Marta Acosta, author of the Casa Dracula series, is back on ATUF today after being one of my first ever interviews almost a year ago. The fourth book in the series, HAUNTED HONEYMOON, has just been published and Marta let me pick her brain about funny vampires, free books, Spike, and all things Casa Dracula. See below to win your own copy of the book.
Marta Acosta lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She was a feral reader, roaming the stacks of the public library. She received a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing from Stanford University and has written for the San Francisco Chronicle, the Contra Costa Times, and Spaces Magazine. Marta lives with her husband and son and their crazy dog. An avid gardener, she likes independent films, funny novels, loud music and lively conversations. She’s always happy to hear from readers, even the ones who point out typos.
Interview
ATUF: You’ve recently posted not one but two full novels (Nancy’s Theory of Style & The Shadow Girl of Birch Grove) online as free reads. Which means that, in addition to being super generous and/or insane, you must be on to something because The Shadow Girl has since been bought by Tor Books and will be published in the not so distant future. So do you recommend this type of philanthropy for other authors?
MA: Hi, Abigail! I think the "or insane" applies. I'm an author who wants my stories to be read, as simple as that. I was unhappy that Nancy's Theory of Style was no longer available in print only a few months after its release. I don't know why this book just sunk out of sight when it's funny and touching, a great frothy read. (Ya think the cover with a roll of frickin toilet paper might have had something to do that that?) As for Shadow Girl, the manuscript was with editors and I'd been waiting and waiting to hear something. My feeling about both stories was, "Well, I'll just take my ball and go play somewhere else."
I posted them as free reads because I trust in my stories and I trust in readers. I knew that once people had a chance to read Nancy, they'd love the book. The same with Shadow Girl. I think it had over 26,000 reads before I took it off Scribd.com. Nancy's had 4,000 reads in just a few weeks.
I don't know that posting free reads helps book sales. I think if having your story read is more important to you than being published, shared sites are a great resource.
ATUF: As I mentioned in my recent review of Happy Hour At Casa Dracula, you broke the cardinal rule in urban fantasy: you cannot be funny. Authors can beat their heroine to within an inch of her life, make her love life look like something that even Jerry Springer would be shocked at, and have her dog run over by a bus full of demons, but they cannot be funny. What do you have to say for yourself?
MA: I wasn't writing straight urban fantasy, which is generally all action and fights; I was writing comedy! And it's a cardinal rule of comedy that you must be funny. When I first wrote Happy Hour at Casa Dracula, I'd never even heard the term "urban fantasy." Since then the sub-genre has exploded and books that were originally in other sections are being repackaged as UF. What I really like about UF is that it's a flexible category. It can include thrillers, mysteries, drama, romance, and even comedy, which is great since I like my characters to have fun, banter, flirt, party, etc.
ATUF: HAUNTED HONEYMOON is the forth book in the Casa Dracula series and marks a radical departure in terms of the cover art. I’m in love with the flirty Milagro and the blue/black cover wash. This is the the kind of imagery that I think should have branded the series all along. What are your thoughts on the cover and do you know who the artist is?
MA: I agree with you! I've been fighting for better book covers from the start and I wanted something that conveyed the fun, sexy, hip feel of the stories. People say you can't judge a book by its cover, but covers are what draw the reader and it doesn't matter how many great reviews you get if no one picks up the book. I think this cover finally gets it right and I'm thrilled with it and the new color scheme. The artist is Elena Dudina and you can see more of her work at her deviantART page.
ATUF: You’ve maintained that the Casa Dracula series is a comedy of manners with vampires. For new readers, how exactly do those elements blend together?
MA: The stereotypes of vampires as beautiful, wealthy and sophisticated seemed to mesh perfectly with comedy about social class. If vamps were all that and a bag of pommes frites, it seemed to reason that they'd be terrible snobs. In a comedy of manners, humor, clever banter, and skewering ideas about social class are the most important parts of the story. My bright, but aimless character Milagro gets involved with these successful vamps, and they treat her like a trashy gold-digger.
I like to think of my stories as delightful desserts. Desserts require technique and a deft hand, and they should seem effortless.
That said, Haunted Honeymoon is a little more plot-driven, with action, but the humor is still there. People have told me the series gets better with each book, and I'm not going to disagree with them since I love, love this story! I finally give my heroine Milagro the happy ending she's earned.
ATUF: I asked you before about a dream movie cast for the Casa Dracula series and you couldn’t answer because a few actresses were already looking at the books. Are there any developments on the film front?
MA: No, no developments. People always ask about movies, but the reality is that very few movies get made every year, but thousands and thousands of books are published every year. Lots of times you hear about books being optioned, but the option can pay one dollar for a two-year option. I had one offer like that and turned it down.
ATUF: And while we’re on the topic of book adaptations, what do think about the flurry of titles being optioned for both film and TV. Is there one you are particularly looking forward to or dreading?
MA: I never pay any attention to options because options are cheap and plentiful. The vast majority of stories optioned are never made into films.
ATUF: So what’s next for Milagro & Co.? Is Nancy going to be getting another book? Are you working on something else brand new?
MA: What's next for me is getting my editor's notes for The Shadow Girl of Birch Grove and working on that. I'm excited to be going to Tor and working with a great editor there. Then I'll be focusing on the adult gothic I'm writing. I hope readers will also like my more serious writing. Then I'll see what happens! Everything is quite up in the air.
ATUF: Your blog Vampire Wire is famous for ending every post with Gratuitous Videos Of The Day clips. Since we’re both self proclaimed Spike fans, can you dig us up a couple James Marsters clips that you love?
MA: Oh, you're making me do the work? You should be finding them on your own, but here are a few I like.
MA: Thanks for having me here at All Things Urban Fantasy, Abigail! Readers can find out more about my books and get free reads at my sites.
www.martaacosta.com
www.vampirewire.blogspot.com
ATUF: Thanks so much for coming back Marta. You’re welcome anytime!
Visit Marta online:
Want to read more from Marta Acosta?
Casa Dracula
1. Happy Hour at Casa Dracula (read my Review)
2. Midnight Brunch aka Midnight Brunch at Casa Dracula
3. The Bride of Casa Dracula
4. Haunted Honeymoon
Writing as Grace Coopersmith
Nancy's Theory of Style
Giveaway
Giveaway courtesy of Marta Acosta
One copy of HAUNTED HONEYMOON by Marta Acosta
As the only human to survive vampire infection, Milagro de Los Santos has become quite a celebrity among the blood-drinking elite. Too bad the perks of her condition—increased strength, super-fast healing—don’t pay her condo fees. There are other complications too. She’s feeling guilty about her fling with enigmatic Vampire Council member Ian Ducharme, and pining for her ex-fiancé, Dr. Oswald Grant . . . the fabulous man whose kiss changed her life. It’s when Milagro — irked by Ian’s attentions to his neighbor — travels to London and enjoys a sexy flirtation of her own, that the blood really hits the fan.
Suddenly, those around her are dying gruesome deaths and Milagro’s being interrogated. Who would kill to set her up as a murder suspect? Milagro just wants to turn back the clock and have another chance to make things right, but no sooner has she escaped to Oswald’s ranch than an accident obliterates her memory. Will the murderer come after her now? And will amnesia spark a romantic do-over with Oswald—or will she make all the same mistakes before she ever gets to say "I do"?
Click HERE to read the first chapter of HAUNTED HONEYMOON
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