Loading ...Interview, Chat and Contest with Author Kat Richardson
A big welcome to our readers today! Be sure to read to the end of the interview to find out how to WIN the fabulous prizes being offered up. The contest is open to readers worldwide.
PLEASE NOTE: This is not a fixed time event, the post just goes live at 10:30 am CDT. You can stop by any time during the day or evening and leave your questions and chat.
PLEASE KEEP SPOILERS TO A MINIMUM. Not all of the readers today have read Kat’s books.
Interview:
Hi Kat!
Welcome to Bitten by Books, we are excited to have you here today!
I would like to thank you taking the time to join us for the question and answer session with our readers. It has been very interesting to get to know more about you and what makes you tick as a writer! Readers, if you haven’t done so already please stop by and get your copy of Kat’s newest book Vanished
BBB: What are the most challenging and the most rewarding aspects of writing?
KR: Getting actual words on paper is probably the hardest thing. There’s always something else to do like research or travel or reading… What’s great is being my own boss and doing things as I like them done. And of course it’s so satisfying to see the real, physical book on the shelves and hear someone say they liked it (especially if they don’t know I’m the author.)
BBB: Knowing that you are from the Seattle area, what drew you to write about it in your books? Is it because there is such a rich history, therefore making it a perfect setting?
KR: I’m not originally from Seattle, so I think one of the things that made me want to write about it was seeing the possibilities of a place I didn’t take for granted from having grown up in it. I also minored in History in college so everything about the past is interesting to me. I loved the strangeness of Seattle, it’s weird moods of weather and the way it’s got lots of distinct little neighborhoods, where a beautiful home can be right around the corner from a dire slum, and the way it’s attracted people from all over the world, yet its really such a small city, physically. There is incredible richness in every square mile.
BBB: How does living in Seattle affect creating the Grey?
KR: Oh the Grey was definitely shaped by Seattle. The fog and rain in the Fall and Spring can act very odd and although I’d been playing with the idea of a limbo between life and death for a while, the look and feel really came together when I moved to Seattle. The way the misty air moves as something presses through it, the way light falls or skirts away in downtown, the quality of light, how easily a person can get lost in the streets that don’t quite go where you think… all that contributed to the Grey.
BBB: How much research do you do for your books? How much of it actually gets used in the finished book?
KR: I probably do about 70% more research than I actually get to use. I like to go look at the things I’m talking about, so I have a feel for the area or building. I take photos or dig them up online or in the library if the spot is no longer extant. I do a lot of reading on history–looking for good ghosts and interesting events or places–and I’ll often run an idea to the ground if I have the time. Sometimes I don’t have enough time, though, and I miss things, or a building has been torn down and I didn’t know it and things like that. I also look for interesting myths, legends and monsters, ghost towns, urban legends and so on and sort of stockpile them for future books.
BBB: How do you keep track of your world building?
KR: Since a lot of the world is essentially real, there are a lot of things I don’t have to track, but on the stuff I have invented, long story arcs, character development and things like that, I keep a “bible” file of important points and backstory. Sometimes I still mess up, though. I rely on my editor and copy editor a lot to help me keep things straight, since I often remember the original version of a book and not the final, edited one.
BBB: Is there a chance Harper will ever travel and how would traveling affect her in the Grey?
KR: Oh my… yes! Harper’s been out and about a couple of times just recently. She went to Oaxaca in Mexico in the novella “The Third Death of the Little Clay Dog” which came out in the collection Mean Streets this past January and she’ll be spending some significant time in London England in the new book, Vanished
BBB: What do you feel are the benefits of the new electronic readers such as Kindle 2
KR: I’m thrilled that there are more ways to get more books into the hands of readers and that the delivery medium is very fast. I like that electronic books offer the reader a lot of control over how they view the book and they are compact and lightweight compared to regular books.
BBB: What impact do electronic readers create on the bottom line for authors in the end? Do you feel they have a negative impact or positive, or no impact at all that you can see?
KR: Over all I think authors benefit by electronic books. It’s another distribution channel for our work and, ideally, it’s inexpensive and very portable. What I don’t like are the formatting and control issues we’re currently dealing with and that a lot of companies charge a lot for the ebooks, even though the cost of producing and distributing them is very low. I also like the idea of free ebooks, but that’s not the same as condoning piracy. Official releases for free or cheap are great and they allow readers to pass along books to their friends who might not want to pay for a book they aren’t too sure about. But taking it on themselves to copy a book into an electronic format and distribute it widely destroys the author and publisher’s potential market and control of the work, which is very damaging indeed. I think we’re still struggling to come to a better system for electronic distribution and that it will probably require a massive overhaul of the copyright laws and distribution systems. That won’t be fun, but eventually, it has to happen.
BBB: Who or what inspires you to write?
KR: You mean aside from the bills and my editor giving me the virtual hairy eyeball? (joking!!!) I’ve always told myself stories. I like to imagine “what if.” I like to tinker with ideas and poke them and see what happens. Reading books and seeing movies, watching people, going interesting places all stimulate ideas that I want to explore. My dad was an English teacher and he felt that writing was one of the great gifts of education; it gives us the tools to save ideas and pass them on, to invest the intangible with a physical form that can be shared and questioned.
BBB: Can you tell us what your next release (s) will be? And do you have stand alone or anthology titles forthcoming? Or any other series besides Harper’s?
KR: Vanished
BBB: Do you have any straight Sci-fi plot bunnies running around in your head and do you think something may come of them?
KR: Yes, in fact. One of the ideas I’m tinkering with is a Science Fiction forensic thriller set in a colony world with a lot of politics and racial tensions. I’m finding it very complex to write and I’ve had to back burner it twice while working on other projects, but I hope I can get it done soon. I really like the characters and their problems.
BBB: Outside of writing, what is the most interesting job that you have ever had?
KR: Umm… probably selling dead lizards. See, I worked at the Renaissance Faire in Southern California for thirteen years. I did parades and worked with a dance troupe and performed a lot of street theater, but one of the things you have to be prepared for is wild improvisation and there was this lizard that had died under the booth and dried out in heat and things were kind of slow so I took the lizard and ran around in the street offering it to tourists and making up all kinds of crazy stories about the health benefits of owning your own dead lizard…. The hardest thing was finding ways NOT to sell it. People actually wanted that poor, mummified little reptile!
BBB: Is there any secret dirt on Team Seattle you have been dying to share?
KR: You know… actually the real dirt is that they are all terribly boring people who work way too hard and spend a lot less time drinking than they say they do. Although… there is still the matter of the gang war against Mario Acevedo and the Denver Rabble and the hit werewolf they sent down to take out Mark Henry… That’s the real reason Mark loves those dogs of his you know: he’s one of them. Have you ever noticed you never see him in a photo with both dogs at once…? Caroline covers for him, because they don’t want the zombies to know Mark is two-timing them with the furry set. 
BBB: If your series had a theme song, what would it be?
