Danielle Trussoni - Interview and Contest

A special PVN welcome to Danielle Trussoni author of the bestselling novel Angelology. Many thanks to Danielle for this interview.

[See contest info at the end of the post.]

PVN: Please tell us about the research that went into writing Angelology - What sources did you use? What places did you visit? How long did it take?

Danielle: Research was a very big part of writing Angelology. I started off knowing that I wanted to set the book in three specific locations — A cave called The Devil’s Throat in Bulgaria, World War Two era Paris and New York. I had very little solid idea of how these locations would come together. And so, in the beginning stages of the book, I was searching for the story and for the details. I read a lot of books of theology. I sat in on a class about the history of religion. And I went and stayed at a convent where I discovered books about angels. This is what pushed me to choose angels.

PVN: Why pick the subject of angels? What fascinates you about them?

Danielle: Angels are fascinating for me on a bunch of different levels. First of all, there is the vast difference in the stereotypical idea we have of angels—the Hallmark card version of angels—and the very spooky, often dark angels that are described in the Bible and pseudoepigraphical writings such as the Book of Enoch. Then, there are the beautiful angels of Renaissance painting, which I fell in love with as I was doing research.  And finally, there is the fact that angels are everywhere—sculpted onto buildings, drawn in children’s books, hanging in museums, on key chains, tattooed on people’s arms. Angels are a huge phenomena in our culture.

PVN: What are the Nephilim?

Danielle: They are the half human, half angel offspring of the Watchers—a group of angels sent to spy on humanity in Genesis: 6—and woman.

PVN: Tell us about Sister Evangeline.

Danielle: Sister Evangeline is a 23 year old nun at my fictional convent whose parents were involved in a group called angelologists, whose mission it is to study and contain the Nephilim. She is deeply conflicted about her life in the convent, and when she begins to discover the Nephilim—and the truth about her history—her world changes.

PVN: How do the Nazi's figure into your story.

Danielle: The Nazi’s are one of the many historical groups that the Nephilim have leeched onto and used for their nefarious purposes. Essentially, the Nephilim infiltrate a group, use them and then discard them when they have served their purpose.

PVN: What can you tell us about the sequel to Angelology ?

Danielle: The sequel is called Angelopolis and it is a love story between Evangeline and Verlaine—a character introduced in Angelology . The novel is set in Paris.


PVN: What were your favorite books as a young reader?

Danielle: I love to read many, many different things. I loved The Phantom Tollbooth and Alice and Wonderland. I loved anything with a fantastical element to it.


PVN: You received great acclaim for your memoir, Falling Through the Earth. Would you tell us about this book?

Danielle: It is a memoir about my relationship with my father. It looks quite closely at the time my dad spent in Vietnam as a tunnel rat, and the effect this experience had on my family. You can learn more about it at: www.fallingthroughtheearth.com

PVN: What is your writing day and your writing environment like?

Danielle: I wake up, get my two children ready for school (I have a boy and a girl), eat something and then spend the morning writing. I usually make lunch and them am back at my desk. This is the typical day, but sometimes I work much more than this and other times less. It depends on where I am in a book.

PVN: What do you like to do in your spare time - assuming you have any?

Danielle: I love to cook. I’m living in France and this is the perfect place to teach yourself—the markets are simply amazing, and the wine and cheese is, of course, great. I haven’t had a whole lot of free time lately, but when I do I plan to get some hobbies.

PVN: Where can readers find you?

Danielle: The best place is on my website: www.danielletrussoni.com

PVN: Anything else you would like to add?

Danielle: Yes, I’d like to suggest to any readers who want to learn more about angelologists, and the work that they have been doing, you can go to the Angelological Academy’s homesite: www.angelologist.com. They have a course that you can sign up for and lots of extra information at the angelological mission.


CONTEST


One commenter will win an autographed copy of Angelology. US and Canadian residents only.

*To enter: Name an angel.

You may also:

*Link to this contest on any of the social network sites, including Twitter, or your own web page. Let me know the url:  One chance for each link.
 
*If you are a Google follower (see sidebar on right): One chance
 
*If you are a member of the PVN Facebook page: One chance
 
*If you are an email subscriber: One chance

*If your email is not associated with your ID, please put the address in your response.

This contest closes April 25, 2010.

Midnight Guardian - Vampire Book Review

The Midnight Guardian: A Millennial Novel
by Sarah Jane Stratford
St. Martin's Press (October 13, 2009)

[Read an interview with the author]

The story is told from the viewpoint of the vampires who live in their own complex society. They recognize what they are - predators with humans as their source of food. History has shown that human warfare brings harm to vampires as well. Too much mortal carnage can cause famine amongst the undead, even leading to vampire killing vampire.

In Germany Hitler has seized power and another European war is brewing. Besides dreading the devastation human conflict can bring,  Vampires have a deep hatred for Hitler and his minions.  They are viewed as monsters whose main agenda is to rid the world of undesirables - Jews, communists, homosexuals, Roma, the mentally handicapped, and vampires. Nazis know the undead exist and have trained a group called Nachtspeere - Night Speers -  who know the techniques needed to destroy the them.

