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Friday, April 06, 2012

Interview with j.a. kazimer and Giveaway - April 6, 2012

Please welcome j.a. kazimer to The Qwillery as part of the 2012 Debut Author Challenge Interviews. CURSES! (A F***ed-Up Fairy Tale 1) was published in February by Kensington.


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

j.a.:  I’m not sure I have a quirk per say. But I do like to write loaded up on cough syrup. I’m kidding. Mostly. However, I do insist on writing on a computer, never, ever, ever, long hand. It’s not because I’m a computer snob, but due to the fact that I cannot read my own writing and without spell check, people often mistake me as an ESL student.

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

j.a.:  Hands down, Christopher Moore is the biggest influence on my writing style. I love how he weaves wit and humor into a tale. I also love Tim Dorsey, Max Berry, and Lisa Lutz for the same reasons. I am a sucker for crime fiction greats like Robert Crais and Harlan Coben too. I love urban fantasy authors like Patricia Briggs, Mario Acevedo, and Jeanne C. Stein. Romance authors like Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Jennifer Crusie are excellent as well. These are the people to blame for my writing habit.

TQ:  Are you a plotter or a pantser?

j.a.:  Pantser all the way. I start at word one and write straight through to the words, The End. Sometimes that means that I write myself into a corner, and those are the days I dream of being a plotter, but half the fun of writing a book is working myself out of those corners.

TQ:  What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

j.a.:  Sad to say, but writing itself is the worst part of writing. I HATE it. I hate spelling. I hate grammar. Punctuation and I are barely on speaking terms. Although I am a fan of the apostrophe, but sometimes it can be much too possessive.

TQ:  Describe CURSES! (A F***ed-Up Fairy Tale 1) in 140 characters or less.

Cinderella is murdered. Ugly stepsister hires an evilly impotent villain to solve the crime. Mayhem ensues.

TQ:  What inspired you to write CURSES!?

j.a.:  Curses! started with the question, what happens after a villain gets off work? Is he still a villain? Does he spend his nights dreaming up new ways to steal candy from babies or crush the occasional princess under a bus? What’s his life like? From that question came a story devoted to telling the villain’s side of the story.

TQ:  What sort of research did you do for CURSES!?

j.a.:  I looked stuff up on Wikipedia. And when that didn’t work out, I spent days trying to lure a princess into a busy street using various means. Ultimately, the best way to murder a princess is by bluebird. Who knew? I also read plenty of fairy tales, the brothers Grimm’s being my favorites. I also searched high and low for fitting nursery rhymes. You can see why I lead such a hard life, right?

TQ:  Who was the easiest character to write and why? Hardest and why?

j.a.:  Prince Charming was the easiest since so much is already known about him. When people think Charming, they have an instant vision of what he looks like, and how he acts. I just tweaked those characteristics to suit my needs. The hardest character to write was RJ, the villain/protagonist. I had to step into a villain’s skin, to see the fairy tale world through the eyes of someone who hates woodland creatures, singing birds, and good deeds.

TQ:  Without giving anything away, what is/are your favorite scene(s) in CURSES!?

j.a.:  I have two favorite scenes, the first one comes in the beginning of the book, when someone’s smashed Cinderella under a bus and her not-so-ugly stepsister comes to hire RJ to solve the crime. The ugly stepsister is a wee bit hungry, so she grabs a brick and scrambles the nearest egg sitting on a wall.
My other favorite scene is when RJ comes across the second ugly stepsister, who is sitting next to a pond kissing toads. RJ asked her what she’s doing:
Dru carefully placed the toad on the ground and wiped her lips. “I’m searching for a prince.”

“I see,” RJ said, but really didn’t. Hell, I was searching for a princess killer, but I wasn’t sexually harassing every pigeon in town.
TQ:  What's next?

j.a.:  Next up is an urban fantasy novel coming out on April 2, 2012 titled, Holy Socks and Dirtier Demons. It’s about an ex-soldier, a vain angel, and a demonic feminist who must join forces in order to save the kidnapped Baby Jesus. Also, in 2013, the second book in the F***ed Up Fairy Tale series, FROGGY-STYLE, will be released.

TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

j.a.:  Thank you so much for having me.


About  F***ed-Up Fairy Tales

CURSES!
A F**cked Up Fairly Tale 1
Kensington, February 28, 2012
Trade Paperback and eBook, 308 pages

I’m no hero. In fact, up until a couple of days ago, I was the villain. Kidnapped maidens, scared kids, stole magic tchotchkes—until I got into a little scrape with the union. Now I’m cursed with the worst fate in New Never City—no matter what I do, I gotta be nice.

So when a head-case princess named Asia barges into my apartment and asks me to find out who whacked her stepsister, Cinderella, I have no choice but to help her. And I’m more than willing to head back to her parents’ castle and do some investigating if it means I can get into her black leather cat suit. Except this twisted sister has a family nutty enough to send the Biggest Baddest Wolf running for the hills—and a freaky little curse of her own...


About j.a.

j.a. kazimer is a writer living in Denver, CO. With a Master’s degree in forensic psychology, j.a. has worked as a private investigator, bartender, and at the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics. Books include The Junkie Tales (2010), The Body Dwellers (2011), CURSES! A F***ed-Up Fairy Tale (2012), and Holy Socks & Dirtier Demons (2012). The next book in the F***ed Up Fairy Tale series, Froggy-Style, is forthcoming from Kensington in 2013. For more information, visit j.a. kazimer’s website at http://www.jakazimer.com.

j.a.'s Links:

Blogs - http://www.jakazimer.com/blogs
Website – http://www.jakazimer.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/jakazimer
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/jakazimer


The Giveaway

THE RULES

What:  One commenter will each win a copy of CURSES! (A F**ked Up Fairy Tale 1) from The Qwillery.

How:  Leave a comment answering the following question:

What is your favorite fairy tale?

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 and/or your blog/website. Even if you mention the giveaway on Twitter and Facebook, 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. Please note that the blog or website 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 3 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter and/or 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. You MUST 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, April 13, 2012. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*

26 comments:

  1. This was a fantastic interview, funny and entertaining. Not to mention all the new authors to whom I'm now introduced. Always cool! OK, favorite fairy tale? Jack and the Beanstalk. I just love the possiblities. ;)

    Mentioned on FB + Twitter, by the way. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great interview! My fave fairytale is Red Riding Hood or The Little Mermaid.

    +1 comment
    +1 GFC: Molly Frenzel
    +1 RT: https://twitter.com/#!/dg_molly/status/188280752826355712

    ReplyDelete
  3. My favourite fairy tale is Snow White, hello she lives with seven guys ;) ok, ones alittle dopey and ones grumpy, but there is happy although the other one can be bashful at all is good...hehehe.
    Posted to facebook and twitter.
    Beads39@sympatico.ca
    You rock.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow, how to choose just one? I'll go with The Boy Who Cried Wolf. I just love the moral of that one. I'm also fond of the one with the fox and the grapes that gives us (I suppose but could be wrong) the origin of the phrase 'sour grapes'.
    april dot vrugtman at gmail

    ReplyDelete
  5. Please don't include me in the giveaway - I already bought the book and LOVED IT! Sooo funny! I don't know if I'm more excited about the upcoming Holy Socks and Dirtier Demons or Froggy-Style... Thanks for the interview!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for a great post and giveaway! I've read great reviews about this book and I'd love to read it :)

    I'd have to say that my fav fairy tale is Jack and the Beanstalk. I don't know why, just that as a kid I loved that one.

