I’m a vampire book author who makes most of her living as a licensed psychotherapist and certified clinical hypnotherapist. I’ve been a fan of all things paranormal/vampire since I was a kid and first read Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I live in Boulder, CO, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, which I consider to be one of the most gorgeous places on earth. I also spent many years singing in rock and roll bands. I guess I have eclectic interests!
How long have you been writing and how did you get to this point in your career?
I have been writing nonfiction for the last couple of decades, and only became bewitched by fiction in 2002. In the midst of reading all of the new “paranormal romance” novels featuring vampires, I decided it was time to try my hand at writing my own bloodsucker books. The first thing I sold (to an epub) was a very short story about a self-absorbed vampire, called Diary of a Narcissistic Bloodsucker. Since then I’ve sold two, 105,000-word novels (The Vampire Shrink and Dark Harvest) to a medium-size, independent print publisher, and several shorts and novellas to epubs and print anthologies. Since I hold the e-rights to most of the things I’ve written (thanks to my smart former agent and my own requests to various epubs), I was able to upload the two novels and a novella on Amazon and Smashwords. I have been so excited by the results, so far. What a wonderful opportunity for authors. It’s a great time to be a writer.
The inspiration for The Vampire Shrink came directly from a client session. I have many clients who are involved in one unusual lifestyle or another. That particular day, a young woman was talking about her desire to join a non-human group (not vampires, but I do have Goth and vampire-wannabe clients). As I listened to her words, I began to wonder what it would be like if a real vampire showed up in my office (I haven’t met a “real” one yet, but my door is always open!). So, I went home that night and started writing. It was the most fun I’ve ever had with a manuscript. The main female character in the book, Kismet Knight, Ph.D., is an idealized version of me. She is younger, prettier, thinner and having much more fun. I get to live out my fantasies through her.
I have a keen interest in dark fiction. Tell me how you would classify this book and what’s dark about it?
The dark elements of this book didn’t occur to me until I started getting feedback from readers. Some of my romance reader fans were surprised by the level of reality in the book. Bad things happen to everyone, including the protagonist. They told me it wasn’t what they expected from a book they thought would be predominantly a paranormal romance. I never really intended it to be a traditional romance. I can’t imagine writing anything without romance/interpersonal aspects, but I’m definitely a “with romance elements” writer. Maybe because I’m a therapist, and I see the shadow side of people on a daily basis, I am used to expressing those dark things. So, the very worst aspects of human (and vampire) nature get played out on my pages. I now refer to my books as Dark Contemporary Fantasy, but they actually have so many genres (another thing that got me in trouble, early on), it’s hard to categorize them. The books could also be described as: urban fantasy, dark paranormal, vampire chick lit with mystery, humor, sex, satire, metaphysics and horror elements!
Yes! I’d love to. I have been taken to task by readers and reviewers because of these things. Over the last few years, a lot of the popular vampire books had vampires who were known to the world (not hidden, like mine) and featured very physically-aggressive female main characters (vampire slayers, like Buffy, etc.). I like all those books and movies/shows, but that wasn’t the story I wanted to tell. Since my heroine is very much an enhanced version of me, and she shares my professional career, it just seemed rational that she would use her mind before her body. She’s cerebral — a scientist. I know that when a client comes to me and tells me a fantastical story, I don’t immediately make the assumption that the tale is true. I always allow for odd possibilities, but I have discovered over the years that most of the non-human exploits I hear about usually turn out to be mundane expressions of repressed emotions and fears. When someone tells me he/she is a vampire, and gives evidence, I can always find a mental health explanation. Same with my heroine. She is always going to look for a pragmatic reason for the symptoms and behaviors. I hope readers will keep an open mind!
Sometimes we have to be ruthless in writing/editing. We cut scenes, eliminate characters or even kill them off. Tell me what was the hardest of these in this book.
This book went through so many critique partners and critique groups, and was transformed over and over, that by the time it was picked up by an agent and we went through his desired changes, I was used to the process. I actually enjoy editing/rewriting. I love when someone makes a suggestion that opens up an entirely new plot aspect. The hardest part with this book was holding onto my voice and my vision for the story.
This blog is called Random Musings, so give me a random quote from the book – something you’re particularly fond of.
How about a brief excerpt from the scene where the bad vampire comes to visit our psychologist in her office:
He lowered his mouth to within an inch of mine, and I twisted my head to the side, shifting away from his hot, unpleasantly sweet breath. He grabbed my chin between his thumb and first finger, holding tightly enough that I knew there'd be bruises, and forced my face back level with his. “I’m Bryce. I believe you’ve heard of me.”What can we expect from you next?"Stop it! Let go of me. . ."
He swallowed my words with his mouth, clamping his lips on mine with enough pressure to cause my teeth to break the skin on the inside of my lip. Then he sucked my lower lip into his mouth, holding it with his teeth until I made an involuntary yelp of pain. Only then did he pull back, giving what could only be called an evil grin, and gazed at me with his dark green eyes, which seemed suddenly magnetic. I tried to look away, but I couldn’t. I literally couldn't. It was as if his eyes were pulling me. I managed to briefly squeeze my eyelids shut, and he dug his fingers into my chin again, jerking my head roughly. "Open your eyes," he roared.
My eyelids flew up and his eyes were directly in front of mine, the green darker than before, almost black. I fell into them and felt the edges of my vision blur – a strange haze settling over everything – as part of my mind drifted off on a cloud.
I’m working on the third book in my series, along with expanding a short story I sold to an anthology, as well as making notes about a spin-off series in the same world as The Vampire Shrink. I wish I would win the lottery so I could quit my full-time job and write!
Where can we find you on the internet?
Website
Blog
Facebook
MySpace
Book Trailers
Lynda, thank you very much for the interview. Sounds like your professional life has really inspired your writing. Good luck with the series and I hope you can come back in the future to tell us more!
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