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"New
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 P.E.A.R.L |
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by
Dee Gentle 
Leslie Tramposch: Managing Editor - Sara Reyes: Marketing and Publicity
Spotlight on Superhero Romance
Featuring
Interviews with:
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A.J. Menden In her everyday life, A.J. Menden is a mild-mannered newspaper columnist and magazine editor who wanted to write books ever since she could read one. Her husband helped foster her love of superheroes and their house is now full of comic books and action-figures. They have two daughters that already wear blankets as capes. An Interview with A.J. Menden PNR: Welcome AJ, I’m excited to have the opportunity to talk with you about your Elite Hands of Justice series and your writing.A.J. Menden: Hi, Dee, I'm glad to be here! PNR: Can you tell us a little about how you started writing; was it something you have always wanted to do?A.J. Menden: It's always been something I wanted to do and something I've always done. I remember being in grade school and writing little stories in my spare time. I started writing "books" in middle school/high school, but it wasn't until I graduated from college that I started taking it more seriously. I really buckled down and started on the goal to being published in 2003. PNR: Are you able to write as much as you would like? Could you tell us about your writing schedule? What do you enjoy doing when not writing?A.J. Menden: No, I definitely would love to be able to spend more time writing. I have a full-time job that I get paid for, what amounts to a part-time job that I don't, and two kids. I get to write on the weekends when my husband can keep the kids distracted. I hope to be able to go to at least part-time with my job someday so I'll have more free time to write. When I'm not writing, working, or hanging with the family, I read. And if I'm too brain-fried to read, I tend to watch reality television shows or movies.PNR: Being a newly published author, who or what has been the biggest influence on your writing? Who has been your biggest support? A.J. Menden: My biggest support has definitely been my husband. He's always willing to read more about my characters, talk more about my characters, listen to my ideas for plots and sub-plots, hunt for songs for my movie soundtracks, keep the kids out of my hair, and most importantly, been my biggest cheerleader and kept me going when I wanted to quit. He's fabulous!I guess the biggest influence on my writing has been my critique group on Kelley Armstrong's message board. All of those great members, both past and present, have been there to point out the flaws in my writing and my strengths. They were the ones who pushed me to better myself in the craft. And they've all been great supporters too! PNR: Most writers are avid readers, is this true for you? What titles would we see in your TBR pile?A.J. Menden: Oh yes, I'm an avid reader. And I'm a fast reader too, I can read a book or two a day, depending on what else I'm doing. Because of that, the titles on the TBR pile change all the time, would probably be different by the time this interview was posted, so in general, there's a good deal of urban fantasy and paranormal romance books. I like contemporary romance, but it has to have a bit of an edge to it, like humor. I still like what was referred to as "chick lit." I like mysteries, but my favorites center around police officers hunting criminals, probably because of my love of those television shows. My comic book TBR pile is larger, because I let them collect until I get a full story-arc going. I'm a Marvel girl generally, but I also like Fables from Vertigo and The Walking Dead from Image. PNR: What do you feel are the essential elements of a great story?A.J. Menden: I like character-driven stories. If you have a highly-relatable character, then I think the audience will follow the character through their journey no matter what. There can be the most amazing plot that shakes the world to its very core, but if the audience doesn't care about what happens to the people in it, then to my mind, why does it matter? PNR: Congratulations, readers are excited about your upcoming debut release, PHENOMENAL GIRL 5, coming November 1st from SHOMI; this is the first book in your Elite Hands of Justice series. Could you tell us what inspired this exciting fantasy series and a little about your vision for the project? What direction will the series be taking?A.J. Menden: I've been interested in superheroes since I was 13, so when I was trying to sell a vampire hunter story that wasn't and my husband suggested trying superheroes, I was up for it. I didn't figure anyone but me would like a superhero romance, and I also loved playing with magic in stories, but not the high-fantasy setting, so I thought I'd make magic a part of life for the