Roxanne Longstreet Conrad: Badly. (Smiles.) Actually, the job versus deadlines isn't so bad. I deal with deadlines constantly in my day job, so it's more of the same, actually. And I tend to thrive on stress as a creative energy.

However, balancing both of those and having any kind of a life is more difficult. My current schedule works something like this: up at 4:45 a.m., to Starbucks (the only place open) at 5:30 a.m., write from 5:30 a.m. until 8 a.m., work until 6 p.m., write from 6 p.m. until 7 p.m. (when traffic dies down), race home, eat nutrition-free, non-home-cooked meal, watch three hours of television while I return email and talk to my family, then go to bed so I can do it all over.

However, on the weekends, I luxuriously sleep in until 9 a.m. and spend at least four hours a day writing. The remainder I go crazy with, but it usually involves feeding pets, watching HDTV and big-screen projection systems.

BTW, this schedule only works if (a) you're insane, and (b) your spouse is extremely tolerant. Oh, and (c) you love your day job.

Crescent Blues: How much interplay is there between your writing and your husband Cat Conrad's art?

Roxanne Longstreet Conrad: I wish I could say we do more creative work together, but truthfully, we work different schedules. Usually, he's working late at night; I work early mornings. Not a lot of crossover opportunity.

But he does sometimes illustrate stories and do cover art for me! And I write bios and marketing material for him. (Smiles.) And we keep each other sane, which really helps.

Crescent Blues: Do you employ any special rituals to keep the writing drive alive -- or to relax when the muses get too raucous?

Roxanne Longstreet Conrad: I'm sorry, my secret rituals are far too dangerous to share with the uninitiated. However, they involve loud music, frequent applications of Diet Dr. Pepper and squeaky rubber ducks.

Crescent Blues: Do you nurture a secret ambition to write full-time?

Roxanne Longstreet Conrad: Nope. (Smiles.)

Seriously…well, still nope. I know most people do, but I find that it puts a tremendous strain on creativity to have to be constantly in search of the next rent check -- and writing, by definition, is an uncertain business. In flush periods, I'd like to use the money for fun; in lean periods, I'd rather not be explaining to my Visa people about reserves against returns at the publishing house. I doubt it'll ever be my complete support, although I could easily see stepping down to a part-time day job at some point, if things work out right.

However, I have the lesson of (eep) 14 years of experience at just how long it takes to become an overnight success, so I'll continue to (as the Russian proverb goes) pray to God, but row for shore.

Crescent Blues: How has your experience as a writer compared to your career as a professional musician?

Roxanne Longstreet Conrad: So far, no one has asked me to dress up in lederhosen and play German polkas as a writer. Also, no one has yet thrown a music stand or conductor's baton at me.

Writing seems to be a much more genteel profession, overall.

Crescent Blues: Who's Julie Fortune and how did she become part of your writing identity? Can you give us an idea of where her story is going?

Roxanne Longstreet Conrad: Julie Fortune? Sorry, don't know her. (Smiles.) Actually, Julie is my evil twin. Apparently, so far as I've been able to work out, she's a firestarter, the Vatican thinks she might be the Antichrist, she's in love with a blind priest, and she fights crime.

In her spare time, she writes fanfic and publishes it on her own website. I have nothing whatsoever to do with it. She's nuts.

Crescent Blues: How did you get started writing fan fiction?

Roxanne Longstreet Conrad: Ahem, you mean Julie? Wait, let me get her...

Hi there. My name is Julie Fortune, and I'm a TV-holic. I've cut down from following about twenty shows to just about ... well ... nineteen, but that's only because Buffy's gone.

I blame fellow wonderful writer and crazy woman P.N. Elrod for the fan fiction, because she introduced me to a show called Blake's 7, which forced me to write a story that I gave to all my friends about 12 years ago. Then I discovered Highlander. And Prey. And Pretender. And Buffy. And Angel. And dear God, stop me before I embarrass myself further, because the list really does go on. (Stargate SG-1.)

No, really, shut up!

(Monk.)

Crescent Blues: What attracts you to a television show (or a character) and gives you the itch to write fan fiction?

Roxanne Longstreet Conrad: I have to be able to internalize the characters and speak with their voices. Some would say it's akin to, ah, demonic possession. I prefer to think of it as creative... Oh, never mind.

But it has to have characters who have something to say to me beyond what I see on the screen, and who I feel I can do justice to. I've never understood why some people write fan fiction in which they completely distort the characters into different people altogether. I really do try to stay as close as possible to the characters and the show. That's a good portion of the fun for me.

Crescent Blues: Have you discovered any fan fiction based on your own characters?

Roxanne Longstreet Conrad: Not so far. But then, I haven't looked. Should I? Is it good?

Crescent Blues: What keeps you writing fan fiction in spite of tight deadlines?

Roxanne Longstreet Conrad: It's just plain fun. Sometimes it even helps me, if I'm stuck on a scene or development in original fiction, to go play in a safe, controlled environment for a while. It relaxes me, and when I'm relaxed, I can usually figure out where I've gone wrong.

Crescent Blues: What role does your passionate interest in a host of television shows play in the development of your commercial fiction?

