Interview: Patricia Briggs

I'm absolutely delighted to present an interview with the wonderful Patricia Briggs! Her #1 NYT Bestselling (woohoo!!) Mercy Thompson series is one of my absolute favorite new series - if you haven't read these books, you're missing out!!

The series order is Moon Called, Blood Bound & Iron Kissed. However, there's also a fantastic novella "Alpha and Omega" in the On The Prowl anthology. Follow the link for excerpts.

And now, onto the interview that Patricia was gracious enough to agree to despite deadlines!

1. I have a girl-crush on you and your writing. Please tell me that doesn't disturb you so I can continue to adore you from afar.

Adoration is always acceptable :) When it is mutual it is more fun *grin*

2. I know you have a book (Cry Wolf) coming out this year featuring Anna and Charles from your brilliant short story in the On the Prowl anthology - I've heard that you originally only planned to write a novella about them. Did the fact that you'd done a novella make it harder or easier to write a full-length book about them?

A lot harder. First off, I wouldn't have made Charles a Flathead (one of the Salish people) though that was the most logical tribe for his mother to have come from -- there is a lot more information out there on other Native peoples. Also, Charles is more powerful than I usually prefer my characters to be -- it makes challenging them . . . well, more er challenging. Thirdly, I would never have left them where I did. The first chapter of Cry Wolf has to begin in Chicago -- and explain a lot of what happened in "Alpha and Omega". It all contributed to the very difficult time I had writing Cry Wolf. I like the final version, my editor liked the final version (though she maintains that the version before that wasn't bad), and one of my copyeditors wrote to tell me he liked it too.

3. Do you think you'll write more novellas set in Mercy's world?

Truthfully, I am not a short story writer -- and for me the novella is a special hell for writers. All the work of a book -- and you have to keep cutting the good stuff. It took me as long to write "Alpha and Omega" as it did "Raven's Strike" -- which is my longest book to date.

I do have a short story in Tony P. Kelner and Charlaine Harris's Wolfsbane and Mistletoe which should be out around Christmas next year. It's about David Christiansen, Adam's mercenary buddy from Moon Called.

I'll also have a short story in Strange Brew edited by P N Elrod about witches. I assume it will be out sometime in 2009. That brings my total short fiction ever written up to six. Five are published -- and one will never, ever see the light of day as it was not only horribly derivative, but a shaggy dog story as well.

4. What do you most love about the world you've created in the Mercy Thompson series?

I love to play in the "real" world. To take things I see in politics, in society and say, "what if". I derive a terrific pleasure from using real places -- "Ah hah," I mutter "that's somewhere I don't have to make up from scratch!"

5. Do you think there really are things that go bump in the night?

Absolutely. I'm not sure about werewolves -- though one of my husband's coworkers claimed that not too long before Mike (my husband) started working there, some guy broke into the building (six story brick 1920's gorgeous building) setting off the alarms. When the police got there he was crouched on the ledge outside the second story windows. They brought him in and he claimed he was running away from werewolves. I'm also not sure about vampires (other than the humans who have convinced themselves) But ghosts and ghoulies? Absolutely. In fact I have six, six foot tall, thousand pound hairy beasts that guard my home . . . all right, they're horses -- but Speck chases off any coyotes, deer or antelopes who trespass.

6. Can you tune up a VW?

Nope. But I've worked as the tool handler for my husband as he worked his arcane craft. We've had three Jettas, two Vanagons, a Eurovan, and a Passat -- as well as a pair of Opel GT's (imported by Buick, built in Germany by Opel). Most of the mechanic stuff are things that have happened to us -- or friends.

7. A couple of writerly questions because I'm nosy: How do you write - do you plot out the books or do you just run with it?

I just run with it. Though I've had to be a little more disciplined as my timelines for getting books finished has diminished. It's awfully easy to write yourself into a corner and have to delete 100 pages when you don't have an outline.

8. How do you keep track of your world? Do you have a series bible?

I have lovely people who do all the work for me. I was just sitting down (after Iron Kissed) to pull apart the three books and write everything down -- when my forum people got together and posted it to the web. So if you're curious, you can go to Hurog.com and head to the Forums and look for the Mercy's World Topic. They have saved me thousands (okay, hundreds) of hours of work. Bless 'em.

9. Were you suprised at the wonderful reader reaction to the Mercy Thompson series?

Absolutely. We (my editor and I) knew it would sell better than the straight fantasy -- because Urban Fantasy was just selling better in general. When Moon Called sold out the first week and then made it to the USA Today list, we were over the moon. (pun intended) When Blood Bound hit the New York Times we were flabergasted. When Iron Kissed made it to #1 mass market . . . well, I'm not sure I really believe it yet. I keep waiting for someone to say, "Wait, we made a mistake!" but so far so good.

10. I don't think it's spoilerish to say that Mercy chooses between Adam & Samuel in Iron Kissed. Did you always know which one she'd choose?

N: I'm whiting out the answer for those of you who haven't read Iron Kissed and want to be kept in suspense! To read the answer, just select the text either with your mouse, or using SHIFT and the arrow keys.

No. Not until I started wondering why they hadn't killed each other in Blood Bound -- and why Samuel wasn't being pushy. I knew it had to be Samuel who was running the show -- as the most dominant he determines how he and Adam interact. And the only reason I could come up with was that he wasn't really, really in love with Mercy that way anymore. Mercy loves Samuel -- but not that way -- though if Adam hadn't been around . . . Anyway, I knew when I started Iron Kissed, but I didn't expect it to resolve when it did.

11. Can you give us a hint of what you have coming up for Mercy? Tell me you have plans to write lots and lots and lots more books! :-)

The next Mercy book will be Bone Crossed. We're back to dealing with the vampires -- and for those readers who have been complaining about Stefan's absence, he's a major player in this one. After Bone Crossed, I'm under contract for three more Mercy books. We'll see where it goes from there.

12. If you met a werewolf on a lonely night, what would you do?

I have no idea. My stupid reaction to sheer terror is rage. I have no idea why. So doubtless I'd do something really dumb and get myself eaten.

13. And a fun question to end on: What's your vice of choice? Chocolate? Cute men? Wine?

Well, my husband, in addition to being smart and funny, is very cute -- but probably not a vice since he makes me happy and doesn't cost me anything (marriage is a wonderful institution). Horses would probably have to be my vice of choice, since they are demanding, expensive and, like most people bitten with the bug (Mike calls us Pod People) I tend to get obsessive about them.

A huge thanks to Patricia Briggs for the interview!!