Author Interview: Jess Haines

  The fantastic author Jess Haines has graciously let me interview her this week!! Personally she has become one of my favorite authors and I’m so happy to share the awesomeness of her books.

You can check out the reviews I’ve done for both of her books:

Hunted by the Others

Taken by the Others

 Shera (Book Whispers):  In your own words introduce yourself.

Jess Haines:  Howdy!  I’m Jess Haines, the author of the H&W Investigations series.  I’m a workaholic who loves all things books, coffee, and chocolate.  When I’m not working or writing, I’ve either got my nose in a book or I’m hanging with my friends watching movies.  Or surfing the internet.  Or making lame Monty Python jokes.  Or playing RPGs.  Pretty much your average, everyday nerd.

BW: How does H&W Investigations series break away from other books in the Urban Fantasy Genre?

JH:  Most urban fantasy novels are centered around a protagonist who is not fully human, or does not remain so for long.  Not so with my heroine.  Shiarra Waynest doesn’t have a magical bone in her body, nor is she enamored with all things Other (aka, supernatural).  When she does something extraordinary, it’s usually because someone like Arnold, a mage who helps her out from time to time, gave her a boost.  She has to solve all of her own problems using her connections, her skills, and her wits.

Granted, she’s not always the brightest crayon, but I like to keep things realistic.  *g*

BW:  Your side characters in the H&W Investigations have always enchanted me.  Whether it's nerdy Mage Arnold, crazy White Hats, or yummy vampires and werewolves.  However, there is one character that really makes my heart speed up and that's the Hunters Belt.  After reading Taken by the Others, I just have to ask, will the Hunters Belt ever get some real page time?

JH:  I love that snarky accessory and wish I had a way to sneak in its back story sooner.  It’s got a big part to play in the future—you won’t see much of it in the third book, DECEIVED BY THE OTHERS, but it’ll get quite a bit of “face time” in the fourth (as yet untitled, but expect it sometime around Spring/Summer 2012).

BW: In a previous interview you stated that you're a Mercedes Lackey fan, who I am also a fan of.  Was the Hunters Belt inspired by the Sentinet sword that pops up in Lackey's Valdemar: Mage Winds series?

 

JH: Actually, I haven’t read that series.  My hands-down favorite book of hers was co-written with Andre Norton—THE ELVENBANE.  I’ve read a few of her other books, but the Halfblood Chronicles were the ones I loved best, particularly the first one.

BW:  When you're in a writing jam, is there a particular author you look to for inspiration? One that makes you ask, "What would insert author's name here do?"

JH:  What Would Jim Butcher Do? should really be on a bumper sticker somewhere.

BW:  In an exciting post you shared on your blog you stated that Kensington would be publishing three more H&W Investigations books!  You gave some clues to what some of the books would progress too, but is six books the magic number for this series?  Or do you still have tons of big plans for Shiarra?

JH:  Ask me this question again when I’m done writing book six.  *g*

BW:  In Taken by the Others Shiarra is faced with one of her worst nightmares, being bitten by a vampire.  At certain times in the book Shiarra starts to give into the "dark side" of the belt.  Will we get to see more of Shiarra's struggle?

JH:  Abso-friggin’-lutely!  …in book four.  I wish I could talk more about what’s coming in the next few books, but because it’s so far away from publication (and most people haven’t even read the second book yet), it’s difficult for me not to turn into a squeeing, overexcited author and babble about all the nifty plot twists and horrib—err, wonderful things I have planned for Shia in the future!

BW:  Another thing I really loved about Taken by the Others is that you show us some of the world of the White Hats.  Personally I'm smitten by our over zealous Other haters, can we expect to see even more of them from the next books?

JH:  Man, you really are after spoilers about book four, aren’t you?  Hehehe.

Our favorite crazy psycho, Jack the White Hat, has a brief part to play in the third book.  Like the belt, the White Hats will come strongly into play in the fourth.  Beyond that, I can’t say much because I absolutely, positively, completely and utterly refuse to spoil what’s coming in DECEIVED BY THE OTHERS.  Rest assured, Shiarra’s life is never going to be the same again after the events of that book.

BW:  The next book in the series Deceived by the Others sounds more like page time to develop Shiarra and her werewolf boyfriend Chaz's relationship.  Can readers still expect the same heart stopping Adrenalin rushes from the first two books? More importantly, will readers still get plenty of yummy vampire Royce?

