Jane Yellowrock, Beast, and Joanne Walker
Posted by Faith on Apr 4, 2011 in Freebie Short Stories | 46 comments
Today, we welcome author CE Murphy and Joanne Walker of the Walker Papers in a three on two tag-team character interview between Jane and Beast, the main characters of the Jane Yellowrock series, and Joanne. Catie and I will adding in a bit too. All in all, it will be bit like WWE. We hope you enjoy it!
By the way, we’ll be giving away three prizes on Friday, April 8th, to readers who have commented on both this site, (Faith’s) and CE’s sites over the course of the week. Here’s Catie’s site http://cemurphy.net/ for an easy link.
Prize #1 is a complete set of the Walker Papers (Urban Shaman, Winter Moon, Thunderbird Falls, Coyote Dreams, Walking Dead, Demon Hunts, and Spirit Dances). Prize #2 is a complete set of the Jane Yellowrock books (Skinwalker, BloodCross, and Mercy Blade {yes Raven Cursed is out in January 2012, but it’s not part of the prize package!}). Prize #3 will be an electronic edition of the upcoming Jane Yellowrock/Joanne Walker crossover story, out sometime this summer! So we hope to see you around all week, and look forward to chatting with you!
And now let’s let the ladies take it away!
Note: LOGO: Q = Question. C = Comment. A = Answer.
Q – Jane – Joanne, it’s such a pleasure to have you stop by! We have lots of questions—
C – Beast – Smell animal. Not stinky dog or cat. *sniffs with long scree of sound, mouth open, lips pulled back to show killing teeth* What are you?
C – Jane – Shut up Beast. Joanne?
A – Joanne – *stares at Beast*
C – Beast – *stares at Jane. Huffs. Growls low*
A – Joanne – I think I like my spirit animals better than yours.
C – Jane – She can be … um … a little abrupt. But it was a good question … kinda.
A – Joanne – Oh, all right. I’m a shaman. A healer, basically, except I’ve also got a can of whoop-ass I sometimes get to open up. I used to just be a mechanic, and I was okay with that, but I got a sword stuffed through me one morning and my choices sort of ended up being “become a shaman or die unpleasantly in a parking lot,” so I went for the whole phenomenal cosmic power thing and then it, you know, wouldn’t go away. So I’ve been getting a handle on it the past fifteen months and have mostly got my act together. Mostly. Except where I don’t.
Q – Jane – SPIRIT DANCES is 6th Walker Papers book. Can you tell us a bit about the series, and about yourself?
C – Beast – Smell wild thing. Untamed. Trickster. Smell blood. *growls* Dangerous!
A – Joanne: Yes. Yes, that’s me. I’m dangerous. With a capital D. It rhymes with T. It stands for—
C – Beast – Smell magic. Tickles nose.
A – Joanne: *deflates* Okay, yes, it stands for magic, but that doesn’t rhyme. And I swear most days I’m only dangerous to myself. And to my close friends. And occasionally to gods and demons. But mostly to myself. I’ve gotten sidetracked, haven’t I.
I come from a split ethnic heritage. My mother was Irish and my Dad’s Cherokee, and somewhere in there I got mixed up with a bunch of magic and a whole host of Native American and Irish demons, sorcerers, banshees, zombies and some other stuff who more or less want to wipe me out. So far they haven’t quite succeeded, although some days it’s been close. That’s kind of my day to day life right now. How’s it measure up against yours?
A – Jane – Today’s been okay. Shooting range this morning, a little workout in the dojo, worked up a nice sweat. Shower. Laundry. Cleaned house. You ever notice how laundry and dirty houses almost never make it into books?
A – Beast – shifted last night. Ate rabbits! Beast does not clean house.
C — Joanne — Neither does having to pee. My author once ever so kindly wrote an entire scene with me on the toilet. I still can’t believe she did that.
Q – Jane – Yeah. Okay, then, back to the interview. What’s your very favorite food?
Q – Beast – Eat it raw? *licks snout, clearly thinking of food*
A – Joanne – … Um. Did I mention I like my spirit animals more than yours? I mean, yeah, okay, snakes and ravens eat raw food, but they’re not so … *stares at Beast some more*
Hot chocolate. Hot chocolate with mint in it. That’s my favorite food. Also doughnuts. With maple frosting. Which I do not eat raw, just for the record. I mean, not that you cook frosting. Or I don’t, anyway. But I don’t cook much of anything. Which doesn’t mean I eat everything raw. *stares at Beast some more, like this is all her fault*
Q – Joanne – Turnabout’s fair play. Your favorite food?
