The Lindsay Show: Interview with Mimi Sebastian!!

Good morning lovelies! I hope you've had a wonderful holidays and that you're not in too much of a food coma from all of the Christmas food :) Today I'm welcoming the fantabulous Mimi Sebastian to The Lindsay Show!

Interview

I'm so glad you could join me! Hope you had a wonderful holiday :) Let's dive right in, shall we?When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I have journals starting back from when I was ten or twelve years old. I used to write a lot of poetry and short stories. Writing has always been a part of me, but I never sat down to write a book until a couple of years ago. So, I guess, I discovered I wanted to be a writer then.

Love it! That's pretty much how I was :) What has been the most difficult part about being a writer?

Balancing my day job, family, and writing. I basically have two careers now. It’s insane. And now, building an author platform/online presence. It’s tough because these days you can’t just be a writer. Somehow, that has translated into being a marketing specialist, which I’m terrible at.

I couldn't agree more! When I set out to write a book initially, I thought 'hey I write a book and it magically will be awesome!' Yeah not so much LOL. I knew before I started putting myself out there in June I'd have to be a PR wizard but I never knew how hard it would be!! Who are your favorite authors?

Some of my favorite Urban Fantasy authors include Stacia Kane and Jim Butcher. I have to mention Anne Rice because, when you think about it, she’s really one of the first, in modern times, with Lestat. I also like Joyce Carol Oates, and, right now, Bill Willingham who writes the wonderful Fables comic books, taking fairytale characters and bringing them into our world. He did this way before the tv shows, etc., and he does an amazing job of breathing new life into these characters and giving them these incredible personalities. I mean, Cinderella is basically the Fables superspy, a James Bond type. And he doesn’t limit his reach to the traditional characters, but also explores the Arabian Knights stuff, Japanese fables, etc.

Those are some fantastic authors :) Seriously love that you say Cinderella is the Fables super spy LOL. What authors inspire you?

I’m actually inspired quite a bit by horror authors: Ray Bradbury, H.P. Lovecraft, Poe, Ambrose Bierce, Stephen King, Clive Barker, Dean Koontz. And Bram Stoker. I mean if you read Dracula, some of his writing blows me away. Dracula says to Jonathan Harker: It is old, and has many memories, and there are bad dreams for those who sleep unwisely. Horror writers are good with creating mood and atmosphere because that’s an important part of imparting the fear. I try to incorporate that in my Urban Fantasy, I mean, we are talking about zombies and other supernatural beings. That’s creepy. I’m waiting for that great horror story idea to pop in my head so I can write it.

Those are such amazing authors, they must be a wealth of inspiration for you! Do you like to plan your scenes out or do you just wing it?

I wing it first. I write the core of the scene first, that bit of dialog or interaction between the characters, or internalization if it’s a one character scene, that gets to the heart of the conflict for that scene, then I fill in the rest later.

Woot! Always love meeting my fellow pantser :) What type of books do you like to read?

I’ll read just about anything if it sounds like a good story. I do enjoy a good romance J, both paranormal and historical. Horror, but good atmospheric stuff, not torture porn stuff. I recently read some Lisa Gardner and think she does an amazing job with writing suspense. I enjoy a good fantasy read, have read Tolkien, and the Terry Goodkind Sword of Truth series among others. I’m also a big comic book geek as noted above. I’m going to start reading the Brian Lumley Necroscope books. I don’t know why I haven’t read them yet, given they’re about a necromancer. And love a good nonfiction survival story like The Savage Mountain, about an expedition that went to hell trying to climb the K2 mountain in 1953. I think I find reading about the combination of sheer will and ingenuity that pushes someone to survive under such extreme conditions.

I adore how diverse your interests are. My are sadly not nearly as diverse and I probably miss out on some wonderful stories. What do you like to do in your free time?

What? LOL. I play with my four year old. He has such a great imagination, hmmmm, maybe he’ll be a writer. Exercise. Being a writer is tough on the body, sitting and writing.

OMG, kids have the most amazing imaginations! I wish I could bottle it up for when I need a new story idea lol. Where is your favorite place to vacation?

