Book Tour for Blood Eternal by Marie Treanor (Interview & Giveaway)

Today's an exciting day here at my site with Marie Treanor visiting to discuss the third and final installment in her Awakened by Blood series entitled Blood Eternal.  Before we get to my interview with Marie, I want to thank Bewitching Book Tours for letting me be a part of this tour as well as Marie for taking time out of her busy schedule to be here.  So without further ado, I bring you my chat with Marie Treanor......

TSP:  What path did you take to get where you are today and if you weren't writing what would you be doing instead?

MT:  I began writing long and research-heavy historical novels under a different name. When my daughter was born, I no longer had the time to devote to this, but I couldn’t stop writing! Someone suggested I look at writing shorter romances – novellas to keep my hand in. Which is when I discovered the world of ebook romance and was blown away by the sheer variety and imagination that was out there. Romance had come a long way since I’d last paid it any attention! Anyway I tried my hand at a romantic novella, a ghost story called GHOST UNLAID, which I duly sent to an e-publisher (now sadly defunct) who accepted it right away. I wrote another, QUEEN’S GAMBIT, and that was accepted too. I branched out with other ebook publishers and eventually was noticed, much to my surprise by a New York agent (Robert Gottlieb of Trident Media), who sold my Awakened by Blood series to NAL. And here I am.

What would I be doing instead? I’d probably have gone back to librarianship, which is what I did before. Certainly I think it would have involved books!

TSP:  A large number of your books are paranormal in nature, what is it about this genre that draws you to writing about it?  What do you think makes it popular amongst readers?

MT:  I like the imaginative scope of paranormal. There are no boundaries to the story, except your own imagination. I think for most readers, the idea of a world like their own, only just a little different, is immensely appealing. Who hasn’t grown up shivering with delight over local ghost stories, and eerie tales involving graveyards that you have to creep around in the dark? Paranormal stories give us escape into a world that is a little more exciting, a little more interesting than our everyday lives. It gives us that chill and thrill of childhood, only in a safe if adult setting. At least, that’s the draw for me. Others, I know, believe firmly in the supernatural, and have had experiences that perhaps encourages them to look for parallels in fiction.

TSP:  Is there a particular character you've written that you'd say is a favorite?

MT:  Alas, I’m fickle. I’ve had many favourites, because they tend to be whoever I’m writing about, or thinking about most, at the time. Right now, it has to be Saloman from the Awakened by Blood books. I love his sheer differentness, the fact that he’s overwhelmingly dangerous and sexy in equal measure and totally incomprehensible to most humans. Great fun to play with as a writer.

Longer term favourites, characters who’ve tended to stay with me longer than others, are Jenny from Hunting Karoly, Drago from Gothic Dragon, the Magician from Magic Man and Giancarlo from The Devil and Via.

TSP:  What is your latest series, Awakened by Blood, all about and where is it heading in the future?

MT:  Awakened by Blood is a vampire romance/urban fantasy trilogy (Blood on Silk, Blood Sin and Blood Eternal, which is just out!) based on the premise of an Ancient vampire (Saloman) being awakened by an academic researcher (Elizabeth Silk), who’s thesis is actually busting vampire myths! Saloman sets out on a double quest of revenge against those who betrayed and staked him three hundred years ago, and of long-term world domination. He’s had a lot of time to plan! The trouble is Saloman and Elizabeth really have to kill the other, and sexual attraction isn’t going to stop Saloman. I won’t spoil the story, in case you haven’t read it, but unwanted love gets in the way of both their plans. There’s a lot of divided loyalty for Elizabeth, a learning curve for both of them, and a lot of kicking bad vampire – and human – ass!

The final book, Blood Eternal, sees the world begin to change because of Saloman, and Elizabeth has to make a few decisions about her role with him and in the world in general.

Where does it head? Well, I have a few stories in my mind, following the hunters where those changes lead them. But so far, they’re only my head. I’ve been distracted by other projects and other stories. However, it is hard to leave this world and these characters, so I’d love to come back to them one day…

TSP:  Your home is in Scotland, do you see such an exotic locale having any influence on your writing?  After all, many of us romance readers are obsessed with Scotland and positive that kilt-wearing Highlanders can be seen on a daily basis.  Btw, please tell me that's true?  LOL!

MT:  Yes, I’m sure I am influenced by where I live. A lot of my inspiration comes from people I see and observe, and from history which, of course, Scotland’s full of! We have quite a rich and unique culture, and a distinctive sense of humour. I set a lot of my books in Scotland, partly because it’s what I know, and partly because I know readers like it.

