3/14/2011

Eileen Rendah

Today I'm thrilled to be hosting Eileen Rendahl. I've been a fan of Eileen's since her debut novel from 2004, DO ME, DO MY ROOTS, a double RITA ® finalist. (If you haven't read it, why not?) These days I'm happy to call her friend and fellow Drunk Writer Talker. ;)

Her latest novel, DEAD ON DELIVERY, continuing her fabulous and popular Messenger series from last year's DON'T KILL THE MESSENGER, was released on March 1, 2011. And if you missed the first one, believe me, you need to read this series. Coolest variation of vampires I've ever seen. And it's not just me. RT gave DEAD ON DELIVERY a Top Pick!!

ABOUT EILEEN

In addition to the Messenger series, National Bestselling Author Eileen Rendahl is the award-winning author of four Chick Lit novels. Her alter ego, Eileen Carr, released her first romantic suspense, HOLD BACK THE DARK, in 2009. Both Eileens will be releasing books in 2011 and live in Davis, California.

(Note from Maureen. I'm hoping we can coax Eileen Carr to come visit us when her next book is released, too. )

ABOUT THE BOOK

There are two men who have bitten the dust after a delivery from Messenger Melina Markowitz. As she tries to put together the pieces of this puzzle, she discovers that the two victims share common friends, common unexplained absences, and a common crime. Now, dark forces from the local community have been unleashed, drawing Melina into the web of a powerful woman, her voodoo, and her vengeance...

Click here to read an excerpt.


GET TO KNOW EILEEN RENDAHL

MAUREEN: What’s your favorite holiday?

EILEEN: I’ve become quite partial to the Fourth of July. The town that I live in has this great celebration with bands and skydivers and fireworks. There’s lot of eating and laughing and no present-giving. Plus I secretly get all choked up when they play the Star Spangled Banner.

MAUREEN: Where do you most like to read and how often?

EILEEN: I have to read – HAVE TO – to fall asleep. Every night. Even if it’s just a page or two. I can no longer share a room with one of my sisters who HAS to have the television on to fall asleep and can’t stand the reading lamp that I need. Plus she claims the last time we shared a hotel room, I tried to spoon her, but I think she’s just making that up to get familial sympathy.

MAUREEN: What’s the first book you remember reading?

EILEEN: My mother and I used to read the Laura Ingalls Wilder books together. It was a big deal when I could read well enough that I could read to her. We still share books now although we don’t read to each other anymore. It’s kind of like an informal book club. If we both really like something, we pass it on to my sister.

MAUREEN: Hiking boots or high heels?

EILEEN: I’d like to think that I could go back and forth between both. I want to be that woman who is equally sure of her self on a dance floor or a mountain top. The truth is, I’m probably a little uncomfortable in both. My boyfriend gave me these hysterical little beaded things to wear on my feet called Nyoo Shoes. It makes it look like you’re wearing sandals when you’re going bare foot.

MAUREEN: I'd like to think I can do both, too, when truth is, I can't comfortably go higher than mid heels anymore and fear my best hiking days are behind me. :( I need to see your fake sandals. What’s your favorite cartoon character?

EILEEN: I don’t know about my favorite, but I despise Tigger. I think he’s a narcissist. Maybe even a sociopath. He’s always doing terrible things (especially to poor Eeyore) and then just expecting everyone to forgive him. I don’t think he really even feels bad about it. He just pretends so everyone will be nice to him again. And he never changes. I have to stop talking about this. It just makes my blood boil.

MAUREEN: You crack me up. Venom for Tigger. I have one of those bouncing ones if you need to take out your rage sometime. My niece and nephews will never miss it. :) Do you write while listening to music? If so what kind?

EILEEN: Yep. I listen to Mozart. Years ago, I went to a workshop by Chris Marie Green and she mentioned the Mozart Effect. I don’t think it actually makes me smarter, but it is great music to write by. Plus it drowns out the sounds of my household in the background and helps me focus. I can’t listen to anything with lyrics and still write.

MAUREEN: What’s your favorite kind of cheese?

EILEEN: I’m a sucker for Cambozola. It’s soft and creamy and just a sconchy bit stinky.

MAUREEN: What’s the first thing you do when you finish writing a book?

EILEEN: Clean my house because I probably haven’t done it in two months while I finish the book. Then I make coffee dates with all the friends I haven’t seen in the last two months while I finish the book. Then I make dinner for my family for the first time in, oh, maybe two months.

MAUREEN: What scares you?