KR: Probably “When the Bullet Hits the Bone” by Golden Earring. But it changes as I work.
BBB: If you could pick one of your characters to have dinner with, who would it be and why?
KR: I’d like to have dinner with Phoebe Mason and her family. They’re fun and I come from a really small family so a big, noisy family dinner is a novelty for me.
BBB: If you could shapeshift, what animal would you be? And why?
KR: Animal…? Can’t I be a were-Porsche? Actually I’d love to be a dragon, but I think that would be cheating, wouldn’t it. Gosh, this is hard…. Ummm… maybe an ocelot, ’cause they are kind of exotic without being too strange. Or a cheetah because they are part cat and part dog. A were-ferret? Considering what my attention span is like, that might be more realistic; Ooo! Shiny!
BBB: What is your favorite book of all time?
KR: You mean one I didn’t write, right? ‘Cause I have to admit I have a ridiculous soft spot for Greywalker, my first book, even though it’s pretty badly written in places, and here and there it’s badly flawed. But of all the books I didn’t write, wow, that’s hard too, umm… Pride and Prejudice stands out. I appreciate Austen’s subtlety and prose, the way she makes fun of society without being slapstick or farcical about it. And The Glass Key by Dashiell Hammett. Man, that is one strange book.
BBB: Where is the most beautiful place you have visited in the world?
KR: Big Sur in California. Towering cedars and redwoods come down to cliffs that fall into the sea, hundreds of feet below. Waves crash against the cliffs like the water wants to devour the trees, but it will never get them.
BBB: What is your favorite place in your hometown to go to?
KR: I actually grew up in Claremont California, and even though I don’t live there any more and haven’t in a long time, I still try to visit the Village (downtown Claremont) when I’m down that way. Total nostalgia, of course. These days, I like to go for walks in Golden Gardens–the county park near our marina–or around Pioneer Square when I have the chance. I have become kind of sedentary now that I write all the time, but I love to go outside and wander around and see what’s happening with the animals and the people and the plants. Maybe I should have listened to the occupational conselor who said I’d make a good beekeeper….
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Learn more about Kat Richardson here:
Read reviews of the author’s work here.
To visit the author’s website go here.
To visit the author’s blog go here.
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CONTEST: Readers, here’s how to enter the contest. You can do just ONE or ALL of these things, and each one will give you additional entries at a chance to WIN. Kat will be giving away FIVE $20.00 Amazon.com Gift Cards
1. The easiest way to enter is by purchasing a copy of any of Kat’s books! Yep, it is true, just use the link below or the BBB search box on the right hand side of the site to make your purchase during the contest. Good for 100 entries to the contest for EACH copy you purchase.
Books in the Greywalker series in the order they should be read:
Greywalker
Poltergeist
Underground
Vanished
you can go to Kat Richardson’s Amazon Store
It is NOT mandatory to purchase anything to enter the contests, there are plenty of other ways to enter and win. Just email me a copy of your purchase receipt to racoo.smith @ gmail.com (no spaces). Sorry no faxes or snail mail copies.
2. In order to be entered into this contest the ONE thing you ALL have to do is leave a comment or question. No talking = no entries! You can come by through 5/29/09 and comment for more entries. Good for 10 entries.
3. SUBSCRIBE to the Bitten by Books newsletter here on the top right hand side of the site. Be sure you VERIFY your subscription, an email is sent with the verification link. Unverified subscribers will not be entered and will be deleted from the mailing list. If you are already a subscriber, just let us know and you will get entries too. Good for 10 entries.
4. Spread the word, the more places you post the event, the more entries you get. Use this direct link to the event: http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=7885 at another blog, website, Myspace, Ning Group, Facebook, Yahoo Group, Goodreads, Shelfari (any group where it is appropriate). You MUST come back here to this interview and post those links in one response here in this thread so we can verify your entries. Good for 50 entries per place you post the event link.
NOTE: if you post multiple links here, your post will not show up right away. If you don’t see it, don’t keep posting it, we WILL approve your entry later on in the day.
5. Be friends with Kat by joining her here:
Newsletter: http://groups.google.com/group/kat-richardson-news
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kat-Richardson/76756560729
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1591276454
Fan Forum: http://www.criticalfumble.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=18
Then send me all the confirmations you receive verifying subscription and friendship to: racoo.smith @ gmail.com (no spaces). Good for 20 entries per place you friend her.
6. Twitter and ask your friends to re-tweet the URL for this event be SURE to include us in your tweet @BittenbyBooks http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=7885. Good for 10 entries each day you tweet it.
7. Add Kat’s blog and website to your blog roll or links page: http://www.katrichardson.com/ and http://katatomic.livejournal.com/ Good for 10 entries for each place you post the link.
IMPORTANT CONTEST RULES AND LEGAL DISCLAIMERS
GENERAL CONTEST INFORMATION:
The contest ends on 5/29/09 at 11:59 pm PDT and the winners will be contacted the following week. You will receive your prize directly from the author. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR FIRST AND THE INITIAL OF YOUR LAST NAME as well as a valid email where we can contact you. REMEMBER the more things you do, the more entries, the greater the chances of winning.
1. Please note, the prize stated IS the prize you will receive, there will be absolutely no substitutions or changes the prize is non-transferable. If you don’t want the prize being offered, please don’t enter the contest. If you ever win an electronic copy of a book, please note that it is ILLEGAL to forward, give away or copy it in anyway once you receive it. Doing so violates copyright. If we find out that it has been done, you will no longer be eligible to win any of our contests.
2. You have THREE days from the day the we contact you to claim your prize by sending your name/mailing address to me. Failure to contact me will forfeit your prize. BBB can at that time, choose either to re-award the prize to another entrant or not.
3. The prize stated IS the prize you will receive, there will be no substitutions, trades or changes. No exceptions. Please do not ask. If for some reason you do not wish to claim your prize, please let me know as soon as possible. Bitten by Books has the option to re-award it or not.
4. Contest is open to readers worldwide. The prize is shipped directly from the author.
5. Bitten by Books is in NO way responsible for the prizes being offered in any of the contests. If for some reason a contributor does not honor their prize, there is nothing we can or will do about it. We are not worried that this will happen, but we want to be very clear that WE are not offering these prizes, the contributor is and it is their responsibility to fulfill their prize obligations.
6. These rules are subject to change or be modified without prior written notice.
7. Contest is void where prohibited.
8. By entering this contest you are agreeing to our terms of entry
(3 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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Hello Kat,
I haven’t had the pleasure to read your books. I’ll be correcting that soon. So far which book has been your favorite to write?
3. I’m a subscriber
4. 7. can be found here http://beetsbooks.blogspot.com/
Hi Beet. So far my favorite is the new book, Vanished. I got to do a lot of things I was wanting to do and there is a character in it I really enjoyed creating. Also a new vampire-type. It’s always fun to make up new things.
Kat, I enjoyed the interview so much and look forward to reading your books.
