Author Interview! With Amanda Carlson

It is ALWAYS a great pleasure to have Amanda Carlson by the blog.  She has rocked the UF books with her new series, now two books and a novella strong - Jessica McClain.

Please give Amanda a strong welcome back to the blog!

M:  Amanda!  Wonderful to have you back to the blog.  You’ve got some great new exciting things happening with Jessica.  And we are completely looking forward to it!

AC:  Thanks for having me, Melissa! I always love visiting you.

M:  Hot Blooded!  And let me tell you, my blood was running hot.  I couldn’t get through the pages fast enough.

Jessica is really evolving as we go through this book.  There is more to her than even the Cain Myth we mentioned in your second interview.  Will Jessica learn all she is capable of?  Or will she always have more as there was a mention in this book that there could be?

AC:  She will definitely learn about her powers, and they will be finite, but they do adapt. I love that part about her and it gives her more range, but Jessica won’t be able to solve everything on her own. Her team is a very important part of the series. And because she’s such a new supernatural, it’s going to take her some time to figure everything out. Moving forward in COLD, it’s very clear that Jessica will need help…and she gets it from the most unlikely source (hehe, no spoilers from me!).

M:  We have formed new bonds in Hot Blooded.  I loved Naomi, and the bond that evolved between her and Jessica.  Is this going to be a strain in some areas for Jessica and help in others?

AC:  So far the only strain Jessica feels is keeping her entire team safe. Her relationship with Naomi will continue to grow and thrive. Naomi complements her in a way no one has before. Her belief in Jessica is unfaltering. I had no idea when I wrote Naomi how important she would become, but she’s a great balance for Jessica. I love their interaction.

M:  The boys are amazing!  Tyler, Jessica’s twin brother, and Danny.  Will they venture with

Jessica in Cold Blooded as well?  And maybe Nick?

AC:  Yes!

M:  The world is growing!  The Supe’s are starting to surface; along with others the wolves never expected…Demons.  We’ll be seeing more of the demons to come?  And more supernatural’s as well?

AC:  Most definitely. I had a blast coming up with some supes you don’t see very often in HOT BLOODED, which was a journey for Jessica in so many ways. It was perfectly set up for me to add some menacing beasties. In COLD she’s back in town and it’s very much back to urban, but I did sneak in a few surprises. I love having a big world. It excites me as both a reader and a writer. Why let weres and vamps have all the fun? I like to keep it interesting.

M:  Did you do a lot of research for the creatures you’ve used?  Any of the demons, the water naiads?

AC:  Yes, with most of the supes I craft, I try first to find a thread of real myth. Even the Mahrac. That myth actually comes from the Altai Mountains in Mongolia. If it’s plausible in our world, why wouldn’t it be plausible in my fictional world? The only thing I made up in HOT were the…animals, LOL. They were both Selene’s creation. Everything else was researched.

M:  We’ve learned, and still learning, the werewolf ways.  We’ve touched on vampires and demons.  Will sorcerers and witches be next?

AC:  Oh, yes. *rubs hands together* The fun is just beginning.

M:  Okay, I saved the best for last…Rourke.  Now, he’s taken and I don’t want to upset Jessica in any way, so I’ll take a step back.  What a sight we come across!  Will we ever learn in whole what he is, was?

AC:  Yes. You learn in a big way! I wouldn’t string you guys along too far. I don’t want any riots on my hands.

Thanks so much for hosting me today! It’s always such a pleasure to drop in.

M:  Thank you Amanda!  It's a pleasure to have you by.  Here's wishing you all the best in words and pages.


Curious about Amanda's books?
Here is the reading order:
**Blooded: A Jessica McClain Novella, Full Blooded, and Hot Blooded are all available for purchase.  Cold Blooded is pre-order & will release October 8, 2013.  You do not have to read the novella before starting the first book, but is one of the best I've ever read.

Want to learn more of Amanda and her books?

You can find her:

Site:  Amanda Carlson, Urban Fantasy Author

(you can sign up for her newsletter to keep up with important scoop)

Twitter:  @amandaccarlson

Facebook:  Author Amanda Carlson

Goodreads:  Amanda Carlson