Today we bring you another very special author spotlight on The Book Smugglers – this time with the delightful paranormal romance/urban fantasy author Lori Devoti!
Lori is the author of the Amazons series starring two different honest to goodness Amazons…in a modern day setting. The series so far has two titles to its name: Amazon Ink and Amazon Queen.
Meet Mel: Business owner. Dedicated mom. Natural-born Amazon.It’s been ten years since Melanippe Saka left the Amazon tribe in order to create a normal life for her daughter, Harmony. True, running a tattoo parlor in Madison, Wisconsin, while living with your Amazon warrior mother and priestess grandmother is not everyone’s idea of normal, but Mel thinks she’s succeeded at blending in as human.
Turns out she’s wrong. Someone knows all about her, someone who’s targeting young Amazon girls, and no way is Mel going to let Harmony become tangled in this deadly web. With her mother love in overdrive, Ms. Melanippe Saka is quite a force…even when she’s facing a barrage of distractions — including a persistent detective whose interest in Mel goes beyond professional, a sexy tattoo artist with secrets of his own, and a seriously angry Amazon queen who views Mel as a prime suspect. To find answers, Mel will have to do the one thing she swore she’d never do: embrace her powers and admit that you can take the girl out of the tribe…but you can’t take the tribe out of the girl.
Being an Amazon ruler just became a royal pain.Amazon queen Zery Kostovska has never questioned tribe traditions. After all, these rules have kept the tribe strong for millennia and enabled them to live undetected, even in modern-day America. Zery is tough, fair, commanding—the perfect Amazon leader.At least, she was. A new high priestess with a penchant for secrecy and technology is threatening Zery’s rule. Plus, with the discovery of the Amazon sons, males with the same skills as their female counterparts, even Zery can’t deny that the tribe must change. But how? Some want to cooperate with the sons. Others believe brutal new leadership is needed—and are willing to kill to make it happen.
Once, Zery’s word was law. Now, she has no idea who to trust, especially with one powerful Amazon son making her question all her instincts. For Zery, tribe comes first, but the battle drawing near is unlike any she’s faced before . . . and losing might cost her both the tribe and her life.
To celebrate her new release, Amazon Queen, we are having the wonderful Lori Devoti over for an interactive Q&A and a chance to win her books! We have TEN copies of Amazon Queen up for grabs. Entry is easy and simple, per usual – just leave a comment here asking Lori a question (about her series, her writing process, secret Wonder Woman obsessions, etc). The contest is open to all, and will run until Saturday, April 17th at 11:59PM (PST). Good luck, and let the questions begin.
Please and give it up for Lori Devoti!
Hi, everyone! I’m excited to be here and ready to answer any questions you may have. My Amazon series (Amazon Ink, 2009 and Amazon Queen, coming April 27th) is near and dear to my heart, but don’t think you have to keep your questions to them. I can talk writing, reality TV, books, kids and dogs until your ears bleed. I’m also in the middle of a kitchen remodel, the third we’ve done ourselves, and can whine with the best of them about the necessity of exercising after 40. Hit me!
Lori Devoti grew up in southern Missouri and attended the University of Missouri-Columbia where she earned a Bachelor of Journalism. The author of two contemporary romances and half-a-dozen paranormal romances, Lori made her fantasy debut last year with AMAZON INK.
You can read more about Lori online at her website and her blog.
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70 Responses to Interactive Q&A and Giveaway with Lori Devoti
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Hello Mrs Devoti,
Thank you for that Q&A (and to the Book Smugglers for organising it!) The story of Amazons in a modern setting is really interesting. Have you been influenced a lot by Greek mythology and history ? Or have you left that mainly out and concentrated on your own version ?
How did you go about your research?
Thanks for the Q&A and also for the contest, I am eagerly awaiting Amazon Queen.
What a great contest! Do you have certain bands, singers or musical genres that you prefer to listen to when writing?
Hi Lori. I loved Amazon Ink last year – will Mel and her family have a role in Amazon Queen?
Cindy and Breab, for the first book my research was more on Amazons from an “if they were real” perspective, reading up on actual archaeological digs where they had found warrior women remains. I did as much reading as I could on Amazons in myth, but honestly, there isn’t that much there. Where I did a lot more reading involving Greek mythology was on the goddess the Amazons would have worshipped, Artemis and then for Amazon Queen another goddess I won’t mention here for spoiler reasons. (although I think she is an obvious choice.)
