Hi Colleen! So happy to have you here at Smexy today! Tell the Smexy readers a little about yourself.
Hey Smexy! Thanks for having me; glad to be here.
(Side note: not too long ago, I told my dh, MusicMan, that he was awfully smexy. Had to explain to him what that meant. Now he goes around using that word to describe himself all the time! LOL.)
LOLOL, I love it!
Let’s see…about me. Well, I am lucky enough to be able to write full-time. I write both historical vampires and also dystopian paranormals (as Joss Ware). I love to cook, eat, read, write and I adore Robert Downey, Jr., as Sherlock Holmes.
Well, who doesn’t love RDJ as Sherlock ;) Your previous series, The Gardella Chronicles is one of my favorite series. What made you choose this time to have each book end with a HEA, rather than torture us with an ongoing love triangle? (By the way, it was very good torture ;)
Thank you very much for the compliment! I’m glad you enjoyed the series, and that the torture wasn’t too bad. ;-)
The thing about the Gardella series was that it was more of a historical urban fantasy series than a romance series, and because of the fact that the heroine didn’t get her HEA until the fifth and final book…and it wasn’t even clear who the hero was until near the end of the series…it sort of didn’t fit into the genre expectations of a Romance novel.
Therefore, when I set out to write this new series, it was sort of an expectation that there would be HEAs at the end of each book—and I was eager to try my hand at doing it that way. I do have over-arching plots that arc from book to book (like Eloisa James or Suzanne Brockmann do), so if you want a little bit of that love triangle torture, you might experience a bit of that as well.
It’s simply a different approach to storytelling—stand-alone books as opposed to a single character-centric series. Each style or approach has its benefits and challenges, and it’s been fun trying something different.
I enjoyed how vampires are made in this world, and how such simple things can bring them to their knees. Give us some insight into creating this world and these vampires.
Thanks!
When I was asked to write another historical vampire series, this one with good and sexy vampires, I had to approach the mythology differently than I had with the Gardellas (where all vampires are bad)…so I had to start with the premise that there could be good and bad vampires in this new “world.”
In this case, the Draculia is a group of men (and women) who are descendants of Vlad the Impaler (also known as Count Dracula) who have sold their souls to the devil—thanks to a bargain Vlad made with Lucifer centuries ago.
So the Dracule have power, money, immortality, and every pleasure they could ever want in this world…and many of them live that way, with no sort of conscience, no concept of moderation, and a completely selfish life. Some are violent, some are merely hedonistic, and all of them must ingest blood in order to live.
There are only two things that can really harm a Dracule: a stake through the heart (or beheading—oops, that’s three) and his or her Asthenia.
Like the vampires of legend who recoil at the sight of silver, and who are weakened by its presence, each of my vampires have a similar “Achilles Heel”—in this case, I call it their Asthenia. And for each Dracule, it’s something different. For one, it could be sapphires. For another, it could be an oak tree. For another it could be grass or horses or rosemary.
The Dracule, each having sold his soul to Lucifer, are bound to him. This is demonstrated by the Mark on his/her back—a mark that represents the cracked and warped soul that now belongs to the devil
Lucifer uses this bond to help control his Dracule, causing the Mark to swell and become excruciatingly painful whenever one of his vampires threatens to do something unDraculean…like, say, love someone. Do something selfless. Etc.
If Voss had a twitter account, what would be his first tweet?
@ViscountVoss Party at my place! All females welcome!
If you could be a character in this series, would you be a vampire or one of the hunters? Who has more fun?
Well, considering that the vampires are beholden to the devil…I’d probably go for being one of the mortals. But I think being a vampire hunter would be a bit too dangerous for my taste…so I’ll stick with being one of the fabulously beautiful and smart Woodmore sisters, each of whom has a bit of the Gypsy Sight.
What movie stars would you cast for Voss and Angelica?
Voss would have to be someone like Ryan Reynolds—so pretty and gorgeous he takes your breath away. And for Angelica…maybe someone like Emma Stone…although she doesn’t have that exotic, faintly Gypsyish look I picture Angelica having. Hmm. I’ll have to think on that one.
Do you listen to music as your write? Does it influence you in any way?
I generally listen to instrumental music while I write—either stuff that’s Isort of hypnotic and repetitive, or soundtracks (Harry Potter is one of my favorites). However, there are times when I’ll listen to sexy sort of music if I’m writing a scene that’s very emotional or sensual.
When you are not writing, do you have a favorite hobby or past time?
Since I have three children, three dogs, and a husband…well, I don’t have a lot of free time…but I do enjoy cooking (and eating) and traveling.
The Vampire Voss, The Vampire Dimitri, and The Vampire Narcise will all be out back to back starting this March. What is up next for you?
I’m working on my next Joss Ware project as we speak, as well as some other projects. I hope to be doing more Draculia books in the near future as well!
