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Why is there a pen name change for the Bloodlands series? |
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The series will be published in mass market format rather than trade, and the books are going to be labeled under a different sub-genre (post-apocalyptic western fantasy)—hence, the change. I do understand that there’s a very real possibility of confusion with the introduction of a new name, and I’m sorry for that. Either way, I hope you all enjoy the new series! |
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What is the Bloodlands series? |
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You could call it a “paranormal Shane meets Mad Max” for the first book. The second and third ones open up from the post-apocalyptic west to more of the urbanized areas, and you’ll meet a bunch of new characters (and creatures). The first book in particular has a mystery in it (think Agatha Christie!), as well as lots of adventure and mayhem.
I got the idea for this postapocalptic supernatural Western while watching a lot of old cowboy movies. I’d just about internalized the tropes—the gun-slinging drifter who’s looking for redemption and a return to humanity, the feisty yet put-upon settlers, the cruel rancher next door. Since my mind is more or less always on monsters or creepy creatures of some sort, I started wondering what would’ve happened had Shane been a vampire.
From that point on, I was twisting those old Western tropes into paranormal shapes. (My main character, Gabriel, doesn’t sling a gun, but he does have fangs, and he is literally lacking humanity because he’s a vampire. The settlers are survivalists who have fled the urban hubs out of utter terror and preservation. You get the picture. 
The first book, Bloodlands, came out on July 26, 2011; Blood Rules on August 30; In Blood We Trust on September 27. |
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What's going on with Vampire Babylon and coming releases in the series? |
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NIGHT RISING, MIDNIGHT REIGN, BREAK OF DAWN, A DROP OF RED, THE PATH OF RAZORS, and DEEP IN THE WOODS are all available in trade and mass market formats. A Vampire Babylon short story entitled “Soul Stains” appeared in the March 2011 occult detectives anthology entitled Those Who Fight Monsters. It takes place after the events in Deep in the Woods. (You can look on www.chrismariegreen.com, Facebook, and Twitter for any and all updates!)
The Vampire Babylon series uses trilogy arcs to tell one basic story, much like the way JK Rowling used seven books that didn’t solve every plot thread book-by-book to tell Harry Potter’s story. While each individual novel focuses on a central mystery that’s solved by the end, the three books together build character and mythology arcs/mysteries until everything culminates in the third books of the trilogies.
The first trilogy is known as the “Hollywood trilogy.” It contains these books:
NIGHT RISING
MIDNIGHT REIGN
BREAK OF DAWN
(A novella, “Double the Bite,” in an anthology titled First Blood is available, and it’s best read here, after Break of Dawn.)
The second trilogy continues the adventures of Dawn Madison and the vampire hunting team, and this three-book arc is known as the “London trilogy.” It consists of:
A DROP OF RED
THE PATH OF RAZORS
DEEP IN THE WOODS
(“Soul Stains” in the Those Who Fight Monsters anthology is best read here, after Deep in the Woods.)
Right now, I’m looking into the possibility of perhaps writing Vampire Babylon novellas for e-book platforms. I’ll let you know if anything develops! You can subscribe to the Vampire Babylon newsletter or Bloodlands newsletter for updates, as well as Twitter and Facebook.
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How did the Ace Vampire
Babylon (formerly Vampire Underground) series come about? |
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I wanted to write a longer vampire book, and I had an idea about a stuntwoman on the career skids who finds out that her estranged father has gone missing in L.A. During her search for him, she comes across a strange paranormal investigative agency and this eventually leads to an erotically charged vamp underground. My Berkley editor is calling it "noir fantasy-mystery," and that gets my motor revved, LOL. I love the "noir" part, especially. |
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When will the next Huntress book come out (Silhouette Bombshell)? |
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Tricky question. The Bombshell line closed in January, 2007, so there's no chance of a release there. I'll never say never about resurrecting the Camille Howard stories in the future though. |
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Did you write any more Bombshells? |
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Yes. I did a murder-mystery in October, 2006, called Baited, and it's about an Everywoman-a surfer who works as a fake "pearl diver" at a fictional San Diego water park. She doesn't have any huge action-woman skills, so she's a different sort of Bombshell heroine. She really has to dig deep inside to use her strengths in order to survive and outwit a murderer who's wreaking havoc on an island where her party has crashed. Unfortunately, her fellow survivors are the possibly disinherited heirs of the heroine's dying friend and mentor, so it all becomes very Agatha Christie meets Friday the Thirteenth (the first-and best-one, of course, because that movie was essentially a graphic whodunit.). But that's the end of any Bombshells since the line closed in January, 2007. |
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Will there be any more Kane's Crossing books (Silhouette Special Edition)? |
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I'm afraid not. The series is going to stay at five books because Silhouette
wanted me to explore other story ideas that I will continue to write
within that line. |
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Are you still writing for Special Edition and Blaze as Crystal Green? |
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Yes. A Montana Mavericks continuity book titled The Hard-To-Get Cowboy tis out in October, and I’ll have a new miniseries called St. Valentine, Texas, starting in May, 2012 with Courted by the Texas Millionaire. In November, my first Blaze in about a year and a half, Roped In, will be on shelves, and I’ll be working on a “duet” miniseries for the line about “naughty bridesmaids”… |
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Where
do you get your ideas? |
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I usually get
an idea for a character (sometimes from a movie, sometimes from a real-
life situation), then decide what kind of "co-star" would
give him or her the most trouble. That's where the plot develops-from
their conflict. |
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I want to
write a book. How should I go about it? |
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Just do it. Make
writing a priority and don't make excuses for your lack of time. If you
feel your pages are terrible (and you probably will), rework them. Nothing
is written in stone. Then send out your material; if no one reads it, you
won't get it published. Also, attend conferences and writers' meetings
in order to network. Check into the RWA site at www.rwanational.com.
