SS: Interview with Yolanda Sfetsos + giveaway!

I'm absolutely thrilled about today's guest, Yolanda Sfetsos, because I'm a huge fan of her Sierra Fox novels. It's a great series revolving around a spook catcher in Sydney from Samhain. Yolanda is a relatively new discovery for me but ON PINS AND NEEDLES, the third book in Yolanda's series, has just been released and Yolanda is graciously offering an e-giveaway of this book to all of our lucky readers so so now is the perfect time to dive into the series!

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1. Welcome to Team Tynga's Reviews, Yolanda! To start, can you please tell us a bit about yourself and the world you've created in your Sierra Fox series?

Thank you! I’m super excited to be here.

I live in Australia and spend most of my days making up stories. I’ve been writing since I was a teenager. It’s a compulsion, something I have to do. It’s also something I love doing.

Sierra’s world is one of the many I enjoy spending time in. It’s an urban fantasy series about a spook catcher who lives in a fictional suburb of Sydney, and is slowly finding out that there are many family secrets she didn’t know about. And because of these secrets, her power seems to attract a lot of trouble, just like her love life.

2. One of the neat things about this world is that spook catching is something only women can do. What prompted this decision? Are there any other gender specific abilities?

I have to admit, it wasn’t a conscious decision but I always knew spook catchers would only be female. It just fits, makes as much sense as it skipping a generation. As for other gender specific abilities…there are others, but I can’t tell. ;)

3. I love pretty much every character in this series but my two favourites are Papan and Ebony. Can you give us any hints about their arcs in ON PINS AND NEEDLES?

I’m so glad to hear that you especially like Ebony and Papan! I love them too.

After what happened at the Spook Catcher Council (won’t say what because of spoilers) Ebony’s life has taken a downward spiral. She wants to keep her distance from Sierra and the spook catching, and only wants to spend time with Conrad. She’s so desperate to forget what happened, that she gets into a whole lot of trouble!

As for Papan, his relationship with Sierra is really starting to turn into something serious…and in future books some of his past is also revealed.

4. Jonathan is probably one of my least favourite characters but I'm really interested in learning more about why he's changed. Any scoop on this front?

Ah, poor Jonathan…no, hold on. LOL. Yeah, Jonathan’s a bit of a strange one because he started out so nice. I guess it’s the quiet ones you have to watch, right? But seriously, this is the book where you find out what’s really going on with him and how he fits into this whole mess.

5. If I'm not mistaken, ON PINS AND NEEDLES is the halfway point in the Sierra Fox series. (Please correct me if I'm wrong!) Is the overall story where you thought it would be? Have there been any surprises?

Yes, I have five books planned for Sierra.

The overall story has been the same since the day I figured out Sierra’s adventure wasn’t going to be a standalone, but there are new things popping up all over the place. Some surprises don’t turn up until I’m actually writing. Like Constable Gareth Crewe. He wasn’t in the original series plan, but when he made his first appearance in Split at the Seams, I knew he had a bigger role to play. Also, Roe turned out to be more than originally planned.

I have to admit that I love surprises when I’m writing!

6. What's the best part of writing the Sierra Fox books so far?

OMG, I just love spending time in her world and letting her stories unfold. These character and world feel like old friends every time I sit down to write a book. I’m going to miss them SO much when it’s finished.

Asides from the storytelling and discovering all of Sierra’s secrets, the best part about writing this series is that the books are available from Samhain Publishing. Knowing readers are actually reading Sierra’s story is an awesome feeling!

Oh, and one other thing: Papan. ;)

And now for a couple event-related questions:

7. Do you have any special summer or solstice rituals?

o, not really. But I absolutely adore summer. The summer solstice in Australia is actually in December, so we’re the wrong way around. It’s also pretty close to Christmas, so it’s a time for finishing projects, clearing out the clutter, and letting the year wind down to an end.

8.Which of your characters would be most likely to celebrate the solstice and what would s/he do?

I think Ebony and Lavie would be most likely to celebrate the solstice. If Ebony was feeling more like herself she would probably attend the Church of the Goddess that night. While Lavie would find some outrageous way to celebrate—she’s very creative!

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Thank you so much, Yolanda! It’s been a real treat!

More about ON PINS AND NEEDLES:

All it takes is one freak to turn everything into a demonic ritual.

Sierra Fox, Book 3

Sierra Fox’s relationship with sexy werewolf Jason Papan is going great, but it doesn’t take a psychic to tell her someone’s out to get her. As usual, though, there’s too much else going on to worry about just another assassination attempt.

In addition to the demon-possessed freaks that still want her, a whole new bucket of trouble has been dumped in her path. The half-sister Sierra never knew she had isn’t a typical teenager. Willow comes with supernatural baggage that grows heavier every time someone close to her dies. And the load gets bigger every time the police find the body of another young girl.

Now Sierra’s not only dealing with the target on her own back, but the one that a power-hungry woman has painted on her poltergeist-magnet sister. As she finds herself drawn into the thick of a murder investigation, Sierra must face her deepest fears and embrace the darkest of her powers to overcome the looming threat. Or the prediction of her death might just come true.

Warning: Spook catching: never gets any easier, neither does trying to avoid being killed by a shadowy organization. Always expect the unexpected—dangerous vampires, poltergeists and demon-obsessed freaks. At least the werewolf is pleasurably safe.

Jenn's thoughts

Read an excerpt (scroll down)

Purchase: Amazon

Click on the cover to see my thoughts on the rest of the series:

Yolanda is graciously offering one (1) e-copy of ON PINS AND NEEDLES to a lucky reader!

To enter, obey the Rafflecopter!

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Wife. Mother. Writer. Bibliophile. Dreamer. Animal lover. Intrigued by the supernatural. Horror freak. Zombie enthusiast. Movie & music fan. Slave to her muse.

Yolanda lives in Sydney, Australia with her awesome husband, lovely daughter, and cheeky cat.

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

Posted by jenn at 07:00

 giveaway, Interview, Samhain, Supernatural Solstice, Yolanda Sfetsos  18 People left their mark

Born and raised in the Toronto area, Jenn moved to St. John's, Newfoundland, eight years ago for school. She's still in school (thankfully on another degree!), now trapped in her dissertation. When she's not dissertating, which happens more often than it should, Jenn spends her time reading, watching movies, playing volleyball, travelling, and enjoying the local music scene. Her latest addictions: yoga and Almond Crunch cereal.