Today, for the second time, I’m privileged to interview Ginn Hale, an author who needs no introduction. Ginn has written many outstanding fantasy books but the one that I love the best is also a fan
favourite – Wicked Gentlemen. Since the release of this book she has written several other outstanding works including Lord of the White Hell, Books 1 and 2, Feral Machines, Touching Sparks in Hell Cop and Such Heights in Hell Cop 2. Ginn has now embarked on a project of incredible scope – The Rifter, a serialized fantasy of over 1000 pages spanning 10 books.
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Hi Ginn. Thank you for taking the time to talk to me and all your fans.
Hello Wave. Thank you for having me!
You have an impressive body of work and I wonder if you’re amazed at the reaction of readers and your fellow writers with what you have accomplished to date?
Yes. Sometimes I can’t quite believe how lucky I’ve been. A lot of readers and authors have been very generous to me. I’m quite thankful that they took to the odd stories I tend to write.
I know a bit about your background i.e. that you grew up with no electricity, indoor plumbing, telephones or television. Do you love fantasy because you had to entertain yourself so much as a child? What was the first fantasy book that you read? What is your favourite memory in all the books that you have read to date?
Ahh to hearken back to the ancient days of my youth!
The first fantasy stories I remember encountering were those that my parents had brought with them into the mountains: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest, Macbeth, The Ramayana and of course J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
The odd thing about those books was that, at the time, the stories didn’t strike me as all that fantastical. A little whimsical—with the fairies and magic monkeys– but because the world I lived in was not all that different from the fields and forests that the characters inhabited and the levels of technology, like mine, were well removed from the industrial age, the events in the stories seemed like things that might have happened—things that could have been going on just over the hills, where I’d never been.
I suspect that resonance had a great deal to do with why I feel most at ease writing fantasy.
You write fantasy, steampunk and science fiction stories, and looking through the list, your longer works have always been fantasy. Is there a reason why you haven’t written novel length sci fi books?
It hasn’t been a conscious decision, but, yes, I think I’m more familiar with the dynamics of fantastical worlds. And of course it takes a long time to set up an entire world, whereas with science fiction, I’m generally just exploring a single concept or thought experiment. Often that can be explored in fewer pages.
Though I have to say that I love science! Most of the books I own are non-fiction and of those the vast majority are science writing. I have an immense admiration for the honesty and openness of the scientific method —and of course every time I come across a new discovery I get this beautiful feeling of my entire world expanding in vibrancy and complexity…
If I ever come up with a plot that captures that power of science to enrich human knowledge so profoundly —and I felt I could do it justice—I think I’d have the workings for a longer science-fiction
novel.
As I mentioned before, my favourite of all your books is still Wicked Gentlemen your first book and I loved that it was steampunk. Does it bother you that every book you write is compared to Wicked Gentlemen? Lord Foster’s Devils the sequel to Wicked Gentlemen is probably the most anxiously awaited book in the fantasy/steampunk world. Is there any new information about a release date that you can give us?
I think it’s normal for people to compare an author’s works and pick their favorites. Wicked Gentlemen and the Lord of the White Hell books both seem to have strong followings.
If I were a business savvy writer I’d do nothing but write sequels set in those two worlds. Unfortunately I’ve discovered that sales potential doesn’t inspire me—it’s almost the reverse. Actually the more I’m pushed at a project the harder it is for me to do it. Not that I don’t want to give readers what they want, but I’m very wary of publishing something before it’s actually ready. (See later comment concerning “Taco Smoothies” LOL).
And I’m not sure I could, even if I wanted to. I’m actually a very slow writer. So a book like Lord Foster’s Devils takes years just to get to a first draft that I’m satisfied with.
That said I’m always working on it, bit by bit. And there are some parts that I’m feeling very good about. It’s fun to reveal a little more of Belimai’s past history with the Butcher Street Crone and to show Harper navigating the trials of his own class.
