Casey is giving away a $25 Amazon gift card and an e-copy of Mystic Ink to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour, so comment today AND follow her tour (if you click on the banner over there on the left, it'll take you to a list of her tour stops)! The more you read and comment, the better your odds of winning. You could be introduced to a great new author AND win prize!
Casey answered all my prying questions, so let's turn the floor over to her!
Why do you write in your genre?
I write paranormal romance and I’m attempting to write a true urban fantasy novel. So far, every UF I start ends up with a lot of romance. Maybe I can invent a new genre!
What draws you to it?
I’ve always loved supernatural, science fiction and fantasy stories. I love that anything is possible (within the confines of that world). I read Ann Rice’s Interview with a Vampire when I was eleven and The Lord of the Rings when I was thirteen, so I’ve always loved those genres. I guess it’s not surprising that I write stories with magic or otherworldly creatures.
What research (or world-building) is required?
In most of my stories, I blend supernatural elements with real world settings. Mystic Ink takes place in a very real place – Mystic, CT. Only in my world, the main characters are demigods, goddess, and other mythological beings. Lucky for me I live in Connecticut so it was easy to research the location. When I wrote The Undead Space Initiative, I had a bit of a challenge. The bulk of the story takes place on Mars. Kind of hard to visit. But, I read this great book called Packing for Mars by Mary Roach. I also spent a lot of time on NASA’s site, Google Mars, and I used a lifetime’s worth of personal study about space to make the story authentic. And then I added a different twist to my romance, I transported my heroine – a vampire stripper named Cherry Cordial – to Mars. It seemed logical to me that the undead would make great colonists. They don’t need to breathe, eat or attend to other bodily functions since they are already dead.
Name one thing you learned from your heroine.
I learn fascinating things from them all the time. From Cherry, I learned that you’re never too old to learn something new or change your life.
Any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?
I don’t really have any rituals or anything. I pretty much sit down and write, just like I sit down to do my day job. I work from home for my employer so my commute consists of changing rooms and computers. One thing I do know about myself is that sometimes, my brain just says, “enough”. I have to give it a break once in a while or it rebels.
Plotter or pantser?
Plotter with pantser tendencies. I used to pants all my earlier books (I didn’t know that was what I was doing at the time) and I never could finish a book. I actually wrote on and off for almost ten years before I figured it out (thank you Kelley Armstrong’s NanoWrimo tips). I used Kelley tips to re-plot a novel I could never finish and it worked! The book was done in 6 weeks. Now I plan first, then write. I only plot the major points and let my imagination determine how the characters are going to solve their problems.
Look to your right – what’s sitting there?
One of my cats. An end table stacked with books, my iPod, my Gameboy, my latest knitting project, a Wii-mote, a sewing box, a bunch of TV remotes, and a lamp.
Anything new coming up from you? What?
My most recent novel, The Undead Space Initiative just came out in July. I have finished another book called Misfortune Cookie (which I hope to start submitting soon). I’m also working on the sequel to Mystic Ink, called Mystic Storm. And I have another WIP called Redemption.
Do you have a question for our readers?
What is your favorite love story of all time? And why?
Cherry Cordial, vampire stripper extraordinaire, spectacularly messes up her life with a single act of kindness. How could she have known when she rescued gorgeous rogue Ian McDevitt that she would be implicated in the vampire queen’s murder? Soon, she faces the wrath of the entire vampire community. To escape retribution, she joins a settlement program to colonize Mars. Her choices are grim: hurtle through space to the red planet to face the unknown and possible death, or stay on Earth and face certain annihilation. To make things even more complicated, a certain gorgeous rogue seems to be shadowing her every move...
Life sucks, then you die. It’s a universal truth. But here’s what’s scarier. Even in death, life can still suck.
Case in point … wait for it….
“Cherry! Get your skinny ass up on stage!” Jonathan barked through my dressing room door. How do I describe him? Pain in my rump? Benefactor? Reason for my current situation? None of them seem adequate. His main occupation? Yelling at me to perform and to make him money. And he’s always interrupting. Never lets a girl have even a moment to think.
“I’m on my way. Geez Louise.” I flung open the door, narrowly missing Jonathan’s long Roman nose. The tops of his fangs peeked out from his full lips as he smiled at me. This was a game we liked to play. I would try to smack him with the door whenever possible.
Okay, it was a game I liked to play. I’ve never managed to nail him in the face. My vampire sire is too damned fast.
Jonathan tsked and crooked his finger. A slow smile curled his lips. “Cherry, I don’t know why I put up with you.”
“Of course you do. I’m your number one performer.” I flashed fang. My pearly whites are nowhere near as long as his, but they can still do the job. Due to feed soon, I tried not to stare at Jonathan’s jugular. I hated needing my sire’s blood to stay strong and avoid overpowering hunger. The kind, if left untended long enough, that made vamps go feral. I buried my nose in a bouquet of fragrant red roses, a gift from one of my many fans.
Jonathan smirked. Damn. I hated when he caught me eyeing him like a roast. Another game we liked to play – I pretended I didn’t need him. And he pretended not to notice. We both knew otherwise.
I needed him.
Crap on toast.
Casey Wyatt has no personal knowledge of the paranormal, but she hopes someday that may change. If there are ancient Gods, elves or satyrs living nearby, they’re more than welcome to visit. Bring pizza and chocolate please!
Her paranormal romance and urban fantasy novels have won or placed in numerous RWA contests. When not writing, Casey enjoys time with her family, loves to read, and enjoys knitting and crocheting.
She lives in a bustling Connecticut town with her husband, two sons and an assortment of pets (none of which are shape-shifters).
Website: www.caseywyatt.com
Blog: www.caseywyatt.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/casey.wyatt.37
Twitter: @CaseyWyatt1
Tumblr: http://caseywyatt.tumblr.com/
