MEET YA AUTHOR NICKY PEACOCK
Today I welcome YA author, Nicky Peacock to the blog. Nicki's a British author living in the UK and is a member of the Society of Authors and the British Fantasy Society. Her second book in the Battle of the Undead series, Bad Timing is out now and her story Madame X is included in Little Brown Book's Mammoth Book of the Jack the Ripper Tales. Her book, ,Traitors' Gate (prequel to Battle of the Undead) is out now as a FREE read through Evernight Teen: http://www.evernightteen.com/traitors-gate-by-nicky-peacock/
Thanks for stopping by for an interview, Nicki. Tell me, how did you come up with the idea for your book?
I love reading vampire and zombie books, but I hadn't read many that had them fighting against one another. I figured if I wanted to read this book, then others would, too. As scary as it sounds, I think zombies are one of the few monsters that could actually happen. You only need to look at the Zombie Ants of the rain forest or even the disease Rabies to realize that the potential is there. Vampires on the other hand, although steeped in lore, are a little more doubtful - a pity, because if zombies did happen, they might be our only chance!
If one of the characters could come to life for a day, who would you choose?
Hmmm, most of my characters are pretty dangerous, even Britannia. So, I'd hate to give them free reign on the real world. Although, in saying that, out of all the vampires in Battle of the Undead series, Philippe would be the most fun to spend time with. He's such a gentleman and strangely wise. He's the kind of guy who would treat you like a princess, and I think any girl would appreciate that!
What was your favorite chapter or scene to write?
I wrote an action scene that takes place on Blackpool pier (in the UK) which turned out pretty awesome. My family had holidays in Blackpool when I was a little girl and it was always a magical place for me, so for one of the most climatic scenes in Bad Timing it just worked for me. It took a while to craft, but was worth it.
What is the best advice you've received as an author?
That you can't please everyone. Readers can be fickle and not everyone is going to like your work or your voice. You can't take it personally. You have to write for yourself and hope that at least some readers appreciate your words and efforts to bring them a story.
Are you a plotter or a pantster?
I'm a fan of plotting, however I think you have to be willing to let the story and characters evolve as you go too. Its important to know where your story is going, but to be flexible as to how you get it there.
Tell us about the book cover design.
The Evernight Teen designers are great - I had a strong idea of how I wanted the covers to look and they took that idea and made it better. I work in sales and marketing so I know the importance of a good cover and a strong series brand. I think its importance to have consistency when it comes to characters on covers too. It can be very frustrating to have cover art that neither represents the book within or sells it - no matter how many after school specials tell you not judge a book by its cover, its human nature to do so.
Is there a particular city or region that influences how you depict your setting?
I'm English, so towns in the UK feature heavily in my work because I've either been there myself or can easily get there to channel its essence. As a writer, you're told to write what you know. I think this advice is even more important when you are writing supernatural fiction, the more real the real parts are, the more believable the paranormal elements end up being.
What kinds of books did you read as a child?
I've always been a bit of a horror addict and, when I was young, I read the classics like Dracula, Frankenstein and Dr Jekyll and My Hyde. I also had a love of Roald Dahl's books: Fantastic Mr Fox, The Witches, Matilda etc. Even now as an adult they're still great.
Who are your favorite authors?
I have sooo many! Poppy Z Brite, Anne Rice, Richard Laymon, Graham Masterton, Laurell K Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, Keri Arthur and I'm finding new favorites all the time. The great thing about books is that there is an author out there for every mood.
What’s next for you?
Well, I'm writing (a lot). My new series, The Twisted and the Brave starts this year through Evernight Teen. The first book, Lost in Wonderland will be released in April. I'm currently writing two books, the second in this series which is called the Assassin of Oz and the last book in the Battle of the Undead series called Bad Karma.
Whew -- talk about busy! Thanks for making time to drop by my blog :D
To connect with Nicky and find out more about her books, check out her social media links below:
