Interactive Q&A and Giveaway with Jeri Smith-Ready

Bianca F

Ive been meaning to read this series, hopefully i will soon, and thanks for making it international =)

question: What tv show do you most like? Which character are you most like/different? If you had to put a message in a fortune cookie, what would it be?

Thanks

Mariska

Hi Jeri !

i’d like to know How did you choose your book titles ?
And what’s your favorite character(s) on these books ?

Jeri Smith-Ready

Hey everyone! Wow, these are some great questions. I can’t wait to answer them, but before I do, I need that first cup of coffee.

……

OK, there! Got it. Thanks for stopping by–this is going to be a ton of fun. For the most part, I’ll probably post my answers in separate comments, because I tend to go on. As you can probably already tell. 😉

ninefly: Great question! Some of the songs I knew I wanted to include because they just summed up the emotion and theme so well. Like “I’ll Never Get Out of These Blues Alive,” which is Monroe’s signature song. The title and feel are perfect for a very old vampire like him (in my world, 90 is getting up there).

And “Ciara” by Luka Bloom was an obvious choice. That was actually where I got Ciara’s name from, when I’d heard it years before on a Celtic Christmas album. When I came up with the scene where Shane plays guitar for Ciara during their Fourth of July picnic, I knew this would be one of the songs.

Over the many months of writing the book, I would hear songs that I knew belonged in the book, like many of Shane’s “5:54am songs” that he plays for Ciara. Bruce Springsteen’s “Human Touch,” Cracker’s “Low,” etc.

Of course, there are lots of places in the book where the songs themselves aren’t mentioned, only the artist. When my publisher asked me to make a playlist of all the songs in the book, I had to decide which songs by those artists I would choose. That was actually one of the most fun parts. I tried to picture the scenes and what fit best, like Ciara walking into the Smoking Pig bar while the Killers’ “Read My Mind” is playing.

Whew! Next question….

Jeri Smith-Ready

Bianca F: My favorite TV show right now is probably Community (though Parks & Rec and The Office are close behind). I love the silly, over-the-top humor. The main character Jeff reminds me a lot of Ciara at the beginning of Wicked Game–has spent years lying and manipulating people and never really making connections, but then finds a group of really weird folks to care about.

Oddly, I find myself sympathizing with Michael Scott on The Office (though my husband says that his secretary Erin reminds him of me). I’m so afraid I’ll turn out like him and that people will laugh at me for being a jerk.

Message in a fortune cookie? “Eat me.” 😈

Jeri Smith-Ready

Mariska: The titles all come from songs. Originally they were all going to be songs with the word “Bad” in them (that was actually how the idea for the whole series came about–from the title). WICKED GAME was originally BAD COMPANY, but my publisher thought it wasn’t a strong enough title (and they were right). My mother-in-law suggested WICKED GAME (by Chris Isaak), and everyone loved it. Then I got to keep BAD TO THE BONE (by George Thorogood, whose name I can never spell). BRING ON THE NIGHT is a song by the Police. The fourth book will either be LUST FOR LIFE or BORN TO BE WILD, I haven’t decided yet.

My favorite character by far is Ciara. I love being inside her conniving little head and helping her find her humanity. But Shane is probably the one I relate to most.

Jeri Smith-Ready

ggs_closet: Urban fantasy has always been my first love. My favorite book as a teenager (and maybe of all time–I need to reread it) was THE TALISMAN by Stephen King and Peter Straub. It may have been the first urban fantasy, even before Emma Bull and Charles de Lint, considered the godparents of UF.

When I read TALISMAN, I was so floored at the idea of bringing fantastic elements (not horror, but fantasy) into our world and dissolving the boundaries between reality and fantasy. And I wanted very much to have my own werewolf best friend.

My first published novel was REQUIEM FOR THE DEVIL, set in modern-day Washington, DC. Lucifer, masquerading as a political consultant, falls in love with a lobbyist for the poor who moonlights as a punk rock guitarist and blues singer (not on the same night). I never intended it to be a fantasy–to me it was mainstream with paranormal elements, like Neil Gaiman’s books. It came out in 2001 after many years of rejections saying that it was too “cross-genre.”

