About Vicki Pettersson
Bio
Born and raised in Las Vegas where the Zodiac Series is set, Vicki has always
been a voracious reader and writer. However, a post-college stint in PR convinced
her she didn't want to spend her days writing on assignment ... so she did what
any self-respecting Vegas girl would do. She became a showgirl. Ten years later
she traded in her sequins for a laptop. She can most often be found haunting the
true-life locales that appear in her urban fantasy series.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you get your ideas?
The New York Times.
Stop with the sarcasm. Really. Where do you get your ideas?
Everywhere. At every turn. More ideas pop out at me in an hour than I could ever
use in a lifetime. It's just a shame I write so slowly.
What's your daily routine?
Well, I'm a mother so it depends on my kid's routine. Basically I've trained my
mind to focus well enough to make good use of whatever time I have (though I often
make more of it by getting up early, staying up late, or telling those around me
what else I need in terms of support).
My routine also depends on what I'm working on at a given time. I like to write
straight through from beginning to end in multiple drafts, and if it's my first
draft there's a lot of sitting around and thinking. And cursing. Interspersed
with this messiness are bouts of 2K a day writing stretches. Unfortunately these
only last for so long, and I'm soon back to rethinking, reimagining, and replotting.
And so it goes, in fits and starts.
Lately I've taken to writing in the morning before the rest of the household is
awake, and I revel in this quiet time. Even New York is still wiping the sleep
from its eyes.
Why dark urban fantasy?
I didn't choose it. It chose me. I'd love to write funny and short (90K instead
of 170K first drafts please!) but the darkness in these books were hairpin turns
I simply had to follow.
When is the next book coming out?
THE TOUCH OF TWILIGHT, The Third Sign of the Zodiac is out in June '08, and I'll
be publishing one book in the series every year thereafter. There are related shorts
interspersed, the first in the HOLIDAYS ARE HELL anthology, featuring Zoe Archer,
Joanna's mother, and another will be out in May '09. I'll post details, cover art,
and excerpts as they become available.
Who are your favorite authors/greatest influences?
While there are loads of great authors out there, my top three - the ones who do
it for me every time, and whom I consider flawlessly pure storytellers - are:
1) Dennis Lehane. Good genre fiction explores relevant issues within the framework
of an exciting and satisfying story arc without being didactic, and nobody, in my
opinion, does this better than Lehane. And then he goes and tops it off with prose
that stuns. It's rare for me to read any book twice, but I've done a re-read of his
entire crime series, and every time I open one of his novels I'm floored by his
skill, his heart, and his mind. In short? I want to be him when I grow up.
2) Diana Gabaldon. I adore OUTLANDER and though I no longer write historical fiction
she continues to be a huge influence on me as a writer. For years I've watched her
get it done, listened as she told others what worked for her and why, and studied her
purposeful examples of prose at work. She's a true writer's writer.
3) Nora Roberts/JD Robb. I don't know any other author who does her job as consistently
and well as Roberts. I'm a big fan of her In Death series and falling in love with those
books made me want to write a series that would do the same for my readers.
Who else do you recommend in the Urban Fantasy genre?
Other than Kim Harrison - whose praises I sing pretty much everywhere I go (Just read
her already!) - another writer who absolutely kills it is Kelley Armstrong. Both deftly
interweave paranormal elements into a real world setting, have fresh romance subplots
that add to - rather than overpower - the main narrative, great suspense, and strong
first-person voices that make you feel like you know the protagonists.
For a literary take on the vampire subgenre, there's David Sosnowski's VAMPED. It's
ribald and poetic and haunting and hilarious, and all the things that made me want
to be a writer to begin with.
Others in my genre are: Rachel Vincent, Keri Arthur, Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris,
Faith Hunter, Richelle Mead, and Rachel Caine. Melissa Marr is killing it in the
upper YA market as well (check out WICKED LOVELY) and Jeaniene Frost's HALFWAY TO
THE GRAVE will knock the socks off of readers who love edgy paranormal romances.
Jocelynn Drake floored me with a fresh take on the vampire genre. Her first book,
which I practically begged to blurb, is NIGHTWALKER and it will be out in August '08.
Any advice for beginners?
For true beginners I'm going to shamelessly steal Diana Gabaldon's advice, because I
think there's no better:
1) Read a lot.
2) Write a lot.
3) Don't stop.
This is the secret. This is what I do. Every day.
