Chris Marie Green/Crystal Green

Chris Marie Green/Crystal Green

Chris, welcome to Deb’s! We are so glad to be able to chat with you and learn a bit more about you and your wonderful books.

Thank you, Debbie! I really appreciate this. : )

First of all, please tell us a bit about yourself. Your background, family, pets, etc.

I’m not terribly exciting—born in Milwaukee, moved to California when I was very young, moved to Kentucky when I was a teen, moved back to California, then moved to Nevada. Maybe all my moving goes hand-in-hand with my love of traveling. I’m really fortunate to have taken an extended “backpacking” trip through Europe, and I’ve spent a little time in Italy and London. Also, I got to visit Japan, and because of my writing conferences, I’ve experienced many, many areas of the U.S.
I’m very close to my family, but sadly, with all this traveling, I find it tough to have pets.

Let’s talk about your writing a bit.

Please tell what names you write under and the types of books you write under each name.

I write under two names: Chris Marie Green and Crystal Green. The first one is what I use for “mainstream” books like my urban fantasy, which basically consists of the Vampire Babylon books for Ace right now. I created the “Crystal” name for my romances, and I’ve written everything from Silhouette Special Editions (“home and hearth” books) to Harlequin Blazes (“hot” stories) to Silhouette Bombshells (which centered on strong heroines in action/adventure situations).

How many books do you have out now under each name and what was your most recent release under each name.

As of February, 2008, I will have published 22 books under the “Crystal Green” name; my most recent release was HER BEST MAN from Special Edition. (I do have a March Special Edition called MOMMY AND THE MILLIONAIRE though.) I’ll have 2 releases under “Chris Marie Green,” the most recent one being MIDNIGHT REIGN, Vampire Babylon, Book Two.

Tell us about the books you write under the Crystal Green name. How are they different from the Chris Marie Green books and which pen name came first?

The “Crystal” name came first. Under this guise, I do Special Editions, which are warm-hearted romances with a real feel for community, and Blazes, which have hotter love scenes although they feature strong romances at their cores. I also wrote for the Bombshell line, but that no longer exists. If I could’ve written those books under “Chris Marie Green,” I would have since they were more mainstream (but they did have strong romantic elements, so the “Crystal” name actually was appropriate). With Bombshell, I wrote my first vampire book (THE HUNTRESS) and an atmospheric thriller (BAITED). I keep saying I’d love to do another thriller, and I will when time allows! And THE HUNTRESS made me realize that I loved writing paranormals, so it led to my Vampire Babylon series. I use two different names because, except for the Bombshells, my books are pretty different in content.

You have an upcoming release, Midnight Reign, book 2 of the Vampire Babylon series due out in February, 2008 written as Chris Marie Green. Please tell us about this book and this very interesting series. I was fortunate enough to read your first book but I’m not real sure what category to put it in. It was marketed as a fantasy but it is so much more! You have given the vampire realm an entirely new take and it is fascinating!

Thank you so much! : ) When I was coming up with the basics for Vampire Babylon, I realized that there was no way I could cover the story I wanted to tell in one book. Thank goodness my editor, Ginjer Buchanan, signed me for three books at first, because this gave me the chance to spin out the character and mythology arcs over an entire trilogy. Basically, I look at the first trilogy as one long book in itself. But each novel in the trilogy starts out with its own mystery—like Jesse Shane’s murder in NIGHT RISING—and that one mystery is solved by the end of that particular novel. Any other bigger, far-reaching mysteries that have more to do with character or mythology development will be solved by the end of the trilogy. In a way, it’s almost as if the trilogies are TV seasons, and it’s good to start with the first episode instead of in the middle of the season.

Funny that you say you’re not sure how to classify the series—I think a lot of people feel the same way, LOL! My editor calls it “mystery-fantasy-noir.”

