Phoenix Comicon 2013: Interview Author Kevin Hearne + Giveaway

Phoenix Comicon 2013 was action packed with authors galore! We got the chance to sit down and chat with NYT bestselling author Kevin Hearne. This is one UF series you need to read! 

Katie: Hello Kevin, so wonderful to see you again here at the Convention! How has life and writing been treating you over the past year? 

Kevin: It's treated me remarkably well. I've finished six books and now I'm contracted to write seven more—one Star Wars novel, three more Iron Druid books, and an epic.

Katie: Wow, Wow, Wow. A Star Wars novel?! You gotta tell me more! 

Kevin: Well, since I'm under an NDA I can't tell you much except what's been publicly announced: I'm writing a standalone adventure set between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back featuring Luke, Han, Chewie, and Leia. 

Katie: The Iron Druid series has been a stellar hit for the reading community, what's been the most exciting thing, for you, being here at this convention? 

Kevin: I get to hang out with fabulous humans like Cherie Priest and Delilah Dawson and my other writer friends. Writers so rarely come out of their caves. It's nice to be social with other writers and visit with the readers who make it all possible.

Katie: Do you all plan evenings out? Cause mayhem in the streets of Downtown Phoenix? If so, I'm totally in! 

Kevin: Mostly we grin at each other and then realize after about two minutes that we don't have a drink in our hands. For social misfits that's a bloody crisis. So we go somewhere to get some liquid courage and then resume grinning. 

Katie: You sit on a number of panels with fellow authors, what's the most interesting piece of information folks can learn during one of these sit downs? 

Kevin: I'm not sure that I ever learn things myself because I'm usually too occupied with geeking out to process anything. A panel could be laying down some profound stuff but I'd miss it all because my brain would be going OMG I'M CONVERTING OXYGEN TO CARBON DIOXIDE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO JOHN SCALZI.

Katie: Do fans ever ask if you can personally practice magic? 

Kevin: Ha! Yes, I've had a few. Some are convinced I'm a Druid or starting my own religion.

Katie: Which, you totally are. Ok lesson one of being a Druid, teach me something. 

Kevin: In the forest you're always being watched. It's not paranoid if it's true.

Katie: The next edition in your series, Hunted, hits shelves next month (June) what can we all look forward to? Spoilers please?!  

Kevin: There was about a twelve-year gap between TRICKED and TRAPPED, but HUNTED picks up about two minutes after the end of TRAPPED. We'll meet some old enemies and old friends, but also get a new bad guy, a new good girl, and oh my god cravats and what lies beyond the library of graphic novels...!

Katie: New bad guys? Are they hot. This is VERY important! 

Kevin: t is? Well, he thinks he's hot. Whether that's true or not is debatable.

Katie: Did you have posters on your wall growing up? If so, who and why? 

Kevin: I didn't, actually. I think I had paintings by my grandma on the walls. All the stuff I wanted to look at was in comic books. POW! and KER-BIFF!

Katie: Well then I must know, favorite comic arc?  

Kevin: I love CHEW by Jon Layman and Rob Guillory. I'll take any arc of theirs right now. But in days of yore I loved The Kindly Ones by Neil Gaiman in Sandman.

Katie: If every time you walked into a room a song would play, what would be and why?

Kevin: "Calling All Crows" by State Radio. It makes me happy and you kinda have to groove to it.

Katie: To date, the best costume you've seen at this convention? 

Kevin: Leeloo from the Fifth Element. The girl spoke in tongues and everything. Biiiiiig bada-boom.

Katie: Chicken, goooood! 

Kevin: Multipass!

Katie: You know we have to do some rapid fire questions! Sit back and hang onto your chair! 

Katie: Terrible nickname or a terrible tattoo?

Nickname. Because if I have to get stabbed hundreds of times with a needle I'd damn well better look pretty afterward.

Katie: Captain Malcolm Reynolds or Captain James T Kirk? 

Mal.

Katie: Rule Earth or Mars? 

Mars. I'd get far fewer complaints that way, considering the population.

