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Friday, July 15, 2011

Interview with Stina Leicht and Giveaway - July 15, 2011

Please welcome Stina Leicht to the The Qwillery as part of the 2011 Debut Author Challenge Interviews.


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

Stina:  My husband likes to call me a "Method Writer." That is, I prefer experiencing things before writing about them. Which means I do silly things like race outside when it snows so I can memorize what it feels like. (For the record, it doesn't snow much where I live.)

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

Stina:  Some of my favorite writers are Stephen King, Shirley Jackson, Neil Gaiman, Ray Bradbury, Terry Pratchett, Charles de Lint, and Holly Black. I like to think that Stephen King influenced me in that I'm a writer who likes to delve into the psychology of characters to provide motivation. Always felt that Stephen King did that very, very well.

TQ:  Are you a plotter or a pantster?

Stina:  Pantster. Definitely.

TQ:  Describe Of Blood and Honey in 140 characters or less.

Stina:  "Of Blood and Honey" is set in 1970s Northern Ireland and is one part old school Urban Fantasy and one part gritty Irish Crime novel.

TQ:  What inspired you to write Of Blood and Honey?

Stina:  A nonfiction book called "Those Are Real Bullets: Bloody Sunday, Derry, 1972 by Pringle and Jacobson -- two British reporters who were present when British soldiers fired on unarmed civilians. Thirteen protesters were killed and a fourteenth died of injuries he received that day. One of my favorite things about Science Fiction and Fantasy is that it uses story to address sensitive subjects. After reading that book and watching what was happening in the USA, I felt Americans could and should learn a great deal from the mistakes the British made with the Irish during that time.

TQ:  Why did you set Of Blood and Honey in Ireland?

Stina:  See above.

TQ:  What sort of research did you do to for Of Blood and Honey?

Stina:  I read a great deal about the Troubles and visited the University of Ulster's Conflict Archive online. (http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/) I interviewed people who'd lived in Belfast at that time, or had visited Derry during that era. I've been taking Irish language lessons for four years. (To help with the dialog structure.) Listened to Irish Crime novels written by Irish writers on audiobook. (Also to help with dialog structure.) And I took rally racing lessons.

TQ:  Without giving anything away, what is/are your favorite scene(s) in Of Blood and Honey?

Stina:  Oh, let's see. It's kind of packed with those, really. I like the scenes between Kathleen and Bran. I especially like when Liam meets Oran at the taxi association. The rally race was particularly fun to write. The scene where Mary Kate attempts to fend off Liam with a thermometer made me grin. And the scene where Father Murray goes all Yoda while talking to Liam toward the end is a favorite of mine too. Oh, and I have to include the scene where we first meet Haddock. He's the best bad guy I've ever written, I think, and that scene highlights his complexity.

TQ:  In Of Blood and Honey, who was the most difficult character to write and why? The easiest and why?

Stina:  I thought Haddock was pretty tough at first. Mostly because Americans are taught that cops are to be trusted and Haddock is definitely not one of those. Overcoming that was rough. But once I got through that, he was a breeze. He's a fanatic, you see. For him, the ends justify the means. The easiest character to write? That was Liam, I suppose. He's pretty easy for me to relate to. We're both dyslexic for a start.

TQ:  How many books are planned for the Fey and Fallen series?

Stina:  I prefer the way Terry Pratchett handles a series. Each book can stand on its own, and yet, they're related. So, off the top of my head... I know there's a third book, but beyond that, I don't know. There are other characters -- Liam's sister Moira for example -- that I'd like to expand on. We'll see if I get the chance.

TQ:  What's next?

Stina:  I've started a teen fantasy series set in a world with a Georgian era feel to it. We'll see how that goes. I'll be happy to write more about Liam and Father Murray, but I feel the need to do something else for a little bit. Writing about the Troubles is pretty stressful for me -- particularly since I've never been to Northern Ireland.


About of Blood and Honey

Of Blood and Honey
Of the Fey and the Fallen 1
(Night Shade Books, January 25 2011)
Fallen angels and the fey clash against the backdrop of Irish/English conflicts of the 1970s in this stunning debut novel by Stina Leicht.

Liam never knew who his father was. The town of Derry had always assumed that he was the bastard of a protestant--His mother never spoke of him, and Liam assumed he was dead.

But when the war between the fallen, and the fey began to heat up, Liam and his family are pulled into a conflict that they didn't know existed. A centuries old conflict between supernatural forces seems to mirror the political divisions in 1970s era Ireland, and Liam is thrown headlong into both conflicts.

Only the direct intervention of Liam's real father, and a secret catholic order dedicated to fighting "The Fallen" can save Liam... from the mundane and supernatural forces around him, and from the darkness that lurks within him.

Amazon : Barnes&Noble : Book Depository : Borders : Indie Bound


About Stina

Stina Leicht was born in Missouri where she attended Catholic school, climbed trees, fought pirates and rescued her sister's dolls from terrible fates. Currently, she lives in central Texas with her husband. She's totally famous for singing too loud to punk music in her car, reading too much, taking photographs almost no one has seen, and making art out of wooden cigar boxes. In the course of her research, she has driven in rally races, taken Irish language lessons and studied Northern Irish politics. She still fights pirates but has traded her trusty wooden stick for a rapier and dagger. Of course, pirate ships being somewhat rare in central Texas, she makes do with a friend's back yard--which is fine since she gets stabbed quite a lot and would only end up tossed into the sea anyway.