Roxanne Longstreet Conrad: (covering the microphone, conferring...) On the advice of counsel, I'm going to exercise my Fifth Amendment Rights against self-incrimination.

Oh, what the heck. Actually, I try pretty hard not to be influenced, but I admit, I love the kick-ass heroine aspect that Buffy gave us, and it certainly influenced the way I write Joanne. I think it's very liberating to be able to write a female character who's sexy, brave, capable and funny. It's a heck of a lot more fun than writing neurotic, self-absorbed, whiny ones.

But then I'm not very deep.

Crescent Blues: Do you ever model characters on the physical attributes of an actor or other real-life person?

Roxanne Longstreet Conrad: I have NO idea what the heck you could be talking about...

Oh, that.

Sorry, got stuck on that "physical attributes" thing and went someplace totally inappropriate.

I've always liked to mentally "cast" my books with actors; it helps me imagine how they might interpret the dialogue, visualize the movements, etc. So in Exile, Texas, I have David Duchovny playing Dan Fox in my head, and Andrea Parker playing Meg. That doesn't mean that I'm stealing a particular character they've played, just that they most closely match the images that I have. So Dan doesn't talk like Fox Mulder (although his last name is a play on the character). (Visualize Tommy Lee Jones as Ranger Gentry. It's fun.)

And yeah, I admit, David in Ill Wind is definitely a combination of a few actors: a little Peter Wingfield, a lot of James Spader and Michael Shanks. When you get to Heat Stroke, you might be able to cast another Stargate SG-1 actor in the mental movie, but I'm not saying who.

Crescent Blues: How did you get involved with BenBella Books?

Roxanne Longstreet Conrad: Have I said already that I depend on luck and kindness? Well, here it is again.

P.N. Elrod, a wonderful friend and as already stated, a damn fine writer, passed on an opportunity to write an essay for BenBella's Seven Seasons of Buffy anthology, but she was kind enough to give them my email and tell them that I was a huge Buffy fan. Glenn Yeffeth, the publisher, was kind enough to extend an invitation to me to submit on spec. I was lucky enough to have a pretty good idea and turn it in on time.

See? Kindness + luck. Oh, and meeting deadlines. That's kinda important. Also, not entirely sucking in the execution of the assignment helps.

Since then, I've written another essay for their upcoming Angel anthology, and one about NYPD Blue. I'm also developing two more, one for Firefly and one for Alias. And, of course, Glenn went completely nuts and allowed Pat Elrod and I to put together an anthology for BenBella called Stepping Through The Stargate: Science, Archaeology and the Military in Stargate SG-1.

Kindness + luck. Pass it on.

Crescent Blues: How does it feel to be building the critical apparatus for late 20th/early 21st century popular culture?

I'm sorry, but your language does not resemble my Earth language...and you frighten me. If I had even the remotest idea I was building a critical apparatus, I'd have to quit writing again. I suck at engineering.

Crescent Blues: Finally, the question all your non-Texan fans have to ask: Who is Joe Bonamassa and why are you so addicted to his music?

Roxanne Longstreet Conrad: Oh, YAY, I get to gush! First off: a little background. See, I was lucky enough to know Stevie Ray Vaughn (slightly) because a friend of mine in college was his cousin, and when SRV came through playing club dates, he'd hang with us and we'd sit next to the stage. He'd come and share pitchers of beer with us (hey, we were legal! Barely...) That was my introduction to the blues. I got spoiled. I've been monumentally unimpressed by everything else, ever since.

So when I say that Joe Bonamassa is as good as Stevie Ray, you know that this is not the opinion of a novice.

He's an awesomely talented guitarist and vocalist, and I love his music, and I'm very, very proud to wave the Bonamassa flag at every opportunity. I have tickets to his Dallas show at the Majestic Theater in June. First row, center. Yep. Happy dance.

And I'd be remiss not to say that Eric Czar is an incredible bassist in his own right, and Kenny Kramme is an amazing drummer, and I adore them.

Rox sez check him out. You won't be sorry.

And one more thing: they're from New York City. (Smiles.) Isn't that a kick?!

Crescent Blues: Anything else you'd like to add? (Soapboxes provided free of charge.)

Roxanne Longstreet Conrad: I'd just like to say that if anything has made all this writing worthwhile, it's the wonderful people I've met, and continue to meet, every day. Writers, editors, readers, booksellers, magazine editors, people who come up to me at Starbucks and ask what I'm doing at oh-my-God-in-the-morning tapping away on the laptop.

I quit every month because all this is hard.

I get back at the keyboard every month because it is more fun that I'll ever deserve to have.

Thank you, so much, for bearing with me.

Oh, and the Required Marketing Information:

www.rachelcaine.com
www.artistsinresidence.com/rlc

Upcoming: Heat Stroke (July 2004) and Chill Factor (December 2004) -- Books 2 and 3 in the Weather Warden series! They make great gifts, and damn good blunt instruments, too.

Peace and fair skies, Rachel Caine / Roxanne Longstreet / Roxanne Conrad...and her evil twin, Julie Fortune. BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

Jean Marie Ward