A
Vampire’s Promise
The
Vampire’s Promise Series
Book
One
Carla
Susan Smith
Welcome
to IAB. I'm so glad you could stop in today to chat. May I offer you
a beverage? (Please choose Vampire Wine, Witches Brew, Zombie Blast,
or Magic Margarita)
Oh,
Vampire Wine of course!
Now
that we are settled in, let's get to know you better.
BK:
Looking out the nearest window, describe the scene you see.
Crows
walking across my front yard. Have you ever noticed how crows always
seem to travel in threes? (You’re going to be looking - and
counting - from now on, right?) I don’t know why, but I love crows.
They’re very intelligent birds, and always look to me like they
know something we don’t … but should.
BK:
Tell us about your office. Is it a mess like mine, or is everything
in its place?
Hah!
I think the best description is “organized chaos”. The amazing
thing is I kind of sort of know where to find most anything I’m
looking for.
BK:
What is a must-have, such as coffee or a favorite pen, that you need
to write?
It’s
a small plastic toy that my husband gave to me. An orange stegosaurus
- Steggie - that sits on my laptop as I write.
BK:
Do you like to write in silence, or do you need music or background
noise?
Mostly
silence because I get distracted too easily. The one time I wrote
with music playing I found I had incorporated song lyrics into my
story! I think it’s my brain telling me I suck at multi-tasking.
BK:
Tell us a bit about your hero/heroine, and their development.
I
wanted Rowan to be the girlfriend we either wanted to be, or wished
we had. She’s fiercely loyal, non-judgmental and has a wicked sense
of humor. I hope my readers will relate to her (understand and
sympathize with her anxieties!) as she deals with the unexpected
twists in her life. As for Gabriel, well, let’s just say he’s a
gorgeous gift of seduction waiting to be unwrapped, but there’s
definitely more to him than meets the eye.
BK:
As a writer myself, I'm always curious how other writers get through
stumble blocks. When you find a story not flowing, or a character
trying to fight you, how do you correct it?
I
close my laptop and get drunk! No, seriously if I’m stuck or
something just isn’t flowing, then the best thing for me to do is
to walk away from it or else I’m liable to delete the entire novel
out of frustration. When I can go back and read everything with a new
perspective - usually the next day - then there’s a good chance I
can fix whatever I was having a problem with. But there are times
when I have to say “Carla, this is absolute crap.” The only
solution then is the delete key.
BK:
Using the letters of your first name as an acronym, describe your
book...
Oh,
that’s hard, and right now I’m wishing my name was something
other than Carla. Um… how about Compellingly
Addictive
Romantic
Literary
Appeal?
Too
pretentious? Guess I should be thankful my parents didn’t give me a
name that was ten letters long!
BK:
How did your writing journey begin?
It
was all because of a really bad romance novel doing the rounds in the
office where I worked. I told my BFF that I could write something
better, and she dared me to do just that. Never one to back down
from a challenge, I wrote three chapters that night, brought them
into work where they promptly got passed around before being returned
to me at the end of the day with “Okay, what happens next?”
scrawled in the margin. In the end I wrote a whopping “corsets &
carriages” saga that was over 250 thousand words - and I still have
it!
BK:
Using the letters from the word, Summer, how would friends and family
describe you?
Hahaha!
I learned a long time ago not to put words in the mouths of those
nearest and dearest to me. It can lead to all sorts of trouble!
BK:
What is the craziest thing you've ever written about, whether it got
published or not?
A
story about gun-toting hedgehogs! (I’d just read ‘Watership
Down’)
BK:
Tell us one thing you've done in life, that readers would be most
surprised to know.
I
did a breakfast cereal commercial for English TV when I was about
eight years old, and I hated every minute of it. Thank God my parents
never made me do another one.
BK:
What can we expect from you in the future?
I’m
currently working on a third book for the Vampire’s Promise series
(which I never thought was a series until my editor told me it was)
and while I have ideas for other paranormal novels, I may just see
where Rowan and Gabriel decide to take me. I have the feeling it’s
going to be a great ride.
This
or That...
Coke
or Pepsi? Pepsi
Night
Owl or Early Bird? Sadly
my Night Owl has morphed into an Early Bird!
Fantasy
or Mystery? Ooooh,
definitely fantasy
Pen/Paper
or Computer? Love
the romance of pen & paper, but gotta accept the practicality of
the computer.
Pizza
or Burger? Both
- but not at the same time!
Rock
or Country? I
have to choose? Aw, c’mon - can’t I love Hinder and Garth Brooks
at the same time?
Chocolate
or Vanilla? Vanilla
‘cause you can add so much more to it!
Beach
or Mountains? Beach
- for the sea not the sand.
Thank
you so much for having us as one of your stops today. It has been
great getting to know more about you and your book, and hope you will
come back when the next release is out (*hinthint*)
Thank
you for allowing me to introduce myself, and my work to you. It’s
been great and I would love to come back.
Wishing
you much success!