The real challenge so far has been to keep the prose in a tone that I haven’t used for nearly fifteen years. But it gets easier as I go!
Are you still planning to release another story which is not a direct sequel to Wicked Gentlemen but set in Hell’s Below 10 years after WG and starring Nick Sariel and Bastard Jack?
Yes and no. I mean it’s the same story but not exactly… (Could I have given a less clear answer there?) The thing is that I used the outline for the Sariel story to build the events that take place in Lord Foster’s Devils, so the story is in there but the characters aren’t… At least not as point of view protagonists. Nick Sariel and Bastard Jack both show up…
So, I guess my answer is a firm yes, and no. (Delivered with a sheepish grin.) 🙂
When I asked you about winning the 2008 Gaylactic Spectrum Award for Best Novel for your very first published book, you said that you were shocked and felt guilty because there were other authors just as deserving. Has that shock and guilt worn off since it’s been a few years and you now are more comfortable being recognized for
your talent?
It’s been three years but I still feel that there are so many great authors out there that I’m just plain lucky to have won any awards. I don’t know that I will ever think of myself as talented so much as fortunate to have found a group of readers who enjoy what I write.
Two years ago you had only recently been published and this is what you said when I asked what was the best thing about being published:
“The best part of being published has been discovering how kind and generous other people can be. Honestly, I never put much stock in human goodness but when Wicked Gentlemen came out, readers and even other authors — Josh Lanyon, Marjorie M. Liu and Lynn Flewelling to name just a few– went out of their way to recommend, review and share the book.”
Now that you have had a couple more years under your belt. Do you still feel that people are kind and generous in this business?
I remain charmed by the authors, editors and readers I’ve met. I’m not saying that everyone in the business is a saint—particularly not the people who are only in it for business—but there are certainly some outstanding people in the field and I think that’s important to recognize.
I realize that this question is one that probably your publisher Blind Eye Books should answer but a reader wants to know if your books will be available at sites other than Weightless Books. She said
“I got it (Wicked Gentlemen) as a PDF which is difficult to convert for my Kindle. I’d love to try her other works.”
That is more of a publisher sort of question but I’m willing to take a swing at it… (Just let me take a look at the weightlessbooks.com website.)
Okay! I’m back from my journey……….
Weightlessbooks.com offers files in mobi and epub formats, which should be compatible with your Kindle! (The pull down tab is set to a default of PDF, but you can switch that out.) Once you purchase a book from them, that book is available to you in all formats, so that if you change your reading device you can simply download any new formats that you might need, rather than converting your old ones.I really like and trust the guys at weightlessbooks so whenever I have a choice I work with them. They’ve never presented me with sales numbers that didn’t add up, nor have they lost checks that were due to me only to discover that they have mailed my royalties to another author and then refused to change the wrong mailing information—all of which and more has happened to me with other folks.
So, yeah the boys at weightlessbooks have won my devotion.
Kim W has 2 questions for you:
“In your last interview you called the first two novels you finished “Taco Smoothie and Taco Smoothie 2. You called them learning experiences and did not submit them for publication. But what made you believe Wicked Gentlemen was ready to be submitted for publication?
I didn’t. I was just lucky enough to have two good friends who believed in it more than I did… (I still owe them a great deal of thanks, and dog sitting.)
I have a follow-up question Ginn, based on what you said in the same interview-
“I know that someday I’m going to produce the literary equivalent to a taco smoothie. I can only hope that I or a very honest editor will have the sense to stop me from sharing any taco smoothies with the world”
In your opinion, have you unloaded any taco smoothies on the world as yet? 🙂
I really hope not—though I always fear that one might be in the works! (Note to self: Taco Smoothie is terrible working title for next project—maybe try Salmon Sundae?)
Kim’s other question:
What kind of research did you have to do for Lord of the White Hell?
Research!! I love research.
