Darynda Jones: First Grave on the Right

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Title: First Grave on the Right

Author: Darynda Jones
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Hardcover: 320 pages
ISBN: 0312662750
eBook ISBN: 142999326X

Number One Novels: Congratulations on the publication of your first book! Tell me a little about it—what's your pitch?


Darynda Jones: Thank you! And thanks so much for having me, Rebecca. In First Grave on the Right, private investigator Charlotte Davidson was born with three things: a smoking-hot derriere, a healthy respect for the male anatomy, and the rather odd job title of grim reaper. Since the age of five, she has been helping the departed solve the mysteries of their deaths so they can cross. Thus, when three lawyers from the same law firm are murdered, they come to her to find their killer. In the meantime, she's dealing with a being more powerful, and definitely sexier, than any specter she's ever come across. With the help of a pain-in-the-ass skip tracer, a dead pubescent gangbanger named Angel, and a lifetime supply of sarcasm, Charley sets out to solve the highest profile case of the year and discovers that dodging bullets isn't nearly as dangerous as falling in love.

NON: How did you get the idea for your novel?

DJ: While I definitely wanted to dip into the paranormal world, I wanted to do something different, something that would pique the interest of agents and editors alike. While I personally love all things vampire and werewolf, I knew the odds of a debut author getting a contract in a niche market that already harbored the likes of writers like JR Ward, Christine Feehan, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Mary Janice Davidson, etc., etc. So many great authors. Fortunately for me, my heroine Charley, who was born the grim reaper, managed win the 2009 RWA® Golden Heart© for Best Paranormal Romance, then she landed me an amazing agent. Not long after that, she secured a three-book deal for the rights to her story with St. Martin’s Press. Her journey has been an incredible one.

NON: No two authors seem to take the same route to publication, but almost every author has an interesting story about their journey. How did you get published? Did you use an agent? How did you find out that your book had sold?

DJ: For me, that Golden Heart final changed everything. Admittedly, I’d been entering the Golden Heart for several years, and while I received some pretty good scores (and some not-so-good ones), every year I really thought I had a chance to final. Until 2009. I signed up to enter First Grave on the Right for one reason, and one reason only. I wanted to force myself to finish it. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt it would not final. No way. No how. And then I was mad that I’d wasted the entry fee. That money could have been used for something worthwhile, like a workshop! But I grudgingly sent it in and forgot about it completely. No, really. I dismissed it from my mind entirely.

So March 25th rolls around and while I was at work my husband texted me. There was a message on the machine saying I’d finaled in a contest. I texted him back, “What? I haven’t entered any contests.” “IDK, something about a golden something or other.” I froze. Actually, I had to freeze. I was in the middle of state testing with a client and I couldn’t make a peep, not a sound, nothing that would distract the student from the test. So, I texted, “Did it say the Golden Heart?” “Yes.” I freaked out. On the inside. And texted OMG to my husband over and over. Fortunately, my client was just finishing up the test. She closed the test booklet and I burst into tears, jumped up, and hugged her. It was ridiculous. She got upset that I was crying.

Sadly, the manuscript needed tons of work, so after the final, I polished it for about two months before querying. Then I spent about a week doing research and writing my query. When I was satisfied, I queried about twenty agents over a three-day period. Within a week I had an offer of representation. I wrote the agents who’d asked for either a partial or a full, told them about the offer and gave them a few days to get back to me. Before the week was out, I had eight offers of representation from some of the most amazing agents in the business.

I know that sounds wonderful, but it was actually one of the most stressful weeks of my life. I never expected that kind of response and was very torn. I spoke to each of them, many more than once. I emailed them, asked questions, researched some more. After a week that I never want to repeat as long as I live, I accepted an offer of representation from Alexandra Machinist at the Linda Chester Literary Agency. And let me just say, having her in my corner is like having Mike Tyson as a personal bodyguard. I am beyond grateful.

The GH win garnered a lot of interest, so Alexandra began shopping First Grave that August. About a week later, I was in the middle of district meetings and noticed Alexandra had called. We played phone tag for a bit, and when we finally connected, she asked if I was sitting down. Jennifer Enderlin from St. Martin’s Press had made an offer for a three-book deal. Yes, THE Jennifer Enderlin. The offer was so much more than either of us had expected the waterworks started all over again.

We had a couple more offers over the next 24 hours and then right before Alexandra sent it to the floor for auction, Jennifer swept in with a pre-empt we simply couldn’t refuse.

Whew! And now, book one in the Charley Davidson series, First Grave on the Right, is out.

NON: I think that names say a lot about a person, especially a fictional person. How did you decide on your protagonist’s full name? Did you have any other names that were in the running?

DJ: Funny you should ask. Yes, Charley was originally Harley Davidson. It was worth a shot. Unfortunately, my editor did not agree. So after much angst, I named her Charlotte Jean Davidson, or just Charley to most. I think I wanted something androgynous—to showcase her tomboy-like tendencies—and fun.

NON: Do you have another book in the works?

DJ: Well, I just finished up the third installment of the Charley Davidson series, Third Grave Dead Ahead, and we are turning our efforts to the first in a YA series I also sold to St. Martin’s Press. The first book is titled Grimsight. It’s about how one teenaged girl’s life is irrevocably changed when the grim reaper starts high school in her home town. I’m really excited because it’s such a fun story. And, yes, it’s also about a grim reaper, just in a very different way.

NON: What's your writing routine? Do you write in the mornings, nights, daily, or when the mood strikes you?

DJ: All of the above, but mostly in the evenings and at night. I spend much of every morning putting out fires, answering emails, doing the social networking thing, which I love way too much. I am apparently a social butterfly, much to my surprise. Thanks to forums like Facebook and Goodreads, I can connect with others just like me only not. And I can bug them on a daily basis. It’s a win-win.

NON: What’s your favorite way to procrastinate?

DJ: Um, see previous answer. But I also obsess over anything by Joss Whedon and must watch his creations on a regular basis. Buffy. Angel. Firefly.

NON: What’s your favorite non-essential item on your desk?

DJ: A bright pink and orange velvet flower with a yellow smiley face. Or my mini-microwave. It’s a tossup. (I heat and reheat my coffee a thousand times a day.)

NON: What are you currently reading?

DJ: The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks and Taste Me by my Ruby Sister (fellow 2009 Golden Heart Finalist) Tammy Hogan, which will be out March 1st. Go Rubies!