At the Round Table with Tina Folsom - Part I & Giveaway

Today I'm joined at the Round Table by my newest favorite author - Tina Folsom.  Thank you so much for stopping in to chat with me today Tina,  it is such an honor to have you here.  May I offer you a drink from the menu?

Tina: A Vampire’s Wine please.

There is your glass of wine Tina,  great choice *grin*.  Tina is the author of Vampire Erotica and you can see all the books she writes and find out more information at her website - Tina Folsom. 

First a little bit about Tina:

A native of Germany, Tina Folsom immigrated first to England in 1991 and then to the USA in 1999 where she lived in various large cities before she made San Francisco her permanent home.

While writing has always been her passion, the trained CPA knew she had to get a "real" job first. She now splits her time between a small Real Estate Brokerage she operates and her writing, while still finding time for her American husband and her many friends.

Tina is a member of the San Francisco Romance Writers of America. She also meets regularly with her two critique partners who write historical and paranormal romance.

BK: What inspired you to pen this novel?

Tina: My husband and I travel to Europe every other year to visit my family back in Germany. But since visiting family doesn’t really qualify as a vacation, we always add another country into the mix. So, after visiting my parents in Germany in October last year, we took the train down to Italy. I’d been to Venice before - twice in fact - but for some reason, this visit was different. Maybe it was because this time I was with my husband and it was a very romantic trip.

One night, we got hopelessly lost. It was dark and the further we walked, the more deserted the area became. We had no idea where we were. I had a map, of course, but you try and find a tiny street name on an even tinier map. It’s hopeless. My Italian language skills amount to being able to order food, but somehow I managed to ask a young man, who turned out to be Lebanese, to show us on the map where we were. Turned out that we were hopelessly lost in Castello, a residential area of Venice. The man was so nice to walk with us for a few blocks to lead us to the right bridge and toward the right area so that we managed to get back to our hotel.

But while we were walking, I could really feel the shadows on us, the dark, the secrets of the city. I decided there and then that Venice was the perfect place for a vampire novel.

BK: What draws you to write in this genre?

Tina: I just love everything dark and goth. I think it’s because the creatures of the dark are the things I fear most. I used to jump into bed when I was a kid, because I was afraid if I just climbed in, somebody from underneath it would grab my leg and pull me under. While I now know what’s really under my bed (a bunch of dust), I still have that fear of the dark. It’s almost an obsession to write about it, because in my books I can create heroines who have no fear. I can be brave in a book.

BK: How do you keep your writing different from all the other novels in this genre?

Tina: I think that’s a really hard thing to do. When I compare my books to those of other authors in the genre, I see that many have very intricate plots and lots of supporting characters. I try to limit that a little - particularly in a novella - so that I can really concentrate on the romance. I also really turn up the heat level in my books, more so than others who write paranormal romance. I think only true erotica is probably hotter. It’s what I like my books to be known for: a really hot read with a satisfying ending.

BK: Who is your favorite character and why?

Tina: Considering that there are only a few characters in Venice Vampyr, I must choose Raphael. I love alpha heroes especially when they come with fangs. And I also like men who show their vulnerability and aren’t afraid of it. That’s what Raphael does in the bondage scene.

BK: What is your favorite part about writing?

Tina: I love plotting. You should see my boards in my home office. They are all laid out in eight sequences just like a movie is. Then I pop scenes into the various sections, and slowly, but surely, a book emerges. Once I’ve plotted the book, the hard work is done. Now it’s the writing. And when it comes to writing, I do love writing the love scenes. So, there are actually two favorite things for me: plotting and writing love scenes.

BK: Did you learn anything about yourself as a result of writing this novel?

Tina: The less I have to worry about a complicated plot and allow the characters to take over, the more words I can write really quickly, and the hotter I can allow the novel to become. That’s what happened with Venice Vampyr: I wrote the entire novella in two weeks, when normally it would take me about double the time to write 30,000 words.

BK: Are you currently working on any projects?

Tina: Yes, frankly, there isn’t ever a time I’m not working on another book. At the moment, I’m writing book #4 of the Scanguards Vampires series. It’ll be Yvette’s story. The plot is a little more involved, so the writing is going a bit slower at the moment. Once I get to the sex scenes, I’m sure it’ll all flow a little faster.

BK: Any advice for new aspiring authors?

Tina: Get a couple of critique partners, join the professional organization for your genre, and write as much as you can. A lot of it is practice and learning from your mistakes. Listen to what other people tell you about your writing. Not everything might be useful, but you can often filter out what will help you grow. I work with two fantastic critique partners who have helped me tremendously improve my plots and characters. As a writer you are just too close to your story, and you often don’t see the glaring problems.

