We’re so happy to welcome the lovely and most kind Patty Briggs to The Book Pushers. Not only is Patty one of the most awesome authors EVA (and we really do mean that), but she’s one of the most talented authors in the Urban Fantasy genre of this day. With over nine high fantasy titles published, Patty has gained world wide readers and fans for her Urban Fantasy works starting with the Mercy Thompson series. Mercy Thompson is a mechanic who has a knack for getting into trouble. With a side series of the Alpha and Omega series, Patty has also managed to capture readers of the romance crowd with the relationship of Anna and Charles, which is tied into the Mercy universe. Patty’s third book in her Alpha and Omega series Fair Gamewas released this Tuesday. In honor of that release enjoy this interview with her and keep reading for a Book Pushers giveaway!
BookPushers: Welcome Patty. Thank you for joining us today. With the Mercy world developing at such a fast pace after each book, are you able to tell us when we will see a return to the vampires and Marsilia? (and hopefully Stefan gets to kick her arse *G*)
Patty: I’m currently working on the next Mercy book, Frost Burned (Ace, March 2013), and Mercy has to go to the vampires for help. Yes, Stefan, Marsilia and all will be back on stage. You know things are pretty bleak if Mercy has to go to Marsilia for help.
BookPushers: We know you are currently working on Mercy 7 right now, so could you give us a hint of what to expect with this installment?
Patty: (Laughs) See the answer above. Beyond that, I have to be a little careful, since I’m not quite halfway in and a lot of things may change. Frost Burned takes place directly after the events in Fair Game (Yay! My time lines are, at long last, straightened out!) and will tie up some story threads left in Moon Called and Bone Crossed.
BookPushers: Will we continue to find out about Warren and Kyle only in snapshots as secondary characters or will they have their own novel or novella?
Patty: Warren has his own short story in the Martin/Dozois anthology Down These Strange Streets (Ace, 2011) called “In Red with Pearls”. Kyle, as you might imagine, features prominently. I enjoyed writing it, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a few more short stories or novellas popped up eventually.
BookPushers: What do you think of Mercy’s development with Adam from the first book to the person that she is right now? They’ve gone on such a long journey that it’s so wonderful to see them so loving, and not frightened to show each other their feelings.
Patty: Adam understands Mercy better than she understands herself—and so he is able to avoid (mostly) sending her off screaming for her independence. Once upon a time, she needed a family that she knew would never be taken from her or abandon her. She still needs that, but she also needs to keep her hard-won independence. Adam gives her himself and his pack to fulfill the first need—and because he loves her that much, he does it without taking away her independence. In return, Mercy accepts Adam as he is, and loves those parts that he has never felt were loveable. Adam, too, has trust issues. He is used to taking care of people, of being careful not to frighten them—but Mercy takes care of him and nothing about Adam scares her.
BookPushers: A few of us have discussed how Ben in your Mercy Thompson series went from being someone we all loved to hate to someone we wanted more of. Have there been any of your other characters that you have noticed drew such a polarized opinion?
Patty: (Grins) Well, there is Leah, Bran’s mate. I get hate-Leah emails all the time and my Native Guide in Paris (Patty waves at Xaviere) comes up with the neatest ways to get rid of her… There is also Marsilia, the Mistress of the vampire seethe in the Tri-Cities.
BookPushers: After Adam and Charles, Sam and Bran seem to be the most popular with readers. Are you able to tell us if their stories will continue and expand or will they be finished along with the Mercy, and the Omega books?
Patty: First, I have no real plans to end either the Mercy or the A&O books at this time. (BP: *happy dance*) After Fair Game, I have contracts for three more Mercy books and an undetermined book set in the same universe. That might be another A&O book, or it might be something starring other characters (ie Tom and Moira from “Seeing Eye” and Hunting Ground).
That said, I plan on writing Samuel and Arianna’s love story – probably in a novella or short story format. Samuel would also work as the lead in a novel, though I don’t have any plans for that at this time. Bran will almost certainly be lead in a short story or two. I am leery about using him in a novel because part of what makes Bran interesting is how much people don’t know about him.
BookPushers: It was revealed that Bran’s guilty pleasure is Japanese boybands. Do any of your other characters have guilty pleasures that they wouldn’t dare reveal — even under examination by Mercy’s mom?!
Patty: Of course they do :). Some of the secrets will come out, probably some of them will never come out. As a writer, I use their secrets to keep their actions consistent and it is part of what rounds a character out in my head. Bran has more secrets than most (grin).
BookPushers: Do you have any plans to continue the Alpha and Omega series after Fair Game?
