Interview with paranormal romance author Zoe Allison

Today’s special guest to kick off a new week is novelist Zoe Allison. We’re chatting about her new paranormal romance, Impervious.

During her virtual book tour, Zoe will be giving away a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

Zoe lives in Edinburgh, Scotland with her husband and two children. A medic by day, she started writing in her spare time as a means to counter burn out and found that this was a balm for the soul.

She is a fan of the romantic genre and its ‘happy ever after’ ethos. A sharp contrast to what she can, at times, see in her day job. Zoe is keen for the female lead in romantic fiction to disabuse stereotypes and walk on an equal footing with her male counterparts. She prefers male leads

who do not display signs of toxic masculinity and believes that positive masculinity is much more attractive to women and healthier for men.

Welcome, Zoe. Please share a little bit about your current release.
Set in a world where vampires secretly exist as a subspecies of human, The Organization are a covert league of benevolent vampires who work tirelessly to keep malevolent vampires in check. Amber Ridley is the only human on the team. She is a rare being who possesses the power of immunity to vampire attack – an ‘Impervious’. Amber is partnered with her close friend Valentino on The Organization's most vital mission to date but finds out this also means working with Hayden Knight, Valentino’s estranged friend who abandoned both Valentino and The Organization in the past.

What inspired you to write this book?

One of my main inspirations was The Vampire Diaries, I was a big fan of the T.V series and original books by L.J Smith. The vampire theme evolved from this inspiration. In terms of the other themes in the book, I had an intense desire to write about a strong female character with power in her own right, and who has integrity in both life and love. I wanted male heroes who were strong without displaying signs of toxic masculinity and who were able to show genuine brotherly love toward each other. My characters evolved from there.


Excerpt from Impervious:Amber mirrored Vale’s posture. “Why is he here then? Why come back now?”

Just then, Hayden appeared from the doorway. “You could just ask me directly, you know.”

Amber turned to Hayden. He was dressed in tight-fitting black jeans and a black T-shirt. His muscular physique was very apparent, both from the look of his arms and also the ripples under his clothing. Amber could appreciate that he was extremely handsome, but there was a hardness to him that there wasn’t with Vale, along with an iciness to his blue eyes. Hayden had focused on Amber as he spoke, then he broke eye contact to move over to the coffee pot and pour himself a cup.

Amber still couldn’t muster any sympathy for him, and his aloof behavior did nothing to help. “Fine,” she said, watching him as he prepared his drink. “Why are you back with The Organization? What’s in it for you?”

Vale interjected, a warning tone in his voice. “Amber.”

Amber ignored him. “I want to know.”

Hayden brought his coffee over, not looking at either of them, and he took a seat at the other side of the table. He took a drink before finally lifting his gaze to meet hers. “I was promised something by Mr. X.”

“What?” Amber was quick to ask before Vale could stop her.

Hayden met Vale’s eyes. “I was promised a certain target.”

Amber scrutinized them both. A knowing look passed between the two men. Vale had realized who Hayden meant. Amber suspected she could also guess.

What exciting story are you working on next?
Currently I’m working on the sequel to Impervious, I’m trying to squeeze in time to work on it whenever I can! Though I’m not planning on any more books in this series after that. I also want to return to a previous manuscript which is a contemporary romance and see if I can polish that one up. In terms of new ideas, I would like to write a time travel romance and perhaps a medical romance.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

In the past I never considered myself a writer. Science was my strongest subject at school and I always had my sights set on a career in the sciences. However, I had enjoyed creative writing in the past and done well at this when younger. A few years ago, I had the desire to write after experiencing the process of creating some opinion pieces for a medical newsletter. I decided writing of a more creative nature would be a good outlet and so I started writing texts for children’s picture books, and then decided I would like to write some romance because I enjoyed reading these for the uplifting feel-good factor and I had various ideas I was keen to explore.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
My day job is as a doctor and it’s a very busy career, with my days being up to 12 hours long. I work four days a week on average. I use my day off and evenings for writing and it’s a challenge to fit in along with family life.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I write best when I’m alone in the house so that I can concentrate. I hate it when people come into the room I’m writing in in case they read my raw, unpolished work over my shoulder so I have to close my laptop until they vacate the area again!

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
My best subjects at school were the sciences. Initially I wanted to be a vet, but after doing some work experience I decided I was probably more of a people person! I wanted a scientific career that involved my favourite science – biology. I also wanted something vocational and in the caring profession, so I decided to study Medicine.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
In the past I never believed in the power of creativity because I grew up believing that there was only value in logic and science. I now know that this isn’t necessarily the case. I still know the value in academia but creative outlets are vital for mental wellbeing and enriching the human experience. Express yourself in whichever way you are driven to, whether it be art, writing, singing, playing an instrument, or another outlet, and you will be all the better for it, both psychologically and spiritually.

Links:

Twitter | Facebook | Website | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | MyBook | Kobo | Totally Bound

Thank you for being a guest on my blog!

