Riptide Publishing Blog Tour Stop~Andrea Speed

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Ten Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Andrea Speed

1. I'm a comic book nerd.

I have to admit this is one of those things I started as a kid, lost track of over time, and found again as an adult. I picked an excellent time to get back into comics, as many comics aged with the audience, and became more mature in their storytelling. (Yes, go ahead and read mature as violent and dark. This doesn't offend me.) I still read and occasionally review comics, and you might be surprised how much the work of prose writers and comic writers overlap, as many do both things. I'm also the EIC of a comics site called CXPulp. I'm a big old nerd. (Which really should surprise no one.) I've also had a long time crush on Wolverine which I refuse to give up. Casting Hugh Jackman as Logan was A-okay in my book.

2. I value my nightmares.

A weird thing to say, and while I can't say I enjoy them, a lot of good story ideas and scenes have come out of my nightmares. I once had a recurring set of dreams with eyeless zombies full of broken glass, and while they had a cameo appearance in a story I wrote called Alone With The Dead, I've never done anything with them. They're still waiting in the wings, waiting for me to properly do something with them, and I hope to someday. I just feel like the right story hasn't arrived.

3. I think of myself as a failed comedienne.

I realized to be a failed comedienne actually means I tried to be one and failed, when truth is I haven't tried at all. But I think I would fail, as I'm a very situational comedienne , meaning it depends on what's going on and what my mood is, and I'm a horrible judge of my own humor. I'm not sure what if anything I write (or say) is actually funny. Other people pretty much have to make the call. There's no way to be an actual comedienne if you have no idea what works or not. (Would it shock you if I said I was a comedy nerd as well? No, probably not.)

4. I have an "eccentric" taste in clothes.

The louder and stranger the better. Just by revealing the coats in my closet at the moment will it tell you what you need to know. Besides my favorite shiny black plastic raincoat/duster with red wool lining, I have a silver mesh fabric trench coat, a red plastic "Blade Runner" raincoat, and a green suede jacket. I have not even told you about my collection of scarves, odd jewelry (octopus necklace, spiked ring, plastic choker, toast ring), my t-shirt collection (I love Threadless!), or the fact that I generally prefer wearing men's clothes instead of women's clothes, my jewelry, scarves, and coats withstanding. It probably explains more about me than I care to admit.

5. I enjoy bad movies.

Even before Mystery Science Theater 3000, truly bad movies that are entertaining in spite or because of their badness were a source of fascination for me. I do love Mystery Science Theater and thanks to them I've learned that Ed Wood wasn't the worst moviemaker ever. Oh, his films are uniformly terrible, just rife with incompetence, but he had a great deal of enthusiasm, and a love of the medium that came through even if coherence didn't. No, the worst filmmaker ever has to be, as far as I'm concerned, Coleman Francis. Who is he? Check out the Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes Skydivers (my favorite), The Beast of Yucca Flats, and Red Zone Cuba to see his oeuvre. As incompetently made as any Ed Wood film, but with the added bonus of being utterly joyless, pointless affairs that seem to suck out your will to live through your eyeballs. If you are at all depressed, do not watch a Coleman Francis film by yourself. At least have the MST3K guys keeping you company.

6. I love British radio shows.

I didn't even know this until the fabulous internet, but the BBC has a site that allows you to listen to their radio shows online, and there I found of plethora of excellent comedy to listen to. The News Quiz? Just A Minute? Oldies but goodies like The 99p Challenge, Linda Smith's A Brief History of Timewasting, On The Hour, I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, The Sunday Format, The Consultants, That Mitchell and Webb Look? Excellent stuff all. Now it's not all gold, but I was surprised to discover how much of it I really enjoyed. And this isn't even counting the great science fiction series and dramas they have. America just doesn't do this anymore - although thankfully we now have podcasts that can fill the void. But still, check out the BBC iPlayer, and be amazed at what's available.

7. I curse like a sailor.

I try not to do this in mixed company, but damn, there's no getting around the fact that my natural tendency is towards "salty" language. That probably comes out in my writing more often than not, but I try and keep it character appropriate. For example, Roan and Holden are going to cuss more than Dylan and Matt, simply because of the type of people they are. But even then, there are limits. My characters know them, and I try to as well.

8. I'm a hockey fan.

My general rule about sports is I only watch those where being clinically insane would be more of help than a hindrance. Which means hockey, rugby, and Australian rules football (which is rugby with an extra bit of nuttiness). Hockey is about the only one I can see regularly, though, and I've been a fan of the Philadelphia Flyers since I saw their goaltender at the time, Ron Hextall, lose the gloves and start pounding on an opposing player for hurting one of the other Flyers earlier. My only explanation for this is goalies are my favorite players, and a scrappy goalie will always have my heart. Hextall hasn't been with the team for ages,  but still, when I learned just about everyone outside of Philadelphia hated the Flyers, I had to keep loving them. Because if I didn't, who would? So I've stuck with them, even though, year after year, they break my heart.

9. I love taking photos.

Digital cameras helped reawaken my love of photography, although I must admit I have a penchant for taking pictures of bleak urban landscapes. I've tried to balance that out with the occasional photo of my cats or my garden, but there's something really appealing to me in cityscapes, whether they're attractive or not. I realize this is not everyone's taste, though, so I'm trying to diversify.

10. I'm a Twitter addict.

I had no idea how addictive this site could be, until I started following favorite comedians and writers, and then I was following far too many people and enjoying it immensely. I prefer it to Facebook or any other social network, mainly for its brevity and immediacy. It's a lot less cluttered than most, the interface is simple, and it gives you a completely unearned sense of camaraderie, which I just love. I have to limit myself to only a certain amount of time on Twitter, because I could waste too much writing time on there, but if you want to get in touch with me, that's the best way to do it. (I'm aspeed, by the way.)

Here's a blurb from my Riptide release, Pretty Monsters

Josh knew the night shift at the Quik-Mart would be full of freaks and geeks—and that was before the hell portal opened in the parking lot. Still, he likes to think he can roll with things. Sure, the zombies make a mess sometimes, but at least they never reach for anything more threatening than frozen burritos.

Besides, it’s not all lizard-monsters and the walking dead. There’s also the mysterious hottie with the sly red lips and a taste for sweets.

Josh has had the hots for Hot Guy since the moment he laid eyes on him, and it seems Hot Guy might be sweet on Josh too. Now if only Josh could figure out whether that’s a good thing, a bad thing, or something in between. After all, with a hell vortex just a stone’s throw away, Josh has learned to take nothing at face value—even if it’s a very, very pretty face.

This title is #1 of the Josh of the Damned series.

You can read an excerpt and purchase Pretty Monsters at Riptide Publishing.

Find me at any of these places:

Email address: aspeed2@gmail.com

Website URL: http://andreaspeed.com/

Blog URL: http://andreaspeed.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/aspeed

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Andrea-Speed/161826617217710

Goodreads Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3020553.Andrea_Speed