Kelley Armstrong is the author of the “Women of the Otherworld” paranormal suspense series, “Darkest Powers”  YA urban fantasy trilogy, and the Nadia Stafford crime series.  She grew up in Ontario, Canada, where she still lives with her family.  A former computer programmer, she’s now escaped her corporate cubicle and hopes never to return.

1.         The first ten chapters of your latest book, The Reckoning, are available on your website. Were you an advocate of this publication model previously and will you continue to give away free chapters of your books?

It’s actually my publisher (HarperCollins) that does this.  They use software that allows you to read the first ten chapters, though you can’t download it etc.  Usually I’m only allowed to give away up to three chapters, so I love this.  I wish I could do it for all my books.

2.         You write about a wide range of supernatural beings in your books, including werewolves, vampires, demons, and witches. Which are the most fun and interesting to write about?

Growing up, werewolves were my favourite type, so when I decided to try an Anne Rice “monster as protagonist” book, they were my first choice.  They remain my first choice, though I love doing others.

3.         You write for adults and young adults. Is it tricky to shift gears between the two?

It hasn’t been a problem so far.  My main adult series has narrators ranging from twenties to forties, male and female.  Shifting gears became the norm for me, so I never got into the habit of narrating only one type of story.

4.        Which of your many characters Burns Brightest in your mind and why?

It’s like doing the different series–I like the characters all for different reasons!  The easiest to write, though, is Elena, because I’ve done her voice the most often.  I’m not sure she burns brightest, but she’s my comfort choice.

Kelley’s website: www.KelleyArmstrong.com

Kelley’s YA (Darkest Powers) site: www.DarkestPowers.com

Karen currently has six novels to her name and her seventh, Votive, the sequel to Tallow, will come out in May 2011;  the third instalment, Illumination, will  follow in November… All being well.
She’s also an Associate Professor of Media Studies at Southern Cross University where she lectures on media and popular culture using a psychoanalytical model. Her research is widely published in Australia and overseas. She’s also an award-winning teacher and travels regularly giving keynotes at various conferences and providing in-service training for educational professionals. Karen is also a columnist for The Courier- Mail and appears fairly regularly on Channel 7’s Sunrise and The Morning Show. She was also a member of ABC’s The Einstein Factor’s “Brains’ Trust”. On top of this, she’s a frequent contributor on national, state and local radio. Karen lives on five acres with her three dogs, the two resident (and warring) possum families, six very funny chooks, two horses and lots of beautiful birds, with her wonderful partner, Stephen. She has two gorgeous adult children, Adam and Caragh, who live in Sydney and the USA respectively; they say they miss her, but not as much as she misses them.

Tallow, (the first of your new trilogy, The Curse of the Bond Riders) was released in 2009. The second book, Votive, comes out in 2011. What inspired the series and the setting of Renaissance Venice?

The inspiration for the series came from, of all things, walking into a candle franchise that had just opened in a major shopping centre near where I used to live. I have always burned candles ( scented) and loved the moods and ambience they could evoke, simply through a smell. Entering this shop was sheer sensory overload… It was amazing. It was darkened but inviting and the scents that collected in pockets in various parts of the shop were incredible. I found myself transported. It had me thinking… Anyhow, I made some purchases, and on the way home began to read the pamphlet that the assistant had placed in the bag. It was a rudimentary description of how essences were instilled in candles in ancient times. An idea danced at the edges of my imagination and, by the time I arrived home, a story about a candle maker’s apprentice who was not what he or she seemed, had begun to take shape.

I chose the period because the Renaissance was a time of fresh ideas, when humanism and science were rising and institutionalised religion struggled to keep up. It was a fascinating era because alongside this was an explosion of art, a rebirth of interest in Classicism, and fashions and social relations were incredible. I have always had a love of Italy and its rich history. For some reason, when I thought of Tallow and began to map out my ideas properly, there was only one place to set it – and that was Venice. Only problem was, I’d never been there. So, I began to read everything I could get my hands on and to study the Italian language. Not long after I began, I knew I had my setting. Since writing Tallow, I have been to Venice twice… It is bewitching in every sense – positive and negative and I found that exhilarating.

