Monday, June 8, 2009

Guest Post & Giveaway - Rachel Caine

Rachel Caine has been kind enough to share a guest post with us today. Thanks so much Rachel!

NAL – Jam (Penguin Group) has also offered to share a five book giveaway! (see below for details)

SPILLING SECRETS

Rachel Caine is the New York Times bestselling author of the Morganville Vampires series, as well as the bestselling Weather Warden and Outcast Season series. Her newest release, CARPE CORPUS (Book 6 of the Morganville series) went on sale June 2. CAPE STORM, the next Weather Warden book, will be out August 4.


Can I tell you a secret?

I didn't really intend to write the Morganville series. Or any vampire series. Or any young adult series.

Here's what happened: I got an inquiry from my publisher, who wondered if I'd be interested in writing a YA series for their NAL JAM line of books. I was ... to put it mildly ... a little thrown. "But I don't write young adult," I said. I was, at the time, writing the fourth book of the Weather Warden series, which is -- for language, violence, and yes, sex -- decidedly not YA. In fact, I didn't know anything about the YA market, other than it was vaguely on the other side of the store. So although I was deeply flattered by the inquiry, I was pretty much decided it wasn't for me. Especially since what the publisher was interested in was something vampire-themed.

Now, I'd done vampires before ... more than once. And I really didn't think there was anything I had to say about them, especially post-Buffy. How could I possibly come up with something new anyway?

I happened to call my dear (recently departed) friend Ter Matthies. She was one of those "long drive home" people you could talk to for an hour and a half about, oh, anything. During the call, I mentioned the YA thing. Ter immediately said, in that forthright way she had, "You obviously should do that."

"I should?"

"Of course."

"Um ... why?"

"Because you'd be great at it. You understand how to create interesting characters, and you think sideways. It's just a matter of writing characters that are younger, and making them believable. You can do that."

I think I spluttered "But ..." a couple of times.

"Don't think YA is like the old days," she said. "Most of the books I read now come from the YA shelves. There's incredible stuff over there."

"Really?"

"Really. They're telling the best stories over there. So just say yes."

"But -- they want something with vampires. And I don't want to do the good-guy vampire thing anyway."

"Then don't," Ter said. "How would you make it different?"

I happened to be listening -- believe it or not -- to a CD of the theme music from The Sopranos. "Well," I said, not quite seriously, "Maybe the vampires are like the Mafia. You pay them not to hurt you." I thought about it for a critical second. "Maybe they've taken over a small town. Isolated. And my younger characters are just trying to get by." We both talked about the concept of "blood money" for a moment, and thought that was kind of interesting.

Ter thought about it. "What else?" (She was great at asking this question. It's an awesome question. I ask it of myself, all the time.)

"Well," I said. "Maybe the reason they've taken over the town is that there's something wrong with them. Something they're trying to fix."

This time there was a long silence. "You mean, they're sick?"

"Yes," I said. "Maybe something like vampire Alzheimer's. Maybe they've lost the ability to control themselves at a certain point. Maybe they're really vulnerable now and can't make new vampires, so this is their last stand." I paused, and said, "It's like a nature preserve. They're predators, but they're beautiful, and they're endangered. So it's not a good versus evil sort of situation, except on a very personal level."

Ter, who regularly snarked about the deals made in Publisher's Lunch, was silent. I thought, Oh no. That really sucked.

Then she said, "A cross between the Mafia and a tiger preserve. I'd read that." And she meant it. "Write that. I dare you."

The rest of the conversation was about friend-type stuff ... how cool Alan Rickman was as Snape in the Harry Potter movies. How much we both loved Remus Lupin. How we really needed to spend more time together. You know. Life.

That was the spring of 2006, I believe. The first Morganville book came out in October 2006.

Because Ter dared me to do it.

I'm writing this because Ter was sick by the end of 2007, and slipped away from us in 2008, and I never did get to spend more time with her. I never got to properly thank her for pushing me beyond my limits, one more time.

That's the real story of Morganville. I said no. Ter made me think sideways, and look what happened.

And she was right about the YA shelves. There's so much good stuff over there, it's dizzying. Go look, if you're not already there.

Thank you, Ter. I love you.

This one's for you.

