Common FAQs:
About Yasmine:
1. How long have you been writing?
2. When are you coming to (insert town here) for a signing?
3. Will you take me on as a magical student?
4. How many tattoos do you have? Did they hurt?
About The Books:
1. Do you sign books through the mail?
2. What about fan fiction?
3. Can I reprint your work on my site/email
newsletter/etc.?
4. Why did (book) go out of print?
5. Where can I get an out of print book?
6. Where can I get a signed book?
7. Any plans for movies or TV?
8. How can I get an advance copy (an ARC)?
9. Do you have any say in the cover art?
10. Why are you now writing pornography?
11. Are your books out in hardback?
12. Are your books out in e-book format?
13. Are your books out in audio book format?
14. Can I read your books for free on line anywhere?
About Specific Books:
1. Why did you stop writing the Chintz 'n China Series
& the India Ink Series?
2. Why did you stop writing magical nonfiction?
3. Were there any more CDs to go with Tarot Journeys?
4. Where can I get a copy of Legend of the Jade Dragon?
About Writing
1. Do you have any advice on writing?
2. Can you give me a referral to your agent?
3. Will you blurb/endorse my book for me?
4. Will you read my (manuscript, poetry, story) and
critique it?
About Yasmine
1. How long have you been writing?
The spark came when I was three (~smiles~ I've told this story a hundred times, I think). I was learning to read and one day--and I remember this particular incident--I was holding one of the books I loved and something clicked. Maybe someone said something or maybe I just put two and two together but I suddenly "got" that people make books, they don't just appear out of thin air. People actually made books... and right then, I knew I was going to grow up and make books. And I never lost sight of that goal
2. When are you coming to (insert town here) for a signing?
I can't travel extensively, and I don't get my touring paid for by my publisher--so chances are, I won't be doing many signings around the country. I hope to hit the east coast in the next couple of years, and perhaps California in 2009 or so.
3. Will you take me on as a magical student?
No, I do not teach magic/witchcraft anymore--not even in workshops.
4. How many tattoos do you have? Did they hurt?
A lot--I've lost count and they blend into each other. And yes, some of them hurt. A lot. ~smiles~
About The Books
1. Do you sign books through the mail?
No. You can either get a signed copy from Seattle Mystery Bookshop, or you can ask for signed bookplates from the contact page.
See my policy on fan fiction here.
3. Can I reprint your work on my site/email newsletter/etc.?
No. See information on copyright infringement.
4. Why did (book) go out of print?
If the book does not sell fast enough, or well enough, it will often be taken out of print. That's new book sales--not used, not half-price. It's a business and the publisher doesn't have room to keep a lot of books that aren't selling so the ones that don't sell are either remaindered--which gives the author very few royalties, if any--or they are pulped (that's destroyed).
5. Where can I get an out of print book?
Used book stores. Check it out of the library. That's about all I can think of.
6. Where can I get a signed book?
Seattle Mystery Bookshop or one of my book signings.
7. Any plans for movies or TV?
Nope, not at this time (that's usually never up to the author to start with. Somebody has to offer to buy an option first).
8. How can I get an advance copy (an ARC)?
Become a legitimate book reviewer or book seller and request an arc from my publicist. They make the final decision. :)
9. Do you have any say in the cover art?
Not really--most authors don't. I lucked out with Tony Mauro--the cover artist for my Otherworld Series. He captures the characters like they are in my mind. I'm very grateful to the cover art gods who instigated him being signed to do my covers.
10. Why are you now writing pornography?
I'm not. Sex scenes are not porn, at least not by my definition. If you don't like explicit sex scenes, then you probably won't want to read my books even though the sex isn't a huge part of the novels. I like writing about sex, I like not closing the bedroom door, and sex doesn't embarrass me--it's an integral part of life in my view, and I like being able to show the sexual nature of my characters.
11. Are your books out in hardback?
2010: Not at this time. That's not my decision to make--it's up to the publisher when to go hardback.
