Place of Reads: 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