Laura Wright is the author of an exciting, new paranormal series, Mark of the Vampire. With the first book, Eternal Hunger, she has introduced us to a fascinating, sexy, urban world where action and passion collide. I had the great good fortune to ask Ms. Wright some questions about her new series. (See my review for a synopsis of Eternal Hunger.)
Marisa O’Neill: Hi, Laura, and welcome to B&N’s Heart to Heart! We’re so glad you could join us today. Eternal Hunger is your first paranormal series after writing many contemporary category romances and you’ve introduced us to a very different and fascinating world with a rich and multifaceted mythology.
Laura Wright: First of all, thank you so much for having me. (waving madly) I’m so thrilled to be here to discuss the series and Eternal Hunger.
MO: What was the inspiration and impetus to create this world and then place it in the heart of New York City?
LW: The Truth? LOL… I had just seen a movie with Gerard Butler in it. Now Gerard can inspire many a good daydream, and I was on a walk in my neighborhood seeing him in my head, and he morphed into a very delicious, very dangerous creature called the Breeding Male. He was a vampire, but special—genetically altered to be able to impregnate at will and decide the sex of the child. The whole series started here. This Breeding Male was forced on the Pureblood females of the breed and offspring were created. These mothers never wanted these children, perhaps even reviled them. Who are these sons and daughters of the Breeding Male? Well, enter Alexander, Nicholas, and Lucian … (for starters)
MO: As an author, how do you keep up with the world building?
LW: I’m not going to lie, it’s hard. The basic rules of the Romans' world are in me, as are the rules of The Breed. But I have a file on my computer with everything relating to the world building and I keep adding to it.
MO: In Eternal Hunger we meet Alexander, Nicholas, and Lucian Roman, three vampire brothers. I was fascinated and enamored with the relationship between these three very different men and I got a sense of an abiding and enduring love between the brothers that just won’t quit—even when they don’t like each other very much. For you, what are the essential elements of a relationship/friendship?
LW: Loyalty is number one. These brothers may have issues, and rag on each other as family often does. But they would do anything for each other. They escaped The Order’s rule together, and built a new life, a real family. Now that family, that bond, is being tested.
MO: When we first meet our heroine, Dr. Sara Donohue, she has spent her life in the pursuit of helping her brother. She is strong, determined and focused. When you first 'met' Sara what was your first impression of her and did you have any trepidation about her journey?
LW: This is a great question, because when I first wrote Sara she wasn’t as strong as she is now. My agent pushed me to give her more strength. Frankly, I was a little scared to go where I ended up going with her. But I’m so glad I did. Sara needed to be that strong to deserve Alexander, and to deal with her brother. But on the flipside, we see her weakness too, we see her struggle and swear, and despise herself at times. But I suppose those elements could be another facet of her strength.
MO: The complex vampire society that you’ve created has many layers, a clear hierarchy and a specific language. I’m curious, as an author how do you go about creating a new language, a new set of rules and a hidden world?
LW: The Romans are descendants of Roman blood—Italian blood. I used both variations of Italian language and my own created language. I think language helps us as readers feel at one with a story; we’re more invested. The world of the Romans and of The Eternal Breed evolved. I have always been fascinated by Amish culture, and it sort of/kind of served as a model for the Pureblood/Impure communities and rules. I also wanted the world to not be so black and white. Impures have a choice of how they live to an extent, but it’s not an easy one. You are cared for in your community and you have family; It’s not easy to give that up for a world you’re not sure you can survive in. It is complicated and yet, for the Romans it’s simple: Freedom is all.
MO: I know Eternal Hunger is barely on the shelves, and you wrote your tail off, but, I’m a greedy reader, I admit it—so I have to ask—whose book is next? And if I promise to send you a box of chocolates, can you give us an oh-so-tiny tidbit of what we can look forward to in the next book of the Mark of the Vampire series?
LW: Say no more. You had me at chocolate.
The next book in the series is Eternal Kiss (out April 2011). It’s Nicholas’ story. And in Hunger we see Nicholas as the wise one, the go-between, the one who seems to have it all together.
But things aren’t always what they seem, are they? Kiss is a very dark book as sometimes the soul—even of a vampire—is a dark place.
Thanks again for having me! I can’t wait to see what all the B&N readers think of my guys.
MO: Thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions, and for writing such a great book! I can't wait for Eternal Kiss!
- Marisa
Don't forget, Laura is giving away copies of Eternal Hunger to two random commenters! So, tell us: What was the first paranormal romance book you ever read? Your comment will automatically enter you for a chance to win a copy of EH!
And be sure to become a fan of B&N Romance Readers on Facebook for the latest and greatest in romance fiction!
See official rules for this giveaway here.