I have a question regarding historical research — I always have difficulty in not getting caught up in tangents and additional inspirations when I’m researching. If something strikes me, I try to gather info and take some notes for a future project, but not get completely off track in the current one. Do you ever run into that? And how do you deal with it?
Hey Darling! Wonderful interview, we are anxiously awaiting Vanished! Harper says “HI”, she’s off with Cameron on her Harley today…lol
and of course we are subscribers to your newsletter!
hugs
molli, Wes, and Harper
Hi Devon.
Historical research is far too much fun. I have that same problem all the time. It’s hard to stop gathering and start writing sometimes. I take as many notes as I can, especially making sure to take the catalog info for books and the URLs for websites (or make a copy of the relevant pages). I make folders and store everything for future use. Things that can’t be used for the book I’m currently working on may turn out to be useful later, so I keep everything I can. I tend to prefer electronic copies, since I don’t have a lot of room for physical storage on the boat, but where I have to have a book, I’ll find a way to keep it or get it from a library in the future.
Molli! Glad you could drop in!
I hope all the little ones are being well-behaved (though I’m quite sure they are being naughty as ever.) Make sure Harper wears her helmet!
Hey all, with respect to the reading order on the books, the novella “The Third Death of the Little Clay Dog” comes between Underground and Vanished. No huge spoilers in Dog, but a few small ones, so if you want to be spoiler free, that’s where to read it.
Hi Kat,
Your books sound wonderful. I can’t wait to read them.
Bridget
Shared here:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1084897775&ref=profile
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=7946815 (blog section)
http://twitter.com/bridget3420
http://freebies4meandu.blogspot.com/2009/05/interview-chat-and-contest-with-author_28.html
http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/2009/05/interview-chat-and-contest-with-author_28.html
sent Facebook friend request to Kat
Facebook fan of Kat & wrote on wall
Added Kat’s site to the Awesome Authors section of my blog http://bridget3420.blogspot.com
RSVP’d
Hi Kat!!! Thanks so much for stopping by. I’m very interested in your books. The story line sounds great, and I need to add them all to my wishlist How did this idea first pop into your head? Did something specific inspire you?
Also, you mentioned that Pride and Prejudice was your favorite book. Have you heard of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies? I came across it yesterday, and apparently the story has been adapted to add in zombies. Its such a fun idea. What book isn’t more interesting with zombies?
http://www.chroniclebooks.com/index/main,book-info/store,books/products_id,7847/title,Pride-and-Prejudice-and-Zombies/
Hi Kat
The book sounds interesting, and looks cool. Something for me.
A Question would be…Which authors have inspired your writing?
Thanks for being with us today Kat!
I am glad I asked about Team Seattle, now I know what Mark Henry is up to. LOL
Have a great time today!
Hi Kat,
Love your book Greywalker and added you to my authors to collect list but I am a lil’ behind at the moment. Poltergeist, Underground and Vanished are all on my NTB/R list and I will have them all soon.
A were-Porsche? half human, half Transformer. It is great. Now what would your Transformer name be?
I heard that Mario also sent a team of his black ops ninjas to Seattle, but Caitlin took them out with one ticked off look. True story.
Great interview, Kat. I loved the thoughtful responses.
Eee hey Kat!
It’s so good to have you! I’ve had your book on my TBR pile before you came and I can’t wait to get to reading!
So, my question is, if you were able to go anywhere in the world and write about it where would you go and why?
P.S. I RSVP’d the other day and here I am! Plus I’ve added the link to my twitter and facebook. And, as always, this is on my blogsroll.
http://twitter.com/home - Twitter
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1324302224&ref=profile - Facebook
http://www.cafebook.yolasite.com/ - My website. (Um… its still getting started)
3) I am already subscribed.
4) I posted on FB.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=1339196135&ref=profile
5) I became a fan and friended Kat on FB.
Hi Kat
I love the series so far! Harper Rocks!
& I already subscribe
Hi Kat, I read your short story in Mean streets and I’m definately going to be buying the other Greywalker books as soon as my exams are over
3. already a subscriber to the newsletter
Hi Kat welcome to BBB, loved the commment about the dead lizzard, did you really sell it or just dispose of it? I must confess I read GreyWalker when it first came out, but I haven’t read the others yet. They are on my wish list. Would it be better to read them now, or wait for Vanished to come out and read them all together, one right after the other? hmmmm….
convince me the right way to go. Were-Ferret cool, too bad though shifters can not shift into inanimate objects, what a fascinating idea.
* Ducks head * I’ve never really heard of you until now… But then, Bitten has been great in introducing new and wonderful authors…
* Signed up for her newsletter (raonaid)
* Joined her fan page on facebook
* Friended her on facebook
* Shared it on facebook
* Joined her forum
* Twittered it
* Put it on my myspace blog and bullentin board
* Posted it on my blogger
* Have her links on my blogger links
* posted it on my livejournal (Morriga)
This interview was very funny and fun to read.
I joined the newsletter so I can find out about future stuff.
I also became a facebook fan.
Hi Kat. Great interview. I have your books on my TBB list, and did read your novella in Mistletoe & Wolfsbane: loved it. Will be adding the others as the budget allows. My question to you is if you had to do something other than write, what would you do?
I am a BBB subscriber since March, and I previously posted this event on my livejournal and facebook and blogger sites, but can’t access them from EDJ. Also shared on my yahoo mail.
*giggles* For those of you who haven’t read them, that’s OK. I can’t keep up with all the books out there, either.
Writers who inspire(d) me… Dashiell Hammet, Raymond Chandler, Issac Asimov, Madeline L’Engle, Kenneth Graham, Jane Austen, Richard K. Morgan, Dorothy L Sayers, and a lot of others.
As to inspiration to write the Greywalker series, that came from a lot of places. Not just the hardboiled detective books I obviously read, but things like the original British TV show “Randal and Hopkirk: Deceased” and lots of ghost stories as a kid. Oddly I was never a huge vampire reader, except for Chelsey Quinn Yarboro’s St. Germain Chronicals, and Elizabeth Anne Scarborough’s GOLD CAMP VAMPIRE–which features a weremoose among other crazy things. I really wanted to write aserious, hardboiled PI novel about a detective who worked for ghosts, but things went in some crazy directions and Greywalker was the result. Also the fog around Seattle and the strangeness of the Pioneer Square district did a lot to inspire the particulars of the story. Not to mention the question of how great a spy a ghost would be. All that got balled up together to make the first book and things went on from there.
Thanks for having me in, Rachel! (And Mark is a very evil man, which is why everyone at Team Seattle loves him.)
Heather C: I haven’t read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies yet. It’s on the list, but my reading has slowed down a bit now I’m working on the next book.
Koren: My Transformer name… I think I’d be called “Mechanic Bait.”
Lorraine: I have been known to gobble up all of an author’s books in one go, but I usually feel a little burned out afterward, so I say “try a few, first, then the rest.” The first three books are being reissued as standard small paperbacks starting next week with Greywalker, so you can just read one a month as they come out. (bwahahahahaha….)
