I’m honored to be chosen to be part of this blog hop, and I’d like to thank Ron Voigts  for tagging me to participate. This gives us all a chance to view new releases from authors we admire, as well as introduce us to some works in progress.

What is the working title of your book?

Heart of the Raven, named after the mythological heart of Lilith, who is the mother of the vampires. Or, at least it’s a mythological object in my Amaranthine universe. The truth is, I only invented the heart as an object because I wanted to use it as a future book title.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

It’s the fifth book in the Amaranthine series, so many of the plot ideas have been percolating for awhile. I wanted to send my vampires overseas because most vampire series do at some point. Usually vampires go to Europe and, while they do have to go to Germany, I wanted them to do something unusual after that. Originally I’d planned Mexico, but Twilight used it so heavily that I chose another country. The problem was to figure out WHY they’d go there. And then I saw a documentary a year ago and it all fell into place. Well, with a lot of research.

What genre does your book fall under?

Paranormal. If given no other choice I’d say Paranormal Romance because it has some hawt vampires in it and of course Katelina and Jorick’s romance. Oh, and a couple of sex scenes. There hasn’t been much killing thus far. By chapter ten the body count is only two vampires and *maybe* a couple of human port patrol officers. (It’s a bit ambiguous what happened to them in this draft.)

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

That’s a tough one. Jonathan Harvey once did a casting call for the series, and he did a pretty good job. I agree with most of his choices, except Patrick, and Jorick. I really don’t know who would play them.  Verchiel could be played by any number of smexy Japanese actors, though I lean towards Hideaki Takizawa.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Katelina and Jorick land in international hot water while trying to recover a legendary artifact, said to make its owner invincible.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Self pubbed because I like being self pubbed.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

I’m setting this post up in advance, and right now I am still working on it. Work keeps getting in the way.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

If I say I don’t know, is that a bad thing? I can tell you some books it is NOT like. Twilight, for instance.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

The series must go on. Mainly it’s the so-called apocalypse that has spurned me to hurry up, though. I know, I know. It’s superstitious and silly, but I’d like to have it done before December 21st just in case. Not that it’s going to be a conclusion, but it’s the last book where I have any events planned. Book six is going to be as surprising for me as for the readers.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Rather that giving you a sales pitch, I’ll let the book speak for itself. I’ve posted several UNEDITED snippets of Heart of the Raven for your reading enjoyment, so if you want to see sex, violence, and a vampire in a bath tub, check them out!

Last but not least, here are the authors I’ve tagged.  They will post their blog on November 14th, so be sure to check them out or you can always stop by in the meantime.

Steve Evans

Sharon Stouter

LC Cooper

Lindsay Downs