Can you introduce yourself to my readers a little?
Hi! I write urban fantasy for adults and teens. I’ve been a guest blogger here before for my WVMP RADIO series (aka, the vampire DJ books), which include WICKED GAME, BAD TO THE BONE, and the upcoming BRING ON THE NIGHT (August).

My debut YA urban fantasy, SHADE, will be released on May 4, but RT attendees will have the chance to grab it early–signed, no less!–at the Book Fair on May 1.

My life outside of writing is blissfully uneventful, so there’s nothing much to report there.

Can you introduce us to the world that you have created?
The world of SHADE is one where everyone 16 and under can see and talk to ghosts. It takes place in today’s world, but of course, many aspects of society are different, due to the fact that everyone knows that ghosts exist (and could be watching us right this second–ack!).

For instance, the main character, Aura (who was the first of this ghost-seeing generation, and yep, that’s not a coincidence ;-), works as a “translator” for her aunt’s law firm, which specializes in wrongful death suits. And a whole technology called BlackBox has sprung up, to keep ghosts out of sensitive areas like military bases and bathrooms.

Will this be your first RT or are you a veteran? Any advice for those who are going for the first time?
This will be my fourth RT in a row. I obviously adore it!

Two major pieces of advice:

1. Pace yourself. Don’t try to do everything. I know, duh, right? But with all the parties and panels and workshops, it can be easy to burn out. You definitely want to save some energy for the Dorchester dance party Saturday night.
2. Make new friends. This is easy to do at RT, because everyone there has something in common with you–their love of books! So say hi to folks in the elevator. Sit with strangers at the Mr. Romance competition and compare notes on the entrants.

This is coming from the mouth (technically, the keyboard) of a shy person. At cocktail parties I stare at the clock, wondering when I can leave and end the torture of having nothing interesting to say. But at RT, we are all interesting, because we all love books.

Are you speaking on any panels during RT? Are there any you are looking forward to?
Yep! Here’s my crazy schedule:

• Wednesday 10-11am, “Buffy and Female Empowerment” — A discussion of the cult classic Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its effect on female empowerment in modern romance novels.
• Wednesday 11:15am-12:15pm, “Would You Like Your Happily Ever After Now or Later?” — A panel of bestselling authors discuss the pros and cons of various types of paranormal romances, from stand-alones to series to serials.
• Friday 11:15am-12:15pm, “Fantasy and Romance: Two Flavors That Taste Great Together” — Cross-genre fiction is all the rage. We’ll discuss what’s hot, what’s not, and how to make your fantasy romance (or romantic fantasy) a big hit with readers.
• Friday 2:45-3:45pm, “Kicking Butt and Kissing Heroes: Being Strong and Feminine at the Same Time in Fiction”

I’m looking forward to all of them, but I think I’m happiest about the Buffy one, because it gives me an excuse to watch my favorite episodes again. (Really, honey, it’s for work!)

If someone were wanting to meet up with you at RT, who should they look for?
I look exactly like my picture–long dark wavy hair (hopefully with some nice red touched-up highlights by then). I usually wear black, because it doesn’t show all the food I tend to spill on myself.