A – Jane – Steak, rare enough to still have a kick in it. Baked potato with the works. And before Beast answers, she likes deer and rabbit, and is still ticked off that I wouldn’t let her kill a cow or a bison or an elk in a national park.
C – Beast – *huffs. Sits down and puts head on paws. Lets claws out and in slowly. Slowly*
C—Joanne – Oh, you meant like real food. I don’t eat enough of that to have a favorite. Now that you mention it, though, maybe we could go out for a bite after the interview, because steak and baked potatoes sound really good …
Q – Jane – It’s a date. Okay, so let’s talk about the men in your life. I know you’ve loved and lost, but do you have someone special?
C – Beast – Joanne needs good mate. Strong protector.
A – Joanne – Joanne needs *what*? Look, you furry fiend, I do most of the protecting. I mean, yes, it’s true, I get my ass kicked all over hell and breakfast and sometimes people show up to save me, but Joanne does not *need* a strong protector, thank you very much.
Q – Jane – Yes, but the question …?
A—Joanne – Oh. Right. Heh. Look, it’s all about Captain Morrison, okay? Tall dark and handsome. Well, except he’s not dark. Or taller than me. But he is handsome. And grounded. And I kind of need somebody like that, but don’t tell him I said so. Anyway, he’s … *tries not to look insipid*
Q – Jane – But wasn’t there a hint of something with Joanne’s spirit guide, Coyote? I really love Coyote.
C – Beast – Coyote not strong hunter. Joanne needs warrior.
Q – Joanne – *to Jane* Do you put up with this kind of commentary about your own love life? “Cute but not tough enough, let’s eat him”? Are there any guys who can possibly stand up to that? *pauses* Well, I mean, Morrison could, actually, but seriously, do you manage a love life around Ms. Furry Pointy and Opinionated?
A – Jane – Beast is not easy to live with. She’s more of a eviscerate them and watch them die and eat them and who cares about the questions kinda gal, you know? But yeah. She has opinions about my love life. Lots of opinions.
C – Beast – Bruiser is good hunter. Kills with white man’s long guns. Bruiser would make good strong mate. Leo would make good mate. Kills with teeth and claws. Eats blood like Beast.
C – Jane – Yeah. Like that. *sighs* So. Men?
A – Joanne – I dunno, I’m kind of afraid to say anything now. *eyes Beast nervously, then shrugs* Coyote was literally the man of my dreams, you know? He put me on the shamanic path through dreamtime training. But—not that I’m agreeing with Beastie here—she’s kind of right. Not so much that I need a strong warrior, but more that Coyote’s path is the shaman’s path, the healer’s path, and I’m … looking at a road a bit more bloodied.
Q – Jane – Joanne, since Beast brought it up, you are forced to spill blood for the greater good. You are a warrior, one with spiritual and magical gifts. How do you deal with the necessity of death?
C – Beast – Joanne is good hunter. Joanne has teeth and claws of magic. Joanne is not afraid of death.
A – Joanne: No, but I’m not crazy about it either. I’m trying to learn the balance with the fighting and the healing. It helps, for lack of a better word, that the magic has some definite opinions on what I can and can’t do … but my mentor Coyote had some too, and it turns out he was wrong. A lot of the time there’s a better way than killing something or someone, but I can’t shy away from the warrior’s path when I’m on it. Fortunately I’ve got some good people who’ve got my back. Gary. Morrison. Billy. They’re not gonna let me cross the line, even if I’m inclined to. Which I’m not. I hope.
Q – Beast – Does Joanne want kits?
C – Jane – Beast! That is not a polite question!
A – Joanne – Uh. Uh. *pause* Uh. Um. *squints* That’s … complicated.
C – Beast – Wanting kits not complicated. Yes, no. Simple.
A – Joanne – Um. I mean. I have … a kit. Had. A kit. It’s not something I talk about. And it’s really not something I ever thought about. Having more, I mean. I guess I’d have to talk to Morrison about that. Someday. About a thousand years in the future. When everything in my life makes sense. Make that two thousand years.
Q – Jane – *shooting an irritated look at Beast* If you and I could team up for a hunt, would you be willing? And what would we hunt?
A – Joanne – Let me think. Two big tall gorgeous Cherokee chicks out there back to back, fighting the good fight against the darkness and the devils of the world. Let’s see. Does that sound like a good idea? Hmm. Wait, wait, let me consider it for a nanosecond –
Well hell yes I’d team up with you! And I expect we’d be hunting whatever nasties fall between the cracks of your world and mine. The evils that men do, the –
C – Beast – Good hunt! Kill dark thing! Thing that stinks of evil and blood magic. Blood is for eating, not sacrifice.
A – Joanne – *stares at Beast* Okay, actually, you know what, this time we’re on the same page. Blood is really not for sacrifice, because that way lies something wicked. I think we might just get along after all.