When I got my first major contract, I ended up writing an epic fantasy because UF still wasn’t selling. So that was kind of a detour for me. As much as I loved writing it and as proud as I am of it, I plan to stick with UF in the future.

I love our world and our time, so that’s what I want to write about. The ghosts and vampires, to me, are a way of examining what it means to be human in our society.

OK, I am definitely rambling. Somebody stop me!

Jo

Hi Jeri! I have yet to read any of your books unfortunately, but they sound amazing and I can’t wait to do so!

My question is, if your characters from your adult series and YA series met, would they get on (despite age difference), or would they react badly to each other?

Jeri Smith-Ready

Ana: Great question! For me, it’s all about the characters and the world and not so much the age group. Since SHADE and the WVMP series are both urban fantasy, set in our world (or in SHADE’s case, a parallel “our world” where ghosts are accepted as being real because everyone Aura’s age and younger can see them), the mindset is not too different.

I actually had a lot more trouble switching back and forth between the ASPECT OF CROW series and WVMP, because for the epic fantasy, I had to put myself in another world entirely, where everything was different. I couldn’t use slang, and certain concepts were totally foreign to that extremely communal, non-technological society.

As for what I feel I can’t write in YA, I don’t really think about that. Teens, frankly, deal with just as many monumental issues as most adults. If anything, their experiences are more intense and serious because they’re going through them for the first time.

So I don’t hold back in terms of WHAT I deal with (sex, drugs, death), but I present it in a different way than I would in an adult book. While sex scenes, for instance, should always be for the purpose of character development in both YA and adult, in adult books there is also the added purpose of titillation (let’s admit it–we loves us some hawt scenes ;-). In a YA book that’s not the intention–it’s more to show the emotional complexity of the moment.

Speaking of which, I feel that in writing YA I have more freedom to create imperfect characters and address situations with emotional honesty. Adult characters, especially females in romances, are expected to be mature and balanced and always do the right thing. As a former(ish) con artist, Ciara is far from perfect, and I feel like I’m often walking a tightrope in simultaneously keeping her real and making her sympathetic.

You know what I DO avoid writing in YA? Lots of description, lots of world-building details, and other things that slow down the pace. Which I am very happy about. I think that’s one reason I enjoy reading and writing YA so much–the boring parts are cut out. I naturally write very tight (in my books–clearly not in my interview answers!), and with my adult books I often find myself having to add description or more inner monologues at the request of my editor or critique partners.

Jennifer

Hey Jeri! Love the WVMP books.
I was curious what type of books you like to read? You write UF, but I was wondering if that is what you also prefer to read. 😮

Jo

Thanks for the answer, Jeri! I actually have a review copy of Shade waiting for me to pick up, and I’m looking forward to reading it, it sounds amazing!

I thought of another question. When it’s come to the editing process of any of your books, have you ever had to stand your ground over something you fiercely wanted kept in a book, which your editor thought wasn’t needed, or just wasn’t sure about? If so, could you tell us about it?

Jeri Smith-Ready

S.F.: How long does it take to write a book?

I’ll give you my schedule for BRING ON THE NIGHT, since that was an ideal case–everything went smoothly with no major roadblocks. This never happened before and probably won’t again, but I can dream, can’t I?

I wrote the rough draft very quickly, in about two months. I had already spent about three weeks on the outline for the proposal to my publisher, so I had a really good blueprint to work from.

Then I did a second draft a few months later, which took about six weeks. Turned it in.

Got revision notes from my editor and beta readers, then did a rewrite in about four weeks. (Note: usually rewrites take longer, six to eight weeks, but BOTN was in unusually good shape.)

The last major stage is copyedits, which I’ll be starting soon. I expect them to take two weeks.

So about six months of total work. This works out well, since I write two books a year. I usually find time to write one or two short stories as well, but it’s been almost a year since my last one.

What is your first draft strategy?

The process never goes the same way twice. I feel like with each book, I have to learn how to write a novel all over again. Sometimes the first draft pours out all at once, with no backtracking, and other times (like right now), I have to stop moving forward, look around, and make sure I’m heading in the right direction.

and how do you tackle revisions?

