Frannie, Luc and Gabe will be answering questions

Hi everyone! I'm stopping in today to answer all the fabulous questions you asked in comments on my December Debut Contest post. Since I'm in my writing cocoon these days and I don't have any burning material to post, I thought I'd put Frannie, Luc and Gabe up to the task of keeping my blog up to date. If you have any questions for any of them, post them in comments. Frannie will answer spoiler-free questions Monday, Luc on Tuesday and Gabe on Wednesday.

Here are your answers from boring ole me:

Lynsey: How come Gabe is in the foreground whereas Luc is in the background? It smacks of drama and tension. Has Luc fallen out of grace with Frannie?
You’ll have to read to find out…

Vicki: So I was wondering, did you do much research into angels/demons for the books? Or did you just have the characters take you along for the ride?
Both. I read a ton of angel and demon lore with emphasis on hierarchies as I was building Luc and Gabe’s histories and worlds, but from there, the characters were in charge.

Vivien: Who do you love more Gabe or Luc?
You’re joking, right?

Momo: I was wondering if OS is in Frannie and Gabe's pov?
There are three POVs in Original Sin. That’s all I’ll say…

Grace: How did you come up with the idea for Personal Demons?
I was listening to one of my favorite bands, Saving Abel, and reading their bio where they say they got there name from a biblical quote from the story of Cain and Abel “There was no saving Abel.” The name Lucifer Cain popped into my head and I thought that sounded like a fun name for a demon. Then he started telling me his story and I started writing it down.

germaine.dulac: Did you do any research before writing the books? And if so, was there anything you learned that surprised you?
There were some things I learned that surprised me, but I can’t tell you what those were because I turned them into my biggest plot twists. ;p

Celeste: What is writing for you? What does writing feel like to you? I've heard some authors say is a high, others describe it as some kind of feeling of peace.
For me, most of the time, it’s pretty frantic, because my characters talk too fast and I can’t type fast enough to get it all down. ;p It really is sort of a crazy process for me, because I’m serious. I’m at my laptop every free second when I’m in the midst of a novel, and it’s not peaceful, or a high. It’s…well…obsessive.

Michelle: Was it hard to write from the perspectives of the 2 different characters, or did you find that it just came to you naturally?
That’s how they told me the story. I write what they say—just the poorly paid help with the laptop.

Alyssa: How was writing Original Sin different from Personal Demons?
It wasn’t really. Those two books flowed from the characters. I wrote each of them in about two months, and I wrote them both before PD sold, so the process and my mind set were the same. Hellbent is another story. (Literally ;p) It has taken me much longer. Wrapping up a trilogy when you don’t write with an outline is a trick.

You guys are a little weird, but I love you anyway

So, I got some questions in the comments on my October Debut Contest that I thought I take a few minutes to answer. Some of them are intriging, others funny and still others are just weird. I love you guys.
So here they are...

Jen7waters: Question: is your heroine Frannie inspired in somebody? (maybe not the whole character, but just some personality trait?) - just curious :)

Actually, none of my characters where inspired by any one person. There are elements of almost everyone I’ve ever met in all of them.

Anne: What is something about your series that may surprise your readers?

If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore :p

Erika: how did you come up with the idea for Personal Demons?

It started when I was reading a bio for one of my favorite bands, Saving Abel. They said they got their name from the biblical story of Cain and Abel where it says, “There was no saving Abel.” The name, Lucifer Cain popped into my head and it occurred to me that would be a really fun (and very cliché) name for a demon.

Katie: I have yet to read Personal Demons, but I was wondering how you felt about your cover? I've heard mixed things about it and was wondering what you thought.

I like the concept, and Cliff Nielsen did a great job with the artwork. Gabe and his wings are beautiful. I think everyone agrees that the models are a little old for high school, though, and I wish Frannie was in a little bit more girlish pose. (less thrusty)

Elzahh: I was wondering, you've said what gave you inspiration for the character's Frannie and Luc, but what inspired the character Gabe?

I’ve mentioned in my Character Week posts the musical inspiration for all my main characters. For Gabe, it was Ryan Star’s Breath.

Michikit: I would like to ask you something, I don't know if you've already been asked this, but what is the most annoying question you've received, or you are receiving about your books?

