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Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour.
It is my pleasure to feature Erica Hayes and Redemption.
Erica has joined us today for an interview:
? When did you
first realize you wanted to be a writer?
Doesn't everyone? But I guess when I was younger, writing for
publication was a thing other people did. I was just writing 'for fun'. No way
would little ol' me ever be good enough to be like them. It was a dream, but
it'd never happen.
And then I realized: guess what? All those authors I admired
were like me once. Everyone has to start somewhere. Those people are where they
are because they worked at it. And if you don't ask, you don't get. The best
(maybe only) way to learn is to get rejected.
So I started submitting stuff. In ye olden days (like, 2008) you
definitely had to have an agent if you wanted print. I sent maybe 50 queries
for various things before I got any interest. I still have that same agent now.
? How many jobs
did you have before you became a writer?
Maybe half a dozen. I wasn't particularly good at any of them.
Except maybe the editorial assistant gig. I worked at a veterinary science
journal. I was good at that. I liked the editing part. The rest of it? Not so much.
? How long does
it take you to write a book?
From the very beginning, including planning and all the faffing
about and head-banging-against-wall that goes with it? About six months.
? What would you
say is your most interesting writing quirk?
Adjectives! I like adjectives :) contrary to popular belief, they are not the
children of Satan. Especially if you don't let them hunt in packs.
? Do you have a
routine that you use to get into the right frame of mind to write?
I have a to-do list each day, and I do it. Frame of mind doesn't
really come into it for me. If words need to be made, I do my best to make
them. Some days, I fail. But you just have to try again the next day!
? Where do you
get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?
Amazon.com. If you order inspiration in bulk, it qualifies for
Super Saver shipping. Heh :) if only it
were that easy! I don't really know the answer. My mind wanders to strange
places…
? How do you
decide what you want to write about?
I'm not sure that's a decision as such. Ideas come to me. I
evaluate them, think about whether they'll sustain a full-length book, whether
I'm excited enough about the idea to want to work on it for months. Sadly, it
does have to involve a few commercial considerations, too. What's already out
there like it? How will I pitch this? Is it different enough, yet enough the
same, to sell?
? What books
have most influenced your life?
Probably the stuff I read when I was a teen. There was nowhere
near as much YA on the shelves as there is now (ahem, showing my age…) so I
gravitated to high fantasy. Quests, magic spells, elven princesses, pig herders
who would be king… and then, y'know. Bisexual vampires. Hello, Anne Rice. I
must have read The Vampire Lestat
like a hundred times.
? What is the
first book you remember reading by yourself?
It was a kids' book about an ape. I must have been about 5 or 6.
I remember because we had a substitute teacher that day, and she didn't believe
I could read by myself. So I showed her :)
? What are you
reading right now?
Last night I picked up The
Dark Half by Stephen King. I've already read it like a zillion times. I
like how it builds.
? What do you
like to do when you are not writing?
I watch a lot of TV at night-time. I loathe reality shows, but I
watch a lot of dramas. It's story-related, but less effort than reading or
writing.
? What is your
favorite comfort food?
Pasta. When I'm feeling sorry for myself, I cook a big juicy
plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce. Or chocolate, of course. That's an
all-purpose food.
? What do you
think makes a good story?
Characters I care about. As in, I have to care what happens to
them, and their problems have to mean something to me. I find many YA books
difficult for this reason. And I like stuff to happen! Plot events. Yes.
? What book, if
any, do you read over and over again?
I'm a big re-reader. There are tons of books I've read more than
once. When I was in high school, I used to read fantasy epics like the Dragonlance series over and over and
over… and yeah, The Vampire Lestat.
These days, I pick up an oldie-but-a-goodie when I want to read for relaxation.
Fun random questions:
·
dogs or cats?
Cats. I like my dog, but the cat is my
favorite. There's something about the pure disdain with which he treats me that
keeps me coming back for more.
·
Coffee or tea?
Coffee. The only cup of tea I've ever
enjoyed was during a survival exercise in the jungle. Our team split the ration
pack at the beginning, and I got the tea bag. I hoarded and hoarded that tea
bag. When you're stinky, wet and weary, and you've eaten nothing in three days
but a scrap of smoked goat jerky? Even tea tastes good.