superheroes in my world. And I wanted it hero-ing to be a job for the characters, it's their career. They go on job interviews, they fight for promotions and the big assignments. And at the same time, I thought it would be fun to make the most popular hero team the celebrities of their world, having their pictures taken, being interviewed, attending movie premieres, selling action-figures, all of the crazy merchandising. Oh, and an apocalypse. Gotta have an apocalypse. Throw all of that together and you get the world of the Elite Hands of Justice. Where is the series going? Well, it can go anywhere with the variety of characters that is on the team roster and continues to be added. Just for the women characters, there's a super-smart woman who was experimented on by aliens as a young teen, the human embodiment of the goddess Aphrodite who can make people fall in love with her, a powerful and ageless female magician, and a nigh-indestruble woman who looks like a supermodel. Oh, and someone who is destined to save the world or destroy it. That pesky apocalypse isn't going away any time soon.PNR: Your series takes place in the fictional city of Megalopolis. Tell us about the challenges you face in world building with paranormal elements and making it work with the ideas you have in mind for the progression of your characters and the series? Do you write your characters to fit the world you have created or vice versa? How much research is involved? A.J. Menden: I think because it's a fictional city and not based on anything in reality, it makes it easier to make it work for the characters. There can be magic, there can be superheroes, there can be aliens, there can be people with mythological god-like powers. And they can invent anything to work in that world. A transporter gun? Done. A pocket universe to hang out in? Done.PNR: Could you give us some insight into the origin of your Superheroes that is the thread to connect your series? A.J. Menden: I suppose the origin of my superheroes, or at least the formation of the team that they are on, all leads back to The Reincarnist. In his multiple lives, he formed the team with its original members and the School that all the super-powered kids attend. And since he's immortal, or at least, seemingly so, he'll always be on the team in some function even after its current roster is dead and gone. All roads lead back to The Reincarnist.PNR: Do you feel your writing is character driven or plot driven? How do you balance these two elements? A.J. Menden: Character driven, definitely. Like I said, I love character-driven stories. I present situations to the characters that happen because of their history or background and see how they react.PNR: You write wonderfully complex “Super” characters that touch readers deeply; could you tell us about their development? What was your inspiration for these characters? A.J. Menden: Lainey's probably the easiest to talk about because she's the most like me. Well, a more brassy version of me. I'd never mouth off to the Reincarnist the way she does, LOL. I gave her the powers I'd want - flight and enhanced strength. And because I thought a lot of the costumes female superheroes wear are ridiculous, I gave her a more modest outfit - black leather. She's a geek like me. I also wanted a less-than-perfect superheroine. She's got the blonde hair and the big chest, but she also has a bit of a weight-issue. She has to work out to keep from becoming overweight. She wishes she had blue eyes instead of brown and is jealous of the super-thin perfect looking women in her circle. And she's got a past that leads her to be a workaholic that doesn't make time for romance.The Reincarnist really came from my interest in immortal characters in science-fiction and fantasy. I always wondered how they felt leaving behind everyone they've ever known, and in a lot of cases, never aging. I wanted to give my immortal character an "out" - he would age like usual, but instead of dying at the end of his life, start over again as a new 20-year-old person. Why 20? I never wanted to make ANYONE repeat their teenage experience again, LOL. Once is more than enough. And I wanted him to be able to keep most of his knowledge that he learned over his life, but be able to start over with a clean slate emotionally. But as you learn from the book, is that really an "out" or does that just create a new set of problems? And at what point do you withdraw from the world because of it? I gave him magic, again, because that's a power I'd want. And as for his attitude, I just figured after hundreds of years, you wouldn't want to, as he puts it, suffer fools lightly. So you'd pretty much say and do whatever you want. And again, in keeping with the less-than-perfect superhero image. He's also not stereotypically attractive, but there's something about him that appeals to me. And by me, I also mean Lainey. (;PNR: Is your interest in writing Superhero