I love the beach. I grew up in Florida with an abundance of water, and now live in Phoenix, AZ, the complete opposite. So we take trips to see the ocean, either in California, Mexico, or Florida. The ocean soothes my soul.

Squeeeee! Love the beach!! Sorry, I'm in landlocked PA so whenever I see beach I spazz just a little bit hehehe. Do you have any special holiday traditions?

LOL. This year we were lucky to put up a tree. Just spending time with family, drinking hot cocoa. We’re going to see The Hobbit. Can’t wait.

You mean I wasn't the only one who kept putting off putting it up? LOL! Good to know ;) Why did you choose to write urban fantasy?

I think Urban Fantasy chose me J. But I’ve always been fascinated by the strange and unusual and like exploring how supernatural characters deal with living in the “normal” world and how being supernatural gives that person glimpses into the strange and unusual, which I love.

Love it! That's sort of what I do. Don't you think life would be so much more exciting if the supernatural coexisted with us in reality?! Why did you choose to write about a necromancer? Can you tell us more about the necromancer?

I became really interested in writing about a paranormal character that has this crazy power, control of the dead, and how that affects her humanity. And that’s what I’m trying to explore in the books. Ruby’s (my necromancer protagonist) power almost has a mind of its own and influences her in negative ways. And there are definitely limits set, lines that a necromancer should never cross, because it warps them, so it’s fun to explore what happens to her when she crosses those lines. In my mythology, without giving too much away, necromancers were born from the interference of the demons in the human realm. They have the ability to reanimate the dead, create zombies and revenants. Those are the basic powers, but I expand beyond those abilities, which plays into the necromancer/demon mythology, but that’s about all I can say.

Fantastic! There just aren't enough necromancers in books today so I love the creativity of having one as your protagonist :) What has been the most fun about working on your books?

Those moments of inspiration when that idea comes to you and everything clicks. Also, coming up with those fun, quirky ideas. I have a sentient deck of Tarot cards in my book. That was a fun scene to write because “her” personality was very clear to me. And I enjoy editing. I’m a “cleaner” by nature. I have to empty my e-mails on a regular basis, get rid of clutter in the house. When I edit, I look at it as getting rid of the clutter in the manuscript.

You know, you're so right about when everything clicks. A sentient deck of Tarot cards?! Now I have to read this for sure lol. As for being a cleaner, how about you come over to my house sometime? I have plenty of clutter I need help with lmao. What has been the hardest scene for you to write?

Probably the final confrontation scene with the bad guy and explaining how Ruby used her power to defeat him and justify the actions she took, which result in serious repercussions for Ruby in Book Two.

Ooo I'm intrigued. Note to self, start this book ASAP! Do you have any favorite characters?

One is a vampire named Lysander. He is attracted to Ruby and that may come into play later, but one of the things I’ve enjoyed doing with my characters is to not make them black or white, but to explore the gray areas. They all have to make horrible choices based their allegiances to their own supernatural race and past events. Lysander is going to change throughout the series, whether it’s for the better or worse remains to be seen. And he and Ewan have some delicious clashes J in the second book. I really also love my revenant, Adam. A revenant is basically an uber-zombie with control of their mental faculties and very dangerous. He’s pretty pissed off when Ruby reanimates him. Even though he was murdered, death gave him peace from a terrible event. So it sucks when he wakes from death and is once again confronted with the horrible emotions from that trauma. And I can’t leave out my hero, Ewan. He’s so sexy (of course, right?) and tortured. He’s totally Alpha demon, but he has always desired Ruby from afar, and I think it’s quite wonderful how he treats her with incredible sensitivity. Ruby is not a kick ass heroine who wears stilettos, but she is strong and independent and very powerful. He tries to respect her space as much as he can while also trying his best to protect her and get in her pants!!

Can I just say that all of your characters sound so fantastic? How did you come up with the premise for the Necromancer Series?

