Book Tour for Sins of the Angels w/ an Interview with Linda Poitevin & Giveaway *ENDED* of Sins of the Angels (Open INT)

Today I have Linda Poitevin on.  She's the author of Sins of the Angels.  I really enjoyed this book and you can check out my review HERE.  Make sure you read to the end because there's a giveaway!

Thanks so much for being on today! I'm always eager to try some new Urban Fantasy and so was excited to read your book. I really enjoyed it and am excited for the next one!

Thanks so much for having me, Candace, I’m thrilled to be here and so glad you enjoyed the book!



Sins of the Angels has angels as the paranormal aspect of it. What made you decide to write about angels instead of say, vampires or werewolves?

You say that like I had some input into the decision, lol! I didn’t actually set out to write a particular kind of story or character…when Aramael walked into my head he just was an angel and so that’s what I wrote about.

LOL, yeah, that's how it tends to work.  Though I suppose some of us have obsessions over certain kinds of things and that may be what we are more drawn to.


There is a lot of detective work in the book and a lot of the setting takes place in Alex's office, what sort of research did you do for this part of the book? Did you just take what you knew already, or had seen on TV, or did you go down and watch some goings on?

A mix of many of those, actually. I do watch a lot of cop shows on television, though most of them get the things entirely wrong. I have three strong advantages: first, I’m married to a cop who is one of my beta readers (and my resident go-to resource on procedure); second, I have access through him to any kind of expertise I need; and third, I was a dispatcher for the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) for two and half years (rather a long time ago, now!), which gave me an insider’s perspective when it comes to language, personalities, and so on.

Oh yes, being married to a cop would certainly give you an advantage!  And you having been a dispatcher makes a lot of sense now.  I really did feel like the setting described was very authentic.


Do you believe in soulmates?

I do—on both a romantic level and a friendship one. I think our soulmates are those people with whom we have an instant and abiding connection…as if we’ve known them forever even if we’ve only just met. And yes, I felt that way about my husband. 

I totally agree!  My BFF and I always said we're soulmates, though it's definitely different then the soulmate you're in love with.  And yay for you!


What sorts of things inspired you when you were writing this story? This can be music, television, a place, etc.

I listen to a lot of music when I’m writing and find that certain songs help me with scene-building—either because of their lyrics or the feelings they invoke. Some of my favorite artists for writing are Apocalyptica, Metallica,Seether, Enya, and The Tea Party. Oh, and the original spark for the entire Grigori Legacy series came from the song Angel by Sarah McLachlan.

That's a great list!  I can't seem to listen to music while I write, at least not music with words, but before I write it can really help in setting up a scene.  


Are any of your characters based on real people?

Not intentionally, lol! My characters are entirely fictional, but I would have to say that I am definitely more inspired by some people than others. My husband’s former partner, for instance, likes to tell everyone that she was my muse for Alex—and she’s not far off the mark.

I think it's easy to draw pieces of people into new people and our characters are often just bits of people we know.  But sometimes certain people really inspire a certain kind of character.

What did you find to be the most difficult part of the writing process?

For Sins of the Angels, the hardest part was having my agent ask me for a full rewrite after I’d signed with her. I sulked for weeks before I actually started rewriting the book…I think it was sheer stubbornness on my part that got me through the process! In the end, of course, I realized my agent was absolutely right about everything she’d pointed out. The story was way stronger and tighter when I finished.

Oh yes, I think I would have a difficult time with a full rewrite!  


Were any scenes rather difficult for you to write?

Without giving away too much, the final murder scene was a doozy. It’s just so…dark. My husband kept insisting I needed more detail and I had a hard time placing myself far enough into the scene to be able to write those details.

That was the scene that inspired that question.  I would imagine it would have been very difficult.  It was hard to read so I can imagine writing it was much worse.

If you could jump in a time machine and travel to any place or time when and where would you go, and why?

I’d like to go back to a time when both my parents were alive and take a copy of Sins of the Angels with me. I’d love for them to know that my dream of becoming published would come true…they’d have liked that.

Wow, that's such a great answer!


What are 5 books, or authors, that you highly recommend (any genre)?

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, for themost intricate weaving of plot I’ve ever read. The Dresden File series by Jim Butcher, for the seamless mating of fantasy to real world. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, for the understated sexual tension between Darcy & Elizabeth…utterly delicious! Lord of the Rings by J.R. Tolkien, for its sheer epic-ness. A Short History of Nearly Everything and A Walk in the Woods, both by Bill Bryson,for their humor and some of the coolest trivia I’ve ever come across.



What is the best piece of advice you've ever been given?

“Learn to say no” from my mother. It’s a lot harder than it sounds, but I’m getting better at it!

That is a great piece of advice and one I need to take more seriously.  I'm horrible at saying no.


Now, we all want to know- what are the plans for this series? When is the next book coming out and how many books are planned? Are all the books going to be with the same main characters or are they going to change in each book?

Okay (takes a deep breath), here goes: I’m contracted for just the first two books of the series at the moment—whether or not my publisher picks up the remaining two (there are four planned) depends on sales for the first; book 2, Sins of the Son, will be released on March 27, 2012; and yes, all the books will feature some of the main characters but not all (sorry, not telling who!).

Yay!  I think 4 books planned is good and fingers crossed that they sell well!  


Thanks so much for being on Linda!

Thanks again for having me, Candace. This has been great fun! And if any of your followers have questions, I’d be delighted to answer. 

Make sure you check out Linda's Website and Blog.  Also check out all the other tour stops HERE. 

The Giveaway: ENDED

Thanks to the publisher there are two copies of Sins of the Angels for two lucky people!  The winners may choose either hard copy or ebook format.

Open to US and Canada and to international readers who are willing to accept it as an ebook.  However, if you're an international reader and want a physical copy, please say so in the comments and at the end of the tour there will be a drawing of names from all the tour stops for three international winners to receive physical copies.  (That drawing will be on November 14th)

Must be 17 or older to enter.

Giveaway Ends 10/13/11

To Enter: ENDED

Leave a comment telling us if you're US/Canada or International. If you're international and only want to be entered for a physical copy then let me know.  Remember contact info in your comment!
Feel free to ask Linda a question, she said she'll stop by and answer any!

Extra Entry:

Tweet the following phrase then leave a comment linking directly to your tweet.

Enter to #win Sins of the Angels at @candacemom2two 's blog.  2 winners, open internationally! Go to http://tinyurl.com/3kfcvca to enter.