Book Tour: The Vrykolakas Deviation by Sherri Lackey Interview & Giveaway

BLURB:

Keeva lives her life on the run, changing identities and personas. She is running from monsters she has never seen - vrykolakes, vampire creatures her father, Sandor, has told her stories about all her life. She had almost convinced herself that these monsters had all died in a volcano eruption on the island of Strongili long ago.

But when a vrykolakas named Severin kills Mandy, her best friend, she discovers the vrykolakes are alive and well. Keeva knows about Severin from her father’s stories, and her first impulse is to kill him and rid the world of the evil vrykolakas. She feels drawn to him however, and takes him prisoner. She hopes to better understand the vrykolakes and perhaps better understand herself. She is over two thousand years old. She doesn't know who or what she is, but she wants to find out. In order to do that, she has to discover her past. Severin might be the place to start looking for a connection to the past. Or, he could be the worst mistake Keeva has ever made.

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EXCERPT:

"Why? I am a vrykolakas and that is all that matters," he said harshly. "You are not a vrykolakas. You are nothing, less than nothing, daughter of Sandor. You are nothing but a freakish aberration, a mistake yet to be remedied – erased."

This conversation was not going in the direction I had hoped it would go. "And yet," I said, "here you are tied up in this room. This less than nothing aberration managed to drag your practically lifeless body back here and tie you up. That is something to think about isn't it?"

He gave me that cold smile again. "You are such a naïve little girl. How have you survived this long?"

I suddenly felt foolish. I clearly was not on top of my game here. I was failing miserably and his last words cut me deeply. I walked out of the room slamming the door behind me. I was frustrated by my failed first attempt at interrogation. On top of that, I couldn't think clearly with him around.

That night, I was restless again. At times it seemed I was in some realm of being half asleep and half awake. At one point, I thought I woke up to see Severin standing over me, looking down at me with that wolfish grin. I came more fully awake. He was not there, but his distinct odor was pervasive in my room. I got up and got a drink of water from the kitchen. I listened quietly outside his room and heard nothing.

INTERVIEW:

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

I wanted to write a different kind of vampire novel and in doing research on the topic I found a vampire creature called a vrykolakas. The legend of the vrykolakas originates in Greece, specifically on the island of Santorini. They are also known by some as the bloodless vampire. They drain the life from their victims, but not by draining their blood. The legends are not highly detailed which gave me ample room to expand on the idea.

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

I came up with the title, The Vrykolakas Deviation. It was my third choice. The other two didn’t quite have the flavor that I wanted for the story. My second choice, Sandor’s Daughter, became the title of the first chapter. The title I started out with didn’t make it into the novel at all.  

3) Why did you pick this genre? What do you like about it?

I chose fantasy, more specifically urban fantasy, for my novel because I like the rich resource material which is available for fantasy writers. A fantasy writer can choose to stick closely to the original myth or legend she is writing about or decide to tweak it to her own tastes. I like to tweak myths and legends to my own tastes, which is what I did with the legend of the vrykolakas.

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

That’s a hard one to answer.  I think the most exciting moment is when a reader comes up to you with her face beaming, telling you how much she enjoyed reading your book, and says she can’t wait to read the next one. That has to be the most exciting moment that has happened to me.

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

I am currently reading Chosen by Denise Grover Swank. It’s an urban fantasy novel series. I’ve only read about one third of the first book so far but I’m enjoying it.

6) What is your writing process?

I begin with an idea; sometimes an idea will be the offshoot of a scene that comes to mind. The idea itself is usually generated by any variety of themes I’m interested in at the moment. From that point, I do a rough outline of where I want the story go. I begin writing my rough draft and usually don’t stop to revise or edit. I simply let the story flow out in print. When the rough draft is finished, I wait a couple of weeks before revising begins. After my revisions are done to my satisfaction, I proofread and edit my manuscript. Finally, I let at least two more people read it for flow and look for any typos or grammatical mistakes I missed.

7) At a book signing, do you just sign your name or do you write a note? How do you come up with stuff to say? 

I simply sign my name unless someone wants a note. Once, I had someone request a personal note in which I was to address her as Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars. No problem, whatever makes a reader happy! Is it ethical for me to tell people that Darth Vader asked for my autograph?

8) What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

I have a book and sock obsession. I look forward to winter only because I can wear boots and over-the-knee socks with my boots. It used to be purses. The top shelf of my closet is cluttered with my old purses, but now the bottom of my closet is becoming cluttered with boots of all sorts. Of course this has led to an entire wardrobe change because I have to buy skirts and leggings which match with my boots and socks. My most ostentatious pair of boots are gold colored with black details. The first time I wore them someone openly smirked at me. That didn’t stop me from wearing them again.

9) How do you react to a bad review?

So far I’ve been fortunate. The only bad review I’ve received was given by a woman who thinks the fantasy genre is evil. For that matter, she thinks I’m evil too.  She is entitled to her opinion and it doesn’t bother me. I’m sure I will eventually get a bad review from someone who simply does not like my characters or the plot of a novel. I think I’ll live when that happens and keep on writing for those who do enjoy my novels.

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

I went out to dinner with my husband, which is my favorite way to celebrate. I ordered fajitas and he had a steak.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Sherri Lackey, born in Carlsbad, New Mexico, now lives in Montana where the cold northern climate inspires her to write. She writes science fiction and fantasy with dashes of speculative fiction, a pinch of steampunk, and a touch of urban fantasy. She lives with her husband, Paul, and their three children. She also has a faithful dog named Raymond who likes to sit by her side while she writes.

Links:

http://sherrilackey.com

http://www.amazon.com/Vrykolakas-Deviation-Narcissus-Legacy-ebook/dp/B009CKDYAM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1350336721&sr=8-2&keywords=the+vrykolakas+deviation

http://www.amazon.com/The-Vrykolakas-Deviation/dp/1300210699/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350336721&sr=8-1&keywords=the+vrykolakas+deviation

https://twitter.com/sherrijots

https://www.facebook.com/SherriMLackey

GIVEAWAY:

Sherri will be awarding a $25 GC from Amazon to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour, and a $15 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn host.

The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/10/virtual-book-tour-vrykolakas-deviation.html