And no, I never sold the lizard; I gave it back to the booth owner when I was done with it. I don’t know what happened to it after that. (Maybe it’s a ghost lizard, now, haunting the Faire site to this day!)
TM Thomas: Yes, we all know to be wary of Caitlin’s laser glance; she can cut a pretentious reviewer in half with a single blink! She is teh awesum!
Nancy G: If I had to do something other than write… I’d probably have to go back to technical editing, which is what I used to do, or (if I could do whatever I wanted and still make money) I’d like to go back to music; I was a Vocal Music major before I got my degree in Journalism.
wow! Hi! Thank you so much for being here! BBB is on my blog roll on WP and blooger and google profilw!
http://nicholandria.wordpress.com/
http://nicholandria.blogspot.com/
http://www.google.com/profiles/114811901631944620870
Hi Kat,
Looking forward to VANISHED and sincerely hope you make it to Bouchercon, too. As an owner of multiple ferrets, I totally understand the attention span comment. Ferrets were the originators of ADHD, I swear!
Debi Murray
P.S. Thanks for all the attention you give Little Bit….much appreciated!
Whoops, forgot to mention that I am a newsletter subscriber, too.
Hi, great interview! I hear about you all the time in Richelle Mead’s blog. I have your book on my “too read” list and I can’t wait to get it!
Already subscribed
Posted this link at http://www.myspace.com/tiahb
Today is not a good day for the brain…I am also Kat’s Facebook friend and joined her fan page, too.
Now I will shaddup!
Hi Kat! I recently read the first two books of your Greywalker series and I loved them. Harper is an original character in a genre that is so huge at the moment that it’s hard to stand out above the rest, but you did it! Will Quinton be playing a bigger role in the later books?
(I already subscribe to BBB. I became a fan of Kat on Facebook. And now I’ve commented!)
Debi: I am a huge sucker for animals, even virtual ones, and Little Bit is too cute to resist!
So, if Pride and Prejudice and The Glass Key are your favorite books, what’s your favorite movie? Conversely, what movie have you seen that you absolutely hated?
Posted at MySpace: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=97879707&blogId=491608914
Posted at Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=724085372&ref=profile#/profile.php?id=724085372&ref=mf
Christine R: Thank you! I didn’t see much out there that was like what I wanted (obviously I missed a lot) so I figured I should write her.
Quinton… well…I see you haven’t read Underground yet, so I’m only going to say “read that and see.”
nice interview Kat…about spilling the beans about Mark…well now it’s out. Tank goodness you dont’ know the “real me”
or thank goodness even.
Synde I can’t talk about you in public; there is no known ward. For Mark we have wolfsbane, or at least dogwood (hahaha)
Hi Kat, thanks for spending some time with us. I am very anxious to read your books. I am a huge paranormal fan, but I also love the detective mystery type too, so I think I will really enjoy these!
How many books do you plan on for the series?
If you could pick someone to star as your herione who would it be (in case of looks)?
I purchased a copy of your book (1st one)
Already subscribe to BBB newsletter
Do you need first initial and last name +email or do you have access?
Kat,
Great blog. I can’t wait to vanish into Vanished. And for the record, Denver Rabble did not send a hit werewolf after Mark Henry. It was that the werewolf had bladder problems and Mark just happened to be within the splatter pattern. Twice.
Back to research.
Cheers,
Mario
A were-porsche? That could be interesting…
6. http://twitter.com/glowstars/status/1950481659
7. http://glowstars.net/?page_id=380
That is too funny about the lizard. I used to work at the Ren Faire here every year I was a wench press participant a Lusty Wench hawker and an all around general goof ball.
Hi Kat- glad you could be here today. I’m looking forward to the new book. You caught me in Mean Streets with “The Third Death of the Little Clay Dog” - which is still my favourite Harper Blaine story… I hope you do get to do some more short stories and novellas- some people aren’t as good with them as the novels- but I really loved yours and got five others hooked on you with the last one, besides myself.
and they weren’t black ops ninjas, they were skanky black lace ops ninjas?
Just popping by to say hi, no questions, just love to see Kat’s interviews and am really looking forward to the next book.
Hi Kat! Your books sound so good! I have book one but havent had a chance to read it. Can your books be read out of order? How do you come up with character names?
Hi Kat - thanks for being here today. I have to say I am loving this site as I am getting the scoop on all the best books to be reading. I am making a run to the bookstore this weekend and picking up the first in the Greywalker series. Your interview convinced me it is a must read book. I especially like your comments on Seattle. I was going to ask about how the city has inspired you, but you already answered that in the interview. Seattle really seems to have something special about it, since it has inspired so many works of art and literature, (as well as movies).
Could you tell us where you got the inspiration for some of the names for your characters? Thanks.
Kat, I read read “The Werewolf Before Christmas” in Wolfsbane and Mistletoe, but your other books are, alas, still on my TBR pile.
I enjoyed getting to know you better - thanks, Rachel, for inviting Kat. Kat, thanks for being here!
BBB is always on my web site links!
Light,
Nancy Haddock
Apparently, both RachelfromNJ and I really, really want to know about those character names. lol ; )
hi Kat,Great Interview.I haven’t had a chance to read your books yet,but I’ll be looking for them the next trip to the library.Looks like a great series.
Elie: Thanks, I hope you enjoy them.
Originally I had five books planned, but the publisher wanted three, then they asked for three more. At the moment, I’ve working on book five which is the end of the vampire arc (though not the end of the vampires), so book six will either stand alone or start the next arc of 4-6 depending on what the publisher wants to do. I think I might get kind of tired of Harper by book 12 or so, but we’ll have to wait and see, I guess.
Mario: Oh, so THAT’S your story. I guess we’ll have to recall the demon intervention team (or not… your choice.)
Koren: it’s a really small world, isn’t it? I kind of miss the Faire; it was happily crazy.
Penny H: Thank you (and thanks for hooking others!) I’ve always had difficulty with shorter work, so it was a challenge, but the idea of Dog just didn’t feel novel-length, so when the publisher asked for a novella, I was quite pleased to give it a try. It’s my favorite story (though not my favorite book) in the series so far. I’d like to do some more short work, but it’ll have to wait until Book 5 is done.
Hi Kat!! *waving all silly*
Just a nudge of encouragement from moi. Excellent interview. I shall sneak back in later this evening. The only question is who invented liquid soap and why? (I love older John Cusack movies)
Thanks again for sharing your stories.
Hello Kat. I will be reading your books, I am intrigued.
I am a subscriber to newsletter.
Nancy H: I’m glad you enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun to write that story–it’s so different from Greywalker, so it was a nice break–and the group of writers and editors were great to work with. Did you know Dana Cameron’s story won an Agatha? And it’s nominated for an Anthony and a Macavity too! It’s a fantastic collection of stories and I feel very lucky to have been included.