For people who've been writing a while, and who have the grammar and the basics of
storytelling down, but who are having trouble finishing or taking their writing to
the next level, I'd add to the above: Writing is one big mind game. Your greatest
task now is to master your mind. Teach yourself focus so that while life is throwing
you yet one more ball to juggle, you can turn your mind to the page and keep it there
until you've met your goals. If you can keep your head down long enough to beat
procrastination, doubt, the urge to compare and compete, and the ambiguity that comes
with a writer's life, then you've managed to do something most people can't. And maybe
be a little hard on yourself sometimes, too. "Shut up and do it," always works for me.
So are some of the places in the books real?
Yep. I give a literary shout-out to some of my favorite places in Las Vegas; many that
meant something to me as I was growing up, and others I simply think are unique to my
city.
Clearly I adore the Fireside Lounge at the Peppermill. Located right in the middle of
the Strip, it's retro, old-school, mildly cheesy (In a good way!) and I love it. It
was also voted best place to take a secret lover, best place for a first date and best
make-out bar. If that's at all a consideration.
The Neon Boneyard also happens to be real, as evidenced by photos of my visit there.
But it's surrounded by a wire fence rather than a brick wall (This was purposeful as
I could just see someone trying to enter the boneyard in the fashion of the agents of
Light and the next day I get to hear from the boneyard's lawyers. It's called Literary
License, aka, Covering My @ss.). There's also a lamentably hefty charge of fifty bucks
to get in to see the old signage unless you're with a tour group. Hopefully that'll
change in the future.
Other sites appearing in the series: The Blue Angel, the lookout over McCarran's landing
strip (another popular make-out spot), the Guardian Angel Cathedral, the Viva Las Vegas
wedding chapel, First Friday, the Downtown Cocktail Lounge, and Cathedral Canyon. Like
the world of the Zodiac, these places could only exist in Las Vegas.
I'm coming to Vegas! Can we meet up/party/have coffee/get a drink together?
No.
I mean, I'd love to, but do you know how many people come through Vegas in any given year?
Forty million. (No, I didn't make that up.)
This is my home, it's where I work and raise my family. I'm thrilled to meet up with you
at a conference, or interact through the website, but when I'm in Vegas my time is divided
between friends, family and writing - more than enough to keep me busy. I'm a pretty good
multitasker, but dudes, I'm no superhero. *grin*
Okay, so can you recommend some places to go and things to do while in Vegas?
Now that I can do! The current nightclub hotspots are Tao at the Venetian, Pure at Caesars
Palace, and Light inside Bellagio. I'm not going to make any recommendations here because
these places don't interest me, but go ahead and knock yourselves out.
The dining scene here is insane right now, and the top three names I hear bandied about are
N9NE at the Palms, Tao at the Venetian, and Delmonico at the Venetian. I'll second the N9NE
nomination, add Picasso's at the Bellagio for their prix fixe menu, and Ventner's Grill on
Charleston (though it's quite a distance from the Strip).
Cocktails! One of my favorite subjects ... must haves are the bellinis at Spago's in the Forum
Shops, the eponymous Bellagio cocktail (the Fontana Bar is great, but there's better
people-watching at the Petrossian Bar), and martinis you can swim in at Del Frisco's (off of
Flamingo). I also just had an amazing summer cocktail in MGM's AquaBlue called the Hendrix,
made with cucumber. It was oh-mah-god good, so if you're in the area ask Primo to make you
one. Tell him Vicki sent you. *grin*
It's clear from the above lists what the hot hotels are right now, too, but my pick is Mandalay
Bay. Great clubs, restaurants, and a view from Mix (dinner or drinks) that's my favorite in Las
Vegas.
There's no dearth of entertainment options in Vegas, but I'd recommend attending a UFC (Ultimate
Fighting Championships) event, just for something a little left of center. If you'd prefer a
more traditional vacation activity, I hear the Caesar's Palace spa is blowing even those in
the industry away. It's next up on my list, so maybe I'll see you there.
Mind, none of this is cheap, but did you really expect it to be?
Contact
Vicki loves to hear from her readers so feel free to drop her a line via e-mail
using the form below:
We've recently been informed that an overzealous spam filter has kept some reader
mail from getting through. The problem has been addressed, but if you feel your message
was inadvertently ignored, Vicki apologizes and invites you to write again!
Mailing Address
Vicki Pettersson
Box 777365
Henderson, Nevada 89077-7365
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