Q&A with #UF Author Kristi Jones (& W*n The Corpse Goddess)

I always love finding new urban fantasy authors, and today I'm happy to introduce you to Kristi Jones, who has a new book, The Corpse Goddess, that is about a Valkyrie facing "death duty." Great spin on the urban fantasy zombie trope!

Kristi Jones spent her childhood exploring European castles, crumbling manor houses and ornate cathedrals, always looking for secret passages and hidden rooms. She holds a degree in European history and loves to throw ‘ordinary’ characters into extraordinary circumstances. She currently lives in south Texas with her husband and two children, who inspire her daily. She is a member of the Writers’ League of Texas and Romance Writers of America. She loves old movies, being a mom, the feel of paper in her hands and things that go bump in the night. You can learn more about Kristi at her website.

ABOUT THE CORPSE GODDESS: Party girl Meg Highbury wakes up the morning after her twenty-first birthday with one hell of a hangover—and a walking corpse in her apartment. Meg turns to her straight-laced neighbor Armando for help, and together they discover that Meg is a Valkyrie. What’s more, her first duty is to trade places with the corpse. But Meg is being sent to her Death Duty too soon. In a race against time, Meg frantically tries to find a loophole to avoid her gruesome fate, but while Meg is determined to live whatever the cost, Armando's strict moral principles keep getting in the way of her plans for escape. Can Meg walk the “right” and narrow path, possibly sacrificing her mortal life, for love? And if she can, will Armando have the stomach to love a rotting corpse of a girl who is falling apart in more ways than one?

Now, welcome Kristi!

Give us the “elevator pitch” for your latest work? Meg Highbury accidentally kicks off a family curse that will turn her into the walking dead, unless she can find a loophole to this Death Duty every Valkyrie faces. But the gods don’t always fight fair and saving her mortal life just might be the death of her.

What is your favorite scene in the book? There’s a scene at the beginning of chapter twenty-six, when Armando helps Meg despite her physical condition. It’s a short but touching scene and it really encapsulates who Armando is as a person. I think that might be my favorite scene because Armando is a young man who surprised me throughout the book!

Hardest scene you’ve ever written: I killed off one of my characters and that was very difficult to write because I really admire and like the character. I kept putting it off and then taking lots of breaks. I didn’t want to kill this particular character, but the story was dictating things by that point.

What’s on your nightstand or top of your TBR pile? Right now, I’ve got quite a long list going. I’m really looking forward to the second installment of Justin Cronin’s The Passage series called The Twelve, but it doesn’t come out until October. Until then, I think I’m reading Off Season by Jack Ketchum next. 

Favorite book when you were a child: 

As a young child, my favorite book was What the Witch Left by Ruth Chew.  My favorite while I was a teenager was Salem’s Lot by Stephen King. 

Your five favorite authors: 

Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, and Jane Austen are always my go-to authors. More recently, I’ve been loving Houston-based author Justin Cronin and Kate Morton. 

Book you've faked reading: 

LOL! Um, let’s see. Fifty Shades of Grey. I tried to read it and got about halfway through, then skimmed the rest. It just didn’t interest me. I think Anne Rice’s Roquelaure books are miles better!

Book you're an evangelist for: 

The Stand by King. It’s hard for a book lover to choose just one, but I think that book is freaking brilliant! 

Book you've bought for the cover: 

I’ve never done that without reading the blurb first. 

Most horrifying moment while reading a book: 

Reading about Miss Leigh in The Mistress of Mellyn getting locked in the crypt with the corpse. I was a teenager when I read it and thought that was the worst thing I’d ever heard of! Being buried alive is bad enough, but being buried with rotting company is worse!

Favorite book about books or writing: Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook by Donald Maass, just because it made me realize that I didn’t have to reinvent the wheel while writing! And of course, I love On Writing by Stephen King. (I’m one of those constant readers, if you haven’t already noticed.) 

What’s next? 

I’m counting the days until the kids go back to school so I can get back to full-time writing. I have one finished novel that needs some revision and another two novels almost finished. I also need to write the second part of The Corpse Goddess. What’s next? I think a little paranormal romance tentatively titled An Inconvenient Ghost about a scientist who’s being haunted and is forced to seek out the services of a rather gorgeous medium!

Thank you, Kristi!

So...want to win The Corpse Goddess? (Note: This is available as an ebook only.) Have you ever read a book featuring a Valkyrie? This would be a first for me! Leave a comment to enter. You know the drill--extra entries for blog follow, Twitter follow @Suzanne_Johnson, and Tweeting the contest. Now...shuffle for brains!

Find The Corpse Goddess at Evernight Publishing, Amazon, and other online retailers.