And you're
qualified to write about succubi and shamans because...?
I actually have a long history with urban
fantasy. When I was little, I used to make my own books. I'd
steal my parents' business letterhead, fold a bunch in half, staple the fold
into a spine, and voila! Instant book. I wrote about unicorns,
wizards, and women who wore lots of jewels. I was writing She-Ra
spin-offs before Fan-Fic was even cool. When I was 9, I had a short
story published in Childlife called "Judy and the Mermaid."
While it had less sex and swearing than Succubus Blues, it still
dealt with the larger issues of the universe and the true nature of sin and
salvation. (All right, I totally made that last part up).
Around puberty, I stopped writing because I had other things to occupy me. I did spend the next ten years filling out my knowledge of mythology, religion, and the arcane. I hold no less than the following degrees: a Bachelor of General Studies (Liberal Arts) from the University of Michigan, a Master of Comparative Religion from Western Michigan University, and a Master of Teaching (Secondary English) from the University of Washington. When you combine those with the inevitable scarring of reading Jean Auel in elementary school, Succubus Blues' creation was a foregone conclusion.
How'd you get published?
The old-fashioned way. Write a book, then query and pitch it like
hell. Don't knock it. The system works. My break came when
I pitched Succubus Blues to Jane Dystel at the PNWA conference.
She recommended I send it to one of her other agents. I did, and
within a few months I had a sale. Funny thing: I almost skipped
pitching to Jane because I was in such a bad mood. Lesson:
perseverance is key in this industry.
What are you doing now?
My second series, Dark Swan, was bought by
Kensington Books in July 2006. Apparently having two series didn't
provide enough deadlines to me, so I recently sold a YA vampire series to
Razorbill. The first book, Vampire Academy, came out in August,
and the next will be out in April. Good times ahead.