he realizes she is more than what he was led to believe, and he disobeys his orders. He brings her back from the brink of death when he was supposed to push her into it. Because of this, he gets trapped on this plane. And that’s when all hell breaks loose. Literally.

Holly: Did you already have the Darklight series in mind or did you set out to write a YA series?

Darynda Jones: Well, I wrote YA long before I wrote adult. In fact, Death and the Girl Next Door was written years ago, long before First Grave. First Grave just happened to sell first. It went through many title changes and we only recently settled on DATGND.

I also have two other YA series in the works. Okay, I have dozens of series in the works, but I have two that I’m determined to complete and submit in the works. I love writing YA.

Holly: Do you have anything you would like to say to your readers?

Darynda Jones: THANK YOU!!!!!!

Holly: Are you reading anything interesting at the moment? If so what?

Darynda Jones: Well, I’ve only recently discovered Jeaniene Frost, so I’m reading her Cat and Bones series right now and loving every single delicious moment of it!

Holly: Thank you so much for being here today, Darynda!

Darynda Jones: Thank you so much for having me!!!

Books by Darynda Jones
The Charley Davidson Series
#1: First Grave on the Right
#1.5: For I Have Sinned
#2: Second Grave on the Left


Coming Soon
Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson #3)--Expected Publication Date: January 2012
Death and the Girl Next Door (Darklight #1)--Expected Publication Date: April 2012

Awards

• 2009- Winner of the RWA® Golden Heart® for Best Paranormal Romance Manuscript
• 2009-1st place- GOTCHA! – FIRST GRAVE ON THE RIGHT (suspense)
• 2007-1st place- PASIC Book of your Heart – RILEY’S SWITCH (now titled GRIMSIGHT) (YA)
• 2006-1st place-The Rebecca (LERA) –A THIEF AND A LIAR (historical romance)

Find Darynda Jones at:
Her Website | Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

Darynda Jones has offered to giveaway winners choice of either a signed copy of First Grave on the Right or Second Grave on the Left to one lucky winner.

Giveaway Details:

• Giveaway is open to US & Canada & International
• Giveaway will run from November 28th 2011 - December 4th 2011
• Winner will be chosen randomly, contacted and announced on December 5th 2011
• You must complete the mandatory entry to be qualified to win.
• If you enter, you are acknowledging that you read and accept the giveaway/contest policy.
• Giveaway is provided by the author.

To Enter:

• Go to giveaway Here.

AOTW- Lena Coakley

Lena Coakley


About the Author:

Lena Coakley was born in Milford, Connecticut and grew up on Long Island. In high school, creative writing was the only class she ever failed (nothing was ever good enough to hand in!), but, undeterred, she went on to study writing at Sarah Lawrence College. She is now a full-time writer living in Toronto, Canada.  Witchlanders, her first novel, has received three starred reviews and was called “a stunning teen debut” by Kirkus Reviews.  It is a Junior Library Guild selection and an ABC new voices selection.

Interview with Lena Coakley

Lena Coakley is author of the YA novel Witchlanders.

Holly: Hello, Lena! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Lena Coakley: Well, I live in Toronto, Canada, but I was born in the States, and I love both countries.  For almost ten years I worked as the administrative director for CANSCAIP, the Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers, so I’ve had the opportunity to meet and be inspired by many great Canadian authors—I think that really gave me a leg up when I finally finished my novel and was ready to submit.  I had a large community of wonderful people to ask for advice.

Other than that, I love reading, swimming and hiking.  My father was an actor so I love theatre and movies, too.  (And no, he wasn’t famous—I’m sure you’ve never heard of him!)

Holly: How and when did you start writing?

Lena Coakley: I don’t really remember a time when I wasn’t writing—or at least telling stories.  When I was in High School I thought I wanted to be an actress, but I was always writing plays and I enjoyed being behind the scenes more than I liked being on stage. 

