Interview with Stacey Jay and Giveaway - June 2, 2011

Please welcome Stacey Jay to The Qwillery.

TQ:  What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Stacey:  I have a daily word count goal and am OBSESSED with reaching it. If I don't, I'm a cranky, twitchy mess.

TQ:  Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?

Stacey:  I was a classics reader as a kid, and those are the books (and writers) I always go back to. I find myself rereading John Steinbeck and Louisa May Alcott again and again. Also a big Stephen King fan. Of all of my favorite authors, I think I've been the most influenced by his work. I love a strong hook and a creep factor in my stories.

TQ:  Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Stacey:  Reformed pantser. Now a plotter who gives myself the freedom to play when the story requires.

TQ:  Describe Dead on the Delta in 140 characters or less.

Stacey:  While helping solve a murder, a woman immune to killer fairy bite discovers there's more magic in the world than she supposed.

TQ:  Who was the easiest character to write and why? The most difficult and why?

Stacey:  Annabelle, my heroine, was both. She's very different than I am, so it was difficult at times to stay true to "what would Annabelle do," when I knew I would make a different choice. In other ways, she was a pure joy to discover. It's nice to take a break from your own head space for awhile!

TQ:  Without giving anything away, what it your favorite scene or scenes in Dead on the Delta?

Stacey:  I love the ending. The method of attempted murder is twisted, strange, and fun, I think. I'm pretty proud of it, anyway!

TQ:  Who should play Annabelle Lee if the book becomes a movie? Cane Cooper?

Stacey:  You know I NEVER imagine actors when I'm writing, so this is hard!

But I think I'd love Aubrey Plaza (who plays April on "Parks and Recreation") for Annabelle. If she eased up on the deadpan a bit, she'd be brilliant. Or, alternatively, Isla Fisher. She's a fabulous actor and has more of an Annabelle "look."

As for Cane, Taye Diggs is, of course, super talented and has the smolder factor. But Henry Simmons (NYPD Blue) probably looks more like what I imagined Cane would look like when I was writing.

TQ:  What's the playlist for Dead on the Delta?

Stacey:  Acoustic Blues--new blues, old blues, anything with a twangy guitar and a hint of hopeless and a sexy, steamy undertone.

TQ:  How many books are planned for the Annabelle Lee series?

Stacey:  I've planned a 5 book story arc. As of now, only two books are contracted, however (DEAD ON THE DELTA and BLOOD ON THE BAYOU, next year). I'm *really* hoping sales are strong for DEAD, and that I get to write the full story.

TQ:  What's next?

Stacey:  JULIET IMMORTAL, my young adult hardcover debut, releases on August 9th. I'm so excited for this one! I really hope readers enjoy what I've done with Romeo and Juliet (I couldn't resist turning these famous lovers against each other and seeing what would happen.)

TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery!

Stacey:  You are so welcome! Thanks so much for having me!


About Stacey's Books

Dead on the Delta

Anabelle Lee 1
(Pocket, May 31, 2011)

Once upon a time, fairies were the stuff of bedtime stories and sweet dreams. Then came the mutations, and the dreams became nightmares. Mosquito-size fairies now indulge their taste for human blood—and for most humans, a fairy bite means insanity or death. Luckily, Annabelle Lee isn’t most humans. The hard-drinking, smart-mouthed, bicycle-riding redhead is immune to fairy venom, and able to do the dirty work most humans can’t. Including helping law enforcement— and Cane Cooper, the bayou’s sexiest detective—collect evidence when a body is discovered outside the fairy-proof barricades of her Louisiana town.

But Annabelle isn’t equipped to deal with the murder of a six year-old girl or a former lover-turned-FBI snob taking an interest in the case. Suddenly her already bumpy relationship with Cane turns even rockier, and even the most trust-worthy friends become suspects. Annabelle’s life is imploding: between relationship drama, a heartbreaking murder investigation, Breeze-crazed drug runners, and a few too many rum and Cokes, Annabelle is a woman on the run—from her past, toward her future, and into the arms of a darkness waiting just for her. . .

Amazon : Barnes&Noble : Book Depository : Borders
 

Young Adult Books
 
You Are So Undead to Me
Megan Berry 1
(Razorbill, 22 Jan 2009) 
Q: HOW MANY ZOMBIES DOES IT TAKE TO RUIN A SOCIAL LIFE?
A: NOT MANY.

Megan Berry is a Zombie Settler by birth, which means she’s part-time shrink to a whole bunch of semi-dead people with killer issues. All Megan really wants is to go to homecoming, but when you’re trailed by a bunch of slobbering corpses whenever you leave the house, it’s kinda hard to score a date. Let’s just say Megan’s love life could use some major resuscitation.