BK: Where can readers find you? (Facebook, twitter, website, blog, etc.)

Tina:

www.tinawritesromance.com

http://authortinafolsom.blogspot.com

http://www.facebook.com/AuthorTinaFolsom

http://www.twitter.com/Tina_Folsom

Tina was kind enough to offer a giveaway today.  One lucky winner will receive 1 Ebook copy of Venice Vampyr in PDF, Mobi or Epub format.  Simply leave a comment for Tina telling her what you enjoy about Vampire Erotica novels along with your email address so I have a way to contact you if you should win.  Although it isn't mandatory,  following the blog would be greatly appreciated.

 

Want Extra Entries?  Do one or all of the following and include each in a separate comment so it gets a number.  Winner will be drawn using Random.org on February 14,  Valentine's Day:

• Share this post and leave the link
• Like our Facebook Page - in the right side bar
• Become a Follower of my new website - Express Yourself

Check out my review of Venice Vampyr HERE.

Thank you so much for stopping in Tina,  it has been such a pleasure.  Stop back on February 20 to see my review of Gabriel's Mate by Tina,  and then again February 23 for Part II of my interview as Tina comes back to the Round Table for some Fun Fact questions.















Until next time,

BLB Ebook Tours - Venice Vampyr by Tina Folsom

http://booklovinbitches.blogspot.com

I am so excited to finally start my part in the BLB Ebook Tours.  Today I'm reviewing Venice Vampyr by Tina Folsom.  This will be her first pit stop with me,  and she even took time to do an interview with me.  So stop back in later in the week to see Part I of my Tina Folsom interview.  Because she is stopping back in with Gabriel's Mate later this month,  that is when Part II will go up.  I broke it down to keep it interesting and also to not bombard the posts :).

So with that said...let's move on shall we?

Warning: explicit and graphic sex, incl. voyeurism and other sexual taboos. This is an erotic novella.

Venice, early 1800s

Isabella Tenderini, a wealthy merchant's widow rescues a stranger from drowning in one of Venice's canals. And how does the man repay her selfless act? By kissing her - her, a respectable woman.

Not only is Raphael di Santori grateful for his life being saved, he would also like to thank his rescuer very intimately - more intimately than decorum allows. But then, Raphael has never been one to play by the rules - as a vampire he doesn't have to.






 My Thoughts:

Venice Vampyr was a magnificent,  fast paced read.  I absolutely love Tina Folsom's writing style.

Isabella was a widow having her husband to a drowning the year before.  As her gondilier is driving her home one night,  she is shocked to hear the canal waters trying to claim yet another life.

When she sees a man sinking to his death,  she wastes no time jumping into the cold murky waters to save him.  Searching the dark water,  relief floods her when she is able to grab the man,  and with the help of her gondilier,  having tied a rope to her,  they both get pulled to the surface. 

Hoping to keep the torment of lonliness from another,  she takes this strange man home to nurse him back to health.  She undresses him and bathes him to warm him from his near death experience.  What she never expected was how his nakedness moved things inside of her that even her late husband wasn't able to move.

As this stranger awakes,  he swears he's in heaven as this beautiful woman standing before him must be an angel.  Isabella assures him he is not in heaven,  but saved from death.  His vampire instincts kick in and he can't help but to sense her desire for him.  Feeling his own need arise,  he is disappointed when she sends him on his way.

When he learns that Isabella lied to him,  and she is in fact the one that saved him,  he is determined more than ever to have her.  Sneaking back into her bed chamber,  she is forced to give in to her carnal desires as Raphael di Santori pleasures her like she's never been pleasured before.

Now worried about her good reputation in the Venice Society,  she's even more devastated when her late husband's cousin abruptly enters the room,  catching her with Raphael and accuses her of being a whore.  The ring he bears does not go unnoticed by Raphael - he is a guardian and one who hunts and kills vampires.  Set on saving Isabella from being shunned,  Raphael marries her.

Isabella will in time figure out her new husband's secret,  but will she be able to accept him for what he is,  or deny the love that she's developed?

Folsom did such a fantastic job with Venice Vampyr.  The characters were easy to connect with and the plot was suspenseful and thrilling all in one.  I believe Tina Folsom may be one of my author picks of the year for 2011.  I can't wait to start Gabriel's Mate.

I give this title ***** (5) Stars.

 Don't forget to stop back later in the week as Tina joins me at the Round Table.

Until next time,

Disclosure of Material Connection: i am a member of the Book Lovin' Bitches Ebook Tours and a copy was provided to me by the author. although payment may have been received by Book Lovin' Bitches Ebook Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review nor was there an obligation to write a positive one. all opinions expressed here are entirely mine and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist or the readers of this review. this disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.