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Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Author Interview: Naomi Clark

Today I'd like to welcome Naomi Clark, who is stopping by to answer a few questions about her new Urban Fantasy release, Silver Kiss, which releases on March 1st. You can see my review here. Without further ado, here's the interview.


Sara: How would you describe your novel, Silver Kiss, in three sentences or less, for readers who haven’t heard of it before?

Naomi: SILVER KISS is the story of Ayla, a lone wolf returning to her pack, and the problems she faces in doing so. It’s also the story of a missing teenager, a dangerous drug, and how far some people will go to destroy the relationship between humans and werewolves.

Sara: How would you describe your main characters in one sentence?

Naomi: Hmm... Plucky, determined, maybe a little dysfunctional, but definitely loyal and loving.

Sara: Did you always know you were going to write a novel with GLBT characters, or did they sneak up on you?

Naomi: In honesty, they snuck up on me. I’d never written anything with GBLT characters at the forefront before, but once I’d decided to write a story for the QUEER WOLF anthology (where WOLF STRAP, the first Ayla story was published), Ayla and Shannon very much jumped into my head, and the rest of the cast quickly followed.

Sara: In Silver Kiss, it is mentioned that werewolf birth rates are decreasing. Is natural birth between two werewolves the only way to further the species, or can humans be bitten and turned into werewolves?

Naomi: No, in the world I’ve set up, humans can’t become werewolves. You’re either born one or you’re not. (At least not in the traditional sense, or from a werewolf bite, as Ayla discovered in WOLF STRAP.) Humans and werewolves can cross-breed, but there are no guarantees that the child will be able to shapeshift. And this is going to be explored further in future books!

Sara: What made you decide to set up the pack structure in a way that is different from the typical “one alpha wolf ruling with an iron fist” fashion?

Naomi: I thought that for werewolves to realistically live alongside humans, they’d have to make some changes to their pack structure. The sort of feudal system that worked when they were undercover wouldn’t be acceptable to humans, or practical in the modern world – too brutal, not enough human rights! The alphas still have a lot of influence, and there are still occasions when that iron fist comes down, but overall the pack has a more flexible, loose structure that lets the werewolves mix more freely with humans.

Sara: Can we look forward to more books in Ayla’s world?

Naomi: Definitely! I can promise you two more books in the Urban Wolf series, and I have ideas and plans for more after that. As long as people enjoy them, I’ll be happy to write them.

Sara: Who are your greatest influences, both in and out of the Urban Fantasy genre?

Naomi: I’m a big fan of Laurell K Hamilton’s first few Anita Blake books – those were the first urban fantasy novels I read, and they definitely got me into writing it. I also love Rachel Vincent, Caitlin Kittredge, and Stacia Kane. Outside of urban fantasy, I’m a long-time fan of Angela Carter and Terry Pratchett.

Sara: What are you currently reading?

Naomi: Magic in the Blood by Devon Monk – can’t put it down! I’m so glad I have Magic in the Shadows waiting for when I’m done.

* * *


I’ve got a great contest for everyone. There’s an ebook for a winner at the end of today and everyone who enters now will also be in the running for winning a signed print copy of SILVER KISS drawn at the end of the week. Just answer this simple question in your comment to be entered into both competitions:

What are you currently reading?


Follow the SILVER KISS BLOG TOUR for more chances to win. Check out the itinerary and join me on the next step of the tour. And there are even more prizes on 1st March, the official SILVER KISS release day and I’m live for a Twitter Release Party #silverkiss.



Visit the Silver Kiss page for a reading as Naomi Clark reads from Wolf Strap! (Released in parts over the course of the blog tour!)


Thank you so much to Naomi for coming by! And feel free to ask questions for Naomi in the comments.

To be entered into the ebook giveaway, just leave you're e-mail address in the comments. I'll pick a winner tomorrow (Thursday Feb. 25) and pass their e-mail along.

22 comments:

  1. Thanks for the great questions, Sara!

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  3. I have read only a few novels with GLBT characters and I am very curious!
    Right now I'm reading Beyond the night by Joss Ware.

    My email is fabgiada @ gmail.com

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  4. Nice interview :D! and the book looks very interesting!
    battyaboutbats at gmail.com

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  5. Great interview! Would love to read this novel! Please enter me into the giveaway: my e-mail is stella.exlibris@gmail.com
    Thanks!

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  6. Would love to read! I'm intrigued by your use of GLBT characters.

    Thanks!
    Jase
    vslavetopassionv(at)aol(dot)com

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  7. Sounds like an interesting book.

    sgiden AT verizon DOT net

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  8. First time I hear about this book, but sounds like a good read :)

    entrelibros_blog(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  9. YAY! Very excited about the book and the tour. Great to see you out here in promo world, Nome. Best of luck.
    Kim

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  10. This is the first time for me too *blush* ;)

    I'm reading Spider's Bite right now.... and listening to Succubus Heat!

    Miranda
    mdwartistry at yahoo dot com

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  11. Reading hush, hush by Becca Fitzpatrick!

    faked_sugartone at hotmail

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  12. Hi,

    Loved the interview! :) How did you come up with Ayla's name? It's so pretty and different.

    mizmode at yahoo dot com

    Tara

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  13. I forgot to mention what I'm reading. lol

    The Ancestors by Tananarive Due, L.A. Banks and Brandon Massey a collection of short stories

    Lost Histories: In Search of Vanished Places, Treasures, and People by Joel Levy

    Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling.

    mizmode at yahoo dot com

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  14. Great interview!!! I grea a giant circle on my calendar for the paper copy coming out in March. Looks like I'm be following the tour too.

    heatwave96(at)hotmail.com

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  15. Right now I'm between books; I just finished A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire and Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman. The next book I pick up will probably be Rob Thurman's Trick of the Light.


    BrigidsBlest@yahoo.com

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  16. Please don't enter me for th e-book but I would like to enter for the print copy. I don't have an e-book reader and resding on the PC is a drag.

    Hope this is open Internationally.

    Thanks

    Carol

    buddytho {at} gmail DOT com

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  17. Hi, Mizmode. I can't remember where I heard the name Ayla first, but I'm sure I read it somewhere before writing Wolf Strap and it just stuck with me.

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  18. Thanks for hosting a great giveaway!

    Right now I'm nearing the end of The Historian... and Swan Thieves is next on my list.

    Thanks!

    heather y
    click4cash4me(at)gmail(dot)com

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  19. Congrats Heather Y! You're the winner of the e-book of Silver Kiss. I'll be sending your e-mail to Queered Fiction so they can contact you.

    Feel free to continue to comment for a chance to win a print copy of Silver Kiss being offered.

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  20. Congratulations, Heather! Hope you enjoy Silver Kiss :)

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  21. Thank you guys! :) I read a few pages this morning when I first got the email and got sucked into the story, I didn't want to stop reading to get ready for work. Luckily it's PDF so I can read it on my computer at work... thank you! :)

    heather y

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Thanks for stopping by Sara's Urban Fantasy Blog! I'd love to here what's on your mind. :)