Hey all! I’m excited to be interviewing the talented, Patricia Briggs, today on the blog. We’re discussing DEAD HEAT, horses, and everything in-between. I’m sharing my five star review too, so sit back and enjoy the wolf-y excellence!
1. I realize that asking an author to pick a fav series is like asking a mother to choose a fav kid, but… Mercy & Adam or Anna & Charles? Why?
[box]I have no idea. Usually I’d pick the one that was easiest for me to write (I’m all about making my life a little easier). But Mercy and Charles are easier for me to write than Adam and Anna. I have no idea why. [/box]
2. Did you always know that you were going to write a spin-off series, or did your characters develop a mind of their own?
[box] The spin-off came before I really was certain that the Mercy series would make it. I wrote “Alpha and Omega” because I’d been asked to participate in a collection of four novellas (about a quarter of a novel) with a story connected to the series. My editor loved the novella and asked if I’d consider a series based on Charles and Anna. [/box]
3. It’s no secret that here at Rabid Reads we LOVE werewolves! Why do you continuously cast them as your lead protagonists in the majority of your novels (instead of vampires, witches, etc)?
[box]I have always loved werewolves. Wolves are my second favorite animal, next to horses. As for vampires, I think I have a bit of an issue with a relationship where one of the people has to feed upon the other. I have no trouble seeing the potential problems and tragic end—but I don’t like tragedy much. [/box]
4. Have you ever owned / known a horse like Hephzibah (a.k.a the Evil Queen, Hellbitch)?
[box]None of mine have ever been that bad, but I know of a couple. A friend of mine had a horse that only children could ride. I always wanted to know what bright soul thought of putting a kid on a horse that always bucked off adults and award them with Parent of the Year.
Horses, like people, have different personalities. Most problem horses are made that way—but some are just born different. Usually dangerous horses are put down before they kill someone unless they are valuable. Hastings, Man O’ War’s grandsire was infamous for his temper—which he inherited from his dam. [/box]
5. How do you keep track of two series that are set in the same world, and follow similar timelines?
[box]I don’t actually think of them as two separate series. In order for the books to feel real, I have to think of them that way. The upside is that the storylines are very easy for me to track. There is a lot of information that I have to keep organized, though, and the wonderful mavens who hang out on my forums have put together a canon for both series—and that saves me a whole lot of time and frustration. I also have pre-readers who go through the books to check for continuity. That doesn’t mean some problems don’t make it through to the final book, but we do our best.[/box]
6. You tackle a lot of sensitive subjects that the majority of Urban Fantasy authors shy away from (i.e. rape, child murder, relationships between exes, etc); what pushes you to explore these taboos in your books?
[box]I write about people, real people with real lives. That means that bad things, terrible things happen to them—because that’s what life is like. My favorite people to write about are heroes, I know a lot of everyday heroes. When terrible things happen—or just everyday drudgery happens—they put their shoes on every morning and go on with life, trying to make the world a better place and find a little happiness along the way. These are the kinds of people I like to write about.[/box]
7. My associate reviewer, Melanie, has horses too, and according to her every horse person has a favourite story. What’s yours?
[box]Haha. Just one? Okay. I have an evil gelding—like Brain (from Pinky and the Brain). I love him and he’s my favorite. But it’s a good thing he doesn’t have opposable thumbs, just saying. As an example, one day a few years ago I was working in the barn and Speck (the Evil One) was dozing in the sun. About a football field away two mares were grazing in the small yard around our house, an Arab and our rescue mustang. Arabs are mostly smart—but not this mare. The mustang grew up learning to protect herself and it left her with some issues. I finished my chores and stopped to give Speck a pat. He looked at me, snorted and bolted down to the house. He chased those mares (I told you he was evil, right?) around the house once then trotted back to me to reassume his relaxed pose. He snorted at me and then looked back at them. We watched those poor mares, convinced that he was still chasing them, run around and around the house.[/box]
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]http://rabidreads.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/PatriciaBriggs.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]
Patricia Briggs was born in Butte, Montana to a children’s librarian who passed on to her kids a love of reading and books. Patricia grew up reading fairy tales and books about horses, and later developed an interest in folklore and history. When she decided to write a book of her own, a fantasy book seemed a natural choice. Patricia graduated from Montana State University with degrees in history and German and she worked for a while as a substitute teacher. Currently, she lives in Montana with her husband, children and six horses and writes full-time, much to the delight of her fans.
Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs
Series: Alpha & Omega #4
Published by ACE
Published on: March 3, 2015
Genres: Urban Fantasy, Werewolves
Pages: 304
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
For once, mated werewolves Charles and Anna are not traveling because of Charles’s role as his father’s enforcer. This time, their trip to Arizona is purely personal, as Charles plans to buy Anna a horse for her birthday. Or at least it starts out that way...
Charles and Anna soon discover that a dangerous Fae being is on the loose, replacing human children with simulacrums. The Fae’s cold war with humanity is about to heat up—and Charles and Anna are in the cross fire.
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This book started out as a sweet vacay type story line with Anna & Charles traveling to Arizona to buy a horse from an old friend. We got to see a different side of Cornick, witness a couple of flashbacks, reconnect with an old love, and meet Hosteen’s pack. There was of course some mild tension, but that’s to be expected whenever two alpha males are in the same room; however other than that it was looking like this was going to be a relatively tame installment. Ha! Yeah right, this is Patricia Briggs, and she doesn’t do cute. DEAD HEAT’s fae mystery kept me guessing, the ending made me cry, and the werewolves rocked, as usual.
I’ve become accustomed to being spoiled by this author’s furry characters, so when I first opened this novel I was surprised to find… horses! I marveled at the level of detail Briggs went into with regards to these magnificent beasts from the various breeds, to their different gaits, temperaments and the competitive side of shows. I actually had to pause mid-chapter to read her bio because I needed to know whether she had existing equestrian knowledge or had put her research cap on for this latest book. She lives on a horse ranch in case you’re wondering. I really enjoyed the amount of information she managed to incorporate alongside the plot.
Don’t tell Clay & Elena (Kelley Armstrong), but they are in danger of losing their title of being my favourite werewolf couple because Charles & Anna are gaining on them with each new ALPHA & OMEGA installment. Cornick’s lone wolf status is no secret, so discovering that he has a human friend was quite the revelation. His relationship with Joseph awakened so many feels; however I wasn’t overly happy about Maggie’s role. Why is Briggs so big on ex threads? Urgh! Charles & Anna are working through another couple dilemma, and I just love how conflict makes them stronger. Their character growth continues to be one of the high points of this series.
Our friendly neighbourhood FBI agent, Leslie Fisher, is back in the thick of things which was great because I liked her in FAIR GAME. It turns out that the fae did not go quietly into their reservations, instead they are underhandedly siccing their worst monsters on human society, and the Doll Collector was their latest ruse. This novel’s plot deals with children, and it’s not pretty, so it’s not recommended for everyone. That being said, this author has a propensity for misdirection, therefore expect the unexpected! There was also a touch of humour though in the form of Hephzibah, the Evil Queen Hellbitch, and leave it to Briggs to work in a Supernatural shout out. Squee!
This was my first time reading an ALPHA & OMEGA book, and although I missed Holter Graham’s narration, it’s clear that no matter how you tackle DEAD HEAT, the end result will be 5 stars.
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Owner, designer and main blogger behind Rabid Reads. Avid book reader, snowboard bunny, video gamer and Supernatural fan. I love all things paranormal, werewolves especially. Oh, and I’m Canadian, eh!
Great review and giveaway!
Cynthia recently posted…BOOK REVIEW: The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Favorite werewolf? Aw, come on. That’s a tough one. I have to agree Clay and Elena are top of the list. Can I say Derek from Kate Daniels? I’m only on book 3 and he’s not in a relationship yet as far as I know, but I really like him. Oh there are so many. I’m going to stick with Clay & Elena though. I love Patricia’s story about her horses, that was too funny! Great review!
Tanya recently posted…Review ~ Burn For Me by Ilona Andrews
Love both series!
Hard to pick a favorite wolf, but I do love Anna’s character.
LOL. Speck sounds like quite the handful (an evil, mischievous, loveable handful).
