ROCCO welcomes....Tate Hallaway!

MEOW! Today my guest is the lovely and talented Tate Hallaway!

Tate Hallaway leads a double-life.  By day, she’s a mild-mannered, award winning science fiction author, Lyda Morehouse.  At night, she dons a skin-tight cat suit and prowls the night as Tate Hallaway, best selling romance author.  Tate’s books include the adult paranormal Garnet Lacey series, the YA Vampire Princess of St. Paul series, and a new adult series that begins with Precinct 13 (forthcoming in August 2012).

R:  Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became interested in writing.

T: I became interested in writing because, at some point, it became socially awkward for me to ask people to play pretend with me.

Writing became a way of playing with myself, as it were.

R:  What inspired your “Vampire Princess” series?

T: I was really interested in trying my hand at young adult.  It's a fun new catagory and my editor and I brainstormed the idea of a half-witch/half-vampire high schooler and things went from there!

R: Tell us about your latest release

T: My latest release is Precinct 13.  It’s a return to adult novels, which is fun in a way, because I got to write a very sexy love interest for my heroine.  I’ve been describing Precinct 13 as CSI meets X-Files or as a paranormal police procedural, though neither does the novel justice.  There’s zombies and fairies and… dragons and it’s a whole lot of fun.

R: Are you a fan of vampire shows?  If so what is your favorite tv show? Movie?

T: I’m kind of old school, I’m afraid.  Probably my favorite vampire show is still “Buffy, The Vampire Slayer.”  I was a big fan of “Lost Boys”

when that movie came out, but I’m afraid both those answers date me.

R: You’re an amateur astrologer. How did you get into that?

T: When I was in college I met a woman who was an astrologer.  I thought it was all very silly, but was interested enough to let her read my chart for me.  The things she said blew my mind.  It was scary accurate.  In that moment, I was hooked and I started learning from her.  I’m still learning, but I finally got to do one of those scary accurate readings for a friend of mine just the other day.

R:  Do you have an “how I got my agent” story you’d like to share?

How did you feel when you got the call your first novel had sold?

T: How I got my first agent is such a convoluted story, I don’t think it translates well.  However, I remember well how it felt when I found out my first novel had sold.  I actually told my agent I didn’t believe him.  We’d been through a couple of close calls at two previous publishers, so I’d had my hopes raised only to be crushed.

So, when he said that Penguin had made an offer, I believe I called bull.  I only started to believe him when he started talking about money.  Then, I screamed.  Which was awkward because I was at work… in a very quiet archive.

R: What gave you the idea for your first novel, Tall Dark and Dead?

T: Tall, Dark & Dead isn’t actually my first novel.  I wrote four science fiction books under my real name, Lyda Morehouse.  I got the idea for Tall, Dark & Dead from a conversation I had with my then editor, John Morgan.  We were talking about guilty pleasures and I admitting to being a huge vampire fan.  He basically challenged me to come up with a fun vampire book proposal, and Garnet Lacey was born.

R: What’s a must have for you when you are writing? What aids the creative process?

T: I like to have a notebook handy when I’m stuck somewhere, like waiting for my son to get out of school or something.  I find I have a real preference for quad ruled notebooks and a smooth writing pen.

However, I never psych myself out by “needing” anything to write.  I will write anywhere, anytime, under any circumstances.  In a box, with a fox, as Dr. Seuss might say.  I gave up on perfect conditions when my son Mason was an infant.  I had a deadline I needed to keep and a baby that kept odd hours.  If there was an opportunity to write, I took it.  Damn any Muse.  I didn’t wait for her to show up; I didn’t have the luxury.

R: You’ve contributed to anthologies. Do you prefer writing short stories or novels?

T: I would ADORE more opportunities to write for anthologies, but I don’t get asked, alas.  I have to admit that I think my natural form is the long form, the novel, and that I find writing short stories challenging.  But, I love a challenge.

R: If you had access to a time machine, which historical moment would you travel to and why?

T: The burning of the Library and Alexandria.  I would try to save some books.

R:  If a movie were to be made of one of your books, which one would you want it to be and who would you pick for the lead roles?

T: Truthfully, I think my science fiction novels would make great Anime.

As for my romances, it would be fun to see Tall, Dark & Dead as a movie, though I think the Vampire Princess series would make a better TV show.

I’m not very good with the actor game, however.  I’m too old and I don’t watch enough movies or TV.  However, the guy who played Thor, Chris Helmsworth?  I want him.  In anything.

R: What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to know about you?

T: I have a yellow belt in a Korean mixed martial arts called Kuk Sool Wan and I love yelling and hitting.

R: What is the craziest thing you've ever done?

T: Listen, I was a theatre geek in high school.  You can’t ask me this question. I believe I’m allowed to take the Fifth.

And now, a little thing Big Rock calls, “Just for Fun”

R:  Your Favorite –

Movie  Until Avengers comes out, I’m going to say THOR or maybe the new re-boot of STAR TREK.

TV Show Bleach (an Anime).

Novel Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffery.

Actor Chris Helmsworth.

Drink  Coffee, specifically a “Vienna” (honey latte with cinnamon.) Mountain or Seashore?  Mountain.

Night or Day?   Early morning.

Vampire or Vixen? Vampire.

Cat or Dog? Cat! (R: EXCELLENT answer, meow!)

Martini or Manhattan? Neither, as I’m a cheap date and would pass out from one sip of either.

R: What do you hope readers will most take away from your writing?

T: Humor.  The most important thing to me is to make my readers smile.

R:  Out of all the characters you’ve created, do you have a favorite and why?

T:I do, but none of you have met him yet.  My favorite character is Valentine Zmajov, who is the love interest in PRECINCT 13 with an AWESOME secret.

R: what advice can you offer writers just starting on their journey?

T:Never give up.  The very best advice I can give you is that talent is

not nearly as important as persistence.   The writer who will succeed

is the one who can get back up after she’s been knocked to her knees.

Meow, and thank you for a great interview, Tate!  Folks, here's all the places you can find out about tate and her books: 

www.tatehallaway.com

www.lydamorehouse.com

wyrdsmiths.blogspot.com

tatehallaway.blogspot.com

lyda222.livejournal.com

@tatehallaway

www.facebook.com/tate.hallaway

www.facebook.com/lydamorehouse

Now for our giveaway:  Tate has two galleys of PRECINCT 13 she's willing to give away to two lucky readers! Just leave a comment with your email addy in the comments section.  winner will be chosen at random midnight, July 1st, announced on July 2!

For extra entries you can:

Follow moi on twitter: RoccoBlogger

Follow Tate on Facebook

Follow the Human or myself on Facebook

Tweet or FB (or both!) about this contest - gets 3 extra entries!

July promises to be extra, extra hot here at the blog!

Coming up:

In July:

Juliet Blackwell

Rachel Vincent

Carrie Vaughn

And lets not forget our big CASTLE fundraiser for Kids Need to REad! OUr fanfic interview with RICHARD CASTLE KICKS THAT OFF JULY 16!  I'LL POST A LIST OF EACH AUCTION ITEM NEXT  MONDAY!

ROCCO

Incredible Blogging Cat!