Hi, I’m Yasmine Galenorn, NYT, USA Today, and PW bestselling author of the Otherworld Series, and I’m here to be a guinea pig...err...guest on Jacqui’s blog today. I want to thank her for hogtying and dragging...err...having me here today and want to assure people that the pictures she’s threatened to expose are fake! Really! Truly! ~grins~
Seriously, I appreciate the chance to meet readers who may be new to me and my work, and say hello to you all. I write two series for Berkley—the Otherworld Series, and the Indigo Court Series, both urban fantasy. My books aren’t for everybody, but a lot of people seem to love them—they’re a little bit kinky and dark and filled with magic and mayhem and mythology. You can read about the Otherworld Series (which deals with the adventures of three half human, half-Fae sisters caught in a demonic war), and the Indigo Court Series, (which is set in a battle between the Vampiric Fae and true vampires) on my website.
My newest book, NIGHT VEIL, comes out July 5th—it’s book two in the Indigo Court Series and so far, feedback has been wonderful!
And with that, onto the questions.
Yasmine Galenorn
1. If you could transform into any animal, what would you choose? Please tell us, as only an author can, why you would make this specific choice?
One of my cats. My cats get the greatest treatment—they get loved, spoiled, fed yummy kitty food, petted when they want, they have plenty of space, lots of toys, kitty furniture, they go to the vet whenever they need to, and quite often end up there when they don’t and I just think something’s off.
If, however, we’re looking at wild animals…then we’re going with my black panther totem. Panther and I’ve walked together since I was a child. It would be only natural for me to transform into her. (And yes, that’s where Delilah’s panther self comes from).
2. Please share with us your most embarrassing moment with a fan or another author.
I honestly can’t think of any. I’ve had some odd moments with other authors or fans, but nothing particularly embarrassing. I guess a few signings where I was sick and had a scratchy voice that kept going in and out. Or where I have to politely ask they not take pictures because I am seriously photo-phobic. Working on getting over it, but it makes my stomach lurch when people want my picture.
3. Which do you prefer to write? The hero or the villain? And why?
LOL…both. Depending on the day. I’d rather write about my heroines than the heroes—since I tend to write urban fantasy more than paranormal romance, I find them more fun. The heroes aren’t window dressing, but they aren’t the main focus. I love writing about strong women who have odd quirks and flaws. But, having said that, there’s nothing like writing a nasty villain. The villains in my Indigo Court series are terrifying and almost inhuman. The villains in my Otherworld Series are just as nasty, but my main characters have a stronger base from which to launch counter assaults.
4. Do you have someone in your life that you model your heroes after? What about those villains?
No. Seriously, not. My heroes are modeled after the way I think heroes truly are: people (be they Fae or vampire or shapeshifter) stuck between a rock and a hard place, making difficult decisions, facing overwhelming odds, but still willing to fight for what they know is right—for what they know they must fight. Bits and pieces may be based on friends who I watch overcome incredible odds, but the characters themselves? Not so much, though ALL of my characters—villains included—have a little bit of me in them.
The villains: there are too many villains in this world, it’s all too easy to find inspiration when you look at the child molesters and rapists and serial killers and leaders with delusions of grandeur…just way too easy to find inspiration.
5. I am a woman who is 43 years old and has a crush on her 25-year-old gardener, what naughty secret do you have to share?
ROFL…well, I, too, have secret crushes but for the sake of my marriage, will keep those to myself. Fantasy is fantasy is fantasy. I once accidentally flashed the UPS man, many years back. Was wearing a sheer shirt, no bra, and totally spaced on it when I went to the door. Couldn’t figure out why he couldn’t stop grinning and his ears were bright red. After I took the package and shut the door, I glanced in the mirror and wanted to sink through the floor. He was always VERY NICE after that. LOL
6. I’ll go easy on you this time. What is your sinful pleasure? I have two. Gluttony: where I eat to much Ben & Jerry’s Pistachio Pistachio, and Sloth : where I laze in bed all day watching HGTV (Mike Holmes…mmm nummy!) or Farscape. Please be equally specific.
Well, on the diet I’m on (necessary), there isn’t much leeway, but caffeine is a major addiction of mine and almond milk lattes are high on the list. Quad shot, iced, almond milk lattes. I usually have 6-8 shots of espresso a day.
And video games. Dungeon Siege 2, Diablo 2 (when, oh WHEN is Diablo 3 coming out?), The Sims3, and puzzle games—Bejeweled 2, Drops 2, Tetris, Aquabubble, Bookworm. OH…and Plants Vs. Zombies. LOVE Plants Vs. Zombies.
7. Do you sing in the shower? What would Simon Cowell think of your performance? What is your favorite song choice?
No. Nobody wants to hear me sing. Trust me. I only sing when I’m all alone in the house and the music is high enough to drown me out. Simon Cowell would be appalled if I auditioned for American Idol and rightly so! But as far as if I could choose a song to sing (or that I attempt when alone)…hmmm…there are so many. Current faves for singing along to include: SAIL by Awolnation, I Like it Rough by Lady Gaga, and Pumped Up Kicks by Foster the People. OH…and Vogue and 4 Minutes by Madonna.
