Steampunk Saturdays with Delilah S. Dawson of Wicked As They Come (Interview/Giveaway)

Steampunk Saturdays wouldn’t be the same with out an appearance from Criminy Stain...oh wait..I mean Delilah S. Dawson. 

Welcome Delilah!

Lexi: Delilah you have a wicked sense of humor and style. There are some great pictures of you in Steampunk inspired garb (love some of your corsets). Have you always had such a fun sense of style or has Criminy helped break you into his version of hot?

Delilah: Oh, thank you! I've always wanted to dress this way--I just haven't had a good reason before! I can be shy, so writing Wicked as They Come gave me a great excuse to finally costume up and go to cons and events, and I'm so glad. I would dress this way in everyday life, if I could, except that driving is nearly impossible in a corset. My costumes tend to be in random layers that stay cool in the Georgia heat, not at all like the Pinky ladies of Sang. I can't do high collars and tight wrists and hats that buckle under the chin.

Lexi: Speaking of Criminy (I love him!), he is the hero in your first novel Wicked As They Come. An amazing character, you bring him to life beautifully. Did he come to you whole or did you have to piece him together?

Delilah: He arrived fully formed, and I can barely control him! I was watching a lot of Buffy at the time, and you can hear echoes of Spike in his voice, I think. Criminy is one of the easiest characters I've ever written, and I rarely have any problem knowing exactly what he'll say or do next. He's kind of my imaginary boyfriend. 

Lexi: I can’t wait for the Blud series book two, Wicked As She Wants. Sounds like we will get a glimpse into another intriguing character of yours, Casper the musician. Do you have any tidbits you would like to share about Casper, or a hint of who book three will feature?

Delilah: It seems like readers of Wicked as They Come either love Casper or hate him, and I think he'll win over the naysayers in Blud book 2. In Wicked as She Wants, Casper makes a perilous journey, both physically and emotionally. Watching him go from good but clueless guy to sexy alpha male thanks to the love of a strong, determined woman was very satisfying, as a writer. He also has a certain way of saying "darlin'" that makes this Southern girl a bit swoony.

Lexi: You not only have your Blud series, you just got a contract for a YA release. I think you have some positive messages for young people. Have you been thinking of writing a YA book for a long time? What has been your main motivator to delve into this genre? 

Delilah: This is actually the third YA I've written, although it's the first one my agent and I decided to take out. I read a lot of YA, and I love it for the fast pace and high stakes. Servants of the Storm takes place in Savannah, GA, one of the most creepy and beautiful places I've ever seen, and the book is dark--with a silver lining. But you're right that I also want to make a connection with teens. I had a difficult time in high school, dealing with bullying, suicide, and rape, and it would have meant the world to me, back then, to speak to a survivor and hear that it would get better one day. 

Lexi: I am happy for you that you get the chance to write YA, and you never know who’s lives you will touch through that venture. Even though part of me wants you to stay at home, not have a life, and write so we can get more Blud novels out of you. I know I  know, not fair to your wonderful family. Hopefully your husband pampers you some? 

Delilah: For me, being pampered is more about giving me the time and space I need to write, to get a little sleep in the morning, to lose myself in a good book. When I have a victory, we celebrate, and when I travel, he watches the kids without too much grumbling. I've been married for over ten years and consider myself very lucky to have someone who knows me better than I know myself. And as for writing more Blud novels, Pocket recently purchase three 30,000-word e-novellas, so there will in effect be six Blud stories. I'm writing as fast as I can!

Lexi: For anyone out there that has not heard of Delilah, go pick up a copy of Wicked As They Come. You will not be disappointed. And for those of you who enjoyed her book go follow her blog, or FB, or twitter (links below). She is hilarious, describes watching cockroaches doing it and other such nonsense in between enlightening posts about writing. 

Thanks for stopping by Delilah! 

Delilah: Thanks so much for having me! I hope y'all enjoy Wicked as They Come, and be on the lookout for my first e-novella this October, The Mysterious Madam Morpho. =) 

Wicked As They Come

Blud #1

by Delilah S. Dawson

Mass Market Paperback, 395 pages

Published March 27th 2012 by Pocket Books

ISBN 13: 9781451657883

Have you ever heard of a Bludman? They’re rather like you and me—only more fabulous, immortal, and mostly indestructible. (They’re also very good kissers.)
Delilah S. Dawson’s darkly tempting debut drops her unsuspecting heroine into a strange faraway land for a romantic adventure that’s part paranormal, part steampunk . . . and completely irresistible.
When Tish Everett forces open the ruby locket she finds at an estate sale, she has no idea that a deliciously rakish Bludman has cast a spell just for her. She wakes up in a surreal world, where Criminy Stain, the dashing proprietor of a magical traveling circus, curiously awaits. At Criminy’s electric touch, Tish glimpses a tantalizing future, but she also foresees her ultimate doom. Before she can decide whether to risk her fate with the charming daredevil, the locket disappears, and with it, her only chance to return home. Tish and Criminy battle roaring sea monsters and thundering bludmares, vengeful ghosts and crooked Coppers in a treacherous race to recover the necklace from the evil Blud-hating Magistrate. But if they succeed, will Tish forsake her fanged suitor and return to her normal life, or will she take a chance on an unpredictable but dangerous destiny with the Bludman she’s coming to love?

About Delilah:

Delilah S. Dawson comes from a long line of Roswell, GA natives. Originally named after two grandmothers and a dog, she grew up as Missy Southard and attended Roswell High School and the University of Georgia, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Studio Art. Her career gag reel includes stints as an art teacher, a balloon artist, a reptile vendor, various Disney princesses, a corpse, a cube monkey, a tour guide, a horseback riding instructor, a muralist, and a gallery supervisor.
Delilah wrote her first book in 2009 and promptly stuck it in a drawer. WICKED AS THEY COME is the first in the Blud series by Pocket/S&S. She has several projects in the works, including paranormal YA and a steampunk romance version of Robin Hood and is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Georgia Romance Writers. You can also read her product reviews on www.CoolMomPicks.com and www.CoolMomTech.com, where she is given the more eccentric and geeky products to cover. Delilah lives with her husband, two small children, and cat in Atlanta.

Follow her blog, Twitter, Facebook, or at Simon & Schuster Author Portal

~*GIVEAWAY*~

Delilah is so awesome, she is offering up a signed copy of Wicked As They Come! (Sorry, US Residents only please)To enter tell us if you have ever fangirled it up, dressed up to go to a convention or signing, and if so in what? Then fill out the Rafflecopter. Goodluck!  

a Rafflecopter giveaway