GtPGKogPYT4p61R1biicqBXsUzo" /> Google+ Sheep Interview: Delilah S. Dawson + giveaway! | I Smell Sheep

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Sheep Interview: Delilah S. Dawson + giveaway!


Do you know Delilah S. Dawson? Well, if you don't, you should! She's got a hit PNR series out now called BLUD. Delilah stopped by to have some fun, talk about Skittles, and hook one lucky commenter up with awesome goodies! 


Katie: Hello, my fair lady! We meet again. How have you been since we got a chance to chat at Phoenix Comicon? 
Delilah: Hi! I've been crazy busy, which was also my state of mind at Phoenix Comicon. Did you have a great time? Because it was one of my favorite cons ever! And thank you so much for the sweet I Smell Sheep goodie bag. Those Iron Man band-aids were a lifesaver!
Sharon: Wait… what Iron Man band-aids?! *looks at Katie* you’ve been holding out on me!
Katie: Now, now, put the angry eyes away. I'll make sure you get some too. *sings soft kitty, pretty kitty to Sharon* 

Sharon: The banner on your website… is that a whole unicorn or only the head? And what is the story behind it?!
Delilah: Heh. Just the head. As y'all know, my book WICKED AS SHE WANTS includes a new twist on unicorns, so one of my friends wore that mask to the launch party. The after party got… weird. There's a pic floating around of me twerking in corset, bustle, and… the unicorn mask.
*Sharon starts googling ‘author,unicorn,twerk,steampunk’
Delilah: You might also find it on my website (www.delilahsdawson.com) under MY NEW AUTHOR PHOTO. Ahem.

[We found it...]

Katie: Wicked As She Wants is the second installment of your PNR Blud series. Can you tell us what's in store? 
Delilah: There are two books and two e-novellas out now with one more book and one more e-novella on the horizon for 2014. In book 3, WICKED AFTER MIDNIGHT, contortionist Demi Ward from Criminy's caravan takes off for the cabarets of Paris. She's a Bludman, but she's originally from Earth, so she has a unique perspective combining a familiar worldview with new, predatory instincts. The third e-novella, THE DAMSEL AND THE DAGGERMAN, takes us back to the caravan to meet a hot knife thrower with an unusual secret.

And a little further along, my first YA is out in 2014, a creepy paranormal about demons in Savannah called SERVANTS OF THE STORM. I just saw the cover, and I can't wait to share it!
Katie: When can we see it? 
Delilah: I don't know! As this is my first YA and my first hardcover, the lead time is over twice as long as with my Blud books. But perhaps I can soon woo you with the cover to WICKED AFTER MIDNIGHT, which is my favorite Blud cover of them all!


Sharon: Can you tell us about your story in the Carniepunk anthology and a little about the making of the anthology?
Delilah: Ooh, yes! I love that one. :) THE THREE LIVES OF LYDIA is a Sangish take on Lydia the tattooed lady. It's the story of a girl from Earth who wakes up in Criminy's Clockwork Caravan and meets her first Bludman. Although it has the dark whimsy my readers expect, it also has a depth and poignancy that I haven't had the chance to explore in my usual romps. 

As far as the anthology as a whole goes, my agent sent an email to gauge my interest, and I SQUEE'd so loud that everyone in the restaurant stared at me. It's my first anthology, and I couldn't be more excited. The book design is lovely, I adore my editor, and the other authors' stories are unbelievable. It's an amazing book! And I'll be at the book launch and signing at Murder by the Book in Houston on July 27, too.

Sharon: I say “let’s play a game!” You run to your closet and pull out _____. (What game?)
Delilah: It's Trivial Pursuit, but it's the one from the 90s. I will probably kick your ass, unless I keep landing on green. Sports and leisure? PAH.
Sharon: I had that game! And yes, you would kick my ass except in any science categories. I use to be a scientist before kids.


Sharon: What is one of the most beautiful natural wonders to you?
Delilah: I'm big on the ocean. My entire being changes as soon as I smell it or just get close enough to feel the breeze. Very little in life makes me as happy as riding waves and then sitting outside to read all day. I'm not big on relaxing, but the ocean lulls me into a state of chill.

Katie: Is there an end to the Blud series or do you plan to keep it going until …
Delilah: Believe me, I could keep writing in Sang! I'd love to sell more books and take new characters to Sangish versions of America, Egypt, and Australia, maybe even Germany. But if that doesn't happen, I'd like to Kickstart or self-publish a final novel or e-novella that finishes the story of Criminy and Tish, which was left the slightest bit open at the end of WICKED AS THEY COME. They started the whole thing; they deserve to end it.