This one. Joking. =) I don’t find any questions annoying. I’m happy to answer anything you want to ask!

Kristi: Is there a specific reason you chose a Black Shelby Cobra GT500? Besides the fact that it's an awesome ride? Love Grandpa's answer to Frannie’s question about what the Devil would drive!

I didn’t choose it, Luc did :p You’ll find that I had fun with clichés in this book. Everything from the way my demon and angel look, to their names, to what they drive screams demon or angel. My thought was, if demons and angels really walked the earth, looking for souls to tag for Heaven and Hell, would we recognize them for what they were if the looked and acted exactly as we’d expect them to? Probably not.

Png: do you see any visions of Personal Demons being made into a tv series or a movie?

Funny you should ask that. I'm writing what's called "coverage" for Personal Demons right now. It’s a one page synopsis that goes to movie execs. We've got some interested, but no movie deal at this point. Here’s who I picked for the lead roles.

Fairy whispers: what makes book covers make u pick them up?

For me, it’s mystery. They have to intrigue me and make me HAVE to know what the book is about. I’m not a big fan of characters on covers, ironically.

Thanks for the questions, guys! If you're in the Indianapolis area, I'm signing at the Borders on 82nd Street tomorrow from 7-9! Come see me!

August Debut Winner!!

Okay, okay! I know! I promised you a super-hot, scorch-your-eyes-out, Luc trailer today. But...due to technical difficulties (read: uncooperative models) the Luc trailer debut has been postponed until Monday. :*(  Vania promises me we'll have something amazing to show you then. So, in the mean time, I'll announce the August Debut Contest winner to keep you occupied.

But, first, there were some questions in the comments for the August Debut Contest, so let me answer those for you:

Wulfluva asks: Since both Luc and Gabriel are in your book, is Michael?
Yes, he is, actually. But don't expect warm and fuzzy.

Mireyah Wolfe: I'd love to know what kind of research you did for the mythology of the Angels & such--books or websites, etc?
I relied heavily on the internet, but also found some excellent sources at the library. The beauty of writing fiction is that it doesn't matter if your sources are factual or how accurate they are. If anything you read sets off that creative spark, it's a great resource. For example: When I started writing Personal Demons, all I had was a name: Lucifer Cain. I went on-line to research the story of Cain and Abel and found a post that talked about the origin of sin. It kept using the phrase "creatures of sin." I turned that over in my mind and thought, in my fictional Hell, why couldn't there be actual creatures of sin. That shaped Luc, who is a demon and a true Creature of Pride.

Looksie Lovitz: I would love to know what some of the books are you favorites this year or what you're looking forward to.
I'm jumping on the Mockingjay bandwagon. It's the only book I've bought and read on release day. Others I've loved are (in order of release) The DUFF  by Kody Keplinger (Sept 2010), Nightshade by my fab critique partner, Andrea Cremer (Oct 2010), and Matched by Ally Condie (Nov 2010).

April: Of course, I'm curious to what you do with the books in the giveaways that aren't picked?
Honestly, the ones I'm truly dying for (which are many of them), I buy and read. The others never get bought.

Bee: Did you always want to write urban fantasy or have you experimented with other genres as well? What's your biggest writing dream?
Personal Demons is my first attempt at urban fantasy. I started writing just two years ago, so, other than the Personal Demons series, I've only written a few other things, both YA. My biggest writing dream is coming true. Reviews are posting for Personal Demons and people are loving my characters almost as much as I do. That's all I could ever ask.

Bookaholic: My question to you is-Now that your baby is ready and is soon gonna be released, how are you feeling?
Totally freaked out. As I said, the reviews so far have been great, so I'm hoping someone besides my family might actually go out and buy Personal Demons. *bites nails*

Thanks for your questions! So, the contest. Remember, this months winner gets the VERY LAST unclaimed Personal Demons ARC if they so choose. Is it you????

So, here we go. The winner of THE VERY LAST Personal Demons ARC, or another August debut, as chosen by the randomizer is:

*drumroll*

Eleni @ La Femme Readers!!!!

Congrats!!!