Holly: You state that if you had not gone on to be a writer you think you would have been a good archeologist, paleontologist, or a computer programmer. Can you tell us why you think so and how you got an interest in the above topics?

Lena Coakley: For part of my childhood, I was raised by a maternal grandmother who was crazy for archeology, especially Mayan archeology.  She was so excited when the Mexican ruins of Palenque were discovered that she visited them the very first year tourists were allowed on the site.  There were no commercial flights, so she rode in on a chickle plane sitting on the crates.  There were no hotels either, so she stayed in the huts left behind by the archeologists.  I was too young to go on that trip, but she did take me to Mexico many times, and—as you can imagine—she was better than any tour guide!  She also took me to Europe a few times and to many different museums—she was fascinated by anything old.  I’m sure I picked up my love of both archeology and paleontology from her.

It was something of a surprise to find out as an adult that I enjoyed programming.  People probably don’t see a lot of similarities between writing a computer program and writing a novel, but I’m sure that figuring out a plot knot and figuring out a line of code use exactly the same part of the brain.  It’s all problem solving.

Holly: Could you tell us a little bit about your novel Witchlanders and the plot and characters you have created?

Lena Coakley: Witchlanders is about two seventeen-year-old boys, Ryder and Falpian, who are on opposite sides of a bitter cultural conflict.  Ryder, a Witchlander, is a poor farmer and the son of a witch.  Falpian, a Bitterlander, is the wealthy son of a dark magician. But in spite of the long history of war between the Witchlands and the Bitterlands and in spite of their own personal differences, these two have to work together to defeat a new magic that threatens both their peoples.

On the one hand Witchlanders is a rip roaring adventure story about witches, catacombs, snow monsters and singing magic, but on another level, it’s a story about the entrenched prejudices that can keep people apart for generations.

One of the reasons I love fantasy so much is because it can deal with difficult issues like this and make readers see them in a new light—while still being enormously entertaining.

Holly: On your page you say that you have published two children’s books before you published your novel Witchlanders. Can you tell us, how did you come to write these two books?

Lena Coakley: I wish I knew because I’d love to publish more picture books!  I probably have hundreds of unpublishable ones on my computer—some of them are so close!—but it’s such a difficult form.  They have to be such perfect little gems.

I had a ceramics teacher who liked to quote this saying about throwing pots on a potter’s wheel: “First you throw a thousand pots, then you fire one.”  I feel this way about picture books.  First you write a thousand picture books, then you publish one.  I admire anyone who can write more than one good one every ten years. 

Holly: Do you think you will write a sequel to Witchlanders?

Lena Coakley: I’m not sure.  I’m starting to think that if I do it won’t have Ryder and Falpian as main characters—although of course they would play a part.  I’m writing something totally different right now.

Holly: Can we expect any works from you in 2012?

Lena Coakley: Ummm.  Hopefully some short stories for adults, but not a novel.  It might be a few years before my next novel comes out.

Holly: Are you perhaps working on anything you would like to mention right now?

Lena Coakley: Oh, I wish I could spill, but I don’t have a contract yet, so I can’t say too much about it.  It’s a YA historical fantasy that takes place in 1834.

Holly: Do you think you might ever branch off from YA into a different genre?

Lena Coakley: I still haven’t figured out YA yet!  But I can definitely see me changing gears completely in a few years.  I’ve always wanted to write a play…

Holly: Do you have any authors that you think aspired you to become a writer?

Lena Coakley: Absolutely!  I’m so thrilled that I got to meet Peter S. Beagle at World Fantasy Con this October because his book The Last Unicorn was enormously important to me as a 13- or 14-year-old.  I also loved Ursula LeGuin, Lloyd Alexander, Emily Bronte and Charles Dickens.  And when I got a little older, I was very inspired by Italo Calvino and Jorge Luis Borges.

Holly: Thank you so much for being on my blog, Lena!

Lena Coakley: Thank you!