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Interview with fantasy author Davidson Haworth

Today’s guest is fantasy author and Dr. Who aficionado Davidson L. Haworth. He’s focused on his newest novel, The Defenders of Prali which will be releasing later this year.

Bio:

Davidson L. Haworth was born in San Jose, California on October 29, 1969 where he also formed his writing interests at the age of six. Raised by his father he searched for an outlet to explore new ideas and it is at a young age that he began to write short stories, and at the age of seven he began writing screenplays to be performed at Sherman Oaks Elementary school where he attended school in San Jose, California. Eventually Davidson would begin traveling to England where he would discover castles, knights, and crusader history. From that day forward Davidson was catapulted into the realm of history and fantasy and eventually he would combine the two in his writings and become the father of historical fantasy.

While the interest in history and fantasy piqued his interest Davidson began reading legendary greats like J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Those two authors together with his Roman Catholic upbringing brought new ideas together with some of the classics to form stories that are heroic in nature and moral in content.

Davidson L. Haworth enjoys meeting old friends and new friends, because he believes there are no such things as strangers, only friends he hasn’t met yet. In his fervor to speak to people from around the world and at home Davidson has traveled the world on international book tours to speak about the genre of fantasy, writing, and history. He has spoken at the prestigious Lomonosov Moscow State University (Moscow, Russia), Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (Kyiv, Ukraine), Tula State Leo Tolstoy Pedagogical University (Tula, Russia), Socrates Foreign Language Center (Sergiev Posad, Russia), and several American Councils in Europe. In the United States Davidson speaks the same subjects at comic book, anime, and fantasy conventions. He is also considered an expert in Doctor Who, an iconic British TV show. Davidson lives with his wife and two children in San Jose, California.

Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Welcome, Davidson. Please tell us about your current release.

The Defenders of Prali is the fourth and final book in the Prali series. It takes place in the times of the Crusades in Italy where a gate to the underworld has been exposed, and it is up to five brave heroes to destroy the evil coming from within and save the worldly inhabitants from such creatures as a dragon, wizard, and vampires. It is historical fantasy and so many of the locations in the book actually exist and some historical figures are in the book as well. If you enjoy Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, you will enjoy this book for sure.

What inspired you to write this book?

I have been writing this series since its inception in 2009 and have continued to expand on its universe, but the time has come to end it and move on to other subjects within the realm of the fantasy genre. The series includes: The Dragon of Prali, The Wizard of Prali, and The Vampires of Prali.

Excerpt from The Defenders of Prali:

The shaking becomes like an earthquake within the cave. Mary rising from her comfortable position, her heart begins to pound with fear, and her body feeling the hesitance to make a move against the dragon. She moves her slender body against the balcony wall, crouching into position, taking her bow into her hand, and placing an arrow in the bow. Mary realizes she needs to see if the dragon had entered, she knows the advantage of surprise belonged to her, but is Bernard ready to take on the challenge? Will they both hesitate? Mary finally decides to peer over the balcony; she needs to see for herself. Mary finally looks over the wall and only feeling the shaking of the cave. Surprisingly the altar is still with the look of serenity surrounding it. No dragon to be seen as Mary scratches her head in confusion. No dragon but plenty of rumbling of the ground to go around. Then like a lightning strike of surprise as a loud growl heard in the direction of the main large entrance.

What exciting story are you working on next?

Currently I am involved in writing a book filled with short fantasy and science fiction stories. I have always wanted to do a little sci-fi and this gives me the chance to dabble a bit.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I first began when I was six years of age and I wrote a screenplay, but to say when I was considered a writer it would have to have happened right out of college when I was hired to write fantasy character details for a publisher.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I write full time and I do my best to stay disciplined. I usually start my day around 8:00am and check e-mails and other correspondence. Noon time I jog with my beagle Heston and then have lunch. The rest of the day is spent writing until the evening hours. That is the usual schedule, but sometimes personal life gets into the mix and I deviate from the norms.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Getting too emotional while writing, especially when I kill off a character and tears run down my cheek.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to play professional football for the Oakland Raiders. I thought it could happen in High School where I averaged two touchdowns a game as a tight end, but to no avail.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Yes, come and join me on Facebook or any other internet outlet. Check out my events and come over to see me live and in person. I always enjoy meeting new friends and talking comic books, sports, books, and just about anything else under the sun.

Upcoming Events:

March 7-9, 2014 - Guest at Wizard World Sacramento (Sacramento, CA) http://www.wizardworld.com/home-sacramento.html

April 12-13, 2014 - Author Guest at San Jose Fantasy Faire (San Jose, CA) www.sjfantasy.com

May 17-18, 2014 - Guest at Big WOW! ComicFest (San Jose, CA) www.bigwowcomicfest.com

Thanks, Davidson!

Book excerpt tour stop for the Vampire Elite series by Irina Argo

Today is a virtual book excerpt tour stop for the Vampire Elite Series by Irina Argo. The first two books in the series, Vampire Elite: Prophecy and Keepers of the Key become available this month.