In 2008, you published Consuming Innocence: Popular Culture and Our Children, a non-fiction text concerning the complicated relationship between today’s kids and this increasingly pervasive culture that influences them. Can you tell us a bit about the book and how you first became interested in this topic?

Gosh.. The book is basically a condensation of five years of intensive research and social commentary around young people and the complex relationship they have with all things pop culture. By popular culture, I mean TV, film, fashion, advertising, toys, corporations, the internet, video games, sexiness and body image. I had been deeply concerned about the sexualisation of kinderculture for a number of years, and the rise of corporate culture in terms of playing an influential role in childhood development. I think I just reached a point where I wanted to consolidate numerous articles, academic research papers and book chapters, as well as social commentary into the one accessible, easy to read place. I deliberately wrote it for a broad audience, pitching it at parents and teachers, as well as older young adults. I discuss everything from the history of childhood (how children have been perceived and treated throughout time – simply fascinating) to deconstructing the role of Barbie and Bratz dolls, why The Simpsons is basically a very conservative text, or why Buffy the Vampire Slayer imparted really important lessons to teens; and, why Disney deserves our scrutiny. I looked at violence in boy (and girl) culture, how much TV is acceptable and at what age, the role of censorship, the role of peers and peer pressure, kids’ magazines, and sexualisation. The more research my research assistant (Lisa Hill, who was terrific) and I did, the more alarmed we became – not just by what we saw and heard (I interviewed hundreds of kids and parents, went into too many shopping centres, fried my brain watching Teletubbies, became hooked on Lizzie Maguire, frustrated by the narrow stereotypes portrayed in Disney films), but by the continuous demonisation of this entertainment and information culture that kids use to help understand their world and which plays a role (smaller than we’re led to believe but nonetheless important) in shaping their identity. I wanted to both inform, entertain, lay some myths and concerns to rest, but also draw attention to areas that really need to be monitored and possibly require parental intervention – or, at the least, awareness.

I have always worked with young people my entire professional life – as a drama teacher, playwright and now, as lecturer at uni and writer. So the interest has always been there and it was terrific to be able to give a cohesive voice to not just my research, but the latest from around the world in all these areas.

Karen, we know you (among many other things!) as a pop culture commentator. What are your own guilty pleasures?  Are there any TV shows, celebrities, bands, magazines, or fads that you can’t get enough of? If not, what sort of research do you have to undertake for your media role?

Oh dear – I am about to undermine my credibility completely. OK. I confess, I am a TV tragic. But, before I reveal my guilty pleasures, can I just say, I also read about three books a week – genre books and history or non-fiction mainly. The TV shows I cannot miss are: Midsomer Murders, Dalziel and Pascoe, Dr Who, Desperate Housewives, The Tudors and Masterchef… I tape them if I am out and have been known to take the phone off the hook when Dr Who is on. I also love action and sci-fi movies. There are no particular ‘celebrities’ I follow, though I always appreciate the talents of good actors and writers – artists and musicians, but there are just too many I enjoy to list. I read Time Magazine and New Scientist, and when I am in the supermarket (which isn’t often these days) I do pick up the magazines and read them – my husband keeps telling me it isn’t a library! I also use time in a doctor’s waiting room or at the hairdresser to catch up on women’s magazines.  I call it research 🙂 I also love Facebook and I do Twitter. Hey, someone’s got to do it :). Seriously, I try to read and watch as broadly as possible. If I have to offer an opinion on something, I will read as widely as I can and from different perspectives on the topic, or use the product, watch the show/film etc. before commenting. I often pass things to others who are much better qualified than I am to comment on a particular topic if I don’t feel prepared, or if it’s in my sphere of ‘expertise’. I learned early on, there’s no point trying to talk about something you know nothing or even very little about – you don’t contribute anything of worth! I also check out The Guardian and the New York Times – oh, and the Huffington Post. They are excellent for alternative viewpoints. I also like reading blogs – I read lots of blogs. There are some excellent ones out there!

Which of your many characters Burns Brightest in your mind and why?

