Fan2Author Interview with...Jamie Quaid!

b2bKrissie: Hello Jamie!  Thank you so much for stopping by to chat with us about your upcoming début release Boyfriend From Hell!  We are so excited to have you here!  I have put together a handful of questions to give our readers a bit of info about your book and your ideas for future books as well as helping us to get to know you a little better!

First off, I want to tell you that I am absolutely overflowing with excitement over the release of Boyfriend From Hell!  I have it pre-ordered on my Nook and I (very conveniently) have the day off of work to read it!  Squueee!  Can you tell us a little of what went into the writing of Justine’s story?  Was this something that you had thought about for a while, or did she just come to you like a wonderful little surprise?

Jamie Quaid: Thank you for having me here and for the squee! Justine’s story is a mixture of both inspiration and perspiration. Her situation popped into my head one day as I reached near trance state while riding through hundreds of miles of cornfield listening to bad music on the radio. Killing a boyfriend apparently made weird sense at the time, and it was such a brilliant scene, I played with it for months. Even after I finally battered out a plot outline, it took months of writing to develop Justine’s character. She has so many layers that it was fascinating to watch her unfold.

b2bK: I want to tell you that your web page is BEAUTIFUL!  As a matter of fact, that was my very first thought upon opening the page up.  Is the very capable looking woman on the front page our heroine, Justine?  If so, is that how you envision her to look?  I think she’s a perfect fit to the mental image I have!

JQ: Thank Kim Killion at HotDamnDesigns for the gorgeous website! Oddly, we created that site when I was working with a different heroine for a different series. So, no, Justine does not look like that page. The cover artist for BOYFRIEND FROM HELL got a wee bit dramatic, but Tina is probably closer to the cover image. She’s of mixed origin, and at the beginning of the story, she is not gorgeous by any means!

b2bK: The excerpt is PERFECT!  Just enough to get my chops watering and make me whine and complain waiting “patiently” for release day!  I immediately think of Max with a greased back shaggy hair cut and penny loafers…. I have no idea why he comes to mind like that.  So tell us, how fun was it to write this story?!  I would love for you to tell us all about it, but I know I need to wait for release day!

JQ: I ADORED writing this story! It should probably be illegal to have so much fun while working. I doubt Max wore penny loafers while riding his Harley, but he can have the greased hair, if you like. “G” I can tell you that Tina’s world doesn’t include vampires or werewolves, and if demons exist, they’re inside respectable society matrons, and shape-shifting chimps are a part of the fun. It’s a weird, wacky world, and as time goes on, the stakes keep increasing. I do hope you’ll enjoy it!

b2bK: Can you tell us a little about yourself?  What is your favorite genre of books?  How about music and movies?  I’m a huge sucker for romance, romance anything.  Paranormal romance, contemporary romance, historical romance…anything that can be possibly construed as a romance has my vote. LOL

JQ: I’ve been told I have a cynical and evil mind, but mostly, I like turning things upside down and inside out because looking at the surface isn’t enough. If the book or movie or whatever doesn’t survive my examination process, oh well, there are plenty more to read and watch. The world is my oyster! I enjoy strong humor more than angst because life’s just too short to suffer more than necessary. I love the happy endings of romance, but I like urban fantasy to leave the messy little edges dangling, while still leaving the reader smiling. And my stories will always have potential love interests if not necessarily a romance. I don’t prefer one genre over another so much as I prefer strong writing and great characters, but I do want that satisfying ending! I want to walk away feeling good.

b2bK: Have you always wanted to be an author?  Was there anything else that you aspired to be as a little girl?  Was there ever a dream of being a doctor or lawyer in there somewhere?

JQ: I have always written. I was writing Nancy Drew mysteries in the fourth grade. But I never expected to earn money as an author, so I’ve always kept my eye on the practical. My mother wanted me to be a doctor, but being a Candy Striper taught me that I don’t like the sight of blood. My father told me I should be a lawyer because I argue so much, but I was shy and courtrooms didn’t appeal. I thought journalism might work, but y’know, that shyness thing doesn’t work so hot on interviews. Since I seemed to fall into bookkeeping jobs pretty easily, I just eventually earned an accounting degree. I had two manuscripts under my bed by the time I graduated and sold one of them shortly after!

b2bK: So, what are you willing to spill about the Sisters of Saturn?!  Maybe how many sisters there will be?  Or how many books total are you thinking of?

JQ: Given the current state of the book market, I make no promises. I’d like Tina and the Zone to have three solid stories together, culminating in a near apocalyptic experience that shifts the Zone and brings in more of Saturn’s daughters. Then I’d like Tina to take off, visiting her “sisters” and learning more about their abilities. At the moment, Tina is dangling three fascinating, completely different men, on her line. She needs to choose, I think. Or maybe not. “G”

b2bK: Even though we are still eagerly awaiting Boyfriend From Hell (September 25), do you know when your next release is going to be?  Would you be willing to share a little of the premise for that book, if you have an idea?

JQ: I don’t have a release date on the second book, but it’s called Damn You to Hell.  The premise I’m working with is that the Zone is blasted with gaseous green fumes and pink flakes, old people start beating each other up, the locals are falling comatose, and Tina’s hunky neighbor gets arrested for murdering her boyfriend’s mother. What are the chances that she can save her new home, her best client, and not send anyone else to hell?

b2bK: Last but certainly not least, because I absolutely need to be in the know (ha ha) where can we go to learn about all of your upcoming releases?  Is your Hell Blog the best way to keep up with you?

My website is always an excellent place to go. Everyone can reach me at my Facebook and Twitter addresses. But if you want to win free books and meet other authors, then I’d also recommend POCKET AFTER DARK. It’s a fun place to drive by occasionally to see what we’re all up to.

b2bK: Thank you so much for stopping by and chatting with us Jamie!!  I cannot wait to read Boyfriend From Hell and promise to post my review as soon as I have read every single word!

JQ: Bless you and how many chocolates do you require?

And now here’s a question for some of our readers [and a prize is one copy of Boyfriend from Hell]: Jamie Quaid also writes wonderful historical romances under another name…can you tell us that name?

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