12. Are your books out in e-book format?
At this time most of my books are available in several e-book formats. They are NOT available free--if you find free downloads please respect my rights as an author and do not download them.
13. Are your books out in audio book format?
Yes--the Otherworld Series is, and the Indigo Court series will be.
14. Can I read your books for free online anywhere?
No--if you find them offered on line for free, they are being pirated and I'm being ripped off. Please notify me if you find them offered for free download on any piracy sites so I can inform my publisher.
About Specific Books
1. Why did you stop writing the Chintz 'n China Series & the India Ink Series?
I'm often asked if there will be any more Chintz 'n China mysteries, or Bath and Body mysteries, and sometimes people try to guilt trip me about it. When they sincerely are missing the characters, I feel kind of sad when I have to break the news that: No, I will not be writing any of them again. When people try to guilt trip me over it, I just get irritated. Push me, and I push back. That's just the way I am.
I've been trying to explain the "why" of it to people over the years. For one thing, I never could make enough money on them to make a living-they just don't sell anywhere remotely near what my current work does, and this is no hobby for me. Writing is my career and I have rent to pay, food to buy, and a household to keep.
Secondly-and perhaps more importantly-I am not a mystery writer at heart and don't enjoy writing cozies. I am proud of what I wrote but it was a struggle to keep myself inside the confines of the genre-I constantly wanted to break free. I always wanted to be a fantasy and SF writer from the time I was a little girl. The mysteries were something I somehow stumbled into and they were fun to write, but alien to the method in which I write. They require outlines and I do not write my best with outlines. They require meticulous planning and I'm an organic writer, not a plotter.
And then, today, I found a quote that says it all:
"Fantasy is the only canvas large enough for me to paint on. " -Terry Brooks
He said what I've been trying to for years. You see, when I was writing mystery, even the paranormal mysteries, the playground felt confined and it was like I'd been given half a box of crayons. I can't color the worlds I want to with only half a box. I need a broader landscape to be happy spinning my tales.
In other words: it truly takes the genre of fantasy for me to feel like I can let go and create and build my worlds to the extent I need to. I am a scribbler, and must go where my box of 120 crayons and messy scribblings lead me...and they have taken me directly into the Otherworld and Indigo Court worlds.
Here, I can write very dark and wide, I can let my imagination go wild, I can keep the bedroom door open (yes, I do enjoy writing the sex scenes, and I'm sorry if that offends some of you but it's not going to change-I see sex as normal, natural, and not something to be hidden away like a secret). I can write villains that are truly evil, and in my world murder and mayhem are more than a tidy body on the floor. The monsters are horrific-the demons are real.
Do not misunderstand: I highly respect the mystery field, but chafe at the confines of the genre when it comes to my writing. There are restrictions and guidelines I just don't like having imposed on me. So I leave the mysteries up to the masters who love writing them. ;) Each writer has his or her own path and favorite genre. So while I read and enjoy some mysteries, I can no longer color inside the lines.
2. Why did you stop writing magical nonfiction?
I got burnt out big-time, said about all I had to say on the subject, and I always wanted to write fantasy & SF, long, long before I ever even thought of trying nonfiction.
3. Were there any more CDs to go with Tarot Journeys?
No. Only the one. And no, I do not have extra copies.
4. Where can I get a copy of Legend of the Jade Dragon?
Legend of the Jade Dragon is back in print and you can find copies at the store--all of the Chintz 'n China Mysteries have new covers.
About Writing
1. Do you have any advice on writing?
I've given a lot of advice in my forums. You can find some on my site and on my blogs.
2. Can you give me a referral to your agent?
No, I'm sorry, I seldom do that and I always tell her if I've referred someone.
3. Will you blurb/endorse my book for me?
All requests must go through my editor. The information for that procedure is on my author media kit and my contact page.
4. Will you read my (manuscript, poetry, story) and critique it?
Due to both legal and time considerations, I cannot read or critique unpublished work, so no.