For me, most of the work is done in revisions. I usually do a major overhaul in my rewrite. I get rid of some plots and characters and introduce new ones. It seems impossible for me to get the story exactly right the first time. I think it’s because after I’ve spit out a rough draft, spent some time away from it and then seen it through other people’s eyes–only then can I see what the story is really all about and *what it could be*. That’s when the story gets bigger, in terms of stakes and conflict and action.

That’s also when the characters really start to be themselves, rather than actors going through the motions of the plot. Because I’ve discovered what they would really do in these situations, I often have to change the course of the story to stay true to them. This involves a lot of work, but it’s worth it! 🙂

Jeri Smith-Ready

I was curious what type of books you like to read? You write UF, but I was wondering if that is what you also prefer to read.

Unfortunately, now that I’m writing UF, reading it often feels like work. What I really enjoy most these days are non-paranormal humorous books, usually with romance or at least romantic elements. My current faves are Victoria Dahl’s contemporary romances (her historicals are wonderful, too, and I don’t usually read historicals) and Caprice Crane’s romantic comedies (especially STUPID AND CONTAGIOUS). I also really love Nick Hornby and Carl Hiaasen. Neil Gaiman is still my all-time favorite author.

In YA, some of my favorites are Lauren Barnholdt, Elizabeth Scott, Lisa McMann, and Lisa Schroeder. I am also currently in love with the upcoming YA book WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON, by David Levinthal and John Green, two of my other favorite YA writers.

Jeri Smith-Ready

Whoops, I forgot to mention that last question was from Jennifer. And thanks for the nice words–glad you’re enjoying the WVMP books!

Raelena: What is your favorite band/musician?

My favorite all-time band is definitely Nirvana. Some of my current faves are: The Raveonettes, the XX, Coldplay, Snow Patrol, Black Angels, Distillers, A Place to Bury Strangers, Shiny Toy Guns, Ladytron, and Elbow. (I’m probably going to jump back in soon and add a couple I’ve forgotten.)

Last year I got to see Green Day live–it was one of my favorite nights of my life! They’re like the Rolling Stones of my generation–I’ve grown up with them, and I imagine I’ll grow old with them.

Lisa Richards

Jeri, you were a book, what would your blurb be?

Jeri Smith-Ready

Michelle M asks: I was wondering if you could be anything besides a writer, what profession would you choose?

I would love to be a film editor. Not a director–too much responsibility–but the person who takes all that raw material and shapes it into a compelling story. Like revising a novel. 😉

Jeri Smith-Ready

Lisa Richards asks: Jeri, you were a book, what would your blurb be?

OK, that is the toughest question I’ve ever been asked! I have to sum up my life in a couple paragraphs?

Regis, I’d like to phone a friend or use one of my lifelines. Anyone care to take a crack at this one?

Robyn

Love your books!! This question has probably been asked or maybe you’ve mentioned it. If so, sorry 😀 .

How many books do you plan on for the WVMP series? I know you have at least two more coming. Also would you ever think about doing a spin off series?

Jeri Smith-Ready

Jo: See my follow-up answer to Jennifer about the UF I’m currently enjoying. In general, I don’t have favorite creatures–it all depends on the execution.

Robyn: Thank you! I’m so thrilled you like the books.

How many books do you plan on for the WVMP series? I know you have at least two more coming. Also would you ever think about doing a spin off series?

My publisher has bought books 3 & 4 in the series, which will come out this August and August 2011. I plan to finish off the series with Book 5. The reasons why will become more clear after you’ve read Book 3. 😉

I’ve flirted with the idea of a spinoff series, or continuing the story from the POV of a different character, like Shane. But I have ideas for other series and worlds, and I’d like to give them a shot, too. Two books a year is pretty much my limit, so unless I end a series, I can’t start a new one.

Jeri Smith-Ready

Cindy: Thanks! I think if anything can be said about my vampires, it’s that they’re unique. 😉

I see you’re writing YA as well as other genres, meaning various kinds of readers. Which of them do you like the most ?

My readers have a lot of overlap among my books. I just write what I like to write and let the readers take care of their end of the operation. 😉

I think the different kinds of books help me express different sides of me. For instance, the WVMP books are lighter and more humorous, while the Crow books are super-serious. SHADE is somewhere in between–high drama and emotion with moments of funny.

