In honor of Halloween, Nicky Peacock, #Amazon Best-Selling Author of the Battle of the Undead and the Twisted and the Brave series – Evernight Teen), and I are trading spotlights on each other’s blogs today (click here to view mine). She writes about vampires and zombies. I write about dragons. Sounds like the perfect Halloween swap to me! Hope you enjoy the interview, and don’t forget to check out her books!!
You accidentally drank an elixir that will turn you into a dragon in 24 hours. How do you spend your last day as a human?
I’d have at least seven outfit changes through the day, as a dragon, my lovely wardrobe would be useless. I’d also draw up a list of people that have crossed me so when I change into a dragon; I can go round and eat them all up! LOL
You’ve been given an all-expense paid to the fantasy location of your dreams. Where would you go and what would you do there?
I’d love to go on a tour of New Orleans for Mardi Gras; it looks like such a romantic city with lots of history and great food. I’d also adore a trip to Dracula’s castle in Transylvania for the vampire ball at Halloween – who knows; he might even be there fancy a chat.
Who is your favorite author and why?
So many authors! And they change depending on my mood. For horror, I read Poppy Z Brite or Richard Laymon. For Paranormal Romance I read Kresley Cole and Christine Feehan. For Urban Fantasy it’s Keri Arthur and Patricia Briggs. For YA it’s Kiera Cass and Cassandra Clare. And for when I’m feeling very brave, I read any paranormal non-fiction book from the publishers, Llewellyn.
Are you a plotter or a pantser? Explain
I’m a plotter; I have a bit of an odd process; I tend to write the scenes I’m most passionate about first and then go back over the plot to fill in the gaps. It’s a bit unconventional, but I find that once I’ve written all the exciting scenes the story itself starts to evolve, and so the weaker ones become more coherent to the overall story, and I’m more committed to not wasting what I’ve already written and so I know I’ll finish the book.
What is your favorite time of day to write and why?
At the moment, I’m happy with just getting my writing done whenever I can fit it in. Ideally, I like first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Writing can almost be a therapy. I get to exorcise my thoughts onto the page so it’s a great start and end to a day.
How do you juggle work with writing?
I work full time on a trade magazine and spend the rest of my time writing and promoting my work (a massive part of the modern author’s life) I try to exercise, but to be honest, my heart is rarely in it and I usually find an excuse – I’ve gotten quite a bit of writing done in the past trying to avoid the treadmill! I’m a big movie and TV addict and run a local writers’ group to encourage others that need help on the road to their literary dreams.
Do you have any writing habits/rituals/foods?
I do enjoy a bag of peanut M&Ms when I’m writing. My favorite thing though is to go out to write. I go to a local pub and spend a couple of hours writing and have lunch there. I like coffee shops too, but there are usually far too many good smelling cakes there! And I give into temptation pretty easy. Good job I haven’t got a dragon elixir!
Thank you, Nicky, for stopping by. And now everyone, check out all the below and please feel free to say “Hi” in the comments. And please feel free to share with everyone you know. 🙂
I’m and author of both YA and adult urban fantasy and horror. I have over 35 short stories published in anthologies – my latest is included in Little Brown Book Group’s Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories.
I currently have 2 YA series with the publisher, Evernight Teen:
Battle of the Undead (3 books so far: Traitors’ Gate, Bad Blood, Bad Timing) a vampires VS zombies urban fantasy
Twisted and the Brave (first book, Lost in Wonderland out April 16) Dark thrillers with a classic children’s literature twist and a dash of the supernatural.
To learn more about me and my books please see my blog:http://nickypeacockauthor.wordpress.com
The Battle of the Undead Series
The Twisted and the Brave Series
YA Chit Chat 