EILEEN: I am the biggest Fraidy Cat on the planet. Everything scares me. If it’s not scary, I manage to spin some sort of theory about it to make it scary. I ended up hiding in a corner of my living room by the sliding glass doors with a poker one time because I was convinced there was someone out in the bushes in my yard, waiting to break in. I could smell the person’s cigarette smoke. Turns out the neighbor’s had had a little fire in their new fire pit.

MAUREEN: Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it?

EILEEN: Coffee. I’m a latte girl. We have a Rancilio on the counter because we burned through at least three espresso machines in as many years. No sugar, though. I like it strong and bitter.

MAUREEN: That's the way I take it, too. What’s your favorite kid joke?

EILEEN: I don’t know if this counts as a kid joke, but here it is:
Q: Why does Snoop Dogg carry an umbrella?
A: For drizzle.

MAUREEN: Ha! I snorted my coffee reading that one. Hilarious.

GOTTA ASK -- GOTTA ANSWER ☺

MAUREEN: If you couldn’t be a writer, what would you do?

EILEEN: I’d love to be a psychologist. I’m fascinated by people’s stories and their underlying motivations for doing what they do.

A QUESTION FOR YOUR FANS

EILEEN ASKS: When you read a series, do you like to see the characters’ relationships progress or pretty much stay the same? For instance, would you want to see them get married and have kids? Or would you like them to just keep on dating?

BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Eileen is offering a copy of DEAD ON DELIVERY to one lucky commenter.

Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.

Stop by tomorrow when Cat hosts Paranormal author Tamara Hogan. And next Monday, I'm hosting another of the Drunk Writers, Stephanie Doyle.

12 comments:

  1. I like to see relationships progress. If they fall in love, that should lead to an engagement, followed by a wedding, children, etc. Your books sound interesting. I always love a vamp and will have to check yours out.

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  2. Hi Eileen. Welcome to GLIAS. Your story sounds amazing! I love interesting takes on vamps...Maureen's endorsement has got me rushing to see what the cool variation is!

    As far as series, I'm okay if the relationship doesn't progress much the first 3 or so books, but beyond that, I like to have the characters grow into the next step.

    Thanks for coming by :)

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  3. This is so helpful! I'm working on the proposal for book three of the series and I'd really like to have Melina's love relationship move out of the dating phase, but I wasn't sure if I was rushing it or not.

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  4. Hi Eileen!!! Thanks again for coming by.

    I think for me, I don't mind about the relationship progressing as long as it's interesting... So, if the relationship is important to the story, it better have conflict and not the same conflict in every book... But if the relationship is secondary to the story, and I like the characters and their dynamic.. I'm not sure I'd care if the relationship didn't change/progress. I think about TV shows like the old Hart to Hart (not sure why that came to mind). Those two just had chemistry. But they were happily married in the first episode and the last.

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  5. Ohhhh, Hart to Hart! All that fabulous banter! The great sexual tension! Loved that show!

    I think that can work, too. Darn it! I still can't decide. :-)

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  6. I definitely want to see their relationship progress! I love when they get to the pregancy stage in the books!

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  7. LOL about Tigger...You have me rethinking his character now ;).
    Great interview, ladies!
    As for characters in a series, I like to see them progress to different stages -- it's interesting and I like not knowing exactly how they'll react to changes in their world.

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  8. Hi Eileen,

    It all depends on the couple––and how long a writer wants to write those characters. Characters have arcs, as do relationships. I think a writer can keep characters going in a series as long as she's interested in...keeping them going!

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  9. My apologies for missing Monday, but wanted to post it was great interview. Loved the banter between Hart to Hart AND MOONLIGHTING. When characters get together on TV it sort of kills the tension (not every time). I think it works better in books, maybe because we know more about their insecurities. But a television show that's making it work is CHUCK. I love how their relationship is progressing, but the tension is still there. Great show.

    ~~Angi

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  10. You know,now that you mention it - I agree on the tigger issue. I really do. Dead on Delivery is staring at me from the next slot in my TBR - I can't wait - this is an awesome series!!

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  11. I love Chuck, too! Watching the wedding drama unfold has been hysterical.

    Thanks for having my back on Tigger, Molly. Not everyone understands. This is why sociopaths are allowed to exist in our midst. We all just forgive them. I think it's an important step to hold Tigger responsible for his actions. :-)

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  12. I am so late, my apologies, but Eileen this is a fantastic blog. I love to see a romance end up with a happily ever after -- now if it's not targeted as a romance and you want to dangle a carrot a little longer, I can perfectly understand that. Thanks for being with us at GLIAS.

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