What a great question. It would have to be Tallow. Can you be in love with a character? I am. Well, with two particularly, but Tallow is THE one. Tallow is a humble, passionate, but incredibly powerful being who is full of self-doubt, but also possessed of a generous heart. She has the capacity to bring out both the best and worst in people – they expose themselves emotionally and psychologically around her and that’s very daunting, particularly when you don’t know what to do with that. Taught to become ordinary, it is so exciting to turn this wonderful person into someone extraordinary. But, in order to do that, you have to forge them in pretty hot fires and you have to allow them to make mistakes – big, costly ones. It’s learning from those that will equip Tallow for what lies ahead. She also has a dark centre which is coming to the fore and she needs to learn to control it or else. I don’t want to give too much away! But Tallow is the kind of person I would want in my life – actually, I am so grateful she is there. In a very real sense, she has helped me through a very difficult time – now it’s my turn 🙂

Click here to visit the official Karen Brooks website.

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Michael Pryor is a best-selling author of fantasy for teenagers. He has published over twenty novels and more than 40 short stories. He has been shortlisted for the Aurealis Award six times, and five of his books have been CBCA Notable books.

1. Your latest book, Time of Trial, is set in the war-torn country of Holmland and is based, in part, on your own historical research. Could you tell us a bit about your research process and where fact and fiction overlap in this book?

I’m a History buff, so I find research both interesting in its own right – and dreadfully seductive. If I’m not careful, I can follow byways and turnings in all directions and find myself far, far away from the ostensible object of my investigations. Having said that, some of the juiciest material turns up in this sideways wandering …

For a series like ‘The Laws of Magic’ I have two types of research. The first research into the general history of the period, including its major events, the parties involved and the outcomes. For ‘The Laws of Magic’ this meant re-looking at the period leading up to the First World War, which resulted in the books having a political flavour that I think adds a layer that is missing from many YA books. I also looked outside the political and military history to the broader history of the time – most particularly arts, sciences, but also social developments like the move towards women’s suffrage and the Fabian movement with its concerns for social justice.

After that, I needed to research the real nitty-gritty of how people lived at this time. It’s paradoxical, but writing fantasy (particularly this sort of quasi-historical fantasy) demands a kind of scrupulous realism. In order to help a reader come to terms with some of the more fantastic elements in the story, having consistently believable, recognisable elements is important. For ‘The Laws of Magic’ this meant getting background details right, such as the sort of lighting in rooms (gas? electricity?), the forms of transport (were they still using carriages? how common were motor cars?), the clothing worn (when were zips invented? what sort of hats were worn in the morning?), the furniture, the food, the forms of address …

It’s endless, and it can become consuming. Not long ago I spent a morning trying to find out how often letters were delivered in turn of the century London, and was fascinated to find that a householder could count on at least four or five visits from the postman each day. I love that sort of detail, and I was able to use it as a neat plot point.

So I do preliminary research before starting a book (or series) but I also have to do ‘On the Spot’ research, as above. Having done all this, however, I am conscious of the failing of so many historical novels – and quasi-historical fantasy novels. Just because I’ve done the research and found out all these highly interesting things, it doesn’t mean they all have to make their way into the novel I’m writing. I wince when authors drop chunks of information into their stories, undigested. I can just hear them saying to themselves: ‘I’ve spent days finding out about this, so I’m going to use it – whether the reader needs it or not.’ Shudder. That sort of thing can bring the story to a grinding halt, and the reader can feel like they’ve lurched into a lecture rather than a narrative.

In ‘The Laws of Magic’, the more I researched the events of the period, the more uneasy I felt about actually setting my story at that time. I wanted more latitude than the historical events allowed me, and that’s why I’ve cast a thin veil over the real world to produce my world where Britain is Albion, France is Gallia, Germany is Holmland and so on. Some readers enjoy the puzzle aspect of making the connection with the real world and its history, but it’s not a mandatory part of enjoying the story – I hope. Broadly, the events are the same: after a competitive arms build-up, certain countries on the continent bring the world to war thanks to a complex arrangement of treaties and agreements. I shift some details, but that scenario remains true – and I add magic into the mix.

2. What are three things that you can’t do without when you’re writing?

I’m a reasonably adaptable writer. I’ve written in many different places, with many different set-ups – usually because of a deadline or two. But some things are essential to my operating at peak writerly efficiency.

1. Coffee. I enjoy good coffee, but I’ll make do with bad coffee if I need to. A top quality espresso and the five minute break that goes with it, keep me going.