I do have to confess here that I’m not a Highlander. Nor do I live in the Highlands. I’m a Lowlander, born in Glasgow and living now on the east coast, twenty miles or so from Edinburgh. But Scotland in general and the Highlands in particular, does have the spectacular scenery, and a fascinating and tragic history that lends itself wonderfully to romance. 

Can you see Highlanders in kilts every day in Scotland? Well, if you went to the right places, you might. I once wrote a story (Hunting Karoly), about a vampire whom circumstances had forced to dress in an antique kilt and he discovered the perfect place to hide out and feed was a hotel that specialized in wedding receptions. Because the truth is, most Scotsmen, whether Highlander or Lowlander, don’t wear kilts every day. In both regions, they’re often worn for special occasions as an alternative to formal evening wear, or on celebratory town parades etc. And If you hang out in the centre of Edinburgh, near Waverley station, you’ll come across busking pipers most days – men in full Highland dress, playing the bagpipes for tourists!

You will find a few men who just enjoy wearing a kilt and do so most days, but I have to say they’re not common, and I can go weeks without seeing a single kilt. Sad but true. On the other hand, the good news is, that the stories you hear about what Scotsmen wear under the kilt – they’re true too.

TSP:  How do you feel about the current digital revolution and what affect does it have in how you market yourself?

MT:  I’m all in favour of the digital revolution! I came to publication with ebooks and all of my books are available in this format – many of them only as ebooks. I think it opened the door to new trends – particularly perhaps to erotic romance – which are now being followed by traditional publishers, and I think that’s great. New ideas and new writers are vital to keep the industry fresh and exciting.

So far as marketing goes, since I began in ebooks, I’ve always done my marketing on-line! My difficulty is actually in adjusting to the world of traditional publishing where print books come first. Also, since my books are published only in North America so far, and I’m in the UK, I can’t go down the route of book signings and personal appearances very easily! But as the digital world grows and more and more readers are on-line, on-line marketing is increasingly important.

TSP:  Have you given in yet and bought an eReader?  More authors than I thought still haven't gotten on the eReader bandwagon.

MT:  Yes, I’ve had one for years! My first was a little PDA which somehow I managed to smash to bits by dropping it off a balcony in Malta. Then my husband gave me a Sony reader, which was much better, although I eventually cracked the screen by lugging it around in my handbag with too much other stuff! Now I have a Kindle (last year’s Christmas present) and I love to bits.

TSP:  My blog is all about your favorite things.  So what are some of your favorite things, the things you can't do without?

MT:  In no particular order - my Kindle! Coffee, especially first thing in the morning, before I even get out of bed. My husband. My three kids. Music. Books (I have them all over the house, can’t bear to throw them out, and they just make me feel comfortable). Chocolate. My best friends.

TSP:  Are there any deep, dark secrets you'd like to share with us or at least what's ahead for your upcoming writing/releases?

MT:  Hmm. I know we’re all friends here, but still, if I had any deep, dark secrets (which I won’t admit to!), I’m not sure sharing them here would be very discreet! Upcoming writing: I have another vampire story – though a very different one to the Awakened by Blood books – with my agent, and another post-apocalyptic tale churning in my head…

TSP:  Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions!  Before you leave is there anything you'd like to ask my readers?

MT:  My pleasure, Jody! Thanks so much for having me here and asking such fun and thoughtful questions – it’s been great!

Hmm – what would I most like to ask your readers...? I’m a terrible hoarder and can never bring myself to throw anything away. Do you have anything among your favourite things that you know you really should throw out - because it’s old, broken, tatty, takes up too much space, whatever – but just can’t bring yourself to do it?

Blood Eternal
By Marie Treanor

Awakened by Blood, Book 3

Signet Eclipse
Mass Market Paperback
4th October 2011

Secrets don't disappear after seduction...

Elizabeth Silk is struggling to reconcile her passion for the vampire overlord Saloman and her allegiance to the vampire hunters. When a shocking vampire revolt calls Saloman away from her, she refuses to follow him.

To make matters worse, Saloman’s beloved cousin Luk has been found and awakened by one of his greatest enemies. Frenzied with bloodlust, Luk embarks on a killing spree and prepares to expose Saloman’s biggest vulnerability: Elizabeth.

But under Saloman’s regime, vampires have become less concerned with secrecy, no longer willing to hide their power. Rumors are swirling about attacks on humans. After Saloman joins forces with the vampire hunters to consolidate his power, Elizabeth begins to understand her role in the inevitable collision of the two worlds. She could bring resolution between vampires and humans—if she can manage to stay alive long enough to play both sides….

Excerpt:

Set up: An Ancient vampire, believed to be Saloman’s newly awakened cousin Luk, has gone on the rampage in the Turkish hills. Elizabeth Silk is helping the hunters to track Luk and his allies…

Luk began to run, and as his limbs stretched out, he remembered their strength and what they could do. A surge of excitement urged him to speed up, to run around the entire world and never stop. But her scent was close and sweet, and as he leapt down the final fifty feet to land right in front of her, he grew dizzy.