They'll teach you the tricks of business and craft. |
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Do you recommend
any books about writing? |
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Debra Dixon's Goal,
Motivation, and Conflict contains excellent advice about setting up a character's
core situation. The exercises will strengthen your plot as well as your
characters. Also, Christopher
Vogler's The Writer's Journey (based on Joseph Campbell's The
Hero's Journey) is great. After getting down the idea, you'll be able to
write a synopsis easily. |
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How did you get into writing professionally? |
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I've been writing since I could hold a crayon. In my early days, I loved being read to, loved hearing the flow of words. My favorite first book was Little Mommy. I memorized that sucker from opening to closing. I guess I enjoyed the sound of the rhyming narrative. I progressed from there, getting addicted to historical romance in middle school, writing my Superman and Indiana Jones stories. After high school, I started writing my own historical romance. It was awful, but a real good time. It broke every rule, I think, because I sent my heroine on this crazy 1853 New Orleans adventure and she was (eh-hem) interested in more than one hero. Very Jennifer Wilde. Anyway, that book is hidden away now, though it did prompt me to attend the San Diego State University Conference. That, in turn, led to my meeting Judy Duarte , then Sheri WhiteFeather, then joining Romance Writers of America® . The organization taught me the business of writing; I don't think I'd be a romance author without their support. Oddly enough, I write contemporary stories now, though I still love those historicals. |
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Do I
need a critique group? |
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That's up to you.
I've found that my group (Sheri WhiteFeather and Judy Duarte) is an invaluable
support system. They've also helped me grow in this field. However, I've
heard it said that critique groups can tear down a person's confidence
if the members don't know how to critique constructively. |
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How do
you define constructive criticism? |
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Always mention a positive to balance the negative. Phrase suggestions as suggestions,
not demands. Use smiley faces or other psychological tricks to encourage your
partners. Decide if your comments will help the manuscript in the big picture,
or if they're based on personal biases. These are simple points, but easy to
forget. |
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Who do
you read for inspiration? |
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I've got strange
reading habits. When I'm not in my "rough draft" writing
phase of a book, I'm into at least four books at one time. I have a "purse
book" to consume my time when I'm standing in lines or getting my car
washed, etc. That one's usually written by a friend. The other three
books vary: mainly a historical romance (love 'em!), a contemporary (to
check out the market), then either a classic, or something that will
teach me more about writing or new experiences. I follow authors like
Stephen King because he really stretches the limits of language and descriptions.
Larry McMurty writes quirky characters whose inner and spoken dialogues
reveal a lot about them. And I like Donna Tartt's themes and how they
tie into plot and characterization. Then there's Suzanne Brockmann, whose
pacing is a roller coaster of action and emotion.
When I'm in the "rough draft" writing phase of one of my books, I like
to read selections that help my research or inspire me creatively. I
usually talk about how this works on my blog page. |
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Do you
give the publishers ideas for your covers? |
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Yes. They ask for input. We fill out an Art Fact Sheet for Harlquin/Silhouette, sketching in character details such as hair/eye color, personality type, etc. We turn in magazine photos, too. However, it doesn't go beyond that. I have no connection with the cover models, photographers, etc. But they've always done a great job, and I appreciate it. |
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Are there any workshops that you give for conferences or local chapters? |
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I have a few ("I Saw the Bite," which covers writing for the paranormal market, and also "Baiting the Hook," which discusses effective opening hooks), but my favorite one is called "Pied-Piping the Muse." It's based on the Mozart Effect and on a method of story building that I used during creative writing time in the classroom. Basically, I utilize musical selections to lead the attendees through exercises that get them into a deep brainstorming zone. The feedback has been great so far, and I always love to see what the writers come up with. It's amazing. |
