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Award-winning author and editor Danielle Ackley-McPhail has worked both sides of the publishing industry for nearly fifteen years. Her works include the urban fantasies, Yesterday's Dreams, its sequel, Tomorrow's Memories, and the upcoming novella, The Halfling’s Court: A Bad-Ass Faerie Tale, the anthologies, Bad-Ass Faeries, Bad-Ass Faeries 2: Just Plain Bad, and No Longer Dreams, all of which she co-edited, and contributions to numerous anthologies and collections, including Dark Furies, Breach the Hull, Space Pirates, So It Begins, New Blood, and Barbarians at the Jumpgate. (View all of Danielle's books.)
 
Danielle is a member of The Garden State Horror Writers, the electronic publishing organization EPIC, and Broad Universe, a writer’s organization focusing on promoting the works of women authors in the speculative genres. She lives somewhere in New Jersey with husband and fellow writer, Mike McPhail, mother-in-law Teresa, and three extremely spoiled cats. To learn more about her work, visit sidhenadaire.com.

Thank you Danielle for taking the time to answer some questions for us!  Please tell us about your latest project.

Right now I am working on quite a few things (I always am. Rather be busy than bored!) Personally, I am writing a novella based on my biker faerie stories that appear in the Bad-Ass Faeries anthology series. It will incorporate modified versions of what has already been published and then expand on that to create a larger storyline. I'm having a lot of fun with it. The title is The Halfling's Court: A Bad-Ass Faerie Tale and it will release from Dark Quest Books (www.darkquestbooks.com) in late 2009.
 
In addition to that I am working in one capacity or another on four different anthologies for a variety of publishers. First two up are Dragon's Lure (also for Dark Quest) a collection of stories about the temptation of dragons, and Bad-Ass Faeries 3: In All Their Glory for Mundania Press (www.mundania.com), a collection of stories about tough, military faeries with attitude. Both of those are schedule to release in May 2010, and if all goes well, they will be launching at Balticon (www.balticon.org) over Memorial Day Weekend. Following that are two other anthologies, both for Dark Quest Books. In An Iron Cage: The Magic of Steampunk, and By Other Means (book three in the award-winning Defending the Future science fiction anthology series, edited by my husband, Mike McPhail.) For all of these anthologies I am the editor/packager, except for the last one, for which I am only responsible for the production work.

Have you received any awards for your work?

I have been fortunate to final or win several awards for my work. I'll list them here, as it will be easier to follow that way.

The Bad-Ass Faeries Anthology Series:
- Bad-Ass Faeries - Finalist for the 2007 Dream Realm Award - Best Anthology
- Bad-Ass Faeries 2: Just Plain Bad - Winner for the 2009 EPPIE Award - Best Anthology, Complete

The Defending The Future Series:
- Breach the Hull - Winner for the 2007 Dream Realm Award - Best Anthology;  Finalist for the 2007 Dream Realm Award - Best Cover Art

So It Begins - Finalist for the Next Generation Indie Book Award - Best Anthology; Finalist for the Next Generation Indie Book Award - Best Short Stories

Tomorrow's Memories - Finalist for the 2008 Dream Realm Award - Best Fantasy; Finalist for the 2008 Dream Realm Award - Best Cover Art

Do you also do speaking engagements, or seminars?
 
I am available for both speaking engagements and seminars. In fact, just last month I ran a one-day Writing Workshop for a writers group, The Writing Force, in Mays Landing, NJ. It was my first time running a solo workshop, rather than a group effort, and it was very well received. The speaking engagements, though, I have been doing for a very long time. Mostly I focus on being a guest panelist at science fiction conventions, but I have been a guest at bookstores, reader's groups, schools, libraries, professional organizations, and writer's groups.

How has your education, profession or background helped you in your writing career? Or conversely, how has you writing success helped you in your  profession?
 
When I graduated from college I decided one way or another I was going to work with books. I got a job in publishing and I have been doing that ever since. Between my day job and being an author I have done pretty much every job there is in the publishing industry and that has given me an understanding of the business most authors don't have, as well as the technical knowledge of how a (good) book is put together. As for how my writing career has helped in my profession, mostly it is just a novelty that helps me stand out in the memory of prospective employers when I have gone job hunting. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it's just conversational material.