Startled, the woman fell back, her dark hazel eyes huge in her beautiful face. Hair the color of a long-forgotten sunrise whipped against her soft cheeks in the breeze. Blood pumped through her delicate veins. The sound and smell of it drove him to new hunger, but this was one human he’d never kill.

“Tsigana,” he whispered.

The name held Elizabeth frozen. She’d had an instant’s warning from the Ancient detector, which suddenly, after indicating his slow plod away from her, went nuts, the readings obviously failing to keep up with the speed of the vampire who leapt out in front of her a bare instant after she’d known he would.

She’d had time to press her buzzer, at the same moment it had gone off in warning. The others knew. So she backed off, giving them time to get here, holding the stake poised for the vampire’s attack that didn’t come. He stood unmoving, staring at her.

The ordinary vampire detector in her pocket was still and silent. So the Ancient was alone. She prepared to attack, targeting the spot in his chest that she needed, but before she could fly at him, he said, “Tsigana.”

If he’d said her own name, if he’d called her Jane or Esmeralda or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, she wouldn’t have hesitated in the slightest. But he said Tsigana, as if he’d seen straight to her one weakness, a jealousy that amounted almost to fear of the long-dead human woman who had once held Saloman’s heart.

Her fingers curled convulsively on the stake, altering its aim by accident, and she had to readjust it. The Ancient who was Saloman’s cousin, his onetime friend and his betrayer, one of Tsigana’s three vampire lovers, continued to stare at her. She had the impression that if he breathed he’d have been panting, but weirdly, she sensed no threat from him. He lifted his arms slowly, reaching out to her with intense, weirdly unfocused longing. Understanding slammed into her like a blow.

“I’m not Tsigana,” she said between her teeth. “I’m Elizabeth, the Awakener.” And she flew at him, aware her aim was true. She summoned every ounce of strength, every ounce of power she believed in. Because she didn’t know how long the hunters would take to get here, she had to try to do it alone, as she’d once tried to kill Saloman alone. She still believed she could have slain him, using her power as his Awakener, but she’d never found out for sure, because her heart, not her body, had prevented it. There was no such prevention here; Luk was the cause of most of the unbearable pain  that had haunted Saloman for centuries. He was as good as dead, and she couldn’t even regret her lack of compassion.

But he didn’t wait for her. He leapt back so fast she didn’t even see him move. Her stake sliced through air, almost overbalancing her.

“Not Tsigana,” Luk repeated. He sniffed the air.

“Tsigana is dead.” Again she leapt, this time before she finished speaking, but again he evaded her. A howl rent the air, like a dog or a wolf in agony. It had to be coming from Luk, as his distant figure leapt back up the hillside at impossible speed, the bloodcurdling wail fading with him into the night. Not because he’d stopped crying, but because he was too far away to be heard.

“Shit,” Elizabeth whispered. With shaking hand she retrieved the Ancient detector from her pocket. The pointer indicated the hill up which Luk had vanished, the display counting madly as the distance increased. Then it went dead. Elizabeth delved for her phone, just as the needle swung rapidly several degrees to the west, and the display galloped forward.

Oh, hell, he’s doubling back. He’s gotten over Tsigana and now I’m dinner. 

Author Bio:

Marie Treanor lives in Scotland with her eccentric husband and three much-too-smart children. Having grown bored with city life, she resides these days in a picturesque village by the sea where she is lucky enough to enjoy herself avoiding housework and writing sensual stories of paranormal romance and fantasy.

Marie Treanor has published more than twenty ebooks with small presses, (Samhain Publishing, Ellora’s Cave, Changeling Press and The Wild Rose Press), including a former Kindle bestseller, Killing Joe. Blood on Silk: an Awakened by Blood novel, was her New York debut with NAL.

In the Awakened by Blood series, Marie is delighted to be able to bring together her long-standing loves of vampire stories and Gothic romance.

Website: www.MarieTreanor.com 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marie-Treanor-Paranormal-Romance/105866982782360.

Newsletter: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marietreanornewsletter.

Blog: Marie Treanor's Romantic Theme Party: http://romanticthemeparty.blogspot.com/ 

**********GIVEAWAY**********

This giveaway is for a PRINT copy of Blood Eternal.

-This is open to US ONLY.

-Must leave a comment answering the question Marie asked at the end of her interview (it's in bold lettering), along with your email addy to make it easier to contact the winner.

-Winner will be chosen using random.org and will have 48 hours to respond to their winner's confirmation email before a new winner will be chosen.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm on 10/29.