Jeri Smith-Ready

GSM asks: You responded earlier that you’d like to be a film editor if you weren’t an author. But, I’m curious, does WVMP make you wish you were an on-air radio personality? What kind of radio show would you like to host?

That would be fun! Although I don’t think I’d be very good–I tend to Um and Uh a lot. 😉

I would probably play music from all different eras and styles. Kind of like Little Steven’s Underground Garage station on Sirius XM satellite radio. I’d give anything to have those DJs’ knowledge of the history of rock ‘n’ roll.

Rebecca

Jeri,
I’ve always wanted to know which book took you the longest to write. If I were asked I’d think it would be The Reaweakened because it’s full of so many characters and so many stories!

But can you answer the question? 🙂 And how long did that specific book take?

Heather (DarklyReading)

Hi Jeri,

I loved Wicked Game! I was wondering how you got the idea for the vampires to have neuroses like pick up and counting dropped paper-clips? I just loved that part because many authors write vampires as suave and able to keep up with the times (and I like those vamps as well) but if I were a vamp I’d definitely need some type of coping mechanism for all the changes. Thanks – Heather

Jeri Smith-Ready

Rebecca asks: I’ve always wanted to know which book took you the longest to write. If I were asked I’d think it would be The Reaweakened because it’s full of so many characters and so many stories!

But can you answer the question? 🙂 And how long did that specific book take?

Probably the book I spent the most time on was one of three completed novels I haven’t gotten published (none of them deserve it). I kept rewriting and revising for almost three years, but just couldn’t make it lovable to anyone but me. The book’s themes meant a lot to me, so I kept pushing and pushing to get it right, when it was probably never going to be any good. The story just didn’t work.

So I learned from this experience that an author can’t afford to be too self-indulgent and stubborn. Books can be kind of like relationships–when we’re deeply involved in them, it’s hard to see when they’re not working. And sometimes believing really hard just isn’t enough.

Jeri Smith-Ready

Heather: Thank you! I’m happy to hear you’re enjoying the books.

I was wondering how you got the idea for the vampires to have neuroses like pick up and counting dropped paper-clips?

I got the idea from an old Eastern European belief about vampires, that they are what we would call Obsessive-Compulsive. I wondered why I’d never seen that trait in modern vampire fiction, and figured it was because OCD is not very sexy. 😉 (I also wondered if that’s where Jim Henson got the idea for The Count from SESAME STREET.)

But I was able to tie it to their “stuck in time” feature by having their OC behaviors be their way of feeling like they had control over something. As Shane says, “It’s the only way to feel sane.”

Wanda

I would like to know what time of the day you write. Are you a morning person? So many writers seem to be.

Please enter my name in your wonderful draw. Thanks.

Jeri Smith-Ready

Wanda asks: I would like to know what time of the day you write. Are you a morning person? So many writers seem to be.

Hee-hee. I really envy those writers. I wish I could get up and get the book writing out of the way first thing so it wouldn’t be hanging over my head all day. But I do my best work in the afternoon and evening, so I usually use mornings to read, exercise, and catch up on e-mail.

Editing, OTOH, I can usually do any time of the day (assuming I have had sufficient sleep), so when I’m down to the nitty-gritty revising before a deadline, I will work on the book 8am to midnight.

Christine M.

Hi Jeri!
I was wondering, is there a ‘switch’ you have to turn on and off to go from writing fantasy to Uf to YA?
Thanks!

Amber

Eek! I hope this questions hasn’t been asked yet, but I’m in a hurry and I’m afraid I’ll forget to come back and ask. I’m a huge music freak so I’m always curious about what authors listen to when writing. Do you have a playlist for any of your books? If so, care to share some songs?

Jeri Smith-Ready

Christine asks: I was wondering, is there a ’switch’ you have to turn on and off to go from writing fantasy to Uf to YA?

I like to have a bit of a transition period of at least a couple days when I’m switching back and forth between projects. The current work-in-progress affects the music I listen to, the books I read, and even the movies I watch. They help me to make that switch, especially the music.

Jeri Smith-Ready

Amber asks: Do you have a playlist for any of your books? If so, care to share some songs?

Heh, funny you should ask! I have playlists for my WVMP Radio books, where music is an integral part of the story. You can see them on the WVMP music page on my website.