Katie: Sexy Nurse or Sexy Teacher? 

Sexy teacher. I'm married to one.

Katie: Yeow! Winner, winner chicken dinner! 

Chee-KAN! GOOD!

Katie: Design a watch or a suit? 

Watch.

Katie: First gadget it would have?

It would deliver programmed messages on the hour from 6am to 6pm and nothing else.

6 am: "Your ass is gonna need some coffee if you're gonna deal with this shit."

7 am: "You might wanna take a shower as a public service."

8 am: "Hell YES it's time for more coffee."

9 am: "If you don't write a thousand words today I'm going to leap up offa your wrist and punch you in the mouth."

10 am: "The dogs need to urinate on other people's plants. Take 'em for a walk."

11 am: "Get off Twitter and write something!"

12 pm: "It's lunchtime, but don't stop writing if you're in the groove. And don't stop believing. Hold on to that feeling. And what the fuck are street light people?"

1 pm: "Your Pandora channels are getting stale and you need to make a new one but don't spend more than five minutes dicking around. You have a book to write."

2 pm: "Oh, you're tired? Well, allow me to retort. Chuck Wendig wrote three books and a blog this morning and he's a gourmet cook too. Keep working!"

3 pm: "Woohoo, it's happy hour, my man!"

4 pm: "Hey, you see this mess in the house? You better clean this shit up before your wife gets home."

5 pm: "Time to get started cooking dinner. Remember that you're supposed to use vegetables this time, all right?"

6 pm: "Okay, dude, you can relax now. Get yourself a comic book and geek out."

[Sorry folks, we had a nerd moment and just don't care!]

Katie: Jog or Speed walk? 

Do I have to?

Katie: Bagel or Muffin? 

To quote Aerosmith back in their days of coke and whiskey, "You ain't seen nuthin' till you been down on a muffin."

Katie: Learn battle techniques from a viking or a ninja? 

Viking. I want to drink in the mead hall afterward.

A BIG thanks again to Kevin for talking time out of his busy schedule to chat with us! 

Interview with author Kevin Hearne + giveaway

Today it brings the Sheep great pleasure to share with all of you our interview with UF author Kevin Hearne. His trilogy The Iron Druid Chronicles hit bookstores with a BANG earlier this year! You can find my review for book one Hounded here and book two Hexed here. The final novel comes out today so make sure to run out and grab a copy, you will not regret it. Or stay tuned till the end of this interview for your chance to win a copy of Hexed!

Tempe. Tony Cabin. 2 Sheep and 1 Druid Meet.

Katie: Thank you for taking the time to sit down and chat with us Kevin, can you tell folks a little bit about your Iron Druid seres?

Kevin: It's an urban fantasy series steeped in mythology and earth magic, featuring a 2,100-year-old Druid who's been hiding for a very long time from some Irish gods; the series begins when he decides to stop hiding and realizes the years have made him much more powerful than he thought.

Katie: In total how long did it take you to write this series?

Kevin: Twenty-two months for the first three books. :)

Katie: Atticus and his Irish wolfhound are a great team throughout the series, was he based on a animal you have?

Kevin: Nope—he's based on the animal I wish I had! I've always wanted to be able to talk to dogs, so this whole relationship in the novel is kind of a wish fulfillment thing.

Katie: And what a sense of humor his dog has, the two seem to feed off each other at times.

Kevin: That's just me having conversations with my imaginary friends…

Sharon: Have you ever met an Irish Wolfhound? They are big dogs!

Kevin: Yes, my cousin had a wolfhound named Murphy. Sweetest doggie ever!

Katie: One of the many things I really love in your stories is the comic references, let's geek out a bit if you're ok with that. lol Where does all this nerd passion come from?

Kevin: I was raised on comic books and Hamburger Helper. That explains a lot, if you think about it. I was seven years old when Star Wars first came out, and so I'm part of that first generation of kids who grew up with light sabers and action figures. It's just who I am.

Katie: How did you personally feel about the latest 3 SW movies, or actually that would be the first 3 at a later date. Yikes! lol.

