Interview with Tiffany Allee, author of the Files of the Otherworlder Enforcement Agency - February 14, 2013

Please welcome Tiffany Allee to The Qwillery as part of the Lycan Unleashed Blog Tour!

TQ:  Welcome to The Qwillery.

Tiffany:  Thank you so much for having me here!


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

Tiffany:  Apparently, I make faces when editing. I also make little action motions. This is why I only reread and edit when I’m not in the same room as my husband. No need to give him more fodder—he makes fun of me enough as it is. :)


TQ:  Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Tiffany:  I am a pretty heavy-duty plotter most of the time. But, every book is different, and while I’m able to plot many stories down to the scene and change very little when writing, with others I have to be more flexible. I always try to be a plotter as much as possible. It definitely cuts down on the rewriting.


TQ:  What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Tiffany:  Generally, the most challenging part for me is the first draft, specifically the first few chapters of the first draft when I’m figuring out the voices and the feel of the characters. I absolutely love editing and revising, so those parts come a little easier for me.


TQ:  Describe Lycan Unleashed in 140 characters or less.

Tiffany:  Let’s pretend tweeting is like a math problem. ;-)

Sexy lycan + sensitive in danger + dead vampire = mystery + romance.


TQ:  What inspired you to write Lycan Unleashed?

Tiffany:  Astrid and Mason have been side characters in previous books. And Astrid has been in all of the books thus far. I wanted to explore their very unique set of problems in a way that allowed them some healing through finding each other.

They’re very different people, and I found that fun to write about. Astrid is quiet, polite, and lacking in offensive powers. But she does have one of the most useful abilities a detective can have, and she’s no push over. As a lycan, Mason is strong physically. But he isn’t exactly a people person, and he has a lot of guilt to overcome. I think they have a fun dynamic.


TQ:   What sort of research did you do for Lycan Unleashed?

Tiffany:  In writing the series as a whole I’ve done quite a bit of research, particularly for the police procedural aspects. I’ve used books and online resources to look up everything from police procedures to how long it takes bodies to start to smell (gross, I know). I also do a lot of research on legendary creatures, so I can twist them around for this world.

For Lycan Unleashed, I specifically researched old coins to find one to use for the model of the coin in the story.


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

Tiffany:  For Lycan Unleashed, I think that getting Mason’s voice and vibe in was the most difficult, since we remain in Astrid’s point of view. Conveying how he feels and his characteristics can be a bit more difficult since we never peek into his thoughts directly.

That being said, I don’t think Astrid was exactly easy to write. This series has been a challenge for me as a writer since all of the books are written in first person point of view, but each character has to sound and feel very unique. This was tough because they’re all female police officers in very similar units, all solving mysteries and finding love. Luckily, they are all very different from each other in a lot of ways, so I think their uniqueness comes across.


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

Tiffany:  One of my favorite scenes is when Astrid is describing how her powers work to Mason. The way she sees the world was a lot of fun to write, and it gets pretty steamy toward the end. ;-)


TQ:  What's next?

Tiffany:  Next, I have a novel coming out from Entangled Publishing’s Covet imprint. It is a light paranormal romance about a vampire who is dragged by his human neighbor to her sister’s cruise ship wedding. Hijinks ensue. The book is called Don’t Bite the Bridesmaid, and will be out this spring.

The fourth installment in the From the Files of the Otherworlder Enforcement Agency is scheduled for this summer, and will feature Claude Desmarais, Astrid’s vampire partner, as the hero.


TQ:   Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Tiffany:  Thank you!





From the Files of the Otherworlder Enforcement Agency

Lycan Unleashed
From the Files of the Otherworlder Enforcement Agency 3
Ever After (Entangled Publishing), January 2013
eBook, 162 pages

Detective Astrid Holmes is a sensitive, a human capable of feeling the energy of otherworlders. When she is dispatched to the horrific murder scene of a local vampire, she expects it to be just another day on the job. But when evidence is stolen on her watch, she is removed—not only from the investigation, but from her job as a member of the Chicago police department’s paranormal unit.

