Today we have paranormal romance author Kerrelyn Sparks joining us. Kerrelyn has a new holiday vampire tale out right now.
Basic Facts:
Author of: How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire, Vamps and the City, Be Still My Vampire Heart, The Undead Next Door, and All I Want for Christmas is a Vampire
Favorite Candy: Hershey Chocolate with Almonds
Favorite Cartoon Character: Bullwinkle Moose
Super Power Most Covets: Teleportation
Favorite Vampire: The one I’m currently writing about.
Q.) 
First can you tell us about All I Want for Christmas is a Vampire?
K.S.) The vampire hero is Ian MacPhie, who was trapped for 500 years with a 15-year-old body and face. In the previous book in the series, The Undead Next Door, Ian found a way to age. Now he looks like a full grown man, so he’s ready for love—and looking in all the wrong places.
Q.) How about your other vampire books, are they connected?
K.S.) Yes, they’re all part of the Love at Stake series, which started with How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire. Each book features a different hero and heroine, so the reader can enjoy a new love story. Also, each book is designed to stand alone, so a reader can jump into the series at any point without getting confused. But all the books take place in the same Vampire World with the same cast of characters. The reader gets to see what’s going on with the previous heroes and heroines. For instance, you’ll see Roman and Shanna from the first book have their baby in the third book.
Q.) What about your take on vampires, do you stick with tradition or tweak it a bit? 
K.S.) My vampires are traditional in the sense that they are dead during the day, and they would die painfully if exposed to sunlight. It really adds to the suspense when they have some vulnerabilities. At the same time, they have some great powers—super speed and strength, super senses, mind control, and the ability to teleport. They still need blood to survive, but I’ve tweaked that since I felt a truly heroic vamp would not want to bite people. So the good Vamps drink synthetic blood, while the bad ones still feed and kill humans.
I also have fun with the Vamps, giving them stuff like Vampire Fusion Cuisine and the Digital Vampire Network. With Vampire Fusion Cuisine, the Vamps enjoy drinks like Blissky (synthetic blood mixed with whiskey), Bleer (blood and beer), Bubbly Blood (blood and champagne for those special vampire occasions), Chocolood, (blood and chocolate) and Blood Lite (for those who drink too much Chocolood). On the Digital Vampire Network, they watch celebrity talk shows like Live with the Undead and vampire soap operas like When the Vampire Turns and General Morgue.
Since the hero from the first book, Roman Draganesti, is a scientific genius, he invented synthetic blood, Vampire Fusion Cuisine, and the drug that enabled Ian to age. He also came up with a way for the Vamp men and their mortal wives to have children.
Q.) In the past you wrote historical romance, now you write contemporary
paranormal romance. What if anything do you think the books have in common?
K.S.) They all have Scotsmen! Apparently, I am unable to write a romance without a Scotsman in a kilt. And everything I write gets afflicted with the same crazy sense of humor.
Q.) Why vampires?
K.S.) They’re sexy and fun! Vampires get to do all the things our moms told us never to do—They sleep all day; they party all night; and they get to play with their food!
Q.) What would you do if you met a “real” vampire? Would you be a vamp
groupie or would you dash for the nearest stake?
K.S.) I would do the Interview with a Vampire thing. I’d ask a bunch of questions for research. And I’d whip out a mirror to see if they really don’t reflect. And I might offer them a slice of garlic bread just to see how they react.
Q.) Matchmaker dilemma, you have a choice of a vampire, a werewolf or a witch/wizard as a date for your sister’s wedding. Who do you choose?
K.S.) A vampire cause he’d be a great dancer, and he’d look great in a tux. If I didn’t like the guy my sister was marrying, I would bring a wizard so he could turn the groom into a frog.
Q.) Are you a plotter or a pantser? Character-driven or plot driven? Ever
try to be the opposite? Do you have a set method you use when starting a book?
K.S.) I’m a pantser. I have a rough idea how the book will start and end, but I usually have no idea how to get from the start to the end. My books are definitely character-driven, so I just let the characters make all the decisions on how to get to the end.
Q.) What is the smartest thing you’ve done so far as advancing either your
writing or your writing career? What is something you wish you had done differently?
K.S.) I think the smartest thing was getting published with Avon. (I had offers from several publishers, so I had the luxury of choosing). Avon has given me the best covers and marketing that a writer could hope for. And my editor is super!
Q.) Can you describe three things in your writing area that tell us something about you?
K.S.) Right now, I have a vase of beautiful flowers that my editor sent me (did I say she was super!?) I have a wooden stake that one of my critique partners made for me out of the handle of a toilet plunger. And I have a big, green, comfy chair that I like to sit in when I write. (I write a scene in longhand first, then type it up).
Q.) Any new projects on the horizon? What would you like to try next? And
where can readers find you on the web?
K.S.) I’ve been real busy with the next two books in the Love at Stakes series which are coming out back-to-back in April and May 2009. The April book is Secret Life of a Vampire, starring vampire Jack, the illegitimate son of Giacomo Casanova. The May book is Forbidden Nights with a Vampire, starring vampire Vanda and my first werewolf hero, Phil. For more information, please visit my website, www.kerrelynsparks.com. There are excerpts to read, book trailers to watch, and sometimes a contest to enter. In the Vampire World section of the website, there are vampire games to play and a Forum where readers can chat with me and each other.