2. A run (or walk) in the morning. I take my dog, Darcy, and the exercise clears my head, gives me a bit of thinking time, and sets me up for a day of writing.

3. Clean glasses. I’m very picky about this, and I keep a small bottle of spectacle cleaner right next to my computer.

3. If you could be any of your characters for a day, who would you choose and why?

I’d like to be Sir Darius Fitzwilliam. Sir Darius is the father of Aubrey Fitzwilliam, the main character in ‘The Laws of Magic’, but he’s fascinating in his own right. His back-story is only hinted at in the books (he was a highly awarded military commander, he was a prize-winning yachtsman, a crack shot, a superb golfer – and heir to an ancient aristocratic title that he has given up in order to pursue a life of politics) and is intriguing enough, but in the series he is the Prime Minister of a country that is doing its best to prevent a war while, at the same time, making sure that Albion isn’t unprepared if this war does eventuate.

I’d like to be Sir Darius for a day because I’d enjoy seeing the complexities of running a country in such difficult times, and dealing with all the concerns – political, military, social – that come from being in such a parlous situation. I’d be keen to see how such an idealist manages to maintain his integrity while having to chart a course through negotiations that inevitably offer compromise as the simplest solution. Could I remain strong and uphold my principles of even handedness, strength and honour? I think I’d enjoy being put to the test.

And, of course, being Sir Darius Fitzwilliam would give me a chance to meet the astonishing Lady Rose Fitzwilliam …

4. Which of your many characters Burns Brightest in your mind and why?

That’s a hard one. I’ve published twenty-five novels, so I have lots of characters to choose from.

On consideration, it would have to be Aubrey Fitzwilliam from ‘The Laws of Magic’ series. Aubrey is a complex, absorbing character. This young man has more than a few flaws (most obviously, he’s teetering on the brink of death after a magical experiment went disastrously wrong) but his heart is in the right place. He’s brave, resourceful, compassionate, articulate and he happens to be extremely good with magic, which is something that I’ve always thought a handy talent. Aubrey is very loyal to his friends, quick-witted and not afraid to do the right thing – even when doing the right thing is extremely difficult. He veers between daring confidence in his own abilities and crushing self-doubt, which I think is a reasonably normal state of affairs for many people.

Aubrey burns bright for me because he has the qualities of a memorable person, one who would leave an impression long after he had left the room. I like the way that he develops a capacity for self-examination and self-awareness, a sign of the way he grows over the course of the series.

And he’s funny: he enjoys a quip, he can play with words, he’s adept with banter.

Aubrey Fitzwilliam burns bright for me, and the more I write about him, the brighter he burns.

Follow this link to Michael’s must-read website!

Here’s Michael’s very own YouTube channel:

Garth Nix was born in 1963 in Melbourne, Australia. A full-time writer since 2001, he has worked as a literary agent, marketing consultant, book editor, book publicist, book sales representative, bookseller, and as a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve. Garth’s books include the award-winning fantasy novels Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen; and the cult favourite YA SF novel Shade’s Children. His fantasy novels for children include The Ragwitch; the six books of The Seventh Tower sequence, and The Keys to the Kingdom series. More than five million copies of his books have been sold around the world, his books have appeared on the bestseller lists of The New York Times, Publishers Weekly, The Guardian and The Australian, and his work has been translated into 37 languages. He lives in a Sydney beach suburb with his wife and two children.

1. You have a new children’s fantasy series, Troubletwisters, coming out in 2011. Can you tell us a bit about it?

I’m co-writing TROUBLETWISTERS with my friend and fellow bestselling author Sean Williams, my first foray into co-writing prose (I have written some screenplays with other people). We’re having a lot of fun writing it, though as is always the case, lounging about and talking through the story while drinking Guinness is probably the best part.

The basic blurb we wrote says: “The books tell the story of twins Jaide and Jack Shield, who have to move from the city to a small coastal town to live with their eccentric grandmother, where they are drawn into an age-old struggle against an ancient entity called The Evil, in the process discovering their own magical gifts and heritage.” Interestingly, in writing the first book TROUBLETWISTERS: THE BEGINNING, the story veered a bit from fantasy adventure to include more supernatural scary stuff, albeit suitable for the entry reading level of 9+. Like all my own children’s books, I don’t believe in upper age limits and I think that TROUBLETWISTERS will be an exciting and enjoyable read for older children and adults too.

