Today I'm happy to invite debut author Robin Spano to the blog. Her book Dead Politician Society all about a sassy undercover agent called Clare Vengel is out now, and I'll be reviewing it soon. In the meantime, if you want to find out more about Robin and her book, read on!
About the author...Robin Spano grew up in Toronto, studied physics in New Brunswick, and dropped out to explore North America on her motorcycle. She met her husband while working as a waitress and helped him run his Toronto pool room until they moved to Vancouver. She writes full time, plotting murder and living vicariously through her undercover protagonist.About the book...A fast-paced, readable debut...Spano spins an intriguing web...a page-turner...an enjoyable read, which bodes well for future entries. - Quill & Quire
Q: I know you like to tweet! Can you describe Dead Politician Society to my readers as a tweet? (140 characters or less!)
A: A lighthearted mystery where no politician is safe. Is a secret university society to blame? Clare Vengel poses as a student to find out.Q: Where did you get the inspiration for Dead Politician Society and for the character of Clare?A: I was angry at some politicians and my friends were sick of hearing about it. But I still needed to vent, so I turned to murder. The characters are fiction, but the issues are real. The really cool thing was that as I wrote, my rage disappeared. By the time I was halfway through the first draft, I was pleasant and calm and probably a lot easier to be around.
Clare, on the other hand, came from her own imaginary place. Her skills are mostly wish fulfillment (she’s good at all the things I’m not, like car mechanics and lock-picking). Her fears and insecurities are how I imagine I’d feel in her shoes – thrown in undercover in a world I didn’t understand. But how her character developed is a mystery to me – she’s quite independent; she writes herself, for the most part.Q: How did you celebrate when you learned the book was going to be published?A: I cracked a beer and stopped working for the day. It was mid-afternoon. I called my sister, my husband, and my parents, and basically spent the rest of the day feeling weird and amazing.Q: How has your life changed since you became a published author?A: It’s gotten busier – I’ve had to work hard to make sure I still keep time for writing and living in addition to all the busywork the job demands.
It’s also become more social – in public, online, and in person. I’ve met some great people through book-related stuff, and some have become friends. As long as I make sure I have time to write, I think it’s a good thing that I can’t hide inside my introverted shell – you learn more about life when you’re out living it, which is important if you want to write about it.Q: Clare is a pretty kick-ass and sassy heroine. Who would you choose to play her in a movie of Dead Politician Society?
A: Thanks! I love to hear Clare described that way.
I also love the actor question, but my favorite thing about it is hearing other people’s answers, because that tells me how readers see Clare. I have three on my short list, and I would love to hear from readers who have other ideas.1. Zooey Deschanel (suggested by Kari, from The Kari AnnAlysis) is kickass and independent and smart.
2. Jessica Stroup (she’s Silver on 90210) has the chameleon quality to be an undercover; she can be sweet or edgy, and she’s good with wry sarcasm.
3. Every time we see a Katy Perry video, my husband says, “Look – it’s Clare.”
Q: Can you name three other books that you think readers of your book might enjoy?
A: That’s a hard one! Every reader is so different, but here are three guesses:
1. Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels (I get compared to her a lot, b/c it’s lighthearted crime with a young urban protagonist.)
2. Stieg Larsson’s Dragon Tattoo series (Clare is not as disturbed as Lizbeth Salander, but she does ride a motorcycle and speak her mind freely.)
3. Shopoholic and Baby – laugh all you want, but I think it’s really well-written – funny and smart and the pages turn all by themselves.Q: What are you reading right now?
A: I’ve just cracked the cover of Pulpy & Midge by Jessica Westhead. The writing is fantastic – it’s quirky and original and I’m hooked to see where the story goes. I think it’s part office comedy and part relationship satire – I’ll post on Goodreads when I’m done.Q: Pick three songs that you’d have on a Dead Politician society play list.
“Run This Town” by Jay Z
“Friends in Low Places” by Garth Brooks
“I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman” by K-OS
Q: The Clare Vengel undercover novels are set to continue - so what’s next for Clare in book 2?
A: Book 2 finds Clare undercover at a poker tournament. Her cover role is a trust fund princess – about the furthest thing from Clare’s real character as you could get. She is searching for the Poker Choker, who strangles high profile poker players in their hotel rooms. Her romantic life heats up – she’s torn between her boyfriend at home and a dark stranger she meets on the poker tour. This case challenges Clare, but she’s becoming a better cop as she moves through the series, so she’s prepared for these higher stakes.
- Thanks for the great interview, Robin!
Dead Politician Society is out now !
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