WELCOME TO THE BLOG, BELLA! :)
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The_Book_Queen: Hi Bella! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? By the way, I love how on your GR bio, you call yourself an “incurable Potterhead”. You're not alone—that's me, as well! :)
Well, I’ve written ever since I can remember. I was probably about 5 when I started creating short illustrated books. Creative writing was my favorite subject when studying and I’d always use any free time I had to sit down with a notepad and pen.
However, it wasn’t until recently that I decided to actually publish my work.
TBQ: I know writing is your dream job, like for many authors. But if you couldn't write, what else would you do? Do you have a secret desire to try something else?
B: I’d probably want to own a cozy café or restaurant. I love food and cooking.
TBQ: Ah, I love the idea of a cozy cafe like that! Your debut, A Shade of Vampire, came out in December. Can you tell us a little bit about this book, and why readers are going to love it?
B: I find it hard to talk about my own book without feeling like I’m blowing my own trumpet.
Readers who don’t normally like vampire books have written to me saying they’ve enjoyed it.
Many of my readers are Twilight fans, but I’ve had just as many anti-Twilight readers compliment my book.
I’ve been told it’s a fresh and original take on the vampire genre with a non-whiny heroine and a not-so-sparkly hero.
TBQ: Hehe. :) I'll admit that, yes, I read Twilight, and at one point I wast a Twihard. But now I'm all for non-Twilight vampire books. Are there other genres you would like to write about?
TBQ: Oh, I can't wait! :) I know we all hate this question, author and reader alike. :) But I have to ask: What are a few of your favorite books and/or authors?
Pride & Prejudice – Jane Austen
Harry Potter – JK Rowling
The Chronicles of Narnia – C.S. Lewis (my childhood favorite).
TBQ: Will I be shunned if I admit I've yet to get through any of Austen's books? Also, I've never read Lewis' books, no clue why.... We've all fallen for a hero (or two, or three, or....ahem). Tell us one hero that you've fallen for—who is he and what drew you to him?
TBQ: What's next-- Can you tell us a little bit about your upcoming releases or WIP?
SPEED ROUND:
A day on a secluded island OR a day at the spa?
I’d have to say a day on a secluded island – as long as it wasn’t the vampire island from my story. I like both! It depends on my mood too. Today I’ll go with: a sweet “my-heart-skips-a-beat” one.
A devilishly handsome English lord. The word highlander just brings images of kilts to mind … which are not my personal idea of sexy. (Tsk, tsk, tsk. I'll forgive you, though I'm baffled by non-sexy kilts... )
Hot summer days.
Both are lovely. But most of the time I’d say: in the city with all the action.
Future.
Cover lover.
I love tacos!
And finally, tell us 3 unique/wacky/fun things about yourself:
1) I have vampirish writing habits. I write during the dark hours. From about 1am until 9am. Then I go to sleep.
2) I don’t have a TV at home.
3) I have a mild addiction to this website: www.canhas.cheezburger.com
The_Book_Queen: Thanks so much for stopping by, Bella, and please know that you are welcome back anytime! Do you have any questions for our readers—something to spark a good discussion? :)
Bella: Thanks for having me!
I have a question for your readers: do you prefer the traditional blood-thirsty vampires? Or the softer, more modern ones?
A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest
A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood.
She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine.
An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains.
Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince.
Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.
Will she succeed? ...or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?
Where to Buy*:
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (December 17, 2012)
Genre: YA Paranormal
On the evening of Sofia Claremont's seventeenth birthday,
she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake.
A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood.
She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine.
An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains.
Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince.
Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.
Will she succeed? ...or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?
A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest
Excerpt
I’d been meandering along the shore for about an hour
when I suddenly sensed that I wasn’t alone. Someone was approaching me from
behind. My heart leapt. I was so sure it was Ben, that when a stranger showed
up beside me, I couldn’t hide my disappointment.
He must have noticed, because a smirk formed on his
lips. “Were you expecting someone else, love?”
I eyed him suspiciously, remembering how many times my
father had told me not to talk to strangers. I looked him over, taking in his
appearance. My eyes widened. I couldn’t find words to describe how fine a man
he was. He was almost beautiful. The first thing I took notice of was how his
blue eyes were about three shades brighter than any I’d ever seen before. It
was such a stark contrast to his pale – almost white – skin and dark hair.
Standing beside me, he was easily more than half a foot taller. His height,
broad shoulders and lean build reminded me of Ben, but he had a presence that
was far more imposing than my best friend’s.
My gaze settled on his face.
I realized that he was inspecting me just as closely
as I was him. His eyes on me suddenly made me feel uncomfortably vulnerable. I
gave my father’s advice a second thought, but quickly canceled out all notions
of heeding to his counsel when I reminded myself that he stopped caring a long
time ago.
I straightened to my full height and mustered all the
courage I had to keep myself from running away from this stranger.
Big mistake.
The confident smirk didn’t leave his face for even a
moment.
“Like what you see?”
“A bit full of yourself, aren’t you?” I scoffed,
annoyed by his audacity.
He stepped forward, closer to me, and leaned his head
toward mine.
“Don’t I have the right to be?”
He knew he looked good and wasn’t about to act like he
didn’t.
“Whatever,” was my oh-so-brilliant comeback.
My shoulders sagged with defeat as I took a step back,
unsettled by how close he was now. I rolled my eyes and did a one-eighty, not
quite in the mood to play whatever game this stranger was proposing.
I would soon realize that I was about to play his game
whether I liked it or not.
He grabbed my arm and turned my body to face him. This
motion alone made every single internal alarm I had within me go off in a
frenzy.
This man was danger and I knew it. I tried to wriggle
away from his touch, but I was no match for his strength.
“Tell me your name,” he commanded.
I was about to refuse, but was horrified to find
myself blurting out my name in response.
“Sofia Claremont.”
As soon as I revealed my name, his eyes lit up with a
kind of sinister approval. Then he reached for my face and traced his thumb
over my jaw line.
“Hello, Sofia Claremont. You’re one stupid girl for
taking a walk alone at this time of night. You never know what kind of evil a
pretty little thing like you could happen to come by.”
I found myself wondering exactly what kind of evil he
was. But I was suddenly overcome by the sensations that were surrounding me. My
senses took in everything at once. I heard the waves, felt the sand, smelled
the ocean salt, tasted the flavor of cherry and saw the stranger’s manic
appearance as he stuck a needle to my neck. The effect was instant. I was
barely able to gasp, much less scream. I went from sensing everything to
sensing absolutely nothing.
My last conscious thought was
that I may never see Ben again.
You can also get an exclusive
FREE “sneak preview” of the first 6 chapters by clicking here!: http://forrestbooks.com/sneakpeek.html
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Enjoy!
Until Next Time,
*TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!
1 comment :
For romance heroes, I like my vamps some where in the middle. Too far on the blood-thirsty side and I'm more likely to end up dead than sharing and enjoying his bed. Too far to the softer side and they just lose most of what was so alluring ...that lethal dangerous edge that says you're playing with fire.
A Shade of Vampire sounds like an edge of your seat riveting read and the excerpt adds to the intrigue. I'm looking forward to reading it. Thanks for the great interview.
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