Welcome to the blog tour for Emma Meade's Under the Desert Moon. Get to know the author better in this Q&A.
What
do you need for writing?
My
laptop, somewhere comfortable to sit (usually the couch) and plenty
of tea.
How
did Under the Desert Moon come about?
It
was a warm and sultry summer when I wrote the first few pages of
Under the Desert Moon.
I'd been listening to Kelly Clarkson's album Breakaway
pretty much on repeat in the previous months. Singing/shouting along
to angry girl music after a break up with a boyfriend, was both
therapeutic and inspiring. I had also just moved back home after
being away at college, and was back in the town I had grown up in,
where everyone knows everyone else, and no one's business is private.
Listening to the song "Breakaway" conjured the simple
image of a teenage girl feeling trapped in her small town, staring
out the window and wishing she could be anyplace else. Erin and the
town of Copperfield, Arizona were born, and the rest of the story
evolved from there.
Do
you find it easy to write?
Most
of the time, I don’t. When I’m writing for my blog, I can draft
up a post easily, but when I sit down to work on a book or short
story, I find it more of a challenge. Writing fiction is tougher
than penning a review, for me at least. Sometimes inspiration hits
and I will write all day and most of the night. Other times, every
paragraph can be a struggle. As Ernest Hemingway put it: “There is
nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and
bleed.” It’s worth it though when you complete the first draft
and can go back and wonder to yourself, “did I really write that?”
What
do you think of Twilight?
I
love Twilight. I
started reading the books in the summer of 2008 and couldn’t wait
to see the first film. I suffer from OCD: Obsessive Cullen Disorder.
They’re definitely on my list of favourite books, except for New
Moon. As an Edward fan, I found myself
skimming through most of that book, eager to confirm he was coming
back to Forks. Since this November sees the release of the last
movie, Breaking Dawn: Part Two,
my sisters, friends and I will be having a big night out.
Do
you watch a lot of TV?
When
I was a teenager, I spent hours every day in front of the TV set, but
I don’t watch as much now. I guess back then, I was hooked on The
X-Files, Buffy,
Roswell, Dark
Angel and Friends,
and all those shows have since ended. One TV show I never miss is The
Vampire Diaries. It’s sexy, dark,
supernatural in flavour and filled with good looking people, so of
course I’m addicted to it. People ask each other, “are you Team
Damon or Team Stefan?” I’m Team Elijah all the way.
What
are you reading now?
My
father is a car boot sale enthusiast. At a recent outing he picked up
a dozen or so Anne Rice books for me, so my next book is going to be
from that collection. I haven’t read Anne’s stuff in awhile, so
it will be nice to delve back in. Also, one of my favourite authors,
Maeve Binchy passed away recently, so I am re-reading favourites from
my childhood such as Circle of Friends.
Favourite
movie?
No
way could I ever choose just one film. I watch ET
and The Goonies every
Christmas. I love Spielberg’s adventure movies, basically anything
that can make me feel like a child again. When Super
8 came out last year, I was probably one of
the first in line at the cinema. Stand by Me,
Now and Then, The
Last of the Mohicans, Dirty
Dancing, Reality Bites
and The Lost Boys
would be others I love.
Will
the vampire phenomenon die out soon?
I
hope not! They’re my favourite supernatural creatures and I’m
currently working on another vampire novel, this time for adults.
It’s a follow up to my short story collection from last year, Night
Sighs. All things going well, Night
Whispers will be out in the next six to eight
months. Fingers crossed that vamps will still be alluring to readers
then. They’re immortal, usually fabulous looking and sexy as hell,
so no wonder we continue to be fascinated by them.
Will
there be a follow up novel to Under the
Desert Moon?
Right
now, it’s not in the works, but if enough people respond to the
story, and to Erin and James, who knows in the future?
If
you could meet any author, who would it be?
I’d
love to sit down with a table filled with writers who contributed to
the Point Horror
series. My childhood was filled with trips to the local bookstore to
see what new book from that series was out. Authors like Richie
Tankersley Cusick, R.L. Stine, Caroline B. Cooney and Diane Hoh
enriched my imagination and inspired me to write my own supernatural
tales.
Who
is your favourite vampire of all time?
Tough
one, but Spike from Buffy
would probably win. The arrival of Spike and Drusilla in season two
was a turning point for the show. His character underwent a major
evolution from violent monster to hero. He’s definitely one of my
favourite reformed bad boys. Louis and Lestat are also great, Angel
from Buffy and of
course Stefan, Damon and all the originals from The
Vampire Diaries. Katherine from The
Vampire Diaries is also a cool and deadly
vamp, and Darla from Buffy
and Angel kicked ass.
And we can’t forget Dracula!
Do
you read a lot of paranormal fiction?
Yes.
