Adrian Phoenix - Interview and Contest

A big PVN welcome to Adrian Phoenix author of Beneath the Skin her recently released book in The Maker's Song series. This is such an excellent series, and I am delighted to welcome Adrian. She has graciously offered a signed set of her series to one lucky reader. The contest is open internationally! See details at the end of the post.

The contest portion has ended. Thanks to everyone who participated.

Read a REVIEW of A Rush of Wings (Book One of the Maker's Song


Read a REVIEW of In the Blood (Book Two of the Maker's Song)

 
 

PVN: For those new to your series would you please introduce them to Dante, the main character of your books. 

AP: I'd be happy to, Patricia! Without giving too much away to new readers, Dante is nightkind (vampire), frontman for the industrial band, Inferno, rumored owner of the hot nightspot in New Orleans, Club Hell, and a young man whose lost past holds very dark and dangerous secrets.

PVN:: Who are the fallen angels and what is there relationship to the vampire Dante

AP: The Fallen are the Elohim, those rumored to have been cast out of Heaven. In Beneath the Skin, the Morningstar scoffs at that long-held mortal belief. As far as their relationship to Dante - well, I'll let your readers discover that as they pick up the books. ;)

PVN: What references did you use for your research on fallen angels and what were some of your findings?

AP: The Old Testament contained in the Jerusalem Bible, Gnostic gospels, and various myths and legends - including Celtic lore. In an old book on Celtic history that was published in the very early 1900s, the author mentioned that the Celts believed they were descended from fallen angels since they claimed to have been born of those "who'd fallen from the sky." Gotta admit, this intrigued me, and my imagination ran with it. That's why a lot of the Elohim words in my stories are derived from Welsh and Irish.

I also learned that the gnostics believed that the God of the Old Testament was actually a fallen angel, which made a helluva lot of sense to me. Yahweh (I AM) or Jehovah seemed petty, cruel, jealous, and often behaved in very brutal fashion. He seemed a tad on the insane side to me. So I put all of this to work and developed my own mythology.

PVN: What attracts you to the paranormal?

AP: The mystery, the sense of wonder and awe, and all the dark possibilities. I like thinking there is more going on around us than we realize, that there are layers upon layers of existence and that more than humans (and animals) walk this earth.

PVN: How did you get your start as a writer?   

AP: I started writing little short stories in grade school, then wrote more emotionally complex stories as a teen for my sisters and friends. I wrote sporadically as an adult  (busy with raising a family and dealing with/ending an unpleasant marriage) and didn't get serious about it until 1990 when I sold my first short story to a professional magazine, Amazing Stories. I sold a handful more, then stopped writing while I focused on raising my kids. Kids raised, I resumed writing and wrote my first novel - A Rush of Wings.
 
I was very fortunate in landing an agent with a prestigious house as quickly as I did (within a year) along with a two-book contract with Pocket. I've been running ever since. LOL.
 
The first book in my second series will be out the end of June - Black Dust Mambo, and book 4 of The Maker's Song - Etched in Bone, will be out the end of December.

PVN: What thrills you about writing?   

AP: Watching the story unfurl from beneath my fingertips and realizing my subconscious has been very busy. LOL. I like the sense of discovery, of getting so lost in the characters that they continue to talk in my head even after I've walked away from the keyboard. I'm thrilled when a vivid and visceral image flares in my mind and I know a scene from the book, a scene I haven't written yet, has just crafted itself behind my eyes.    

PVN: What is your writing environment like?

AP: My office is filled with things, pictures, and images that inspire me. To name a few: a poster of Trent Reznor. A picture of Brandon Lee as The Crow. Drawings of different characters by friends, a collections of little wolves and gators, small Goth dolls, a werewolf with movable jaws and arms, a drawing of John Keats on his deathbed, pictures of New Orleans, Edgar Allan Poe and Oscar Wilde dolls, books, books, and more books. My desk needs to be neat and tidy, I need a cup of coffee, and tons of music.

PVN: Will there be more books in The Maker's Song series

AP: Yes, definitely. Book 4, Etched in Bone, will be out the end of December 2010, and I have more planned. I also hope to do a stand alone about Von, and a book (or more) about Lucien.

PVN: What other projects are you working on?  

AP: I'm working on my second series about a hoodoo apprentice in the bayou who runs into mystery, magic, murder, and sexy nomads, I'm also working on a dark fantasy about John Keats. (Still. I've had little free time to work on it.) I plan more Maker's Song books and - as mentioned above - the stand-alones about Von and Lucien. Oh! And I still hope to a series on ghosts, paranormal investigators, and things dark enough to steal the breath away.

PVN: What do you like to do in your spare time, assuming you have any :-) ?  

AP: LOL! I like to read and see movies. I've had very little time for social activities, but I hope that'll change once I'm writing fulltime. I'd also like to return to bellydancing which I stopped doing several years ago when I got too busy. Um . . . but for fun and exercise, not performing. For small gatherings, that was okay, but I think I can live without all the performance anxiety. LOL.

PVN: Where can readers find you on the Internet?

AP: I'm everywhere. LOL.
Website:http://www.adrianphoenix.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/adriannikolasphoenix
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Adrian-Phoenix/55403659403?ref=mf
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Adrian-Phoenix/55403659403?ref=mf#/?ref=home
Twitter: http://twitter.com/AdrianPhoenix
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/944594.Adrian_Phoenix
Club Hell Forum and Message Board: http://clubhell.yuku.com/
Dante's Club Hell Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dantes_club_hell/


PVN:  Anything else you would like to add?

AP: Just a thank you to you and your readers, Patricia, for having me. I've enjoyed being here and I really appreciate the invitation! I hope to return soon!


PVN: : Adrian, the welcome mat is always out for you at PVN

Now for the contest - open worldwide!


One lucky reader will win a signed set of the three books in The Maker's Song series.

To be eligible do one or more of the following:
* Ask Adrian a question - 1 point
* Link this interview to your own site or any if your social network sites, and be sure to let me know the URL - 1 point for each link

If your email is not associated with your ID, please put the address in your response.

Contest ends Jan. 19 at 11:59 PM PST



BEST OF LUCK TO EVERYONE!!


The contest portion has ended. Thanks to everyone who participated.