I’ve been running a series of interviews with authors that are releasing new books. I hope you’ll take the time to check out their work. Today, please welcome back author, Dawn McCullough-White.

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I interviewed you for Cameo a few months ago. Tell me about this new book. The new book is a sequel to Cameo. It’s called Cameo and the Highwayman. There are two plot-lines in this novel, one focuses on the highwayman- Black Opal, and deals with his back-story. The second plot deals with Cameo, the mission her master has sent her on, and the vampire Edel. Edel, who has no more than a walk-on role in the first novel becomes a major character in the sequel and seems to hold a lot of the answers to questions Cameo never believed she could have answered for her. As always in my novels there is a decent share of action and dark themes.

What inspired you to write this particular novel?

I was doing a lot of reading about the French Revolution, and toyed around with the "what if" possibilities. What if, it hadn’t turned out exactly the way it did, what would the royal family look like? And what if some of those who were a major part of the revolution had lived?

Which of your characters in this book was the most difficult to write about? Why?

I don’t know if it’s one single character, but the interactions between Cameo and Opal can be very difficult to write because they are both main characters each a powerful personality, it can sometimes be hard to have them interact without one over-powering the other. One of the scenes in the novel had something like fourteen rewrites because it just never seemed to be going where I wanted it to. Their personalities were changing in ways I did not want them to. But when left to their own devices each of them is the most dominate character in a scene and I don’t have to worry. When one walks in the other characters orient themselves around either Cameo or Opal… when they’re together I have to make a decision about who would be more dominate in that moment.

I have a keen interest in dark fiction. Tell me how you would classify this book and what’s dark about it?

It’s a dark fantasy… urban fantasy… paranormal fantasy… historical fantasy; it falls into all of those categories. If I were to compare the Cameo series with something, I guess I’d say it’s similar to the movie "Brotherhood of the Wolf". It’s darkly beautiful and gritty. It’s set in approximately the 18th century, although in another universe… a fantasy world. I love the whole underbelly of life at that time, the taverns, the poor, the drug use, hygiene, disease, etc, etc… and it all comes out in the world I’m creating.

Would you say that your work is more plot driven or character driven?

Character driven, completely. Yes, there is a plot (several plots) but my writing is driven by interesting characters. It’s what I love most about writing, the breathing life into a new character and discovering who this new person is and then throwing them in with other characters to watch how they interact.

This blog is called Random Musings, so give me a random quote from the book – something you’re particularly fond of.

“Hey! You two!” the guard called after them.

Black Opal stopped.

“Are you part of this mob?” He took a couple steps closer.

A small unit of military men came trickling around the corner to see what all the commotion was about.

Opal half turned, “No.”

Kyrian turned around to look right at the guard, innocent, nearly smiling then looked back at the dandy who seemed rooted to the cobblestone. “What’s wrong?”

Opal shoved the purse into his hands. “You don’t know me.”

What can we expect from you next?

My next project is a YA horror novella that I’m writing for a small press anthology and will probably be out in 2012. I’m also halfway through the third installment of the Cameo series, and it may be released in the winter of 2011.

Where can we find you on the internet?

My website.

My Facebook page.

Cameo and the Highwayman is available on Kindle.

Any final comments or thoughts?

I’d like to mention and thank Kurt Hanss who is the talented artist who does my covers and created my website. I’d also want to thank David Burton for giving me the opportunity to talk about my new release on his blog.

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Glad you could come back, Dawn!! Thank you very much for the interview and best of luck with Cameo and the Highwayman as well as Cameo!!

Purchasing information:

Amazon – Kindle
Smashwords