Tuesday, February 21, 2006

seize the demon!

well,blog-ites, as promised, here is my interview with the lovely julie kenner! julie is a usa and waldenbooks bestselling author! go, julie!

by the way, please bear with my lack of capitalization and linkage... as mentioned, i have tendonitis and am trying very hard to heal up this forearm!

julie is the author of the carpe demon series as well as the brand new novel, the manolo matrix.



okay, can i just invite julie over here to title the new novel?

read on to find out julie's titling secrets... and more! julie has also agreed with me that the gonzaga bulldogs are the best team in the NCAA. wise gal! and she didn't even complain about the sore arm i gave her... :o) we like julie!

the author
Julie Kenner's first book hit the stores in February of 2000, and she's been on the go ever since. A USA Today and Waldenbooks bestselling author, Julie is also a former RITA finalist, and the winner of Romantic Times' Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Contemporary Paranormal of 2001. In June of 2004, she left the practice of law to write full time. She now lives and writes in Georgetown, Texas, with her husband, daughter and a variety of cats.

the book
Aspiring actress Jennifer Crane knows all about games -- the games girls play to get a guy; the games actresses play to land a part; and the good old game of credit-card roulette. (How else is a girl supposed to afford her shoes?) But she never expected to be playing a game with life-or-death consequences. Unable to successfully score an acting gig, she has, instead, been cast in the role of reluctant bodyguard to a real-life assassin's target -- a dashing FBI agent of all people! -- and must embark with him upon a scavenger hunt across Manhattan in search of the ultimate prize: survival. Before this, Jenn's definition of fighting dirty has been elbowing her way to the front of the line at a Manolo sample sale. Now, if she wants to stay alive, she's going to have to learn a few new uses for her stilettos. . . and they ain't pretty.

Fast, flirty, and full of great footwear, The Manolo Matrix is another electrifying adventure in this breakout series for fashionistas who love a perfectly appointed mystery.

the blurbs
"Kenner continues her Play.Win.Survive trilogy, whose first installment was The Givenchy Code (2005), with another delightfully clever mix of chick-lit and thriller. Readers who like their suspense novels with a sexy edge and a wicked sense of humor will find Kenner's latest irresistible." - Booklist
"This time the stakes are just as high as they were in the previous book, "The Givenchy Code", and just as exciting. I found myself hooked immediately and did not stop reading until it was finished. (Okay, I admit it. I took one BRIEF break to hit the restroom and make a sandwich.) Author Julie Kenner's pen must have been smoking as she wrote this suspense filled novel. Fast paced, a bit of romance, and lots of tension! If you enjoyed John Grisham's Pelican Brief, then you are going to drool over this book. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!" - Huntresss Book Reviews
"This is a Wow! book that is exhilarating, non-stop (hey – you snooze you lose), sexy, and fun, fun, fun to read. The MANOLO MATRIX whets the appetite for the next installment of PSW -- THE PRADA PARADOX." - Reader to Reader Reviews

the interview

MO’C: My God, but you’ve written a lot! How are you so prolific?
JK: Sadly, I think it's because I don't sleep! (Okay, that's a joke ). On a more serious note, I just plain write fast. But, I am slowing down. Frankly, the pace is taking its toll. And, more important, I want to spend more time with my kiddo!

MO’C: Are any of the characters based on yourself? If so, which ones?
JK: Well, I think there's a little bit of me in a lot of my characters. The one with the most, though, is Kate in the series that started with CARPE DEMON. The mom aspects of the story, that is. Not the demon-hunting part!

MO’C: Your titles are awesome! Do you come up with the titles first, or the storyline? Do you have tips for writers trying to title a piece?
JK: I'm lousy at titles!! Seriously. But I have a great critque partner (Kathleen O'Reilly who came up with THE GIVENCHY CODE) and a great agent. I had included "carpe demon" as a phrase in my synopsis, but it had never occurred to me to turn it into the title. Fortunately, my agent has a better eye than I do! So, um, that's my tip: surround yourself with clever people!

MO’C: What’s been the best thing about being published? The most frustrating?
JK: The best is seeing your book on the shelf, and knowing it holds a story that started in your head. The most frustrating? Probably the lack of control once your baby-the-book leaves your hands!

MO’C: What’s your writing day like? Any special routines or tips for getting organized?
JK: Not a one! I aspire to sit down during certain hours and write, write, write. But it always seems to end up being much less organized than that. On the whole, though, I tend to produce the most pages between ten and noon, and then in the evening between ten and midnight. Go figure 

MO’C: Any advice for aspiring authors?
JK: Write, write, write. Perseverance is the key.

MO’C: What’s next for Julie Kenner?
JK: Lots of things! This summer I'll have the next in my demon-hunting soccer mom series, CALIFORNIA DEMON: THE SECRET LIFE OF A DEMON-HUNTING SOCCER MOM. And the final book in the Play.Survive.Win trilogy (of which THE MANOLO MATRIX is the second) will be out in February of 2007, THE PRADA PARADOX.

thank you so much, julie! buy julie's book at amazon, barnes and noble, or your local indie!