I have been a big fan of Cassie Alexander for a while because her books are great supernatural thrillers that are set in an environment that I know all too well. Her new release, Shapeshifted, is out and is one of my favorite books at the moment. I’m very glad that she took time out of her busy schedule to be with us here today.
1. Tell me about your new release Shapeshifted.
Shapeshifted is Edie Spence’s third adventure. Edie’s a nurse for the supernatural community in her home town, on a secret floor at the county hospital. At the end of Moonshifted she was shunned by the supernatural community, which she thought was a good thing–she’s human, and hanging out with vampires and werewolves wasn’t very safe for her. But in hanging out with vampires and werewolves wasn’t very safe for her. But in Shapeshifted she discovers that her mother’s ill. The only thing that can save her is vampire blood, and so Edie finds herself desperate to get back in with old “friends.”
2. Where did you come up with the idea for the series?
The idea for Nightshifted came to me in my first few months working as a new nurse on nightshift. Work was terrifying, I spent a lot of my time freaking out that I was going to kill someone on accident or piss of an important coworker or doctor. Nightshifted was born out of my efforts to stay sane during the transition, from panicked newbie to, well, whatever it is that I am now, five years in.
3. What kind of research did you have to do for this series?
Not much, really! All the hospital/medical stuff is kinda-sorta pulled from my own life (waves HIPPA invisibility wand, although it’s not like I’ve ever treated vampire servants anyhow…that I know of! ;)) and everything else flows from there.
4. Do you still work the night shift and how do you find time to write with such a busy schedule?
I do still work nights, but I’m only part-time, so it’s only three nights a week–there’s no way I could work full-time nights and write two books a year. It’s hard though, there’s still a lot of juggling to make everything work out.
5. What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on a proposal for books 6 & 7, and also unpacking, since I just moved 😉
6. Which authors have inspired you?
Argh, all my books are in boxes right now, so I can’t cheat and look at a bookshelf! Early inspirations were Frank Herbert and Alfred Bester. More recent ones are Seanan McGuire and Diana Rowland and Kat Richardson 😀
7. Any advice for aspiring writers?
Keep at it! Nightshifted was the tenth book that I’d written, it took a long time (longer than I’d have liked! ;)) to get good. Try to find what works for you, writing-schedule-wise, and do what you can do but don’t beat yourself up – if you have a bad day, or a no word day, keep pressing on and don’t look back.
About the Author:
Cassie Alexander is a registered nurse and the author of the Edie Spence urban fantasy series. Nightshifted, Moonshifted, Shapeshifted — out now! — and Deadshifted, and Bloodshifted are forthcoming.
Jennifer’s Review of Shapeshifted
TITLE: Shapeshifted
SERIES #: Edie Spence #3
CHARACTERS: Edie Spence
AUTHOR: Cassie Alexander
PUBLICATION DATE: 06/04/13
BOOK SYNOPSIS: Nurse Edie Spence is once again called upon to save a life…and this time, it’s personal. Can her new community of zombies, vampires, and shapeshifters come to her rescue when she needs them most?
When Edie was fired from her paranormal nursing job at County Hospital, her whole world came crashing down. Now she’s once again shaken to her core. Her mother is deathly ill and there’s only one thing that will save her: vampire’s blood. But with the paranormal community shunning Edie, where can she obtain it…without losing her own life in the process?
Edie hopes to procure it at her new job at the clinic across town, where the forces of evil loom large. Vampire gang wars are rampant. Old underground enemies are rising to the surface. And Edie’s zombie ex-boyfriend has arrived at the scene–but is he the same man he used to be? And what should she make of the enigmatic doctor with whom she shares an unexpected connection? She’ll have to figure it out soon, because all hell is about to break loose–literally–and time is running out…..
REVIEW PROVIDED BY: Jennifer NUMBER OF STARS: Four Stars
REVIEW: This is the third novel in the Edie Spence series and I liked how Edie was struggling to find her identity since she was no longer employed by the Shadows and was shunned by the paranormal community. Edie finds that being “normal” wasn’t exactly what she was hoping for and takes a job at a health clinic in the seedy part of town. With gang members threatening the clinic at every turn and her own desperate search for vampire’s blood to save her mother looking dismal, Edie doesn’t know where to go. But Edie soon learns that being shunned doesn’t protect her from old enemies and her new position has put her in more danger than she bargained for.
After reading Moonshifted, I wasn’t sure what was next for Edie and I’m glad to see that she had decided to change a few things since we last saw her. She has a brand new job and a new apartment that was far away from the paranormal community but instead of feeling safe, Edie was just feeling that her life was boring since leaving the hospital. She soon finds out that her mother is sick with cancer and Edie has no way to help since she isn’t working for the Shadows anymore. I liked seeing this side of Edie where she was vulnerable with no one to really fall back on. She seemed to grow more as a character in this one and I was very impressed. The story was well-written with a dark sense of humor that is a great addition to the series. I liked learning more about past characters that made a guest appearance in Shapeshifted and can’t wait to read more about Edie in the next book, Deadshifted.
I love the Edie Spence series and I can’t wait for Deadshifted to find out what happens next with Edie.