Links:

Stina's Website: http://www.csleicht.com/
CAIN (Conflict Archive on the INternet) Web Service - Conflict and Politics in Northern Ireland:  http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/


The Giveaway

THE RULES

What:   One commenter will win a copy of Of Blood and Honey generously provided by Night Shade Books.

How:   Leave a comment answering the following question:

Approximately how many books do you read per month? 

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 Friday, July 22, 2011. Void where prohibited by law.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*

27 comments:

  1. I read 10 ish books a month.

    Qwillery follower
    http://mobile.twitter.com/zombvmpr/status/91889686066364416

    zombvampire (@} gmail }•] com

    ReplyDelete
  2. ohh a month?! Hmm last month I read in 15 books and two audio tapes. I had a read-a-thon and i was challenging some teens to read more, and when faced with a challenge I was forced to read a lot.

    GFC Teril
    terilhack at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  3. ohh I have been wanting to read this book! It has sounded amazing.

    Ok I normally read about 10 or so books a month. I want to read Dances with Dragons but that puppy may take a month for me to read on it's own. It can save me from zombies though since it is like almost ten pounds ;)

    kasuranna at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I read approximately 4-6 books a month. That is of course not set in stone... there were months I read less and there are those I read more... :)

    Cherry Mischievous
    cherrymischif-soldier [at] yahoo [dot] com

    ReplyDelete
  6. I generally read 9 to 15 books a month, give or take. And I really, really want to read this one! Thanks for the great giveaway:)

    I am a GFC follower.
    I tweeted: http://twitter.com/#!/jwitt33/status/91938235827224577

    jwitt33 at live dot com

    ReplyDelete
  7. I read about 30 a month.
    GFC follower

    Vivien
    deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  8. 10-15 books a month give or take. Sometimes when the books are really bad, then even slower... :)
    Thank you for this giveaway!
    I'm a follower.
    impy80(at)hotmail(dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  9. GFC Krystal Larson edysicecreamlover18ATgmailDOTcom I read abour 45-60 books, I commute 4 hours a day and am guilty of reading in class ;) Thank you so much for the giveaway! facebooked http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=100000547840483

    ReplyDelete
  10. Depends... 8-10 probably on average... I think. I'm so organized. lol

    I'm a gfc follower
    twitter follower @booksthings
    books (dot) things (at) yahoo (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thank you for this lovely interview and giveaway opportunity. The number of books I read in a month varies on my time and the length of the book, but probably five to ten. Ms. Leicht's book sounds like something different and I love all things new and different :)

    GFC - Denise Zaky
    dz59001[at]gmail[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  12. About 20-25 a month!

    follow on gfc

    mlawson17 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  13. I read an average of about 4 or 5 books a month, sometimes more if I have extra time.

    Of Blood and Honey sounds very interesting and I'm looking forward to reading it.

    Barbed1951 at aol dot com
    GFC follower

    ReplyDelete
  14. I read approximately 6 books per month, more if I have the time.

    GFC Follower: Mary Preston

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Great interview! Love the story idea. As for books, I read about 10 to 12 books per month. I much prefer reading over watching tv, and I tend to use reading as an excuse to not go to the gym. :)

    csolinda at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  16. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  17. I read on average 9-12 books a month. Thank you for the giveaway.

    GFC follower.
    Cambonified{AT}yaho{DOT}com

    ReplyDelete
  18. I only read four or five books per month, not as many as I like. Too many other things currently taking up my time.

    Thanks for the chance to win what sounds like a great book!

    GFC follower Spaz

    zsaz1029.at.yahoo.dot.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wow, I would love to read this book! I read approximately 50 books a month, give or take a dozen. (I am an addict.)

    GFC follower :)

    http://twitter.com/#!/LiederMadchen/status/92124067041255424

    liedermadchen(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  20. I spend a lot of time on the web visiting blogs, entering giveaways and leaving comments so my reading has suffered to a degree. I also like epic fantasy and tomes of 700 - 1000 pages don't do much for your book count.

    Still I manage to get through about 8-10 books a month by varying the genres I read.

    Thanks for the giveaway.

    Carol T

    +1 for comment
    +1 I Follow via GFC (buddyt)

    buddytho {at} gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  21. I read about 10-15 books.

    Follower- thebookish96(at)gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  22. Depends on the month...sometimes the reading bug bites and then I don't do anything else in my free time and other months I spend a lot more time watching movies for instance...
    but I'd say 10 is a nice round average number :)

    +1 GFC follower

    vinsarama[at]gmail[dot]com

    thanks for the giveaway :)

    best regards

    ReplyDelete
  23. I read 2-3 books per month.

    nuno.sardo at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  24. I read about 4 books a month, and am developing a complex over being too busy to read more.

    Comment +1
    Follower +1
    Tweeted +1 (http://twitter.com/#!/AnassaRh/statuses/93244134780977152)

    ReplyDelete
  25. Aaand facepalm, because it's 2 am. I'm at @AnassaRh and anassa.rhenisch @ gmail.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Thanks for the giveaway, it looks really something!

    I read about 4 books a month, give or take one or two. But I am fond of the 500+ ones and I don't read that fast, so hence the 'only 4'.

    jannickv[at]hotmail[dot]com
    +1 Follower
    +1 Facebook

    ReplyDelete
  27. It depends on my mood and the amount of free time I get. 2-4 maybe :)

    GFC follower: xlacrimax

    xlacrimax[at]gmail.com

    ReplyDelete