DARYNDA JONES-Interview with the Author

With the release of TWO upcoming novels-FOURTH GRAVE BENEATH MY FEET and DEATH AND THE GIRL NEXT DOOR (new YA series), The Reading Cafe would like to welcome the amazing Darynda Jones.

TRC: Hi Darynda and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the amazing success of your Charley Davidson series and the new release FOURTH GRAVE BENEATH MY FEET and your new Young Adult series DEATH AND THE GIRL NEXT DOOR.

Darynda: Thank you!!!! And thank you so much for having me here today!

TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Darynda: Absolutely! My name is Darynda Jones and I write the Charley Davidson series, a paranormal mystery/urban fantasy story about a female private investigator who was born the grim reaper, and like Charley, I live in New Mexico. Sadly, I am amazingly boring. I try to be cool, but it just doesn’t happen. I love to read. I love to write. I have two beautiful sons who are both taller than I am now. I have a degree in sign language interpreting (my oldest son was born Deaf) and was an interpreter for many years. I have been married longer than most of your readers have been alive and I’ve been writing forever. I sold my debut book, First Grave on the Right, in 2009.

TRC: Many authors develop their love of writing at an early age. What was the catalyst that sparked your interest in writing?

Darynda: I have been writing since I was a kid. Even before I could read and I’d pick up a stick and pretend to write a story. I was never a drawer like all my friends. When I doodled in the margins of my papers, I wrote words that I loved. I didn’t know I wanted to BE a writer until I was in Jr. High School. While not everything I write is strictly romance, everything I write has a strong romantic subplot, so yes. I love romance. There simply must be some kind of romance in every story I write.

TRC: FOURTH GRAVE BENEATH MY FEET is the most recent release (October 30 2012) in the Charley Davidson series. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

LINKS TO PRE-ORDER
Amazon / The Book Depository / Barnes and Noble / Books a Million

Darynda: Sure! Here is the blurb.

Sometimes being the grim reaper really is that. Grim. And since Charley’s last case went so awry, she has taken a couple months off to wallow in the wonders of self-pity. But when a woman shows up on her doorstep convinced someone is trying to kill her, Charley has to force herself to rise above. Or at least get dressed. She quickly realizes something is amiss when everyone the woman knows swears she’s insane. The more they refute the woman’s story, the more Charley believes it.

In the meantime, the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, has been cleared of all charges. He is out of prison and out of Charley’s life, as per her wishes and several perfectly timed death threats. But his absence has put a serious crimp in her sex life. While there are other things to consider, like the fact that the city of Albuquerque has been taken hostage by an arsonist, Charley is having a difficult time staying away. Especially when it looks like Reyes may be involved. Just when life was returning to normal, Charley is thrust back into the world of crime, punishment, and the devil in blue jeans.

TRC: Your sense of humor and use of sarcasm throughout the Charley Davidson series is one of the major attractions. Have you always had a sense of humor or is it something that developed out of necessity?

Darynda: People who are naturally witty have always amazed me. I always wanted to be the person who has a joke on the tip of her tongue, a comeback for any occasion. Sadly, that’s not me. I’m not that funny in person, but for some reason, I am much better at it while writing. I’m no Ellen Degeneres, unfortunately, but I hold my own in the written world.

TRC: The relationship between Charley and Cookie is very close and very real. What is the inspiration behind their friendship and bantering? Is there a Cookie in your life?

Darynda: Oh, don’t I wish! Everyone should have a Cookie. And if I ever find one, I’m going to kidnap her and force her to do research and go to the post office for me. LOL. As far as inspiration, I do have some very close friends who have taught me a lot about true friendship, and I watch a lot of sitcoms. 🙂

TRC: Are the characters in the series, based on people you know or have met in your life e.g. Cookie or Ubie?

Darynda: Cookie was physically based on a friend of mine. I will do that sometimes, just for a reference for physical characteristics. I like to combine people too. Like maybe the physical traits of someone combined with the sense of humor from someone else. Ubie is physically based on a former employer.