Irina will be giving away a $50 Amazon or BN.com gift card to one randomly chosen commentor during her tour. To be entered for a chance to win, leave a comment below. For more chances to win, visit other tour stops and leave comments there. 

And to learn even more about the series, you can follow updates on Twitter with #GF_VAMPIRE.

Blurb:

Can the ultimate choice be made if saving your race means destroying the one you love?

At the beginning of the twenty-first century of our era a millennia long war between two immortal races was coming to an end. The Vampire Elite, the strongest among vampires, forced the race of immortal beings, the Amiti to become their blood suppliers, called bloodstock, locking them in their underground cells and treating them like livestock. The surviving free Amiti make a final attempt to strike back. The Queen of Amiti is proclaimed a traitor and is executed. Her death signifies the rise of a new Queen, her young daughter Arianna who becomes the last hope of her dying race. Arianna totally embraces her mission and is ready to fight for her people to the last drop of her blood but encounters an unexpected challenge—the vampire King Tor. They both are captured into a trap of love where they had to make an ultimate choice; to kill the loved one or to let their races die.

Vampire Elite is the epic story of a bitter conflict between two peoples, and the effect of that conflict on everyone living in its grip. The characters are driven to love and betrayal, vengeance and sacrifice in a world without easy black-and-white answers.

Based on an ancient Egyptian legend, packed with action and intrigue, Vampire Elite will pull you into the entrancing world of immortals and open new portals into their hidden universe.

Excerpt:

(Oberon is captured. Anock is interrogating him)

“I can’t do that, Anock.”

“Oh, but you can. You don’t want this female to die, do you?”

“No, I don’t, and I appeal to your mercy, Anock. You can spare her life; it’s your choice as much as it is mine. More than mine. I will not give the Keepers up. There’s nothing that you can do that will change my mind.”

“Yes, Oberon, you will. At the count of three. One.”

“I am so very sorry.” Oberon glanced at the woman. She held her head down, but her shaking shoulders betrayed that she was crying. “There is nothing I can do for you. The Keepers are the only Amiti’s hope, I cannot give them up.”

Please Goddess, kill me. Spare me from having to make this choice.

* * *

“Two!” Anock was bluffing. He had no intention of letting the woman die. It was a test of wills.

“Please, Anock. You’re a warrior, not a butcher. How can you reduce yourself to this level? Torture me, kill me, do whatever you want, but please, don’t waste her life.”

Anock looked one last time at the Amiti.

This is so wrong.

“Three!”

Blade’s sword hissed through the air, slicing through the female’s neck. Her head hit the floor and rolled toward the cage, lifeless jade-green eyes staring into Anock’s soul. It took a few seconds for the body to collapse to the floor.

The hysterical screams of the other Amiti filled the room.

Anock stared, transfixed, at the lifeless eyes.

Cara’s eyes. Oh Goddess.

 “Take the bloodstock to her cell and clean the place up,” he ordered, his voice and brain totally disconnected, and left.

Author information:

Irina Argo is a combined pen name for two authors, Irina Kardos and Jo-An Torres.

Irina

Irina’s world is dark. She works as a clinical psychologist in a Juvenile Correctional Facility dealing with the extremes of human behavior on a regular basis and takes care of her paralyzed husband who suffered a stroke several years ago. To bring light into her life she writes. Writing has always been her passion. She is originally from Russia where she was employed as a TV journalist.

Jo-An
Jo-An is a Leo, a lioness who has emerged to follow her dream, to someday write a book of her own. She owned a costume shop for 15 years and was able to satisfy and excel in her creative nature. She is an over-achiever and believes that anything is possible if you believe in yourself and ignore the nay-sayers. Her philosophy is based on Shakespeare "It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves." She currently resides in California with her 5 cats and 1 husband.

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Backstory of "Human No Longer" by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Human No Longer Backstory

By Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Amazon Kindle

Human No Longer. It’s my 17^th published book – yeah! – and my fourth vampire novel. First, let me tell you where I got the idea for it. About five years ago, I was still trying to please the agent (who I no longer have) who’d sold four of my earlier paperback novels to Zebra in the 1990’s and, because she didn’t seem to like any of my new potential concepts, I asked her what she would like to see. Out of nowhere, she said, “You know your 1991 Zebra vampire novel, Vampire Blood? I liked that one a lot. The characters. Well, how about writing me a sort of sequel with basically the same cast, but with this premise: A woman, a mother, after being turned into a bloodthirsty vampire, must learn to adapt to the human world and still be a good mother. You know, how would she deal with everything when she had children she loved; didn’t want to hurt or leave them…but still had the need to feed on blood? Still had all the urges and desires of a vampire?

Yikes. I hated the idea but, to please her, I went ahead and begrudgingly wrote the book. I tentatively called it The Vampire’s Children or The Vampire Mother or something like that. I finished it. Not too happy with it. I had never liked writing what other people wanted me to write. Stubborn, I guess.

