How did you get published?

How did you get published? In contrast to what most people seem to expect, my path to publication was pretty straightforward. I wrote a book. Then I wrote another book. Then I wrote a third book. I thought the third one (Stray) was good enough to be published. I was wrong. With the help of a great mentor, I rewrote it. Then I polished it. Then I rewrote it some more, and polished it some more. Then I edited it. Then I started the process all over again. Finally, after five major rewrites, I began querying agents. Several expressed interest. I took some time to think about it, then signed with my first literary agent. She made a couple of minor requests, and I made the adjustments. Then she took over. She sent my book out during the first week of January, 2006. On Friday the 13th (no kidding), we got an offer. Another week and a half later, we had three more. My agent negotiated, and I consumed large amounts of caffeine and chocolate. Then, on January 30th, almost two weeks after the first offer, we had a deal. Stray had sold, along with two sequels. Of course, there's lots more work to do after the sale, but that's truly another story.

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What are the Soul Screamers novellas and where can I get them?

There are currently three Soul Screamers novellas, all in e-format. You do not have to have an e-reader to read them–they can be purchased in PDF format, which is readable on any computer and most smart phones. The novellas (longer than a short story, but much shorter than a novel) are “extras” intended to be read along with the series. “My Soul To Lose” takes place before the first novel in the series and can be read at any time. “Reaper” also takes place before the first novel, but is best read after the 3rd book. “Never To Sleep” is set in the middle of If I Die and should not be read until after If I Die.

The novellas can be bought at any online bookstore, in just about any format, but so far “Never To Sleep” is only available in the US/Canada, “Reaper” is only available in the US, Canada, and France, and “My Soul To Lose” is only available in the US, Canada, and the UK. I don’t currently have any other information about foreign releases.

The only novella currently available in print is “My Soul To Lose,” which can be found in the Soul Screamers omnibus, Volume One.

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What are the Soul Screamers short stories, and where can I get them?

“Fearless” (a prequel story from Sabine’s POV) is available in the Kiss Me Deadly anthology. “Niederwald” (set between My Soul To Steal and If I Die, also from Sabine’s POV) is in the Enthralled anthology.

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How many Unbound books will there be?

There will be three Unbound books. Blood Bound is out now in the US, Canada, and the UK. Shadow Bound comes out May 22 in the US and Canada. And Oath Bound will be out some time in 2013 in the US and Canada, and that’s really all I know at the moment.

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Why are the Unbound books each told from a different character’s perspective?

Actually, they’re each told by two different characters’ perspectives. Because I’m trying something new (to me). Challenging myself. Letting more than one person show us what s/he sees of the world. I know everyone seems to love Liv and Cam from Blood Bound, but give Kori and Ian a chance in Shadow Bound. They may just win your hearts.

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Why can’t I get your books in my country?

If you can’t get my books in your country, chances are that rights to that territory haven’t yet sold. There’s nothing I can do about that, unfortunately. At least some of my books are or will soon be available in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Brazil, India, Turkey, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Vietnam, and Thailand.

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How did you get an agent?

This is the question I hear most often, and no one seems to believe me when I say that there is no mysterious secret. I wasn't recommended to my agent by another client. I didn't use any special gimmicks or attention-getting techniques to catch her eye. I didn't enter or win any contests. I didn't even meet my first agent at a conference. I am truly a slush pile survivor.

After writing Stray, I reworked it for a long time--off and on for about eight months. When I thought it was ready, I sent out queries to well-researched agents with good sales records, whose websites said they represented (or even specialized in) books in my genre. I got a few rejections and a few requests for more material. I got rejections from requested material. Then I got a rejection containing suggestions. I evaluated the suggestions, made the changes I decided I liked, and sent out more queries. I got more requests and more rejections. Then I got an offer. I took some time to think about it, then I signed. That's it. It was that simple.

Random related comment:

Make no mistake, rejections will come. They're part of the business. They come before you're published. They come after you're published. Serious writers learn to take criticism and rejection. Then they learn to write through them both.

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How long did it take you to sell a book?

This question (posed to any writer) has no good answer. It took a very long time, if you start counting up the years since I wrote my first story, at age six. Even if you don't start counting until I finished my first novel, the answer is meaningless. It takes a different amount of time for every writer, and that amount of time isn't really important. It takes as long as it takes. The key to passing the time easily and quickly is to keep writing. When you finish one book, write another one while the first one "ages." Always have something in progress, and finish what you start. Even if the product isn't publishable, the experience you gain from writing it is immeasurably valuable. Most writers have one or more unpublished "practice novels." I have two. I love them both, and maybe someday I'll have the time to go back and rework them. But I learned more than I can ever explain from writing them.

