7 Deadly Questions with author Jon F. Merz

1. Your Lawson Vampire books are quite popular. How would you describe them?

I've always called them the un-vampire vampire series. They read more like a James Bond or Jason Bourne novel than the sparkly angst-filled typical vampire fare on shelves these days. Vampires in Lawson's world aren't undead; they're an evolutionary offshoot of humanity that has existed in secret for thousands of years. They live much longer than humans thanks to the ingestion of life force energy they distill from human blood. They are also very strong and hard to kill, but they do eventually die. Lawson, the series hero, is a cynical, jaded member of an elite group within his society – a Fixer. He's part-spy, part-commando, divinely chosen to protect the secret existence of his race by any means necessary.

2. What is your writing process? Do you have a rigid routine or are you more flexible with your creativity?

It really depends on the project. I've written eleven novels in the bestselling Rogue Angel series for Harlequin/Gold Eagle and those are always very structured affairs. 2,000 words per chapter and that means about 4.5 pages single-spaced and that takes about an hour to write during my first draft stage. The book is roughly 82,000 words by the time I finish, so the above criteria allow me to estimate how long it will take me to write. I've written some first drafts in only seven days – cranking about 12-14,000 words per day sometimes. I don't recommend that because it's exhausting, but it can be done. On other projects, I'm a lot more flexible with how it gets written. But a deadline hanging over my head means I shift into overdrive and get things finished.

3. Have you always been attracted to the darker side of literature?

Probably. I grew up reading in every genre imaginable, but I also spent a lot of time simultaneously attracted and afraid of scary things. It's a part of who I am. Once I figured out that things scared me, I spent my childhood running away from danger and my adult years running toward danger. Eventually, I reached a healthy balance, but the darker side of things fascinates me and I always want to uncover mysteries, search for monsters, understand the universe, that sort of thing. Must be the Scorpio thing acting up, I suppose, lol…so my reading choices got darker as the years progressed.

4. How are you using social media for promotion?

I use Twitter and Facebook primarily. I also have a Youtube channel and a website that I actively blog on. All of those things are what I like to call cogs in the machine. One cog drives another cog and they hopefully enable me to develop relationships with readers and fans. I make myself available to answer questions, address concerns and so forth. Recently, some Canadian fans told me they were having a hellish time finding my newest novel THE KENSEI in Canada. I emailed my editor who told me their Canadian distributor had filed for bankruptcy and that's what was causing problems. So I was able to go back on Twitter and let those fans know how to get the book another way. That sort of interaction is priceless. I love using social media to enhance my relationships with readers. You get immediate feedback and you get a chance to learn who people really are. I get to see them as more than just another sale. A lot of these people have become good friends. And that's very cool, indeed.

5. Most writers are also avid readers. I assume you are as well. Which novel on your bookshelf at home do you wish you had written?

Brotherhood of the Rose by David Morrell. This was the book I used to model my thrillers on. It's pitch-perfect literary excellence from page one sentence one and I hold it up as an example of everything that is awesome about being a writer. Morrell has written some other great stuff, but for my money, Brotherhood of the Rose is without peer.

6. In your judgment, how would your Lawson character fare in a fight against other notable vampires from other popular novels? For instance Ann Rice's Lestat or the infamous Straker from Stephen King's Salem's Lot?

Well, Lawson's not only a vampire, but he's also a ninja. He'd completely wipe the floor with Lestat and he'd shoot Straker before he got too close.

7. Where can people learn more about you?

My website is http://www.jonfmerz.net and I encourage folks to swing by, sign up for my free newsletter (filled with fiction and news) and see what I'm all about. I have a lot of pretty cool projects happening these days and with all the changes happening in the publishing world, it's a fun time to be a writer.

Jon's Bio

As a writer, Jon has published over a dozen novels including four Lawson Vampire adventures (2002-2003) with Kensington's Pinnacle Books, the Jake Thunder mystery/thriller DANGER-CLOSE (2004) with Five Star Mystery/Thorndike Press, and eleven installments in the internationally bestselling adventure series Rogue Angel (2006-present) with Harlequin's Gold Eagle line. His latest thriller PARALLAX debuted in March 2009 as an exclusive ebook. Praised by bestselling authors like Robert B. Parker, Douglas Clegg, and Thomas Monteleone, Jon's novels will continue to thrill readers for many years to come. His short fiction story "Prisoner 392″ (appeared alongside Stephen King in FROM THE BORDERLANDS, 2004, Warner Books) earned him an Honorable Mention in 2004's Year's Best Fantasy & Horror edited by Ellen Datlow.