Despite very genuine concerns, neither of our last two book giveaways resulted in the end of the world. Rather, lots of readers got involved, and won free books. Who woulda thought!

Deciding to push our luck still further, here for your reading pleasure is another book giveaway, this time with New York Times best-seller, MaryJanice Davidson!

We have three hardback copies of MaryJanice’s newest Chick-lit novel, and sequel to Me, Myself and Why? - Yours, Mine and Ours - to give away to Curiosity Quills readers.

This time, we’re using Rafflecopter for everyone’s general sanity:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So spread the word, and earn yourself some wonderful free fiction in the process!

As well as the chance to win, MaryJanice joins us to talk about mirrored self mis-identification, writing the funny side of vampires, torturing your characters, and 6ft fairies.

CQ: On the face of it, tongue-in-cheek humor, chick-lit and paranormal romance make odd bedfellows. What brought on this mix, and how do you make it work?

Rampant immaturity is my secret! Because I can’t not see the funny side of things, even unpleasant things like zombies or taxes. It’s a knee jerk reaction. Knee jerk immaturity!

CQ: The Undead series (Betsy, Vampire Queen) is a much lighter take on paranormal romance’s perennial favourite, the vampire. What made you pick this subject, and do you find the stereotypes lend themselves to lambasting?

I think that’s exactly right: the stereotypes are pretty much begging to be mocked. Betsy came about because I got tired of reading about the same vampire in romance novels: they were always gorgeous, bulky, brooding, and when they weren’t bitching about the horrors of being eternally young, hung, and rich, they were sleeping in coffins and bemoaning how due to their dire (yet awesome) fate they were doomed to shun humanity to protect the innocents from their sinister dark blah-blah-blah. So Betsy’s the opposite of that: not rich, stuck in a job she disliked, on a budget, and no interest in being a vampire. And certainly no interest in being the boss of all vampires. (“Why am I supposed to be their queen? They’re all older than I am! Seriously, gang: look to yourselves.”) She was a character I could relate to…and apparently I wasn’t the only one!

CQ: Your latest release, ‘Yours, Mine and Ours’, and its prequel ‘Me, Myself and Why?’ follow an atypical FBI agent, balancing her work with Multiple Personality Disorder. How much research did you do into the condition as part of writing these books?

Gobs and gobs. The nice thing about my paranormal series is that it’s my world and therefore my rules. So Betsy can handle holy objects, can walk around in the daytime…like that. But not only am I a layman when it comes to all things psychiatric, I never went to college at all. I’m the layman’s layman (maybe I should rephrase…). So if a character in YOURS MINE AND OURS has, say, mirrored self mis-identification, I tried to be as factual and realistic as I could. Also, mirrored self mis-identification? Scariest. Thing. EVER. People who are cursed with this don’t see their reflection in mirrors. They see what they think is a person who looks and dresses like them, a person who follows them around. All…the…time. Think about every time you’ve looked at a reflective surface: the bathroom mirror, your rearview mirror, store windows…what if every time you did that you saw a person following you? How terrifying is that? That was just one of the scary-ass things I found out. I have the greatest respect for people suffering from these disorders, as well as the health care professionals who are trying to help them any way possible.

CQ: You have quite the extensive back list! How much new material do you produce a year, and what keeps you focused?

Focus is easy…I love writing; there’s nothing I’d rather do. I mean, if I can’t be a national gravy taster for the Food Network. And I was an administrative assistant for years and years, so I type about 120 words a minute. When I first started to write full-time, I was putting out (heh…putting out!) six or more books a year, as well as novellas. These days I’ve slowed down and only put two or three full length books a year, and one or two novellas. I know: lazy, right? I often write two books at the same time, so if I get stuck in the YOURS MINE AND OURS universe, I can turn to UNDEAD AND UNSTABLE and work on vampires until I come up with a way back to Cadence’s world.

CQ: Where do you write? Are there any pre-requisites for your writing environment (music, silence, copious wine, pandas in drag)?

Not pandas in drag, though I’ll admit now I’m intrigued. I usually write on my laptop in the living room (in front of the TV), or in my bedroom (while rocking out to the 80s tunes on my iPod: say it with me, One Night in Bangkok!). Because in addition to having the greatest job ever, I’m the laziest person ever!

CQ: You have several multi-book series. Sitting down to craft a new story, what excites you more – a whole new world / set of characters, or finding out what happens next to an old favourite? Are the two different experiences?

I’d have to say the former…for me, there’s nothing more fun than sitting down with all new characters I can torture. I mean, that I can explore new vistas with. No…scratch that. I meant torture.

CQ: You’ve headlined a couple of novella compilations for St Martin’s Press (‘Faeries Gone Wild’ and ‘No Rest For The Witches’). Do you have a hand in which other stories make it into the publication? What was got you involved in these projects?

They asked me! That’s the big secret. Basically my editor, the wonderful Monique Patterson, asked if I wanted to do novellas for fairy-themed anthos. The only rule, she said, was that it couldn’t be a Tinkerbell/Disney-type fairy. Which is always, always the way to my heart: MJ, would you like to write a story about a paranormal creature except not use the paranormal stereotype? Um…hmm, let me think: YESYESYES! Case in point: Betsy the vampire queen, Fred the grumpy mermaid (who can’t swim), and my six foot-plus fairies (complete with delicate diaphanous wings) who are accountants. I love taking the paranormal “norm” and turning it upside down.

I’m also a fan of giving back: so many writers helped me when I was struggling. I was thrilled when I was asked to be in anthologies with Charlaine Harris and Laurell K. Hamilton. These days, to my surprise and honor, I’m often the “big name” highlighting the anthology, and I’m always happy if my name on a cover will help a lesser-known writer get some recognition.

CQ: How much fan interaction, through blogs, signings and other means, do you get? Is it a means or an end?

I think of it as pure gravy. (Hmm. That’s my second gravy reference. Prob’ly shouldn’t have skipped my morning Malt O’Meal with a V8 chaser.) Hearing from fans via blogs or Facebook or Amazon discussion groups or what-have-you is such fun. It’s my favorite part of book promotion; meeting readers! The days when I had to choose between buying diapers or paying the electric bill are not that far behind me (in my head, at least). My books have brought me from the trailer park to the best-seller list, and I’ll always be grateful. And none of it was possible without the readers. Everything about my job is such fun (even deadlines!). A reader doesn’t have to unconditionally love everything I’ve ever written for me to enjoy talking with them…if nothing else, we’ve got the same thing in common: we love books. So I interact whenever I can! Because it’s all about me! When it’s not about them. ;-)

CQ: And finally, a little less seriously: of every fictional hero you’ve ever written, who would you most like to take home and make your own for ever and ever?

Rhett “I am eternally hot” Butler, natch. :-)


About the Author

Verity Linden
Verity Linden
Really, it only LOOKS like magic. Verity Linden (AKA PublicityPixie) is a Literary Publicist working with Curiosity Quills Press author Michael Shean and others. She is a cat lover, nerd, gamer, and avid reader.
More articles by »


20 comments »