C – Jane – My creator (Faith) wants to ask your creator, CE Murphy – Never mind. Faith — you ask.
Q – Faith – If you had to describe your writing process, how would you? You know, it’s like opening a box, to see the a surprise inside, or it’s like putting your nose to the grindstone and seeing/feeling the pain of your skin ripping off, or it’s like dancing to music only you can hear. Like that.
C – Beast – Stupid question.
A – CE Murphy – *laughs out loud and tentatively offers to rub Beast’s ears* You call ‘em like you see ‘em, doncha, Beast? I like that in a person.
I’m afraid I’m one of those headlights writers. Driving at night, you can only see as far as the headlights shine, but it’s enough to get you to the end of the road. It all unfolds bit by bit for me. 
C – Beast – *lowers head* Scratch there. And there. And *rolls over, paws in air* belly, please. *Long cat-sigh.* Good animal spirits. No black magic in Joanne Walker. Well … *closes eyes in pleasure* Not much …
From Faith — That concludes our interview! Catie, Joanne, thanks for stopping by. And to our guest readers, remember to post a comment for opportunity to win a prize, and come back on Wednesday for the first part of the Jane/Joanne crossover story!
Faith
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I seriously can’t decide whether to read all the snippets as they come or wait until I can get the whole thing and sit and savor it. ::sigh:: But this is such an awesome idea.
thoroughly enjoyed that! i’m just starting my second Jane Yellowrock, and I’ve read the Walker papers, so it was good to see this!
how fun! Can’t wait to read the finished cross over story.
Thanx 2 a friend, who I see already has replied, I’ve found my way here. That is the 1 thing Ive been finding abt PN readers, & esp.this friend, very encouraging (ty A.H !!)!! I’d read the first 2 Yellowrock bks frm that series, however that was quite a while back & tho’ I loved them, I am just behind, what w/finding my way thru PN & PNR, not to mention ‘fantasy’, plus I really like the sF sub-genre of humankind getting better, doing better together, & going forward. Aside of many PN readers I know, I am rather ‘behind’ in my ‘reads’. I keep learning more abt.authors, series & find I really love this genre.
I’ve been waiting for the crossover since last year! Sitting on the edge of my seat with anticipation…
That was hilarious! Just what I needed this morning. The Jane Yellowrock series is definitely going on my “to read” list.
I simply loved that post! Wow, that really made my day here to read it. I so enjoy all these characters and yes, Beast too. I wish I could have scratched her ears. Jealous.
So looking forward to the crossover, its a match made in Heaven from what I’m reading.
I <3 both series (thanks to C.E. Murphy who pointed me in Faith's direction for good reading!)!!! Cannot wait for the collaboration, or for the next books! Thanks for the interview! And to those who haven't tried one of these two fabulous authors, go get their books–you won't regret it!
Awesome! But I wanted to hear Rick in the man list! I must read the Joanne books! Soon!
Love both these series and would love a crossover. I have to admit that I only started reading this series because of a recommendation from Ms. Murphy. Having started it I am hooked. So quit playing around and write. I need more.
I’ve been looking forward to the crossover stuff since Catie mentioned it a while back. The two verses mesh well.
So, I have a question. Jane has her motorcycle and Joanne has Petite. Who would win a race, which is more bad ass ride and would you two consider switching rides for a day?
I’m thinkin’ Ms. Walker is a brave woman to sit in the same room with Beast.
Very funny, I’ll be looking forward to the crossover story!
A chunk o’ fun. Now get cracking on that collaboration! And don’t let Beast do the typing…
Totally made my day! I too cannot wait for the crossover story as I love both series.
The interview was great. I’m surprised that Beast was so vocal. I know she is to Jane but to everyone else, it was nice. Hope to see more interviews. I haven’t had the chance to read any of the Walker Papers but after this I’m going to have to get the books.
Hahaha, Beast as match-maker. I’m trying to picture Leo’s face if he could read this.
This was such fun! Gah, I am so ready for the crossover! Thanks!
Never heard of the Jane series until now. Looks like great fun! Beast was totally cracking me up and good humor in urban fantasy is far, far underappreciated…Looking forward to reading the Jane series. I absolutely adore the Walker papers series, so more of a similar thing sounds 5 ways of great to me!
Yes, Morrison is big, strong warrior. Much more appropriate for Joanne.
Not that I have an opinion in the matter.
LOVE the interview and can not wait for the crossover! I love both these series so much! I need more story!
Teehee. Can’t wait for the joint story! I’m surprised it didn’t end up as a novella, knowing Catie, lol
Loved the interview–it was great! I can’t wait to read the crossover–I’ve been dreaming of it since I started reading both series! Thank you!!!
