Night and Chaos: An Interview and A Giveaway

NIGHT AND CHAOS is the first novella in the Deva Chronicles series by my friend Naomi Clark. It was self-published in e-format in January 2011 by Naomi.

The description per Naomi and Goodreads.com:

Ryan McCarthy fled Applied Paranormal Theory and Tactics, her father, and her lover six years ago, desperate to build life away from the weird science and supernatural experiments of her childhood. But everything she hoped to escape comes back with a vengeance when she's kidnapped and tortured by a possessed APTT employee out for revenge on the man responsible for his possession: Ryan's father.

Now, reunited with the lover she abandoned, Ryan is forced back into a world of danger and darkness she no longer understands, pursued by enemies with powers she can't fathom. But Ryan's not entirely powerless herself. She'll have to use every trick she knows - as well as the mystic gift she hates - to stay ahead of those enemies. And that will be easier said than done.

Here's my interview with Naomi, followed by a contest:

1.) What made you decide to write gay/lesbian fantasy? And is that the only category you write in?

It was one of those happy coincidences. I'd never written any before, but a friend emailed me the call for submissions for the Queer Wolf anthology because they knew I love werewolves and shapeshifters. I wrote WOLF STRAP, reviews really liked it, and the publisher took a chance on me and invited me to write a novel for them. The Urban Wolf series was born that way! I've been amazed at the reaction to WOLF STRAP and SILVER KISS – it's so much more than I could have imagined.

I also write straight urban fantasy, for want of a better term, as well as general “dark” fiction and some romance when the mood takes me.


2.) Do you think there’s enough diversity in fantasy?

I think it's growing, thanks to ebooks, which allow more niche books to find audiences. M/M romance is huge, but I think F/F is still catching up. I'll be working on some GBLT anthologies in the near future, and I'm really hoping to get some great lesbian stories for those.


3.) What made you decide to self-publish rather than go the “traditional” route?

I've had two agents since 2006, and it didn't work out with either of them for various reasons. Having had some success with small presses, I felt confident that my writing was strong and that with dedication and care, I could have some success self-publishing. That said, I danced around it for a long time. I spent most of 2010 just reading up on it, learning the pros and cons, figuring out a strategy. This year I decided I was ready to take the plunge.

But I don't see this as an either/or situation – there's no reason I see that authors can't pursue self-publishing and traditional publishing. I love my small press editors and hope to work with them for a long time to come.


4.) Do you think publishing will change in the next few years? If so, how?

It's already changing! The rise of ebooks and ereaders means there are a lot more options for readers, which means there are a lot more options for writers. The best thing writers can do right now is educate themselves on all the changes taking place, both the positive and the negative. I think we're going to see a big rise in the indie movement, heralded by people like Amanda Hocking and JA Konrath, but I do hope that traditional publishing stays with us. A lot of people are speculating about the end of the industry, the end of bookshops, etc, and I find that quite depressing. I don't see why there isn't room for both sides of the publishing game.


5.) What advice do you have for aspiring/unpublished writers?

Read a lot and write a lot. It sounds obvious, but it's so true. And write something your passionate about – there's no point trying to jump on bandwagons or follow the latest trends, because those things will have changed by the time you're ready for publication. So write the kind of book you want to read, not what you think other people want to read. And do your research! Before you submit to an agent, a publisher, self-publish, or even join a critique group, research them. Being informed is so easy these days – there's information all over the internet, so there are no excuses for not being informed!

And now for the contest!

Giveaway: For a chance to win a PDF copy of NIGHT AND CHAOS by Naomi Clark, all you have to do to enter is leave a comment. Also, please list your e-mail address as follows: your e-mail (AT) wherever (DOT) com, so you won't get junk mail. The contest is open to everyone in the world. The contest will end on March 7, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Good luck. A winner will be chosen at random and announced on March 8, 2011.

To find out more about Naomi, go here, and there.