Interview & Giveaway: Cherie Priest – Bloodshot

Cherie Priest is not a new writer. She has ten books to her credit and she’s written another three waiting to be published. She hit it big in late 2009 with the award-winning Boneshaker. Now Cherie is one of those rare up and coming writers who are helping redefine an entire fantasy genre—Steampunk—with her great skill.

But Steampunk is not her only interest. Not at all. Like most writers she has a wealth of stories bubbling up inside, needing to be told. She also likes trying new things with the craft of writing, so it’s not surpsing that her new book, Bloodshot, takes her into new and fun urban fantasy areas.

Here is a summary of Bloodshot:

VAMPIRE FOR HIRE — Raylene Pendle (AKA Cheshire Red), a vampire and world-renowned thief, doesn’t usually hang with her own kind. She’s too busy stealing priceless art and rare jewels. But when the infuriatingly charming Ian Stott asks for help, Raylene finds him impossible to resist—even though Ian doesn’t want precious artifacts. He wants her to retrieve missing government files—documents that deal with the secret biological experiments that left Ian blind. What Raylene doesn’t bargain for is a case that takes her from the wilds of Minneapolis to the mean streets of Atlanta. And with a psychotic, power-hungry scientist on her trail, a kick-ass drag queen on her side, and Men in Black popping up at the most inconvenient moments, the case proves to be one hell of a ride.

Since this week is the official release of Bloodshot, I thought it would be fun to have an interview with Cherie about the book, why she wrote it, and what she’s working on now.

CHERIE PRIEST BLOODSHOT INTERVIEW

Shawn Speakman: Welcome to Suvudu, Cherie! How are you?

Cherie Priest: Thank you! I am out of bed and dressed.

SS: First, you have to tell us about your new novel BLOODSHOT?

CP: Well, let’s see — it’s the story of an OCD thief who happens to be a vampire, plus a freaky government conspiracy, lots of snark, and a fabulous drag queen sidekick. Wackiness ensues!

SS: The success of your award-winning novel BONESHAKER has really brought the Steampunk sub-genre back to the mainstream in a large way. What made you want to tackle an entirely different sub-genre in urban fantasy with BLOODSHOT?

CP: Bloodshot is my tenth novel, I believe, and everything before it has been quite dark – lots of horror, lots of moody, atmospheric stuff … which I love, don’t get me wrong. But an urban fantasy project like this one gave me a chance to do something funny. I often do “funny” on my blog, but not in my fiction; so this wasn’t a huge change of pace … it was just a different kind of opportunity, and a very pleasant one.

SS: What makes BLOODSHOT different from other urban fantasy novels?

CP: Though it’s certainly true to the genre, it has plenty to set it apart from the pack. The protagonist is weird and insecure, and comically un-self-aware, and yet still quite good at her job. She has (or eventually acquires) a drag queen who used to be a Navy SEAL as a sidekick … and everyone really seems to love him. Or, um. Her. As the case may be. Really I just tried to make this a solid mystery populated by some memorable characters. And snark. And dirty jokes.

SS: Raylene Pendle is a powerful female protagonist, fully realized but with her own flaws. Where do you summon the ability to write such a wonderful character?

CP: Why thank you – and I’m not sure how to respond. She’s inspired by a handful of my friends and family members … some of whom are rather deeply afflicted with obsessive-compulsive disorder. OCD isn’t a laughing matter, no, but I’ve been lucky enough to watch people handle it with grace and humor — and it was interesting and fun to try and channel that.

SS: What about Ian Stott?

CP: Ian is a vampire with his own difficulties, to be sure — blinded by the government in an experiment intended to reverse-engineer his night vision as a bio-hack for soldiers. But like Raylene, despite his problems, he’s tough and smart.

SS: BLOODSHOT is an urban fantasy woven with a mystery. Is it more fun to write one aspect of the novel over the other?

CP: No, not really — there are upsides and downsides to both. I often find the puzzle pieces of a mystery to be tricky, so that’s where it’s helpful to have an amazing editor (like mine); but sometimes it’s likewise hard to keep a voice steady and consistent (again, many praises to amazing editors). I think that balancing the two makes for a better overall result, or at least, I hope so.

SS: You are now published by Tor Books and Bantam/Spectra. What was your experience like working with a different publisher, a different editor, etc.?

CP: I’ve done seven books with Tor now, all with the same editor — and that’s wonderful, because you get to know one another’s quirks and preferences. So there was definitely a learning curve to having a new editor, for a very different genre. But it was great — I’ve been very lucky when it comes to editors. I do my best to be agreeable and open to instruction, and they help me bang the story into the best possible version of what it can be.

SS: What are you working on now? What’s next to be published?

CP: I’m pulling together proposals for more Cheshire Red books, should they be called for; and I’m about to start working on the next steampunk novel. This year I have four projects coming out: Bloodshot, Hellbent, Ganymede, and Fort Freak (with the Wild Cards consortium), so it’s just as well that I only have one more writing job in the hopper right this moment.

Shawn Speakman: Thank you for taking the time to talk with Suvudu today, Cherie! Much luck with BLOODSHOT! Any parting shots… err… words?

Cherie Priest: Thank you so much on all counts!

Bloodshot is in fine bookstores now! Love urban fantasy with a fun edge to it? Feel free to try the First 50 Pages free! And then enter the Giveaway for your chance to win one of five signed copies of Bloodshot below!

Click HERE for official terms and conditions.

Time is wasting. Get on it!

**Thank you for your interest but this contest is now over. Be sure to check back for future features!**