Megan’s convinced her life can’t get any worse – until someone in school starts using black magic to turn average, angsty Undead into scary, hardcore flesh-eating Zombies. Now it’s up to Megan to stop the Zombie apocalypse. Her life – and more importantly, the homecoming dance – depends on it.

Amazon : Barnes&Noble : Book Depository : Borders


Undead Much?
Megan Berry 2
(Razorbill, January 21, 2010)

Megan Berry—Zombie Settler extraordinaire—just wants Pom Squad to trounce Cheer Team in this freakishly funny follow-up to You Are So Undead to Me. But someone’s turning coma victims into settler-resistant über-zombies—and everyone thinks it’s Megan’s fault! Well, except for super-creepy male cheerleader Aaron. (Ew!)

Meg’s also being stalked by a hot—albeit undead— seer named Cliff. Can Cliff’s premonitions help Megan stop a zombies-on-ice deathscapade and discover who’s really behind the coma-killer crusade before an entire army of undead rise up? And when Megan’s boyfriend Ethan grows jealous of Cliff, will it end their intra-settler romance?

Stacey Jay’s snarky teen-speak is “dead”-on and hysterical! Ally Carter better get used to the smell of grave dirt . . .

Amazon : Barnes&Noble : Book Depository : Borders

Valentine's Day of the Dead

Megan Berry 2.3
(E-book, February 9, 2009)

Q: What could be worse than spending Valentine's Day alone?
A: Spending it with evil zombies!!

Megan Berry is no stranger to heartbreak, but spending Valentine's Day serving other happy couples hot dogs while mourning the loss of her one true love is almost more than even a highly trained Zombie Settler can handle. So when her recently estranged boyfriend, Ethan, texts her asking her to be his Valentine, she ditches her bodyguard and rushes to his side.

But soon, Megan's dreams of chocolates, flowers, and lingering make-up kisses take a turn of the rotted-corpse-and-maggot variety, and Megan fears that her first Valentine's Day with Ethan, may be her last...

Amazon : Barnes&Noble

My So-Called Death
(Flux, March 28, 2010)
Just because you don't have a pulse doesn't mean you can't be perky.

One second, freshman Karen Vera's on top of the most fabulous cheer pyramid ever. The next, she's lying on the pavement with seriously unflattering cranial damage. Freakishly alive without a pulse, Karen learns that she's a genetically undead zombie.

Suddenly, Karen's non-life is an epic disaster. She's forced to attend a boarding school for the "death-challenged," her roommate is a hateful wannabe-Goth weirdo, and she's chowing down on animal brains every day to prevent rot (um, ew?). Even worse, someone is attacking students and harvesting their brains for a forbidden dark ritual. And it might be the hottest guy at DEAD High, the one who makes Karen's non-beating heart flutter!

Armed with a perky smile and killer fashion sense, it's up to Karen to track down the brain snatcher and save her fellow students from certain zombie death.

Amazon : Barnes&Noble : Book Depository : Borders


The Locket 
(Razorbill, February 3, 2011)
On her seventeenth birthday, Katie discovers a locket and decides to wear it for good luck. But when her boyfriend Isaac finds out she cheated on him - with their mutual best friend Mitch, no less - he dumps her, leaving her devastated.

And then a miracle happens. The locket burns on Katie's chest and she feels herself going back two weeks in time, to the night she cheated with Mitch. At first, Kate is delighted to be a better girlfriend to Isaac this time around. But as other aspects of her life become inexplicably altered, she realizes that changing the past may have had a dangerous effect on her present.

Can she make things right before the locket destroys everything - and everyone - she loves?

Amazon : Barnes&Noble : Book Depository : Borders

Juliet Immortal

(Delacorte Books, August 9, 2011)

"These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which as they kiss consume."
—Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

The most tragic love story in history . . .

Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.

Amazon : Barnes&Noble : Book Depository : Borders


About Stacey
 

Stacey Jay is a recovering workaholic (or at least working hard at recovering) with three pen names, two small children, and a passion for playing pretend. She’s been a full time mom-writer since 2005 and can't think of anything she'd rather be doing. Her former careers include theatre performer, professional dancer, poorly paid C-movie actress, bartender, waiter, math tutor (for real) and yoga instructor.

Stacey's Links:

Website
Blog


The Giveaway

THE RULES

What:  One commenter will win a Mass Market Paperback copy of Dead on the Delta.

How:  Leave a comment answering the following question:

What fairy tale 'creature' would you like to see become real?

Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1) Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2) Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3) Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. In addition please leave a way to contact you.

Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Thursday, June 9, 2011. Void where prohibited by law.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*