Can
you please tell us about your latest/upcoming book(s)?
Bootleggers, drug dealers, crooked cops,
and dirty politicians... Chicago America Second City
In fact, the only thing she doesn’t care
for is Chicago
When she finds ties between the new kingpin
in town and a drug The Company wants to buy so they can create more
superheroes, Delilah takes the gloves off. Teaming up with the spooky Spirit of
Chicago, she aims to take down the dealers, the mobsters, the kingpin, and The
Company. All without falling in love with the one man capable of capturing her
heart.
How did you come with the idea for this story?
I've
always loved the stories of cat burglars and jewel thieves, and Delilah's
talent for unlocking things made it easy to use that as a frame for the story.
In the first draft she starts with a heist (for a good cause!) but the book
metamorphosed from there. Delilah became less reliant on her superpowers in
each draft and Alan became much more confident with each draft.
Who is your
ultimate "book boy/girlfriend"? You know, that hottie you read about
and drool over.
Difficult
to say… My first fictional crush was Faramir in RETURN OF THE KING. He's so
flawless, although I'm not sure he was written to be a romantic hero. Jessan
from PRICE OF THE STARS was my high school fictional boyfriend. He's witty,
fun, and an excellent shot. Currently, well, Curran from Ilona Andrew's Kate
Daniels series would be at the top of the list, but I'm afraid his consort
would kill me.
Who
is your Celebrity crush? And what would you do if you ever meet them?
I don't
do celebrity crushes. I can look at someone and agree they're hot, but I'm not
really attracted to people who I haven't met and connected with on an emotional
level. Which, by definition, makes me demisexual. Feel free to use that word in
your next casual conversation about sexuality.
If
you could collaborate with another author on a secret project, who would you
pick to work with and why?
Oh, that's a hard one. Can I pick Joss
Whedon? I know he's not a book author, but he's a writer, and I would love to
be able to write dialog like he does. If I had to pick one writer to take an
apprenticeship with, it'd be him. His characters are so clever and their
stories are so fantastic. Seriously, Joss, if you read this… call me!
It's Chicago
vs. The Super Villains: America 's
Second City
Bootleggers, drug dealers, crooked cops, and dirty
politicians... Chicago has always had a reputation
for indulging in the finer vices of life. That’s why Doctor Charm’s favorite
daughter found America ’s second city so appealing—criminals
are never boring. As second in command for the powerful Subrosa Security group,
Delilah Samson finds opportunities to use her superpowers at every turn.
Whether it’s stealing a priceless French painting from a mobster or stopping a
drug deal, she’s game.
In fact, the only thing she doesn’t care for is Chicago ’s favorite native son,
Deputy Mayor Alan Adale, the man who made Lucifer jealous. Sinfully handsome,
or possibly just sinful, Adale has been pursuing Delilah since she first
arrived, and she’s been dodging.
When she finds ties between the new kingpin in town
and a drug The Company wants to buy so they can create more superheroes,
Delilah takes the gloves off. Teaming up with the spooky Spirit of Chicago, she
aims to take down the dealers, the mobsters, the kingpin, and The Company. All
without falling in love with the one man capable of capturing her heart.
Excerpt
Snow crunched
under Delilah's boot as she stepped out of the cab on East
Jackson Drive . "Park down by the
university," she told Freddie as a voice on the police radio confirmed an
ambulance was en route to collect the final remains of Mayor Arámbula.
Buckingham
fountain was beautiful, even late on a winter night. Past the skeletal trees,
golden lights illuminated the sparkling water—the strobe of blue and red from
the waiting squad cars rather ruined the romantic affect.
The cab pulled
away. Delilah walked through the fresh-fallen snow, drifting across the icy
sidewalk with the calm demeanor of someone exactly where they belonged.
At the edge of
the square, one of the officers noticed her. "Ma'am, can I help you?"
he said stiffly, shining a flashlight at her face.
"No."
He squinted,
trying to make out her face under the black top hat she wore. "Did you
hear anything? See anything?"
"I
didn't." She watched as the ambulance pulled up and paramedics hurried to
the body. They lifted the dead mayor onto a stretcher and a scrap of paper fell
out of his pocket. The wind caught it, lifting the paper up out of the snow and
blowing it toward her.
"Hey!"
one of the officers shouted. "Somebody grab that! Gelphi! Catch
that!"
Delilah snatched
the paper out of the air with a gloved hand. "Here," she held it out
to the policeman she assumed was Officer Gelphi. Three barely legible words
scrawled across the paper: Kalydon - 77 Wacker.
"Thank
you." Gelphi took the paper back with obvious hesitation. "Ma'am, I'm
going to ask you to move along. This is a crime scene."
"Of
course." News vans were already parking on Lakeshore
Drive and she didn't need to be on camera.
"Have a good evening." Pivoting on her heel, Delilah strolled back
along the snowy streets until her nose was numb. Seventy-seven Wacker was an
office building that had been on the market for several months. It wasn't
somewhere the mayor would have gone for a party, but a black market business
deal? That sounded plausible.
A warm breeze
alerted her to company. "Fancy meeting you here," The Spirit of
Chicago said.
Delilah stopped,
watching him from the corner of her eye. "How did you hear about
this?"
"I have
friends at the police department. You?"
She shrugged.
"I know all the good gossips." She turned to face him, or as much as
there was of him. The festively lit streets twinkled through his gossamer body.
"Where were you tonight, superhero?"
"Where were
you, do-gooder super villain?"
With a grimace,
she shrugged again. "Busy. I have an airtight alibi. Over a hundred people
saw me flirting with a handsome man tonight. We didn't get as far as drinks.
Disappointing, overall. Your turn."
"I was
trying to attract the attention of devastatingly beautiful woman."
Delilah almost
laughed. "Oh? How'd that work out for you?"
"She looked
right through me."
They turned side
by side to watch the paramedics cover the late mayor's body. A chill that had
nothing to do with the temperature and everything to do with the muted pallor
of death wound its way up her spine, leaving her feeling isolated and angry.
Author Bio
Liana Brooks would like to SCUBA dive Europa (that
moon around Jupiter), but with the NASA shuttle program shut down she’s
resorted to writing science fiction instead. She likes southern beaches, warm
weather, sharks, and striped socks.
Her superhero romance series started with Even Villains Fall in Love and continues
with Even Villains Go to the Movies
and Even Villains Have Interns. For
those who prefer their romance without a side order of spandex she’s written Prime Sensations (part of the Tales From
the SFR Brigades anthology) and Fey
Lights.
You can find Liana on the web at www.lianabrooks.com, on Twitter as
@LianaBrooks, or on Face Book under the same name.
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