Interview: Caitlin Kittredge, Author Extraordinaire
Today we're talking to the fantastic Caitlin Kittredge, author of the upcoming novel (first in a series!) Night Life, (available for preorder on Amazon--click the link!) which will be released in March. She also has a short story, which is sure to be awesome fun, in the upcoming anthology My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon (c'mon, with a name like that it has to be good, right?), which will be released December 26, just in time to blame the delay in giving it to That Special Someone on shipping. Or buy it for yourself, of course, because don't you deserve to get something you really want?
1. Tell us about Night Life. (See? Told you this would be fun! Muahaha.)
Night Life is a noir fantasy about Luna Wilder, homicide detective and werewolf extraordinaire, who gets the biggest case of her career dumped into her lap via a dead prostitute. Luna must solve a series of ritual killings and avoid becoming the last one herself, and also save her city from the clutches of a rogue demon who wants to make it his personal Playground of Evil.
That's my elevator synopsis...really, the book is about accepting your flaws and doing the best you can to live with them, the power of family and staying strong even when you're afraid, defeated and against impossible odds. And blood, sex and murdered hookers, but that goes without saying. It started as a response to the urban fantasy I was reading, and becoming increasingly dissatisfied with because of the dearth of real, flawed, well-rounded characters, but it got away from me and now it's a series with three books written and hopefully more to come.
2. What is your favorite thing about writing? Least favorite?
My favorite thing is definitely my worldbuilding. I love to play God. As for least favorite...writing the raw draft of a book is both wonderful and awful for me. When it goes well, it goes really well and I love the book and want to marry it and have many apple-cheeked children with it. When it's going badly and I'm on deadline, it's akin to extreme mental torture. Fortunately, it goes well more often than it goes badly.
3. You recently did a great post on your blog (also available on Caitlin's livejournal) about the author/agent relationship. Are you planning to do more?
I have this weird phobia about posting advice, because honestly? I'm a newbie to this publishing thing, but I'm also opinionated as hell. As long as there's injustice and misinformation in the industry, I'll be there...posting on the blog. AdviceGal, away!
4. What was the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you? Share it with our six readers.
I once sent an IM about a co-worker to that co-worker, instead of to the intended recipient. (Hey, it wasn't my fault! They had practically the same name!) It was, um, sort of unflattering and there was no way I could weasel out of it. But I tried, after I got through dying on the inside.
5. Who's sexier, the current incarnation of Dr. Who, or Spike?
Oh, my. Two or three years ago I would have said Spike, but now I just have to go with the Doctor. I have a mad, crazy love for David Tennant and his TARDIS. Seriously, I probably should seek professional help. I even dressed as a lady Doctor for Halloween.
6. If you could be either a vampire, a werewolf, or a zombie, which would you pick? Would your answer change if you had to be a cannibalistic zombie?
Oh, definitely a werewolf. There's a reason I write books about them... The hair would be annoying, though. I'd have to pay for those laser removal treatments, and the whole go-crazy-and-eat-your-loved-ones is a drawback, but I still find the idea appealing.
7. Don't you think the holidays are just too commercial these days?
Absolutely, but don't let that deter you from preordering NIGHT LIFE. (Note: you can preorder it here!)
8. Wouldn't it be awesome if you had a big boat, and we could all go sailing on it? Seriously, that would be fun, right?
I love being on the water (I grew up on an island off Massachusetts) but I've watched way too many episodes of I Shouldn't Be Alive to think that putting a bunch of writers on a boat and sailing off is a good idea. Wait, could I name the boat Love Boat? My answer might change.
9. What other projects can we expect to see from you in the future?
My lovely agent, Rachel Vater, is currently shopping a series about magic, punk rock and secret cities set in London. Those same characters are in my anthology story for MY BIG FAT SUPERNATURAL HONEYMOON, if you want a sneak peek.
10. Will you still be speaking to me after this?
Why? What did you do?! Hah, of course I will. It's been fun!
You can find Caitlin on the web at her website or her livejournal. Thanks so much for visiting, Caitlin, and for tolerating my questions!
1. Tell us about Night Life. (See? Told you this would be fun! Muahaha.)
Night Life is a noir fantasy about Luna Wilder, homicide detective and werewolf extraordinaire, who gets the biggest case of her career dumped into her lap via a dead prostitute. Luna must solve a series of ritual killings and avoid becoming the last one herself, and also save her city from the clutches of a rogue demon who wants to make it his personal Playground of Evil.
That's my elevator synopsis...really, the book is about accepting your flaws and doing the best you can to live with them, the power of family and staying strong even when you're afraid, defeated and against impossible odds. And blood, sex and murdered hookers, but that goes without saying. It started as a response to the urban fantasy I was reading, and becoming increasingly dissatisfied with because of the dearth of real, flawed, well-rounded characters, but it got away from me and now it's a series with three books written and hopefully more to come.
2. What is your favorite thing about writing? Least favorite?
My favorite thing is definitely my worldbuilding. I love to play God. As for least favorite...writing the raw draft of a book is both wonderful and awful for me. When it goes well, it goes really well and I love the book and want to marry it and have many apple-cheeked children with it. When it's going badly and I'm on deadline, it's akin to extreme mental torture. Fortunately, it goes well more often than it goes badly.
3. You recently did a great post on your blog (also available on Caitlin's livejournal) about the author/agent relationship. Are you planning to do more?
I have this weird phobia about posting advice, because honestly? I'm a newbie to this publishing thing, but I'm also opinionated as hell. As long as there's injustice and misinformation in the industry, I'll be there...posting on the blog. AdviceGal, away!
4. What was the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you? Share it with our six readers.
I once sent an IM about a co-worker to that co-worker, instead of to the intended recipient. (Hey, it wasn't my fault! They had practically the same name!) It was, um, sort of unflattering and there was no way I could weasel out of it. But I tried, after I got through dying on the inside.
5. Who's sexier, the current incarnation of Dr. Who, or Spike?
Oh, my. Two or three years ago I would have said Spike, but now I just have to go with the Doctor. I have a mad, crazy love for David Tennant and his TARDIS. Seriously, I probably should seek professional help. I even dressed as a lady Doctor for Halloween.
6. If you could be either a vampire, a werewolf, or a zombie, which would you pick? Would your answer change if you had to be a cannibalistic zombie?
Oh, definitely a werewolf. There's a reason I write books about them... The hair would be annoying, though. I'd have to pay for those laser removal treatments, and the whole go-crazy-and-eat-your-loved-ones is a drawback, but I still find the idea appealing.
7. Don't you think the holidays are just too commercial these days?
Absolutely, but don't let that deter you from preordering NIGHT LIFE. (Note: you can preorder it here!)
8. Wouldn't it be awesome if you had a big boat, and we could all go sailing on it? Seriously, that would be fun, right?
I love being on the water (I grew up on an island off Massachusetts) but I've watched way too many episodes of I Shouldn't Be Alive to think that putting a bunch of writers on a boat and sailing off is a good idea. Wait, could I name the boat Love Boat? My answer might change.
9. What other projects can we expect to see from you in the future?
My lovely agent, Rachel Vater, is currently shopping a series about magic, punk rock and secret cities set in London. Those same characters are in my anthology story for MY BIG FAT SUPERNATURAL HONEYMOON, if you want a sneak peek.
10. Will you still be speaking to me after this?
Why? What did you do?! Hah, of course I will. It's been fun!
You can find Caitlin on the web at her website or her livejournal. Thanks so much for visiting, Caitlin, and for tolerating my questions!
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