Sharon: Did you ever eat colored candy (like M&Ms or Skittles) one at a time in a certain color order or do you just throw caution to the wind and eat the hell out of them?
Delilah: I was an only child and never got used to sharing, so if I was alone, I ate them slowly, in a very specific order. But if there were other kids around with whom I might be forced to share, I just tossed 'em down. Like a jerk.
Sharon: You mean “like a boss!” What color last?
Delilah: Red. Then I read Gilda Radner's biography and their 80s supposition that her cancer came from red food coloring, and then I quit eating the red ones. Now, I like blue. BRIGHTS LAST!

Katie: Do you go hard-to-the-paint with your costume at Halloween or just throw something together? 
Delilah: In a perfect world, I would really go all out. But I have two small children, so I try hard to make Halloween about them. We love doing family costumes, like the year we were all different styles of skeleton. This year, I'm hoping we'll all do Adventure Time, and I'll be Lumpy Space Princess. My daughter has been a witch three times, and I can always throw together a good witch costume with my corsets, skirts, petticoats, and endless supply of pointy boots.
Katie: Yes, Adventure Time is a big show this season. I could see you being a princess. 
Delilah: But a weird one. I have Princess Bubblegum's obsession and weirdness, but I hate gum and need some black to balance out all that pink...

Sharon: You get to be a cartoon character for the day. Who would you be and what would you do? 
Delilah: Marceline the Vampire Queen. I would float around, dress cool, turn into a cute bat, and write some kickass songs to sing with my axe bass.

Sharon: What is your favorite steampunk prop?
Delilah: I'm big into corsets. I've never really liked my stomach, so they basically turn my least favorite body part into my best one. Of course, if I had a clockwork monkey like Pemberly, *that* would be my favorite!

Rapid Fire Round

Sharon: 5 second rule or throw it away?
Delilah: 5 second rule (unless it's sticky).

Katie: Coke or Pepsi? 
Delilah: Coke. THERE IS NO PEPSI. (I'm from Georgia…)
Sharon: That’s cause Georgia is afraid if Pepsi was allowed, everyone would like it better *sticks out tongue* 
Katie: Sure, sure. You tell yourself that Sharon. *keeps singing Soft kitty, pretty kitty to Sharon.*
Delilah: Can we agree that Diet Dr. Pepper is the shiz? I love that stuff.

Sharon: Rainbows on the wall or blood?
Delilah: Blood. But we're going to need a lot of primer.

Katie: To follow up on Sharon's…Blood rave or Skittle rainbow shower? 
Delilah: Skittles. I don't know where that blood's been!
Sharon: But what color do you eat last?
Katie: I say shove them all in at once! What, don't look at me like that! 

Delilah: Skittles is complicated, as I don't like purple alone and have to mix it with yellow and red to make it palatable. Green and orange are my favorites. But did I hear recently that green was sour apple now? Because NOOOOOO.

Sharon: Cartoons or anime?
Delilah: Cartoons. Adult Swim FTW!

Katie: Time machine or your own star ship? 
Delilah: Time machine. Space freaks me out.

Sharon: Pop goes the weasel or Ring around the rosy? 
Delilah: Depends. Is there a real weasel, and does anyone have plague?
Sharon: Real weasel… his name is Swiper.
Delilah: I SHALL POP THE WEASEL. And then do that thing where you grab a ferret's neck scruff in just the right place and he yawns and takes a nap.

Katie: Gummy or Chewy? 
Delilah: Sour Patchian.

Sharon: Monocle or glasses?
Delilah: Neither! I got Lasik. :) Did you know burning corneas smell like BBQ?
Sharon: No, but that thought is now burned (snort, see what I did there?) in my brain
Delilah: Still, totally worth it!

Katie: Football dudes or Hockey dudes? 
Delilah: Hockey. Unless it's Chris Kluwe.


Sharon: Thor or Thor? (Honestly there is no other comparison)
Delilah: THOR.
Sharon: I know, right?!

[For Sharon to stay sane]

Sharon: On a more serious note, I spent some time poking around Delilah’s blog and she talks about many social and professional issues, and her experiences; some of them heartbreaking. If you get a chance head over. Her posts are well thought out and pull no punches. We need more voices like this.
Delilah: Thanks, Sharon! I struggle with what to cover on my blog that will be of interest to my readers, but sometimes, I can't help covering relevant issues with which I have personal experience. I think it's important to share topics from my life that are mostly kept in the dark due to public stigma: depression, suicide, rape, abuse, sexism, racism. Speaking openly and honestly makes me feel less like a victim and, I hope, might make a difference to someone else. I truly believe it gets better. These experiences inform my writing, and no matter how fluffy my romances might seem from the outside, I like to hope there's a level of reality, too-- Tish's history with domestic violence, Imogen's backstory of rape, Casper's suicidal recklessness, Demi's standing up to police who assume she's "asking for it."