My agent, in the meantime, had begun her own online erotic (which I don’t much care to write) publishing company and when I’d gotten done with the novel she was too busy to even read the finished book. She handed it off to an apprentice intern. An intern? What? Who didn’t like it at all. Duh. So, disgusted, I tucked the file away on my computer and, fed up with the whole agent thing, returned to writing what I wanted to write. An end of days novel called A Time of Demons and a new vampire novel where the evil vampire wasn’t a mother. In 2010 I went with a new publisher, Kim Richards at Damnation Books/Eternal Press, and she contracted not only those two books but asked me if I’d like to rewrite, update and rerelease all 7 of my older out-of-print Leisure and Zebra paperbacks going back to 1984. Heck yes, I said! So for the next 2 years I was busy doing that. Some of those books were over twenty-five years old and very outdated. Their rewriting, editing and rereleasing took a lot of work and time.

Then, in late 2012, I decided to take a very old book of mine (Predator) which was contracted to Zebra Paperbacks in 1993 but, in the end, never actually released, and just for the heck of it, as my 16^th novel, self-publish it to Amazon Kindle Direct. Just in ebook form. A kind of grand experiment. The first time I’ve ever tried self-publishing. See how it’d sell. Dinosaur Lake. A story about a hungry mutant dinosaur loose in the waters of Crater Lake that goes on a rampage. Hey, I wrote Dinosaur Lake before Jurassic Park, the book, ever came out! Really. I had my cover artist, Dawne Dominique make a cover for it…and it was stunning with a dinosaur roaring on the front. And I did everything else myself. Editing. Proofing. Formatting. With forty years and endless publishers behind me I felt I was capable. And it’d been selling so well I decided to self-publish another one…and I remembered the mother/vampire book. Hmmm. So I revamped (ha, ha, inside joke), polished, and self-published it, as well. I retitled it Human No Longer. Got my fabulous cover artist, Dawne Dominique, to make me a lovely haunting cover with a troubled-looking woman standing outside a spooky house, with two children behind her in its shadows, on the front and voila! All in all, I don’t think the book turned out half bad. In fact, with the changes I made I think it’s not bad at all. Now I just hope my readers will like it.

***************************************************************************

About Kathryn Meyer Griffith...

Since childhood I’ve always been an artist and worked as a graphic designer in the corporate world and for newspapers for twenty-three years before I quit to write full time. I began writing novels at 21, over forty years ago now, and have had seventeen (ten romantic horror, two romantic SF horror, one romantic suspense, one romantic time travel, one historical romance and two murder mysteries) previous novels, two novellas and twelve short stories published from Zebra Books, Leisure Books, Avalon Books, The Wild Rose Press, Damnation Books/Eternal Press and Amazon Kindle Direct.

I’ve been married to Russell for almost thirty-five years; have a son, James, and two grandchildren, Joshua and Caitlyn, and I live in a small quaint town in Illinois called Columbia, which is right across the JB Bridge from St. Louis, Mo. We have three quirky cats, ghost cat Sasha, live cats Cleo and Sasha (Too), and the five of us live happily in an old house in the heart of town. Though I’ve been an artist, and a folk singer in my youth with my brother Jim, writing has always been my greatest passion, my butterfly stage, and I’ll probably write stories until the day I die…or until my memory goes.

All Kathryn Meyer Griffith’s Books available at Amazon.com here.

Interview with fantasy/paranormal author Sherri Lackey

Today is a virtual book tour stop for Sherri Lackey. She's talking about her fantasy paranormal novel The Vrykolakas Deviation.

And as a special bonus, Sherri will be awarding a $25 gift card from Amazon to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. To be entered for a chance to win, make sure to leave an e-mail address with a comment below. And if you'd like more chances to win, you can visit other tour stops and comment there as well.

Bio:

Sherri Lackey was born in Carlsbad, New Mexico, later moving to Alpine, Texas where her parents owned a fast food restaurant (The Dairy Twist) and a Mexican food restaurant (The Spot).

It was in the back of those two businesses where, as a child, she developed a wild imagination. She thought skeletons lived in the attic, monsters lurked behind corners, and ghosts haunted The Spot. Her course as a fantasy writer was set from this young age. When her folks moved back to Carlsbad, she imagined aliens peeking in through the living room windows, thereby broadening her interests to include science fiction. As an adult she began to notice that human behavior in general is strange, alien, and monstrously scary at times. Therefore, she never lacks for new and imaginative plots in her stories.

Welcome, Sherri. Please tell us about your current release.

The Vrykolakas Deviation is book one of The Narcissus Legacy series. The story spans millennia as it follows the path of Keeva, a deviant vrykolakas (a vampire creature of Greek origin). Most vrykolakes are narcissistic monsters preying on the life-force of human victims. Keeva and her father, Sandor, do not prey upon humans and are the only two vrykolakes who are different from the rest. They live their lives in hiding from other vrykolakes who view them as a threat.