For Lord of the White Hell I got to read up on Spanish history—with particular interest in the early periods of tolerance between Jewish , Muslim and Christian groups. Then I did my best to become familiar with European, Jewish and Arabic cooking during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. (Yummy research is awesome!) I also brushed up on my horse handling and swordplay. I listened to a great deal of music and read poetry.
Basically I did all could to get a feel of the lives of the characters I was going to be writing about. And I tried not too get too carried away. I enjoy research a great deal so sometimes I have to force myself to stop and get down to the work of actually writing!
Amanda asked:
I love the world building you do in your books and so I was wondering which comes first to you, the characters or the world that they are a part of?
A good question. I hadn’t ever really thought about it. But thinking back, it seems to me that the setting and the characters have always come to me together, while I was pondering some kind of conflict. They tend to build on each other as I work out the details of the plot.
Orannia who lives in New Zealand has a couple of questions:
I’m curious as to the writing process for your serial, The Rifter. It’s a mammoth project – how did you keep track of everything (the plot, the characters, the world-building)? And…what made you go the serial route? Thank you!
Orannia has definitely picked out the real challenge to writing a novel as big as The Rifter.
I really wanted to create a complex story –one with two timelines that inter-cut to create a very rich history between the two main characters–but I knew that I’d need to keep all the details very, very organized.
I started out up using an 18×24 sheet of newsprint to layout the two timelines and then I worked out each of the subplots and taped them into place onto the timelines. Then I decided where to cut between the two stories to build the best pace and create the strongest resonance.
That was my rough outline.
On top of that I created several files that I updated constantly with character lists, place names mythology, history as well as plant and animal names. I also plastered a notebook with poorly drawn maps, and notes about geology and early innovations in rifles, streetcars and railroads.
And presto! Five years later I was a wreck but the book was done.
As for it being serialized, that was Nicole’s Kimberling’s editorial genius. I think she’d been wanting to do a serial for a while. Gavin Grant at Weightlessbooks.com was excited about it as well and already had his site set up to handle subscriptions so that was that.
I was pretty much sold on the idea as soon as I realized that I’d have ten book covers instead of just one. (What can I say, I like pretty pictures.)
And I have to add I am really enjoying talking about The Rifter with readers in the “What Will Happen Next In The Rifter?” Goodreads group. It’s fun to hear what readers are thinking in real time.
Oh…and I have to ask – any thoughts on sequels (direct or indirect) to Lord of the White Hell? (Orannia asks hopefully)
Yeah lots of thoughts! I’m pretty excited about an idea I had for Elezar and the city of Anacleto. I’m buried in other work at the moment, but I haven’t forgotten and the idea just keeps getting stronger in my mind as the days pass.
Monica wants to know:
My question is, presently The Rifter is cut into 10 parts. Once the 10th part is complete, is there any chance of these parts being combined into one pdf instead?
All ten books are complete. I actually wrote The Rifter before the Lord of the White Hell Books. (It just took a long, long time to get it published).
But as for what happens after all ten books are released, I believe people will still have the option of buying just one episode or buying them all at once for a lower price than ten individual sales—the subscription is less costly as well.
When I asked Blind Eye Books if they were considering combining all ten books of the Rifter into one file, here’s what they said,
“No, I don’t think that we will be doing that. The resulting pdf would be too long to be easily navigable on any ereader. Remember we are talking about a piece of fiction that is longer than 1000 pages
typeset. There are more than a hundred chapters. (I can’t even put the entire text into one Word document without crashing the program!) We are, however, considering releasing The Rifter as a print series if there seems to be sufficient interest from readers.”
What’s this I hear that you’re planning an urban fantasy anthology featuring stories by different writers including Astrid, Josh and Nicole? What can you tell us about this project?
I’m really thrilled about this! It’s a great reason to get to hang around people I like and also a chance to see them do wonderful work.
The working title of the project is The Irregulars and the idea is that our world has hundreds of portals to other lands—realms of monsters and fairies and all sorts of strange and magical creatures. It’s the job of a division of the State Department—the Division of Irregular Relations—to keep beings from other worlds a secret and also maintain United States relations with these other worlds.