Character names: Oh boy… that’s a tough one. I get names from all over. Harper was partially a nod to Harper Lee who wrote TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, but I still am not sure where Blaine came from, except that it sounded “right.” I tinker with names. I put things together and listen to the sound, then I check the internet to make sure I haven’t grabbed the name of a famous person by accident. Sometimes I take names from spam (Jesus Jenkins is still my favorite spam name, but I haven’t used it yet) or from gravestones, or I “borrow” them from my friends (with their permission). Sometimes it’s just a name I see somewhere and think is neat. Quinton came from a sign on a building for Quinton Medical Supplies. I figured there weren’t going to be a lot of people around with that spelling and it wasn’t likely to be mistaken for anyone else. I once named a character after an intersection. I try to get a combination that sounds realistic, but evokes an idea of the personality behind it. And the age, too. For instance, you don’t name a young woman “Agatha” unless the story is set in the 1920s or you want it to stand out a bit, since it sounds pretty old-fashioned.
Also, I don’t usually know other writers are using certain names. I had no idea there was a vampire named Edward in Stephanie Meyer’s books. Or that Charlaine Harris had named her new protagonist Harper. Writers seem to have this spooky name radar where we all start using the same group of names for a while by coincidence. No… wait! It’s a conspiracy! Yeah… that’s what it is….
Hi Jay! Liquid soap… wasn’t that my little brother? He used to leave the soap in the bottom of the tub until it dissolved.
Awesome contest opportunity. Heard about this on the Contest Day 26 page. Have been meaning to pick up these books - now I’ve even more incentive! Awesome.
Hi Kat,
what a great interview. I heard about the contest on Bday contest and RSVP’d. Couldn’t wait for the interview (knew if would be good).
I have your books sitting in my TBR pile, am going to have to move them to the top. I’ve read the short story and that’s why I picked up the books. That’s why I like short stories and anthologies because they introduce me to new writers.
3. I am already a member of the newsletter
I’m so tickled that people like the short story. Shorts have always been my bane. (definitely a jeans-and-t-shrts sort of girl
)
Laughs~
Kat, With so many book choices, sometimes it is the cover that sells the book. Do you get any say in your book covers?
I forgot to mention that I RSVP’d for this interview.
Elie: I get a little bit of initial input, but that’s about all. I send a lot of reference photos and some scene descriptions, but the rest is up to the marketing department and the artist. Luckily I have a great cover artist at Penguin: Chris McGrath who also does Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files cover art and Caitlin Kittredge’s new Black London art. Chris rocks. If you want to see what else he’s doing, he’s got a great site: http://www.christianmcgrath.com/
I RSVPd for today, I have been a loyal follower on my blogroll of Kat’s LiveJournal and blog, http://iyamvixenbooks.blogspot.com/2009/05/bitten-by-books-and-kat-richardson.html is where I posted the interview and contest. Love this series. A good bud loaned me the first two from her keeper shelf and then gave me the first two for MY keeper shelf after I yammered on about how much I enjoyed them. Then I found out RecordedBooks was going to have them. I’ve listened to GREYWALKER and waitng for POLTERGEIST to come up on my wishlist and then UNDERGROUND will be out in September.
Hi Vickie B! Nice to see you. I am so impatient for the audio of Underground. Argh! (read faster, Mia!)
Love Seattle. Can see how it would make inspiration. thanks for the interview.
Hey Kat! Yep, Mia needs to read faster or the producer needs to produce faster….she does an excellent job of voice characterizing Harper and company.
Hi Kat. I love the lizard story.
My question for you is …with the more you write do you find it easier or harder? I too could be a were-ferret for the attention span, I have so many ideas and projects I’m working on a find it difficult sometimes to focus on the one I need to finish without the other characters and story arcs trying to intrude. Do have this problem also and any tips on how to block out other stories?
Great interview! The Greywalker series sounds like books I want to read!
I’m already a BBB subscriber and friend on facebook
Medievalgrrl: (great name) It’s still very hard to stay focused on the task at hand, but the reasons have changed. Now I’m under more pressure to produce on time (from my publisher and agent) and to do better with each book (from myself) and everything sounds like more fun when the pressure is on than sitting in front of my computer, pounding on keys. I usually set goals for myself that are relatively easy to meet and then I get a reward when I meet them–like leaving “work” early to take a walk, or buying something I want, or having a cookie. I try to set flexible goals, like “2k words a day or 10K a week, however it works out” and not be too upset if I’m not perfectly on-target. It’s also OK to do just a little bit at a time, instead of trying to do a lot all in one push.
One of the tricks I’ve learned is to schedule backward (start at my delivery date and figure out how /early/ I have to start writing to make my deadline/goal without killing myself) and to give myself extra time to be distracted. It’s OK to be distracted by another story, but you can’t let yourself be sucked into it too deeply when you have a deadline on something else. I make notes, write enough to be satisfied that I’ll remember what I was doing, and then get back to the main work. It really helps to set limits and give yourself rewards, even if you’re not on a deadline. If story #2 is really pestering you (and you don’t have to get story #1 done right away) take a break when you get to a good stopping place and work on #2 until you meet your limit/goal and then give yourself a pat on the back and get back to work on story #1 (or take a break, and /then/ get back to work.) Also, don’t work all day on your writing. No matter how much you love it, it’s a job and you shouldn’t spend all your time at work. Play time is for /you/ not for your job (even when the job is writing.)
ChreylM: I hope you enjoy them!
Love the series, picked them up after I read your short story in Mean Streets. Though on a spoiler note shouldn’t have read it first since it gives away who she’s in a relationship with. I love the fact that Harper Blaine feels like a real private eye.
I love the lizard story too. I cannot wait to read these books. I am so amazed by how many authors are out there that I do not know about.
I have facebook’d, myspace’d, twitter’d, blogged, linked, entered, subscribed, and friended as required.
Thanks of the interview, Kat.
Rocky: I’m sorry that was a bit of a spoiler for you. Yeah, that story really should come after Underground and before Vanished, but I hope it’s not such a horrible spoiler that it ruins the series. It’s really hard not to give some hints about what’s happened in the past.
Dianne: I can’t keep up with authors either. There are just too many good ones!
I hope you get down to Tacoma sometimes. We’re ‘gritter’ than Seattle and love it that way!
Kat, I believe you already know I’m doing my best to patiently wait for Aug. 4th. Not only was it my pleasure to bring Vickie B. to the Grey side but I’ve just recommended you to my dental hygienist and anyone else who will listen.
I came this >< close to buying Greywalker in MPB today. I’m trying to be logical and know that TPB is an acceptable size for a book.
Hey Storm: I was just in Tacoma over the holiday weekend. I don’t have any stores scheduled at this point, but since my hubby now works down that-a-way, I will probably be down that way again soon. I’d love to get some story stuff for Harper going down in Tacoma–it’s a cool place for strange, gritty happenings.
