Darynda Jones grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress. She's won many awards for her work, including a Daphne du Maurier, a Golden Heart and a RITA award. Jones has two new books: Fourth Grave Beneath my Feet, the fifth in the Charley Davison series, and Death and the Girl Next Door, the first in a new YA series, Darklight (all from St. Martin's Press). She lives in New Mexico with her husband and two sons.
On your nightstand now:
I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga. I've heard so much about this book and am dying to dive in. I also have J.R. Ward's Lover Reborn just waiting for me, calling my name like a lover in the night. Or maybe I'm projecting. Either way.
Favorite book when you were a child:
Cinderella. No idea which version or who wrote it, but I loved it and still love the story.
Your top five authors:
Only five? Wow, okay, I'll go with J.R. Ward, Suzanne Collins, Terry Pratchett, Julia Quinn and Stephen Hunter. But there are more. So many, many more.
Book you've faked reading:
I once faked reading Dune by Frank Herbert at a party, then a lively conversation ensued on the particulars of a certain character's tendency to betray everyone he met. I nodded and agreed and even added a few "You're right"s in for good measure. I'm pretty sure by the end of the party everyone there knew I hadn't read it. I try really hard not to do that anymore. It's like drowning in quicksand. Only, you know, not as life-threatening.
Book you're an evangelist for:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. When I read this book, I stopped writing for months. I knew that I could never have written it, and for some reason that really bothered me. Even if I'd had the idea, if I'd had all the elements outlined, if I'd had all the characters sketched in panoramic detail, no way could I have written that book and do it half as splendidly as Suzanne did. She took something so unspeakable, so tragic and cruel, and created magic. I'm simply in awe of her.
Book you've bought for the cover:
The Perfect Play by Jaci Burton, because WOW. (And, yes, I freely admit that I've bought books for their covers way more than I should have.)
Book that changed your life:
A Rose in Winter by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. It was the first romance novel I'd ever read and I knew right then and there that no matter what I wrote, it would have a very strong romantic element woven throughout. I love even the hints of romance in books like Point of Impact by Stephen Hunter and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. A touch of romance in any story makes for a more powerful and satisfying read, IMHO.
Favorite line from a book:
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." --from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Classic British humor at its finest.
Book you most want to read again for the first time:
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn. I loved this book. Julia created such an appealing hero. He is the classic tortured soul whose darkness can only be curbed by her equally appealing heroine. She is strong and spunky and part of the infamous Bridgerton clan, and Julia's writing is so fresh and fun, I could read this book again and again. Oh, wait, I do.