So each of us is writing a story in that larger setting and the characters cross-over here and there. At this stage in the writing we shoot each other little samples of what we’re doing and sort of outline where we’re going. It’s great fun and also so inspiring because I’ll realize that my co-authors are going all these wild places and I’ll feel inspired.
Other than the projects that I mentioned and The Rifter series, what’s next for Ginn?
At some point, a nice long warm bath! Heh.
Honestly, I never really know until I sit down and start writing. Who knows maybe I’ll have the chops to take on a science fiction novel by then… anything so long as it isn’t a Taco Smoothie!
Do you still hate chocolate? Can you tell us one more fun thing about yourself that you haven’t revealed before?
Lord of the White Hell card
I’m afraid I just can’t develop a taste for chocolate. I did try once when I was a kid, so as not to seem like such a freak, but it just made me sick. I do however adore both coffee and tea.
That aside, I think I only have one other real quirk. When I write a certain story I like to listen to just one song over and over, to keep my mood even and maintain my focus. The song varies with every project but as a rule it’s only one song that I listen to.
So for the two years that I spent writing Wicked Gentlemen I listened to “The Earth Died Screaming” by Tom Waits the entire time I was writing.
The five years The Rifter took to complete I listened to nothing but “Raven” by Hedningarna for periods of up to eight hours straight.
The Lord of the White Hell books were written to “Aaj Ki Raat” by Rahul Dev Burman as performed by the Kronos Quartet.
It’s weird but it works—maybe because I know that the only way I’m ever going to get to hear a new song is to get the current project done. 🙂
Thank you for your time Ginn. There’s so much more I would like to ask you but I know that you have a few major projects underway. Maybe you’ll come back when Lord Foster’s Devils is ready to be released. 🙂
Thank you so much for indulging my rambling answers. I had a great time and I’m really touched that readers pitched in with questions. I can’t wait until next time!
Readers who want to find out what happens next in The Rifter can join this discussion group at Goodreads
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/45020.What_will_happen_next_in_The_Rifter_
Blind Eye Books will be giving away a subscription to the entire Rifter 10 part series to one commenter on Ginn’s interview.
Ginn’s Contact Information
email: ginn@ginnhale.com
website: http://ginnhale.livejournal.com
I had the great pleasure to meet Ginn at Yaoicon last year on San Francisco (I have a feeling that first pic may have been taken at the BEB booth there 🙂 ) and she is indeed one of those lovely author people she mentions. She was gracious and friendly with us all.
While not generally a fantasy fan, I loved Wicked Gentlemen and am eagerly awaiting my Rifter story each month. I know some people don’t care for serials and prefer to wait for one book but I know I would be intimidated by a 1000 page book, this system lets people like me get to enjoy something we might otherwise shy away from and the others can wait and buy them all in one fell swoop later.
Great interview guys.
Thank you very much for this interesting and complete interview. It´s always a pleasure to learn more about the authors and their works 😎
TAM
Well spotted! The photo was taken at Yaoicon–by Astrid Amara. I was really touched when people came over and chatted with me about the books. I ended up having a lovely time!
I’m so pleased to hear that you’re enjoying the serial releases! It’s certainly a new format to me, but I can really see how a HUGE book could keep readers away, whereas smaller monthly releases wouldn’t seem nearly so overwhelming.
(I’m going to have to tell Nicole Kimberling at Blind Eye Books that she’s a genius for coming up with the idea.)
Glad you enjoyed it!
I’m always afraid I’m rambling and running on at the mouth but Wave keeps me on topic and asks quite interesting questions, I think.
Helena, thank you for swinging by!
It’s wonderful of Wave to do all this. I always find something new and fascinating in her interviews.