Patty: Nothing under contract right now, I wanted to give myself a chance to expand the world a bit more. However Charles is very nearly my favorite character to write, so I’m pretty confident Fair Game won’t be the last A&O.
BookPushers: What does fantasy romance mean to you — would you like to revisit any old characters from your past fantasy series or have any ideas for a new series?
Patty: I chose to write fantasy because I knew I would never get bored. Of all the genres (I think), fantasy is most open to adding elements of other genres: mystery, spy, thriller, adventure – and, of course, romance. All of my books have romantic elements, partly because, I suspect, I have been very happily married for over a quarter of a century, and partly because romance – love—is a very powerful tool in a writer’s character motivation craftbox. Love and the need for love drives people to do extraordinary things – for good and for evil.
I am not finished with traditional fantasies. Unless some other idea bites me hard, the next traditional fantasy I want to write is a third book in the Dragon series. I have plans for stories in the Raven world and also a follow up to The Hob’s Bargain. Right now my muse is happy with Mercy and the urban fantasy stories, but some time I’ll start getting stale and do a few straight fantasies to recharge the creative batteries.
BookPushers: And for our fun question! We can totally see Bran imposing this as a form of torture, so what kind of corporate type team-building exercises would the werewolves have to do if they misbehave?
Patty: I am so blaming you for giving Bran ideas – you are truly evil.
I remember a play I was in for high school in which I was supposed to faint, fall backwards and another actor was supposed to catch me so I didn’t fall. We practiced that play for three months every day after school. I think she managed to catch me one time. You know that “trust” exercise that corporate masters like to pull out? Where you fall back and trust the person behind you to catch them? Yep, I can’t do it. The one where you blindfold someone and another person has to tell them how to negotiate a maze of chairs and stuff all over for them to trip on or run into is awesome, too. My niece had to have stitches and a front tooth repaired when her high school thought that was a good idea.
I’ll make sure that Bran’s pack knows who to blame for this one.
Bookpushers: Thank you again Patty for joining us today. We look forward to reading what comes next!
And because we want to bookpush our love for Patty’s books, we have a AWESOME giveaway that will rock your socks off. One lucky person will be in for a chance to win all three Alpha and Omega books (from wherever the Book Depository ships to), and also a T-shirt and Mug from the official Hurog store — big thanks to the lovely Elle who runs the store. So this is what you can win:
- Cry Wolf
- Hunting Ground
- Fair Game (which was just released this week)
- T-shirt
- Mug
To enter, all you have to do is tell us below in the comments: If you could be the leader of any supernatural pack, what would it be and why? The giveaway is open until next Monday, 19th March.
I think it would be facinating to be a shifter in Australia…I”m not aware of anyone working in that area…Dingos, ‘Roos, etc. …Another possibilety for me would be a “Warriors” type of environment…I appreciate their respect for and provision of a “place” in their tribes for the Elders
It would be a cat shifter pack. Cat shifters are strong, cunning and intelligent.
Definitely a pack of werecats! I find cats fascinating. Werepanthers, maybe? They are independant, very clever, fast and not afraid of water like normal cats. Plus I always loved the panther from Jungle Book 😉
I think it would be great to lead a pride of werecats, particularly if it’s full of handsome men like Faythe’s pride in Rachel Vincent’s books. 🙂
Thanks for a great interview and giveaway!
if it would be possible i’d like to be the leader of a pack of were-cupcakes, because we would be so delicous that no one could withstand us and of course it would look etraordinarily cute^^
Leader of a pack… probably werewolf. No pesky problems with combustion or daylight. Lots of sexy men. But then again, dealing with all that testosterone poisoning every.single.day….nope. Dragons would be cool but the acrophobia might prove a challenge and I can only imagine the heartburn from breathing fire. It would probably have to be a pride of cats: generally quiet & independent, exerting only as much energy as needed to catch the next meal or sunbeam. Yup, sounds about right.
Definitely excited to hear that there are several more Mercy novels on the way. And, am greatly looking forward to getting my hands on the next Alpha & Omega book.
I think it would a large cat breed shifter pack/pride. They know how to live life and have fun but also how to take it easy or work for their survival. Also they are beautiful creatures that are strong and self reliant.
Hmm.. I will want to be a werewolf and to be a leader of a pack, because I am the bigger, dangerous and most powerful shifter in the world :). I would have a long life, I heal quickly and I am super fast. Just like Adam and Charles, whom I adore 🙂
I have to say, I wouldn’t want to be leader of any pack. I’d prefer to be like Mercy (well, before she and Adam hooked up): a loner who drags all of the other “packs” into her trouble. 🙂 Thanks for the contest!