characters fueled by a love of comic books and Superhero television shows and movies? A.J. Menden: Oh yes, I love superhero comic books and movies. It's a big event when a superhero movie comes out with my household.I'm going to shock and horrify everyone now. I don't like the television show "Heroes." I've tried, the plotline sounds interesting, but I get so bored by the characters. There's no one I like that I can get invested in. PNR: How would you describe the sensuality level of your books; do you find it challenging to write love/sex scenes?A.J. Menden: Sweet, I guess. I find it SO incredibly challenging to write sex scenes. What my beta readers know is that I try with each and every book and I end up hating them and taking them out. The betas have told me the scenes are fine and I still hate them. I'm extremely picky with what I think works in sex scenes as a reader that I think this crosses over with my own writing and I'm probably overly critical with myself. So I try to approach love scenes emotionally and not go into graphic detail. It's fade-to-black, but I try to pack in as much emotion as I can in the moments before and after so that it's satisifying to the reader. At least I hope it is! That said, my favorite scene in the whole "Phenomenal Girl 5" book is Lainey and Robert's scene. It doesn't go into details, it fades to black, but what happens before and after hits me hard. I've read and worked on that scene so many times, and yet every time I read it, I still cry. I guarantee when I get my very own finished copy, I'll be reaching for the Kleenex when that scene hits. PNR: What separates the Superhero and Super Villain from the typical paranormal hero & villain with enhanced abilities is the “Larger Than Life’ quality of the characters and setting. Why do you feel that readers are attracted to this type of over the top character? What is it about this genre that captures your imagination?A.J. Menden: Maybe it's the costume, LOL. The typical paranormal hero and villian don't go around wearing elaborate costumes or calling themselves weird code-names. There's something a bit juvenile and ridiculous about the over-the-top nature of it and maybe that's it's appeal. It appeals to the kid in us. PNR: Just for fun, if you could have any super power, what would it be? Your Superhero name? What color would your costume be?A.J. Menden: Pretty much see Lainey. LOL. She's my superhero fantasy. PNR: You have written in the fantasy/urban fantasy genre; is there a genre you haven’t written but would like to try?A.J. Menden: There's a contemporary romance idea that has been kicking around in the back of my head for about a year now. Maybe someday I'll find the time to sit down with it. And I had a science-fiction/romance/teen book idea that is lurking around back there too. PNR: Could you tell us about your current projects, what can readers expect to see in the coming months?A.J. Menden: Tekgrrl will be out in summer 2009. It follows Mindy Clark as she confronts her memories and past with the aliens that experimented on her. All of this comes at probably the worst time possible - when the EHJ is finding their relationship with the government to be shaky at best and a new superhero team is trying to oust them. Oh, and there's a romance involved that is deliciously fun. PNR: Thank you, AJ, for taking time out to talk to us. Where can readers find out what’s new and how can they contact you?A.J. Menden: Thank you! It's been really fun! I have a website, www.ajmenden.com that has book excerpts, a book soundtrack, and a blog. I'm also on MySpace and LiveJournal. |
A.J. Menden
Website
Blog
Shomi
November 1, 2008 ISBN #0505527863 EAN #9780505527868 368 pages Paperback Elite Hands of Justice: Book 1 True love can be super rough... Lainey Livingston has just been made a member of the Elite Hands of Justice, the world's premiere cadre of superheroes. Her work with the Red Knights and the Power Squad was impressive; her apprehension stats are above normal, and her great strength and ability to fly are equally remarkable. But no one gets a free pass to active duty, and Lainey's next test is going to be her hardest. She's to train with the Reincarnist. Robert Elliot, the Reincarnist. A magician who has lived multiple lifetimes, he's the smartest man in the world - and Lainey's last obstacle. He was personally responsible for seeing Pushstar wash out. But his eyes are the softest, kindest that Lainey has ever seen, and he's just the sort to knock her for a loop. Lesson #1: Romantic entanglements among crime fighters are super exploitable, and falling in love with a man who "can't die" is like waving a red flag at a bull. Especially not when the most fiendish plot ever is about to break over Megalopolis like a wave of fire. ~~ Featured in this issue: ~Superhero Romance Interviews with: Sydney Croft Jennifer Estep Eilis Flynn A.J. Menden |
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