So far as how I did my research, I found as many books as I could, then also used the Internet. A lot of times the Internet while not always dependable for accuracy is great for discovering how people in real life use information. Sometimes, I want that more than the real “truth” if that makes sense. So for example if you are building a group that has evolved but still worships an older goddess, how might they do that today? I don’t take things directly from that, it just helps me form my world in my mind.
Colleen, I am an “in silence” writer. No music, no TV, just me and my computer in my office.
Naomi, first thanks! And yes, Mel, her mother and Bubbe have major roles in Amazon Queen. Harmony doesn’t make an on screen appearance, but she and Peter are still causing Mel angst.
Although I’m very familiar with the Unbound series, this one is new to me. I’m just curious, what put you on the ‘Amazons’ road to begin with? That is, what about them captured your attention?
Loved “Amazon Ink” and can’t wait for “Amazon Queen” to come out. I’m glad we’ll see Bubbe again:o) Looks like you escalate the exploration of social gender-conflict in reverse from the usual way we see it in Amazon Queen. I wondered if that just came out as you wrote the series, or if it was an issue you wanted to explore in a fantasy setting. And how was it thinking in reverse, with the women in the accepted social power position? Did it change the way you approached writing your characters?
Ms. Devoti,
Thank you for answering questions. I was wondering if in your research, you were influenced at all with the accounts of early explorers on the Amazon that gave the river its name. You mentioned the Greek aspect in a previous question and it is clear in your writing.
Thank you
Hi Lori. Love your books. Who are your favorite authors to read? What is the weirdest/funniest question you have received from a fan?
Hi Lori! I didn’t have your Amazon series on my radar! More books to add to my growing TBR list!
I really enjoy your Nocturne books…Are you going write any more for the Unbound series?
Ragan, I think it was kind of a “why isn’t anyone doing this” thing.
Kick-ass heroines were everywhere, but no one was doing Amazons. Seemed like a huge over-sight.
Kathy, I really did like playing with that. It was a major force in writing the series and something I planned. I’d say I am a feminist, but I realize at times I can also be sexist, just with men instead of women. I’ve seen that with other feminist too. I also see women judging each other for the choices they make in their lives. I really liked playing with both of these things. So far as it changing how I wrote my characters, it did, of course. But my default is strong women, strong characters in general, so it wasn’t really a stretch for me.
Lexi, no I didn’t touch on that in my research at all. Sounds interesting though.
CrystalGB, I am currently reading Hex and the City by Simon R. Green. I really enjoy his books. My all time favorite author is probably Connie Willis. Other fantasy authors include Patricia Briggs, Kelly Armstrong, Kim Harrison, Jim Butcher, etc. But I also enjoy reading mysteries (Susan Conant’s malamute series) and romance (Eve Silver, Betina Krahn, etc.). Oh and YA! (Scott Westerfield’s Uglies was great.) I’m a pretty cross-genre reader.
Hi Lori,
loved Amazon Ink. It totally took my by surprise.
Why did you decide to change your protagonist and will you keep changing them as the series (hopefully so) continues?
Hi Lori!
The Amazons series sounds very interesting!(The covers are great!)
I have a question about being published… what is your secret to find the best *hook*?
Thank you very much fo making this awesome contest international! (I’m from Italy.)
Best wishes!
Giada M
fabgiada @ gmail.com
First off, both of your Amazon books sound great. But since you opended up the question realm, what kind of dog do you have? And what are you doing to your kitchen? A kitchen remodel is next on our list and I’m sort of dreading all the work that goes into deciding what to do about counter-tops, cabinets, etc. Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks for visiting today.
Hi Lori! I remember being drawn to Amazon Ink when it first came out. Girls with tattoos alway catch my attention. We seem to be a club that is growing by leaps and bounds lately!
So I have two questions for you. Do you have any tattoos? And (I guess this isn’t a question) I love the color red in your hair! I just died mine red, purple and pink.
Monika, I changed protagonists for a couple of reasons. One as a reader I always feel like series with one character lose steam over time. I’ve heard Jennifer Crusie say she writes a book about the most interesting part of a character’s life. If you write seven books about one character, you have to come up with seven most interesting times! For a lot of series, I think you can see this drag. I’m also a big fan of Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series and loved how she switched characters within the same world. It showed me it could be done.
So far as future books, if there is a third one I’d like to go back to Mel and her missing son. Right now, unfortunately, I’m not under contract for that, but if Amazon Queen does well…. 
