I had the honor of interviewing one of my favorite authors...
Patricia Briggs!
Patricia is a special author to me because her Mercy Thompson series was one of the very first urban fantasies I ever read and my love for that series what one of the major things that pulled me into the world of UF and PNR fiction and book blogging!
Check out my interview with Patricia below, and then enter to win your own copy of NIGHT BROKEN on the Rafflecopter below!
Thank you for allowing me to ask you some questions, Patricia! I’m a huge fan of your Mercy series!
1. When you began writing Moon Called, what came first: Mercy’s character or her supernatural designation?
Aha. A chicken and the egg question. I decided that she was a coyote shapeshifter and mechanic – and the rest of her character fell into place (and is still falling into place) out of that.
2. What kind of research have you had to do to write Mercy’s background and the shifter/walker mythology?
My mother was a children’s librarian in Montana—which meant I had a lot of Native American stories to read when I was growing up. My favorite comic book was Werewolf by Night (which were in my sister’s comic book collection). I read a lot of fairytales, mythologies and legends. So really, I had done the research for Mercy’s background before I ever wrote a novel. I have, since then, reread a lot and searched out stories I was not familiar with. For River Marked I lucked into a Native American storyteller who retold the Coyote story about She Who Watches on Youtube. I love rummaging through old books, searching the Internet and begging friends for stories. I never know when some tidbit will be useful—it’s all part of the fun .
3. Mercy is one of my favorite fictional heroines because she is such a strong and independent woman but she still makes connections and relationships with those around her. Who are the fictional heroines you admire?
Mercy says, “Thank you!” Meg Corbyn in Anne Bishop’s new series that began with Written in Red is a terrific character. She has that innocence paired with a steel plated backbone that Anne Bishop does so well. Love Kate Daniels (Ilona Andrews) because she’s tough, loyal to the bone and intelligent. She’s damaged, but still able to love and connect with the people around her.
4. What made you decide to give Adam an ex-wife and a child? Had you always planned for him to have a previous family or did it emerge as you wrote him?
It emerged as I wrote him. He didn’t seem to be someone who ran from life—and he’s a lot older than Mercy so he’s experienced more. It also seemed to be an interesting thing to put into the life of a man born to protect the people who are his. Jesse was a bonus, because I didn’t want a world peopled with only adults.
5. Daniel Dos Santos’ covers are absolutely gorgeous! Is his version of Mercy the same as the one in your head or do you imagine her differently?
I saw the sketches for the cover of Moon Called while I was still writing the book—and after that I pictured that person in my head as I wrote. That’s absolutely who I have in my head when I write Mercy (though I think Dan’s Mercy is prettier than Mercy thinks herself to be).
6. What can we expect in the future for Mercy, Adam, Jesse, and the rest of the gang?
This fall Ace is publishing Shifting Shadows, a collection of all the Mercy world stories that have been published and four more—for a total of ten stories. We’ve thrown in a couple of outtakes, one from Silver Born and another from Night Broken.
I don’t have a date on it yet, but Dynamite and I are also putting together another original story for Mercy called Hopcross Jilly. We’re going straight to graphic novel format (not bringing out comic books) and I’m really excited about how well it’s going so far.
Thank you SO much for answering my questions Patricia!
Now enter to win your own copy of NIGHT BROKEN by Patricia Briggs!
This giveaway is international as long as you live somewhere The Book Depository ships!