*blows virtual noisemakers* (cuz the real ones hurt my ears)

Eleni gets her choice of the VERY LAST signed Personal Demons ARC or one of the following:

Freak Observer Blythe Woolston

Nevermore Kelly Creagh

Wildfire Run Dee Garretson
Paranormalcy Kiersten White

Remember that the contests aren't over! Starting next month I will be offering up signed finished copies of Personal Demons, along with other great debuts. Check back on Wednesday for the start of my September Debut Contest! :p

What is the air speed velocity of a laiden Hot Boy With Wings?

I've gotten some very interesting questions in the comment section of my July Debut contest. I'm alway happy to answer questions so, if you have one, stop by and ask away. Just for asking the question, you may win your very own signed Personal Demons ARC or one of four July YA debuts. =)

So here are your quesitons answered.

Rachel445 asks: Which character was your favorite to write about in Personal Demons?
Honestly, I loved them all. Gabe and Luc are both terribly conflicted, and that made both of them really interesting to write, and writing from inside a demon’s head is just plain fun, but Frannie is the most complex. She’s got a lot of stuff to work through and a really interesting support system, so she was my favorite to write.

Maidenveil asks: Will the Personal Demons tease continue or stop at chapter 1?
I’ve posted four previews so far which, together, make up all of chapter one and part of chapter two. If there's interest, I’ll post another preview every Tuesday for four more weeks. If I don't hear from you guys, I'll assume you're bored and stop. If you want more, be sure to comment on the preview posts so I know.

pirate penguin asks: I am dying for a copy of Personal Demons! Is it too soon to know if it's going to be translated into other languages yet?
One of the most fun parts of this whole publishing experience has been foreign rights sales. All the foreign sales so far are posted to the right, under "Where Personal Demons Will Be Published." We are currently in negotiations in two countries that aren’t yet listed there, and on submission in many more, so I will update the list as I'm able.

Leah Clifford asks: What is the air speed velocity of a laden Hot Boy With Wings?

That all depends on the size of his coconuts…

In case you don't get the reference, go watch Monty Python's Holy Grail.

And that's my Hot Boy With Wings -->

...and also a Personal Demons cover teaser because I CAN'T WAIT TO SHOW YOU!!! ;D

Your questions answered

Thanks for stopping by yesterday for the second sneak peek at Personal Demons! My June debut contest closes Friday and noon PST, so if you haven't entered to win your very own signed Personal Demons ARC, do it. Now! ...I mean it! Go!

Also, thanks to YA Addict, Ravenous Reader, Courtney Reads, Page Turners, Mundie Moms, Daisy Chain Books, Reality Bites, Cry Havoc Reviews, Tales of a Teenage Book Lover, The Book Butterfly, Musings of a Reader Happy, and Paranormal Romance Addicts for including Personal Demons in their Waiting on Wednesday posts! You guys ROCK! So happy you want to read. =)

Okay, now that that's taken care of, on to my topic. I've gotten several good questions in my contest comment thread. (I said you could ask questions, and some of you did :p)

So, to answer:

Okapi asked: Will Personal Demons be translated into other languages?
Yes, it will! One of the funnest parts of this whole publishing experience has been foreign rights sales. All the foriegn sales so far are posted in the sidebar to the right under "Where Personal Demons Will Be Published." We are currently in negotiations in one country that isn't yet listed there, and on submission in many more, so I will update the list as I'm able.

Nadinax and Charchelar asked: Where did you get the idea for Personal Demons?
I was listening to Saving Abel (one of my favorite bands) and reading a bio where they said they got their name from a biblical quote: “there was no saving Abel.” That got me thinking about the story of Cain and Abel, and I was mulling over ideas for a book when a name popped into my head. I thought to myself, Lucifer Cain, what a fun name for a demon. That was the beginning of Luc and Personal Demons.

Criss asked: Add me to you blogroll? Um...wtf is that?
One of my "extras" for contest points is adding me to your blogroll. Many bloggers have sidebar blogrolls. It's a list of the blogs they follow that they think their readers might be interested in. (Mine is in my sidebar under "Blogs Way Better Than Mine")

Viki asked: Who wins, good or evil?
I'm assuming you mean in Personal Demons, and the answer would be a total spoiler, so you'll have to read and find out. =)

If you guys have more questions, ask them in comments. I'm HAPPY to answer (unless, of course, you ask who wins, good or evil). :p