How did you get the idea for Masque of the Red Death? Really, I just re-read the story for fun and realized that it would be great to expand it into a longer novel, and that I wanted characters. I’m a very character based reader. How did Masque change from your original idea? My first concept wasn’t historical (and therefore not steampunk). I simply hadn’t imagined a historical post-apocalyptic novel. I wrote about 20 pages before I found the idea I wanted to write…but within those twenty pages the Debauchery Club was a loud dance club. Nothing like the way it ended up, thankfully! What is your favorite Poe story? The Fall of the House of Usher. I love The Masque of the Red Death, but The Fall of the House of Usher will always be my favorite story. Where did you get the name Araby? From Poe’s book tales of the Arabesque and Grotesque. I thought Arabesque was a fascinating word, and Araby was a great name. What is the difference between a retelling and a reimagining? A retelling does exactly what it sounds like, it tells the original story in a different way. I call Masque a reimagining because Poe’s story can’t be found in the first book. But, if you’re looking for a masked ball, be sure to pick up book two! How did you come up with the “Handcuffs Idea”? Basically I needed Parker to get grounded. For a long time. What could make her parents ground her for a really long time? I asked myself. And this is what I came up with. Is this book an autobiography? Ha ha. Nobody ever really asked me this. But, no, it isn’t an autobiography. Only one thing in this book ever happened to me. It’s a certain scene (and not one involving handcuffs). If you can guess what scene, email me. I’ll send the first ten correct guessers a handcuffs keychain. How are writers different than normal people? Depends on what you think is normal. I think it’s best not to stereotype, because I don’t want to say anything that can be misinterpreted by the “normal” people. Do you base your characters on anyone? Not really. I mean, I start out with something, a quality or even a look or a type of person. But by the time I write about that character they take on their own sort of life and set of characteristics. How long have you been writing? I’ve always been writing, since before I could make words with a pencil, I was telling my mom stories and she would write them down for me. I wrote like crazy through high school, and then I kind of drifted for awhile. How long have you been alive? I have been alive long enough to remember when Kurt Cobain was alive and when he died. Long enough to remember before The Lord of The Rings was a movie, but not before it was a book. The first album I ever picked out and bought for myself was Madonna’s Like a Virgin. Why are you so awesome? (disclaimer- this is an actual question, I did not make it up.) I’m guessing this could be a combination of things, good genetics, superior sense of direction, ability to tell time on most digital clocks and on other clocks at 12 noon and midnight. What is your worst quality? Inability to multi-task, easily distracted. What was the question? Oh and serious internet addiction. We may need to schedule some kind of intervention soon.