Delilah: Thanks so much for having me, y'all! That was a seriously fun interview! And now I'm craving Skittles at the beach...


***GIVEAWAY***
Signed copy of WICKED AS SHE WANTS with a hidden sketch of the winner's favorite animal and a four-leaf clover. US ONLY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

30 comments:

  1. Meljean Brooks actually steered me to Delilah S. Dawson. Especially after I asked my facebook pals (who are mostly readers and authors) for more steampunk recommendations.

    So, with a giftcard I won, I bought myself her first book for my birthday. I have been pimping out her Blud books every chance I got.

    Even managed to get one person to read it. Even had a friend draw me a bludbunny to put on a shirt so I can broadcast the series out there.

    Shhh Anime here allllll the way. I like the art and usually are better drawn than some of the cartoons out there.. But yes I adore adult swim. How I get my anime fix!

    Not a fan of Diet Dr. Pepper but I love my regular Dr. Pepper!

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  2. I love the red one in the original flavor pack. But sometimes when I want to feel reckless I eat a purple with the red one....Yep I'm dangerous like that...LOL

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  3. i love them all its candy

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  4. I like the green, I think it's the same theory as green M&MS.

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  5. Sadly, I can't have sugar, so no Skittles for me...when I COULD eat sugar, I loved the yellow ones. I enjoyed the interview. michelle_willms@yahoo.com

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  6. I don't eat Skittles. But I do read Delilah S. Dawson! I hope she comes to Book People in Austin (July 29th) for the huge signing for CARNIEPUNK.

    It bugs me when there are more ways to enter on the Rafflecopter but if you don't Tweet you can't get to the rest of the questions. :-(
    I'd really love to win!!

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  7. I love the red ones :-)
    Great interview and I added this series to my reading list. Sounds so different and intriguing.
    love2read28@gmail.com

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  8. I've recently discovered steampunk paranormal and I think I'm HOOKED! This series sounds amazing. Purple skittles, thanks.

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  9. I love the yellow banana/kiwi in tropical Skittles!

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  10. I like the red skittles =)
    Also, this series looks interesting (even given that I normally don't care for steampunk) - beyond the descriptions, the author seems like a lot of fun, herself, meaning I'm likely to find aspects of her humor in the writing =)

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  11. I really don't like Skittles (ewwwww!) but I love Delilah's books!

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  12. I DONT EAT SKITTLES. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BOOK AND THANKS FOR THE GIVEAWAY! SHELLEY S. calicolady60@hotmail.com

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  13. I like the red and orange skittles. In fact I just had some the other day, but I can't get the bbq comment out of my head. lol No Lasik for me.

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  14. I haven't had any in years but I used to really like the yellow skittles. Thank you.
    vsloboda(at)gmail(dot)com

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  15. Who can choose? I love all skittles equally.

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  16. I am a chocoholic but I've eaten Skittles before and I like the red ones.

    jmesparza821 at gmail dot com

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  17. The orange and red. I always pick them out of the bag and eat em leaving the rest of the colors. I do the same with gummi bears and starburst s.

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  18. Easier to say which I do not like - green. Of course this could be an age old prejudice left over from being told you should never eat green M&Ms, which is another story ;) Thank you for sharing with us. I have recently picked up book one and am looking forward to the read.

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  19. I don't really care as long as I get two at a time of different colors...yes I know I'm weird. My family tells me all the time!

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  20. My favorites are the purple and the red. Great interview, ladies!! Thanks for sharing.

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  21. My favorite Skittles are the red ones in the original package! Thanks for the great interview and awesome giveaway!!

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  22. Purple are my favorite, then blue (tropical of course, don't much care for regular skittles). Great interview!

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  23. All of them! :) Thanks for the great giveaway!

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  24. Purple skittles are saved for last because they are the BEST. Kickbutt interview! Loved it!

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  25. Not into Skittles so it has been years since I ate any. Wicked As They Come was my favorite book of 2012.

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  26. It doesn't matter in what order one eats Skittles, as long as you eat them quickly enough that they don't melt into your skin. 0_o

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  27. Green is my favorite. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  28. Red and yellow. But I eat the others first by before eating the red and yellow.

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  29. Green and yellow are my favorite! I sort by color first and have to eat an even number - the left over 1 either gets thrown away or given away (but only that 1).

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