I have the pleasure of talking with the talented Ms. Jeri Smith-Ready and about her wonderful new Urban Fantasy series coming in May 2008 called WICKED GAME. Welcome to Love Romances & More Ms. Ready. 

Thanks so much for having me, Dawn! 

Please introduce yourself and let us know a little about you when you are not writing. 

Hmm, there’s hardly ever a time when I’m not writing.  But for fun I follow pro football.  I love the strategizing and the athletic grace involved in the sport.  And also the hitting.  ;-) 

My husband and I foster shelter dogs for an animal rescue organization called Tails of Hope (http://www.tails-of-hope.org).  The rescue people take animals out of overcrowded shelters and put them in foster homes.  We haven’t done it for several months, because my dog hurt her back and couldn’t romp, but she’s better now and we look forward to fostering more dogs (and possibly cats!) soon. 

Can you tell us a little about how you started writing; was it something you have always wanted to do? 

I’ve always loved reading.  My parents taught me to read when I was three and always encouraged it.  But my grandmother once told me if I didn’t “get my nose out of a book,” I’d end up needing glasses.  By the time I was eight, it was too late!  I’ve been wearing glasses and contacts ever since.  I think it’s worth it.  ;-) 

Beyond that, I made up alternative storylines to the books and comics I read, and later, to the TV shows I watched. 

But I never considered being a writer.  Over the course of my life I wanted to be an actor (I would of course play the character I’d made up for General Hospital, who would of course have John Stamos fall in love with her), psychologist, veterinarian, environmental lawyer, editor, and dog trainer. 

Then one night in my mid-twenties, I went to a coffee shop to watch a very loud blues band.  With a caffeine overdose and no way to carry on a conversation over the music, I concocted in my head the first scene from a mystery/romance/spy thriller/science fiction novel that is safely tucked away in a drawer where it can't embarrass me.  I now call it my ‘practice novel.’  

Once I'd caught the writing bug, I never wanted to do anything else ever again.   

Who or what has been your biggest influence as a writer? 

My first big influence was Margaret Atwood.  In my first story attempt (a few weeks before the coffee shop incident), I tried to write like she does, poignant and serious and pessimistic.  What a mistake!  That’s not my natural voice.  I look for the humor and humanity in every situation, and I don’t view emotion in a cynical way.  (I actually believe in the power of love.  Crazy, I know.  ;-)  Once I let myself write the way I think, it started to flow. 

Other influences that fit my true voice include: Neil Gaiman, Elmore Leonard, Christopher Moore, and Carl Hiaasen.  (Yep, all men, even though I write romantic fiction.)  What I like about all of them (in addition to their humor) is their ability to create memorable characters that I want to hang out with.  If I’m going to spend several hours reading about people, I want to like them, even the villains. 

Now my voice is developed enough that I’m not influenced by what I read.  Inspired, yes, but not influenced.  Some of my current favorites are Caprice Crane, Jennifer Crusie, and Charlaine Harris.  When it comes to vampires, my favorites (in addition to Harris) are PC Cast/Kristin Cast (House of Night series), Lara Adrian, Jenna Black and newcomer Adrian Phoenix.

OK, I could ramble about books FOREVER.  Next question? 

Your work is very popular with readers and reviewers; how does it feel to have such positive recognition for your work?  

It feels great!  I was thrilled to get my first review from Publisher’s Weekly, and a glowing one from Library Journal as well.  One of my favorite reviews, from Shooting Stars Magazine, called WICKED GAME “TWILIGHT for adults” and said that Shane was “sure to be the new It vampire on the literary scene.”   

But none of the reviews mean as much as hearing from readers that the story made them laugh and sit on the edge of their seats in suspense.  That’s the ultimate goal of writing for me—to entertain.   

You had a new book come out on May 13^th called WICKED GAME. It is a different take on the vampire mythology. What inspired you to create this series and when can we see the next book?  

I had an idea about characters who were ‘stuck in time’ in some past era but who had to live in our current world.  I thought, hey, they’d make great DJs, because they would know their musical era better than anyone (and because I am a HUGE music fan, despite my own lack of musical talent).   

Of course, being a paranormal writer, my third thought was…vampires!  They’re uniquely suited for this idea because they die at a certain point in time (which is when they freeze) and then come back to life.   

The next book will be BAD TO THE BONE (May 2009), but if that seems like a long time, never fear!  To tide readers over until then, I’ll post tie-in short stories on my website (www.jerismithready.com) every other month.  They’ll tell the super-secret tales of how each vampire DJ was ‘turned.’  The first story will be Monroe’s, appearing in late June.  My newsletter subscribers will get to see the stories a week before the rest of the world.  People can sign up for the newsletter on my home page.  I highly recommend this. 

Do you feel your writing is character driven or plot driven? How do you balance these two elements? 

Character-driven, definitely.  I don’t really think of it as finding a balance, because the plot comes out of the characters.  Whenever I’ve tried to cram a character too tightly into a pre-fabbed plot (from an outline, for instance), something inevitably feels “off.”  I get that little, “She would never do that” alarm going off in my head. 

