Book Tour: Life & Death of Lily Drake by T. Michelle Nelson Interview

For Lily Drake, slaying vampires is easy...

Dating them is the hard part.

Lily Drake is your everyday hard-working single mom…until a gorgeous vampire shows up on her front door who she mistakenly assumes is her blind date for the evening. As one crazy scenario after another unfolds, Lily finds herself falling in love with two vampires, slaying the evil ones, and being prophesied as the savior of the entire undead race.
Deciding between pizza and Chinese take-out will no longer be one of the hard decisions facing Lily Drake once she is immersed into vampire society. Humanity or immortality? That doesn't hold a candle against this question - which of the two handsome vampire cousins?

The Life and Death of Lily Drake is not your typical vampire love story. It’s a tale about the humorous mistakes a woman makes simply trying to survive not only life, but the dating scene.  How will Lily manage working full-time, taking care of her young son and fighting the undead at every turn?
Lily will have to figure it out, but who better to save the world than a mom?

Interview:

1.            Where did you get the idea for the novel? 

My best friend (who is a journalist) and I were talking about the current fascination with vampire movies, tv shows and books and the lack of any main characters we could truly relate to. Most of the heroines are young, don’t have children or any type of responsibilities and seem to have a need to be protected. I wanted to write a story with a more mature and stronger main character.

2.            Your title. Who came up with it? Did you ever change your title? 

This question is actually hilarious. The book had several names, all of which I would refuse to tell you even if you tortured me.  Yes, THAT bad. Finally I came up with Life and Death of Lily Drake.

3.            Which came first, the title or the novel? 

Definitely the novel!

4.            Since becoming a writer, what’s the most exciting thing to ever happen to you?

Wow, I don’t know if I could pinpoint one thing. There’s that first acceptance and you find out your novel is going to be published, then the cover reveal (which I was thrilled about, I love this cover), then all the interviews and the good reviews. Ask me again after the release and maybe I’ll tell you it was my first book signing or release party. This is a new process for me and I’m still experiencing it!

5.            What book are you currently reading or what was the last book you read? 

The last book I read was Robert McCammon’s Swan Song. I have a total author crush on him now.

6.            What was your first book that you ever wrote (very first one you wrote, not published)? 

I don’t know if I ever gave it a title, but it was a book loosely based on how my husband and I met, only I made his character a serial killer.  I know, right?  He never read it, but I’m pretty sure he’d get a kick out of it.

7.            What is your writing process? 

Make massive amounts of coffee, close the door and get started.  Sometimes it flows right out, other times not so much.

8.            Who are your favorite authors of all time? 

Edith Wharton, Margaret Mitchell, Edgar Allan Poe.

9.            What is something people would be surprised to know about you? 

I have been a vegetarian for over 25 years.  Oh, and last year my son and I were cast in small roles in a zombie movie.  We were zombies!

10.    How did you celebrate the sale of your first book? 

My family and I  went out to eat.  We do that a lot, not to celebrate so much but more because I really hate to cook!