What kind of other works (books, scripts, poems etc.) have you had published?

I have published two novels, Yesterday's Dreams and Tomorrow's Memories (Mundania Press), one collection of poetry and short fiction, Children of Morpheus (Lite Circle Books, www.litecircle.org), and I've co-edited three anthologies currently, No Longer Dreams (Lite Circle Books), Bad-Ass Faeries, and Bad-Ass Faeries 2: Just Plain Bad (both previously with Marietta Publishing, and soon to be re-released by Mundania Press).

My short fiction and poetry have appeared, both nationally and internationally, in a variety of ezines, anthologies, and print magazines over the years, way too many to list here, though a complete bibliography can be found on my website at http://www.sidhenadaire.com/bibliography.htm

Is there any aspect to your profession that gets you in touch with your readers directly?

As I mentioned above, a lot of my promotional efforts focus on appearing at science fiction conventions where I appear on panels and sell copies of my books in the dealer's room. Because of this I make a direct connection with my target audience. Through the panel discussions I have a line into what they are interested in and by interacting with them in this informal environment I form friendships and can tell them about myself and my work in an unpressured setting. I get to share with them my passion and in turn I learn from them what they enjoyed in my work and what they want to see in future efforts.

What will your next project be?

Once I finish those listed above I have at least three novels I have to complete. Today's Hopes, the third book in my Eternal Cycle series, of which the first two volumes are published; Daire's Devils, a military science fiction novel set in the Alliance Archives universe created by my husband, and the first book in the Blood Will Tell series, as yet untitled, which I am co-writing with my friend and fellow editor and author, Jeffrey Lyman (www.jdlyman.com).
 
What type of work is the most rewarding or satisfying for you?

As much as I love writing, one of my greatest enjoyments is creating a book, usually an anthology, from concept to finished work. That involves editing the copy, working with the authors to polish, designing the interior layout, working with various artists for cover and interior art, writing back-ad copy, and typesetting the text. Seeing the project go from nothing to something is amazing.

What can you recommend for writers who are just getting started and are trying to make a name for themselves?

You have to be as creative in your promoting as you are in your writing. It takes endless effort to market your work, something every author must do, whether they are with a small press or one of the large publishing houses. Take advantage of as much free and internet press as you can and never stop looking for opportunies to reach your readership.

How did you get started as a writer?

My mom got me a library card and then let me loose with one dictate: If you can carry it, you can check it out. I started reading voraciously until I reached the point of frustration when the book ended that when I went to bed at night, I would continue the story in my head until I fell asleep, with myself as a character, of course. Once you added writing assignments to that, enough said. I couldn't be anything but a writer. By the age of 12 I was putting together my own poetry books and that was it, there was no turning back. I'm still doing all of it to this day.

Which is your favorite book/work published? Is there a favorite?

I have to confess, when I was 13 I read the Outsiders over twenty times...in a row. That is the closest I come to a favorite. I love all books too much to really have just one.

What does a typical work day look like for you?

I wake up at 6:30am, get ready for my day job, then sit down and either write, answer email, promote, or take care of other writing/book related matters until it is time to leave for work at 8am. I get to work do the day job, write, promote, or answer correspondence, at lunch, do more of the day job, go home, eat dinner, write, promote, or answer correspondence until 10pm, grab a book and read in bed until the hubby forces me to go to sleep, and then get up and do it all again! Of course, the actual tasks vary depending on what projects I am working on and what stage they are in. Sometimes I am typesetting or editing instead of writing, but still, unless I play hookie to watch a movie or something with my husband, it's all about the books.

Who is your favorite writer/author?

I'd say me, out of loyalty, but I'd be lying. I don't have just one, but my current favorites are Sherilyn Kenyon, Anne McCaffrey, Robin McKinley, PC Hodgell, Mercedes Lackey, and Jim Butcher.

Finally, a most important question: what was the last song you sang out loud when you were by yourself?  :)

I don't sing. It is cruel and I won't even inflict it on myself.

Thank you Danielle! We wish you ongoing success with your novels and series!