It came from the characters. It’s very character driven. I’m quite the pantser when I start writing. I tend to plot later. But I knew I wanted demons and for Ruby’s love interest to be a demon. That got the ball rolling. So where do they demons come from? Not hell, because they’re not really demons, which leads to other interesting things about them that I can’t tell you. And I wanted the revenant Ruby raised to be a witch, so that led to other questions. Her best friend is also a witch, so what role do the witches play in all this? So it all snowballed from the characters.

I think that's awesome and damn you for making me dying to read this now! Hah, I made a funny! Get it dying? Necromancer? Ok sorry, I'm not medicated yet ;) Can you tell us more about the world in which The Necromancer’s Seduction is set?

It’s set in San Francisco, current time, but much of its centers around how a race of demons have influenced the human realm, including Ruby. I have vampires, witches, the usual suspects, but while they are all part of the chess board, the story really centers around Ruby and the demons. I also have some fun, and some nasty, demon creatures interspersed throughout and they were fun to write. The first book contains brief forays into the demon realm, but the second and third books will have more scenes in the demon realm, and those were interesting to write, to create another world that’s different.

I love that it's set in San Francisco because I don't get to read too many books set in that city. Usually it's LA, New York, Chicago, etc. When will The Necromancer’s Seduction be released?

Around June of 2013, hopefully sooner.

Squeee!! *Races to calendar to mark it down* How many books are you planning in your series and what can we expect from the series?

Three books. The next one is the Necromancer’s Betrayal and third one is The Necromancer’s Redemption. We can expect betrayal, redemption, LOL, more angst, zombie rats… J But ultimately for Ruby to learn more about the history of necromancers and how that will affect her as a supernatural person and her relationships with the people she cares about.

LOL love those titles! Wait, zombie rats?! Eeek! What's next for you?

I have a draft of a pirate historical I’d like to get out next year because I love me some pirate swagger, and I have an idea for another Urban Fantasy series that draws from Japanese mythology. Can’t wait to start writing that one.

Wow, you're going to be on my must buy list, I can just feel it :) Well, we are unfortunately out of time which is so unfair considering now I'm dying to hear about that pirate historical lol. Anything else you want your readers to know?

Still being an avid reader myself, I appreciate good characters and I hope that’s what people take from my stories.

Thank you so much for stopping by Mimi! It has been a blast learning more about you and your book *hugs*

Thanks so much for the interview. I enjoyed it immensely. I’m amazed by your energy and enthusiasm! And all the best to everyone for a great 2013!

Awww thank you sweetie! Happy New Year!!

The Necromancer's Seduction

She has never feared the walking dead. It’s the power required to reanimate the dead that startles her, seduces her. The power that dwells inside her…and is growing.

For Professor Ruby Montagne, being a necromancer has brought her nothing but heartache, and she walked away from that part of her life long ago. However, her quiet existence in San Francisco is shattered when she stumbles upon the body of a slain witch, and the supernatural community insists she transform him into a revenant to track the killer. But his murder was just the beginning, and Ruby soon realizes that the stakes are higher than anyone can imagine—and that revenants have nasty minds of their own.

Now demonic creatures have escaped into the human world, and zombies once again walk the streets. For humanity’s sake, Ruby forms an unlikely alliance with a witch, a zombie, and Ewan March, a demon warrior who sets her senses on fire. She’s always distrusted demons and Ewan is no exception, but circumstances push them closer together, and Ruby not only finds it harder to resist him, she isn’t sure she even wants to. But she suspects his job of patrolling the portal separating humans and demons conceals a dark and deadly past that may consume them both.

With events spiraling out of control, Ruby unravels a plot that not only threatens the human and demon realms, but puts Ruby’s very soul in jeopardy. Because when the dead walk, no one is safe. Especially Ruby.

Mimi Sebastian

I raised myself on books and the strange and unusual with an unhealthy dose of Scooby Doo. Loving angst-filled romance thrown in the mix, I decided to blend all those elements in a steamy mix in my first Urban Fantasy series. I also love pirates and have a pirate book coming out next year.

I spent two years in the Ivory Coast with the Peace Corps and love to introduce tid- bits from my experiences in my writing. I'm a member of Romance Writers of America and the Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal chapter of RWA. I attempt to balance writing with my day career and family in the desert of Phoenix, AZ.