The Millennial vampires (those who have survived at least 1,000 years)  of England launch a plan to stop the Nazis before they can overpower the Continent. The blond, beautiful Brigit and three other millennials arrive in Germany in 1938 ready to stop the Nazis from their evil quest to conquer Europe and impose their warped beliefs on a vulnerable world. They are to infiltrate the government, become close to those in high places, learn their plans and sabotage them.

In another time line it is 1940 Brigit is on the Berlin-Basel train. Although a powerful vampire she is vulnerable and must move carefully and never let down her guard in front of those who might sense what she is. Her only mental safe harbor comes with thoughts of her lover Eamon who waits for her in London.

When the story focuses on Brigit and the others in Germany the pace never slackens. You feel their fear when being stalked, the nervousness when infiltrating the enemy ranks, and the exhilaration when destroying the enemy in the horrible way only an infuriated vampire can do. An important subplot is the romance between Brigit and  Eamon. Brigit and her lover have a deep connection that goes beyond what most couples - mortal or immortal -  could ever imagine. Although their history is engrossing it does not have the same riveting intensity of the main story.

Midnight Guardian with its mixture of intrigue, romance, and well wrought characters kept my attention from beginning to end, and I look forward to the sequel.

[Dear FTC, The publisher was kind enough to send me an ARC of this novel. I'm really glad they did.]

The Midnight Guardian - Contest & Upcoming Interview

The Midnight Guardian: A Millennial Novel

by Sarah Jane Stratford

St. Martin's Press (October 13, 2009)


[The contest portion has ended. Thanks to everyone who participated!]

Author Bio:
Sarah Jane Stratford received an MA in medieval history from the University of York in England. She lives in New York. This is her first novel.

On October 28 there will be an interview here on PVN with author Sarah Jane Stratford.

Meanwhile the contest for a copy of Midnight Guardian begins now. Look for rules as the end of this post.

The Story:

It’s 1938, and the tentacles of Hitler’s terrifying Third Reich have commenced their stranglehold on Europe. The Nazi empire will soon be clean of all bloodlines deemed tainted or undesirable…including vampires.

London’s ancient tribunal of vampires is aghast at the destruction taking place on the Continent. Though vampires try not to interfere with human politics, Hitler’s terrible plans force them into action. They resolve to send five of their most formidable vampires to Berlin— millennials that have lived over 1000 years and whose age and wisdom make them close to invulnerable— to infiltrate, disrupt, and destroy the growing Nazi war machine.

The brilliant and beautiful millennial Brigit is loath to go, but her powers are needed if the mission is to have any chance of success. She must summon all her strength to endure the separation from her lover Eamon, whom she made almost eight centuries ago, but whose lack of millennial status makes him an unacceptable choice for this operation. Though he longs to join her, his duty to Brigit is best served from afar, by nurturing their deep psychic connection and reinforcing her spirit with his fierce devotion and memories of his tender embrace.

But as the millennials attempt to penetrate and sabotage Hitler’s armies, they discover that the Nazis are more capable than any human force they’ve yet encountered and more monstrous than they'd ever imagined. Forced to take bolder, more dangerous steps, they soon attract the attention of specially trained vampire hunters loyal to Hitler and his vision of a vampire-free Europe. Exposed, deep inside enemy territory, with vicious Nazi officers and hunters at her heels, Brigit must attempt a daring escape from the Continent, guarding precious cargo that marks the only hope of salvaging their mission.

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The Midnight Guardian can be purchased through the author's site. http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Midnight-Guardian/129029047149

Three lucky readers will each win a copy of The Midnight Guardian: A Millennial Novel. To be eligible do one or more of the following:

* Leave a comment

* Ask Sarah a question

* Link this interview to your own site or a social network site, and be sure to let me know the URL.

If your email is not associated with your ID, please put the address in your response.

Contest update the publisher has limited winners to US and Canada
My apologies for this misunderstanding. It was my mistake!


[The contest portion has ended. Thanks to everyone who participated!]

The contest ends November 4, 2009 at 11:59 PM Hawaii Time.

Upcoming event - Contest and Q & A with Georgia Evans

Georgia Evans has recently published a fascinating trilogy set in England during the Second World War where the inhabitants of a small village come together to fight off vampires working with the Nazis.

To celebrate the publication of the book three of her WWII vampire trilogy, Bloody Right, Georgia Evans, who also writes vampire romances as Rosemary Laurey, will answer any questions you wish to ask her - within reason of course.

Get your questions ready! Two lucky commenters will win a copy Bloody Right, the final book in the trilogy.

Georgia has also made the following offer:

If anyone would like a book mark and/or signed book plate. Please send an SASE to

Brytewood Book Mark/ Book Plate
Po Box 6548
Columbus, OH 43206

Guest Blogger Georgia Evans (aka Rosemary Laurey)

PVN welcomes Georgia Evans (aka Rosemary Laurey) author of the Bloody Series, a vampire trilogy set in 1940s England. This month book 2, Bloody Awful, hits the book stores. Book 3, Bloody Right, appears Aug. 4. And Bloody Good was published in June. At the end of this post watch for contest information. Two lucky commenters will win a copy of Bloody Awful.

