An Interview with Stacia Kane

Where Fantasy meets Reality

An Interview with Stacia Kane

Dear Universe, when I grow up, I want to be Stacia Kane.

Okay, so I know that isn't her real name but stay with me here, Universe. Under different pen names, she has successfully written erotica, paranormal romance and urban fantasy. And what I've read so far ROCKS. In fact, it rocks so much I have demanded that my local library stock her books, or else I will let my son trash the children's section. Again.

(Dear Universe, I know this isn't much of a threat since my friend runs the local library and is godmother to my son, so she doesn't really mind when he pulls every board book off the shelves and rolls around on them, but I felt it was important to make a stand.)

Now, I know that the paranormal romance and the urban fantasy markets are getting a little bit saturated at the moment. Gods, I've read enough mediocre writing in this field to make me weep. But I stick at it and keep reading, because every so often I find an author that reminds me why I love this genre so damn much. Laurell K Hamilton. Jim Butcher. Sherrilyn Kenyon. Gena Showalter.

And now, Stacia Kane.

Dear Universe, if you can't make me Stacia I understand (even if I think it is a little bit mean). I'll settle for a rocking good interview from her, where I can steal learn the tricks of the trade, and be a successful, kick ass urban fantasy author.

Thanks in advance, Gem.

Can you talk us through your path to publication and writing career to date?

Oh, goodness, I could go on for hours about that! But I won't. Basically, I'd always wanted to write, but I didn't really do much about it until after my first child was almost two (2003); I was home with her, and I just kind of realized that was the time to get going on it if it was something I really wanted to do, you know?

So I wrote my very first novel, which was a medieval romance and just a horrid piece of garbage. But I'd finished a whole novel, and I realized how much fun it was! So a couple of months later I started writing another one. That was BLACK DRAGON, which eventually after extensive revisions got published with Cerridwen Press, Ellora's Cave's non-erotic imprint. But of course at the time I wrote it, it was a mess of passive verbs and distancing language and bad things like that. I was really just playing at that point, and having fun. Of course I hoped to be published one day but really it was just something to do, something just for me.

It was about that time that I discovered Ellora's Cave, and was so attracted to erotic romance and really wanted to try my hand at it. Of course, I also got pregnant again, and found for some reason that it seriously limited my ability to write, so I ended up taking another year and a half or so off, and didn't get to really work on an erotic romance until 2005. And that's when things started to happen for me. I chose the pen name "December Quinn," and started selling first short stories, and then Ellora's Cave started buying my novels, which was really exciting. And I was happy writing for them; I still love EC and everyone there has always been wonderful to me. But I started to feel like maybe my voice and the stories I wanted to tell just weren't quite suited to romance, and that's when I decided to try urban fantasy, and my first UF novel was PERSONAL DEMONS, which sold to a small press. It was still a very romance-heavy book, but not as much as a genre romance. And to differentiate the fantasy from the erotic romance, I chose a new pen name, Stacia Kane; it's actually very close to my real name.

Anyway, I was writing the sequel to PERSONAL DEMONS when I had the idea for UNHOLY GHOSTS, and I was so excited about it that I literally started it the same night that I finished writing DEMON INSIDE. I wrote it in seven weeks; technically it was eight, but since I was out of town without my computer for three days, and sick for another three, it was seven weeks or work time. I was just so excited about it, and I felt that it was the best thing I'd ever written (still do, honestly), so after I'd edited it and made it as shiny and special as I could I started querying agents. I queried the man who became my agent on a Monday; he requested the full manuscript a couple of hours later, and called on Wednesday to offer representation.

And now the Downside books have sold in the US (Del Rey), the UK/Aus/NZ/Ireland (Harper Voyager), Poland (Amber Publishing), and Germany (Egmont Lyx). There are audiobooks with Blackstone Audio. And there will be more books coming; Del Rey wants more, so I'm going to start those soon. (I don't know yet about the other houses, but I'm optimistic!) And that's basically it, really. UNHOLY GHOSTS actually sold in summer of 2008, so from the time I got serious about writing to the time I sold my first novel to NY (Pocket Books ended up partnering with the small press imprint which published PERSONAL DEMONS, Juno Books, so that series ended up in NY as well) was about two or three years, and by the time I sold my first novel to NY I'd written ten novels.

Why the pen name(s)?

Well, December Quinn was because I was writing very graphic erotic romance, and my husband and I thought it would be best to keep my real name under wraps. Not to mention the fact that my real last name is a bit awkward; if you replace a vowel it becomes a rude word, and given what I was writing...I just didn't want that!

And Stacia Kane was to separate the erotic romance from the fantasy, and it's a variation on my real name. Honestly, it's kind of fun for me to have a pen name; it's a little like a persona I can hide behind. Like, I--Stacey--get nervous in crowds and talking to strangers, and would rather go hide somewhere with a book. But Stacia is more outgoing and friendly, if that makes any sense. I don't mean I think of myself as two people or anything, just that having a pen name reminds me that this is my public persona, and that's really helpful for me. It gives me confidence.

Do you have a literary agent? How did you secure representation and what are the key benefits?