At any rate, the second book, MIDNIGHT REIGN, carries on about a month after NIGHT RISING ended. It starts with one of those “plot-centric mysteries” that’ll be solved by the end of the book, but this crime focuses on a serial killer who’s using vampire techniques. For the heroine, Dawn Madison, and her investigative pals, the murders seem to provide leads to the Underground—and to the whereabouts of Dawn’s dad—but it isn’t easy going for them. Trouble comes down big time for these guys.

BTW, for any readers who wonder about Dawn’s dad, you’ll find out what happened to him in this book….

How many books will be in this series? I know I can’t wait to see how it comes out.

Thank you again! At first, we’ll have the initial trilogy, books 1-3, which will end with BREAK OF DAWN in September, 2008. In that same month, I’ll have a Vampire Babylon novella in an anthology called FIRST BLOOD. The story is going to focus on the whereabouts of the vampire Sorin’s twin “daughters” who went to the old world and never came back. Then there’ll be a second trilogy, but I don’t have dates for those books yet. I’m actually working on book 4 right now.

Are these your first paranormal books? If not, what else do you have out there and are they related to this series?

I have a couple other paranormal books out there besides Vampire Babylon, but neither is related to the series. The first is THE HUNTRESS, a novel that pre-dates Vampire Babylon and was written for Bombshell. The story centers on a woman whose great love was captured by vampires in Transylvania, and she gets together a team to go into their lair so she can rescue her boyfriend. The second book, which I wrote after Vampire Babylon, is a vampire Blaze called THE ULTIMATE BITE (July, 2007). It’s a hot romance, and there’ll be a companion book/sequel out in November, 2008.

What drew you to write the Vampire Babylon books? Is this genre of writing something you have always been interested in or did it evolve over time? Did anything in particular influence your love for these types of books?

I’ve always loved scary, disturbing movies and books, so I’m not surprised that I’m writing about vampires now. I’ve written short horror stories, but I also loved romance and I just happened to get published in that genre first. I’d say I’ve been the most influenced by Stephen King’s short stories and old vampire films, with all those gothic hunters brandishing stakes and crosses as they wandered around decrepit castles.

How long have you been writing and how did you get started in your writing career?

I always knew I wanted write, even in grade school, when I penned a lot of short stories. Superman and Indiana Jones were favorite subjects of mine, but I also wrote some darker stuff that worried my parents to some extent, LOL. In high school, I was a competitive essay writer, and this trained me to deal with deadlines and to create a semi-articulate first draft. In college, I wrote a screenplay for a senior project and I started a seriously crazy epic historical romance that I will never ever turn in for publication. Then I attended the San Diego Writers Conference and joined RWA (Romance Writers of America). That’s when I sold—after I started to meet other writers and industry professionals who guided me in how to present my work before I submitted it.

Has anything been different than you expected? For example the promo work, book signings, deadlines? What do you enjoy most about being an author?

Nothing is much different, really. I’ve had to deal with public shyness when I speak or do book signings. Like many writers, I’m an introvert, but I expected that there would be some degree of promotional effort. No complaints.

My favorite part of being an author is hearing from a reader who enjoyed what I wrote. Knowing about the connection they made with a story or character is touching, and it astounds me that anyone would take time out of their day to share that with me.

Approximately how long does it take you to write one of your books? Is it about the same for the smaller series books or do your Vampire Babylon books take longer?

I’ve found that the length of time varies. The Vampire Babylon books are a big effort, and I’m comfortable with at least three months for those. I’d love to have a longer time, but that hasn’t been possible with the other projects I’ve been doing. The category books generally don’t take as long, but only because of page count. (VB books have been averaging about 450 of my typed pages, whereas Special Editions and Blazes are about 260.) Categories take about two months to write, but I’m always working on other projects at the same time, so it’s hard to say. Basically though, if I need to build a paranormal world or pay major attention to the details of a mystery, the book takes longer.

What kind of research do you do for your books and approximately how long does it take you to research your projects? Is research something you enjoy doing?

