Interview with Jocelynn Drake + GIVEAWAY

Hey all! I have Jocelynn Drake over here today for a little Q&A! I asked her a few questions awhile back about the series and other whatnot! And don't forget that the FINAL Dark Days novel, Burn the Night, releases June 28, 2011! I can still remember when I first heard of Jocelynn's books at it was at RT 08, I had went just for the signing day and while I was at Rachel Vincent's table she gave me a postcard with Jocelynn's upcoming book on it! And thus I was sold!

JESS: How does it feel to be ending your first series? Besides the feeling of sadness for leaving familiar characters, do you feel it's necessary as some other authors have when they ended their own series?

JOCELYNN: I’m definitely sad to be closing the book on the series. I’ve known Mira & Co. for several years. They’ve been in my thoughts for so long that I feel as if they are my family and it’s hard to say good-bye to them. Every once in a while, I still think of something that I didn’t have time to accomplish with them or a character that I wish I had had a chance to spend more time with. I think that’s part of the danger of creating such a big, detailed world. There just isn’t enough time for everything.

But in the end, I think it was time to bring it all to a close. I had started the series to tell Mira’s story as she battled the demons from her past that were threatening to eclipse her future. I got the chance to see both her and Danaus grow into wonderful people and what parent couldn’t be more proud of that?

JESS: There has been a lot of tension growing between Mira and Jarbari throughout the series, so is there going to be a big fight, so to speak, between them?

JOCELYNN: Oh, yeah! There’s definitely a big fight between Mira and her former mentor Jabari. By the close of the fifth book, Wait For Dusk, Mira has accomplished what Jabari needed her to do and she has now become a liability that he can’t afford to let live. She’s threatening him and his desires. I have to admit that in the early books, I sometimes wondered if there can be some kind of reconciliation between them, but as he revealed more and more about himself, I knew that Jabari was only concerned with his own desires. While Mira and Jabari sometimes wanted the same thing, Jabari could only trust Mira so long as he could control her. His betrayal was something that Mira has struggled with for a long time.

JESS: In 5 words how would you describe your Dark Days series overall?

JOCELYNN: Dark, Dangerous, Deadly, Devious, and Delicious.

JESS: Would you ever consider writing a YA series alongside your adult one? Why or why not?

JOCELYNN: I have tossed the idea around and even tried to plot out a YA a time or two, but I’ve not succeeded. I don’t feel like it’s a good fit for me right now. I think part of it is that when I was trying to work on those YA stories, I was trying to force my mind back to memories of when I was a young teen and I couldn’t come up with any really good memories to draw off of. And right now, I feel like I still have a lot to say to adult readers through a number of genres.

However, I recently turned it on its head and wondered what I would say in a book if I were writing to my children (not that I have any, but I do have an over-active imagination which helps). I’ve gotten stronger, more positive feelings that way, so I’m not totally ready to close the door on YA yet. It just might be a while.

JESS: When not writing or working, what do you like to do in your free time?

JOCELYNN: I love to read, play video games, and watch movies. (As you can see, I don’t get out of the house much.) I also visit with my family frequently as they live close to me.

JESS: What's your next project going to be about?

JOCELYNN: I am also hard at work on the first book in a new series. This is a totally new and exciting world. After working in a closed/hidden world, where humans were in the dark, I decided to throw the doors open on this one. In this world, magical creatures live along side of humans, but they are all lorded over by powerful witches and warlocks. In an effort to get ahead in this world, many people will turn to the tattoo artists, who, for the right price, can give you love, luck, or revenge with the right tattoo and potion. The series centers on a skilled tattoo artist and his co-workers as they struggle with their hidden pasts and the interesting customers that come through the door.

JESS: What books are you currently reading or read last?

JOCELYNN: The last books I’ve read recently include: “Eat Prey Love”, “The Undead Next Door”, and “How To Marry A Millionaire Vampire” by Kerrelyn Sparks, as well as “Vampire Interrupted” by Lynsay Sands. I also fell in love with “Sins of the Heart” by Eve Silver. I have been searching for some lighter reading while still in the paranormal genre as it helps to keep my mood up. When I read dark, I tend to write dark, and I’m trying to keep my new series lighter than the Dark Days series.

JESS: What's the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to you at a conference or signing? (if you care to share!)

JOCELYNN: Does sounding like a babbling idiot while surrounded by awesome writers on a panel count? No, I don’t think I sounded like an idiot, but I’m always afraid of making a fool of myself in front of a crowd. Give me time, I’m sure I will eventually. I’m not always good about censoring what I say.

Anywhoo… I’m always embarrassed when I misspell someone’s name when I’m signing books. I have spent my entire life correcting people when they say or spell my name incorrectly so I am very conscience of it when I misspell someone else’s name.

CONTEST TIME! Jocelynn has offered up a SIGNED copy of Burn the Night to 1 lucky reader! And this is open to International readers as well!

Contest is open now through Saturday, June 25, 2011 at 11:59 PM (CST) winner will be announced Sunday the 26th.

To enter leave a comment with your email address and tell me how you first found out about Jocelynn's books, or if you haven't started them yet, what led you to want to read them?

**Also just wanted to let everyone know that I will be out of town this weekend and into next week. I might not be around in the blogging world for a few days, but I will absolutely try to get the winner picked and emailed. Should be able to squeeze that much in!