Books by Lena Coakley

Witchlanders
On The Night Of The Comet
Mrs Goodhearth And the Gargoyle


Short Story
Mirror Image

Find Lena at:
Goodreads | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Lena Coakley has offered to giveaway one hardcover copy of Witchlanders to one lucky winner!

Book Description:


"High in their mountain covens, red witches pray to the Goddess, protecting the Witchlands by throwing the bones and foretelling the future.

It’s all a fake.
 
At least, that’s what Ryder thinks. He doubts the witches really deserve their tithes—one quarter of all the crops his village can produce. And even if they can predict the future, what danger is there to foretell, now that his people’s old enemy, the Baen, has been defeated?
 
But when a terrifying new magic threatens both his village and the coven, Ryder must confront the beautiful and silent witch who holds all the secrets. Everything he’s ever believed about witches, the Baen, magic and about himself will change, when he discovers that the prophecies he’s always scorned—
 
Are about him."


Giveaway Details:

• Giveaway is open to US & Canada & International
• Giveaway will run from November 21st 2011 - November 27th 2011
• Winner will be chosen randomly, contacted and announced on November 28th 2011
• You must complete the mandatory entry to be qualified to win.
• If you enter, you are acknowledging that you read and accept the giveaway/contest policy.
• Giveaway is provided by the author.

To Enter:

• Go to giveaway here.

AOTW- Devin O'Branagan

Devin O'Branagan


About the Author:
Devin O'Branagan's novels include the paranormal thrillers Spirit Warriors and Witch Hunt, published by Simon & Schuster's Pocket Books in English and Heyne Books in German. A new edition of Witch Hunt, updated for the 21st Century, was released in late 2010.
Turkish publisher, Dogan Egmont, will soon release a Turkish edition of Witch Hunt.

Devin is the author of the hilarious Red Hot chick lit novels that include Red Hot Property, the paranormal chick lit sequel Red Hot Liberty, and the canine chick lit spinoff, Show Dog Sings the Blues.

Her bestselling urban fantasy, Glory, was nominated for the 2011 Best Popular Paperback for Young Adults List, sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) of the American Library Association.

The sequel, Pretty Sacrifices, will be released in 2012.

Devin's new paranormal thriller, Threshold, was released in November 2011.

Devin is a member of the Dog Writers Association of America and writes a weekly humor column for TAILS Magazine.

She uses her writing project to support animal rescue.

Interview with Devin O'Branagan

Devin O'Branagan is author of, Spirit Warriors, Witch Hunt, Red Hot Property, Red Hot Liberty, Glory, Show Dog Sings the Blues and recently Threshold.

Holly: Hello Devin! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Devin O'Branagan: I’ve been writing fiction since I was five years old, I’ve spent my life studying mysticism, and I’m passionate about animals.

Holly: Your first novel Spirit Warriors, which is now out of print, was published in 1988. Can you tell a little bit about it?

Devin O'Branagan: Spirit Warriors is a novel about the end-times as prophesied by the Hopi. When I wrote it, I lived in a log cabin near the Hopi reservation and studied with a medicine woman from the nearby Navajo reservation. That experience inspired Spirit Warriors and many of my novels since.

Holly: Was Spirit Warriors the first novel you ever wrote or just the first ever published?

Devin O'Branagan: I wrote my first novel when I was seven years old. Spirit Warriors was my first published novel.

Holly: Do you think it will ever be re-released?

Devin O'Branagan: I may release an updated version of it. I’m considering it.

Holly: Your second novel, published two years later in 1990, was Witch Hunt. I just love the cover for this one! Can you tell us a little bit about it and the characters you have created?

Devin O'Branagan: The cover for the original Witch Hunt won an award for the one of the best covers of 1991, as voted by the Magazine & Bookseller Association. It was designed by Keith Birdsong, a Native American artist famous for his covers for Star Trek novels.