- - Rachel Caine

To learn more about Carpe Corpus, please visit Ms. Caine’s website: HERE

You can visit the Penguin Group website: HERE

Read a review of Carpe Corpus: HERE

Visit Ms. Caine’s author page on Darque Reviews: HERE

GIVEAWAY – How to enter:

This giveaway is for five copies of Carpe Corpus, sponsored by NAL/Penguin Group, and open to U. S. residents. There are two ways to enter:

1. To enter just leave one comment on this post anytime over the next week.

2. For a second entry, post the giveaway info on your blog or website and email me the link (DarqueReviews AT gmail Dot com) with ‘Carpe Corpus’ in the subject line.

The five lucky winners will be announced on Monday, June 15, 2009. Be sure to check back and see if you’re one of them!

Good Luck and Happy Reading!

Kimberly Swan, DarqueReviews.com

89 comments:

californiameaghan said...

i would love a copy of this book!

this interview is great... getting inside writer's heads is always interesting. :D

Jo Bryan said...

I so so want this book for my daughter and myself, we are mad fans, thankd for a chance!!!

Jo said...

Don't enter me please (from the UK), I just felt compelled to comment on the guest post. It was so awesome to read how the Morganville Vampires started. If you're reading at all, Rachel, I am so glad Ter changed your mind about writing them, because they are just amazing! She was obviously very smart :) A bit late, but I'm sorry for your loss.

tetewa said...

Love the series. I have the first four books and I'm looking forward to this one!

Nicole K/GothamGal said...

I've really enjoyed the Morganville Vampires series, so I would really love to read this one!

Thanks so much for posting this interview and giving us a look into the world of Rachel Caine.

SciFiGuy said...

What a great remembrance from Ms. Caine. Thank you.

Deborah Talmadge said...

I've read the first four Morganville books and loved them. Please enter me into you contest.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad Ter dared you. It's always nice to see how a series started. But I'm sorry Ter is gone :(

flip said...

I already have Carpe Corpus. But I love this series. I am an adult, but Holly Black got me into YA books.

Jody F. said...

Very happy you wrote this series since it sounds so good!

And thanks for offering so many books to us readers!

Zhye said...

I would love a copy of this book! I love The MorganVille Vampires series just as much as I love her Weather Warden series (which includes the spin-off The Outcast Season). Ter sounds like great people. I think I may even have a friend like that. I tell him I think I have OCD and he says without people with OCD we'd never be able to find anything.

Angiegirl said...

That is such a lovely tribute. Thank you so much for sharing. And for dipping into YA. It really is a gorgeous place. :)

Michelle Greathouse said...

That is a wonderful story, thank you for sharing it with us. :)

I enjoy both the Weather Warden and Morganville Vampire books.

Please enter my name for the drawing. :)

M

Brooke Reviews said...

Please enter me, I love the Morganville Vampires as well as the Weather Wardens, both are fantastic series! :D I love the story of how Morganville came to be!

bacarleton(at)gmail(dot)com

Lil said...

I love to learn the background to a book or how the ideas for a story came to be. How wonderful that Ter was able to nudge you to write the Morganville Vampires series. This is a beautiful post.

You are right. There are some fabulous YA reads out there. My children will be heading into teen years so I had started looking for books that I could recommend to them in future.

L said...

I'd love to win this book. Please enter me!

lovinfitch(at)aol(dot)com

Laurie T said...

Wow, what a way to create a book series which would become one of my favorites. I'm sorry for your loss, Ms. Caine, but something wonderful came out of it. I love how you took a genre and truly made it your own.

mindy said...

nice giveaway thanks

Anonymous said...

I would love to read this book. Thanks for the great giveaway.

SkipMDMan said...

I'd like to read the book. As a writer myself it's interesting to see other writer's views.

jemscout425 said...

i love how the author reflected about how she might thought vampires might be overdone, but we seem to have a thirst for them :)
pksanddancer(at)yahoo(dot)com

wendy wallach said...

love the dress the author is wearing.

madamerkf at aol dot com

Social Ghost said...

Count me in.

A Reader said...

Thanks for the giveaway!
kimspam66(at)yahoo(dot)com

Ladytink_534 said...

