INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR PATRICIA KIRBY

       

Today on my front porch party my special guest is author Patricia Kirby.

 Let’s welcome her, and join me in a bash to jump start the summer. I’ve decided to serve lemonade coolers, some with alcohol, and virgins for those who may prefer non-alcoholic beverages. There’s a patch of raspberry cheesecake squares in the oven, and I’ve got refreshing lemon sorbet, too.

 So sit back, and relax, and enjoy the beginning of a wonderful season.  Here’s a toast to our guest, Patricia Kirby.  {Raises glass}

                                             

                                                 AVAILABLE AT DECADENT PUBLISHING

When did you decide to become a writer?


 I started my writing "career" in high school, writing term papers for other students.  Later, I moved to more ethical writing pursuits, writing scientific papers, computer documentation and other technical documents. My head was always filled with stories, but it wasn't until my thirties that I got the nerve to start writing them down.  I still find writing fiction very ... exposing!

What genre do you write, and why?

Fantasy of some kind--always. A few weeks ago, I started outlining a contemporary romance.  Wouldn't ya know it, magic crept into the storyline and it became a paranormal?  I just can't write a story without some fantastical element.  I love my escapism!

Tell us about your latest release.

 The Music of Chaos is an urban fantasy (UF) set in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Like many UFs, it has a strong female protagonist and some yummy male love interests. It is, however, a much lighter take on vampires, demons and other beasties that go bump in the night. It features characters like Breas Montrose, a sports-obsessed vampire who loves beer almost as much as blood, and Talis, a dark elf who's kind to a fault. The protagonist, Regan O'Connell, is a half-vampire who is trying--unsuccessfully--to keep the mundane and magical parts of her life separate.  If you like stories that turn archetypes on their head, it's for you.

What inspired The Music of Chaos?

A big part of my inspiration was the fact that the UF genre takes itself too seriously. In particular, the female protagonists tend to be embittered, loners, estranged from their families. I wanted to write a character who had the necessary fighting "skilz," but who was much more relatable.     

Regan O'Connell has great relationship with her family and plenty of good friends (including female friends). Along with the paranormal stuff, she's dealing with the same things as the rest of us: coworkers, traffic, bills, etc.  Instead of going for dark and gothic, the plot explores the funnier aspects of supernatural creatures in our modern world. Not that the story is without angst (Regan is falling in love with the enemy who is    also her number one murder suspect).  The stakes are pretty high: there's a murderer on the loose and he/she is using magic that can destroy the Universe.  But overall, The Music of Chaos is a lighter approach to urban fantasy.

Which character is The Music of Chaos do you feel was the easiest to write?

Without a doubt, Breas Montrose, the vampire.  Breas is magically bound to Regan and none-too-happy about the matter.  He expresses his distain by moving into her house, refusing to pay rent and ordering expensive sporting events on pay-per-view TV. He's a delight to write because he's unapologetically vampire.  He says whatever is on his mind and is hilariously obnoxious. (He may be my male alter-ego.)
 
          What was the hardest part of creating the dark and sexy character, Jason Lake?

1. 
   
   Jason Lake is a Holder of the True Light, a member of an all-human organization that polices the activities of vampires, demons and other non-humans on Earth. He's a tall drink of water with an English accent. (Although Regan, being Irish, is impressed with his other attributes, not his accent.) The early version of Jason was rather straight-laced and devoted to his cause. Honestly, I found him boring.
   
   
   And then Jason started talking to me in that crazy way that characters do.  He told me that the only reason he joined the Holders was because it was his sister's dying wish.  Even though his family has been involved with the Holders for hundreds of years, Jason attended Cambridge where he earned an engineering degree.  Once I understood his conflicted approach to his job, he got much easier to write.
   
   
   What do you admire most about your character, secret operative for the Brethren, Regan O’ Connell?
   
   
    Regan O'Connell has a terrific work ethic.  Besides being a paranormal secret agent, she has a day job as a project manager for consulting company.  Me, I can barely drag my ass into a part-time job. Regan's got two jobs and loves them both.  She's also quite kind and much more patient than I could ever be.
   
   
   If you could change places with one of your characters who would it be, and why?
   