Keeva longs to have what humans often take for granted - a family of her own. When she poses as a high school student at Caldwell High School, her maternal instincts kick into full gear when she meets and “adopts” a teenage girl named Mandy. She does not tell Mandy that she is actually over two thousand years old. One dreadful night, Mandy is murdered by Severin, a vrykolakas, who Keeva captures and takes back to her apartment. Things become complicated for Keeva after that as she begins to have feelings for Severin.

What inspired you to write this book?

I have wanted to write a vampire novel for years, but there are a lot of vampire novels on the market already. I decided to tweak the concept of a vampire just a bit. As I researched the subject, I discovered the vrykolakas - a vampire legend originating on the Greek island of Santorini. Vrykolakes are sometimes called the bloodless vampire and their killing method isn’t clearly defined in the legends about them. Since it isn’t clearly defined, I took the liberty of defining the vrykolakas and their killing method in my novel.

Excerpt:

"Why? I am a vrykolakas and that is all that matters," he said harshly. "You are not a vrykolakas. You are nothing, less than nothing, daughter of Sandor. You are nothing but a freakish aberration, a mistake yet to be remedied – erased."

This conversation was not going in the direction I had hoped it would go. "And yet," I said, "here you are tied up in this room. This less than nothing aberration managed to drag your practically lifeless body back here and tie you up. That is something to think about isn't it?"

He gave me that cold smile again. "You are such a naïve little girl. How have you survived this long?"

I suddenly felt foolish. I clearly was not on top of my game here. I was failing miserably and his last words cut me deeply. I walked out of the room slamming the door behind me. I was frustrated by my failed first attempt at interrogation. On top of that, I couldn't think clearly with him around.

That night, I was restless again. At times it seemed I was in some realm of being half asleep and half awake. At one point, I thought I woke up to see Severin standing over me, looking down at me with that wolfish grin. I came more fully awake. He was not there, but his distinct odor was pervasive in my room. I got up and got a drink of water from the kitchen. I listened quietly outside his room and heard nothing.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I’m currently working on book two in The Narcissus Legacy series, titled The Darkness Below. The story of the vrykolakes continues with Keeva’s daughter, Kaie, who becomes trapped in another realm known as Subtenna. Alone with none of her family there to help her, she must find a way back to earth. She meets some new friends along the way, and makes more than her fair share of enemies, including one nameless, shapeless enemy which has haunted her dreams since childhood.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I was a child when I first considered myself as a writer. I came up with my first idea for a series of stories when I was in sixth grade. I titled it, Sherri Shoebox, Girl Detective. I was into detective novels in those days. It seems like a silly title now, but at the time I was proud of it. In seventh grade, I wrote a play titled, The Disappearance of Susan Riley, for a speech and drama class. My teacher encouraged me to submit it for publication. I did, and it was promptly rejected. Woohoo! Twelve years old and I had my first rejection letter! After that I gave up mystery writing and started writing science fiction, fantasy, and romance.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I would love to write full-time, but I have other obligations that need my attention. I have homeschooled my three children through high school. My twin sons are now in college working on a Communications degree and my daughter is a junior in high school. My mother is battling cancer now, and I spend my mornings taking care of her. I write whenever I get a chance. I prefer to write in the mornings when my mind is fresh. If I cannot do that, I write in the afternoon. I try to write for at least an hour a day, more than that if I can sneak it in.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I have to have music playing in the background as I write. I choose songs for my iPod based on how they fit with certain scenes in my stories.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Besides a writer, I wanted to be a movie producer and director when I grew up. I was a novel purest, and I believed that movies based on books should follow the intent of the author as closely as possible. I still believe that. I was bitterly disappointed in Michael Landon when I was a child because he didn’t closely follow Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books. When I read The Last of the Mohicans as an adult, and then watched the 1992 movie based on the book, I really became aggravated with the screenwriters. As far as I was concerned, they completely threw out James Fenimore Cooper’s story and kept only the names of the characters. I griped all the way through the movie much to my husband’s displeasure. I’ve given up on the dream of being a movie producer and director, but I did make my own book trailer for The Vrykolakas Deviation.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I just want to say thank you for letting me visit with readers of your blog here today. Stop by my website and say hi, give me a follow or join my mailing list. My front page has ordering information for The Vrykolakas Deviation and the release dates for the next two books in the series.

Ways to connect with me:

Facebook | Twitter 

Thanks, Sherri. Happy touring! Readers, don't forget about the giveaway Sherri is offering to a lucky commentor. 

Book blurb blitz tour stop for Linda Mercury

Today, I'm part of a book blurb blitz (I have so much fun saying that 3 times fast) for Linda Mercury and her novel Dracula's Secret.

Bio:

Linda Mercury left behind her varied careers as a librarian, art model, and professional clown to pursue writing. She’s interested in writing, romance, the Middle East, reading, organizing, cooking, hand-made silk Turkish rugs, and the Nike of Samothrace.

You can connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.

Linda will be awarding a hand-painted fan to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. So if you'd like to be entered to win, please leave an e-mail address with your comment. (Feel free to comment without leaving an e-mail address, too!) And if you enter yourself to win, you can increase your chances by leaving comments at other tour stops.