Thanks so much for having me here at Smexy today!
Thanks Colleen!! Today, Colleen is offering to giveaway one copy of The Vampire Voss!
To enter, tell us if you would prefer to be a Vampire, Vampire Hunter, or just a mere mortal ;) Contest open to US only through March 25th. Please leave a valid email address.
Thank you for a great and interesting post. Congratulations on The Vampire Voss! Part of me thinks it would be really interesting and cool to be a vampire. However, if I had to choose I would rather be a mere mortal. I try to try to see good in everyone and everything so I would make an awful and hesitant hunter. As for being a vampire, I think it would be kind of lonely.
rjofus(at)gmail(dot)com
I think I would perfer to be a vampire. To be able to live for so long, to see so much history as it happens, would be great!
My choice would be a vampire, who wouldn't want immortality? tWarner419@aol.com
How did I not know you were Joss Ware? I love those books! But to the question…in The Vampire Voss world I'd want to be a human. I don't want to be attacked or to die because I touch cotton. lol
forgot my address
manning_j2004 [at] yahoo [dot] com
I think I'd want to stay human.
Sara M
sara_UFblog [at] yahoo [dot] com
I think vampire. They just seem to have all the fun!
I'd think It'd be awesome to be a vampire hunter. A chance to kick some butt every now and then would be cool :)
fchien16@gmail.com
I'll go with what I know…another vote for mere mortal!
Don't enter me in the contest. I have Colleen's new book on its way to me and can't wait to read it.
I would rather be a mere mortal. :)
Will go with being mortal
vidishamun@gmail.com
I've been looking forward to this book, I'm a big fan of Joss Ware, but haven't crossed over to Colleen's books, this would be a good start!
And if I have to choose, I'd be a vampire…why not?
Thanks for the contest!
sgalley65 at yahoo.com
I would choose to be a mere human and maybe a snack for a hot vampire…..hollybwright@comcast.net
I just started this one and was wondering what the heck was going on w/ Voss' back/mark after he let the girl go (alley scene). Sooooo, very interesting, indeed….
Have to go with mortal.
kissinoak at frontier dot com
Since the Gardella series is one of my favorite all time series – I'd choose to be a Vampire Hunter!
ktleyed at comcast dot net
In the real world I would have to stick with plain old mortal! If I could somehow live some fantastical imaginary life where I wasn't scared of what would happen around every corner I would absolutely pick vampire!
Thanks! mmafsmith@gmail.com
I would be a Vampire – I wouldn't mind living and seeing life from a Vampire's POV. Er, biting someone would be interesting too. ;)
Oops forgot my email…
pebasso@firstfleetinc.com
thanks!
I think I'd like to stay mortal. While immortality would be nice for a while, I can imagine how bored and overwhelming it would become after a few 100 years. And the pain of watching those you love die? No thanks.
Well..I have to say I would just be a mere mortal, but hey, if what they say about the bite is true…Whoo Whoo!!
Deb
mammy4423@yahoo.com
I think I would go with Vampire Hunter. Forbidden romance, much?
;-)
justforswag(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
I would choose to be a vampire – I'm a night owl already, so I have that part down, LOL.
Barbed1951 at aol dot com
Depends. If the vampire is swoon worthy, then vamp. If the hunter training me is swoon worthy, then vamp hunter… if either are swoon worthy and prefer mortals, then mortal. ;D hee hee.. Way to not make a choice, huh?
books (dot) things (at) yahoo (dot) com
Awesome interview! Congrats on the new series Colleen! I LOVED the Gardella Vampire Chronicles. They are some of my favorites. I would have to choose being a mere mortal. There are some days that seem to last an eternity and I can't stand that…so eternity is clearly not for me.
P.S.
Is there any chance we might ever find out what happened to Sebastian? I would love to know if he ever found himself a nice vamp girl to settle down with.
Oops! Forget to leave mt address…Sorry! :-)
sammysmom821(AT)gmail(DOT)com
I think I'd want to stay human. I don't think I could handle my loved ones constantly dying off.
vsloboda(at)gmail(dot)com
I think I would want to be a vampire.
Great interview!
skoverstreet@aol.com
Hi everyone! Thanks so much for stopping by and entering the contest. Looking forward to shipping a book off to the winner!
@Jamie….Who knows about Sebastian…I've been mulling his story for awhile. I'm sure something will come up…some day. :-)
Thanks for all your lovely comments about my books. I hope you enjoy this new vampire series!
I'll say vampire hunter. I wouldn't want to be a vampire with a specific group of people dedicated to offing me, and humans can be hunted by vampires so…I'd feel like the top of the food chain (not that it's easy to kill a vampire!)
b(dot)cardone(at)hotmail(dot)com
Mortal!