What is your Warriors of the Rift series about?
About every 73 years or so, a comet streaks by the Earth and opens a rift between our dimension and another. Entities from that other dimension—convicted criminals, political dissidents, and religious heretics—are sucked into our dimension. Overtaken by a massive, unrestrained desire for survival, they are driven to take over human hosts. The type of species they are dictates how their new bodies react to the invasion. This has been happening for thousands of years, giving rise to our myths of vampires, werewolves and other creatures that make us quiver beneath our covers. Humans found out about the rift roughly three years before the start of book one, KISS OF THE VAMPIRE, and an uneasy truce has existed between the preternaturals and their human neighbors. But with another rift due to open in less than two years, tensions are rising.
What sets it apart from other books in the paranormal romance genre?
The biggest difference is the basic premise of how people become vampires or werewolves or…whatever. While a vampire can turn a human into a vampire by biting them (they actually release some of their other dimensional essence into the human’s bloodstream), most vampires are actually a result of entities taking over human hosts. All preternaturals can procreate the old fashioned way, and if they produce children with humans, in all cases but one so far those children go insane before they reach their mid twenties. But more about that a little later.
Can you tell us about the first book in the series, Kiss of the Vampire?
Book one is the story of Nix de la Fuente, who is half demon, half human, and Tobias Caine, a vampire. Here’s the great blurb the folks at Grand Central wrote: Half-demon, half-human, Nix de la Fuente is accepted by neither and mistrusted by both. Determined to prove she’s more human than not, she devotes herself to solving crimes between the world’s mortals and its most unsavory undead. But her latest case brings her face to face with the one vampire she could never resist…
Called in to investigate a string of violent murders, special agent Tobias Caine isn’t interested in rekindling his relationship with Nix. Yet one look and the vampire knows his need for her is as strong as ever. Once, their all-consuming passion nearly cost Nix her fragile hold on her humanity. Now, as their hunger for one another intensifies, exposing them to an unimaginable danger, it could cost them both their lives.
How would you describe Nix de la Fuente and Tobias Caine?
Nix is a misfit. She’s part demon and so has to hide that part of herself from her human friends and colleagues, because of all the preternaturals demons are still the most feared by humans. As a hybrid, she faces a very real danger of going insane because of the battle waged between her preternatural side and her human side. She’s finally discovered that doing tai chi keeps her centered and calm, and keeps the demon locked away. So far she’s defied the odds and, at the ripe old age of twenty-eight, still has control of her sanity. She’s dedicated, independent and intelligent.
Tobias came through the rift in 1793, chasing a former friend who murdered the leader of his people while Tobias was tasked with protecting him. He’s been after the assassin off and on for over 200 years. The year he spent with Nix was the happiest he’d ever been, but after seeing her continue to lose more and more control of the demon while she was with him made him leave her and take up his search once more. He’s determined, stoic, and the walking definition of tall, dark and deadly.
There are governing bodies set up all over the world to try to control the behavior of preternaturals. Scottsdale is the regional council in the American West, governing Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and California. Each council is made up of thirteen members from the various preternatural clans: vampire, fey, and shapeshifter. Only demons don’t have a seat on the council, of their own choice. They don’t recognize anyone’s authority but their king, Lucifer Demonicus, to dictate their actions.
Without giving away too much, what is your favorite scene or line from Kiss of the Vampire?
I love any of the scenes with Tobias and Dante MacMillan, the human cop who is assigned to Nix’s sector. They start out kind of rubbing each other the wrong way, but by the end there’s a bromance going on.
Will readers see Nix and Tobias in future books or will you have a different set of characters for each book?
Each book has its own hero and heroine, though Tobias does appear in book two, and both he and Nix will also make an appearance in book three.
If Kiss of the Vampire was made into a movie, who would you like to see cast as Nix and Tobias?
When I created these two characters, I had specific actors in mind: Morena Baccarin (Homeland, V, and Firefly) as Nix and Joe Flanigan (Stargate: Atlantis and First Monday) as Tobias. I’d love to see them actually play the roles.
What else can we expect to see from you in 2012?
Book two in the series, HEART OF THE WOLF, releases July 1st. I’m also anticipating a novella that is a prequel to KISS OF THE VAMPIRE and takes place in the other dimension to be released in electronic format in June or July. Right now we’re so early in 2012, it’s hard to say what else I might get up to!
We want to thank Cynthia for taking the time out for us. For more information, visit Cynthia's website or blog or check her out on Facebook and Twitter.
Kiss of the Vampire is on sale now. For more about it, check out Stephanie's review.
1 Comments:
What a fantastic interview! I love that she was willing to answer questions about the books coming :) Makes me excited to read the series in the future!
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