Kevin: I think Jar Jar Binks destroyed all the good karma of the first three films BY HIMSELF. I think Darth Maul looked like a total badass and I wanted to hate him, but because he NEVER FRICKIN' SPOKE I had to conclude that he was kind of cool. It was simply awful characterization. But you know that lizard thing that Obi-wan was riding around in the last movie? I totally want one of those.

Sharon: I was about 10 when the first SW came out! I had a lot of fried Spam sandwiches.

Kevin: My mom tried to shield me from Spam when I was young because she ate a lot of those Spam sandwiches too when she was growing up. I got fabulous casseroles instead. But sometimes they had tuna in them, and I think on those occasions I would have rather had Spam.

Sharon: When you are writing, what kind of atmosphere do you need?

Kevin: NO FRICKIN' DISNEY. Sorry, was that in caps lock? I can write almost anywhere and even with all kinds of distractions in the background, but when Disney is on in the background I tend to lose my mind and leave. The Disney happens sometimes because I have a young daughter and she actually likes some of that stuff. AUGGH! She's growing out of it, thank the gods of twenty pantheons.

Sharon: What? Not a Selena Gomez or Big Time fan

Kevin: GAAAAHH!

Katie: With all the different lore going on in your books, how much research did you have to do?

Kevin: Much of it was absorbed through years of reading and teaching bits and pieces of it to my classes, but the Irish stuff required some research because it's not widely taught in schools. If you want to irritate your teachers, ask why it is only the Greco-Roman myths and smidgens of the Norse get taught in school. Does the rest of the world not matter?

Katie: One of my favorite charters is the Icelandic Vampire Leif, where did you come up with idea for him and will he maybe get his own book at some point?

Kevin: Leif was born because I needed a character who believed in the Norse pantheon who could plausibly wind up in North America fairly early in its history; Iceland suggested itself because of their early exploration of the continent. You'll get quite a bit of Leif's backstory in HAMMERED—he actually narrates a chapter—but beyond that I have no plans to feature him on his own.

Katie: [pouts]

Sharon: I find there is a difference in how men vs women write UF. Do you find there is a difference?

Kevin: I have found the same thing. :) Figuring out why will probably get us into gender issues and sexual politics, and I'm incapable of making myself sound knowledgeable about that because I'm a nerd.

Sharon: Nice dodge there Kevin . I find the biggest difference in the romance parts. Men tend to write more action and women use more feelings.

Kevin: OK, that may be true. But I should probably say in my own defense that I will never write the hot stuff for a very good reason. I teach high school for my day job and some of my students might actually read my books, so, you know, just, NO. I'll never pretend that my characters don't have sex and of course they throw a few F-bombs around here and there, but I also don't feel that graphic, play-by-play, bow-chicka-bow-wow advances the plot of my novels, so that's why I don't linger on that and keep things moving.

Katie: *turns to Sharon* huh huh he just said bow-chicka-bow-wow. lol.

Sharon: snort!

Katie: This is a VERY important question Kevin. How many vampires are you acquainted with and are they single?

Kevin: All three of them are single and they're non-sparkly.

Katie: Sweet! *hands Kevin my personal info to pass along*

Sharon: (psst, Katie, ask about shifters too)

Katie: Oh right. So Kevin any hott shifters you may know?

Kevin: My buddy Nick says he can shift from sexy to smexy in three seconds. Does that count?

Sharon: Only if he is covered in fur and can growl.

Katie: Where can folks find you in the coming months?

Kevin: Best place to find me is on my website (www.kevinhearne.com) or Facebook author page, or even on Twitter @kevinhearne. On my website there's a page called Events and Appearances, and I'm scrupulous about keeping it updated. Coming up I'll be in NYC for the release date of HAMMERED, then I'll be at San Diego Comic Con.

Sharon: Where won’t people find you in the coming months ?

Kevin: Trinidad & Tobago.

Sharon: Don’t forget on a Disney Cruise line

Kevin: Right! Not there either.

