Blog Tour: Christmas in July with Jay Mims

Hello Gentle Readers,
I really appreciate Lady A allowing me to stop by. See, I’m doing this blog hop I’m calling “Christmas in July”. It’s been a lot of fun, and today we’re on the Eight Day of Mimsey. And I'm super excited to be able to do an interview.

 1. Who is Jay Mims, really??

 Jay Mims is a writer who would be quite happy spending the rest of his life writing “beach books”.

And a sexy beast. 

When I was in first grade, my teacher made me promise that I’d dedicate my first book to her. That ended up being The Five Santas. There’s nothing better then having people enjoy the work you do, whether it’s blogging (http://themimsey.blogspot.com/), Facebooking (https://www.facebook.com/JayMimsey) or writing the books (http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5179719.Jay_Mims)

 

“What better way to celebrate Mother's Day then by watching a movie about a handsome prince who steals away your screaming baby and wants nothing but your happiness?” http://themimsey.blogspot.com/2013/05/dan-landis-top-ten-tips-for-treating.html

 2. You have two books out, The Cult of Koo Kway and The Five Santas. What can you tell us about them??

  Dan Landis is working as security at a department store when he stumbles across the body of a street-corner Santa. One body leads to another, and Dan ends up having to protect the store’s Santa. And solve the murder. And somehow get the perfect Christmas present for his partner Abbey.

Because nothing says “Holiday Spirit” like murder.

Cult of Koo Kway picks up right where Santas left off. Dan is hired to track down a dangerous cowboy named Tex, with a  little help from his partner Abbey. Catching Tex leads to Dan remembering the first time he met the Abbinator, which involved a pair of muggers, a body in the kitchen, and a pair of fuzzy handcuffs. I like to describe this as a Gullah mystery, even though most people have no idea who the Gullah are.

Contrary to popular belief, that’s not an oil spill near the car’s tire. It’s a pair of Day-Glo socks.

3. What is one memory that makes you flinch with embarrassment??

            I have far too many embarrassing memories, but one of the latest ones was when a dear friend finally told me that it was DownTON and not Downtown Abbey. Apparently I just thought there was an Abbey downtown, and that’s what everyone kept talking about. It’s on my Netflix queue, leave me alone. I still have Scrubs, Arrested Development, and Red Shoe Diaries to get through.

I like to imagine this is what David Duchovny calls “casual wear”.

 4. Is there any work in progress that you can share with us??

    There’s actually a lot of fun stuff on the pipeline. Book 3, The Gray Ghost Inn is due out Tuesday, October 15^th, 2013.

Apparently the Gray Ghost Inn is a real place. And judging by this photo, Santa works there.

The Gray Ghost Inn: Dan Landis had a simple plan: Take his best friend on vacation, find a beautiful woman, hijinks ensue. Except, his new partner, Abbey is tagging along for the ride, and wherever Dan and Abbey go, trouble isn't far behind. There's a body in the library, a bed and breakfast full of secrets, and more than one ghost haunts The Gray Ghost Inn.

Book 4, Racing the Storm, will be due out in 2014. 

An official winner of NaNoWriMo 2012! http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/jaymims

 5. You are a published author with Staccato Publishing, how is that working for you??

      I love being a published author, even though I’m apparently selling way more print books then I am e-books. Apparently it’s me, James Patterson and Fifty Shades of Gray. I’m thinking of writing a book called Fifty Shades of Mimsey. 

 

I googled “Fifty Shades of Mimsey” and this was what came up. 

 
Quick Fire

Vamps or Smurfs

If this is a question about which village I’d rather deal with, Smurfs all the way. I can take the Smurfs. I could take the Smurfs with like a shoe. If you’re asking which I’d rather live as, probably Vamps. Because I’m pretty sure that vamps, whatever their negative qualities, will always be getting the ladies. No one’s getting laid in Smurf village.

 

 

Seriously dude. The cat could take out the whole village. 

 Jock or Nerd

I’m a total nerd all the way. If 80s movies have taught us anything, it’s the inevitable success of the nerds in any situation. Ironically, Dan Landis is the biggest nerd around, but is a high school football star, in way better shape then I’ll ever be, and can do a kip-up. He’s a Nerck. 