Wow! I could not wait to read the interview! I love both series and can’t wait to read the cross over story! Gives me something to look forward too!
OOhhh that was fun!! I’ve been a fan of the Jane Yellowrock series for some time now but I just found the Walker Papers so there were all kinds of hints for me in that interview. Thanks for all the little extras!
I am really enjoying this. I can even imagine the Jane/Beast and Joanne sitting around, talking — even with the tension Beast brings in. Looking forward to the crossover.
That was highly entertaining! I just started reading the Walker Papers series thanks to Ms. Hunter for pointing the way to Ms. Murphy. Kudos to you both on such wonderful stories.
I hadn’t heard of Jane Yellowrock before, but I’m a fan of the Walker Papers. A crossover sounds pretty interesting. And, LOL, great interview! Love the summary of Urban Shaman. Sorry we didn’t get to hear as much about Jane, but I’m definitely liking Beast – she’s a real beauty.
This sounds like a fun collaboration. I haven’t read The Walker Papers, but Joanne sounds – complicated.
However, most big cats tend to be a bit solitary. I hope beast can handle herself!
Also, what’s the timeline? Will this collaboration happen after the events of the next book?
We don’t know what happened with Rick, but I noticed that Beast didn’t mention him; just Bruiser and Leo. Hmmm.
Wow what an awesome interview I love both writers and have all of your books cant wait for wednesday ..I think Jane and Joanne will be great together thanks for my early morning giggle..
The interview was fun! I am looking forward to the crossover story. Since I have the other books…. Here! Have a cupcake! I made them for you
Just finished Mercy Blade, love the series. can’t wait till the next one. Have read the first book in CE Murphy series ready to start on number #2. I noticed you refer a lot about Charlotte, NC which is where I live, hope you get a chance to visit for a book signing soon! Really enjoyed the interview. Keep the books coming!
HAHAHA! That was awesome! I always love being able to see things from Beast’s perspective. She got Joanne to falter a little and she embarrased Jane. Heehee.
When C.E. Murphy first mentioned your books, I went out and nabbed them. Now I’m as eager for the next Jane Yellowrock book as I am for the next Walker Papers instalment! I already have everything that’s out so far.
Beast cracked me up so much. LOVE Beast.
Eagerly awaiting the crossover story!
first, I am a huge fan of both ladies
and these two series are very high on my favorite list. 
second, I am actually really excited about these interviews and have been since it was announced… so good job on meeting my expectations. also, I really love beast, she makes my day, so keep her comments coming, and keep up the great work, and make sure Jane and Beast stay around for a good while 
Love the interview. Fun idea to intermix series. Hope to see more of this.
I like Beast! LOL She is so straightforward. Of course I love Jane and Joanne too, but Beast is a favorite. I am following along in BOTH series. I am anxious to read the crossover series also. Thanks for this, it was a hoot!
Hello again Faith, i really like beast saying that both Joanne and Jane need a mate, you have such a fun series, thank you also for the contest!
Just stayed up all night devouring ‘Spirit Dances’ and am so grateful to also read this morning book #7 is done. Now I want a wee time-warp to have it in my hands *now.* Perhaps Jane and Beast will keep me occupied until ‘Raven Calls’ appears.
Add a dirty chai and this interview makes for a wonderful Monday morning!
Off to reread (again) the last ten pages.
Great Interview! I can’t wait for the crossover, and I realized I missed one of the Walker Papers…so I’ll be adding that to the TBR pile.
I have never read the Walker Papers but this interview makes me want to. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Jane and cant wait for Raven Cursed this series is simply awesome.
I am so excited about a cross over book! Both of these women are a couple of my favorite heroines! They are so well written and realistic! I loved the interview! Especially Beast! Thank you for brightening my life with your characters!
I haven’t read any of your books, Faith, but color me intrigued. I think I’m going to have to check Jane out.
(Also, Beast should meet Morrison, I feel like the explosion would be highly amusing)
-Stephi
LOL! What a fun interview. I’m a long time CE Murphy fan, but you’ve tempted me to download one of your books.
I can’t wait till the crossover story between you and C. E. Murphy. You are both two authors I look forward to having the lastest books.
I knew I’d be entertained by Joanne’s response to Beast, “Ms. Furry Pointy and Opinionated”. Thanks for the fun interview and really looking forward to the story featuring my favorite “Cherokee chicks”!
Love the Jane Yellowrock series and The Walker Papers. Both are always exciting, full of action with a little hotness on the side. I’m never disappointed with either series, you ladies restore my faith in authors. Thank you both, love the interview and glad that beast likes Joanne.