Order All I Want for Christmas Is a Vampire (Love at Stake, Book 5)
Order The Undead Next Door (Love at Stake, Book 4)
Order Be Still My Vampire Heart (Love at Stake, Book 3)
Order Vamps and the City (Love at Stake, Book 2)
Order How To Marry a Millionaire Vampire (Love at Stake, Book 1)
Great interview… Gotta love those guys in kilts! :wink:
I have thoroughly enjoyed every book in your LOVE AT STAKE series. So much so, in fact, that I’ve bought numerous copies for friends I decided HAD to read it! And of course they all love the books now that they’ve read them as well… :-)
Great interview, such a fun series, Kerrelyn.
I love the guys in kilts also. Lovely interview.
I really like this interview but..umm…
“My vampires are traditional in the sense that they are dead during the day, and they would die painfully if exposed to sunlight.”
That’s not traditional. That’s quasi-traditional. The traditional vampire can walk during the day, though his powers are limited. They are not dead to the world.
Ugh.
I officially hate Hollywood and Anne Rice.
Hi Kerrelyn! What an intriguing post! I loved your comment about vampires playing with their food – what fun! Best of luck with your book – sounds like a great read!
Cate
Hi Lori and Kerry,
I loved the interview and some things about Kerry I didn’t know.
I’ve been a fan of Kerry’s for a long time and love all her books.
Love the Scotsmen in kilts. YUM!
All I Want for Christmas is a Vampire has been a book I’ve been waiting for since Ian was introduced in How To Marry a Millionaire Vampire.
Thanks for the great interview, Lori. I enjoyed it very much!
Hugs,
Tambra Kendall
http://www.tambrakendall.com
Great interview! Kerrelyn’s one of my auto-buy authors.
I am a big Rocky and Bullwinkle fan!!! I loved fractured fairytales.
Great interview. I’ve only read the first book in the series so far, and have the next two on my Christmas wish list.
Can’t wait to read this one. I’ve been reading these since the beginning. Love them!
Deidre
Deidre,
You’ll fall in love with Ian even more when you read his story!
Hugs,
Tambra
Hi Kerrelyn!
Love your vamp series and I recommend it all the time at our bookstore!
Always look forward to your new releases.
Great interview! And I love your books :) I’m an avid fan of all your books.
i love kerrylyn sparks vampire, though i love all vampie, but im glad im in hers from the begijnning and hate waiting till the next book comes out LOL
Loved the interview, i havent had the pleasure of reading any of your books but I sure hope to change that soon. can any one tell me which one would be a good 1 to start with. I love serieses by the way :)
Terrific interview! Loved the chocolood and the Blood Lite drinks. How fun to get flowers from your editor!
great interview. I’ve always wondering in an interview with a vampire why anyone would make a child vamp. Interesting premise would love to read this one and am adding to my tbb pile
I’m adding this book to my wishlist to get soon. I have a couple of your books in my TBR pile, I just haven’t been able to read yet.
Nice interview. Your vampires and their world sound like a lot of fun. I’m going to have to read the books now.
Enjoyed your interview and I love your books! I’m so happy two of your books will be coming out back-to-back next year. It’s always so hard to wait for the next one to come out! LOL! :D
I’ve seen the guys in kilts in the flesh and I mean flesh! ; 0
Darby
darbyscloset at yahoo dot com
Sounds like my kind of series, nice to see you here today!
I love the Love at Stake series. I haven’t read All I Want for Christmas Is a Vampire yet but it’s in my TBR pile. I loved the interview and can’t wait until April and May for the next books.
Great interview!
Love the series. Love the Highlanders (Conner is my fav). Half way through the fifth one now. Hate when I finish one. Waiting (wanting), the next one. Love Sharon T.
Hi Kerrelyn,
Just wanted to let you know I’m traveling to Orlando for Christmas and I plan to read ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS A VAMPIRE. My mom and sister will want to read it as well. :D
Haven’t read the Love at Stake series yet (I’m probably the only one who is behind the times – LOL). But after this interview, I am ready to remedy that situation and get the first book!!
(I am one of those obsessive people that have to read a series in order – :wink:)
oh Aye , I just love the interveiw !! and i can’t wait to read the whole series just love sexy immortals in kilt’s !!! lol !!
~smile~ -Elora- :mrgreen:
these sound like some great books. awesome interview. i must go and check these out some more!!!
thanks!
lauren
I loved the interview. I’ve read the first three books in Kerrelyn’s series and am going to order the other two now, thanks for the links.
Wonderful interview! I’m going to have to check out your books now!
Great interview! I’ve been a fan since book #1. I love those men in kilts too. :wink:
I have red some of thses books and what a great job!! Thanks so much
Love the creativity with the food and tv networks. What a hoot!
kerrlyn books is my keepers, her set of books !
I enjoyed reading your interview very much. Can’t wait to check out your books.
I have been wanting to read Kerrelyn Sparks books for awhile now and just haven’t gotten around to buying them yet because there are SOOO many books out there that i want to read… i guess i better read faster lol
Great interview! Sounds like a fun series!
Love this series! Can’t wait to read more!
HI Kerrlyn! I lost my post to here the other day! Hope I didn’t miss saying hello to you! I so can’t wait for the new one, I need to venture out soon! Keep them coming love!
I haven’t read this series yet, but now that I’ve learned about Vampire Fusion cuisine, I have to! That really gave me a giggle!