Oh I'm sorry you lost Ter, she sounds like an amazing person to push you and push until you came up with one of the most interesting series I'm currently addicted to. I had planned on picking up this book when my gift card arrives but I'd love to be entered instead! Either way, I seriously can't wait to read Carpe Corpus!

Ladytink_534(at)yahoo(dot)com

BreiaB said...

Awesome post, I would love to win this book.

Unknown said...

Hi Kimberly and Rachel!

I haven't read the series of the Morganville Vampires, but I did read the short "The First Day of the Rest of Your Life" in Many Bloody Returns and I know this is a series I will be reading.

I loved the interview, so lucky to have someone like Ter who made you get out of your own head.

Please enter me.

Thanks for your thoughts and for the great giveaway.

Dottie :)

Regina said...

I am so sorry about your friend, but it is so awesome that we are allowed to meet wonderful people and we get to cherish the time we spend with them.

Please enter me in the contest.

Dawn M. said...

Love this series! I'm so glad that Ter changed you mind. I can't imagine not getting to read about Morganville. I can't wait to read Carpe Corpus and would love to win a copy. Count me in!

Thanks! :0)
librarygrinch at gmail dot com

rubymoon said...

I agree I find myself straying over to YA fiction more and more as the characters are more intriguing and story's more interesting.
Thanks for the chance to win a copy.

rubymoonstone at gmail dot com

Susan said...

I liked the Morganville Vampire books. I would love the chance to read this!

Anonymous said...

I'd love to win this book! Please enter me in your giveaway! Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I thought it was a great interview and it sounds like a great book!


texas_heartland84[at]yahoo[dot]com

CrystalGB said...

Great post. I would love to read Carpe Corpus.

Cecile Smutty Hussy said...

Okay... let the bribery start.. I mean the contest!! **Truckload of chocolate... hot guys...**
Hey Kim!
As anyone would say, I would love to win this book!!
Off to email you now!
Hope you are having a great day!

delitealex said...

What a great guest post. Its always interesting learning how authors get ideas for their stories. I would love to win a copy of this book.

Unknown said...

I've been wanting to read this!

bjhopper(at)me(dot)com

Chris said...

I'm so sorry about your friend - but I'm glad she showed you how to push past your boundaries! That's one of the marks of a true friend. We all owe her a debt of gratitude.

On a lighter note - I'd love to read Carpe Corpus!

danunepthys(at)hotmail(dot)com

Cinnamon said...

Caine is a fantastic author!

ajourneyofbooks(at)gmail(dot)com

Karen W. said...

No need to enter me in the drawing because I've already bought a copy of CARPE CORPUS.

Rachel, I just wanted to tell you I love the Morganville vamps series, so I thank Ter too. That was a beautiful tribute.

Gaby317 said...

this sounds great - i liked the
a cross between the Mafia and a tiger preserve" comment!

gaby317nyc AT gmail DOT com

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a great book! I would love to enter. lacyckelly at gmail dot com. "_

Unknown said...

Please don't enter me into the contest since I have already read it (and loved it).

I just wanted to comment on how great this series is and how much I eagerly await each book in this series.

Jessica @ a GREAT read said...

I'll admit I haven't quite gotten around to reading the Morganville Vampires, a fact I am considering revising. I have read Rachel's Weather Warden series and I LOVE it! Joanne is so awesome! I also love her new Outcast series starring the Cassiel, the Djinn! Love it.

Here's the link to my blog where I posted the contest!

http://jessica-agreatread.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Wow, I would love a copy of that book!

D Q said...

Would love a copy of this book. Please enter my name in the draw.

Cindy said...

Enter me please!

cnhand84@yahoo.com

Minding Spot said...

I love love love this series! Can't wait for this one:)

Please enter me!

wendyhines (at) hotmail (dot) com

I also follow :0

LittleEagle said...

Interesting interview and I would like to win and read this book.

Britney said...

I'd love a chance to win! Thanks. :)

Anonymous said...

Mary
zenrei57 (at) hotmail (dot) com

This sounds like a book I'd really enjoy, please enter me to win and thank you :)

Paige said...

I would love the opportunity to read this as a fan of Morganville, this sounds compelling.
Gladyou took up the dare, always a worthwhile risk!
paigefrancesca@aol.com

Glowstars said...

I'd love to win the bool - am totally drooling for it as it's still not out over here yet.

