Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Author, author... Wildcard by Jamie Wyman + Giveaway


 

.... read all about it !!


Wild Card - Jamie Wyman - Banner





Welcome, so great to have you here with us.  Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m Jamie. I’m a total geek who loves fire, circus history and chai. I live in Arizona with my husband, our 8 year old daughter and two feline overlords. When I’m not writing, I’m probably gaming with friends.


Do real life events find their way into your stories?

Occasionally. Nothing big, really. Sometimes it’s one line that is sortof a personal Easter egg. For example, in WILD CARD, I mention Cat Sharp playing roulette. She bets on 8 and it lands on 19, the adjacent slot. That actually happened to me in Vegas once. There are other little things, throw-away lines that are meant for my friends to catch. I try not to use actual events, though, as major scenes or plot points.



Do you ever mimic family members or people you know when you choose characters?

Yes. Again, though, it’s always a small nod with a walk-on extra type character. I don’t base main characters on people I know, because those characters usually come to me with very specific personalities and physical descriptions already in place. And I keep any resemblance limited. Maybe a first or last name, or a particular pattern of speech. The best example of this I can think of is Cat’s geriatric landlady Mrs. McIntyre in WILD CARD. I based her physical appearance and dialogue on both of my grandmothers, and gave her the last name of one of my dearest friends.
 
 

Do you find yourself going back to the same inspiration for each story or is it always something different?

Nope. Every story is its own song with different inspirations, beats, quirks and melodies.
 
 

When do you write?  Early morning? During the day sometime or all day?  After the kids go to bed?

During the day while my daughter is at school. Sometimes at night after dinner. I try to keep weekends open to spend with my family.
 
 

How do you feel about marketing your book?

It’s very weird and unnatural to me. Part of me feels like Katniss Everdeen trying to get through all of her Capitol interviews. Haymitch is sometimes in my ear saying, “Try to be likable, sweetheart.” On the other hand, I love Cat, Marius and all the characters in WILD CARD and could talk about them til I’m blue in the face. So that part is pretty easy.
 
 

What social sites do you feel work best for marketing?

Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter. That’s my trifecta.
 
 

Do you like to pitch stories to your publisher or do you wait until you have written the story and have a final manuscript to turn in?

I prefer to have something finished that I can offer rather than just a synopsis pitch.
 
 

Is there any other genre that you would love to try writing?  If so, what is it?

I like to play in several sandboxes. Horror, Urban Fantasy, Romance. I go where the stories guide me.
 
 

Do you always/ever see yourself as the heroine/hero when you write a story?

No. The characters are separate people. However, I feel like an actor in that I am able to inhabit that character and draw on my own experiences to have empathy for what they’re going through. If it’s a particularly visceral scene, this leads to me bleeding profusely on the page, but I think the book is better for it.
 
 

Just for fun, I have a few personal questions, 

Favorite 5

1)      Favorite Male Actor  - Tom Hiddleston. My love for him is unholy and well-documented.

2)      Favorite vehicle – Gypsy wagon. The kind that you associate with circuses.

3)      Favorite way to relax -  Drinking chai and playing games with my friends.

4)      Favorite ice cream – Ben & Jerry’s Chubby Hubby

5)      Favorite outfit – T-shirt and pajama pants. Accept no substitutes.

And for a bonus:  If you could pick any place in the world to live, besides where you are now, where would it be?  (Of course, without the hindrance of jobs or money needed)

Hawaii! I’d have a commune in Hawaii with all my friends and family. We’d surf and laugh and game and spin fire and drink fruity things with those little umbrellas in them all day long.

 
 
Where can our readers find you?? 

Email: Jamie@jamiewyman.com

Twitter: @BeeGirlBlue


Website/blog: www.jamiewyman.com/bloggery

Amazon author page:  amazon.com/author/jamiewyman
 

 

Is there an upcoming or current release you would like to share with us today and where can we find it?

WILD CARD is available now from Entangled Publishing
 
 
 
Synopsis: It was bad enough that gods gambled with human souls, but Catherine Sharp's soul just had to be won by the Greek goddess of Discord, Eris.  As if working a dead-end tech support job didn't suck the life out of her as it was.  Now, Cat finds herself performing random tasks for the goddess in her free time.
 
But when Coyote, the Native American trickster himself, claims to have won her own soul in Mayhem's weekly poker game, Cat wants in on the action.  With five sneaky gods upping the ante, Cat needs to find a way to collect the winning chips that could save her soul.
 
Marius, a handsome yet irritating satyr with his own debt to Eris, might finally come in handy for something.  If they play their cards right and work together, Cat and Marius may just get their freedom back.  If they don't kill each other or fall in love first.
 
 
 
WILD CARD is available now from Entangled Publishing. You can buy it here:
 
 
 
 
 
 

Excerpt:

 

“Bugger all, you are a lousy date!”

“This isn’t a date,” I contested. “This is a job. Nothing more.”

“You could do worse than a date with me, Catherine.”

I snorted. “Not by much.”

“Do you honestly find me so repellent?” His face drawn in a mockery of disappointment, Marius stretched out his arms in a move that was equal parts pining for attention and putting himself on display. Once more, I humored the idea that for all of his personality flaws and inhuman traits, he sparked something in the deeper reaches of my interest. Maybe it was the sleek line of his shoulders in that suit. Or the silky thickness of his hair. I skimmed over our past, wondering if I’d ever seen it down rather than in a ponytail.

I shook my head and stopped pondering. This was Marius. I’d never seen beneath the glamour, but I knew it was there. I wouldn’t deny that he was attractive, but I couldn’t accept that what I saw was reality. Still…

“You’re all right,” I conceded, looking away and letting my stare drift over the crowd.

“All right?” Dropping his arms, he chuffed indignantly.

“Darling, I do believe I must fetch you a dictionary as your vocabulary is sorely lacking. I am better than all right. I am spectacular. I am an Adonis. Tantric sex in a suit, is what I am. And it wouldn’t kill you to pay me a compliment. Here, allow me to demonstrate. You are stunning, Catherine. You sparkle with the delicate fire of a star. A vision of grace and beauty that would make Aphrodite herself fume with envy.”

Abashed and red-faced, I looked away. With a hooked finger he picked up my chin and drew my attention back to his too sincere face.

“I am truly the luckiest of men to have the honor of escorting you tonight.” He placed the faintest of kisses—little more than a breath and the brush of his mustache—on the back of my hand.

“May I have the pleasure of sharing a dance with you?”

My stomach fluttered. I wasn’t snowed by his pretty words, but the intensity of his stare gave me pause. Could he mean it? Could I actually be entertaining the idea that Marius was anything other than a bother?

I blew out a breath I hadn’t realize I’d been holding.

“Sure. Why not? Nothing better to do.”
 
 
*****
 

 One last thing before we let you leave us today.  I love to cook and am always looking for new recipes to try and share.
 

My husband is the cook, but I have a simple recipe for one of my favorite alcoholic drinks. It’s our Ohana take on Butter Beer from Harry Potter. You will need a pint glass (frosted mug is also very nice with this), your favorite root beer, Frangelico and Buttershots.

First, pour 1 shot of the Frangelico and 2 shots Buttershots into your pint glass. Top off with your favorite root beer. (I recommend A&W or Teddy’s for this as it’s smooth and creamy.) Stir. Enjoy.
 
*****


Giveaway:  $25  ThinkGeek Gift Card

 


 

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