Witch Hunt is a novel about a young woman who marries into the Hawthorne family, unaware of the fact they are witches. She finds herself in the middle of a modern witch hunt and must choose sides. The alternate chapters feature historical events in the history of this family, dating from the time of the Salem witch trials through to modern times.

I updated and re-released Witch Hunt in 2010. (The cover for the new edition is pretty awesome, too!) The new Witch Hunt has repeatedly been on Amazon’s Metaphysical Fiction Bestseller’s List. It was also recently picked up by Turkish publisher, Dogan Egmont.

Holly: After the original Witch Hunt was published you have a period that you did not publish anything for a while, do you mind if I ask why?

Devin O'Branagan: I was very disillusioned by my experience with my publisher and vowed to never publish again. I’d rather not elaborate.

Holly: In 2008 you released your third novel Red Hot Property, which it says on your website to be Chick Lit with Attitude. Can you tell us a little bit about where your characters and the plot for this novel originated from?

Devin O'Branagan: I wanted to try my hand at writing satire and humor, as my favorite authors include Carl Hiaasen, Terry Pratchett, Dave Barry, and other similar writers. Red Hot Property was my debut effort, and I discovered I have a gift for comedy.

During my “I’m never going to publish books again” phase, I became a real estate agent. My first week on the job another agent approached me, gave me a leering once-over, and said, “You’re one red hot property with lots of curb appeal, and you show real well. I’d love to add you to my inventory.” It was the worst pickup line in history, but became the inspiration for Red Hot Property which is a comedic novel about the misadventures of rookie real estate agent, Molly O’Malley. Molly came up with a more witty response to the pickup line than I did. She said, “I don’t think your down payment is large enough to handle it.”

Holly: You also have another Red Hot novel called Red Hot Liberty; I read that it is paranormal?

Devin O'Branagan: Yes, it is the second novel in the Red Hot series. In Red Hot Liberty, Molly hires a new assistant, a sexy Englishman who is psychic and magical. He helps Molly discover that it is an enchanted world where all things are possible.

Holly: Do you have plans for more Red Hots?

Devin O'Branagan: Yes, the third novel will be Red Hot Vampyre, a comedy about all things paranormal.

Holly: The next novel you published was the first volume in your Legend of Glory series. Can you tell us a little bit about it and the basis of the series?

Devin O'Branagan: My literary agent dared me to try my hand at a vampire novel. I took up the challenge, and it turned out to be one of my most popular novels ever. It is about a seventeen-year-old girl named Glory whose blood contains the cure for a pandemic plague. A witch, an angel, and a vampire are assigned to be her bodyguards. It is a fast-paced paranormal thriller for readers of all ages and hit Amazon’s Metaphysical Fiction Bestseller’s List in 2011. Glory was also nominated for the 2011 Best Popular Paperback for Young Adults List, sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) of the American Library Association.

Holly: Do you have plans for a second volume in this series?

Devin O'Branagan: Yes, it’s called Pretty Sacrifices, and I planted seeds for it in Glory. If I don’t get it out soon, my fans will kill me. Seriously.

Holly: I loved this when I read about it; you published a novel this year called, Show Dog Sings the Blues, which is from the dog’s point of view. Can you tell us about this novel and did you have trouble writing it?

Devin O'Branagan: Show Dog Sings the Blues is a spinoff from Red Hot Liberty. In Liberty there is a scene where Molly’s new dog—a former show dog who is exceptionally pampered and prissy—is mistaken for a cowdog and has to work on a ranch for the day. It was such a delightful scene that I had to write it from the dog’s perspective. Show Dog Sings the Blues is a novella written for humans of all ages and hit #1 on Amazon’s Hot New Releases. I enjoyed writing this book more than any other. I think I was a pampered show dog in a past life!

Show Dog Sings the Blues is the first in a planned series of what I call canine chick lit novellas. The next book in the series will be The Twilight Bone, about a haunted dog show. I also plan others from the perspectives of colorful canine characters from both the Legend of Glory series and Threshold.