 Pictured, a sexy sexy nerd.

 Sasquatch or Chupacabra

 

I love Sasquatch. A hairy loner who lives deep in the mountains? That’s like my ideal! I’m a bit more terrified of Chupacabra, mostly because he runs around at night, drinks blood, and could totally run me down. I’m pretty sure in a foot race, I could totally take Bigfoot.

Come on, when’s the last time you’ve seen that thing run.

 Big Bird or Kermit

Big Bird is probably responsible for more manly tears then any other seven foot tall bird. Not only do you have the blue bird scene in Follow That Bird but, there’s also Big Bird and Mr. Snuffleupagus having to say goodbye because all the adults think Snuffie isn’t real. No joke, that scene made Carol Spinney cry! Finally, there’s the moment when Big Bird learns about death, and how Mr. Hooper isn’t coming back. 

Hang on, I got something in my eye. 

However, if I’m being honest, Kermit made me want to go to Hollywood in a Studebaker with a Bear, a pig, a dog and a Gonzo. He also taught me that it’s ok to be green. And is probably responsible for my weird attraction to violently aggressive women. 

I’m pretty sure when I get married, I’m just going to have “Somebody’s Getting Married” played before the ceremony.

 The Simpsons or Family Guy

 

I do love both. The Simpsons has hands down the more intelligent writing, but when Family Guy is firing on all cylinders, I laugh way too hard. Plus, I can do a dead-on Quagmire impersonation. 

Plus, I think I own that shirt.

 Sports or Cars

 

I live in the south, so NASCAR gives us cars as a sport. And for the record my teams are the Atlanta Braves and the Carolina Panthers. Granted, the only way they’re getting to a championship is if they buy a ticket, but they’re still my teams. And, I really know nothing about cars. They go vroom. I change the oil every 3,000 miles. Deer keep hitting my car. That’s really all I got. 

Yeah, it’s all fun and games until the horned bastard rolls over your hood and runs away laughing.

 Freddie or Jason

Well, as someone who prefers quirky dialogue, I much prefer Freddie. However, I’m really not that big of a horror fan. For a guy who writes murder mysteries, I’m just not a fan of seeing people die

Freddie Mercury riding Darth Vader’s shoulders. Your argument is invalid

 Monkeys or Penguins

I love monkeys. I love penguins. It’s so hard to choose! What about a monkey in a penguin suit? Would that work? Or just like a tuxedo? Maybe with a little top hat and tails? Someone needs to make little suits for monkeys. THIS WOULD BE THE GREATEST THING EVER!

“500 dollars!? Would you consider a bear in a frog suit?”

 Star Wars or The Lord of the Rings

 I read Tolkien every year, and have been in love with Rings ever since the first movie came out. However, my first love was and will always be Star Wars. I have every movie memorized, and can even tolerate the prequels. The first person to buy me the life-sized Darth Vader refrigerator, I will make them the hero of my next book. 

 The force is strong with this one. Also I need a refill.

 The Hulk or The Thing

Alright, thank you for asking this! Because I don’t often get to geek out like this: The Hulk is an amazingly underappreciated representation of everything comic books should be. It’s a character that’s not just a raging monster, it’s a Jekyll and Hyde story. It’s a guy who has a complete monster living inside him, and this monster can be a force of good or evil. It’s about turning all the emotions, psychological repression, and duality of human nature into a giant package of awesomeness.

  

The Thing once went back in time, dressed as a pirate, and pretended to be Blackbeard. If you don’t understand why that’s going to be a winner every time, then we can’t be friends.

 

Thanks Jay for allowing me to interview you!!

Jay Mims is in search of the perfect hat, has finally learned to make French toast, and always holds the door for people behind him . He lives with a passive-aggressive Dalek named Steve, a quasipet cat named Eartha Kitty, and a lizard named Bob. He writes books and is far funnier on Facebook then in real life. He is terrible at Twitter. His next book "The Gray Ghost Inn" is due out October 15, 2013. Feel free to email him here.