Growing up, I read Point Horror
and books from the Nightmare
series. Then I moved on to Anne Rice, a little bit of Stephen King
and Virginia Andrews. At college I studied Mary Shelley and enjoyed
her books, Frankenstein
and Valperga. Over
the last few years, I’ve been reading Charlaine Harris, Kelley
Armstrong and Stephenie Meyer to name but a few. Recently I
discovered Ann Nyland and L.H. Cosway, two fabulous writers of
supernatural fiction.
Have
you tried writing non-paranormal fiction?
During
my post-grad degree in Galway in the west of Ireland, I started a
women’s fiction novel, what many would call “chick-lit”. I
think I got about four or five chapters in and then gave up. With no
supernatural element in it, I struggled to move the plot along. My
older sister, Lucy would bring in the manuscript, chapter by chapter
to her office and distribute copies among her co-workers. She told
me they wanted to read more, but that was probably my sister being
kind.
What
music do you listen to for inspiration?
I
turn up the volume on my power ballads collection when I need
inspiration. Belting out the lyrics to Meatloaf’s “Objects in
the Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are”, Bryan Adam’s
“Everything I Do (I Do it For You)”, Bruce Springsteen’s
“Because the Night”, Sinead O’ Connor’s “Nothing Compares
2U” and Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” can
do wonders for the soul and writer's block.
Where
are you from?
I
live in Cork, Ireland. It’s a city in the south of the country.
You may have heard of the Blarney Stone. Kissing it is said to give
people the Irish gift of the gab. You’ll find the Blarney Stone in
Cork, and if you’re brave enough, someone will hold you while you
lean backwards over a great drop, allowing you to kiss this magic
rock. Check out The Blarney Stone here:
http://www.blarneycastle.ie/pages/kiss-the-blarney-stone
Do
you like to eat in or go out?
I
like to go out for dinner every second week. Spicy food is
delicious, so I try to visit an Indian restaurant as often as I can.
When I’m home, I’ll cook a stir-fry or throw on a pot of chicken
curry and rice. Stuffed peppers are a delicious and easy dish to
prepare for a starter. A good Irish fry-up is also an enjoyable
weekly experience, usually on a Sunday morning: black and white
pudding, sausages, beans and rashers, mmm.
What’s
your fashion style like?
Shabby
student. I dressed in jeans and t-shirts at college, and years later
nothing’s changed. I like comfortable clothes and though I own
several pairs of high heels, I have yet to learn how to walk
elegantly in them.
Do
you have any tattoos?
I
have one tattoo of a bottle of ink and a feather quill on my lower
back. I’d like to add another, but I'm not sure what to get or
where to put it.
Do
you curse a lot?
Not
an awful lot. You’ll often hear me say “shite”, quite an Irish
term.
Do
you have any celebrity crush right now?
Joseph
Gordon-Levitt. He seems to be doing great for himself these days.
He’s cute and comes across as friendly and down-to-earth. When I
was thirteen, I thought I was in love with Leonardo DiCaprio. I tried
to watch every movie he’d ever been in: Marvin’s
Room, The Basketball
Diaries, This Boy’s
Life... As soon as Titanic
came out, I went off him; I wasn't happy to have to share him with so
many other admirers.
If
you could visit any place in the world, where would you go?
New
Orleans. There’s something so magical and sultry about that city.
I wrote a short story called "Bourbon & Jazz", set in
New Orleans. It's part of the Night Sighs
collection. I think reading Rice’s Interview
With the Vampire had a lot to do with me
falling in love with this place.
Erin
in Under the Desert Moon can't wait to leave her hometown and see the
world. Do you travel much?
I
try to get away as often as possible. When I was in college I
travelled abroad every summer. One year, I bought a train ticket and
got to see a lot of Europe on the cheap by staying in hostels. Some
of the cities I visited included Budapest, Warsaw, Krakow, Berlin,
Dubrovnik and Prague. Another year, I headed off to Rehoboth Beach
in Delaware and stopped off in New York before I went home. Greek
Island Hopping remains one of my favourite holidays to this day.
Unfortunately, since I entered the real world of work, I haven't
gotten away as much. Hopefully, I'll win the lottery some day, be
able to quit the day job and get to travel more frequently.
My next trip away is a weekend in London before Christmas. I'm
looking forward to seeing the city all lit up for the holidays.
Travelling is a wonderful way to broaden your horizons and meet
people from all over the world. It’s also great for writing
stories.
Do
you relate to Erin yourself?
Definitely.
When was I seventeen, I couldn't wait to escape high school life and
make my way in the world. Like Erin, I was introverted and had a
small, tight group of friends, but was far from being popular.
Erin's photography gives her an escape from the monotony and
pressures of everyday life. For me, it was writing. I hope a lot of
readers will be able to relate to Erin, whether they're going through
the transition into adulthood like she is, or, like me are adults
remembering how difficult it was to be a teenage girl. Erin has a
lot on her plate. Her mother died recently, her father is an
alcoholic, totally unable to handle the job of raising teenage kids,
and if she doesn't get a scholarship to college, she won't be getting
out of the small town she's spent her life in. In that respect, Erin
has it a lot tougher than I did. I was lucky to grow up with good
parents and three sisters. I think Erin's strength will appeal to
readers.