Holly: Can you tell us about your newest novel Threshold and the world you have created in it?

Devin O'Branagan: Threshold is about a young boy who drowns, has a near-death experience, and returns with a dangerous mission. It is a paranormal thriller about courage, faith, and the transformative power of love. The setting is a cattle ranch in Montana and the ranch manager, a Native American shaman, helps the young boy deal with the choices he must make. It is a novel filled with magic and mysticism. I was inspired to write Threshold after a near-death experience of my own.

Holly: Where can we purchase your novels?

Devin O'Branagan: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, your local bookstore. All my books are available in both print and eBook formats. I sell autographed copies via my own website: www.DevinWrites.com

Holly: Do you have anything you would like to say to your readers?

Devin O'Branagan: My fiction is written to make you laugh, make you cry, make you think, and most of all, to entertain. I love writing and hope you love reading my work.

Holly: Can you tell us a little bit about your pet(s)?

Devin O'Branagan: Both of my dogs have passed on, but I immortalized them as characters in my novels. In their honor, I do a lot of work via my fiction to raise money for animal rescue projects.

Books by Devin O'Branagan

Legend of Glory series

Volume #1: Glory

The Red Hot series

#1: Red Hot Property

#2: Red Hot Liberty

Canine chick lit novellas

#1: Show Dog Sings the Blues

Single Titles

Threshold

Spirit Warriors

Witch Hunt

Coming Soon

Red Hot Vampyre (Red Hots #3)--Expected Publication Date: To Be Announced
Pretty Sacrifices (Legend of Glory Volume, #2)--Expected Publication Date: 2012
The Twilight Bone (Canine chick lit novellas, #2)--Expected Publication Date: To Be Announced

Awards/Recognition

• Witch Hunt--Amazon’s Metaphysical Fiction Bestseller’s List
  "The original Witch Hunt won an award for the one of the best covers of 1991, as voted by the Magazine & Bookseller Association."
• Glory (Legend of Glory Volume, #1)--Amazon’s Metaphysical Fiction Bestseller’s List in 2011. Glory was also nominated for the 2011 Best Popular Paperback for Young Adults List, sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) of the American Library Association.
• Show Dog Sings the Blues--Hit #1 on Amazon’s Hot New Releases

 

Devin O'Branagan has offered to giveaway one (1) copy of either print or a eBook copy of her newest novel, THRESHOLD. Must live in the US to be eligible to receive a print copy. International for eBook.

Book Description:

"Cole Dillon drowns in Deer Lake shortly before his thirteenth birthday. Elijah Thunderbird, a Native American shaman, travels between the worlds to bring Cole back from death. Unfortunately, Cole isn’t supposed to survive, and with the natural order disrupted, dark spirits follow them home.

During Cole’s near-death experience, he is assigned an important mission that involves saving the lives of many other children. However, when he is revived, he can’t remember the details and undertakes a challenging quest of discovery.

Meanwhile, the dark spirits begin to manifest in the lives of the local town residents, bringing hatred and death. When shamanic visions reveal that many young lives are indeed in imminent danger, Elijah has to help Cole find the courage to do what is required of him before it is too late.

As Elijah tries to help Cole, he struggles with his own personal demons, and both men—one young, one old—must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice in order to save others.

A moving paranormal thriller about courage, faith, and the transformative power of love."

Giveaway Details:

• Giveaway is open to US only for print; eBook edition is available Internationally.
• Giveaway will run from November 14th 2011 - November 20th 2011
• Winner will be chosen randomly, contacted and announced on November 21st 2011
• The winner will have 48 hours to contact back before another winner will be chosen.
• One entry per-person please!
• If you enter, you are acknowledging that you read and accept the giveaway/contest policy.
• Giveaway is provided by the author.
  

To Enter:

• Go to giveaway here.