Research varies, too, and so does my enjoyment of it! Generally, I do like to do research, because I’m one of those types who always liked school and read my textbooks right when I got them, LOL. The Vampire Babylon books have required quite a bit of research—from what a stuntwoman might have gone through in the movie industry to what the Cocoanut Grove looked like back in its heyday. THE HUNTRESS, my first vampire book, took a lot of research, as well, because of the Transylvanian location and the make-up of the vampire tribe. BAITED, my atmospheric thriller, took a bunch mainly because my heroine was a pearl diver at a fictional water park. (BTW, I got my details from Pearl Island in Japan for that one.) For a recent Special Edition, my hero was a firefighter, so I went to a station to conduct an interview and take a tour. I’m working on a project right now that actually allowed me to travel to London. The more first-hand information I can get, the better, but most of the time I have to do book or online research. I just do my best.

Are you a big reader? If so, what kind of books do you enjoy? Please share some of your favorite authors or books with us.

I’m a huge reader, and my tastes really go all over the place. Right now, I stare at the computer so much during the day that I’ve taken to listening to audio books. I’m on a Tudor-era kick right now—lots of Phillipa Gregory and some Alison Weir. I do a lot of reading for research, too. Over the years, though, some of my favorite books have included THE STAND by Stephen King, THE SECRET HISTORY by Donna Tartt, THE PROMISE OF JENNY JONES by Maggie Osborne, and LONESOME DOVE by Larry McMurtry. There are so many more titles, but these are at the top of my list.

Has your writing been influenced by any particular person or event? If so, who or what would it be?

I don’t think there’s been one particular person or event…just a mixture of what life has brought day by day. : )

What do you do for fun? Do you have any hobbies or collections you would like to share with our readers?

Besides traveling, I love to spend time with my family. And I’m a huge movie freak, even though I seem to be watching more on my DVD player lately than in the theaters. I’ll see anything that’s supposed to be scary, but my favorite flicks are more psychologically damaging than bloody. For instance, DON’T LOOK NOW is one of the best scary movies ever, and for some reason, I love being unsettled by something that chilling. I read a lot, and I practice yoga for peace of mind and stress management. Walking is a big part of my life, too.

Give us an example of a typical day in your life. Are you a full time writer? Do you try to keep to a specific writing schedule?

My schedule varies wildly, depending on what kind of deadlines are looming and what’s going on personally. As a full-time writer, I get to arrange my own hours (yay!). But, as my own boss, I’m pretty tough on myself, too (boo!). No goofing around because the boss is always watching. Some days I’ll wake up early and write a chapter of my work in progress, then I’ll go to the gym, practice yoga, then I’ll come back and take care of promotion, etc. Or maybe I’ll wake up and revise that day, and if it’s a vampire book, revising takes all day because I’m constantly looking for plot or world holes.
And that’s my boring life!

What do you do to unwind after a hard day? Are you a big movie fan or do you prefer some other form for entertainment?

At the end of the day, my eyes need a rest, so I tend to sit in front of the TV and watch my movies or one of many TV programs on my fan-girl schedule. But now, with the writers’ strike, I refuse to watch these reality shows the studios are trying to substitute for quality scripted programs, so I’m taking in lots of films. But sitting in front of the TV doesn’t mean my mind is on “off.” I keep paper next to me so I can write down any ideas about my work in progress; sometimes giving yourself a mental rest allows you to think more clearly.

If you have one piece of advice to give to a new writer, what would it be?

I would suggest that new writers plug away at their craft by studying books on the subject, reading a lot, and writing even more. Then they might want to go to conferences where they can hear published professionals telling them what they want to buy. If you listen before you send your work out, you’ll save yourself and the editors and agents a lot of time, and you’ll establish a solid reputation.
One last thing--good luck!

Chris, thank you so much for chatting with us. We have really enjoyed it! Please come again!

I enjoyed this, too. Thank you! ; )

You can learn more about Chris at ChrisMarieGreen.com or Crystal-Green.com