Why vampires?

That’s a question I get asked a good deal, No doubt from people wondering why a mild-mannered grandmother spends her days writing about the blood sucking undead.


A good question too: What’s the appeal? Why are so many readers (and writers, of course) drawn to vampires?

Speaking for myself, the vampire first chose me, unexpectedly announcing around chapter five, that he was actually Kit Marlowe, and not dead as had been supposed for 400 years. After that, the undead sucked me in (forgive the pun, it just came out, I couldn’t help it). Whether heroes, heroines or villains, vampires are fun to write and add a layer to the story that mere mortals couldn’t possibly manage.

In the Bloody Series, I wrote the vamps as villains. Of course from their point of view, they are fighting nobly for a cause, aided and abetted by the German High Command. The Others of Brytewood see the whole scheme completely differently and one by one, with a few casualties, deaths, and close calls along the way, they eliminate the enemy. As the villains, vampires had to be eliminated but while they wreaked havoc among the Surrey hills, they added interest and tension to the books. In fact without them and their mission of sabotage and subversion, there wouldn’t have been much of a story.

In my Rosemary Laurey books, my vamps are romantic heroes and heroines. Very different and remarkably odd, if you think about it. Vampires as villains pretty much fits the notion of a bloodsuckers preying on the living but the metamorphosis from horrific figure to romantic hero is an incredible leap. Or is it? He fits many of the parameters of the genre. He’s the ultimate dark and dangerous hero. Messing around with a vampire you are playing with the ultimate risk. He might be good in bed but his kiss could kill. Plus, no matter how desperate your mother might be to see you settled for life, she would not want you bringing a a dead man home for Sunday lunch. Then there is the fantastic sex (although strictly speaking aren’t we skirting around necrophilia here?). On the other hand, by the time a man is a few hundred years old or more, he’s no doubt learned a thing or two and with a vampire’s stamina, he won’t fall asleep afterwards.

Hero or villain, a vampire in the plot makes for wonderful escapist fiction.


Now for the contest.
Two lucky commenters will each win a signed copy of Bloody Awful


To be eligible do one or more of the following:
* Leave a comment
* Ask Georgia a question
* Link this interview to your own site or a social network site, and be sure to let me know the URL

If your email is not associated with your ID, please put the address in your response.

Contest ends July 16 at 11:59 PM - Hawaii Time.



But there is more! August 4 Georgia returns for an open Q & A. Ask her about her books, the writing life, vampires, or anything else appropriate. Every question will give you a chance to win a copy of Bloody Right, book three in the trilogy.

The contest portion is closed. Thanks to everyone who participated!

Upcoming Event - Georgia Evans Guest Blogger

On Tuesday July 14 PVN welcomes author Georgia Evans (aka Rosemary Laurey) who will offer her opinion on VAMPIRES! You gotta love 'em or hate 'em, but at PVN they are an eternal fascination.

To celebrate the July publication of Bloody Awful, Book 2 in a vampire trilogy, Georgia will send 2 lucky winners a copy of her novel.

Hope you can stop by!!

Read a review of Bloody Good



Watch a video of Bloody Awful

Bloody Good - Vampire Book Review

Bloody Good
by Georgia Evans
Kensington, June 2009

Vampires have invaded England. It is 1940 and the British are in their lonely fight against a German invasion. On a night time drop four undead, allied to the German cause, land in the English countryside prepared to do damage at a nearby munitions plant. Things go smoothly for three but the fourth lands in a tree with one branch impaling his shoulder. Wood is poison for the undead.

In a nearby village physician Alice Doyle goes about her busy schedule of working with the town folks as well as evacuees from London.

One patient turns out to be a man with a badly injured shoulder where a tree branch had punctured him. He is so weak that even walking a few steps is nearly impossible. When she goes to check on him later he has disappeared. In a seemingly unrelated event Alice finds her pet dog has suddenly died with out any obvious cause.

Alice lives with her grandmother a woman proud of her pixie blood and the prescience it gives her. Alice admits that sometimes Gran's predictions come true, but she is a doctor, a woman of science and scoffs at her grandmother's superstitions. Gradually we learn that Others, supernatural humans, have a presence in the village, although they keep this part of themselves secret.

As a conscientious objector Peter Watson has been assigned to work with Alice as her medical assistant. Many people, including Alice, despise COs, as they are called. Still Alice finds it hard to ignore how intelligent and handsome Peter is. When she discovers the terrible secret that will not allow him to ever touch a gun, all of her qualms disappear, and she falls hard for him. Her feelings are reciprocated.

All these disparate people must come together in order to figure out the evil that stalks their land.

Evans creates excellent, believable dialog (including believable britishisms) spoken by a brilliant medley of characters. There are perils and secrets tightly woven into a gripping tale of mortals and Others struggling against the Germans and their vampire allies. This is book one in a trilogy.

Read an excerpt.




Book 2 - Bloody Awful. Kensington, July 7, 2009







Book 3 - Bloody Right. Kensington, August 4, 2009







Georgia Evans is a pseudonym for Rosemary Laurey who has written several vampire romances.