Now this isn’t the music I listen to while writing (although that music often finds its way into the playlist)–it’s the music specifically mentioned in the story itself. Or in some cases, it’s the chapter titles, which are all named after popular songs.

While I write my current work-in-progress, Book Four of the WVMP series, I’m listening to Elbow, Ladytron, Shiny Toy Guns, and Red Hot Chili Peppers (the RHCP’s are the main character’s favorite band). These choices are on the lighter side because that’s the tone of the book, but for Book 3 (BRING ON THE NIGHT, coming out in August), I listened to much darker stuff.

Jeri Smith-Ready

Elizabeth asks: Rock ‘n roll DJ vampires is such a great premise for a series — what gave you the idea? Did you have trouble getting it published?

Thanks! See my comment #47 above for the answer to the first question. I guess since it was eventually bought by a publisher, you could say that I didn’t have trouble getting it published. 😉 I was really lucky to be picked by Pocket Books–they’ve been fantastic to work with, and my editor Jennifer Heddle is incredibly cool and brilliant. Then they were awesome enough to buy two more books, so for the first time in my life, I’m writing the fourth book in a series. I’m very grateful!

Jeri Smith-Ready

Tiah: Yay! Thanks for letting me know you’re enjoying WICKED GAME.

I think it would be amazing to work at a radio station! I would love to do marketing like Ciara and think of fun promotions and activities for the DJs to do. Especially if they were vampires–the options are limitless (well, except for the fact that they can’t go out in the sun). It would be great to get free tickets to concerts and meet musicians, too.

austenfan

Hi Jeri! I’ve read a review of Wicked Game just a while ago (from Steph Su Reads), and she really liked it! Would definitely want to read it too. 🙂

Now, my question is, since from the review, Wicked Game was compared to Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series… I want to know if you’ve read it? And if you had, what do you think will happen next? LOL. 🙂

Spav

Hi Jeri. What were your favourite books from 2009?

Sharli

I don’t know if it’s been asked yet, but how do you like your covers? I’m a cover person, so I always wonder 😛

Thanks!
entrelibros_blog(at)hotmail(dot)com

Jeri Smith-Ready

austenfan, I just read Steph Su’s wonderful review of Wicked Game, and I’m so thrilled she loved it!

I confess I haven’t read the Vampire Academy books yet (they are near the top of my list to read), nor have I seen TRUE BLOOD, but I have read the first Sookie Stackhouse book and loved it (I have all the rest on my shelf). I think the tone is similar, with probably the same level of humor. They also both take place in small towns rather than big cities. Ciara only has one boyfriend throughout my series, though. 😉

Jeri Smith-Ready

Spav: What were your favourite books from 2009?

I’m so glad you asked, because i never had a chance to blog about this at New Year’s. I assume you mean books published in 2009, although I tend to be way behind and read books years after they come out. Here are some I loved!

GOING TOO FAR by Jennifer Echols
FADE by Lisa McMann
EVIE EVER AFTER by Beth Ciotta
SEDUCED BY SHADOWDS by Jessa Slade
BALLADS OF SUBURBIA by Stephanie Kuehnert
FAMILY AFFAIR by Caprice Crane
ICE by Sarah Beth Durst
CONFESSIONS OF A DEMON by S.L. Wright
IF I STAY by Gayle Forman
BREATHERS: A ZOMBIE’S LAMENT by S.G. Browne

Jeri Smith-Ready

Sharli asks: I don’t know if it’s been asked yet, but how do you like your covers?

I love them! I think my favorites so far are the ones for SHADE and BAD TO THE BONE. BRING ON THE NIGHT’s is awesome, too, and you can now see it here.

Because SHADE is a hardcover, it has a full jacket wrap design that goes beyond the front cover. You can see both the front and the full covers here.

Lindsay

I would LOVE to win this!!
Thankyou!! :D:D:D
What did you do to keep on writing even when you didn’t feel like it?
-Lindsay

lindsay15photo@gmail.com

Jeri Smith-Ready

Lindsay asks: What did you do to keep on writing even when you didn’t feel like it?

I find fear to be a great motivator. Fear of deadlines, mostly. I know that if I don’t meet my daily goals, I probably won’t meet my weekly goals, and so on. So every day, I remind myself I’m on deadline, even if that deadline is months away.