I do have an agent, yes, Chris Lotts at Ralph Vicinanza Ltd. I love him; he's a fantastic agent and a wonderful person, and he's done amazing things for me and my career, obviously. I consider myself very lucky to have signed with such a great agent right off the bat; I know several writers who ended up having trouble with their first agents--just personality/working style differences, they weren't bad agents--and having to find someone else.

As I said above, all I did was send a query, with the first five pages or so of the manuscript pasted into the email after the signature. He told me later that the first pages sucked him in so much he had to read the rest, so while I was proud of my query and had worked hard on it, I do believe that the pages are far more important.

It's almost impossible to list everything my agent does for me. First and foremost, of course, he gets my work into the hands of editors with the power to buy it. While there are ways to get around that in the US, it's much harder when it comes to foreign rights or things like audio rights; the Downside books are out as audiobooks with Blackstone Audio, which is really cool.

But there's so much more. In connection with the sales he follows up on payments owed me, and looks over my royalty statements. He gives me great feedback. He encourages me. He brainstorms with me. He reassures me. He handles all the business stuff so I can focus on writing. He explains any business stuff I don't understand. If there were ever any kind of issue with my editor or publisher, he'd step in to deal with it, so I could maintain my friendly and cooperative relationship with the editor/publisher in question. Sometimes having someone willing to be "the bad guy," even if everyone knows he's not really being bad at all, can help so much. He's just...always there, and always happy to talk about my career and my work, and that's invaluable. I highly, highly recommend that writers try to get an agent first.

In terms of your writing career, what is your proudest moment to date?

Hmm. I've had so many of them, really; when I sold PERSONAL DEMONS, when I signed with Chris, when UNHOLY GHOSTS sold, when I got my author copies... I think really it's sort of a combination of moments, and that would be the absolutely amazing reviews the Downside books have been getting. They've completely blown me away, they really have. When Paul Goat Allen, who's been reviewing fantasy for twenty years, says on the Barnes & Noble blog that the Downside series is "redefining paranormal fantasy," that's an incredible moment.

What is your ultimate career goal?

Oh, it's pretty mundane, really; I want what every writer wants, which is to get to keep writing and be a NYT bestseller.

But then, actually, I do have a much deeper goal. I want to entertain people, and I want to reach them and touch them and make them feel something. I want my books and characters to be books they remember, not disposable "eh"s, if you know what I mean. I don't need to be rich or famous, but I would really like to feel like my books meant something to somebody.

Do you write full time? What are the benefits and the disadvantages?

I do, yes. At this point in my career I would be writing full time anyway, but I was able to write full-time from the start, because I was a stay-home mom. I haven't had a job outside the house in ten years. And I feel guilty saying it, but it's been wonderful! I loved staying home with my babies, and I still do. I love being able to work late into the night and sleep in the next morning (well, in the summer I get to do that). I love being in control of my own schedule, and wearing whatever I want to work, and snacking, and popping outside to take a smoke break or taking TV breaks or read-to-children breaks. When I'm stuck on what happens next in a novel I bake or cook elaborate meals; it helps me think.

On the other hand, when it's just you it's harder to structure your day. Tasks that you intend to only spend a few minutes on end up taking hours just because they can. You can end up spending an astounding amount of time playing on the internet. There aren't really any benefits like retirement funds or health insurance (although the Author's Guild offers it in a few states). And don't even get me started on the tax situation.

And writing can be an extremely lonely profession. It's just you and a computer, and it's hard to find other people--who aren't writers--who understand that. I admit I do sometimes miss have a job simply because it was nice to interact with other people sometimes, people I'm not related to. So being a full-time writer can be fairly isolating. I think that's why so many of us blog or Tweet or whatever. It's a chance to actually interact with people!

All that said, I do still love it, and I consider myself very lucky that I get to write full-time. I try to never lose sight of that, that being able to do what I do for a living is a blessing.

Is there anything you know now about the publishing industry that you wish someone had told you when you started out?

I wish someone had told me how scary it is, honestly. It wouldn't have dissuaded me, but maybe I would have been a little more prepared (of course, maybe not; I did know it was a difficult way to make a living). It's scary to have a project out on submission and not know if it will sell. It's scary when it does sell, and you have all these people you don't want to let down. It's scary when the book is released and you don't know how it will sell or what the response will be.

For those who haven't come across the genre, can you explain what Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance are, and the differences between the two? If forced at gunpoint, which camp would you choose?

Well, urban fantasy and paranormal romance do have some similarities; they generally deal with the supernatural intersecting in some way with the 'real" world. Not in every single case, but in many of them. Many paranormal romances are love stories between a human female and a paranormal male, like a vampire or werewolf or whatever else the author can come up with! There's lots and lots of variety out there. Sometimes it's a love story between two humans who hunt paranormal creatures, too. No matter how much worldbuilding or story there is, the focus of the book is squarely on the couple in question; it's their story, and the book is about them falling in love, first and foremost. And romance novels must end with an HEA (Happily Ever After), or at least the clear implication that that will occur.