Thank you, Ginn, for answering our questions. It’s always interesting to learn about individual authors’ varying writing processes. I’m just finishing Lord of the White Hells II, and I love the fact that you researched Jewish , Muslim and Christian groups in order to write the book. The atmosphere of bazaars and sun-washed buildings is very clear in my mind. An exotic country in northern Africa with corridors and narrow paths between the buildings, perhaps. Thanks, again, for being here today!
Patty, I love your description and I want to got there on vacation!
Great interview! I’ve enjoyed everything of Ginn’s so far. One of the main reasons I bought a kindle was so that I wouldn’t miss out on her new releases. Lord of the White Hell I & II, Wicked Gentlemen are gems. I actually feel bad for mainstream readers who are missing out on some of the most fantastic story telling and world building out there. I also am enjoying the Rifter as it comes out. Thanks Wave and Ginn.
Lisa, thank you for the kind words and for all the support! You are too kind.–I’m totally blushing, as I write this.
I’ve said it before and I will say it again I am very fortunate to have such bright and generous people reading my books!
I’m hooked in advance on that special anthology project that was mentioned. Sounds like it will be a treat.
Thanks for a great interview.
Eva, you’re right to be hooked! I am too. I can’t tell you how exciting it is to get to read Josh’s story–so, so sweet and charming! (I’m not giving anything away when I say that he’s got this wonderful knack for capturing the humanity of every situation not matter how magical.)
And from having worked before with Nicole and Astrid I already knew what their writing would be wildly creative…but they’re both outdoing themselves!
It’s a challenge and a true pleasure to attempt to write along side the three of them!
:bravo: Thank you for this great interview! I’m looking forward reading the anthology and Rifter :reading2:
Thanks Sylvia!
The third book of the Rifter (Black Blades) just came out yesterday. And all four of us are writing away as quickly as we can on the Irregulars!
I will wait a little longer for Rifter so I can finish my E-pile of books and more importantly so I can read on and on (and on). I’m not scared of 1000 pages! 😉 btw, I love your goggles, very cool 😎
Sylvia, yours is the attitude of an undaunted book reader! A 1000+ pages, ha! I’m glad to hear it. 😀
The goggles were at yaoicon. There was a surprising number of artists and kraftpeople there with all kinds of fun cool items. If you haven’t gone I do highly recommend it.
Somehow I have missed all of these. 🙁
Off to buy Wicked Gentlemen :asap:
Aquina, I’m glad you’ve discovered the books! I hope you enjoy any you read.
Even if I did not know what an amazing author you are, your cover art would make me drool to read anything you write. 🙂
~smooches~
Awww, Jason, you’re too kind. Thanks so much.
Ginn
I hope you recovered from all the questions. 🙂
There is one question that I should have asked during the interview (yes I did forget something) 🙂 and I know that many fans would like to know this information. Do you have any idea when the anthology with stories about the Department of Irregular Relations will be available for sale and which publisher will be releasing it? I know that’s 2 questions but I didn’t think you would mind.
Those ARE good questions… The anthology will be coming out from Blind Eye Books… but as for the exact dates… let me go and poke Nicole Kimberling–maybe I can get her to divulge something.
Wonderful interview! Thanks for taking the time Ginn and Wave. I must acknowledge that Wicked Gentlemen is the only book by Ginn that I have read – and just last week! Absolutely loved everything about it and ordered a print copy pronto (partly because I squee over the cover art). I personally loved the juxtaposition between the confines of Hell’s Below and the fact that Belimai can fly.
Looking forward to now reading all of your work Ginn! Congrats on your success and thanks for the adventure(s).
Dianne, I’m always happy to discover that someone has really enjoyed one of my books–and Wicked Gentlemen is quite pretty! The folks at Blind Eye Books did quite good by me with that cover!
Yaaaaay Ginn! I love your work! 😀
Thanks, Saga! I hope you enjoyed the interview. (I did my very best not to wander off topic and start talking about moss, or the like) 😀
At the moment I’m halfway through ‘Hell Cops 2’. I love the world of Parmas and all those demons, spells and devices you three came up with.