JH:  Shiarra will definitely be spending quite a bit of time with Chaz as well as making new friends (and enemies) while the Sunstrikers—Chaz’s pack of werewolves—take their vacation in the Catskill Mountains.  Considering someone is out to kill Chaz—and maybe take Shiarra down with him—I’m sure you’ll find plenty of the action you’ve come to expect follows in her wake.

As for Royce, well.  Let’s just say that, by the end of DECEIVED BY THE OTHERS, everything—every preconceived notion Shiarra’s had about Others, every relationship, and every line she never thought she would cross—is about to change.

BW:  What other projects do you have coming up besides the next three books? Or any other fun things fans should be aware of?

JH:  Ha!  Oh, this is a fun one to answer.

There’s a novella I’m working on that’s going to be in an anthology coming out sometime in 2011 called THE REAL WEREWIVES OF VAMPIRE COUNTY (a spoof off of all of those Real Housewives of … TV shows).  Don’t have the release dates or who the other authors are yet, but I’ll announce it on my blog as soon as I have the info.

I’ve got a huge—huge co-written paranormal romance novel that I’m toying with on the side.  It desperately needs trimming and some clean-up before it can be submitted anywhere.  If it ever sees the light of day, you can expect a pairing between a vampire who makes her debut in TAKEN BY THE OTHERS and a werewolf, a very hairy naked Scotsman, a very angry French chef, werewolves in fetish collars, and an epic battle over ice cream.

BW:  For you personally, not your characters, between a vampire love interest or a werewolf love interest which do you prefer?  (What team are you on? Team Vampire or Team Werewolf.)

JH:  Personally?  Give me the hot vampire.  Yowza!

BW:  Go wild! Let us know something funny about you, share something that's on your mind, or anything else that's important about your books.

JH:  Oh, jeez.  Let’s see.  Some stuff about me…  I have a menagerie (three birds, two neurotic cats, two betta fish, a snake, and a gecko).  I have an irrational and unreasoning fear of cockroaches.  If you provide me with good chocolate and/or coffee, I will love you forever.  My favorite color is dark, forest green.

Something about the books?  How about I leave you and your readers with this snippet from TAKEN BY THE OTHERS:

THE MOST DANGEROUS OF OTHERS

I tried to find the words to speak, to tell Royce to stop, but all I could manage was a feeble cry when he took hold of my wrists, pulling my hands off his chest and pressing them to the wall. He said nothing, simply studied me while that gibbering terror romping through my mind didn’t want to acknowledge that he hadn’t hurt me yet. It only wanted to focus on the fact that I was pinned, he looked ravenous, I was the only human in sight, and his fangs were literally inches away from some all too vulnerable parts of my body. Places where the blood runs hot and fast and close to the surface of the skin.

Why was he doing this? What did he want from me? Panic clawed at my throat, and as he leaned in, his lips brushing against the side of my neck, I found my voice again, letting loose with a shriek as I twisted away. He was going to bite me!

“I’d never hurt you,” he whispered, his voice low and soothing. He didn’t touch me save for the velvet soft brush of his lips against my skin, followed by the brief rake of fangs. Hinting at penetration, but never quite sinking in. It was enough to drag a little cry from my lips, too breathy to properly be called a scream. I thought I might just die of fright right then, closing my eyes and trying to remember how to breathe as my heart tried to pound its way out of my chest.
“You could stay young and beautiful and strong forever,” Royce whispered. “With me. Think about it…”

Thanks again for having me over for the interview!

BW:  No, thank you Jess for coming over and doing this interview.  Not only am I jazzed about getting book 3, Deceived by the Others, but now I’m crawling out of my skin for book 4!

Author Bio:

What Jess Haines Writes

The author has over 5 years freelance experience in technical writing, editing and screenplays.  More recently, this repertoire has expanded to include short stories and a series of urban fantasy novels in progress.

See the sidebar for a list of recent Jess Haines interviews, guest blogs, giveaways, and more!

Jess loves to hear from fans, too!  Visit and comment on the blog, follow Jess on Facebook and Twitter, or drop a line through the contact page.

For more go to the authors official site.

Add it:

Amazon:

Deceived By The Others

goodreads:

Hunted By The Others

Taken By The Others

Deceived By The Others