The Vampire's Last Lover
What can you tell us about your book The Vampire's Last Lover?
The story is about an unenviable nineteen-year-old girl named Txema Ybarra. Smart, pretty, and athletically gifted, this University of Tennessee freshman should be enjoying college life and her entrance into adulthood. And for a moment she does…until the vampires show up.
Born with an unusual ‘twin teardrop’ birthmark on her neck, Txema (pronounced Chema) is one of only a handful of females in the world who bear this trait. It marks her as a vessel of eternal youth and beauty for an elite vampire society determined to protect her precious blood….But it also is the only thing standing in the way of a rogue ‘undead’ nation determined to destroy mankind and usurp the power their sexier brethren have held uncontested for centuries.
Caught in the middle of this war after all the other bearers of the birthmark are murdered, Txema must flee America and heads to France under the protection of five beautiful vampires who all have a vested interest in her survival. The race is on to save her blood, as well as her very life, to ensure the survival of Les Amantes de Vampire. Otherwise, Txema will be the last one…the vampires’ last lover.
Vampires seem to have taken both the literary and movie industry by storm lately, so how have you made this story different?
What makes my story different is the ongoing war between beautiful vampires and their Chupacabra brethren. As mentioned above, Txema carries a blood type that allows the beautiful ones to remain that way, and the leader of the Chupacabras, Ralu, has succeeded in killing all of the other Basque descendants who carry this blood. To my knowledge, there isn't another series quite like this one.
Why set the book in Tennessee?
Well, it starts in Tennessee, but is really international in scope. The first book takes Txema across the Atlantic to France, and subsequent books include trips to China, Nepal, and the Maldives. Tennessee was picked as the starting place because I have developed a fondness for the Knoxville-Gatlnburg area over the years.
Where did you inspiration for the story arise from?
Good question. It came from a combination of sources. The first was J.R. Rain encouraging me to try my hand at a vampire novel. Then, my wife and youngest son provided feedback on my initial ideas. The Vampire Lovers concept came from Tyler, my youngest son, and the Dying of the Dark title and concept was Fiona's idea. The Chupacabras-pretty vamp battle was mine, as well as the special blood and double tear-drop birthmark. I credit the muse voices I continually hear in my head for guiding me in creating the characters for this ongoing saga.
The book travels to France, did you have to visit in order to make the descriptions as authentic as possible?
While I would love to visit such places as France, the answer is I've never been outside of the United States...yet. :-) Hawaii is the furthest away from the mainland I've visited, and that was as a kid long ago. I spend a lot of time meditating about other places, and my literary guides bring me incredible visions to where I can almost reach out an touch these places.
There is reference to Indian lore and ceremonies in the book, so tell us about the research process into these.
There is only light references in this book, as compared to my Cades Cove series, which is loaded with that sort of thing. So, in effect, the vampire saga 'borrows' a bit from Cades Cove. There is a ceremony in this book, and it is highly erotic. I hate to admit that it came entirely from visions, and a suggestion from Fiona on how a barren teenager could possibly become pregnant to keep the bloodline going.
Who are your favourite reads?
I love just about everything from Anne Rice. Books like "The Shining" by Stephen King have also had an influence, as well as works by Richard Matheson, Peter Straub, Michael Crichton, and Clive Barker.
What is your all time favorite novel?
"The Witching Hour" by Anne Rice. I have always been blown away by its richness, and fell in love from day one with her descriptive power.
Which authors would you say have had a profound affect on your work?
Definitely Anne Rice, Peter Straub, Richard Matheson, and J.R. Rain. The latter has helped me learn to write shorter books, and find ways to paint full descriptions with less pages. :-)
What advice can you give to writers wanting to attempt this genre?
Unlike a lot of authors, I am not as well-read as many of my peers. In a way, it has helped me develop my own voice without too many outside influences. I would encourage new authors to find their unique voice--one that sets them apart while still being something that most fantasy/ horror/ adventure readers can relate to. Practice makes perfect, as is often said. I never believed it when I was younger, but I can see now that years of doing this has inevitably given me a style that now marks me as an author (for better or worse).
What is next for you?
I now write several novels each year, which means a hectic pace much of the time. There will be a new installment to the Dying of the Dark Vampires coming in May, along with back stories about the various vampires in the series that will be handled by Curiosity Quills Press. Also, I just released the third installment of The Judas Chronicle (Destiny of Coins) a few weeks ago, and the next book in that series comes out in August (The Dragon Coin). (There are coming back stories for it as well from the same publisher). After that, a spinoff from the Cades Cove series will round out the year. Along with these books, J.R. Rain and I will release three more books in our new Nick Caine Adventures novella series. "Temple of the Jaguar" was the first installment, and "Treasure of the Deep" comes out next month.
Female First Lucy Walton