How
do you unwind?
When
I'm not working or writing, I like to curl up on the couch,
especially if it's raining (which it often is in Ireland) and either
read a good book, or switch on the TV and chill out. Going to the
cinema and out for dinner and to the pub with my girl pals is high up
on my list of pastimes. We like to head out dancing, and if there's
an 80s night happening somewhere in town, we are all over that. I
also spend time with my three sisters and my niece Isabelle. I
enjoy/waste countless hours each week on Twitter and Facebook, as
well as visiting my favourite blogs when I really should be writing.
It's great to be online with like-minded people who are into reading
and writing. My poor family and friends can only take so much of my
constant ramblings about books.
What
are you favourite YA books?
Growing
up, it was Point Horror
mostly, Sweet Valley Twins,
Nightmares, some
novels by Christopher Pike and The Forbidden
Game trilogy by L.J. Smith. Most of those
are still my favourite YA books, but I'd have to add Twilight
to that list. As a teen, I moved on to Virginia Andrews and Stephen
King.
What
would be your dream writing career?
To
give up my day job and write full time. I'm not a great public
speaker, so the thought of doing book readings and signings makes me
feel a little panicked. I'd have to do a bit of yoga first to keep
me calm! I'd love to make enough money to buy a little villa in
Europe and write every day in a peaceful setting. Every writer
dreams of having their book made into a film. For Night
Sighs, I'd love to see a TV series. A girl
can dream, right?
You're
Irish. Why is your first young adult novel set in America?
I
grew up watching American TV shows and reading books set in the US.
All my favourite TV shows are American: Buffy,
Friends, The
Vampire Diaries, Roswell,
The X-Files, and I
love so many films from the States. If I could get the time off
work, I'd spend a few months travelling around the US and also check
out Canada. Having been to Delaware and New York, I've gotten a
small taste, but I still want to visit Roswell, Las Vegas, Boston,
San Francisco and New Orleans, just to name a few places.
Which
actor played the part of a vampire the best?
Kiefer
Sutherland in The Lost Boys
was a wonderful bad boy. He didn’t have a redeeming bone in his
body, which is nice since all the latest vamps are decent deep down.
James Marsters’ portrayal of Spike was wonderful.
What
is your favourite vampire movie?
Ooh,
I have to think about that for a moment. I guess the shortlist would
have to include The Lost Boys,
Interview with the Vampire,
Blade, Bram
Stoker’s Dracula,
Twilight,
30 Days of Night and more recently a cool,
German film called We are the Night.
Would
you like to be a vampire?
The
appeal of being young forever is undeniable, but I think I'd get
bored of eternal life and become quite depressed living in the dark.
Then there's the whole horrible business of watching everyone you
love age and die. I have to admit though, I have enjoyed the odd
fantasy or ten of Damon and Angel biting and turning me. With either
of them on my arm, eternal life sounds pretty good.
So
are you just into vampires, or do you like other supernatural
creatures?
Demons,
shadow men, angels, werewolves, whatever, I'm open to them all,
though of course vamps are my favourite. I'm working on a novel
about witches, which hopefully should be completed by next summer.
You
have a blog: Emma's Ramblings on Supernatural Fiction. What in
particular do you write about there?
I
review books, TV shows and films of the paranormal genre. It's great
to interact with people online. I started early last year, but only
got serious after joining Twitter last Autumn. Now I try to post
twice a week.
Favourite
book
It’s
hard to pick one, but I have read Stephen King’s The
Stand several times. It has everything you’d
want in a book: vibrant characters, great storytelling, a good versus
evil plot and plenty of action.
What
else have you published?
I
self-published Night Sighs
last year. It’s a collection of five short stories for adults,
following the relationship and adventures of rock star vampire
Tristan and his girlfriend Alex. Browsing YouTube one evening, I came
across a video of Bruce Springsteen performing “Because the Night”
live in Paris, 1985, and was immediately touched by the passion and
beauty of his haunting performance. I wrote a short story called
“The Dead Beats” straight away. Later, I completed another four
short stories featuring Alex and Tristan, and published them as Night
Sighs. I’m now working on a follow up
novel called Night Whispers.
Link for the Springsteen video is below.
Author
Bio:
Emma Meade lives in rainy
Ireland. She loves vampires, slayers, witches, ghosts, aliens &
shadow men (or at least the youngest of the Shadow Men), and regular
people who live extraordinary lives (think Slayerettes and you’re
on the right track).
Books, DVDS & TV
show boxsets take up lots of space in her home, and she collects all
the Point Horror
books she can get her hands on.
Writing supernatural short
stories and watching marathon re-runs of Buffy are some of
her favourite ways of escaping reality.
Goodreads Author
Page:
Goodreads book page:
