whiskey and wryHi guys! Today I am so excited to welcome back the amazing Rhys Ford to the blog.  Rhys is here to share more about her newest release, Whiskey and Wry, the second book in her fabulous Sinner’s Gin series. I totally loved this book and gave it a great review earlier today.  Rhys is also offering up a copy of any of her back list books as a giveaway, so be sure to leave a comment at the end of the post to enter.  (BTW, the premise of this book has a bit of a spoiler for the first in the series so if you want absolutely no info on Sinner’s Gin be warned).

Please join me in giving Rhys a big welcome. Hi Rhys!

Ah, thank you for having me. Really. *HUGS*


So I just reviewed Whisky and Wry earlier today (and totally loved it), but can you start us off by telling us a bit about this story?

Oh this story. God. So much going on in it. The gist of it is, Damien has escaped from the asylum, has some memory issues and is looking for Miki. Oh and someone is trying to kill him. Damien, that is. He runs into Sionn Murphy (SHOON…because people ask), begins to care about him and then crap happens.

To answer the main question people seem to have, the reunion is midway in, I think. I had no intention of drawing it out until the end.


It is hard to talk about this book without going back to the previous story, Sinner’s Gin, and the big reveal ending.  First, I will admit I was cursing you a little (ok a lot) that I had to wait after that big reveal to find out Damien’s story.  It was such a shocking and fascinating way to end that book.  What made you decide to end the story that way?

I actually knew Damie was alive all throughout the book. Before I even plotted out Sinner’s Gin, Damie was alive but the reader had to be lied to alongside of Miki. It was so important to the story that everyone believed…as Miki did… that Damien was dead. So much of Sinner’s Gin dealt with the pain and loss Miki was experiencing. The reader had to feel that. So yeah, Damien. There you go. Curse me fully. I expected it. *grins*


One thing that struck me about this book is the interesting structure. We are really thrown right into the suspense portion of the plot from the very start, rather than having it unveiled slowly.  Was this book harder to write than one where the suspense takes more of a back seat to the relationship, especially since it is so wonderfully twisty?

This was a bitch of a book to write. There were a lot of elements to factor in; Damie’s relationship with Miki. His growing relationship with Sionn. The whole “who put Damie in that place and why” then of course the body count had to included. The suspense part had to balance that out. Very difficult book to write.


Both Whiskey and Wry and Sinner’s Gin include song lyrics as a lead in to each chapter.  Did you come up with all of these excerpts? And was it hard to get into the mind of Miki and Damien this way?

Yep, everything at the front of those chapters are mine…good and bad. *grins* Miki and Damie have a very different type of relationship. They’re symbiotic souls but very different personalities. I wanted to use the lyrics and snippets to show who they are as characters and their relationship.


Speaking of Miki and Damien, I just loved them together and they have such a fascinating relationship.  They are bonded in a way you don’t usually see in friend relationships in this genre.  Can you tell us what inspired you to create the deep sense of brotherhood between them?

I couldn’t write Miki without writing Damien. Really, they go hand in hand. Miki without Damien is a mess and Damien without Miki is off balance. I wanted to show the deep bond of that relationship. It’s a bit unique and yes, an odd brotherhood of broken and happy. They’re great to write together.


At first I really saw this series as focused on the band, but as they books go along, we see how much they also revolve around the Morgan clan, who I totally love.  Based on the ending of this book, I am guessing in our next story will once again get to spend a lot of time with these guys?

Heh. I wanted to write about a “band” but not focus on the industry side of it. Really, these books are about the people in a band and yes, the Morgan clan. The Morgans provide a good backdrop for the crazy and complicated mess Damien and Miki are and in the next book, a bit of the complicated hits one of the Morgans. It will still revolve around the band or rather Damie’s formation of a new band but the Morgan clan will definitely be seen a lot in the coming two books.


Can you tell us more about the series and where it is going from here? How many more books will there be? And will Sionn’s friend Rafe get a story?

The series is a four book series but I’ll be writing a novella about Miki and Kane as Miki deals with the abuse issues he has. [Hurray!] I might even toss in one of Damie and Miki because really, they are a delight to write about. Tequila Mockingbird will feature the ending in Whiskey and Wry and yes, Rafe will be getting a story.


In addition to this series, is there anything else you are working on or coming out soon that you’d like to tell us about?

God, doesn’t it seem like I’m always in the weeds?

I’m currently working on Dirty Deeds, the fourth book in the Cole McGinnis series. I have Fish and Ghosts, a paranormal contemporary, contracted to be released by Dreamspinner in November/December. Fish and Ghosts will be the first in the Hellsinger Series. And I have Clockwork Tangerine, a steampunk novella, coming out in March-ish 2014. That’s also by DSP.


If my readers want to know more about you or you work, how can they find you?

You can find me in a pile of crying, neurotic mess under my laptop table. With coffee stains on my hands. *grins*

Professionally, they can find me on rhysford.com and I’ll also be attending GRL in Atlanta so wooooot! Track me down there.


Thanks again so much for stopping by today! It was so nice having you here!

Thank you for having me here! Really, love and adore you. Thank you so much. And haato!


Giveaway

Rhys has generously offered up a copy of any of her backlist books to one lucky reader, including Whiskey and Wry. So if you need to catch up on the series, or already have a copy, you can pick whatever you want.  Be sure to leave a comment by Wednesday, August 21st at 11:59 pm to enter.

  • By entering the giveaway, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
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  • Void where prohibited by law.
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