I had to argue with the photo people on the shade. I told them I paid my stylist good money for the color to be that bright and I definitely wanted it to show in the picture! Right now it’s a much more subdued color, still red, but with more purple/pink undertones. I think I am going to have to go bolder next time again.
Giada, coming up with a hook is HUGE. It has to be new, but still pull on something familiar. If you go too far one direction or the other you will swing and miss. And one single kernel of that hook isn’t enough, you have to expand it a bit. I actually have a couple of brainstorming forms I use to help build a high concept. If you would like them, just email me through my site and I’ll send them to you.
GSM, we have a white husky. Here is a link to a picture. He is our third husky. We have also had an Alaskan Malamute and a Australian/German shepherd mix.
We are completely redoing the kitchen–new counter tops (quartz), refinished cabinets, new back splash (probably glass tile) and floors (wood). Luckily my husband is very handy and can do almost all of the work himself. He put an entirely new kitchen into a 100+ year-old cabin we lived in in old mining/ghost town in Montana once.
Miranda, I don’t have any tattoos, but I have definitely thought of getting some. I have a real respect for their history, and of course, beauty. If I had been raised in a different time and place I’m sure I would have a number of them by now.
Thanks on the hair.
Your 3rd kitchen remodel? Are you nuts? Or were these in 3 different houses, ’cause then I can understand. A kitchen is the heart of a house and it needs to be right. I’m in renovation hell myself right now and if I ever have to do this again I am moving to Borneo until it’s finished.
Congrats on the book. I loved Amazon Ink and can’t wait to read Amazon Queen
Zita, three different houses. Pre-kid we moved a lot, and we tended to houses that needed kitchen remodels. We had a standing joke that we wouldn’t buy a house unless it needed a new dishwasher, or didn’t have a dishwasher at all. We have put in about seven of those, might be more more now….
I loved the first book! What made you take the Amazon’s and integrate them into modern society? Too many episodes of Wonder Woman?
Awesome contest idea!
My question for Lori–
How long does it usually take you to complete writing a book? Have you ever almost finished one and then changed it drastically?
Thanks, Danielle. Can’t say I was much of a Wonder Woman fan. Any job that required as much make-up and creative underwire support as that just doesn’t hold much appeal for me.
Noel, I ripped Amazon Queen a part a few times. It and my last Nocturne release, The Hellhound Kings, both gave me fits. Certain things never changed, but I just couldn’t get things the way I wanted them. So far as how long, a two to three months. But it depends on the book. I’m working on something now that I’m taking nice and slow, really doing a lot of pre-writing work for. Actually, I did that with Amazon Ink too and don’t count that into the writing time. It was something I played around with a long time while I was actually writing other books.
Thanks for sharing today. I have Amazon Ink on my TBR stack. Going to have to move it up so I can get Amazon Queen soon, it sounds great. Congrats on the release.
Both books sounds great, will definitely be adding it to my ‘to buy list’. How many books are you planning for this series?
Thanks, Donna.:)
Van Pham, right now there are just the two. It would be great to write more though.
Do you find writing this urban fantasy series much different from writing paranormal romances? Do you personally consider these urban fantasy books, or do you think of them as romances? What’s the key to writing a good fantasy/paranormal romance as opposed to a regular romance? Your books sound very interesting, and hopefully I be able to pick up Amazon Ink too. And by the way, Scott Westerfield’s Uglies series is one of my personal favorites! Tally was so interesting!
These books are urban fantasy. There is a romantic subplot in both, but definitely urban fantasies and not paranormal romances. With paranormal romance the main plot of the book is about the romance. I think romance as I write it, plan what makes the couple belong together and what keeps them apart. In my urban fantasies it is more about the growth of that individual character. (I’m not mentioning the action plot because both my romances and UF have that.) I put a romance in, but you could pull it out without the entire book crumbling–that isn’t true with a paranormal romance.
Hi everyone! Really great questions
Just popping in to say, Lori the definition you just gave for PNR vs. UF (especially this: “I put a romance in, but you could pull it out without the entire book crumbling–that isn’t true with a paranormal romance.”)is the best one I’ve ever seen. I’m bookmarking that for future use!
Thanks again to everyone, and keep the awesome questions coming.
[...] Lori Devoti, author of Amazon Ink, by the Book Smugglers [...]
Were you ever Wonder woman for Halloween?
Will Detective Reynolds be a Son?
This is so up my alley! Can’t wait!
Caitlin, you must have missed the make-up/underwear remark I made about Wonder woman earlier…uh, no.