Andie said...

I'd love to win a copy! I love this book! :)

RaceyStacey00 said...

OMG I just love these books. I just get pulled into Morganville every time i read one. They are by far my fav. There just great!!!! thanks for writing them :)

Michelle said...

Thank you for the great interview! I have wanted to try this series and haven't yet, but now I think i'll have to!

Linda said...

Please don't enter me I already have Carpe Corpus. I just had to say what a phenomenal series this is. If you haven't read it go get all 6 books, you aren't going to be able to stop after the first one.

It's awesome how the series came to life from such a great place. I can see that friendship in Michael, Claire, Shane, & Eve.

ShanesGirl3222 said...

I love your books!!
I'm so sorry about your friend, but I'm really glad she pushed you to write these books.

Unknown said...

I love your books they are soo good!!!

Anonymous said...

I NEED THIS BOOK! Rachel is AH-MAY-ZING. please. I entered contest. Yay!

Anonymous said...

I loved Carpe Corpus so much!
Out of all the Morganville books, this one was by far my favorite!

malleycc said...

I would love to win this book. Thanks for the chance.

Booanne said...

Wow thats awesome. I'd love for a chance to win this book. I'm obssessed with the series.

Dianna said...

the book was amazin! it was great to read how the morganville series was started, i loved gettin inside Rachels head. Rachel i am very sorry for your loss, but i am very glad that Ter changed your mind, it was for the better :] she seems like a wonderful woman, and i will ALWAYS be askin myself "what else?" now, maybe it will turn my life around.

love from texas!
-D

Anonymous said...

I haven't the fifth book yet:( but that doesn't matter..well yes it does...aha anyways i would absoulutly love a copy of this book:) i lkove theMorganville vampire series:)

~Mahalai~

Daniela said...

Ter sounded like a great friend. I'm sorry about your loss. Morganville Vampires has become my favorite series so far!! I'm glad you wrote it. :]

I would love to win a copy! Please enter me!

danitoledo(at)yahoo(dot)com

Caffey said...

I love this series of yours Rachel's. I am so glad that you did do these series and Ter's probably watching over you as you write these!

Would love to be in for this book! Thanks so much!

Heather C said...

great blog!!! Please enter me.

Alice's Dream said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Alice's Dream said...

Omfg. I gotta say the Morganville Vamps are so bad-ass. I love these books! The characters all have so much depth and the story is fast paced and interesting.
I sadly do not have this book, so I would love a copy! ^_^

tina werner said...

i'd love a copy of this book... looks like an awesome vamp series!

thanks for the chance to win!

stampitchick at yahoo dot ca

Jess J said...

Oh shiny! I want!!

jessjacobs@mac.com

Queen Chae said...

Oh! I hope I win it! My library isn't that up to date with the good books and it's a killer!

Scribblings said...

The book is amazing. And, Rachel, I love the story about Ter. Authors get inspiration from so many people and places. It's always fun to see what inspires you.

Emeriz said...

I would love a copy!

Roxanne Rhoads said...

I would love a copy of this book. It's new to me but sounds like something I need to add to my to-read list.

Mary Morelli said...

Dying to read this book and can't afford to buy it.

Marie said...

It sounds great, I would love to read it!

marielay@gmail.com

budletsmom said...

Fun interview and the book sounds interesting.

budletsmom(at)yahoo(dot)com

Sarah Z said...

I love reading series!
Thanks
Sarah
believedreamcourage (at) gmail.com

Matt said...

Thanks for a good interview!

Heather R. Holden said...

This is one of my favorite series. It's so interesting to see how the Morganville Vampires originated.

besidenormal (at) gmail (dot) com

danie88 said...

I'd love to win this book!

romancebookaddict(at)hotmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

love to win this

love all your books

Mishia said...

I'd love to win this book!

Misusedinnocence said...

I would love to read this. :)

misusedinnocence@aol.com

danielle said...

post me! i dont have a blog site, unfortunatly, but still id love a chance!

evrythngzen said...

I love the books. I love the interview but the best part is "the long drive home friend". I have one of those and just reading about someone else's friend makes me smile.

Ellz said...

I love this series although I haven't read CC yet. I hope the series is renewed past 9 books, although the cliffhangers are going to make me prematurely grey!