Hi, Dragonfly! I’m indebted to you for dragging others into the Grey. It really is hard to resist that mass market Greywalker, isn’t it? The silver foil backing really perks the art up! Sorry to make you wait so long. I’d let it out early if I could, but the publisher would probably send me to some special place in Hell where the mythical bad copyeditors with no actual understanding of grammar would poke me with burning hot red pencils for eternity while dropping commas on my head and demanding more regular sentence structure.
Wow. The victim of werewolf golden showers. And twice no less. Ugh.
That was Mario’s doing… I had nothing to do with the pee.
Contest stuff:
2 = yes
3 = done
4 = facebook
5 = both facebooks
6 = done
Hey, Kat! Take it as read that I’m sitting here patiently waiting to find out what the caryatids do…
Now, this is irrelevant to anyone who reads Greywalker as urban fantasy and has no fear of walking into the fantasy section of a bookshop, but I’ve always approached Greywalker as a crime reader and at Crimefest a couple of weeks back I found a different take on how to market a crossover: there’s a series of books by a woman called Roz Southey, set in Newcastle in the 1730s, except that it’s a version of the 1730s in which everyone can talk to the spirits of the dead. The dead hang around the area they died in - which is a biiig motive for moving a body - and talk to investigators, and the hero’s landlady has been dead for several years. Interestingly none of this is mentioned on any of the book blurbs, and Ms Southey didn’t mention it at any point even when I chided her for her lack of Northumbrian smallpipes.
Have you ever considered suggesting removing all mention of the unreal from the Greywalker covers, and how bad an idea do you think it is?
Hey Rik of Monkey-keeping fame!
No, actually I hadn’t thought of removing the paranormal from the blurbs. Hmmm…. I suppose if the were more heavily marketed to the Mystery community, I might try it. But the marketing department would probably tell me to give it up, since they like the Urban Fantasy niche at the moment, even when they have to stretch the “paranormal” a bit to fit.
One thing that did strike me when my agent was first shopping the book was how negatively the traditional mystery publishers reacted to paranormal elements–especially vampires. I think they might go for ghosts, but as soon as shapeshifters and bloodsuckers show up, they seem to feel very uncomfortable. I do occasionally wish I hadn’t let the vampires in, since there are several successful mystery series that feature ghosts, but, to date, only Charlaine Harris has managed to stay staunchly in the Mystery genre while letting the vampires out to play.
Who are your fave authors?
I posted on http://twitter.com/amysmith98 and here http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=506558303&ref=profile
I have bitten by books on my blog roll.
Hi Kat. Though I have yet to read any of your books, I have read Wolfsbane and Mistletoe and enjoyed your contribution very much. I just sent a friend request for FB and posted the link to this interview on my profile there. Thanks for sharing with us here!
I just read your Wolfsbane adn Mistletoe story. Good stuff, I am excited for my book to come.
Elie N
zenfoxflower@ yahoo.com
Hi Lisa M. I shall friend when I get back to FB.
The Werewolf Before Christmas was fun to write. As usual, I did a lot of research. I don’t seem to be able to write without doing research. Cherie Priest helped me with some of the St. Nicholas legends and then I just sort of… fell into the story. I wanted it to be a story that couldn’t have been just a Christmas story or just a werewolf story but had to be about a werewolf at Christmas, so I had to figure out how the two connected. I was really surprised when I found out St. Nicholas is the patron saint of wolves (so it all came together.) Now cool is that?
Hi KAT
What Fruit best describes your personality and why?
If you could go to any time period past or future which would it be and Why?
already subscribed to BBB
I rsvp’d
i twittered it http://twitter.com/sonyalovesbooks
posted it on myspace and fb
blogged it on myspace http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.ListAll&bID=491677358
joined newsletter under sonyalovesbooks
add as a friend on fb
became a fan on fb
I enjoyed reading your interview and hearing about your stories. I had to laugh at the paying bills. I think that is what keeps most of us going. It’s hard to believe that there can be a positive spin to it. lol Oh, and the dead lizard. I have been to a Renaissance Faire and can just picture that.
I am already subscribed to the Bitten by Books newsletter and I just joined Kat’s newsletter. I’m sorry to say I’m not a member of Facebook.
enjoyed the interview and hearing about your books. Reminded me that I have the first one in my tbr pile. Need to rearrange that.
joined Kat newsletter and added her to my blog roll
http://www.bookcrazyscrapbookmama.blogspot.com/
Thanks for the fun interview…. you really hang with Mario and Marc…. are you sane still??? LOl did they make you test out the gun bra for Jaye?
I have twittered the link
FB the link
Already BBB friend, newsletter etc.
Will be checking out the website and signing up for the newsletter…. Ta for now….
Shell B
Kat-
I can’t wait for Vanished. I just love Harper and can’t wait to see what happens in this book!
Please tell me that Chaos will be okay. I worry about him.
Thanks!
Katie
Kammie: yeah, no matter how fun the job, y’gotta pay the bills.
Shell: That assumes I was sane before I met them, but so far as I can tell, you don’t get to meet them until you are already going around the bend; Mark and Mario are the traffic wardens on the road to crazyville.
Katie: no worries. My editor was really upset when I said I might have to kill the ferret off some day (because, you know, pets get old, not because anything bad happens). But I thought she was going to skin me if I did, so Chaos is going to be the longest-lived ferret in history.
Hi Kat! Great interview, and I really enjoyed Greywalker—very original premise in a market that seems all but glutted. And I have to say that I agree with you about Big Sur-it’s gorgeous!
As both a historian and an aspiring writer myself, I’m impressed by all the research you do, and I was wondering how you avoid the temptation to include every little tidbit of information you dig up, whether or not it belongs in your book. We’ve all read books that come across as one big info dump, and they’re not that fun to read. So how do you keep the research supporting the story, as opposed to using the story to show off your research?
Thanks so much for stopping by!
I have joined Kat’s newsletter, and am now a facebook fan!
Hi Kimberly B! I’m afraid I don’t always restrain my urge to info dump but having been an editor, I remind myself that readers aren’t as enamoured of minutiae as I am and that’s usually enough. The trick seems to be to say the things that are really important and leave the rest as a tantalizing hint for readers to pursue themselves. I do indulge myself in Author’s Notes which list all the information sources so the readers can go out and get more for themselves, if they like.
One of the tools I use to keep things focused is bullet lists. I know that sounds weird, but I make a list of the points I want to hit in the story, then I start putting them in as I outline a section. Anything that just won’t fit gets dumped, however sad it makes me. By rendering the cool stuff down to boring lists, it’s a lot easier to throw it out. And I can always find it later and use it elsewhere.
Hi Kat!
Welcome to BBB!
I loved reading the interview and learning more about what’s going on in your head and in your books!
Thanks for a GREAT interview!
-VA
(Rach-twittered, FB, Mark and Dakota’s, friends with Kat on FB, Twitter, LJ, and I think I’m on her mailing list, also, have BBB on my blog roll too)
Author’s Notes is one of my favorite parts of the book. Not only do you entertain but you educate. That’s my kind of Electric Company. Seriously though, I’ve learned little things via the series about Seattle that I wish I had known and/or experienced when I lived there.