Astrid’s only hope of reinstatement lies with her ex co-worker and almost-lover, Lycan Mason Sanderson. But convincing the OWEA agent to let her assist with the investigation isn’t nearly as difficult as staying alive when the murderer realizes that Astrid may hold the key to unlocking his identity.

Fighting to take down a killer could have deadly consequences for Astrid and Mason, but working together puts their already fragile relationship in jeopardy.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : BooksOnBoard : iBookstore

Succubus Lost
From the Files of the Otherworlder Enforcement Agency 2
Ever After (Entangled Publishing), May 2012
eBook, 211 pages

Someone is kidnapping and incinerating otherworlders beyond recognition, and detective Marisol Whitman, a succubus, races to find the murderer before he claims another victim. But her pursuit is derailed when her responsible younger sister vanishes. Marisol suspects foul play and enlists support from an unlikely source: an agent from the Otherworlder Enforcement Agency, Valerio Costa.

When the trail pointing to everyone from vampires to witches dries up, Agent Costa admits to knowing more than he’s shared. Marisol’s sister’s kidnapper harnesses more magic than she can imagine—and they’re running out of time. To find her sister before her powers are drained and twisted beyond recognition, Marisol must connect the dots between cases and put her trust in Costa, a salamander who may burn her before she can solve either case.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble

Banshee Charmer

From the Files of the Otherworlder Enforcement Agency 1
Ever After (Entangled Publishing), January 2012
eBook, 159 pages

When she’s sent to a crime scene and finds her second dead woman in as many weeks, half-banshee detective Kiera “Mac” McLoughlin is convinced a serial killer is on the loose. Incubi are extinct, her boss insists. But what else can kill a woman in the throes of pleasure? When her partner is murdered after using witchcraft to locate the killer and Mac is thrown off the case, her frustration turns to desperation.

Certain the killer is an incubus, Mac works behind her department’s back to chase down slim, sometimes perilous leads. While the killer eludes her, she does discover handsome Aidan Byrne, an investigative counterpart from the enigmatic Otherworlder Enforcement Agency. Mac typically runs her investigations fast and hard, but with Aidan at her side, she’s running this one “hot” as well. But Aidan knows more than he’s letting on—something that could shatter their blazing romance and add Mac to the killer’s growing body count…

Amazon : Barnes and Noble

About Tiffany

CPA-turned-romance-author Tiffany Allee used to battle spreadsheets in Corporate America, and now concentrates on her characters’ battles to find love. Raised in small-town Colorado, Tiffany currently lives in Phoenix, AZ, by way of Chicago and Denver. She is happily married to a secret romantic who tolerates her crazy mutterings.

She writes about ass-kicking heroines and the strong heroes who love them. Her work includes the suspense-driven From the Files of the Otherworlder Enforcement Agency series which revolves around a group of paranormal cops solving crimes and finding love, and Don’t Bite the Bridesmaid, a lighthearted paranormal romance (Entangled Publishing).

Tiffany has an MBA in accounting and nearly a decade of experience in corporate finance. All super useful stuff for a writer who spends far too much time trying to figure out fun ways to keep her characters apart, and interesting ways to kill people (for her books—of course!).

Tiffany is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

Website : Facebook : Twitter : Goodreads





The Giveaway

THE RULES

What:  One commenter will win her or his choice of a copy of either Banshee Charmer or Succubus Lost  plus a signed bookmark featuring the series from Entangled Publishing.

How:   Answer The Qwillery's Question: 

You work for the Otherworlder Enforcement Agency. What is your job?
Please remember - if you don't answer the questions 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 youmention 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.

There are a total of 3 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry) and Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry).  This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook or Twitter mentions. You MUST 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 Thursday, February 21, 2013. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*