Blurb:

SHE HUNGERS FOR HIS LIGHT

She calls herself Valerie Tate. One of the few vampires left on earth, as beautiful as she is powerful, Valerie has resisted her craving for human blood for years, just as she once hid her true gender. But the night she lays eyes on the most enticing man she’s ever seen, it’s game over. He radiates goodness and light—and searing sexual energy.  Valerie must have him. Taste him. Consume him. For he is temptation—and he is her destiny…

HE BURNS FOR HER DARKNESS

Lance Soleil is a rugged war veteran who runs a homeless shelter in Portland. At first gaze, he knows what Valerie is—and wants her even more. But when he welcomes a pack of werewolves into his shelter, he attracts the attention of Valerie’s oldest rival—her bloodthirsty brother, Radu, who hopes to become the first vampire President of the United States. Valerie knows Radu has a hidden agenda, and with Lance’s help she is determined to stop his unholy rise to power. But first, she must risk their growing love by fully revealing herself—as the one and only Dracula…

Excerpt:

His sun pierced her night.

Valerie Tate stopped dead at the sudden stabbing pain and clapped her leather gloved hands over her sensitive eyes. She’d been running full speed from rooftop to rooftop in an effort to bypass the clogged holiday traffic between her and her destination. Portland’s nighttime rain had merely cloaked her progress instead of slowing her down.

The flare of light, brighter than a magnesium bomb exploding in her face, now left her stunned, blind, and helpless. Any one looking out over the skyline could see her. Not something she wanted. 

She crouched, one foot poised over the lip of a building’s crown. One wrong step and she’d fall off. It wouldn’t be a fatal drop, but it would certainly slow her down. Better to risk being seen up here, prancing about like some crazed musical number, than sprawled out on the pavement in the middle of the Halloween crowd.

Valerie probed the skin on her face. Unlike magnesium and direct sunlight, she hadn’t blistered or burned in response. Good. That would have ruined her evening’s plans. Much depended on her appearance not gathering too much attention.

Blood seeped from under her eyelids in response to the too-bright shine. Under the cover of her palms, she blinked away the achingly intense spots floating before her vision.

How could this happen? Once, a magnesium bomb had detonated next to her. Even as her skin peeled back, she had kept going. Nothing broke her concentration during a mission. Six hundred years of killing had taught her well. 

Interview with children's author Joanne Lécuyer

Today at Reviews and Interviews is children's author Joanne Lécuyer to talk about her writing and her newest book, Kaptain Vamp.

Bio:
Children’s book author, Joanne Lécuyer, has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Visual Arts from the University of Ottawa and a Diploma in Public Administration from the University of Quebec. She is also a Professional and Personal Coach and Reiki Master. Joanne has worked for the Canadian federal government for over 25 years, with the last 15 years in strategic and organizational communications to help management and employees communicate better. Joanne was born in Timmins, Ontario, Canada but spent most of her life in North Bay, Ontario. She lives in a small rural community near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada with her husband Rick, their dog Kato and their two cats, Black Magic and Minx.

Welcome, Joanne. Please tell us about your current release.
Kaptain Vamp is my second children’s book. The story is about a young vampire named Allistaire, who is also part human, who wants to change the fact that humans are afraid and distrustful of vampires. His family has been living among humans for hundreds of years and they’ve always used their abilities for good. One day, while reading his favourite superhero comic, Allistaire decides that he’s going to do everything he can to help humans. He enlists the aid of his best friend Rich to help him become Kaptain Vamp.

What inspired you to write this book?
Since vampires have been the rage for adults for the last few years, I thought it would be fun to write a story about them for kids. I liked the challenge of taking this theme and making it positive. I didn’t want to give the kids nightmares. Also, I thought a vampire-human superhero would make a good story.

What exciting story are you working on next?
I’m working on a few stories, but I think the next one will be about a fairy. I’ve also got outlines for sequels to my first book The Witch, the Cat and the Egg and Kaptain Vamp for 2012.

I’m also experimenting with other writing mediums. I’ll soon have one or two new comic strips that will be available only on the website. Readers will be able to vote for the one they prefer and I’ll either continue with as a comic or turn the story into a future book.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Before I published my first book The Witch, the Cat and the Egg in 2010, I didn’t really consider myself a writer even though I do a lot of writing in my full-time job. Now with my second book, and others in the works, I’m starting to call myself a writer. Whether I can call myself a good writer is up to my readers.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I have a full time job with the Canadian federal government, which keeps me pretty busy during the day and week. So, I usually work on my books and the website, during the evenings and weekends. I also get some of my ideas in the early morning, during my bus commute to work.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I’m not sure if it’s a writing quirk, but I like to read the stories to my husband, at various stages of development. He’s a great sounding board. When I have a good draft, I also give it to some test readers – friends and familly. For me it’s important to get feedback. It helps me to know if I’m on the right track and when I need to make some changes.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I don’t remember wanting to do anything specific. However, when I was a child, I’m told that I was always walking around with a pencil and paper in my hands. As a teenager, I really liked to reproduce and draw images from various books and posters, especially fantasy.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
When I started writing stories for children, I decided that I would write the kinds of books that leave my readers feeling good and wanting more; that also leave them with a smile on their faces. The type of book that you can read kids before they go to bed that will help them have good dreams! That’s what Topsy Books is all about. My personal motto is “Dare to imagine and believe in the magic of possibilities!” I hope that new readers will make Topsy Books part of their reading collection.