Hey Virginia, it’s been a real treat.
Dragonfly: alas, Vanished doesn’t have an Author’s Note. I was very depressed by the death of our ferret, Dexter, at the time I should have been writing it, so I never did. Eventually I’ll put one up online I think, since it was a very big research job and quite interesting.
2. Visited Seattle, but it was summer and was actually nice and sunny. We lived outside Sacramento, CA for two years and I spent one summer in San Francisco. The periods of fogged in weather were gloomy. We were totally fogged in for over 10 days once in Sacramento. It just gives an unreal feel to everything. You don’t know what will come walking out of the fog. Knowing how much rain the Seattle area gets, it must be much the same.
Look forward to reading this series.
3. Already subscribed.
Thanks for stopping by…
Haven’t had the pleasure of reading your books yet. I can’t wait to though.
When you develop a character do you find yourself pulling characteristics from real live sources or do the evolve from a mysterious image in your head? How do you go about naming them?
Patricia B: The funny thing about Seattle is although it has a reputation for rain, the amount of rain is not that great, it’s just persistent and because it’s so fine, but constant we get an interesting mist-like effect even when the weather conditions don’t allow for real fog. I’m sure you’ve seen the same thing in Sacramento, since it seems to be related to being near a large body of cold water. Quite spooky.
MarnieC: I take a bit from people I know, or types of people I know, or from stereotypes and then muck around with them. None of my characters are straight representations of actual people, even when I’ve used a real person as a model. Harper, for instance, is strongly modeled on both my step-sister and a woman I shared a dorm with in college, both strong, athletic, stubborn women with a lot of smarts and sass, but not the “sassy wench” type.
Character names come from a lot of sources, but I usually tweak them about for a while before I get something I really like. I tend to cleave to Anglo-Saxon since most of my characters are from basic American mutt backgrounds, but there is a lot of room for variation when you consider the breadth of the American cultural background. And when I can’t think of a name, there’s always email spam, which provides some of the most amusing fake names ever.
Hi Kat welcome to bbb ty for the interview and for writing what seems to be an awesome story thats awesome of u
i joined ur news letter
fanned u on face book
added u to face book
joined ur forum
i also rsvped
I cant wait to read the series they all sound awesome
Hi Kat. Haven’t read your books yet, but they do sound interesting to me, so I joined the newsletter. That other sci fi idea on the back burner sounds good, too.
BBB subscriber
Waves - I never knew this was here! Thanks Kat for introducing me to this website :} I know know why you are one of my favorite authors - it is the Ren Faire and dead lizard thing that make me know you are as wacky as me!
My question (like I don’t already ask questions) is where is the best place to find old photos of Seattle? My hubby thought he knew, but I am having a heck of a time. He did bring home a TON of photos of Pioneer Square - including one of the actual Underground - there is a building that is coming down and it has daylighted some of the Underground…
I too am impatiently awaiting the next audiobook - I am glad to know the approximate time it may come out.
And I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Clay Dog!!!! It is probably my favorite shorts story right now, hands down. I learned so much about The Day of the Dead and its traditions. I loved Harper in it too.
I can hardly wait for Vanished!
Pam P and Beverl G: I hope you enjoy them and thanks for making me so welcome here. It’s been lovely. The SF is one I really want to get to. Although I’m also interested in the superhero librarian who’s been pestering me….
*waves back to Thea* Hi there, O Loyal Minion! Yup, I’m the right kind of weirdo. (heehehhe)
OK, photos of Seattle. I use Historylink.org a lot–it’s a site that puts up vetted historical articles and accompanying photos. I have also used a lot of Seattle Public Library sources. The Seattle Room at the main branch has a LOT of photos, but also check the catalog for books about Seattle in local branches. Ballard has a great collection of maritime Seattle material for instance. The Arcadia Press photo histories can sometimes be useful and there are a lot of them currently available at the chains or libraries. They are broken down into neighborhoods or geographic areas, but not much by age.
I used a lot of the University of Washington Press’s local history books, too. Most of our libraries have a few and they tend to have great photos from the University’s collection. They did a fantastic architectural survey of Pioneer Square called “Distant Corner” that you might find really interesting if you want to know more about the rebuild period and the Square area specifically. Also, the Underground Tour shop has a surprising number of interesting photos on their walls and some are for sale as reproductions. Biographies of important Seattleites also provide useful photos. A biography of our lady mayor, “Bertha Knight Landes of Seattle,” had some wonderful photos of the city before the University was built and as it was being built, and of the Capitol Hill area about 1915-1926.
You can also try the Museum of History and Industry, but they charge a lot for their photos. A trip to take a look at their display collection is cheap though and sometimes you can find a nifty book in the shop. I hope that helps. If not, send me email and I’ll see if I can come up with more specific references for you to try.
oh dear… I posted a detailed reply, but it seems to have gone missing. Thea, I can give you some specific references if you like. Drop me email.
but a good place to start is actually HistoryLink.org or the Seattle room at the main branch of the Seattle Public Library.
I find the concept of the Grey very intriguing…now I have another series I need to read! The TBR is a beast!
Contest: I rsvp’d on 5/25…dd FTW!!
3. already a subscriber!
4. http://community.livejournal.com/dark_carpathian/28004.html
http://dd03.blogspot.com/2009/05/contest-for-528-bitten-by-books.html
http://dd03.livejournal.com/120785.html
5. awaiting confirmation for KR friending
6. tweeted!
Coming in late here, but I enjoyed the interview. Am heading over to your site right now to join newsletter. I LOVE getting newsletters from authors.
And to check out your books too….they look interesting!!
Valerie B.
valb0302@yahoo.com
Hi Kat
What a great interview ! I learned some fun stuff and i am looking forward to reading more. I am just learning about Kindle 2,i think it is a good idea.
I was wondering what kind of movies you are into? Are you a Horror fan?
Have a great weekend;)
I am also a subscriber
I think all authors are great. I hope to join them one day. That’s why there awesome. If only I could stick to a story.
timidbutterfly2008(at)yahoo(dot)com
Great interview! I haven’t read anything by this author yet, but this makes me want to look up her books. I will also keep an eye out for her sci fi forensic thriller - that sounds interesting.
Thanks!
gaby
Great interview, Kat & Rachel - thanks! Had to buy a copy of Greywalker when the one from the library had sooo many dup pgs & missing pgs. Got hooked and had to know what happened in the missing parts. Glad I did & can’t wait for the new release!
Hi Kat,
I have not had a chance to read your books yet, but I will be looking for them now.
I also subscribe to newletter.
retweeted
facebooked link
Dina S.
dlsmilad@yahoo.com
Thanks for the great advice!
I enjoyed reading the interview and will be adding the books to the ever growing TBR pile (it’s starting to give me dirty looks it is).
