I’m very exciting to welcome Amanda Carlson to the blog today. She kicks off our 4th All Hallows Eve event with an awesome interview! Her debut urban fantasy, Full Blooded, featuring a new kickass heroine Jessica McClain, was released in September. I’m reading it right now and it’s great!

Hi Amanda, thanks so much for answering my questions today and for kicking off All Hallows Eve 2012!

Thank you so much for inviting me! It’s a pleasure to be here to help you celebrate.

Your new urban fantasy, Full Blooded, sounds like a great read. Can you tell us a bit about the book, the characters and what’s in store for us?

FULL BLOODED is about the only female werewolf on the planet. The novel starts out with a wicked wake-up call and Jessica’s life changes in an instant. The reader is thrown into her world as she discovers it. It’s a fast-paced action adventure. But it’s got its share of snark and heart as well. I’m hoping readers who love both action and romance will enjoy it.

What do you think is unique about your heroine, Jessica McClain, in what is a very saturated genre?

Jessica blends strength with common sense and vulnerability. She has a big family unit, and is the opposite of a tortured heroine. She’s been called “likeable” by other authors and that suits her well. I tried to give her a very distinct voice, which is what authors strive for and I hope I’ve achieved it.

How much of your personality bleeds into your characters?

Some of my friends say they can hear some of me in the dialogue, but Jessica is all her own. I don’t think she shares much in common with my personality. She’s the kind of kickass friend I’d love to hang out with at the local pub.

What’s your favourite snack while writing?

I love popsicles. I’m not sure what they’re called in England, but I love a cold sweet refreshing treat in the summer. I also love buttered popcorn. I guess I’m sweet and salty!

If you hadn’t become a writer, what would you have done for a living?

I would’ve loved to have been a food photographer, of all things. Photography is a passion of mine and there is something so wonderful about seeing that beautiful plate of food that looks so brilliantly inviting on the cover of a magazine. I had a chance to do a bit in a local publication and it was lots of fun.

If you could be ANYONE for just one day, who would you want to be and why?

Oh my goodness! Let’s see…Tom Hardy’s girlfriend?? LOL. Those lips! I’m sure his fiancé wouldn’t take too kindly to the swap. I think switching bodies with an astronaut while they were in space for a day would be awesome. I’ve always wondered what was going on in their minds as they looked on us from above. Then I would know!

What was the last book you bought? Did you love it or hate it?

The last book I bought was Julie Ann Walker’s IN RIDES TROUBLE. I haven’t read it yet, as it’s a fresh buy, but Julie rocks. The last book I loved was Amanda Bonilla’s SHAEDES OF GRAY. I have almost no time to read so I’m picky about my TBR pile, but it’s growing and many of my friends are debuting.

What’s your favourite TV show right now?

The Voice. I love the banter.

If you could be a supernatural creature, what would you be?

A shifter who could change into anything. I’d love to fly. (No bloodsucking for me!)

As it’s our All Hallows Eve month, we can’t end the interview without asking, do you celebrate Halloween? If so, how do you celebrate – do you dress up, eat lots of candy, go trick or treating? ;D

We do celebrate Halloween! It’s very festive here and the kids dress up and go door to door for sweet treats. If I’m invited to a party, I will wear a costume. Last year I went as Lady GaGa (meaning I put on several past outfits and called myself outlandish). I absolutely love the Fall season and look forward to the smells and leaves changing every year.

Thanks so much, Amanda, and best of luck with your debut.

Thank you so much for hosting me! It was a blast to stop by and chat. Happy to be “in” the UK, if only by virtual means.

Amanda Carlson is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, with a BA in both Speech and Hearing Science & Child Development. She went on to get an A.A.S in Sign Language Interpreting and worked as an interpreter until her first child was born. She enjoys playing Scrabble to an unhealthy degree, shopping trips to Ikea and has a great weakness for tropical beaches. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and three kids.

To find out more about Amanda and her books, visit her website, amandacarlson.com. You can also connect with her on Twitter (@amandaccarlson) and Facebook.

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