Interview and Giveaway with Tonia Brown!

Good Morning lovely followers! Today I have a special treat for you! :) An interview with the one, the only, Tonia Brown! I don't think I've asked for and given an interview on the blog since last January *hides face in shame* BUT one of my goals recently has been to include more interviews so you readers can get to know the authors that I have the pleasure of talking with every day!

  Tonia Brown is an author with a penchant for Victorian dead things. She likes fudgesicles and coffee, though not always together. Her short stories have appeared in a variety of anthologies. She's cranked out several books, including Lucky Stiff: Memoirs of an Undead Lover, Badass Zombie Road Trip and the erotic steampunk series Clockworks and Corsets. She lives in North Carolina with her genius husband and an ever fluctuating number of cats. When not writing, she raises unicorns and fight crime with her husband under the code names Dr. Weird and his sexy sidekick Butternut.

Let's start with the basics: How long have you been writing, Have you always wanted to be a writer, and can you tell us a little about yourself and your books?

 

I am a southern author with a penchant for Victorian dead things. I live with my husband of many years in the hills of NC with a variety of cats. I have been writing seriously for about seven or so years now. I write horror, humor, steampunk and erotica. Sometimes together, sometimes not.

Sounds like a lot to manage. I bet you wanna get away sometimes. If you escaped life and ended up on a desert island and were only allowed 1 book for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, because it is heeelarious.

Hmmm...never read it! But anything Neil Gaiman has a finger in is bound to be fabulous! So what other jobs have you held, (or been forced to do) in order to pursue writing?

I’m currently employed as a receptionist in a small Emergency Room. I work nights, which is really interesting.

Oh wow...I bet you see LOTS of stuff to write about from that. Do you base your stories and characters off of pure imagination or are they depictions of people you know in real life?

Occasionally I do slip a person I know into a story, here and there. Who and where, I shall never tell. ;)

If I had to read only ONE of your other books, which one would you tell me to read??

The Cold Beneath is my finest work to date. I wrote it about two years ago, and my agent tried like the dickens to sell it to a big house, but alas the market is tougher than week old steak. Eventually, I decided to self publish it, and there we are.

You write a lot of different genres, mixing everything from westerns to zombies to steampunk, but most seems to be historical. Which time period and location is your favorite to write about and why?

I love the Victorian era because it was a time of not just technological advancement but of social and economic upheaval. In particular, I enjoy right around the 1880’s. There is so much rich history to work with.

About Skin Trade:

First of all, props for that cover. SO. effing. freaky! 

I would like to take credit for it, but it’s all Philip R. Rogers’s fault. The man is a freaking genius when it comes to interpreting my words into the perfect cover. I owe the man so much more than I can ever repay him for his awesome work.

What was your goal that you wanted to achieve with Skin Trade? Strong female lead? A coming of age story mixed with zombies?  

Admittedly, at first, I just wanted to write a story about trapping and skinning zombies. You know, for the hell of it. But once I got into the tale, Sam really bloomed into a strong character, and I found myself in the midst of a strange coming of age story. I originally wrote it from Theo’s perspective, and had to scrap it because when he met up with Sam, she started telling the story in first person. I learned a long time ago to let the characters do what they want, within reason of course, and thus I ended up with Skin Trade. 

After the Great Revenant Uprising, what happened to the other nations/countries? 

The neighboring countries had to deal with the undead menace on their own terms, which included building their own barriers and withdrawing from the US borders. The nations across the pond were lucky enough to avoid an outbreak, thanks to quick thinking officials and a few horrible but necessary laws that allowed for killing folks on site upon suspected infection. These countries halted most trade with us, and all immigration to the states ceased. Kind of makes you wonder how different the world would be if the US didn’t have so many pies to stick our fingers into.

What makes the American West the perfect backdrop for some terrifying zombie horrors?

I find that anything set in areas of low tech or lack of quick communication always makes for great horror. The western frontier was such a place of both loyalty and lawlessness, it’s almost a shame not to set stories there. Also, zombies go good just about any ole place, don’t you think?

Which of your characters do you identify with the most? The least?

I think I have a bit of Sam in me, and vice versa. While our pasts are very different, I do empathize with her struggle to learn who she really is. And her tomboyish nature of course.  I am nothing like Mr. Boudreaux. At least, I hope not. He is such a rat bastard.

Sam is very strong, I would really like to see more of her traumatic past and really dive headfirst into her character. Any chance that you'd do a prequel or flashback or something?

I do have a sequel/prequel in mind, but it focuses more on Theo than Sam. I am hoping to get a third in there that will allow for flashbacks into Sam’s world. It vexes me, however, to detail her torrid history. She suffered so much at such a young age. I don’t know if I have it in me to tell that tale.

Which side character was your favorite to write? ( my favorite to read must have been Theo...or maybe Dillon...ahh...not sure...lol) 

To tell the truth, it is a tossup for me as well! Theo and Dillon both have such amazing depth I could honestly write a whole novel with just the pair of them. *rubs chin* Yes, yes. I do like the sound of that.

This one may be a little morbid, but what item/accessory would YOU like to own that's made of revenant pelt? Me? I think it would be a custom-made corset made out of my ex boyfriend....you?

I think a revenant hide would make for an unusual sounding drumhead. I’ve been known to pound a doumbeck every now and again. Beating the skin of the undead would be an interesting experience.

Will there be a second book or perhaps series for Skin Trade?

Again, yes I rather think so. Unfortunately, because I write in so many genres, I have a whole lot of balls in the air right now. It might be some time before I am able to pen the work, but it is in the brainpan, boiling away for sure! 

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A big round of applause for Tonia! Thanks SO much for participating in the interview and allowing me to read Skin Trade! I had a blast! If Skin Trade sounded like something that tickles your fancy, LUCKY YOU! You've got a chance to win not one, but TWO ebook Copies! Fill out the rafflecopter below to win! 

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