Yvonne B.
shadowlord28@gmail.com
Thanks for the interview. I enjoyed your explainaton of the Grey. I love the fog. You can get lost in it so easily. But at times it’s like a warm blanket wrapped around me as protection, other times it can be a cold, hard barrier that can’t be penetrated.
I’m a subscriber to BBB.
Hi Kat,
Welcome to BBB. I’m amazed at the growing number of awesome authors I’m discovering on this site and I’m definitely going to add you to my list! I look forward to reading your books!
I really enjoyed the interview. I haven’t read any of your books yet but I am looking forward to doing so very soon (school will be out next week and I will have a little more time!). I have visited the Seattle area several times and I really enjoyed my visits. It is a beautiful area, much different from the Texas gulf coast where I live.
I am a subscriber to BBB.
Hi Kat. (This is Carol from the B&N forum). Thanks for joining us here. I’m sorry I’m a little late to the party — when I got home last night I read the interview, but before I could chime in storms came through and I had to turn the computer off. Ah, spring…
I am going to be in Seattle and environs next week, and will certainly be on the look-out for comparisons to the Grey.
If you were ever given the chance to do a cross-over story with another existing series, which would you choose?
Sorry I stopped responding last night. My computer decided I wasn’t allowed to play anymore.
Thea: I left you some photo-hunting info on my LJ comment. (history link is really useful)
Valerie: Sadly I’m not much of a horror film watcher. I don’t like gore and torment and those seem to be the big deal with a lot of modern US films. I did enjoy the Resident Evil films though, and I used to watch a lot of old b&w horror from the 40s and 50s where the suspense and elements of the unknown were the scary thing. I like horror that works on your brain.
Shirley: Both Greywalker and Poltergeist had bindery problems with one run and pages missing or out of place happened in about 10% of the books. It’s very frustrating.
*waves to Carol* Hi my dear! Glad you made it!
Annette: I seem to have a lot of fans in Texas. Alas, I’m only going to manage to get to Houston this year. But it’s better than nothing.
Thanks to all of you for coming and being so nice and asking so many terrific questions. Hope to meet you all in person some day!
Kat - I would absolutely love to come to one of your book signings, so I hope one of the Tacoma stores opens up for you (ummm, would nagging by me help?). I love, love your books (and I never use the word ‘love’ lightly). I always think of Seattle as a great place to visit, but Tacoma is a great place to live for those of us with a more laid-back lifestyle. Tacoma is like a comfortable old house, with lots of interesting nooks and crannies, a few dark corners, paint needs a bit of a refreshing, and great windows. I actually live on the Puyallup reservation - 2 minutes from a freeway exit, but having to chase raccoons out of the yard, and avoid the occasional bear LOL.
Kat, Thank you for coming by! I really love the Greywalker series, so I’m excited to get to “meet” you here. As a recent transplant to Redmond, I’m learning about the mist and fog. I know what you mean about the disconnecting effect it can have. Of course, I found the fog in Montreal way creepier sometimes, probably because it’s not as common, but way heavier. It does that heavy, muffling thing and turns everything surreal. You’d love it! : )
I haven’t read Underground yet ‘cuz I was waiting to see if it would come out in the trade paperback form like the first two (I’m one of those crazy people who likes all the books in a series to match!). Since it’s going to go to mass market, though, I may just have to buy the hardcover. Hmmm…I may have to do that today when I flee the house to avoid the cleaners. Hehe.
(already a newsletter subscriber)
Tania L
ecogryff @ gmail.com
I haven’t read any of these books, but they sound really good. I will add them to my reading list. I agree that Big Sur is gorgeous. I was stationed near there in the military and loved driving along the ocean. Although it was kinda scary with the big drop offs in the cliffs.
I’ve really loved all the Greywalker books. I too am a transplant to Seattle so I’ve enjoyed recognizing the city through Harper’s eyes. Have any of your characters taken you in a direction that you had not originally intended them to go?
Hey Kat, thanks for joining us
Are you finding it hard to do research for your sci-fi story? and how are you researching the data behind it? and are you finding the genre easier or harder to write?
I hope you finish it soon, I love your other books and sci-fi is one of my favorite genres
wow! This is cool! Welcome!
BBB is on my blog rolls wp, blogger, google profile
http://nicholandria.wordpress.com/
http://nicholandria.blogspot.com/
http://www.google.com/profiles/114811901631944620870
I have not yet read this series, but I do have plans on it! And this simply puts it higher in my TBR pile!
I am so glad that I stopped by and read the interview! What is your favorite aspect of writing sci-fi? Do you plan out the storylines? Or let the characters run as they want?
twittered
Been trying to buy a couple of your books on http://www.trademe.co.nz sigh haven’t managed yet lol. Also looking in our library. haven’t actually seen them in a bookstore in new zealand yet though.
Great interview! The only time I’ve been to Seattle was when I was little and I don’t really remember it. It sounds like a very interesting place, but I much prefer my sunny days in Colorado to the rain and clouds of Seattle. However, the fact that the climate there helped create The Grey is fascinating. I’m going to have to check out the books so I can catch up with the series.
(2)I think it is so interesting how authors can imagine a whole different world! Your books sound interesting!
(3) I am a subscriber.
Hi, Kat!
I haven’t read your books but they sound really cool.
Great interview, lady! Can’t wait to read new book! Woo hoo!
shhhooot! apparently I didn’t hit enter on my comment the other day because I don’t see it! man! I wanted to enter too! *sigh* That’s what I get for delirious tweeting & blogging!
Great interview. I have only read the first in the series but I am looking forward to reading more.
I guess I missed the contest portion
Yah, I just got my conf from Amazon that Greywalker shipped, I can’t wait to read it!
I have read the first three of the series when I borrowed them from the library (my library rocks!). The covers were just eye-catching and as each new book came out the library kept buying them. Woohoo! I finally managed to score my OWN copy of Greywalker. My husband thought it was amusing when I started dancing with it. He thinks I am weird anyway.
I must ask, how many more books do you see in the series? Do you have a definite ending planned or is it more open ended series? Not that I am rushing for an ending, but I have been surprised by authors who have ended a successful series early and vice versa. And if you do end it the current lead, any chance of a spin-off with any of the other supporting characters?
I hope you do write the sci-fi as I have a weakness for those. Must get immediately when you write it and it gets released to the public.
Loved the interview I was just reading, I also have said in other comments that this site is fangtastic at introducing me to authors I have not had the oppertunity to know about as I am from the Uk. I have done some research about your books and I am really excited that I can add them to my collection. I am really excited about this as I have read loads of this type of books and I wait for new releases from previous authors which can take a while and it gets me down and I am always scanning the internet to find new books, and with this site I get that. It means I have new books to read over the summer without having to wait for others by my favourite authors. Thanks bitten by books for introducing me to so many new authors and thanks I cant wait to read your books xx
Thanks for inviting me. I enjoyed your interview. Your book sounds interesting as well. Good luck with your new release!
I haven’t had the pleasure to read your books.