BK
Walker
Genre:
Paranormal Romance
Publisher:
eKensington
Date
of Publication: June 5th 2014
ISBN:
978-1-60183-289-4
ASIN:
B00HRFWQ2Q
Number
of pages: 271
Word
Count: 92,500
Book
Description:
Trust
Your Instincts
Rowan
Harper is nothing but a smart-mouthed bookstore clerk with a crappy
love life on the night she walks into Rosie’s Bar. Most of the
drama in her life is borrowed from her best friend’s adventures.
But when she meets Gabriel—tall and movie star gorgeous—everything
changes. Never mind that she turns down the drink he offers, or that
he brims with secrets she can’t begin to guess at. He ignites a
desire in her she never suspected—and shows a fascination with her
she can’t explain.
He
has no family, no job, no bank account; he knows where she lives and
her favorite flower. An aura of mystery cloaks him, even as Rowan
grasps for facts, even as she fears an answer that could destroy her
happiness. Gabriel can guide her through a wonderland of new
sensations. But only if Rowan trusts him enough to follow…
Winner
of the OKRWA “Finally a Bride” contest.
Excerpt:
“I
don’t want you to leave,” I told him, my voice a barely audible,
husky whisper.
The
shadow in his eyes vanished, replaced by something else. Whether it
was relief or hope, I couldn’t say.
“Are
you sure?” he murmured, taking a step toward me. “I need you to
be certain that this – that I – am what you want.”
I
had the sense that he was asking me something that went deeper, was
more meaningful, but my brain had been through enough for one night.
My ability to search for hidden meanings was temporarily lost, and it
was more than ready to hitch a ride to Clueless Land. I wasn’t sure
about anything, but I trusted my instincts. And they told me this was
right. I belonged with Gabriel.
“The
only things you can be certain about are death and taxes,” I said,
giving him a wry grin, “but if you’re asking me to take a chance,
then yes, I will – only,” I paused, “why would you think I
wouldn’t want you?” He might not be able to pick up on every
emotion I was throwing his way, but surely he could still read how I
felt about him?
“Because
I wonder,” he said, taking my hand, “if you went back to the very
beginning, would you have come searching for me again?”
The
silence between us was deafening, and the feeling of déjà vu
returned. Only it didn’t feel so strange this time. Whatever
Gabriel was referring to was hidden somewhere inside that feeling.
“I
wish I knew what you were talking about,” I told him, “because I
think it’s important, but I have to tell you that right now you’re
making absolutely no sense.” Clueless Land was rapidly expanding
into the continent of the Completely Lost in the Dark.
“You
need to know the truth about me, Rowan, what I am -”
“No,
I don’t, not right now.” I held up my hand and stopped him. I was
balanced on a razor-thin wire, and it took all I had not to fall off.
“There’s only one issue that’s important right now, and I need
you to be truthful with me.”
“Of
course, ask me anything.”
“Wife,
girlfriend, or significant other?”
The
sudden, utter confusion on his face made me want to laugh aloud.
“I
don’t understand.”
“Do
you have one?”
Gabriel
shook his head of glorious white hair. “No, of course not.”
“Positive?”
He
looked hurt that I was questioning his integrity. “Rowan, I’ve
not wanted another woman since the first time I saw you. I never
have.”
“That’s
good to know,” I whispered.
He
let go of my hand and clutched his forehead as though he’d just
been afflicted with a brain freeze. Pursing his lips, he blew out a
breath. For all intents and purposes, he looked like a man who
desperately wanted to speak but was afraid his words would be the
wrong ones.
Welcome
to the club.
I
didn’t want to waste any more time in pointless conversation. It
would be an exercise in futility that accomplished nothing. What was
about to happen between us right here, right now, was not going to be
achieved with words. Unless they were all single syllables used for
instructional purposes along with some heavy-duty physical contact.
My hands literally itched to get beneath his wet clothing and touch
his body.
Something
in my life, my luckless romantic aspirations, my failure to
successfully seduce a man, had all been pushing me toward this
moment. Gabriel was to be my first, perhaps my only lover. I don’t
know how I knew this or what turn of fate’s cosmic wheel made it
so, but it was true. I had known it eighty-seven nights ago on my
front porch, and the conviction was even stronger now. I made it to
the staircase before Gabriel’s voice stopped me.
“Give
yourself to me, Rowan, and you will take no other.”
I
don’t know if other girls have experienced such a declaration, but
it didn’t surprise me coming from him. I was almost expecting it,
even if I wasn’t completely sure I understood all the implications.
Gabriel was telling me exactly what was going to happen. What his
intentions were, just in case I hadn’t been paying attention.
I
heard myself reply, saying the words that would change my life
forever. I just had no idea to what extent.
“Then
make me want no other.”
About
the Author:
Carla
Susan Smith owes her love of literature to her mother, who, after
catching her pre-teen daughter reading by flashlight beneath the bed
covers, calmly replaced the romance book she had “borrowed” with
one that was far less risqué, and much more appropriate! Though she
was encouraged to include different genres in her reading tastes,
romance - paranormal romance in particular - has always been her
first love.
Born
and raised in England, she now calls South Carolina home, where she
lives with her wonderfully supportive husband, awesome son, and a
canine critique group (if tails aren’t wagging then the story isn’t
working!) When not writing, she can usually be found in the kitchen
trying out any recipe that calls for rhubarb, working on her latest
tapestry project or playing catch-up with her reading list.
