[Archive] Guest Web Appearance with Nina Bangs_5.18.12
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Book Monster Reviews/LITERAL ADDICTION: Hi Nina! Welcome to Book Monster and LITERAL ADDICTION! We’re very happy to have you here today, and are glad to help you promote “Wicked Edge” as well as your entire Backlist!
Nina: I’m thrilled to be here. Thanks for inviting me.
Book Monster Reviews/LITERAL ADDICTION: We like to start out by finding out a bit more about our guest author, and then we’ll dig into the books…
Q1): Can you please tell us 3 things about yourself that we couldn’t find out on the Internet?
Nina: Wow, that’s tough. I’m pretty sure that I’ve put everything I’ve ever done out there for the world to read. What does that say about me? Okay, I’ll dig deep. I always wanted to be a blonde. I lived in Dublin, Ireland for a few years, and in a moment of supreme defiance (my parents would have been horrified), I bought a blonde wig. Yes, blondes do have more fun. Let’s see, what else? Adam Lambert and Adele are my favorite singers. And finally, I think I’m the only woman on the planet who never read GONE WITH THE WIND.
Q2): What are some of your hobbies or things that you enjoy doing when you’re not writing or taking care of other author business?
Nina: I read, read, and sometimes I read. I’m afraid books are my passion. Oh, and I do go out with friends for the usual: meals, shows, and shopping.
Q3): Do you have a writing routine or certain things you must have with you to begin the process?
Nina: I have no routine, and that’s my biggest problem. I’m a time waster and a procrastinator. The only thing that’s a constant when I write is my need for silence. I’m very distractible, and any kind of noise will destroy my concentration.
Q4): What are 3 things that never fail to make you smile?
Nina: I always get a giggle from cute cat videos, Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, and funny e-mails friends send. The videos and e-mails, of course, are two reasons I don’t have a routine. Okay, so I have no self-discipline.
Q5): We know that this is a tough question, but who are a couple of your favorite authors and what are a few titles in your TBR pile right now?
Nina: I have an almost endless list of favorite authors. Here are a few: Patricia Briggs, Jim Butcher (Dresden Files), Cassandra Clare, Lauren Oliver, Veronica Roth, and many, many more. Recently, I’ve been devouring lots of young adult books. I don’t usually have a TBR pile because I read books I’ve been waiting for as soon as they’re released, but right now I have Kerrelyn Sparks’s WANTED: UNDEAD OR ALIVE and Amanda Stevens’s THE PROPHET on my TBR pile. . Did I mention that books are my passion?
Q6): What are some of your favorite TV Shows and movies?
Nina: I watch all of the ghost hunter shows (SYFY and Travel channels). I also enjoy True Blood and Vampire Diaries (Truth? I think Ian Somerhalder is hot). Yes, I’m fixated on the paranormal. I don’t watch a lot of movies, but I particularly enjoyed Avatar. I’ll be going to see Dark Shadows with Johnny Depp next week.
Q7): Out of all the books you have written, do you have a personal favorite, maybe one that has some sentimental meaning to you?
Nina: I have a warm spot in my heart for WICKED NIGHTS. It was the first book in my Castle of Dark Dreams series, so that alone makes it special. It also starred one of my favorite heroes, Eric McNair, a Mackenzie vampire.
Q8): If you were to write an auto-biography, what would you call it?
Nina: I’d probably title it A SURPRISING JOURNEY because the life I’ve lived is nothing like to one I thought I’d live when I was young.
Book Monster Reviews/LITERAL ADDICTION: O.K, now let’s find out some more about your awesome series…
Q9): What was your inspiration behind the CASTLE OF DARK DREAMS series?
Nina: I wanted a unique setting for the series, and for some reason I thought of Disney World. I realized if I did a theme park setting, it would have to be for adults only. Then I would probably have to narrow it down to one attraction. I wanted a sensual name for the attraction, and so was born the Castle of Dark Dreams. I set it in Galveston, Texas because the climate there would allow it to stay open year round. And since I lived near Galveston, I wouldn’t have to do a lot of research. Yes, I’m lazy.
Q10): Do you have any other books planned for the CASTLE OF DARK DREAMS series?
Nina: I’m planning for three more books in the series. My October book, WICKED WHISPERS, is Murmur’s story. I’m not quite sure what I’ll do with the one after that, but the last book will be Ganymede and Sparkle’s story with the title FOREVER WICKED.
Q11): Do you have any plans to continue the GODS OF THE NIGHT or MACKENZIE VAMPIRES series?
Nina: Unfortunately, I don’t have a contract for any more of the Gods of the Night books. But I want to write at least two more (Rap and Fin’s stories) and self-publish them. And I wouldn’t count the Mackenzie vampires out. You never know when I’ll pop up at the Woo Woo Inn again.
Q12): What was one of the most surprising things you’ve learned while writing your books?
Nina: I always thought that I was the one in control, but every once in a while a character pops up that I didn’t expect. Sparkle Stardust was one of those characters. I was busy writing about Ganymede, and suddenly she was there creating her own kind of chaos. Murmur was another surprise. I never planned for a demon of music in the series, but one day he sneaked in as a minor character, and before I knew it he was my hero. Go figure. You’ll read about him in WICKED WHISPERS, my October book.
Q13): With Fantasy being such a popular genre these days, what fascinates you most about it?
Nina: I’ve probably read thousands of romances over the years and loved them. But I found myself yearning for something that stretched boundaries and forged new trails while still delivering a happily ever after. Fantasy excites me because it opens up new worlds peopled with nonhuman characters that can make their own rules.
Q14): If you could have any one super power, which would you want and why that power?
Nina: I know that I should name something selfless like the power to save the world. But if I were choosing a power just for me, I’d have to say that I’d love to be able to fly. I live on the third floor of a waterfront condo, and sometimes I just sit watching the seagulls sailing past my window. I’d love to be able to do that.
Q15): What is the first romance book you remember reading?
Nina: I honestly don’t remember the title of the first romance book I ever read. I do know that it was published in the same era as Kathleen Woodiwiss’s THE FLAME AND THE FLOWER. Once I discovered those big historicals, I read all of them that I could find.
Q16): If you could leave readers with one legacy, what would you want it to be?
Nina: I’d like readers to remember my books with a smile, and I’d love knowing that for a short time I took them away from the daily grind.
Q17): What’s up next for Nina Bangs? What other projects do you have in the works?
Nina: I’m writing a novella for a Kensington anthology that will hopefully lead to a new series. Yes, there will be vampires. This will be a darker story than my Castle of Dark Dreams books. As of right now, the title of the novella is TIES THAT BIND. I’m also very interested in the wonderful young adult paranormal and dystopian books being published. I’d love to write in that genre. And no, I won’t forget Ganymede, Sparkle, and the Eleven.
Q18): Is there anything specific you would like to say to your readers while we have you here today?
Nina: I want to sincerely thank all the readers who have accompanied me on my wild and wacky ride through the paranormal world. I wouldn’t be here without your support and loyalty.
Book Monster Reviews/LITERAL ADDICTION: Nina, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to be with us today. We would LOVE to have you back again when you’re ready to promote your next release if you’re interested!! J
Nina: This has been so much fun, and I’d love to come back.
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