Katie: Now we are going to move into our fun Rapid Fire round of questions. Please clear your mind and answer with the first thing that pops up. Ready?……Set……GO!

Katie: Batman or Spiderman

Kevin: Batman

Sharon: Bruce Lee or Jet Li

Kevin: Jet Li

Katie: Mad Max or Blade Runner

Kevin: Blade Runner

Sharon: Yessss! Time to die.

Katie: Soylent Green or Klingon Gagh

Kevin: I'm clueless.

Katie: Really? Wow I though for sure you would know this one….ok moving on. lol

Katie: Coke or Pepsi

Kevin: Either as long as it's cherry!

Katie: Huh…never had that happen before. Okay so a point for each side then?

Sharon: Yin or Yang

Kevin: Yin.

Katie: Red Sonja or She-Hulk

Kevin: Red Sonja.

Katie: Niiice.

Sharon: Pacman or Ms. Pacman

Kevin: Street Fighter

Katie: Twizzlers or Gummy Bears

Kevin: Are you trying to kill me? Goobers.

Sharon: I agree, that gummy stuff sucks!

Kevin: Totally. It's like they give your teeth uncomfortably long hugs.

Katie: Mulder or Scully

Kevin: Oh, damn, please God give me Scully!

Sharon: Polar Bear or Grizzly Bear

Kevin: Grizzly

Katie: Amazon or Desert

Kevin: Desert. Fewer bugs.

Katie: Mint Chip or Rocky Road

Kevin: Rocky Road. Marshmallows rule.

Sharon: Maleficent or Scar

Kevin: I have a scar on my elbow and sometimes it hurts.

Sharon: (wondering if Kevin knows what I am talking about? )

Kevin: I'm sticking to my answer. It's a nasty scar.

Katie: Lip singing or Karaoke

Kevin: Karaoke. Won a contest once.

Katie: Thanks again for chatting with us Kevin, would you like to add anything before we wrap?

Kevin: Since you have this cool sheep site, I'll share something with your readers: I think goats are funny. I can't explain why; they just make me laugh. But because of this odd quirk, you will find at least one goat in every one of my books. You probably wouldn't have noticed it if I hadn't said anything, but now that I've mentioned it you won't be able to avoid noticing it. :)

Sharon: SNORT! Sheeps rule, goats drool!

Katie: Hear hear! *high fives* He does also write about sheep in Hounded just fyi….

While Sharon and I drag Kevin away to do a little Karaoke for us we will move on to the Giveaway. One lucky winner is going to get a signed copy of Hexed and some fun sheep swag items. To be automatically entered to win please list BOTH things in the comments below.

1. Your Email Address

2. If you could be any character from the lore who would you be and why?

Contest will run until July 10th at midnight!

Double your chances to win by following our blog.

Good luck!

Hexed, nice butt!

Hexed, by author Kevin Hearne, is the second novel in The Iron Druid series. To check out my review of the first novel, Hounded, please click here. This UF series has sucked me in and for the life of all the undead in the world it just wont NOT let me go. And ya know what? I love it! A good mix of humor, action and witty dialog make Hexed a great read. :)

Plot:

Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, doesn’t care much for witches. Still, he’s about to make nice with the local coven by signing a mutually beneficial nonaggression treaty—when suddenly the witch population in modern-day Tempe, Arizona, quadruples overnight. And the new girls are not just bad, they’re badasses with a dark history on the German side of World War II.
With a fallen angel feasting on local high school students, a horde of Bacchants blowing in from Vegas with their special brand of deadly decadence, and a dangerously sexy Celtic goddess of fire vying for his attention, Atticus is having trouble scheduling the witch hunt. But aided by his magical sword, his neighbor’s rocket-propelled grenade launcher, and his vampire attorney, Atticus is ready to sweep the town and show the witchy women they picked the wrong Druid to hex.