   
    Definitely not Regan. She works too much. It would be fun to be Lex the fairy. She's confident, never worries about much of anything, and has a very active sex life with loads of hot guys.  Of course, if we literally changed places, Lex would be horrified by my life.  "Happy married to one man?  Just--one--man? Oh, the horror."
   
   
   If The Music of Chaos was made into a movie, who would you cast, and why?
   
   
    Breas Montrose would have to be sexy Latin star Carlos Ponce. A perfect fit because Breas has an odd fascination with Spanish soaps (novelas) and speaks Spanish fluently.  Jason would be Battlestar Galactica's Jamie Bamber (Apollo). Recently, while watching Inception, I realized that Ellen Page has the perfect combination of cute tomboy and grownup confidence to be Regan O'Connell.  Talis, Regan's dark elf best friend, is hard to cast because he's really doesn't look human. Adrien Brody, with his perpetually sad eyes is close, but several shades too light-skinned.
   
   
   Can you tell us about what you’re working on next?
   
   
    I'm almost done with the sequel to The Music of Chaos, which promises to be angsty-er and much sexier. My big project is a futuristic steampunk novel with a strong romantic subplot.  This is first time I've taken on this much world building.  The Music of Chaos required some world building, but the main story is set in contemporary Albuquerque, New Mexico. With Star-Crossed Wasteland (working title), I'm having to build a world from the ground up, putting together ecosystems, cultures and political systems.
   
   
   Please share a blurb and excerpt of The Music of Chaos.
   
   
   
   
   Blurb
   
   
   "Blind dates are always a train wreck."
   
   By day, Regan O'Connell is a highly respected project manager.  By night, she's a Wolfe, a paranormal agent working for a vampire syndicate.
   
   
   Her two worlds collide when a co-worker sets her up with tall, dark and sexy Jason Lake.  Jason is a Holder, a member of an ancient, all-human organization dedicated to policing the activities of things that go bump in the night. Things like half-vampire Regan.
   
   
   Falling for the wrong guy is the least of Regan's problems. There's a murderer on the loose, and his favorite weapon is chaotic magic, an erratic force with the power to rip holes in the fabric of the universe. And the best way to catch the killer is to get close to Jason, the man who is not only her enemy, but her prime suspect.
   
   
   Excerpt
   
   
   After dinner, we ended up in the kitchen, leaning on opposite counters, facing each other like backwards bookends. As far as I could tell, Jason wore a real watch, as opposed to a vampire detector. Reasonable enough since vampires can't drop by without an invite. I smiled at the irony. My human bloodlines exempt me from the invite clause.
   
   
   "What?" he asked, referring to the smile.
   
   
   "Nothing." I set my empty wine glass down and fiddled with the long sleeves on my top.
   With great effort, I met his eyes. His were mostly green, with just enough golden brown to keep them in the hazel range. He took a step in my direction, reached past me to set his empty beer bottle next to the wine glass.
   
   
   "You have beautiful eyes," he said, and I realized how close he stood. At this distance, his innate magic hummed, sending little vibrations that generated sympathetic oscillations in my own magic.
   
   
   "Th-thanks."
   
   
   Jason put an end to further conversation by covering my mouth with his. Guilty fear erupted in my stomach; a war broke out between my conscience and key parts of my body. This is wrong, my brain warned. A quick kiss won't trigger the Thrall charm, argued parts of me that hadn't been used in decades.
   
   
   He tasted like beer, which reminded me of Breas, and he also kissed a lot like Breas. It's like kissing a living breathing Breas. His hand felt warm where it encircled my upper arm, and my knees started feeling less than solid.
   
   
   I have to stop this, I thought. Except, I couldn't. His heat surrounded me, while the sound of his heart drummed just off beat from my own, the pace of both our heartbeats quickening.
   
   
   Jason worked a hand under my shirt and rubbed my back. I shivered, aware of the strong possibility that I might have sex with this human. The notion of naked skin on skin time with Jason was delightful. Except, Jason struck me as a "sex with the lights on" kind of guy. One look at the tattoo on my left hip, the mark of my Wolfe rank, and my cover would be blown. 
         
   
   
    Thank you for joining us on my front porch party, Pat. It has been a fun and interesting day.  I hope you enjoyed your visit, and we wish you all the best.
   
   
   
   
   You can find Patricia Kirby here.
   
   http://www.patriciakirby.com/blog/