DABWAHA Final Match: Iron Kissed v. The Spymaster’s Lady

After many a bracket and much trash talking, it’s down to two books:

Patricia Briggs’ “Iron Kissed” vs. Joanna Bourne’s “Spymaster’s Lady.” Quite a battle: exceptionally-researched and written historical romance with plot twists and uncommon characters battling conspiracy and mystery, pitted against a paranormal series with a kick-ass heroine in an entirely different era dealing with werewolves and… conspiracy and mystery. Two very different books yet both are similar in key areas: strong characters, nimble writing, deft twists and turns, and incredibly absorbing writing.

Jane asked Joanna Bourne and Patricia Briggs to do a quick interview to highlight their books in the final match, and their answers are highly awesome.

Have you been watching the DABWAHA?

Joanna Bourne:  Obsessively.

I watched last year, too. Though less obsessively.

This year I figured out how everything works. Mostly.  It takes me a while to get up to speed.

Patricia Briggs: Of course!

Did you fill out a bracket?

JB: This is too painful.  Too embarrassing. I am sooooo far down in the standings.

I would have done better to pick titles out of a hat.  Or use astrology.  Or ask my cat.

PB: Yes (scuffs toe in dirt and looks at the floor).  I kind of feel about this, the way I feel about authors giving critical reviews of other people’s books 🙂  Mostly I’m better off if I just let all the readers have fun.  I tried to resist the urge to look when one of my books were up, until the bloody battle was over, when I fail, I vote.  For me.

Did you pick yourself to win and if not, why not!!! To whom did you think you would fall?

JB: Ummm … no.  I didn’t pick Spymaster’s Lady. Because I didn’t expect it to win. I picked Blue-Eyed Devil as tha winnah, having great respect for that book.

PB:  No.  I have no basis for judging my own book against other people’s books, the experience between writing and reading is just too different.  I am very flattered to have lasted up until now (particularly against this crowd of awesomely great books). As far as picking other people’s books . . .I love to read, and picking my favorite book is like picking my favorite child.  It just doesn’t make sense.  And really, what makes the best book?  The one I enjoyed reading the most?  First, I don’t remember which one I enjoyed most (grin) and second . . . there are always two people involved in a book:  the writer and the reader.  And when I’m grumpy, no one writes worth a darn (grin).

If you could change one thing about the DABWAHA, what would it be?

JB: If I were blue-skying over what might be cool new features … I’d love to see the book covers and links to the author website lined
up conveniently near each ongoing match. Lotta work, though.

PB:  I know this is a lame answer, but I have to say:  nothing.  I have a great deal of fun reading the comments along the way 🙂  This years it seems like it is easier to tell when the voting is taking place and where—though I might be benefiting from experience (grin).

 

  If you could win the HUGO/NEBULA/RITA or the DA BWAHA, what would you choose?

JB: The hugo award is so delightfully . . .  ummm . . .  anatomical . . .

Ahem.

Since I am pinned upon the screen, like a butterfly being studied by an entomologist, I will admit I’d rather get the RITA—or at least the RITA Finalist place.

This is because they serve these really nifty hors d’oeuvres at the party after they hand out the RITA, (hors d’oeuvres being a combination of mystery and tastiness I cannot resist,)  and I can go out and drink champagne with some of the finalists afterwards, which one cannot do electronically.

PB: You know, this is like those “trick” topics I see every now and again at SF Conventions—“Least Favorite books of the year.”  “Bad endings to good books”  “Over-rated authors”  No matter what you say, you get yourself in hot water!  What if I said DA BWAHA and someone from the Nebula committee said, “Ha, her loyalties are suspect—she cannot win our prize!”  Just kidding.  Honestly, though, I think a reader’s award is more fun.

What is your ideal book award?

JB: An ideal book award is like an ideal prom dress.  It fits just perfectly.  It doesn’t bind or pinch. It covers up those pesky imperfections with a well-place ruffle here and a little drape of fabric there, and you don’t feel silly wearing it

What you want is that everybody says how good you look in it and how well it suits you.  Maybe you even get whistles.

PB:  My favorite thing is the first review that is happy with my book.  Everything else is gravy.

Why should you win?

JB: Heck.

Spymaster’s Lady has carriage chases, desecrated churches, knife fights, smugglers, a drive-by shooting, nudity, hot consensual sexxxing in a bathtub, dark family secrets, betrayal, lies, passion, and hot French spies.

What more could you ask?

PB:  I’m not sure I should. Spymaster’s Lady is a great book.  I read it several times and then passed it to my friends and family as a must read!  It is also a romance—and Iron Kissed is not. On the other hand, Iron Kissed is the book I am proudest of, it did exactly what I wanted it to in the way I wanted it to do.  So, may the best book (grin) win.

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Which will win? That’s up to you.

So, head on over to The DABWAHA voting site and make your pick. You have 14 hours to vote, talk trash, pimp your choice, get out the vote and Twitter your fingers off. Game on at 9:00 AM Eastern until 11:00 pm Eastern.

Thanks again to our majestic sponsors:

• Harlequin at 30% off
• eBooks at Fictionwise
• eBooks at Books on Board.  Books on Board is selling the Harlequin series books at 30% off and will have differing formats than the ones at Harlequin including iPhone/iTouch compatible formats.
• Author Maya Banks is offering up a great prize to the last place bracketeer: $50 GC to online bookstore, Godiva chocolate basket, and ARCS of Sweet Persuasion (June 09) and Sweet Seduction (Oct 09).  Perhaps this prize might affect some voting behavior?