2. Lord Sunday wraps up your incredibly popular Keys To The Kingdom series. Does finishing the last instalment give you a sense of completion or will you miss Arthur Penhaligon?

I think my major emotion on finishing the series was relief! The books ended up being both longer and more complicated than I planned in the beginning and the whole series took about twice as long to write as I originally planned. But that said, I do always have a strong sense of satisfaction when I finish a book and even more so when a series is finished. I don’t miss Arthur, because his story is done. It’s kind of like making a drystone wall that must edge a field — it needs to be a certain length and height, and when it’s done, it’s done, and hopefully will stand and serve its purpose for decades or even centuries. That’s how I feel about stories, they have their size and shape, I make them to the best of my ability, and then I move on.

3. Which of the 7 Trustees of the Architect do you most identify with and why? (If not, which was the most fun to write?)

Sadly I suspect that I am personally most like Mister Monday, the embodiment of sloth. I love doing nothing much and would sleep far more than I do if I had the chance. But I also identify with aspects of the other Trustees, and of course, like all my characters, they all do contain some particles of my own personality, mixed in with material drawn from many other sources.

4. Which of your many characters Burns Brightest in your mind and why?

This is a constantly moving tableau — the character I am writing at any particular moment has to burn the brightest so I can capture them and put them down in writing. I suppose that characters I have written a lot about remain etched in memory, and I can easily summon them up if I need to write about them again, but they don’t linger about if I don’t need them for the current work (or works) in progress.

You can check Garth’s website out here.

Kim Wilkins was born in London, and grew up at the seaside north of Brisbane, Australia. She has degrees in literature and creative writing, and teaches at the University of Queensland and in the community. Her first novel, The Infernal, a supernatural thriller was published in 1997. Since then, she has published across many genres and for many different age groups. Her latest books, contemporary epic romances, are published under the pseudonym Kimberley Freeman. Kim has won many awards and is published all over the world. She lives in Brisbane with her husband and two small children.

1.       What is your ideal writing environment, or what are the things you like to have around you when you write? Are you superstitious in that sense?

Ideally, it is early morning, cold and rainy, my children are asleep and I have a scalding hot cup of sweet tea (Irish breakfast for preference). My desk is tidy, a scented candle is burning, my cats are in their baskets nearby, I have my next scene planned, and I know I won’t be interrupted for an hour or two. There’s probably a maid folding my washing somewhere in the house too. No, I’m not superstitious. Writers need to be able to write anywhere, under any conditions. Once you start putting conditions in place, you are procrastinating: something I try not to do.

2        Your novels are set in a variety of historical periods. If you could go back and live in one, which would it be? Which character from history would you most like to hang  out with?

It would depend very much on what my current obsession is. At the moment, I would go back to early medieval times. I’m obsessed with Anglo-Saxons. I know life would be short and smelly, though. For frocks, I would go to Edwardian times. For somebody cool from history to hang out with, I’d head off to early 19^th century England and hang with Percy Shelley. I heart Shelley.

3.       I’ve read that you’re a big music fan. How great an influence is music on your writing and which artists/bands most inspire you creatively?

I don’t write without music on. I make a playlist for every book that captures the feel of the story so that when I put the music on it gets me in the mood. At the moment I am writing a big moody fantasy based on Anglo-Saxon stuff. So I’m listening to folky Led Zeppelin, achey love songs from Regina Spektor, dreamy ambient from Hammock, and Icelandic post-rock from Sigur Ros.

4.       You’ve written a lot of novels and short stories in your career. Which of your many characters Burns Brightest in your mind and why?

That’s like asking me to choose between my children! It’s always the characters that I’m with at the moment who burn brightest, and I am totally in love with my female lead in the current book. But when I look back, I still have residual fondness for Prudence in Grimoire because of her wild girly energy, Rosa in Rosa and the Veil of Gold because she was so screwed up, but most of all Victoria in Giants of the Frost because she was the most like me. Not in a weird way.

Led Zeppelin: Kashmir

Visit Kim’s blog for the musings of a best-selling author & fab writing teacher here!