E.J. Stevens recently posted…Q+A with Melanie Karsak
Warren! I absolutely love him. It was so fun to see his novella in Shifting Shadows. He and Kyle are just adorable.
That’s sort of a tough question. But if I go with my gut reaction – it’s Bran. I’m all about Alpha, brains and power. He also has compassion. So yes, Bran.
Anne
I had no idea Alpha & Omega wasn’t first intended to be a spin off!
I love this series, well, both really but I really live Charles and Anna.
Interesting that Adam and Anna are her harder characters to write.
Thanks so much for sharing this!!
kindlemom1 recently posted…Blog Tour Book Review: Confess by Colleen Hoover
Speck sounds like a good one. I like rascals and he sounds unpredictable and quite the handful!
Thanks for the interview. They are such fun to read and your review has me curious about this series.
Laura Thomas recently posted…Could it be…..In Her Blood ~ Tour Review and Giveaway
Honestly, I don’t have a favorite. I read the stories because they are interesting and fun reads. I follow a number of authors who write about Vamps and Wolves. It’s about the story not the character.
Nora-Adrienne recently posted…Here’s my view of the February 2015 releases!
Love Patricia Brigg’s books! I still don’t own the first three books, so I would love to win them! I keep having to re-check them out at the library when I want to re-read them haha
Awesome!
Hey Patricia! Can ou give us more Bran-time next? He is the ONLY book boyfriend I have & I sorely miss him in Dead Heat.
I cried on the 98% mark of this book. Joseph blindsided me. This & MT series have tells stories of beautiful and enduring friendships. I find myself responding to those more than the romance parts.
Braine recently posted…Suped Feature: Red Handed by Shelly Bell + The Erotic, The Romantic & a Giveaway
Its hard to pick a favorite. Im torn between Elana, Clay, and Adam. Patricia Briggs and Kelley Armstrong write my two favorite series.
Charles… but post Anna 🙂 thanks for sharing!
Mercy’s Adam is still my favorite werewolf but Charles & Anna are second.
Fave werewolf is tough. I could pick one from each series maybe. For this one it’s Asil.
Loved the interview, and for sure loved the review! I need to read both series, I’ve been planning to since like forever and a day, sigh.
Livia recently posted…Red by Alyxandra Harvey
My favorite werewolf would have to be whichever one I am reading now. 🙂 Thanks for the awesome giveaway and great interview. That is odd about the horse only liking children. Maybe that says something about us adults??
sherry fundin recently posted…Giveaway for The A.I. Chronicles Anthology
Adam Hauptman was my first werewolf and he has stayed my favorite though I have to admit that a few others run him a close race there.
Sophia Rose recently posted…Last Breath by Jessica Claire and Jen Frederick #Review
Not sure I have a favorite werewolf but I do love reading them in books. It’s interesting about horses. I’ve never actually been around them but I do think they are gorgeous animals.
Mary Kirkland recently posted…Freebie Friday!
I’ve known a few horses with a temper like Hephzibah’s as well, and they can be terrifying! One used to pin whoever came into his stall to the wall and try to kick or bite them. It got so bad that no one could go in, and we’d just have to open his stall door wide and let him run out into the paddock. He would let us catch him there and put all his tack on so we could ride:)
LOVE Anna and Charles so much! This series is definitely an all time favorite:)
I LOVED this interview. One of my favorite authors/series. Now really you want me to pick my favorite werewolf, good god, that’s like asking me to pick my favorite kid (well I only have one now, but still). I could say it’s like asking a horse person to pick their favorite horse? Gezz give a girl a break! ^_^ Thanks for the review and giveaway. I can’t wait to read Dead Heat. I just need my library to order the eCopy.
Angela recently posted…Character Interview/Excerpt/Giveaway: Loke (Taken by a Dragon Tour) by Felicity Heaton
Awesome interview Carmel! I Love, love Patricia’s down to earth style of writing, and picking up one of her books is like coming home to me.
I’m a Mercy girl all the way, but of course I’m a huge Anna’s fan too.
Patricia, I hope you can keep entertaining us with your fabulous stories for many years to come!
Lupdilup recently posted…Kodiak’s Claim Audiobook by Eve Langlais (REVIEW)
Carmel, you never fail at introducing me to authors and series I need to start reading. I’m so happy you had a lovely time with this one and I completely fell in love with the author with your interview!
