The power of the Triad and Poppy . . . a mmmMMMonday interview with Poppy Dennison!

Just for reading this interview, and commenting on it, you are entered to possibly win one or two FREE books. SO DO IT! And you'll be glad you did!

Wt - This is Wt Prater, and i'm here today interviewing Poppy Dennison. Thanks for being here.

PD - Thanks for having me!

Wt - So, apparently today is bad 80's movie, as I'm currently watching Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. What's your guilty pleasure?

PD -  As far as 80's movies are concerned, I'm a John Hughes girl. Give me the Molly Ringwald movies any day and I'm curled up and happy. Sixteen Candles...*happy sigh* That moment when Jake and Sam are leaning across the table. Gets me every single time! Oh, and when she walks out and he’s leaning against the car. Gah! I’m revealing my age here, aren’t I? Those movies are the ones I watched during my impressionable tween years and have always seemed the most romantic to me.

Outside of 80's movies, I'm normally curled up reading the newest paranormal romance I can find with a huge mug of coffee by my side.

Wt - What book(s) are you currently reading?

PD - I'm a huge Mary Calmes fan and just finished a reread of her Matter of Time series in preparation for the newest one coming out. Love those books. Jory is an amazing character. I try to keep up with a few other paranormal series, including the Anita Blake books and the Southern Vampires by Charlaine Harris. Unfortunately, I haven't been reading a lot lately because I'm in the middle of writing 3 of my own! I think that’s a pretty valid excuse though, don’t you?

Wt -  Tell us about your current projects.

PD - I've just submitted a novella with a sick werewolf and the nurse who takes care of him. It was such a fun story to write and the main character really tested me! Andrew is a feisty bit of goods and finds himself in over his head with shapeshifters. He doesn’t even know they exist! I'm hoping to have good news on it soon.

 I'm currently writing a vampire christmas short that has me giggling at every turn. What happens when a vampire falls for a television cooking show host? I’m having a blast writing it and love stories where I can play up the humor. Funny paranormal books aren’t around a lot, but I’m hoping my fans enjoy my twist on this one.

And I can't leave out Soul Magic, the third and final book in the Triad series. This book really packs a punch and I have a feeling I'm going to be in big trouble with my readers when it comes out! It’s very challenging for me to write, because I know it’s the last time I’ll be venturing into this world (well, at least for a while anyway!). This one features more of Simon and Gray, and wraps up the big “whodunit” of the series. And yes, for the fans who are asking me, it does feature Cormac in a romantic role!

Wt - For you is there a difference in writing novels and short stories? And how so?

PD - In a lot of ways, they are very similar for me. The process, in fact, is exactly the same. Both start with a major idea, usually a scene that is clear to me. It plays in my head like a movie and I have to write it down. Then I build the story around it. The difference between novels and shorter stories comes in the subplots. When I'm working on something like Soul Magic, the plotting becomes much more intricate and time consuming. I have more characters to deal with, and more threads to keep moving forward.  In a novella or short story, I have to limit the amount of subplots because I simply don't have the word count available to fully delve into them. I can’t introduce as many characters, either.

Wt -  Speaking of Soul Magic, how's the Triad doing? I was checking out reviews on Mind Magic, and it seems it's doing a little better in reviews than Body Magic.

PD -  Body Magic seems to be doing very well. The series is doing much better than I could ever have imagined. It's hard to come on the scene as a newbie and have a book that people really connect with, but my readers seem to really enjoy Gray, Simon, and the rest of the pack. I'm thrilled with the response!
 

Wt - In planning the Triad, how much did you plan out ahead?

PD - Triad was originally one book, so I had a pretty good idea of where it was going from the beginning idea. In fact, I knew the ending of book three before I knew anything about the middle of the series because it was supposed to be the ending of book one! I have a notebook full of notes on the series. Characters and plot points and romance, oh my! As I'm writing the third book, I keep referring back to those notes to make sure I keep my original intention in mind. The series is really about Simon's journey, and I hope that as the other characters appear around him, my readers see how they all impact him and his growth as a person, a mage, and a mate.
 

Wt - Well, I love the first one, and i know the second one came out Sept. 20. Do you have date for the third one?