Hexed picks up 3 weeks after Hounded leaves off. Atticus *dreamy sigh* comes under magical assault by a group of deranged German witches. After all the drama in Hounded you would really think the better choice would be for him to shake a leg and plant roots somewhere else. But Atticus has a mess to clean up in his adopted home town and no one is going to stop him from doing what needs to be done. With his new apprentice and a little help from some friends, and the Sisters of the Three Auroras, he sets out to vanquish the blood thirsty witches and carry on with his once peaceful life. Or so he hopes....

Some new appearances from Native American lore add a fun twist to the mix. As mentioned in Hounded, Thor is apparently a jerk and my Vampire dream boat Leif wants to recruit Atticus to help take down the Norse god. Some twists and turns take place, but by the end of the book there will be a BIG lead-in to the next story. I was pleased to have a bit more sexual activity going on this time around but the person who was doing it......um let's just say it was a wee bit violent. Kevin throws in a bunch of comic book and pop culture references throughout the series, which I loved. It's always cool to hear a 2000 year old Celtic dude talking about anime and LOTR. :)

Overall this book is very well written, laced with loads of different folk lore and laugh out loud moments. I personally like Hounded just a little bit more then Hexed BUT do NOT get me wrong, both books are extremely well done. They're both a fun read that I highly recommend. Book three, Hammered comes out July 5th so make sure to get caught up on this series before then!

Getting 4 Gravy Sheep

KD

Hounded, hit the spot! Joygasim!

Hounded, by author Kevin Hearne, book one in new the series called The Iron Druid Chronicles. A wonderfully well written UF packed with Celtic lore, hunky men, action and witty dialog that will suck you in and keep you entertained! LOVED IT! :)

Plot:

Atticus O’Sullivan has been running for two thousand years and he’s a bit tired of it. After he stole a magical sword from the Tuatha Dé Danann (those who became the Sidhe or the Fae) in a first century battle, some of them were furious and gave chase, and some were secretly amused that a Druid had the cheek to defy them. As the centuries passed and Atticus remained an annoyingly long-lived fugitive, those who were furious only grew more so, while others began to aid him in secret.

Now he’s living in Tempe, Arizona, the very last of the Druids, far from where the Fae can easily find him. It’s a place where many paranormals have decided to hide from the troubles of the Old World—from an Icelandic vampire holding a grudge against Thor to a coven of Polish witches who ran from the German Blitzkrieg.

Unfortunately, the very angry Celtic god who wants that sword has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power, plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good, old-fashioned luck of the Irish to kick some arse and deliver himself from evil.

A manipulative group of witches has teamed up with a fierce enemy to kill our toe-curling honky druid protagonist, Atticus. The ultimate lesson in this story: Never trust a witch. Atticus has found a home in the Arizona desert and no one is going to make him pull up stakes again. Tired of running from dangerous Fae, Atticus and his trusty Irish Wolfhound take on the dangers lurking around his normally quiet suburban neighborhood. And Atticus is quite the fighter, you don't live to be over 2000 years old without having some serious powers to draw upon. Unfortunately his powers may not be enough to stop his enemies from taking what they want. I loved the whole thing, from beginning to end this book was a very tasty treat I plan to enjoy for months to come.

Hearne came so very close to mentioning the title of this blog I had to do a double take at the line: "I smelled the sheep scent on the night air.." Pretty cool indeed! Atticus's fun loving Irish neighbor Mrs. MacDonagh has quiet a few memorable lines but my favorite was this gem:

"A friend will help ya move, Katie, but a really good friend will help ya move a body."

Definitely my new motto! *evil laugh* The only thing missing was details in the romance department, I am such a sucker for an Irish hunk that I wanted all the juicy play by plays. Alas, I had to use my imagination for our yummy Irish druid. Hopefully upcoming books will satisfy me just a wee bit more. Aside from that, this book is chalked full of so many different characters from folklore you are sure to find a few you enjoy. Vamps, Werewolves, Thor (who apparently is a jerk), Fae, Sorceress, witches and lots more!

Book 2 Hexed will be out June 7th, and the final book Hammered comes out July 5th! I for one cannot wait!

Getting 4 and 1/2 Leif Lovin' Sheep

KD