So, it’s no wonder that I’m eyeing the Rifter series with the desire to read right now. 😀 Having read fantasy and science fiction for years I’m not easily intimidated by 1000+ pages novels but I have my problems with waiting for the next installment in series that I really love. After all the good I read about The Rifter I think it might become one of them. So I decided, heavy-hearted, mind you, to wait until all parts are out. Speak of difficult decisions. 😉
Calathea, I know of several readers who are doing the same thing–waiting to read the Rifter all in one go.
The last installment comes out December 8th and some of us are thinking of throwing a little party over at Goodreads, I hope you’ll join us!
I hope you guys do have a party of sorts. That would be a trip. I’m a member of the group but I don’t go often for fear of spoilers. I wait till the Friday after release to read the new installment so I can really enjoy it without the bother of having to go to work the next day.
Ginn Hale wrote: “The last installment comes out December 8th and some of us are thinking of throwing a little party over at Goodreads, I hope you’ll join us!”
Now I know what to put on my wishlist for Christmas! 😀
I wouldn’t want to miss that party, thanks for the tip!
Great interview, Ginn and Wave.
I love every single story Ginn has written, but I have to say this Rifter series is one of the most addictive things I’ve ever come across.
It’s killing me to have to wait for each chapter.
Ginn, I absolutely will buy it in print, so make sure She Who Must Be Obeyed (AKA our fearless editor) knows that.
Wave, you’ve GOT to read it.
Josh
I’m reading it along with everyone else and I’m up to *ahem* book 4 which will be released next month.
You guys should check out Kassa’s review of book 3 which is on the site today.
Nikki sent me Book 4 but I know she’s trusting me to finish my own novella before I dive in. It’s the ONLY thing stopping me.
I can’t imagine trying to review a serialized novel! How hard was that? I’d have to wait for the end and then view it in its entirety. That’s just me, though. The more people talking about the series, the better!
RE: reviewing a serial–I was just talking to Jenre about that the other day. Her approach was “read along with the readers.”
I, too, would have a hard time reviewing something that I didn’t know the end to. But then again, I would have a hard time reviewing anything at all, ever. (I just don’t have broad enough taste in books to ever be a good reviewer.)
Sure. It’s a fun idea because it’s like…in our last episode…
But really I think everyone wants to review it because they just wanna keep talking about it and thinking about it and it’s a great excuse. I’m NOT obsessive. It’s my JOB. 😛
Josh, you are too kind–and an awesome author. ( I’m totally missing deadlines because of your latest two books, This Rough Magic and Come Unto These Yellow Sands…l have got to stop re-reading them…but I can’t!)
I owe you much thanks–and probably a heap of treasure– for spreading the word about the Rifter.
You rock! (All others roll).
You rock! (All others roll).
LOL. Thank you.
And speaking of rolling…my head will roll if I don’t get back to work pronto. I can hear the Nickster sharpening her sabre as we speak.
Hey, yeah! What are you doing here? Who unchained you from your desk? (I’m looking at you G.Hale.)
Eeeeeep!!!!
HIDE!!!!!!! 😯
Josh said: It’s killing me to have to wait for each chapter.
Yeah, it is painful to have to wait. BUT the fun thing is that you can write imaginary fanfiction in your head in between installments and then see how wrong you were when the real story is released! That’s what I did. Honestly, I rarely have the urge to imagine any kind of fanfic. The Rifter inspired much speculation for me. I think about the only other thing I’ve made up fanfic for are some of your standalones, like Ghost Wore Yellow Socks–lot of scenarios can be imagined for Nick & Perry. 🙂
Oh yes! The pain is also what makes it a pleasure. It’s really entertaining hearing what others have to say, speculating and guessing, sharing the wait. It’s a group event.
A December final release party! How fun. Yes!
And I think fan fiction for the Rifter series is a BRILLIANT idea. 😀
Hey Wave!
