Moon: So, tell us, who is the creatrix known as Jeaniene Frost?

Where else do I find inspiration? It can be listening to music, wandering around new places, talking with other writers, or even watching TV. Sometimes, inspiration will reach out and grab me. Other times, it has to be courted and coaxed.

Jeaniene: Wow, must remember to keep this list short. WATERSHIP DOWN was a book I loved as a child, and it may have been my first introduction into a mystical, alternate world (and to me, seeing things through Hazel's eyes was mystical and alternate). Then my first romance book was Beatrice Small's SKYE O'MALLEY. It opened the doors of romance to me, and I have been reading romance ever since.

Dean Koontz got me into dark, contemporary fantasy with WATCHERS, among many of his other books. Diana Gabaldon's OUTLANDER might have been my first romantic fantasy. Then Laurell K Hamilton's GUILTY PLEASURES turned me into a rabid urban fantasy fan.

I could go on and on, of course. There are SO many great books that inspired me, but I don't want to take up too much room.

Jeaniene: HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE is my first book. It's about Cat Crawfield, a half-vampire who's going after the undead in hopes of finding her father - the vampire who raped her mother. Cat ends up getting captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced to partner with him. Through Bones she realizes all vampires might not be evil, and that something more menacing than the undead is responsible for the disappearance of multiple young women in her area.

HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE is a mix of urban fantasy and romance, and it's the first book in the NIGHT HUNTRESS series. Currently, there are five books in the series. The second book, ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE, comes out April 22, 2008.

Jeaniene: I like the immediacy of first person. To me, it makes the action more intense...as well as the passionate scenes ;) Also, in first person, you don't know the motivation of the characters around you. The reader and the protagonist has to guess, use his/her instincts, and sometimes be wrong. Like in life. If only we had a window into the minds of people around us, right?

Drawbacks are that everything is filtered through one person's perception. It's tricky to do and still give readers a well-rounded sense of other characters. As a writer, I want my hero/other characters to be just as three-dimensional as my heroine. I have to work harder at that when I can't just give readers a peek into my hero/other character's thoughts and motivations.

This is not to say that writing in third person multiple point of view is easy. I've done that too, and it's a real juggling act. I tend to prefer first person narrative, however. It's just what feels natural to sit down and type for me, but some stories require more than one point of view. In the end, the story should decide what it needs, not necessarily me.

Moon: What made you decide to do the revisions rather then going with the small press?

Jeaniene: My agent, Rachel Vater, is great about giving feedback to people she requests fulls from. I'd love to think it was just my writing, but I know it's more about her :)

Aside from writing, I like to read (obviously), go to the movies with my husband, explore old cemeteries, and travel - as long as it's by car. I'm afraid to fly. I do it, but I'd much rather drive.

Jeaniene: Wow, really tough question! I have tons of favorites. I keep telling myself I'm going to compile a list (have I mentioned my procrastination problem?) but here's a quick few:

Fight Club
The Mothman Prophecies
Signs
Clay Pigeons
Finding Neverland
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Gladiator
Army Of Darkness
Underworld
Death To Smoochy
What About Bob
Grosse Point Blank
Snatch
Kill Bill (1 and 2)
Hellboy
Jeepers Creepers 2
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

I'm forgetting several, of course, but I really loved all the above.

Moon: That's quite a list. You mentioned traveling. What are the best places you've gotten to spend time in on these journeys?

Jeaniene: First, I would say write what you love. That sounds condescending, but I mean it in the sincerest way. Some writers chase trends, and (a) with how slow the publishing biz is, by the time you'd get a book on the shelf, that trend could be long dead, (b) if you don't love what you're writing, how can you expect anyone else to? and (c) if you write what you love, you're guaranteed to make at least one person happy :) Seriously, it's rough going through the submission process, since it's filled with rejection. Expect that. Don't let it discourage you, but don't start out with a strike against you because you don't love what you've written. That can make an already painful process downright brutal.

On the flip side, however, I'd advise writers not to be so in love with their book that they refuse to revise it. Revision is also part of the process. If you think your manuscript is OMG-perfect the way it is...*grin*...think again. Even if you're a statistical wonder and you sell overnight to a stellar publishing house on your first submission - you're still going to have your editor and then your copyeditor making you tweak/change your book. Be open to revisions and critiques. They make a book better. They may leave your ego with several wounds, but they'll make your book better, and that is most important.

Also, if you have a blog, please please PLEASE, be careful what you put on there! Prospective agents and editors WILL look you up, and if you've got a blog bashing all the other &*^#*&^$! agents who rejected you or the stupid #&^$*^! editors who couldn't see the brilliance of your manuscript (yes, I've read blogs like this), then you can really handicap your chances. Remember, people in publishing know each other, so if you're badmouthing Agent A on your blog, Agent B that you sent your query to, and who looked you up, might be friends with Agent A, and may now throw your submission into the circular file cabinet. It's not worth it. If you can't lock those entries, don't post them. Yes, this is a frustrating business, but rant to friends/family/on locked posts, or not at all. Same goes for badmouthing other authors on your blogs. This is not to say you can't post positive/negative reviews of books on your blog, but things like, "Author XYZ is so stupid and ugly and my book is so much better than theirs...I should be published, not Author XYZ!!" (yes, I've seen blogs like this too) may hurt you down the line. Again, if you're querying, the agent/editor you submitted your book to may look you up, and what if they represent Author XYZ? It's not going to win you any points, that's for sure. So moral of this long ramble? Blog with caution. What you put in writing can be used against you sometimes.

Furthermore, read a lot. There's no better - or more enjoyable, in my opinion - way to improve the quality of your own writing. Seeing what does and doesn't work in other books is just Step One in getting your own novel up to par.

And finally, love to write. Because if you don't get any joy from writing, there are other easier and far less ego-bruising careers to invest your time in.

Jeaniene: Thanks, I had a great time chatting with you!

If you want to know more about Jeaniene and her books, you can visit her website and her blog. 
 

Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father – the one responsible for ruining her mother’s life. Then she’s captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unlikely partnership. 

In exchange for help finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She’s amazed she doesn’t end up as his dinner – are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn’t have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side…and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat. 

Excerpt