Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books
ISBN-10: 1451648936
ISBN-13: 978-1451648935
Blurb:
JUST YOUR AVERAGE
MEGA-WITCH. . . .
It’s tough being a
modern woman, but Persephone Alcmedi has it worse than most. Being the
prophesied Lustrata has kicked her career as a witch into high gear, and
juggling a wærewolf boyfriend who is about to become king of his kind and a
seductive vampire who bears her magical Mark isn’t easy either.
Still, Seph’s beloved
foster daughter, Beverley, is causing more trouble than these two men put
together. The young girl’s been playing with a magical artifact that’s far more
dangerous than she realizes. Now Seph must summon help from a mystical being so
potent that even vampires fear him . . . and the cost of his aid may be more
than she’s willing to pay. Seph, Johnny, and Menessos face threats from all
sides—and a few from within. Will the forces of destiny cement their tenuous
supernatural union, or shatter it forever?
Interview:
Where did you get the
idea for the novel?
I was in the
New Orleans airport waiting for my flight home. I had worked up a character
sketch of this guy named Johnny, front man for a rock n roll band and also a
waerewolf...I started thinking about who his ideal woman would be thinking that
once I had her figured out I'd know the story. I started the sketch of
Persephone Alcmedi and she took over. I blame the shrimp po-boy I was eating.
Your title. Who came up
with it? Did you ever change your title?
I have had
many title changes. The first book VICIOUS CIRCLE was originally submitted as
Full Circle. The second, HALLOWED CIRCLE stayed the same. The third is listed
in the inside cover of the first book as Dead Circle, but was released as FATAL
CIRCLE. The fourth, ARCANE CIRCLE stayed the same throughout. The fifth was
submitted as Malefic Circle, but was changed to WICKED CIRCLE. Since I had only
truly named every other book, I gave the editor a list of 3 words for the sixth
book. We talked about them and picked SHATTERED CIRCLE.
Which came first, the title or the novel?
The novel. The story always comes first for
me. Titles are secondary. They should reflect the story and I can’t write “to”
a title.
What was the very
first book you wrote (very first, not published)?
When I
was eight, I wrote a 'Harlequin' romance for my mom because she read so many of
them. I illustrated it and even put the little symbol on it if I remember
correctly. It was about a princess who hated skirts and dresses, who was
getting married to a prince. Someone shot him at the wedding so she and all her
friends went off on a spaceship to catch the bad guy, and had some pizza at a
space station. There was no mention of the prince dying, nor was an ambulance
called. I think he survived, but I cannot prove it.
Since becoming a writer,
what’s the most exciting thing to ever happen to you?
At Dragoncon in Atlanta,
I got to be on a panel with Jim Butcher in front of ... probably a thousand or
fifteen hundred people. VERY cool. And the other day I was at a local ice cream
shop and this lady next to me asks very softly, "Are you that
author?" That was pretty cool, too.
What book are you currently reading or what was the last book you read?
Rogue
Warrior by Richard Marcinko with John Weisman.
What is your writing
process?
A character is developed
followed by a plot to suit them, or vice versa. There are so many fun quirks
you can give to a character, or to their story. Then work out a way to have
that be the thing that saves the day--or loses the day, and then you get to
watch how they deal with it. It's the creativity of the whole thing that I
love.
Who are your favorite
authors of all time?
I will
always love both: Ellen Kushner's "The Fall of the Kings" and
Jennifer Roberson's "Sword Dancer."
At a book signing, do you just sign
your name or do you write a note? How do you come up with stuff to say?
I have little things pertinent to each
story that I tuck into the signing, but I am not stuck on that. If the person
getting the book signed has chatted with me on facebook or at other cons, I may
reference that to make it more personal. I want them to know there was a
connection, and I remembered, you know?
What is something people
would be surprised to know about you?
My IQ is two standard
deviations above average, my college GPA was 3.59, and I hate sappy
chick-flicks.
How do you react to a
bad review?
Meh. If the bad review
is written in a "this book is utter shit" way (which I did see once…it
was a newer review of the first book that I found shortly after the fourth book
had been released, and it happened to be on my birthday...) then I will simply
read the review. Those kind of tones indicate to me that the book was not
something that person would have liked no matter what. However, if the tone is
critical without the sense of anger or mean-spiritedness, I will read it and
consider the reviewers points. Sometimes I agree with the weakness they shine
that spotlight on. I add that point to my list of 'don't do that’s' and try to
improve the next time around. (It's a big list, by the way. Learning from
mistakes, and not repeating them, is my mantra.) Sometimes, I think the
reviewer simply doesn't look at the big picture of the series like I do. The
Persephone Alcmedi books aren't meant to be stand-alone installments, and if
the reviewer is pretty clearly lost or assuming that the story leaves some
things unfinished and sees that as a bad thing, then they just aren't getting
the unit is a part of the whole.
Either way, it's not going to ruin my day or make me cry. It's a
review. It's an opinion. Everybody has one. Not everybody's is like mine. I'm
okay with that.
How did you celebrate
the sale of your first book?
I took my
fella to a fancy dinner and I paid.
About the Author
Linda Robertson is the mother of four wonderful boys, owns
three electric guitars, and is followed around by a big dog named after Bela
Lugosi. Once upon a time she was a lead guitarist in a heavy metal cover band
and has worked as a graphic artist. She still composes and creates art, when
time permits. Linda currently writes and rocks in northeast Ohio. Visit her at
AuthorLindaRobertson.com and @authorLindaGiveaway:
Linda,
ReplyDeleteYour book has a great cover and plot line. Happy to tweet about it. Good luck on the tour.