Interview with Linda Poitevin and Giveaway - October 7, 2011

Please welcome Linda Poitevin to The Qwillery as part of the 2011 Debut Author Challenge interviews and Linda's Angels Gather Here Blog Tour. Sins of the Angels, Linda's debut, was published on September 27, 2011.

TQ:  What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Linda:  I cannot write at home. Seriously. Over the last couple of years, between hiding from home renovations and kids, I’ve become so accustomed to writing in my local coffee shop that I just can’t get into the creative mindset at home. I have no problem doing my freelance/corporate stuff there, but when it comes to getting into the story and doing the whole world-building thing, I need my ‘usual’ little corner table. It’s so bad that if I don’t turn up for a few days, the staff wonders what’s wrong with me. I’m trying to change (paying for coffee out every day is expensive!) but it’s tough!

TQ:  Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?

Linda:  I have somewhat eclectic tastes and read widely outside my own genre. While I love Jim Butcher, Kevin Hearne, Patricia Briggs, and Charlaine Harris, I’m also a huge fan of J.R. Tolkien, Alexandre Dumas, Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Kathy Reichs, Bill Bryson, and many others. I’m a fickle reader, though (should I be admitting that?) – I won’t necessarily buy a book just because I like the author…the story needs to appeal, too.

As for who has influenced my writing, I would have to say I’ve been influenced by just about everything I’ve ever read. I’m not a literary take-it-apart-and-examine-it-to-death kind of girl, so I haven’t purposefully studied any particular writer. It’s been more a matter of just enjoying (or not) a novel and letting my subconscious take notes. :-)

TQ:  Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Linda:  A bit of both, so I guess that makes me a proud plantser. :-) I plot out a lot of scenes inside my head in advance, but I won’t necessarily know how they fit together until I start writing them. II’m always happy to have a story take an unexpected twist—that’s what makes it exciting for me.

TQ:  Describe Sins of the Angels in 140 characters or less.

Linda:  Fallen Angel turns serial killer. Twin brother sent to hunt him. Cop comes between them. Blood spills. Chaos ensues. Apocalypse threatens. (138 characters)

TQ:  What inspired you to write Sins of the Angels?

Linda:  Short answer: A song sparked the idea, and a friend made it grow into a series. Long answer: when the song Angel came out from Sarah McLachlan, a line in it, “You’re in the arms of the angel, may you find some comfort here,” got the whole “what if?” questions flowing. Specifically, what if you didn’t find comfort in the arms of an angel, but something else entirely? I originally intended the story to be a paranormal romance, but then a friend of mine started telling me about Lucifer and the fallen angels and the ideas really started. Next thing I knew, I had ideas for an entire series and, while a love element still existed, the story was definitely no romance.

TQ:  What sort of research did you do to create the mythology in Sins of the Angels?

Linda:  I did a tremendous amount of research into angel mythology, both through books and on the Internet. Interestingly, however, I don’t think I found any two sources that agreed with one another. I had expected differences between the mythologies of various religions, of course—between Christian and Jewish, for example—but what surprised me were the discrepancies I found within the traditions of single religions. In the end, the variations actually made my job easier because I just borrowed bits and pieces of whatever worked best in order to construct my own world. Then, of course, I added my own twist on things. :-)

TQ:  Why did you set the novel in Toronto?

Linda:  Naiveté to begin with, lol, and also because it just made sense. When I started writing Sins of the Angels, I didn’t realized that Canadian settings could be an issue for American publishers. I wanted a big-city setting and it made sense for me to set it in Canada because my husband, a cop, is my built-in reference for Canadian police procedures. As Toronto is the largest city here, it kind of won by default. I was thrilled when my editor decided to leave the story there.

TQ:  Who was the easiest character to write and why? Hardest and why?

Linda:  Easiest was Alex. I’ve known so many cops over the years that writing a police character just felt really natural to me. Hardest was Aramael. He was so reactive…controlling him was kind of like juggling nitroglycerine at times, I swear.

TQ:  Without giving anything away, what is/are your favorite scene(s) in the novel?

Linda:  One of my favorite scenes is when Alex is facing down Aramael, whom she still knows only as her annoying new partner, Jacob Trent. Because she’s the senior detective, she gets to give the orders, and we can really see Aramael struggling with the idea that a mere human—and a Nephilim descendent, at that—dares tell him what to do. In that one standoff, we so much of both of them: his resentment, her determination and bravado, all edged with an awareness of one another that neither wants. I just love how they react to one another.

TQ:  How many books are planned for the Grigori Legacy series?

Linda:  The series story arc stretches over four books, but at the moment I’m contracted for just the two, Sins of the Angels and Sins of the Son. Whether or not my publisher will pick up the option for the remaining books will depend on sales (hint, hint, lol!).

TQ:  What's next?

Linda:  At the moment I’m in the copyedit/proofreading stage of Sins of the Son, which comes out March 27th, and doing my very best to share my excitement with readers about the release of Sins of the Angels on this blog tour. Also, because I’m an optimist, I’ve started working on book 3, Sins of the Righteous, and I’m doing some early research for a new series idea that’s brewing. :-)

TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Linda:  Thank you for having me, Sally! I can’t tell you how honored I was to be here today. And if any of your readers have questions they’d like to ask, I would be thrilled to answer.


About Sins of the Angels

Sins of the Angels

The Grigori Legacy 1
(Ace, September 27, 2011)

When homicide detective Alexandra Jarvis is assigned a new partner in Aramael, a Guardian Angel who doubles as a hit man, they have only one thing in common: a fallen angel hell-bent on triggering the apocalypse. Now they have no choice but to work together-relentlessly, fearlessly, intimately. Because only they can stop the rogue angel from ushering in the end of days.

Amazon : Barnes & Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million

Read an excerpt of Sins of the Angels:  http://www.lindapoitevin.com/excerpt.html
Read The Qwillery's Review of Sins of the Angels here.

About Linda

Linda Poitevin was born and raised in B.C., Canada’s westernmost province. Growing up in an era when writing was “a nice hobby, dear, but what are you going to do for a living?”, Linda worked at a variety of secretarial jobs before applying to be a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Due to an error in measurement, however, she was turned down when she didn’t meet the height requirement of that time. Undeterred, Linda became a civilian member in the force and was a dispatcher for two and a half years, during which time she met her husband, a police officer.

Following their transfer to Ottawa, Linda went on to become a real estate agent and then a human resources consultant before starting a family. She has been a stay-at-home mom ever since and has homeschooled her youngest daughter for the last nine years. Now that she has realized writing can be more than a nice hobby, she continues to live her dream of being a cop vicariously through her characters.

Linda currently lives near Ottawa with her husband, three daughters, one very large husky/shepherd/Great Dane-cross dog, two cats, three rabbits, and a bearded dragon lizard. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found in her garden or walking her dog along the river or through the woods.
Linda is a member of Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Quebec Writers' Federation, Romance Writers of America, RWA Futuristic Fantasy Paranormal Chapter, and Ottawa Romance Writers' Association.

Linda's Links

Website
Facebook
Twitter

Linda's Blog Tour Schedule


The Giveaway

THE RULES

What:  Two commenters will each win a Mass Market Paperback copy of Sins of the Angels generously provided by Ace Books.

How:  Leave a comment answering the following question:  Angels or Fallen Angels? 

          or  You may ask Linda a question.

Please remember - if you don't answer the question or ask Linda a question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1)  Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2)  Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3)  Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. In addition please leave a way to contact you.

Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Friday, October 14, 2011. Void where prohibited by law. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*