Were-vampires for me. I’m an attorney so it would be a natural fit! 😉
Jaguars, definitely 🙂
I’m only two books into Mercy so I had to skip half of this interview as I continue reading the books but i’m going to be back when I’m done! I would LOVE the books of A&O though! I haven’t read that series yet either.
Werewolf pack, for sure.
I would be the leader of a pack of werecat witches. Yep! I’m ambitious.
I will take “pack” to be loosely-defined. Although my Lab is staring at me, telling me to choose a canine-type animal (and I would love to be a were/shifter!), I have to go with a “pack” of fighters– humans with a little extra Spark in them who are chosen for their potential. Their potential is perhaps not magic, per se, but special gifts. They are trained in their “talent” and in weaponry/martial arts/etc., and fight alongside other supernaturals, but they’re still human with human limitations. I would love to be the head of that pack. As for the “why,” I think humans are strong and resilient creatures. Ms. Briggs has given us a vivid world of werewolves, and I can’t imagine trying to compete with that! Rather, I’d like another faction to the “crime force of good guys” to be humans. Albeit special humans.
I don’t…I don’t think I would be a leader. I don’t have that dominance, but for the sake of the question, I’d say I’d head a group of various shifters. Bring them together for collective protection, since they don’t really have it within the supernatural community. Build them their own political entity.
I’d probably be the driving force behind its formation, but I wouldn’t likely head it myself. An interim leader. A provisional leader until the group can establish its purpose and democracy.
I wouldn’t want to be leader, but I’d probably make an awesome second like Darryl in a were-dog pack!
Snow Leopard weres. They’re rare, beautiful, smart and secretive. They are usually solitary creatures, but I imagine that if they were weres, they would have to work as a pack to keep their secrets.
However cliche it might be, I’d probably go for a werewolf pack. I think in “pack” terms more often than most of the people I know. I determine who the “alpha” is and who are the followers subconsciously and actions that wouldn’t bother most people irk me because it registers as a dominance play to me. Really odd, I know.
If werewolves were out of the question… My second choice would probably be an avian shapeshifter of some kind. Most likely a falcon or hawk, although I suppose ravens or crows might win out as I have a set of four of them that follow me around. I’ve even named them, which my family and friends constantly make fun of. But it adds some entertainment to the day.
It would be weretigers because I love big cats!
I wouldnt want to be a leader. I would want to be a right hand women to the leader.
I would be a unicorn
If I had my first option I would chose Werewolves. Powerful, intelligent, cunning, and spectacular. However, being a female would made leading a pack terribly difficult. Though it is not unheard of in wild wolf packs for an un-mated female to be an Alpha, it is extremely rare. Add to that, Werewolves are not just wolves, they are human as well, which lends itself to all sorts of gender biases.
If I had to pick beyond that I would love to run with a Hyena pack. Vastly underrated creatures, but loyal to a fault. Their whole pack is matriarchal based, so no problems being a woman there. It doesn’t hurt that they are bigger and badder than wolves too, so if any little werewolves mouthed off I could really teach them the meaning of being a predator.
Just sayin ^-^
I would not make a good leader! lol. But I would love to belong to some kind of werecat pack. 🙂
Wow, what a giveaway! Thanks for the chance!
As for the question, that’s a tough one! Hmm I would have to say either a jaguar or a wolf pack. I’ll go with the traditional. But I wonder how being a female would play into that! Would be interesting.
Hmmm, how about a were-hawk. I would love to fly, still be a predator and actually blend during the day if I decided to shift. 🙂 Thanks for the awesome giveaway!! I love all of Patty’s books.
I’d like to lead a jaguar pack.
I’d like to be the leader of a pride of werelions. 🙂 I love cats they’re the only cats I know of that run in a group.
I’d love to have a pack of were panthers or weretigers.
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I loved reading this interview. Having had the opportunity to listen to Patricia lecture and discuss books and writing at the Tucson Book Fair made it even more interesting. Reading her comments was just like sitting across from her at a table being entertained with her imagination. I can’t wait to read Fair Game.
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I’d choose to be the leader of a big cat pack like Lucas from the Dark River Pack…well except female. I love that series and the big cats!
I would definitely be the leader of a wolf shifter pack (not werewolf but children of Wolf like Mercy is Coyote’s daughter) that has been hiding out from the South American vampires in the Amazon Rainforest for hundreds of years. One of Bran’s werewolves would discover us and tell Bran about us. Bran would be so interested that he would send Charles and Anna to try and create a relationship with us. I agree to a meeting but Leah picks a fight with me in Aspen Creek and I almost kill her . In the end Bran would not only banish Leah from the pack but would have to ask for Coyote’s aid to convince me and my pack that werewolves weren’t simply our less skilled yet overly arrogant cousins.