Monday, October 6, 2014

Author Interview - J.A. Cipriano


The Speculative Fiction Showcase interviews J.A. Cipriano, author of Kill It With Magic, out now.


These days, most writers are glued to their laptops, tablets, and/or ereaders. A few still swear by print books and typewriters, the question is: Do you move at all?

I’m not sure I understand the question. Are you asking how I consume books? If so, the answer for me would be audio… actually. I listen to a lot of books.


Apple or PC?

I own an iphone, does that count? Otherwise, I’m a Microsoft junkie… I have a zune… Who owns a zune? I used to own an IPAD, but I got rid of it for my Surface Pro 3.


Do you use Scrivener or Word?

Word


Do you have any pets? Do they influence your writing?

I have many a pet. My cat influences my writing because she lays on the keyboard a lot. I used to own a hedgehog named Georgie followed by another hedgehog named Mallory. Lillim’s pet hedgehog in Kill It With Magic is directly influenced by Georgie.


Would you rather see your stories on the big screen or the little screen?

Small screen, by which I mean tv series with 18 seasons. Movies are so… short.


Are you hooked on any science fiction or fantasy TV shows? If so, which one(s)?

I can’t even think of one that isn’t canceled… I sort of like Once Upon a Time. I actually went and watched Frozen so I had some idea what the hell was going on this season.
I really enjoy Last Ship, and I have no idea why. Then again I read a lot of end of the world fiction, so maybe that’s it.

 
Do you own copies of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings DVDs? The extended version? Do you ever watch them?

No. I can’t stand the Lord of the Rings movies. I have the attention span of a gnat when it comes to movies.


Have you seen the first two parts of the The Hobbit? Are you planning to see the final installment?

Yes. Maybe. I wasn’t going to see the second one, but it was on in the plane flight I was taking and I fell asleep during the middle of it. Not sure if that counts…


Your novel Kill It With Magic is urban fantasy, a genre which is currently experiencing something of a boom. So which are your favourite urban fantasy series/novels?

Favorite series? The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. I had watched the tv show on Scifi and decided to pick up the books. After reading the first four books I decided to write my Lillim book. I pretty much get these the week they come out and have for years. I’ll actually get both print and audio and listen to it in the car and then read it when I’m not in the car.
I also really enjoy the first and third Anita Blake books. I sort of gave up on them because I’m a huge prude, and I can’t deal with all the sex…


You're male, but the protagonist of your novel is a teenaged girl. Did you find it difficult writing from the POV of the opposite sex?

Yes. I wrote a couple blog posts about this, actually. I’m not sure what exactly happens when a girl goes all “Squee!” over a guy. I don’t have those sorts of feelings. A lot of early criticism of this book was that Lillim was not very female. I think it was the fourth draft where readers were able to identify with her as a female.


Are you a Luddite? Or do you prefer to be on the bleeding edge of technology?

Depends. I’m a technology engineer so I’m always on the bleeding edge. However, I tend to research stuff I want so it may be an older thing I get if it seems like it works best.


Are you--or have you ever been--a gamer?

Yes. I’m in a heroic raiding guild in WoW. I played Lineage, one of those horrible grindy Korean MMO for YEARS. However, Chrono Trigger and FF7 are easily my most favorite games of all time.



Do you cook? What is your best/favorite/most popular recipe?

I cook. My best recipe? Linguine and clams with white wine sauce.


Do you have a garden? Have you ever grown your own food?

We did have a garden until last year when we had the baby. Babies don’t really mix with gardens. We’ll probably resume next year.


Do you wear socks?

Yes. But not with sandals, that’s weird.


What are you wearing right now?

FRCs


What would your animal totem be?

A platypus.


Do you recycle?

Yes, it makes me sad if I don’t for some reason.


What’s your astrological sign?

Sagittarius



Do you consider yourself a slave to the muse?

No. My muse is used to being whipped for inspiration.






J. A. Cipriano is an indie YA author who revels in the spunky, supernatural world of teenagers, werewolves, vampires, and magic.

Website: http://www.jacipriano.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/JACiprianoAuthor




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