8. If you could be any of your characters whom would you choose? Tell us why of course.
Camille from my Otherworld Series, because I love her fashion sense, and she’s most like me. And she has three gorgeous husbands who never let her want for attention. Who wouldn’t want to be married to a dragon, a youkai, and one of the Dark Fae? Plus she’s a witch. Not necessarily a very adept witch but she tries. And she’s got glamour. Did I mention the wardrobe? Oh—and her sisters are right there, for her. But she’s no Mary Sue character. To be honest, I wouldn’t like getting tossed around and bruised up by as many demons and the like as she does—that would be no fun at all. And with a father-in-law dragon out for your blood, life could get rather scary. All my characters get so banged up that I think the rewards of being them would be well-tempered with the hardships.
9. Who did it the best? Out of all of your favorite paranormal authors’ works, who wrote the BEST SCENE EVA? Explain.
It would be terribly gauche for me to say “a few of my own” but the fact is, I write some of the intense scenes I really want to read. But one of my favorite scenes of all time comes from my favorite book…it’s not exactly paranormal, but more what I would call from magic realism or fantasy. Watership Down by Richard Adams. Near the end, when they’ve reached Watership Down, and the rabbits are settled and have made their home, Hazel, their leader, is tired. He is resting some many springs after their adventures, when he realizes another rabbit is with him in the burrow.
“He raised his head and said, “Do you want to talk to me?”
“Yes, that’s what I’ve come for,” replied the other. “You know me, don’t you?”
“Yes, of course,” said Hazel, hoping he would be able to remember his name in a moment. Then he saw that in the darkness of the burrow, the stranger’s ears were shining with a faint silver light. “Yes, my lord,” he said. “Yes, I know you.”
“You’ve been feeling tired,” said the stranger, “but I can do something about that. I’ve come to ask whether you’d car to join my Owsla. We shall be glad to have you and you’ll enjoy it. If you’re ready, we might go along now.”
And Hazel realizes that the rabbit with him is the Black Rabbit of Inle, the ‘angel of death’ and that it’s his time to go.
Every time I read that scene, I’m weeping. Even now, as I write it out, I’m crying. The rabbits were so real to me, such incredibly balanced and realistic characters, and their journey was so great and their hardships so vivid, that by the time I finish the book—each time—I feel like I can scarcely breathe. Watership Down is one of the greatest books of all time, in my opinion.
10. You are now a published author, which some would say is the pinnacle for any writer. Now that you have achieved this goal, what is your new dream? What is it that you now aspire to do?
Well, actually, I achieved that goal 14 years ago, and it was always just the beginning of my goals. I’ve been a published author since 1997, when my first book came out. NIGHT VEIL will be my 27th book on the shelves, not counting four anthologies.
When I started out, my overall goal was to become a NYT bestselling novelist who consistently topped the charts.
But I knew I had to have intermediary goals. So my first interim goal was to get my fiction published—I had seven novels in the closet. I wrote eight nonfiction books before I got my first fiction contract with Berkley, in mysteries. Then, my next interim goal was to be writing two series at once. That happened rapidly. The next goal: switch to the genre I wanted to write in: urban fantasy. I managed that three years after my first book with Berkley came out.
Then I wanted to hit the bestseller charts—with the first Otherworld Book, I hit the USA Today chart. Next goal: at least place on the extended New York Times. Two books later, with Darkling—the third Otherworld book—I did that. Then it was to hit the short list on the NYT. That came at book six—Demon Mistress (though every book I’ve had since Darkling has at least hit the extended, if not the short). My goals now? To consistently hit the short list, and then—to hit #1 on the NYT. I want to expand my audience, to reach more readers, to create an online community on my website for my readers.
And that, is just the tip of the iceberg. ~grins~ I never lack for another goal to reach, another mountain to climb.
I want to thank Jacquelyn Franks for having me on her blog. You can find me on the web at www.galenorn.com, on Twitter: twitter.com/yasminegalenorn, and Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/NYT-Bestselling-Author-Yasmine-Galenorn-Fan-Page/237705813865
Hello there! Jess Haines here. I’m the author of the urban fantasy H&W Investigations series HUNTED BY THE OTHERS, TAKEN BY THE OTHERS, and the recently released DECEIVED BY THE OTHERS. Jacki was kind enough to invite me over to come meet you guys today. 
Though there were quite a few other books and movies that inspired me, I’ll wrap it up with a mention of roleplaying games. Anyone who has known me for more than five minutes generally has heard me spout some lame joke about EverQuest, World of Warcraft, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, or Vampire: The Masquerade, to name a few. I got my head start writing by roleplaying on AOL (“*GASP!*” I hear you say. “The horror!”) and it was in no small part responsible for my obsession desire to write. The possibilities are endless when you’ve got a d20 on your side.
So that’s part of how I found my writing inspiration! How about you guys? Where do you find yours? What drives you to read, to write, to tell stories? 
