Interview Jane Toombs

by

Cathy Miller

1. How many books do you have published now?

I have ten original ebooks published and six rights-back books converted to ebooks. Also novellas or short stories in nine ebook anthologies, with another coming out in July. With other publishers, 60 books.

2. Have you ever won any contests?

Ebooks: Becoming Your Own Critque Partner (with Janet Lane Walters) was a 2003 Eppie non-fiction winner and Shifters (with three other authors) was the anthology Eppie 2003 winner. Nightingale Man was a finalist in the same contest. Several of my short stories or novellas have placed in contests, both this year and in the past. Non ebooks: I mostly have been a bridesmaid in past years, but never a bride. The exception was the 1998 Prism winner for Lover's Moon (dark paranormal).

3. What was the most exciting thing about getting your contract with Wings?

I'd say working with Lorraine Stephens. She's an excellent editor and a great idea person. I got the chance to put my Yooper Pasty recipe in the Wings cookbook since the heroine serves pasties to the hero in my story. I think this is fantastic promo.

4. Was Racing With The Moon an easy or hard book to write?

I got into the characters so quickly, the story came fairly easily, though it took a twist or two that surprised me. Which, of course, made it more fun to write. For me, if I have trouble getting to know my characters early on, then the writing becomes more difficult, since characters drive the story.

5. What is your book about?

The theme is facing up to understanding that what you always believed true may not be. This is hard for us all, and so it was for my heroine. The story involves shapeshifting and the pain and terror of those who can only make it half-way there.

6. Who is your favorite character in the book?

Probably my surprise secondary character who just happens to be dead. But death doesn't entirely conquer a Finnish wizard.

7. Is there any chance that there will be a sequel to Racing With The Moon?

Not as such, though I have no doubt I'll write about shapeshifting again. It's always fascinated me. This is because I believe, in our own way, all humans are shapeshifters--without actually changing our physical shapes.

8. Does the book cover reflect your story?

The artist did a marvelous job. I'd put in the art sheet that I didn't like dark covers and yet she saw darkness as the best way to illustrate the story. What she came up with is wonderful--a full moon (also story-appropriate) lighting the darkness and a hazy semi-metamorphsis under the moon. It's a cover that will attract attention and I'm very happy with it.

9. Since you write for "other" publishers, what led you to write ebooks?

Epublishers allow me the freedom I find lacking in many of the New York houses. Paranormal is my favorite reading and writing genre and, until lately, such books were difficult to sell to New York. Epubs are open to cross genres, which I also like to write. Best of all, epubs are author friendly.

10. Do you have any pets?

It's probably more correct to say my Significant Other and I are owned by an aloof calico cat named Kinko, who tolerates us on her own terms. However she often does bring us treats such as dead mice and once a live black racer snake about two feet long. On the other hand, maybe she's just trying to scare us.