Author Interview: Cat Adams

I am pleased to welcome Cat Adams, author of the newly released The Eldritch Conspiracy (January 29th), the fifth book in the Blood Singer Series, which continues the story of Celia Graves, a woman struggling to deal with her vampire powers as well as those of a powerful siren.  This time Celia is a bodyguard at her cousin's wedding and I'm sure this will be one memorable wedding. Take a look:

Celia Graves was once an ordinary human, but those days are long gone. Now she strives to maintain her sanity and her soul while juggling both vampire abilities and the powers of a Siren.  

Not every bride needs a bridesmaid who can double as a bodyguard. But Celia's cousin Adriana is no ordinary bride: she's a Siren princess, and she's marrying the king of a small but politically important European country. She's getting death threats from fanatics who want to see the whole Siren race wiped out—including Celia herself, who is half Siren.

Luckily, Celia is on duty when a trip to a bridal salon is interrupted by an assassination attempt, so everyone survives. When Adriana returns to the Siren homeland to try to prevent a coup, Celia is free to hunt for the terrorists and the vile mage who is helping them (while keeping her eyes open for the perfect maid-of-honor dress).

Assuming the bride and groom both live to see their wedding day, this will be one royal wedding no one will ever forget.

INTERVIEW WITH CAT ADAMS

1) To start off, can you tell me a little bit about yourself?  How did you become interested in writing?

Well, first, “Cat Adams” is a pseudonym of two people. I’m the “Cat” and my co-author Cie is the “Adams.” Cie and I came to writing differently. She had wanted to be a writer since she was a child. I didn’t discover writing until I was in my 30s. That was when I met Cie, in a law office where we both worked. I started as her beta reader. I would give my opinion on what she wrote. Sometimes, I couldn’t quite describe what was bugging me about a scene, so I would play with the text she sent me by email to explain it when I saw her next. She usually liked what I wrote and encouraged me to try my own hand at writing. I did and we became co-authors shortly after.

2) Can you tell us a little about your novel, The Eldritch Conspiracy? What is it like to create your own world?

The Eldritch Conspiracy is book 5 of the Blood Singer series. It’s a transition, of sorts, from the world that the heroine, Celia Graves, started in during the first book, Blood Song, to a new and different reality. Celia started as a loner. She had a very few friends and, as a bodyguard, tried hard not to make too many commitments to people. But over the course of the first four books, she has grown as a person, become more outgoing and finally stands ready, in book 5, to become part of a “family.” Celia’s cousin, Adriana, became more important to her than she’d originally expected.  In fact, when she met Adriana, at the very end of the first book, the siren princess had threatened Celia  to a duel to the death because of an imagined insult!

3) What inspired you to write this series? How much research was involved in the writing?

The inspiration of this series was a photograph. Really. A whole world suddenly sprang into being because of a photo in a fantasy art auction at a SF/F book convention near Dallas. Cie saw the photo and just knew the woman—her story, her world, her life. It was a photo of a vampire holding a black daisy in her mouth. Cie knew Celia from that moment. She knew how she became part vampire, why she was having her photo taken and even how annoyed she was that she couldn’t drive with the top down on her convertible in the sunshine anymore.  

 

There was research, of course. There always is. From where to set Celia’s town in California, to the magical system and mythology of the area. The more a writer can get “right”, the easier it is for readers to believe in the world.

4) What was your greatest challenge while writing this novel? Where do you see this series going in the future?

Probably the biggest challenge for Cie (who was the lead author on this book) was the real world. There were a series of crises in her life with her health and the health of her family members that made getting this book to the shelf a particular challenge.  As to where the series is going, as I said, this is a transition of sorts. Celia has gotten so much notoriety for saving the world more than once that being a professional bodyguard is a challenge. At first, it was a status symbol to celebrities to be guarded by her, but then she became MORE important to the paparazzi than the person she was guarding. Stars, politicians and royalty aren’t amused by that. Also, she became a bigger target to bad guys. She could be a threat to her client. They could become collateral damage.  So, what is a bodyguard to do? Well, her friends and clients think she’s clever. She already knows much about how bad guys operate and why they do what they do. Should she become an investigator? Should she start her own security company? There are lots of options on the table for the future. Only time will tell...

5) In this series, we have been introduced to some very interesting and intriguing characters. Who was the most fun to write about?

I think Cie and I have different favorite characters. I really loved writing her sometimes boyfriend, sometimes rival John Creede, FBI agent Dom Rizzoli, and the “Company” assassin John Jones. Cie likes Celia (obviously!), the clairvoyant Dottie Simmons and Dottie’s cat, Minnie the Mouser.

6) What are 3 things that are “must haves” when you write? Do you have any writing rituals?

Actually, I don’t really have any rituals. My ‘must haves’ include my netbook (an Acer Aspire One), my Portabook (it’s a plastic riser for the netbook to put it at just the perfect angle to write in my lap) and any comfortable chair.

7) What advice would you give to an aspiring writer?

Wow. That’s a tricky one. There’s so much competing advice out there and every writer is different, so it’s hard to give one bit of advice that will work for everyone. But I guess my best advice is to READ. I’m frankly astounded by how many aspiring writers have never read the genre they’re going to write. How can you expect to appeal to the readers that love paranormal or mystery or romance or horror if you don’t know what they already like?  It’s fine to be “different” and “unique” but really—read books to see how they’re put together. It’ll be the best thing you ever did for your writing.

8) Can you share with us any projects you are currently working on or plans for the future? What can fans expect next from you?  Are there other genres in which you are interested but haven’t yet explored?

Well, Cie is beginning a new solo series that’s just called “The Fey” right now. It’ll be urban fantasy with some romance in it. I’m working on a spin-off of the Tales of the Sazi reality that’s set a decade after the apocolypse that happened in Book 8, Serpent Moon. It’s a very fun take on the reality that fans of our shapeshifters  are going to LOVE.

9) Favourite authors? Role models?

Too many to count. But a few of mine (in no particular order): Isaac Asimov, Clive Cussler, Laurell K. Hamilton, Jim Butcher, Rick Riordan, H.P. Lovecraft, Rachel Caine, Lori Avocato, Tom Clancy, Rex Stout, etc., etc. For Cie, probably Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris, Rachel Caine, Robert B. Parker, Janet Evanovich, etc., etc. Plus, many, many more fav authors for both of us! My role model was Isaac Asimov, who successfully had books in nearly ever section of the bookstore. That’s one of my goals!

10) What do you like to do when you are not writing?  What is your ultimate luxury?

I spend time with my husband of 25 years, my dogs and my goats (we raise Boer/Spanish cross goats). I love to fish, hunt and camp. Oh, and gamble. I LOVE casinos! My ultimate luxury is probably a fancy hotel room with a clean bed and a long, hot bath. Love bubble baths with scented candles, a glass of wine and a good book!

11) Is there anything else you would like to share with your readers?

Stay tuned! There’s a lot more to come in this and other worlds. :D

Thank you so much for joining us here today, and I am looking forward to reading the next installment of the Blood Singer series.