PD - I'm hoping to have the third book out in April 2013, as close to a year from the original release of Mind Magic as I can. I like the symmetry of it. I have a few shorter pieces scheduled for release in the meantime, so I’m hoping my fans don’t yell too loudly about the long wait.

Wt - And these are available through Dreamspinner Press. When you deciding which house to go through, why did you ultimately decide on DSP?

PD - I did quite a bit of research on several different publishers in the genre. Ultimately, word of mouth helped make my decision for me. Every author I spoke with who had published with Dreamspinner loved the team and the process. I'm so thankful I decided to go with them. Elizabeth North is amazing to work with, and the editing team has really saved my bacon a few times. It's been an amazing experience.

Wt - Besides online promotion, are there events that you attend to promote sales? AKA do you spend much time at conventions and such?

PD - I haven't attended any events yet. Last year, I attended GayRomLit in New Orleans as a reader (which is where I met you, Will! *g*). I will be at GayRomLit in Albuquerque this month, but honestly, I'm so much of a fangirl that I don't consider that event promoting sales at all! For me, it’s all about connecting with friends, and if they happen to buy a book afterwards, that’s a bonus. I will be attending Olde City, New Blood, a paranormal convention in St. Augustine, Fl next year that will be more sales oriented. Heck, who am I kidding. I'll be fangirling my way through that convention as well!

Wt - And I noticed you are a fan of blog hopping. Have you found that to be useful in finding new authors and new followers?

PD - Absolutely. As both an author and a reader, the more involved I am in the genre, the more I learn. I find other authors to read, those who share my interests, and have made some amazing friends in the process. I think the best way to find new authors and followers is to be sincerely interested in what’s going on in the genre. There’s a lot to keep up with, but with so many social media options available, everyone can find a niche where they fit in. Blog hops are a great tool for that purpose. It’s a bit of the Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon game. I might not know an author, but they know a friend of mine, and we connect by both doing a blog hop.

Wt - Any new faves?

PD - I'm a huge fan of Jeremy Pack. His new book, To Touch the Stars, blew my mind. Your readers are probably familiar with Jeremy from his interview here. He’s a true gem in this genre, and has wit and wisdom that I admire greatly. As to blogs, I follow the Chicks & Dicks blog because they tend to touch on issues as both a writer and reader that I care about. It’s not all about promotion. I don’t think you can go into any of the social media aspects only thinking about selling another book. How boring would that be? I like interacting with other fans and readers and learning from my fellow authors.
 

Wt -  Do you do NaNo?

PD - I don't do NaNo, but am considering it this year. I'm going to hit up Kiernan Kelly in Albuquerque for some advice. Shall I hit you up as well, Will?

Wt - Please do it! More inspiration aka ass-kicking!

PD - I'm definitely considering it! I need to check the NaNo rules because I've technically just started writing Soul Magic so I'm not sure it will count. Either way, I could use the daily challenge practice and I’m very interested in the community aspect of NaNo. I’ve thought about it for the past couple years, but the timing never seems to be right.

Wt - So, are there any questions you wish i had asked and/or any questions you never want to be asked again?

PD - I must say that I'm still kind of a newbie at this whole interview gig, so there aren't any questions that I've gotten tired of...yet! LOL. Other than that, I think you covered things well. Thanks so much for having me!

Wt - Well, What can I say . . .you are still one of my biggest inspirations!

PD - *hugs* Thank you so much Wt. I don't think of myself as an inspiration. I'm just thrilled to be writing stories that I love, and hope to be able to continue doing this for years to come! And I plan on you being right there with me so get to work! I can’t wait to see you this week in Albuquerque. 


Poppy Dennison developed an obsession with things that go bump in the night in her early years after a barn door flew off its hinges and nearly squashed her. Convinced it was a ghost trying to get her attention, she started looking for other strange and mysterious happenings around her. Not satisfied with what she found, Poppy has traveled to Greece, Malaysia and England to find inspiration for the burly bears and silver foxes that melt her butter. Her love of paranormal continues to flourish nearly thirty years later, and she writes steamy love stories about the very things that used to keep her up all night. If her childhood ghost is lucky, maybe one day she’ll give him his own happily ever after.