But, if you're still interested in numbers, the true answer to this question is that it usually takes several years and more than one manuscript before an author sells his or her first book. Expect it to take time. If you don't enjoy the process before you're selling, you won't enjoy it afterward either.

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Why cats?

Finally, an easy one! The simple answer is that I love cats. When I was eight, my first and only puppy broke into our shed and chewed up the Nativity Set in storage. I've been a cat person ever since. I have a lot in common with cats, really. We're both cuddly, and friendly, and generally spoiled. But cats can also be fierce, even when confronted with much bigger creatures. Cats are slinky and sensual in a natural, unconscious way. They seem lazy and arrogant, and invariably have an attitude of one sort or another, which lends itself to interesting fictional characters.

And there are already lots of werewolf stories out there, most of them fantastic. But I didn't have anything new to add to werewolf lore, so I wrote about what I know: cats.

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Why Urban Fantasy?

Another easy one. I love urban fantasy (also known as contemporary fantasy, dark fantasy and dark modern fantasy). I read several fiction genres, but urban fantasy is my favorite for both reading and writing. It gives me the freedom to write about magic and creatures usually found in the sword-and-sorcery worlds of traditional fantasy, but lets me set my stories on modern-day earth, with all its social quirks and technological wonders. What could be better?

However, I should probably point out that the Shifters books aren't technically urban fantasy, because most of the action takes place in small towns and large forests, rather than in the concrete jungle. Some might classify the series as contemporary or modern fantasy, instead. But I'll leave the labels up to you.

Werecats with cell phones and internet access? Absolutely. Why not?

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What is Urban Fantasy?

The term “urban fantasy” usually describes a book that takes place in a modern, real-world setting, but that includes elements of the fantastic, like shapeshifters, vampires, faeries, demons, etc…. However, some urban fantasies actually take place in rural settings (as does my Shifters series), or in a futuristic or historical time periods. While there is some crossover between urban fantasy and paranormal romance, the defining difference, in my opinion, is that in urban fantasy, the fantasy, world-building, and action elements are the focus and the romance is a subplot, whereas in paranormal romance, the romance is the focus of the book, while the world-building, fantasy, and action are secondary to the main characters’ relationship.

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How many Soul Screamers books will there be?

I’m under contract for seven Soul Screamers books. My Soul to Take, My Soul to Save, My Soul to Keep, My Soul To Steal, and If I Die are available now in the US, Canada, and France. If I Die comes out in February in the UK. Before I Wake comes out June 26, 2012 in the US and Canada, and in July 2012 in the UK.

So far, the Soul Screamers books are available in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, and Brazil. They may be coming in other countries as well, but I don’t have any concrete information about that yet.

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Will there be another Shifters book after Alpha?

No, Alpha (which came out October 1, 2010 in the US) isbe the sixth and final Shifters book. Why? Because that’s where Faythe’s story draws to its logical conclusion and as an author, I have to be true to the story—including its ending.  However, there will be at least one short story featuring some Shifters characters (“Hunt” in the Chicks Kick Butt anthology, July 11, 2011 in the US), and maybe a couple more in the future.
So far, (at least some of) the Shifters books are also available (or will soon be) in Canada, the UK, Australia, France, Italy, Turkey, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.

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Will you write something else for adults after the Shifters series?

Yes. I’ll be launching a new adult urban fantasy series called “Unbound” in the fall of 2011 in the US. The first book is called BLOOD BOUND and will be out on September 1, 2011 in the US. I don’t have any information about potential foreign releases at this point, nor do I have any information about audio/digital editions.

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How did you pick the model on your covers?

Actually, I didn't. Authors typically have little to do with their cover art, and my only input was a physical description of Faythe on the Shifters covers and of Kaylee on the Soul Screamers covers. However, I've been very pleased with all of my cover art. Alpha is my favorite so far, and of the  YAs, I love My Soul To Steal!

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Why don't you make your books into movies?

Because I’m not a film maker. I’m an author. I wouldn’t begin to know how to make a movie, so I’m gonna stick to writing books. Should there be any developments in that arena, you’ll hear about it on my blog. A lot. ;-)

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