To answer your question, The Irregulars is scheduled for release March 2012.
Thanks for the information Nic. I can’t wait. Be sure to send me a review copy because you know I’ll forget the date. 🙂
Sure thing! We can do more giveaways and stuff too. That would be fun.
Okay everybody,you’ve convinced me! I give in– off to sign-up.
I really try to buy through the Amazon widget in order to support the site, but…. I think this rates an exception.
Great interview! Thanks for introducing me to an unexplored author! I look forward to exploring the Rifter world!
Reggie,
I do hope you’ll enjoy the books! Feel free to chime in at the Goodreads site with your thoughts about how it’s all developing. :great:
Wow, Ginn, I had no idea that I had a few things in common with you. Though I love to bake (so I have to use chocolate), I don’t have a taste for it either. I was often teased as a kid; people always seemed to think I was looking for attention, because who could ever not like chocolate, right?
Also a Tom Waits fan, very cool. And I tend to have a nasty habit of listening to one song on loop over and over to the detriment of my relationships with other people. For some reason it drives them crazy 🙂
Thanks for the wonderful interview. A nice Goodreads friend just sent me a print copy of Wicked Gentlemen as a gift and I’m very much looking forward to finally reading it.
Cole,
YES!!! At last another person who understands not liking chocolate. People really don’t believe you– or think that you’re on a diet of just acting strange. (I love to imagine people having the same reaction to someone who doesn’t have a taste for something like eggplant…but who could dislike delicious eggplant?)
And yeah one song on a loop for eight hours. What’s the problem? (Honey, what are you doing with that cleaver?)
I had to invest in headphones to keep my wife from taking a baseball bat to the stereo. 😀
Hope you enjoy Wicked Gentlemen!
Hey, Ginn! Great interview. It was really interesting to learn about your writing habits and how you keep track of everything 😀 I loved Wicked Gentlemen so I’m glad to there’s going to be a sequel sometime in the future.
Thanks Nikyta!
The music is playing and the writing is underway!
Nicole
When are you going to write another blog post for us? The last one was excellent and I know that the fans would love to have you back, as would I. Please email me when you hve a chance and we’ll arrange a date. 🙂 I have to strike the iron when it’s hot — you’re here, what better opportunity would I have. Josh will tell you it’s always dangerous to drop by this site. 😀
I suppose I’ll come back whenever you’ll have me. 🙂
I’ll email you to work out the details, okays?
Great interview, Ginn, Wave 🙂
I have to admit that I’ve had ‘Wicked Gentlemen’ on my ereader for a while now, but I sometimes lose track of the order of things. I’ll have to push that to the front of the list, now that I’ve heard so many good things about it 🙂
The Rifter sounds very interesting, definitely going on my wishlist 😀
I loved reading about all the work that went into your Rifter series. Five years of work! Amazing.
Then again, sometimes working on the background story is as much fun as it is writing the story itself 🙂
Blaine,
I hope that you enjoy Wicked Gentlemen, when you do get to it. People seem to love it or hate it– And unlike the tome of The Rifter it’s a quick read, so no one has to hate it for long! 😆
Wow, I am impressed at a 10 part series! It seems daunting, but exciting!
Jayhjay, The whole thing was daunting to write, but I hope exciting to read!
I’m still wanting more “Hell Cops”!! :strike:
I sent you a direct e-mail once to say how much I enjoy your writing but it warrants repeating. Your characters and dialogue are real and believable and that’s important to me.
I am one of the proud subscribers to The Rifters series. I read the first one and then decided to wait until at least half have been released. I adore long stories and not so in love with open endings; it drives me nuts. I had to tell myself to “just let it go” after the first installment. :grumble:
Thanks for the entertainment! :kiss: And the beautiful covers are amazing!
Astrid and I always work on ideas for Hell Cops at Yaoicon and we’ll both be attending this year so, you may get your wish!