I really enjoyed WICKED GAME and loved the dynamics of all the players within the book. Could you tell us a little about how you develop your characters? Who has been your favorite character to write? The most challenging?  

Definitely Ciara Griffin, the heroine of WICKED GAME. She’s your typical con artist in many ways—clever, confident, and morally flexible. But she’s trying to redeem her criminal past in an unusual way: saving a vampire radio station from corporate takeover, a mission that becomes a matter of life and un-death.  So she’s a bad girl trying her best to be good, but her own impulses get in the way. 

It’s terrific fun to be in Ciara’s head, because I get to say and do things I could never get away with in my own life. 

I also really loved writing the hero, Shane McAllister.  He’s sexy but quirky, and quite unlike anyone I’ve ever read before.  A lot of readers have compared him to his hero, Kurt Cobain.   

The most challenging character in WICKED GAME was probably David.  He’s very complex and has a lot of contradictory impulses, so I worked hard to make sure his motivations were clear.  I wanted him to be appealing, but not so much that readers wanted Ciara to end up with him instead of Shane.  ;-)  

What do you do on a typical writing day? 

I hate routine, so I keep changing it to trick myself into getting things done.  I’m the hardest-working lazy person I know.  I’ve also stopped feeling guilty for not writing first thing in the morning—my brain just doesn’t cooperate.  So I do e-mail or housework (okay, not housework) or read until about 10am, when the second cup of coffee hits me. 

When you have writer's block how do you break free? 

If a scene isn’t working or I don’t know where it’s going, I’ll write a different one.  By the time I get back to the original scene, sometimes the problem has solved itself.  Sometimes the whole thing just needs to be chucked. 

Walking the dog also helps.  Getting outside, moving the blood through my veins and brain, can jumpstart the process. 

What kind of research do you do for your books? Do you enjoy the research process?  

Whatever it takes.  Books, movies, internet research.  I love it all.  I also consider reading in my genre to be a form of research. 

Do deadlines help or hinder your muse? 

They help me structure my time, but when I get behind I tend to panic a bit, which makes me freeze up.  So my answer would be, ‘both.’  I’ve always tried to create my own deadlines and stick to them as much as I can.   

Do you belong to a critique group? If so, how does this help or hinder you? 

I only write novels, not short fiction, and I don’t like to share pieces of a novel until it’s completed.  So if I belonged to a group, I wouldn’t have anything to share for months.  I do have a set of beta readers who critique my manuscripts when they’re finished, and I return the favor. 

Do you outline your books or just start writing? 

I like to work with at least a loose outline to keep me on track, but it usually changes drastically as I go along. As I get to know the characters better, they often tell me that my plans for them just Will.  Not.  Work. 

You also have another series that you write, Aspect of the Crow, that I enjoy as well. Voice of the Crow and Eyes of the Crow are both fantastic. Will we see more of Rhia and the other characters that I have grown to adore? 

THE REAWAKENED will conclude the Aspect of Crow romantic fantasy trilogy in November.  Rhia is still the main character, but just like with VOICE OF CROW, THE REAWAKENED will introduce some new characters with their own romance.  Also, for the first time, we get to see what goes on in Lycas the Wolverine’s head.  It ain’t pretty, let me tell you.  ;-) 

What is next for you in 2008? What about other upcoming projects you might have coming in 2009? 

THE REAWAKENED (Aspect of Crow trilogy, Book 3) – November 2008

BAD TO THE BONE (WVMP/Ciara Griffin series Book 2) – May 2009 

Beyond that is still a secret! 

Where can readers reach you to comment on your books? 

They can come to www.jerismithready.com, where there’s a contact form, or they can e-mail me at jeri AT jerismithready DOT com.  Or visit my blog at www.jerismithready.com/blog.  I’m also on MySpace (www.myspace.com/jerismithready), LiveJournal (http://jer-bear711.livejournal.com/) and FaceBook. 

I created a website just for the vampires, at www.WVMPradio.com.  There you can learn more about the DJs, listen to their playlists, and get yourself some WVMP Lifeblood of Rock ‘n’ Roll merchandise (T-shirts, buttons, mugs, etc.).  Soon the DJs will start blogging about music and the challenges of being a vampire in today’s world. 

Our heroine, Ciara Griffin, can also be found on MySpace (www.myspace.com/ciarawvmp).  

For Fun: Who would you prefer to save the world: Matt Damon or Ben Affleck? 

I had to think about this one long and hard, and in the end I have to say both.  Ben has the muscles and the drive, but Matt strikes me as a better decision-maker, cooler under pressure, and probably handier with most weapons. 

Of course, if the world ever gets into the position where it can only be saved by a couple of actor/writers, we’re in huge trouble. 

Finally, Ms. Smith-Ready, I have truly enjoyed your work and find myself longing for the next in the series. Thank you for sitting down and talking with us at Love Romances & More reviews. Please add anything you think our readers may enjoy knowing about you. 

I love to hear from readers, so I encourage anyone to contact me.  I also give away free bookmarks and signed bookplates for any of my books and frequently hold contests on my blog and on my newsletter.  On my blog I also have a semi-weekly series of interviews with up-and-coming authors, where we ask lots of fun and different questions and give away signed copies of their books. 

Thanks so much for having me!