Readers can connect with me through my website (www.topsybooks.com), Facebook (Topsy Books), and on Twitter (@JoTopsyBooks).

Thanks for being here today, Joanne. I hope the muse keeps inspiring you.

Interview with author Martin Sharlow

Paranormal writer Martin Sharlow joins us today as he travels to many stops with a virtual book tour through The VBT Cafe.

Welcome, Martin. Please tell us about your current release, Shades of Blood.
My current release is the sequel to Shades of Twilight. Basically, this book takes off from the very next morning after the ending of the last book. Needless to say, the story that began in book 1 is far from over, and our heroes are just finding this out.

I actually like this one better than the first, and that's mostly because I get to see the characters grow more in this one. In the first book I was laying a foundation for who they basically were, now we get a chance to see where they're going. A lot of people didn't like Melissa's personality in book 1, and I have to admit, I didn't like it either. But these books are like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. When I started book 1 I was looking at Melissa's personality as a whole, covering more than just the first book. So I'm hoping people will like her more as she grows.

What inspired you to write this book?
Mostly, the story wasn't over and it needed to go on. I could have left it where it was, but I really had a need to see Melissa grow. So more than anything, that is the driving factor.

What exciting story are you working on next?
I'm actually working on several projects at the moment. A lot of them are only in the outline or idea stage. But off the top, I'm working on a novelette that's actually my first vampire erotica story. I'm hoping that will be out in July.

I also have a novella I'm several chapters into. It's about a young man who finds himself turned against his will into a vampire, and is left to fend for himself with no idea what to do. In the end he decides that for his family's safety it would be better that they think he was dead. Unfortunately for him he later finds out that his family died under mysterious circumstances after he left, and his living younger sister has disappeared. This leads him into the plot of the book, in his search for answers about exactly what happened to his family and his attempts to locate his sister. Of course he meets people along the way, and discovers a love interest for himself as well. I don't want to give too much away, but I have high hopes for this one.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Well, I have always written somewhat. I never actually expected to be a writer, I kind of just woke up one day and found out, "hey I'm a writer." So it's been kind of a big surprise to me, but I'm actually starting to really enjoy it.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I am a full-time writer. Whatever that is… I'd love to say that I write all the time, but the truth is sometimes it's like pulling teeth when I'm trying to get myself to write. It's not that I don't enjoy writing, it's more like my hobby has become a job, and trust me that isn't always good. Not that I would change it. My biggest problem, is that I can't find a comfortable or conducive place to work. Sometimes I can get away with working at home. More often than not I find myself getting most my work done at places like McDonald's or Starbucks. A couple of times, I actually wrote at a hotel room on the ocean. That was cool, except I never really got the chance to actually walk down by the water. Working, you know.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I suppose the most interesting writing quirk I'm having right now is that I'm trying out using Dragon speak software. I'm hoping that it will increase my productivity. I'm suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome at the moment, so my typing is really slow, as well as painful. So if this works out, I should actually be able to write more. Which is a good thing, except I won't be actually able to use the software anywhere but home or a hotel room. After all, the noise in most places would wreck havoc on the voice-recognition not to mention I'm sure people would be staring at me as I dictated stories.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Believe it or not, up until the age of eight I wanted to be an archaeologist. I don't know why I got that in my head, most likely because of my interest in dinosaurs at the time. I believe a schoolteacher changed my mind about it when they told me how difficult finding work as an archaeologist would be. I think it went something like "the world can only support a couple of archaeologist at one time." So I gave up my little dream then. After that, I just decided I wanted to be a millionaire, not that I had any plan or for that matter ever succeeded.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Just one thing about my book. When I wrote it, I decided I wanted my characters in the real world. Not just some alternate world. So I tried to breathe life into them and make them as real as possible. Some people don't like the fact that I made references to the Twilight series. But Melissa is a fan of the books, not to mention various other vampire series. So her entire knowledge base comes from paranormal romance vampire books. She only has those as a frame of reference to attempt to understand what's going on in her life right now. I don't know about anyone else, but I've met lots of people that wish they had a vampire lover like in all the books. You have to admit that if you found yourself in such a situation, wouldn't you find yourself referencing those source materials in an attempt to understand what was going on? Melissa can't help but try to find parallels between herself and say Bella or some other lead girl in a different vampire novel. So try to keep that in mind as you read the books. I know if I was her I would expect at least some similarities to the books I read. Anyways I hope you enjoy it, and I want to thank you for allowing me to share on your blog with you.