·
Dark or milk chocolate?
Milk. But dark will do in an emergency.
·
Rocks or flowers?
Uh. Flowers, I guess. But rocks can be
cool, too…
·
Night or day?
I'm more of a night person. But daytime
has its uses.
·
Favorite color?
Green.
·
Crayons or markers?
Haven't owned a crayon for decades. So
I guess it's markers.
·
Pens or pencils?
I like both! I especially like those
clicky mechanical pencils. Click, click…
More About the Author:
Erica
Hayes was a law student, an air force officer, an editorial assistant and a
musician, before finally landing her dream job: fantasy and romance writer.
She writes dark paranormal and urban fantasy romance, and her books feature
tough, smart heroines and colourful heroes with dark secrets.
She hails from Australia,
where she drifts from city to city, leaving a trail of chaos behind her.
Currently, she's terrorizing the wilds of Northumberland.
Redemption
The Seven Signs, Book 2
Erica Hayes
Genre: paranormal romance, urban fantasy romance
Publisher: Berkley
Sensation
Number of pages: 330
Cover Artist: Kris Keller
Book
Description:
Japheth the
Tainted is on the hunt for a mysterious demon vampire. But meeting her
face-to-face might disarm his warrior spirit—and spark an unquenchable passion
with apocalyptic consequences.
As a fallen angel, Japheth is determined to make his way back to heaven by
staying pure and slaying hellspawn. With a new scourge of vampires unleashed by
a blood-drinking demon, the Prince of Thirst, there’s plenty to be done. But
Japheth is after one vampire in particular—the one they call the Angel Slayer.
Rose Harley never wanted to be a vampire, but the Prince of Thirst can turn
even the kindest soul into a soldier of hell. Feeling abandoned by God, she
stalks the West Village taking revenge on his angels—until she meets her match.
When Japheth and Rose encounter each other, the battle is fierce and charged
with desire. But when they discover a common enemy—the Prince of Thirst
himself—they form a dangerous alliance that could either cost them their eternal
lives, or spark a love more powerful than heaven or hell.
Excerpt:
“Looking
for someone, angel?”
That
honey-blood voice quivered Japheth’s feathers taut.
She
grinned, mocking. Leaning against the redbrick wall beneath a rusted fire
escape, steeped in magical shadow and hot vampire stink.
He stared,
dumb. Tall for a girl, only a head shorter than he. Long legs, encased in blue
jeans and black army boots. Her short black t-shirt stretched over full
breasts, flashing that tempting skin above a silver belt buckle. Her bare arms
shone, muscular but womanly. Sexy dimples in her cheeks, perfectly shaped for
cupping in his palms.
The bloody
feathers of slain angels, gold and white and red, stuck through the thick dark
braid she tossed over her shoulder. A few wisps escaped to play around her face
in the summer-night breeze. He wanted to trace their path with his fingertips,
cheekbone to chin to cherry-ripe lips . . .
“Matter of
fact, I am,” he said tightly. “Your sniveling master. Fluvium, is it? Prince of
Thirst? Tell me where he is and I might kill you quickly.”
She
laughed, fangs glinting. Sharp, lethal like a tigress’s. “You’ve come to kill
Fluvium? Good luck with that.” She lolled on one foot, eyeing him
speculatively, sizing up her prey. “Japheth, right? Of the Tainted Host? Cute
name, for a hamster.”
Sweet lord,
his name in her mouth sounded . . . dirty. He swallowed, rough.
“How’d you know that?”
“I know my
enemy.” She licked ripe lips.
Giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
My quick thoughts:
This was not my first Erica Hayes read and I was excited to have the opportunity to read book 2 in this series. The characters are great ~ well built and easy to invest in. The story line is intriguing and fast paced. The combination of fallen angel and vampire is fantastic. Not really a stand alone, but a great addition to the first book. Well worth the time to read!!!!
I made silver and
turquoise jewelry for almost a decade, ended up in nursing school, then took a
master’s in business. Along the way I worked in construction, as a newspaper
editor, a teacher, and somehow found a career working with computers.
