Friday, January 6, 2012

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, Place of Reads Interviews Stephany Simmons, Author of Voodoo Dues & Vampire Blues


On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, Place of Reads Interviews Stephany Simmons, Author of Voodoo Dues & Vampire Blues




PoR: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?


SS: I never know quite what to say when I get questions like this. Let's see... I'm a Texas native, I'm 36, I have two dogs, a boxer and a pekingese who pushes the boxer around.

PoR: When you were a kid, did you want to grow up and be a writer?  Or was there something else you wanted to do?


SS: I've always enjoyed writing and making up stories. As an only child, making up adventures to go on was a great way to get the neighborhood kids to play with me. I didn't have a conscious desire to write professionally until much later. 

PoR: Is there anything in your books that are based on real life, or is it all your imagination?


SS: The neighborhood that Lian and Figg's stories are set in is real. Oak Cliff is Dallas' oldest suburb and only about 5 minutes from downtown. It's a very colorful area, you find all kinds of residents from ploiticians to gangs living in the same few miles (radius). 

PoR: Can you tell us a little about your upcoming book, Vampire Blues?


SS: Sure, in Vampire Blues, Carl, everyone's favorite necromancer is being bullied by a nest of vampires. Of course Lian and Figg decide to help him out which gets them involved in all kinds of vampire politics.

PoR: So which of your main characters do you relate most to: Figg or Lian? 


SS: I'm pretty reserved and bookish, so personality wise, I think I'm more like Lian. I really admire Figg's style and spunk though.

PoR: I read your first book, Voodoo Dues without any background zombies.  What made you interested in having your first book involve zombies, rather than other supernaturals?


SS: I felt like everyone does vampires or werewolves right out of the gate, plus I liked the idea of traditional voodoo zombies rather than the George Romero type of walking dead and I didn't see much of that out there.

PoR:  How many books are you hoping to have in this series?    


SS: I don't really have a set number in mind. I feel like I'll know when it's time to call it quits with Lian and Figg. Right now though, it's just getting started.

PoR: Random question time!  What is your favorite thing to do for Christmas? (like shopping, wrapping gifts, decorating, etc.)


SS: Giving gifts to people I love is without a doubt my favorite thing about Christmas.


PoR: What was the last book that you read?


SS: I plowed through all three of Stacia Kane's Downside books recently. I absolutely loved them. They're dark and gritty, just wonderful UF.


PoR: For the aspiring writers, what advice would you give them about writing their books?


SS: Just do it, then make sure you have a good critique group who will tell you the truth about your work and an editor to help you polish. It's such an exciting time to be a writer with all the options available.






Books by Stephany Simmons

 


You can follow Ms. Hussey and learn more about upcoming books at www.cdhussey.com 









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