Thanks for being here today, Martin and sharing a bit about yourself and your writing. Best wishes for the rest of your virtual book tour.

Interview with mystery author Michele Drier

A nice round of applause for today's guest, mystery author Michele Drier.

Welcome, Michele. Please tell us a bit about yourself.
I was born in Santa Cruz, California to a family that migrated west to San Francisco in 1849. Unfortunately, they never found gold, nor did they buy (and hang onto) any California land.

My mother named me 'Michael,' after author and actress Blanche Oelrichs, who wrote under the name of Michael Strange. After months of saying, “Yes, she’s a girl. Yes, her name is Michael,” my mother finally caved and I became “Michele.” I was read to as a child, and needed always to have a book with me. My maternal grandmother belonged to a writing club in San Francisco in the early part of the 20th century and wrote poems and jingles—one of which won her a travel trailer during the Depression.

My first career was in journalism, and I spent seven years as a staff writer with the San Jose Mercury News. After returning to Humboldt State University to complete school and work on a master’s, I fell into my second career, as a non-profit administrator.

Please tell us about your current release.
SNAP: The World Unfolds is the first in a series about the Kandesky vampire family. The Kandeskys moved away from traditional vampire activities (killing, violence) and decided to make money instead. They stayed small as a family and spread across Europe, making money, buying up land in their native Hungary and developing different food sources. Over the last 60 years, they’ve built an international multimedia empire and now rank among the wealthiest family-owned corporations in the world.

When Maxie Gwenoch takes the job of Managing Editor for their print magazine, she has no idea she’s taken up with vampires, let alone that she’s absolutely taken with Jean-Louis, the company’s art director.

What inspired you to write this book?
My daughter made an off-hand comment a couple of years ago that celebrities could be vampires: They only come out at night, they’re always in limos with tinted windows, they always wear huge sunglasses. I started thinking about this, and that celebrities around the world all look and dress similarly, and thought, “What if?” I started to write SNAP—my working title was OMG—as a celeb vampire story, but when Jean-Louis comes into the picture Maxie is a goner. SNAP turned into a romance between a vampire and a regular.

What exciting story are you working on next?
The second in the Kandesky books is SNAP: New Talent and continues the romance of Maxie and Jean-Louis against the backdrop of a continuing war between the Kandeskys and their neighbors and rivals, the Huszars.

While the Kandeskys were building an international business empire and moving around the world, the Huszars stayed put and kept up traditional activities—violence, killing, and occasionally bringing in new vampires. Some of the newer vampires think this is limiting, are envious of the Kandeskys, and are willing to align with them.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
OMG, I don’t really know. I was recognized for a short story I wrote for a high school English class, but I wanted to be a chemist, so didn’t take it seriously. After dropping out of college as a chemistry major, I ended up as a reporter with the San Jose Mercury-News. I went back to school, this time as an English/History major and began a novel, which I entered into the Phelan Young California Writers Competition. I didn’t win, place, or show. That was the year Anne Rice won for Interview with the Vampire, heavy competition.

I went on to build a career in non-profit management and as an editor for several other daily newspapers. Like a lot of newspaper people, I had some beginnings of a book in a desk drawer (really, a shoe box in the closet) that I would take out and work on every so often, but didn’t get serious about finishing anything until a few years ago.

I worked on my first book, Edited for Death, a newspaper-themed mystery for a few years and started looking for an agent. After several; many; close to a ton; of rejections, I submitted it un-agented to Mainly Murder Press and was accepted. It’s being published Oct. 1, 2011 and I’m very happy!

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I’d like to write full-time, but need to pay the mortgage and bills. I’m semi-retired and doing consultant work for non-profit agencies on organizational and board development, fund generation, grant writing, and communications.

I give myself time to have coffee and read the paper every morning before I sit down at the computer. Between e-mails and phone calls trying to drum up clients, or working with existing ones, I write. I try to write 4-5 hours a day, but only manage that a few days a week. If I’m consistent I can write about 35 pages of first draft a week—this doesn’t happen often, unfortunately!

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Huummm...you mean besides writing in my jammies? :)

I guess that I’m a pantser, writing without an outline. I’ve lived with a lot of these characters in my head so I know some of the stories, but they can surprise me. New people pop up, different actions. The resolution, though, I know from the start. I guess it’s sort of like going somewhere. You know the destination, but there could be a lot of side roads, hitchhikers, detours, before you get where you’re headed.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Seriously? A race car driver. I wanted to drive the Mille Miglia, a race and rally in Italy, which I think now is primarily vintage sports cars...aahhh, my cup of tea!

About four years ago, after my granddaughter was born, I bought my first-ever four-door sedan. My daughter grew up riding in my 356 Porsche and now will only buy SUVs, the bigger the better!

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Reading is my first passion, and I love stories. My books are for fun...I’ve had fun writing and I hope readers have fun reading them. Life is too short without some laughs along with way!

You can find the book at Smashwords, Amazon, and B&N.

Michele, thanks for being here today and talking about SNAP. I look forward to having you back to talk about Edited for Death.