Fantastic Fives on Marta Acosta

Five words and/or phrases that describe you:

Irreverent,
idiosyncratic,
irrepressible,
irrational
and ironical.

Five people and or things that inspire you:Inspiration is different than support and love, which I get from my wonderful husband and family. So, people and or things that inspire me are:

1. Libraries. During my childhood, I was a feral inhabitant of the local library, searching for sustenance and amusement, and usually finding it. A little curiosity and you can find out all sorts of things that your parents and other adults don’t tell you!

2. Authors whose books stand the test of time. The classics are not just read because of the authors’ great craft, but because they touch us on a deep emotional level.

3. My son. I saw the world and myself in a new way once I had the responsibility of being a parent.

4. All the funny people, the ones who make you laugh and cope with life’s trials. Some of my favorite comic authors are P.G. Wodehouse, Mark Twain, Jane Austen, and John Kennedy Toole. But I’m also a fan of comedy from Mel Brooks to Judd Apatow’s series to the throw-away lines in “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer” to Kathy Griffin’s stand-up. I love old romantic comedies like “The Philadelphia Story” and “The Thin Man” movies, and I love the newer ones, too, like “Bridget Jones’s Diary” and “The Holiday.”

5. My teachers, who introduced me to literature and to ways of thinking about the world through literature.

Five of your favorite authors:

I always list the same top authors, so I’m going to name some of my favorite novels by other authors.

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde is a booklover’s dream filled with lit references, bonkers humor, and a crazy parallel universe where art rules.

Aunt Julia and the Script Writer by Mario Vargas Llosa is a wild comedy full of eccentric characters and romance. In this beautifully written page-turner, the characters and the situations get progressively more out-of-control, and I read non-stop to the end.

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Prachett is a devilishly fun story of good vs. evil. The Antichrist is born to a nice suburban couple and a book-loving angel must stop Armageddon.

Middlemarch by George Elliot is a substantial book and well worth the effort. Dorothea Brooke is a bright young woman who wants to do something useful with her life. She makes the mistake of marrying an older man because she thinks she can help him with his “important work.” This is a complex and completely engrossing tale where the small personal issues of love intersect with large social issues.

Men in Black by Scott Spencer. Every book by Spencer is terrific, but this darkly comic tale of a writer’s life falling apart is my favorite. Spencer’s hapless protagonist makes terrible mistakes, but it’s still easy to empathize with him, especially as he struggles to connect with his son.

Describe five of your heroes/heroines through your eyes:

I don’t write heroes or heroines because I don’t find perfect people very interesting. I always suspect that they lack the imagination to screw-up. So I’ll describe my favorite flawed characters instead.

Milagro de Los Santos is a smart, funny, often impulsive young woman with a degree from Fancy University (F.U.). She writes political horror stories that no one wants to read and yearns to be a “sincere and serious” person, despite the fact that she loves silliness. She falls in with a family of snobby vampires and finds the home she’s always wanted.

Oswald Grant is the “fabulous man” who introduces Milagro to his family. She thinks she’s fallen for yet another quirky slacker, but Oswald’s actually a plastic surgeon. He plays along with her misunderstanding for fun. He’s warm, affectionate, accomplished, but he has to work all the time to succeed. And he’s constantly stressed by his sense of duty toward Milagro and his family.

Edna Grant is the snarky, sharp-edged grandmother of the vampire clan. She always has a clever insult and men worship her. Despite her stand-offish exterior, she warms up to Milagro and becomes a strong maternal figure for her.

Ian Ducharme tells Milagro that he’s nicknamed “the Dark Lord” because his family owns some dank and boggy property in Europe. He’s not the handsomest of men, but he’s the most commanding in any room. He’s a little too smooth to be trusted, but he’s very seductive, exciting and has a sense of humor.

Nancy Carrington-Chambers is Milagro’s best friend from F.U. She answers to Milagro’s silly side and makes an art of mangling the English language. Nancy’s full of style and fashion opinions and she’s great fun, even while struggling a little to be a good wife to her boring husband.

Five reasons to read your books:Well, I’ll give you some reasons from other sources.

“An addictive combo plate of romance and vamp satire.” Publishers Weekly

“Acosta’s talent is staggering. In each of her Milagro de Los Santos novels, she shows readers all over again just how funny, ridiculous and thoroughly gifted she is at plotting.” Romantic Times

“Impeccable timing and rare wit…a glorious madcap mystery of a ride.” Futures Mystery Anthology Magazine

“Intelligence and fabulousity mixed into one delicious cocktail.” Marcela Landres

“In my opinion The Bride of Casa Dracula is the best book of the series. It combines the language and the Jane Austen-ish romantic comedy of manners style of Happy Hour at Casa Dracula with the faster romance mystery pacing of Midnight Brunch and effortlessly comes out on top. The comedy is laugh-out-loud funny in places as Milagro continues her personal journey to be ‘serious and sincere’ which is at such odds with her silly nature.” Love Vampires

Yeah, what they said!--------------------------

Thanks, Danette, for having me at DCL! People can visit my author blog and my website for more info. Those who sign up for my newsletter will receive special offers for contests and gifts. I also have a blog for paranormal entertainment news, Vampire Wire. And I’m always happy to hear from readers: marta at martaacosta.com!

Extra!Extra! Visit Marta's Vampire Wire and find out how to win a copy of The Bride of Casa Dracula!