I understand how you feel about unresolved endings–they make me a little crazy as well– but come December 8th I hope to see you at the Goodreads party for the last installment!
I’m already trying to work out how one serves digital drinks with out getting zapped by the computer! 😀
Maybe dry gin would work? 😉 (sorry, couldn’t help myself… *blush*)
Hi Sherry,
Astrid, Ginn and I have talked about writing one last Hell Cop but have yet to come up with a concept that we are all super-excited about. The 3rd installment would be the last one, so it would have to be really cool. Maybe someday, though.
In the mean time, The Irregulars has a similar theme, with interwoven characters and such. PLUS its going to have Josh so it will just be that much cooler.
Josh IS the much cooler!
Thank you for the great interview Ginn and Wave and while I totally respect that sequel for Wicked Gentlemen will come whenever it comes please allow me to pout just a little bit 🙂 Seriously though, your books are amazing and I am finding it harder and harder to resist starting Rifter till all parts of it are out.
Sirius,
You can not resist the pull of the Rifter! 😆
Ginn
I didn’t realize that this interview would turn out to be quite the party. You should stop by more often with cocktails or beer — we’re not fussy. 😎 I’ll buy the gin and tonic in your honour. 😀
Ooooh I loves me some tonic water!
Love the interview. I’m still chuckling over the whole Taco Smoothie imagery.
I bet the food research for the “Lord of the White Hell” was delicious. I ended up writing down a few dishes to find recipes after I had read the book. Have you ever considered compiling a cook book based on some of the world’s you’ve created?
Yay for more books! I agree with the above that I would love another installment in the Hell Cop universe. Who came up with the idea of demons in a city? I know it’s a similar theme between Hell Cop and Wicked Gentlemen, but they are treated so differently.
Also, consider me interested in a print version of the Rifter series… as in when can I pre-order? ^_^
Thanks again for the interview!
Kim,
I have to admit that I’m a terrible cook–left to my own devices I just open a can of red beans and eat from it with a fork– but reading recipes sets my brain alight with ideas. In fact I think i might read recipes the way other people read poems… which might explain why I can’t write either of them. 😆
As for Hell Cop, it came out of a brainstorming session at yaoicon. All of us were throwing out ideas and jokes. I’m really glad to know that those books have a following–I have such fond associations with their creation!
Another question, what is the actual word count of the Rifter series?
I could never get an exact word count because every time I tried, the program melted down. In fact I had to turn off most of the functions of word–spelling etc,– while writing to keep it from just shutting down…
I can tell you that it was 2013 pages before typesetting.
The goggles are fierce 😮
And apparently Mt. TBR is growing again :happydance:
Fierce, yes, but also shockingly comfortable! Like orthopedic shoes for the face!
That really didn’t come out right, did it? 😆
What most people don’t know about Ginn is that almost all of her music is creepy… Like the sound of little voices whispering bad things in the dark.
That’s not entirely true–much of my music also consists of low growls played over the sounds of chains being dragged across dank steel grates… but that’s the classical stuff.
Oh! And once you made me a mix album with a song that sounded like animals hiding and weeping. I wonder what you could write to that soundtrack…
Meanwhile I’ve been writing Irregulars to dramatic Holywood soundtracks, which means there will be sweeping landscapes and kickass action shots!… and possibly gratuitous sexual tension!
Ooooooh!
I want to read that!
‘Tis pity about the chocolate thing,Ginn, for there are few foods that taste as awesomely painful as dark chocolate and chili powder. 😀
Yes, I’m saddened that I can’t enjoy that combination. And I’m told it really loses something when you just eat the chili straight. 😀
That’s right. Then it’s just painful sans awesome. XD
Alright.. I have two of her books sitting in my to buy pile and I’ve for some strange reason being putting them off. Not any longer!!! Great interview. I’m going shopping!!! 😀
I hope that you enjoy the books! (and thank you!)
Great interview. Seems I’m a few books behind. I’ll have to get on that.