The Hunter Blog Tour: Interview with Theresa Meyer

Hi! Today Theresa Meyers is here to talk about her western paranormal steampunk romance. (Isn't that an intriguing combination of genres?) I am sorry this post is a day late, but there was an unavoidable delay that meant that I didn't get Ms. Meyers' answers to my questions until today. :)



How would you describe yourself in ten words or less?

The tea-drinking mommy with imaginary people in her head.

What inspired you to write a steampunk western paranormal romance?

Mouthful, isn’t it? I actually had the idea for the three brothers in 1880s Arizona back in 1998 when I was living there. I’d gone on a drive up to Flagstaff and we’d meandered through some of the small mining towns on the way up there, which got me thinking. I knew the brothers were all named after their father’s guns—Winchester, Remington and Colt. I knew the eldest was a law man, the youngest an outlaw and the middle brother an attorney (because he had to of course balance between the other two). What I didn’t know was what kept these seemingly very different men together. Fast forward to 2008 when I was writing paranormal romances for Harlequin. I realized that what held them together was hunting supernaturals. Once that piece fell into place it became a steampunk book (because these hunters needed extraordinary weapons to do what they do) and the inventor character Marley Turlock became their version of James Bond’s Q. I didn’t even realize at the time that steampunk was an active subculture when I began writing this. I was just putting together things I personally have always liked. It was a very pleasant surprise when I attended Steampunk University for a day in Seattle and discovered, hey, there are actually people who are into this stuff like me and it has a real name!

What was the hardest part when writing it? And the easiest?

As silly as this sounds, the hardest part is actually sitting down every day and doing the writing. A lot of people will tell you, “oh, I want to write a book one day, when I have the time.” Guess what? You don’t get extra time. You have to carve it out of the same 24 hours as everyone else and some days that’s a challenge. But it’s the secret of every great writer. You must apply your bottom to the chair and your hands to the keyboard and write. Consistently. The easiest part? Telling myself the story. It unfolds like a movie in my head, only I get smellovision too. I can rewind and replay bits and pieces to see exactly what a character was wearing or to relisten to the tone of voice during a piece of dialog. Honestly, if I wasn’t having to type it as I see it in my head, I would pull up a bowl of popcorn and just watch it unfold.

If you could be any supernatural being for a day, what kind would you be?

Oooo. Good question. I’d have to pick it would be an ancient goddess. I wouldn’t want to be a vampire, because while I like writing them in real life I can’t stand the sight of blood (except my own, which doesn’t seem to creep me out). I wouldn’t want to be a shape shifter, because if I shifted into a bird, I’ve got a bad fear of heights and if I shifted into a furred animal I could get fleas. No thank you. As for a demon, well, you’re really under someone else’s beck and call and you’re the bad guy that makes nasty things happen, and frankly that’s so close to being a mom, that I don’t think there’s that much difference (after all being told to brush your teeth before bed is apparently evil incarnate.)

If you could spend a day with one of your characters, which one would it be and what would you be doing?

If I could spend a day with any of my characters, I’d probably want to hang out with Marley. He’s just so goofy and full of ideas, and I’m a sucker for a British accent so I could listen to him blather on about anything all day and be happy. We might cook up some new weapon or figure out a brilliant way for brewing tea. Since my office probably looks about in the same condition as Marley’s lab, I think I’d feel right at home.

What are some of your favorite stories?

I love to read. Julia Quinn, Yasmine Galenorn, Cherry Adair, James Rollins, are some of my favorite authors. But I also still have copies of the books I really enjoyed as a child, things like A Wrinkle in Time, The Tower of Geburah, and the Chronicles of Narnia. I’m also a rabid fan of the online steampunk comic Girl Genius.

Random Questions:

Plotter or Pantser?

Actually I’m what I call a planter. I like to plot things out using a plotting board, character sheets, spiderweb subplotting, etc., so I have a good solid story and know the motivations of my characters, but when it comes down to actually writing my characters often take a detour here and there in a pantser-style that always make the stories better. I plant the idea with a good steady trellis and feed it. I let it take root and then I leave it free to grow however it wants to. The plot is the trellis that supports the creative free-flow.

Mythology or fairytales?

Oooo. Hard call. I’d have to go with Mythology, because a lot of the fairytales have some kind of mythological base and in terms of characters I can usually pull a lot more fun information out of the mythology from various cultures. In fact one of my favorite research books is The MacMillian Illustrated Encyclopedia of Myths & Legends by Arthur Cotterell.  

Music or movies?

Now that’s really not fair. I absolutely love movies, but I create a soundtrack for each book I write to and love to dance (which requires music), so how do I choose? Can I pick both on this one?

Thank you so much for stopping by! Don't worry, I won't force you to choose between movies and music. (After all, don't all the best movies have really good music?) Also, I think being an ancient goddess would be much more fun than being a vampire. :)

                                               

About the Book:

They're the Chosen—Winchester, Remington and Colt—brothers trained to hunt down supernatural beings using the latest steam-powered gadgetry. It's a hard legacy to shoulder, and it's about to get a lot more dangerous. . .

 

A Devil Of A Job

 

Colt Jackson has gotten his name on many a wanted poster with success in the family business: hunting supernaturals across the frontier. Lately, though, there's a sulfur stink in the wind and the Darkin population is exploding. A rift in the worlds is appearing. To close it, Colt will have to do the unthinkable and work with a demon to pass arcane boundaries no human alone can cross.

Except when he summons his demon, he doesn't get some horned monstrosity: he gets a curvy redheaded succubus named Lilly, who's willing to make a bargain to become human again. He also gets Lilly's secret expertise on the machinations on the dark side of the rift. And her charm and cleverness help to get them out of what his silver-loaded pistol and mechanical horse can't. Of course, when all hell breaks loose, he might have to sacrifice his soul. But what's adventure without a little risk?

To visit all the blogstour and learn more about this book, go here.

                                  Lieder Madchen