I’m very pleased to welcome debut author, Phillipa Bornikova to the blog today. Her debut, This Case is Gonna Kill Me, was released in September by Tor Books, and it sounds great. I’ll definitely be reading this one. It was fun getting to know more about her – I hope you enjoy the interview.

Hi Phillipa, thanks so much for answering our questions today – it’s wonderful to have you as part of our All Hallows Eve event. Your new urban fantasy, This Case is Gonna Kill Me, released September, sounds like a cracking read. Can you tell us a bit about the book, the characters and what’s in store for us?

I was musing about law, money and power that made me realize that if supernaturals existed they would probably control the levers of power in society. I was an attorney and I had this image of the hushed halls of a prestigious law firm where the top partners were all vampires. That got me thinking what kind of professions would attract werewolves and I thought they’d like the competitive world of high finance or being Hollywood agents. The elves — naturally they would gravitate to Hollywood and become actors and rock stars. Then I pictured a young human woman, a recent law school graduate, navigating through these various players.

Since I was liberalizing the metaphor with vampires and lawyers, and since I had a female protagonist I also wanted to explore the glass ceiling so I made it taboo for a woman to ever become a werewolf of a vampire thus closing her out of the top ranks in a lot of professions. But my heroine, Linnet is feisty and determined, and she starts to make a name for herself and shake up the status quo. She also finds herself in incredibly dangerous situations, but she keeps emerging unscathed, and she realizes there is something not quite so normal and ordinary about her.

What do you think is unique about your heroine, Linnet Ellery?

I think the fact she is an attorney, and settles issues using the law rather than a knife or a gun is different from many urban fantasies. She also is more-then-human, but in the beginning she’s unaware that she is special, and what makes her special will have a devastating effect on her and the people and supernaturals around her.

How much of your personality is in your characters?

All of my characters are reflections of me. Linnet is a dressage rider as am I. My male protagonist in my Edge books is a singer and pianist as am I. And they’re both rather short — as am I.

What’s your favourite snack while writing?

A cup of tea with cream in it. Occasionally I’ll add a cookie, but I’m not much of a sweet eater.

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

Oh gosh, do I have to pick one? Horse trainer. Opera singer. Astronaut.

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

Contemporary figure, probably Hillary Clinton. She’s one of the most fully realized women in the world. Historical figure – James Madison, the “Father of the Constitution”. I know it’s a gender switch, but I would have loved to rub elbows with the men who drafted our Constitution. That was my primary focus of study in law school. It’s an amazing document.

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

The Yiddish Policeman’s Union by Michael Chabon. I liked it a lot.

What’s your favourite TV show right now?

I have to pick two. Homeland and Game of Thrones.

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

An elf. A long life, but you’re not immortal. And lots of music and dancing, and wild hunts.

As it’s 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

I live in a very rural area on 11 acres of land so I don’t get the trick or treaters any longer. Which I really miss. When I lived in the city I would put on a costume, and hand out candy. Now I go to a great Halloween party hosted by a good friend. Each year it has a theme, and we dress up accordingly. It’s a lot of fun.

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

Thank you, and thanks for the opportunity to be interviewed.

Phillipa Bornikova has been the story editor of a major network television series, a horse trainer, and an oil-company executive. She lives in the Southwest. This Case is Gonna Kill Me is her first novel. (Photo © Kyle Zimmerman Photography)

To find out more about Phillipa and her books, visit her on Goodreads.

GIVEAWAY

TOR Books are kindly giving away  FIVE (5) copies of This Case is Gonna Kill Me. To enter please leave a comment for Phillipa then fill out the form below. This giveaway is for US/CAN/UK Only and ends 31st October 2012

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:

ALL HALLOWS EVE 2012 – AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Amanda Carlson

ALL HALLOWS EVE 2012: Winner of BCC Halloween Contest (as…

ALL HALLOWS EVE 2012 – AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Coreene…

WEEKLY ROUNDUP – 14th Oct 2012