Great questions for the interview! Haven’t started this series yet, but I intend to, and soon. Because when it’s all said and done, I heart werewolves!!! Brilliant review <3
Ramona recently posted…The Strange And Beautiful Sorrows Of Ava Lavender
I love the Mercy Thompson series and I am most eager to start Anna and Charles series. Everyone is raving about this latest installment. I must have it. So awesome you got to interview Patricia. Loved it. Hmm pick a favorite werewolf… that is hard. I love Adam and Samuel, but I have to admit right now am a huge fan of Simon from Anne Bishop The Others series.
Thanks for the interview. My fave werewolf is Bran. I’m always happy when he shows up in both series.
Kristina D recently posted…Some Thursday Randomness
I can’t wait to get caught up with this series and I’m so glad she wrote that novella to give us this series! Loved the horse stories and yes, he is an ornery horse! LOL
I want to try this one on audio but I’m so glad that you enjoyed reading this one too! I love all too many of her wolves in the Mercy series to mention. I just love a smexy Brigg’s wolf! 😀
Melissa (Books and Things) recently posted…Audiobook Review: Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews
I would have to say Bran would be my favorite.
Love these books and I am a big fan of her Mercy series . I have to say that I have a bit of a crush on Bran
Fantastic interview Carmel!
I’m so damned tempted to start reading this series given how much you and Jenny from Supernatural Snark love it!!
Pili recently posted…Friday Reads: The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows!!!
Charles, but Bran is a close second.
My fave is Adam, no Charles, wait Anna, maybe Ben. Do I have to pick just one?
Charles and Anna are my favorite werewolves!
Ohhhh, you recommended me Patricia Briggs when I asked for reads the The Others so I will definitely check her out. I feel like I’ll like her heroines as well. Great interview btw! 😀
I neeeed this one! But must wait until PB, sighs
blodeuedd recently posted…Author Interview and Giveaway: Sally Malcolm
After reading Roses in Winter in the Shifting Shadows anthology, I have to say my favorite werewolf is Asil, hands down. 🙂
Mogsy recently posted…Mogsy’s Bookshelf Roundup: Book Haul, Backlist, What I’ve Read
I still haven’t read any of Patricia’s books even though I know how much you love them. Not just you, but I have heard nothing but amazing things about her books. I need to change that. Anyhow I love it how she sees bother series as one. I really would love to read them both now. Amazing interview and review 🙂
Tanja recently posted…#CoverLust: Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout
I don’t think I have a favorite werewolf.
YES! I think Charles and Anna are now my 2nd favorite book couple (Kate and Curran are still #1). Both couples are great because the relationships are equal and honesty is key. Love this series. You definitely should listen to it, although Holter’s children’s voices were a bit creepy!
Jen Twimom recently posted…Listen Up! Audiobook Review: Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs
I really like your answer about writing about real people with real lives. I look for that in the books I read. People’s lives are gritty, and so people can relate to gritty. I know I can. I admire you for writing about the everyday heroes, those tenacious ones who are fighting battles everyday no one else notices.
My favorite werewolf changes from time to time, but currently is Charles… I also love Bran and think he deserves his own series.
Great interview, Carmel! I liked learning about Briggs’ and how she writes…and her horses! 🙂 I thought it was interesting to say that she writes about ‘real’ people and therefore writes about the bad things that occur in real life to those real people…even if they are werewolves. 🙂 I’m getting ready to start Cry Wolf. I can’t wait! Ooh, wonderful review too, my dear. I won’t tell Clay and Elena a thing, even if they are my favorite werewolf couple.
Bookworm Brandee recently posted…New Release Blitz & Giveaway ~ Awakening ~ Laura Greenwood
Great review and interview. I loved the “horse story”. I love both series so much. I really enjoyed this book a lot.
Melanie recently posted…Review: Taken by a Dragon by Felicity Heaton
I love Adam…he is so Alpha 🙂
sharoda recently posted…Taria Reed: Digital Artist Interview/Spotlight
Ohh, that is a tough one. Adam and Clay would be tied for my favorite.