Ava, Detective Reynolds isn’t a son…no big surprises on that account.
Thanks, Stephanie.
Thanks! I always find it interesting to hear about the genres, as some authors feel like their books are way different than they are. Or they’re marketed differently, especially with the popularity of certain genres over other ones. It’s always nice to see a good romance, whether the main part or a sub-plot.
Can’t wait to see how it fits together in the first book!
I haven’t heard of your books before but they sound great!
So after doing research on tribs (I’m assuming you did), how close did you stick to the truth and how much of it was made up?
I’m an exercising/health junkie myself! My day just doesn’t feel complete untill I’ve broken a sweat and gotten my heart rate up! What type of exercising do you do?
Hi Lori,
I have heard of this book, but I haven’t had a chance to read it yet. I am definitely going to pick it up and read it now. Was it hard to keep up with the world building for this series?
I am wishing you much success on this series
Howdy Lori my question is do you have any pre-writing rituals?
Did you always want to be a writer?
Hey Lori,
I’m very intrigued by the series and can’t wait to check out the stories. Who are some of the authors whose work you look to for inspiration? How much research did you do to develop the world/setting in your books?
hugs,
Anna
Hey Lori! I was wondering if you have any say in your cover art. It’s beautiful!
I loved Amazon, Inc. and did a reread in anticipation of the next book.
You did a great job giving a feel for the landscape in the book. Is that area of the country very familiar to you, or was it a chance for a research trip to go there?
Thanks again for the good read.
ThisViewOfMine, pretty much all of it is made up, although I did draw on facts. For example the snake bracelet that both Mel and her mother wear is based on one found in female warrior graves. And the animals I chose for their tribes all have some tie to Artemis, the goddess most agree the Amazons would have worshipped. In all my books I try to take facts like that and use them to build on. I really enjoy that part of building my worlds.
So far as exercise, for the most calories per minute, I jog, but recently I’ve been having some pain from that. So, I’ve been mixing it up a bit, doing all kinds of crazy aerobic type moves while watching TV. I also do some weights or bands while I’m moving.
Tawania, strangely no. My worlds become quite real for me. They just “are” so I don’t find myself having to go back and check a lot. The exception would be the animals for the tribes and such. For those kinds of things I keep lists. Actually, I had a whole binder for Amazon Ink, including a floor plan for the school and photos of the building I based it on.
Anna, I don’t really look to other writers for inspiration. I just read because I love it.
Amber, thanks. I love it too. With both books I was shown early pictures and my editor and I both had the chance to make suggestions. And they took them all, which was great.
Marcia, I live in Madison. So, no big trip was needed! So far as the school, it is based on a school I attended in Southern Missouri as a child. I do that a lot with buildings–imagine a place from my youth that I am really familiar with. It makes continuity a lot easier. I don’t have to remember where I put a door because I remember the actual building.
Amazon Queen Sounds Like A Really Good Book. I Love Reading ABout Really Strong Women WHo Can Hold Their Own Against Equally Strong Men.
Hey Lori What Are One Or Two Things We Wouldn’t Normally Know About You?
And
What Inspired You To Write Your Amazon Series?
Aloha Lori!
I just wanted to say hello before I read the comments!
I am excited to read your books. The cover and the blurbs are enticing=)
Mahalo!
Hi Lori!
Both of your books sound great.
I noticed that you haven’t watched the Wonder Woman show. (Neither have I since I don’t live in US.) But have you read the comics? Did you watch Xena the Warrior Princess where Amazons played quite a large part in the early seasons? Who are your favorite strong female characters in general?
I’ve been waiting for more women to step up and write about the Amazon women of ancient times. This is very cool as I love strong women characters in books. Who were you’re mythical role models and when you were younger (or in college for that matter) did you study anything about matriarchal history?
Ally
Hi Lori,
I haven’t heard about you and your books before, this is the first time i know about you !
- what’s your favorite scene(s) on both books ?
Will you ever do any sort of “Amazon” book with a lesbian as a major character? Why or why not?
Interesting interview.
What does your family think about your Amazon alter ego?
It’s been some time since amazons were main characters in the books- were you influenced by t.v. Xena the warrior princess.
Hey I was also raised in a southwestern town in Missouri called Joplin- ever heard of it?
Can’t wait to read your books!!!
I’m going with a kid question because I write and have three of them:) How do you handle writing and the kids? Do you have a set schedule and write only during that time, or do you write through the chaos? LOL