Q&A with Christine Amsden discussion

What do you want to know? Don't be shy!

Nearly all your characters resist the idea of the signs being sentient. Did you think of them as a sentient force, or more of a force of nature?

Oh, now that's a good question Megan. Wish I'd thought of it :) Looking forward to Christine's answer.

That is a good question, and one I wrestled with myself as I wrote the book. At times, I was tempted to try to answer it for the reader, but in the end, I couldn't even answer it for myself.

The answer is theological in nature, and in that arena, I have far more questions than answers (like most of us, I imagine). The characters took up different stances, with Suzanne's the most extreme -- yes, there is a plan, and in fact, these are orders we must fulfill. I feel certain she was wrong. She created a world of self-fulfilling prophecies for herself because she believed the way she did.

Most of the rest of the characters had trouble with the sentient force idea because they feared it sapped their free will.

Here's what I know for sure: Predictions are only made when certain events are set in stone. It doesn't sap free will, though it may feel that way to those who want to make changes and can't. Why they have that ability, whether it was planned or some random force of evolution, I'll have to leave up to the reader to fill in. :)

Thanks for asking!

Feels kind of like predicting the road leads to Rome once I see Rome at the end of it. But if I'm usually blind, does seeing take my freewill away?

Interesting analogy. Yes, I think you could look at it that way.

Interesting, and thanks for the answer! (Sorry I wasn't back here earlier—hectic week.)

Your story ideas are all so original! What are you working on now?

Oh, you asked the magic question! :)

I am almost finished with "Mind Games", book 3 in my "Normal" Detective Series. (Note: it's actually paranormal with the "para" crossed out, but this site doesn't allow strike-throughs.) I'm actually just waiting on some last-minute feedback from my husband. (Ahem!)

Book 3, you say? What about book 1? Well, it's coming out in February, and the rest of the series will be pretty close behind (tentatively 4-6 months between releases). There will be 4 books in all, and I'll be working on the last one soon.

Here's my blurb:

Cassie Scot is the ungifted daughter of powerful sorcerers, trapped between worlds but not belonging to either. She tries to pass herself off as "normal," but living as a private investigator in the shadow of her family's reputation isn't easy. When she is drawn into a paranormal investigation, and tempted by a powerful and handsome sorcerer, she'll have to decide where she truly belongs.

This is something I've been working on for a couple of years now and I'm super excited to see it coming to print. I believe it's the best work I've ever done, and that Cassie is the best character I've created, especially when you consider the 4-book journey her character arc will take. Each novel will be framed by a mystery, but Cassie's personal and romantic story grows throughout. (ie Read the series in order or I'm not responsible for your inability to appreciate my brilliance! :) )

I'm not sure how to label this one. Paranormal romance feels like a good fit, since I consider the romantic element to be huge, but urban fantasy would also work, or mystery, or even coming of age. (Cassie is 21 during the series, and even though that's a bit older than the norm for a coming of age story, I feel like that's exactly what she's doing.)

Here's a sneak peak at the first paragraph from the story, since you ask:

My parents think the longer the name, the more powerful the sorcerer, so they named me Cassandra Morgan Ursula Margaret Scot. You can call me Cassie.

Congratulations Christine! I love the premise of Mind Games. After Sookie Stackhouse and Mac from Darkfever, I’m hungry for a tough, mystery solving heroine. When in February is it coming out? Have you picked the cover art yet?

I don't have an exact date or cover art yet. It's still almost a year out! (Sometimes I think it has to be sooner than that.)

I did enjoy those two series, though -- especially Mack. I've read the whole series twice now. :)

Personally, I’m glad you’re having trouble picking the genre. That means it’s got a little of everything in it, which makes me want to read it even more.

But who the heck are you? Yoda?

Waiting for all three books to be finished before publishing the first is an excellent idea—now, you can tweak, add, and polish to your heart’s content AND the readers won’t have to wait long for the sequels—but, holy molly! The patience that must have taken….