Urban fantasy also has the paranormal intersecting in some way the the "real" world, but in UF the focus is on the main character and the challenges that character faces, and how he or she grows throughout the novel or series of novels. That's another huge difference between PNR and UF, actually. UFs are often series, and the series focuses on the main character throughout. There are many successful PNR series, but each couple gets their own book, and then steps out of the limelight in the next book when it's another couple's turn.

I've seen UF compared to noir detective novels, and while I don't think they all fit that sort of mold, a lot of them do; they often revolve around mystery or thriller plots. A lot of them have romance subplots, but not all of them do; characters falling in love certainly isn't a necessity the way it is in genre romance. World building is often a much bigger focus than in PNR, and the setting is often more important, although not all urban fantasy takes place in a strictly urban setting. I think writers can take more risks in urban fantasy, as well; genre romance--be it paranormal or historical or whatever--is wonderful, but has some rather strict conventions at times. And in urban fantasy, if there's a romance subplot it doesn't have to end with an HEA. It can end with the characters not together, or not together yet, or HFN (Happily For Now).

So really, aside from world building, the biggest difference is focus. If the focus, the plot of the book, is the two characters getting together, it's romance. If the focus, the plot of the book, is on the main character and whatever problem he or she needs to solve, it's urban fantasy. And I'm definitely in the urban fantasy camp these days.

Do you think that these genres have peaked in popularity, or is there room for a few more players yet?

I think there's always room for great books, no matter what the genre. I think the markets are becoming a bit tighter (publishing in general is), and a harder sell, yes. But it's not impossible at all, and I also think that's a great thing for readers. I think when a genre is hugely hot, so much of it is published it's hard to keep track; you're spoiled for choice. But when it cools down a bit, you're more likely to hear about great new series, or take a look at them and discover something you might love.

Of course choice is great. But I do think that for readers who love urban fantasy, there will always be books, and I think as the genre cools down slightly there are more innovations being made, as well.

What are you working on right now?

Right now I'm doing tons of promotional stuff for the Downside books! But I'm also working on a new project I'm very excited about, another alternate history. dystopian novel. I don't really like to talk about my ideas much before the books are written--I think it kills my enthusiasm a bit--but I will say my main character is a thief.

Do you ever have days when the words just won't come? How do you deal with that?

Oh, I do, yes. Unless I'm on a very tight deadline, I let myself take some time off. Sometimes all I need is an hour or two to recharge, really. Sometimes I need a little more time. Like I said above, I often cook or bake when I'm stuck or just when I'm avoiding work in general, ha.

When I'm on a very tight deadline I have no choice, and I have to get those words on the page. I generally reward myself in that situation; like for every thousand words I write I get to go have a cigarette or eat a piece of candy or have a drink or whatever. Just something to keep me motivated and to make me feel I've accomplished something.

And really, once I get moving, the words generally start to flow again. It's just those first few sentences or paragraphs that are the hardest. I have word wars with my friend Caitlin a lot; we write for half an hour solid, and compare who made the most words. That's a lot of fun, and a half hour is a nice, easy amount of time to swallow. Of course we often end up having several word wars in a day, so it ends up being two hours of writing or whatever. But half an hour isn't daunting. Even when the words don't want to come, you can make yourself write for half an hour.

A lot of writers, both aspiring and published, worry about the impact of e-publishing on the future of publishing. What do you think? Are they right to be worried, or are we at the start of a brave new world?

With the exception of piracy, I honestly don't see where epublishing is going to make such a huge difference. I think people will always want paper books as well as ebooks. I think people will always like bookstores, and always like reading. Ebooks are still books, you know? It's just a different format. And readers are going to keep buying books they're heard about or skimmed through or whatever, regardless of format. I know a lot of people feel that ebooks should be a lot cheaper than paper, but with the exception of printing costs--which are really minimal for mass market paperbacks, at least--the fixed costs of publishing are the same.

And yes, I do feel that epublishing offers more opportunities for writers, but those opportunities aren't necessarily going to pan out. If your work is just not that great, and you self-publish it as an ebook, it's probably not going to do any better than a self-published or vanity-press paper book. People still have to hear about it. They still want to buy books they know are at least at a certain quality level and which have been professionally edited. I don't think readers want to spend hours sorting through slush to find a book they might like; and really, anyone who's spent any time in publishing knows there is an astounding number of really, truly terribly written self-published or vanity-press books and ebooks. That's not to say all self- or vanity-published books are terrible, just that an awful lot of them are. And I don't think readers want to have to sort through them all. They still want gatekeepers.

And finally, can you sum up a key piece of advice for aspiring writers in one sentence?

Write what means something to you, and write it the best way you can.

Dear Universe, it's me again. Thank you very much for answering my request so promptly. I am now going to go away and get back to my writing. Right after I finish Unholy Ghosts. This cosmic ordering milarky is pretty cool, even if you can't actually make me Stacia. Could I be a pain, though, and also request the links to Stacia's webpage and twitter feed?

Thanks so much, Gem

PS – Dear Universe, while you're on a roll, any chance of that lottery win or the gajillion dollar book deal?