TRC: Rayaziel (Reyes) Alexander Farrow for all of his faults and evil heritage is one of the sexiest and sensual male characters. What do you think is his appeal to your readers?

Darynda: I think he is so hot partly because he is so dark and mysterious, but partly because he has had a very hard life as a human, and that makes him even more appealing. He has been abused and has flaws, but through it all he has loved Charley and protected her the best he could. That makes him a hero despite his dark side. I think the difficult part is making him hot, sexy, angry, and yet vulnerable all at the same time. Reyes is an alpha, so he is smart, tough, sexy as hell, and yes rough around the edges, but his vulnerabilities, namely his love and devotion to Charley, creates that soft spot in our hearts. We all want someone who, if we run up to him crying, takes one look at us and says, “Whose ass do I have to kick?”

 

TRC: The image of Reyes on your blogsite is an amazing representation. Do you know the name of the model who posed for that particular picture?

Darynda: Again, I wish! He is absolutely perfect!

TRC: If you could virtually cast the major players in the Charley Davidson series, which models or actors would best portray the characters (in your opinion)?

Darynda: There are so many actresses I could see playing Charley, oddly enough, but Reyes is much harder. I originally based him on Jason Behr. He has become darker and rougher than my original image, but I still think Jason could play him. He is an actor with a wide range of acting abilities. I could definitely see Melissa McCarthy as Cookie and Jim Beaver as Uncle Bob. Oh! And Shemar Moore or Columbus Short as Garrett Swopes.

TRC: Um…Donovan (sigh)….another bad boy with a very strong presence in the storyline? Have you considered writing a series around Donovan and The Bandits?

Darynda: Not until about five seconds ago. Now my head is buzzing with ideas. LOL! I do love me some Donovan.

TRC: The character of Quentin is a young teen who is deaf. Is your son the inspiration behind Quentin? And if so, does he have an opinion about the direction of this particular part of the storyline?

Darynda: Deep down inside, he is probably very much the inspiration, although I named the character after my little (he is 6’ 2”) brother. But he definitely has my son’s mannerisms, deep yet soft voice when he uses it, and beautiful blue eyes. When I told him I had a Deaf character in the book, my son just said, “Cool.”

TRC: What do you have planned for the next installment in the Charley Davidson series?

Darynda: Right now I’m working on book five, Fifth Grave Past the Light. I’m hoping, with all my fingers and toes crossed, to be able to pull off a few truly creepy scenes. I want this book to be a bit scarier, especially since the first books weren’t scary at all. Keeping that in mind, surely I can make this one stand out.

Basically, Charley is invaded by the ghosts of women who were murdered by a serial killer. It gets pretty creepy in her apartment, as they tend to scurry under her bed and across her ceiling at all hours of the night. Fun!

 

TRC: DEATH AND THE GIRL NEXT DOOR is the first book in your new Young Adult DARKLIGHT series. Would you please tell us something about the series?

LINKS TO ORDER
Amazon / Barnes and Noble / The Book Depository / Books a Million

Darynda: Death and the Girl Next Door is about sophomore Lorelei MacAlister. Ten years ago,Lorelei’s parents disappeared without a trace. Raised by her grandparents and leaning on the support of her best friends, Lorelei is finally beginning to accept the fact that her parents are never coming home. Life goes on and is as normal as can be until a new guy—terrifying, tough, sexy Jared Kovach—comes to school and he seems to have a specific interest in Lorelei, something that never happens. To complicate matters even further, the school’s designated loner, Cameron Lusk, begins to stalk her, turning up where she least expects it, standing outside her house in the dark, night after night. Jared and Cameron instantly despise each other and Lorelei seems to be the reason for their animosity. What does Jared know about her parents? Why does Cameron tell Jared he can’t have Lorelei? And what will any of them do when Death comes knocking for real?

TRC: There are certain unwritten guidelines for writing Young Adult storylines but sometimes the lines blur, especially knowing many of the readers are adults. Where do you think the lines should be drawn as it pertains to sex and violence (graphic or otherwise) in young adult storylines?

Darynda: I think, as with any book, those elements should fit the story. They should never be gratuitous. I personally draw the line at sex, but only because I think in YA it would be gratuitous in almost any form. Violence, as long as it’s not completely graphic, is okay because it’s in everything we see on TV and in the movies. But again, that’s just my opinion. It totally depends on the story. Admittedly, I have fight scenes in my YA’s that are pretty violent. And there is, of course, sexual tension to the Nth degree throughout.

TRC: DEATH DOOM AND DETENTION is the second storyline (release date 2013). Would you please tell us something about the premise?

Darynda: Sure! The normal part of Lorelei MacAlister’s life didn’t just slip away quietly the day Jared Kovach came to town. Nope. The normal part of her life shattered. It exploded. It burst into a gazillion shards of fleeting light. It went out with a bang. Goodbye normal. Hello dark and eerie. While her best friend, Brooklyn, is focusing all of her energy on helping Lorelei hone her abilities, Lorelei is dealing with the reality that Satan’s second in command has taken up residence inside her body. Oh, and the fact that she has a crush on the Angel of Death. But what a beautiful death it is. If those weren’t bad enough, something sinister has come to town and it wants nothing more than to hear Lorelei’s dying breath as it strangles it out of her. Thank goodness the gang has a supernatural champion. But what happens when the only being who can save them switches sides midstream? How can a group of misfits capture one of the most powerful beings ever created? And will they find out how to bring Jared back to them before it’s too late?

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the series?

Darynda: The Darklight Series is a Trilogy, so just the three.

TRC: Writers Block is a very real phenomenon for many authors. How do you handle the stress and anxiety of writers block?

Darynda: If I get stuck, I have learned that it means something is inherently wrong with my manuscript. I force myself to step back and take a look deeper look at it. Oddly enough, it’s almost always something with my hero. They are so cantankerous. Or there’s something wrong with the story itself. Something just isn’t quite working and I know that deep down inside.

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas with other authors, friends or family. With whom do you bounce ideas?

Darynda: Um, pretty much anyone who will listen. My sister is fantastic for bouncing around ideas, and my critique goddess, Tammy Baumann, as well as friends and even my husband’s family. They come over on Saturday nights. They are like hostages to my whims. Hehehe

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Darynda: Well, I just finished rewrites for the second in the Darklight Trilogy, Death,Doom and Detention. Now it’s on to Fifth Grave Past the Light, the fifth in the Charley Davidson series. I also have three other series started, but I’m trying to focus. Not easy when you really do have ADD. 🙂

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Darynda: Just a big fat thank you!!!! I am thrilled to be here!

LIGHTNING ROUND
Favorite Food Anything Mexican

Favorite Dessert Cheesecake

Favorite TV Show Buffy forever!

Favorite Movie Pride and Prejudice

Last Movie You Saw Men in Black III (LOVED!)

Dark or Milk Chocolate Dark

Coffee or Tea Coffee

Last Vacation Destination Vegas

TRC: Thank you Darynda for taking the time to answer our questions. Your Charley Davidson series is one of my favorite series because of your humor and the sarcastic one on one banter between the characters. Congratulations on both of your new releases. We are looking forward to a continued friendship with all of your characters.

Darynda: Squee! Thank YOU!

You can follow Darynda at:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Darynda is giving away one copy of her new YA novel DEATH AND THE GIRL NEXT DOOR.

Please click HERE for the rafflecopter and The Reading Cafe giveaways.

The Reading Cafe is offering a SECOND giveaway. Everyone who posts a comment on the Blog Tour Giveaway or the INTERVIEW with Darynda Jones will be entered into a SECOND giveaway for a copy of DEATH AND THE GIRL NEXT DOOR.

The Reading Cafe GIVEAWAY is OPEN to anywhere THE BOOK DEPOSITORY delivers.