    +1 comment
    +1 gfc
    efender1(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  7. My favorite fairy tale is usually Snow White.
    debby236 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I don't think I have a favorite fairy tale now. When I was a kid I really liked Rumpelstiltskin. I like the title character because he was so weird and I liked the little rhyme.
    I follow the Quillery by email: carlscott(at)prodigy(dot)net(dot)mx
    I tweeted about the giveaway: https://twitter.com/#!/carlrscott/status/188315945238921217
    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  9. My favorite fairy tale is Beauty and the Beast. Thanks for the giveaway. I am a follower and email subscriber. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have to say my favorite fairy tale is Sleeping Beauty! I would love to win this one, it sounds great!

    gfc follower under Martha Lawson
    email subscriber mlawson17 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  11. My favorite tale is Beauty and the Beast, thank you for the chance to win! edysicecreamlover18@gmailDOTcom
    GFC Krystal Larson

    ReplyDelete
  12. I would have to say Snow White or Hansel & Gretel. This sounds like a great story and I would love to read it!!! Thanks for the great giveaway!!!!
    +1 GFC follower and I mentioned the giveaway on facebook and twitter!
    iluvmik16@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. Amazing, thanks! :)
    My favorite tale is definitely The Neverending Story. Love the deepness of the tale...

    +1 Follower
    +1 Comment
    +1 tweet link: https://twitter.com/#!/Diana_Dimovska/status/188349886238953474

    email: dianadimovska1(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  14. my favorite fairytale has to be Cinderella.......
    thank you for this giveaway!!
    GFC follwer: Cyn209
    shared on Facebook: www.facebook.com/cyn209

    cyn209 at juno dot com

    ReplyDelete
  15. I'm partial to BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. The tale of inner beauty always sits well with me.

    GFC: Mary Preston

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wow my favorite fairy tale, I confess I've never thought about it. Maybe I would say Beauty and the Beast, it's a really nice story.

    thanks for the giveaway.

    I'm a follower: Melliane

    shared: https://twitter.com/#!/betweendandr/status/188547450473164802

    ellana_(at)hotmail(dot)fr

    ReplyDelete
  17. Very nice interview. I like Cinderella.

    I follow the blog.

    Thanks for the giveaway.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  18. I LOVE fairytales (and mocking them)! My favorite fairytale would have to be Rumpelstiltskin, simply because I like to make fun of it..the Queen who ends up being the victim when she is the one who didn't keep her promise to begin with...

    GFC follower: Lilian Cheng

    tweeted: https://twitter.com/lilboxism/status/189175153677172736

    Thank you for the giveaway! I have my fingers crossed.
    and hilarious interview! I'm definitely adding Curses onto my wishlist! =)

    Lilian @ A Novel Toybox

    ReplyDelete
  19. ah! and I forgot to include my email: lilianxchengATgmailDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  20. I've always been a fan of Snow-White & Rose-Red.

    GFC: ML
    Tweet: https://twitter.com/#!/Rogue237/status/189512675129163776
    mljfoland AT hotmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  21. Ahhahaha, love your research methods! Any luck luring a princess into the street? And I like the question of what happens with the villain. Villains are usually more interesting, and full of mayhem.
    Me, I always love Beauty and the Beast. The whole beast of a man cracking under love and evolving, I just love it!

    GFC follower Lexi
    eyesofblueice (at) gmail

    ReplyDelete
  22. I enjoyed this interview -- it made me giggle -- so I think I'll add it to my TBR list. The list that just gets longer & longer, thanks to The Qwillery! :p

    My favorite fairy tale changes, but I suppose Cinderella is at the top more than any other.

    rissatoo
    (+3: comment, follow, retweet)

    ReplyDelete
  23. the Beauty and the beast has always been my favourite. And this book sounds totally awesome

    blog follower

    aliasgirl at libero dot it

    ReplyDelete
  24. My favorite fairy tale is beauty and the beast. This sound like a great book!!

    + 1 following
    laurele5555(at)
    yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  25. My favourite fairy tale is Cinderella :-D

    This book has caught my eye on Amazon, sounds like a cool book, would love to read it ;-)

    +1 commented
    +1 following
    +1 tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/Stella_ExLibris/status/190897575614885888

    thank you!

    stella.exlibris (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete