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Sunday, June 3, 2012

Author Interview & Contest with Lynsay Sands!

Lynsay Sands is one of the first authors I began reading when I discovered the Paranormal genre. Her books were a good starting point for me and it made me realise that not all books in the genre we about evil, fighting and dark things. Lynsay's books are always fun, fresh and full of cool vampires and I love each and every book about the Argeneau family.

Under A Vampire Moon, the 16th book in the series was released in April and the 17th, The Lady is a Vamp is due out at the end of July. I have this author on pre-order so I never miss out on a new release!

Never tried the series? Already a fan? Whichever category you fall into, enjoy the interview! And enter the contest! You could win a signed book from Lynsay!

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Amber - Hello Lynsay! Welcome back to Amberkatze's Book Blog. It is great to have you here on the blog again. Maybe you can start things off by telling us a little about your latest release, Under a Vampire Moon?

Lynsay – Well, I can tell you I had a blast writing it. I really did, and was sorry to see it end. I was having so much fun writing Under A Vampire Moon, that I ended up writing long and had to cut 50,000 words from the final manuscript. It was that or let my editor cut them and then I wouldn’t have control over what was cut.

Under a Vampire Moon is Christian Notte’s story, and is set on St. Lucia. Carolyn, a disillusioned middle-age woman going through a difficult divorce decides to go on a vacation with the 'girls'. Unfortunately everywhere she looks she sees happy couples celebrating their anniversary or on their honeymoon and this is making her feel worse.

Then she meets Christian and the sparks fly. The only problem is he looks like he’s in his mid-twenties, which in her mind is far too young for her. Just when she’s ready to run, she comes to find out he’s gay and he needs her help--Christian needs Carolyn to play the part of his fake girlfriend for the week to appease his 'machismo' family. She agrees to help him out, but finds that being around him and acting like they’re a loving couple is wreaking havoc on her emotions.

The good thing is Christian isn’t gay, he’s just using this excuse to keep her close in the hopes of wooing her and giving her a little extra time to get to know him so when he does explain why his looks don’t match his real age, she won’t grab the nearest cross and stake.

Amber - Under a Vampire Moon is the 16th book in the Argeneau vampire series! How do you manage to come up with such amazing original stories each time?

Lynsay – First, thank you. I’m glad you are enjoying them. As for the answer…I bore easily, so I have to keep it interesting enough to entertain me. If it isn’t, then the story gets dropped and I start another.

Using different characters each story helps too. Different personalities lead to different responses and reactions to situations, which leads to different situations developing from the original ones… I hope that makes sense. LOL. Anyway, I tend to draw characters from people I know or meet. So each character has their own quirks and temperament, etc.

Amber - Christian's story is told in Under A Vampire Moon. Was it hard pulling all the pieces together so he would meet Carolyn?

Lynsay - No… if it’s difficult and I find myself having to force it…well, that’s when the story gets dropped. If the story and the characters just come to me naturally then I have a story that I can complete.

Amber - In Under a Vampire Moon the location is St. Lucia. It sounds like a wonderful place. Were you writing from personal experience or just from good research?

Lynsay – From personal experience. My sisters and I went away to St. Lucia for a girl’s vacation. The people were lovely and would bend over backwards to help us out. There were a lot of couples at the resort but we didn’t care as it was more fun without the men on this trip. LOL… however had I been in Caro’s shoes being in mid-divorce, I could see how it would be a difficult vacation for her. Oh, and the boat tour was one we took, it was loads of fun, but then the whole trip was.

Amber - Book #17 is due out at the end of July. What can we expect from the Lady Is A Vamp?

Lynsay – The Lady is A Vamp is about Jeanne Louise. It starts with her being kidnapped and waking up chained to a bed. A great start to a relationship, huh? LOL. That’s pretty much what Jeanne Louise thinks, too, when she realizes she can’t read her abductor. Her kidnapper, Paul, happens to be a fellow science geek who works for Argeneau Enterprises. The kidnapping, his being a coworker, and the fact that he has a very sick, six-year-old daughter all combine to make this ‘life mate’ business a lot messier than she’d ever expected…and it could lead to a world of hurt for them both.

Amber - How long does it take you to write a book? Do you have a process you follow or just start and see where the characters take you?

Lynsay – It usually takes me about two weeks to a month of me writing around the clock to write a book. I write from the time I get up till the time I go to bed. I usually sleep four hours a night during that time until the last couple days then I might not sleep at all while I finish it off. I usually start with a scene and let the characters run with it.

Amber - How many Argeneau stories are there to go? How many more characters will tell their story? Do you feel like stopping?

Lynsay – Now I’m working on the Notte’s and I don’t see an end to the Argeneau series anytime soon. So far my readers seem to be enjoying them and I still enjoy writing them.

Amber - What other projects are you working on? Are you working on anything new? I know you write do write other books too ;)

Lynsay – I’ll be writing another historical soon but I don’t know what I’ll write about yet. I usually don’t know until I sit down to write it. I’m not big on planning things like this. It either comes to me or it doesn’t.

Amber - I am a huge Kindle fan and love that I got Under a Vampire Moon on the day it was released. Do you have an e-reader yourself? What are your views on E-books?

Lynsay – I used to have a kindle, but it broke down and now I have an iPad. I really don’t like any particular e-reader over another. The only thing I would say is I prefer an e-reader that lights up so you don’t have to have a light on if you don’t want to. It’s handier for reading in bed.

Amber - What has been taking up your free time lately? Read any good books? Watching anything worth recommending?

Lynsay – What free time? LOL. I get very little but when I do I tend to read horror; Dean Koontz (especially his older work like Tick Tock), Terri Garey (the Nikki Styx series), and J.F.Lewis (author of Staked and Revamped). I like their writing styles and their stories are fast paced enough to keep me interested.

As for what I’m watching, I have been enjoying the series Drop Dead Diva, Eureka, Sanctuary and the new Doctor Who. I’d recommend any of them.

Amber - What's your favorite paranormal movie of all time?

Lynsay – I can tell you some of my favorites but I couldn’t narrow it down to just one. I watch a lot of paranormals. Let’s see, From Dusk til Dawn was memorable, the first few Harry Potters….Gees, that’s all I can think of as standing out.

Amber - If you could meet any famous person, alive or dead, who would you like to meet? and why?

Lynsay – Hmm… that’s a tough question. I get asked it a lot, and really there isn’t anyone I’d want to meet. No one real, anyway. LOL. I wouldn’t mind meeting Dr. Who if he were real. He’s just so interesting. Other than that though, I don’t really have any one hero or person I look up to enough from the past to want to meet them. I’d love to have tea with my deceased mother though. Does she count?

Amber - Thank you for being a guest again! See you soon! ;)






Argeneau Vampire Series
(last few books - for a full list go here)

#13 : The Renegade Hunter
#14 : Hungry For You
#15 : The Reluctant Vampire
#16 : Under A Vampire Moon
#17 : The Lady Is A Vamp (Due out on July 31st)

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Contest Details!


Lynsay is giving away a signed copy of Under A Vampire Moon!


How To Enter


Who is your favourite Argeneau?

Haven't read the series yet? Which cover looks the best from the series?


No Answer = No Entry


'Please enter me' posts will NOT be counted as an entry


Earn more entries for each link you place about this contest on the net. You can post on Facebook, Twitter & MySpace but make sure you add links here for me to confirm your entries! However please do not make individual postings for each entry. Please post all your entries in one post.


Advertise Amberkatze's Book Blog on your site and get an extra entry for this and every other contest!

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You can also earn extra entries by emailing your friends about the contest. Just make sure you send a copy of your email or receipt to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.

Make sure you post your links here so I can confirm your entries.

Keep the contests going by using the Bookdepository.com and Amazon.com links/Banners below and around the site.

Free Delivery on all Books at the Book Depository

The contest will stay open until 4pm on Sunday 10th June (Central European Time) and the winner will be picked by a randomizer. Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners and will pick new winners for any prizes not claimed within 7 days.



31 comments:

Birgit said...

Well, I am new to this series, so I can't tell you which Argeneau I like best. What I can tell you though is that my fav cover must be for "Tall Dark & Hungry" (not the edition that shows the couple, but the one with the cake) - nothing against sexy covers, but I like the humor in that one.

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azuki said...

I've only read 3 of the series so far - am definitely reading them slower than Sands writes!

My favorite so far is Bastien.

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felinewyvern said...

My favourite is Lucien but Marguerite runs a close second because of her clever matchmaking :D

Barbara E. said...

My favorite Argeneau is Lucern - I love that he's a romance writer, unintentionally. :D I think Under a Vampire Moon has an awesome cover, I love it.

Sullivan McPig said...

I haven't read anything in this series yet, but I really like the cover of Vampire Interrupted.

molly.frenzel said...

My favorite Argenueau is Lucern. I love the fact that he's an author that writes books about vamps.

molly(dot)frenzel(at)gmail(dot)com
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donnas said...

I really like all the ones we have met so far. It is quite the family. But I really like Marguerite the most. She is so good at finding mates and comes up with the best ways to bring them together.

bacchus76 at myself dot com

debbie said...

I like the born to bite cover. This is a new series for me.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

Mary Preston said...

I have not begun the series yet. I do love the covers, but UNDER A VAMPIRE MOON is positively wicked.

Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...

This is one of the few series that I read as soon as the new book comes out. My favorite is Elvie, in The Accidental Vampire. I still get a giggle or two when I think back on this hilarious book.

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sienny said...

hi! i've read this series, yay!! this is one of my favorite PNR series. the story is refreshing and even though it's quite long, i don't get bored reading every new installment.

smile_1773@yahoo.com

Dovile said...

I haven't read this series yet, and I really like the cover of A Quick Bite.

Mardel said...

Hi - I've only read one of the early Argeauneu books, so I can't really claim a favorite. However, I like the cover of Vampire Interrupted the best. :)

wandasissleatyahoodotcom

Gale Nelson said...

I am new to this series but I absolutely love the cover for Under a Vampire moon. Thanks for the giveaway! Gale pgan427@yahoo.com

NoraA said...

I actually liked Drina (The Reluctant Vampire), she is snarky, sexy, and funny. My favorite cover is "Love Bites" beacuse of the cute little bat on the cover.

NoraAdrienne(at)gmail(dot)com

clynsg said...

I became hooked on this series as soon as I read the first one, and really enjoy the entire family. But I think I agree with those who like Marguerite the best.

cgclynsg0 @ gmail dot com

Unknown said...

I love the cover: The Lady Is A Vamp ^_^
Thanks for the giveaway^_^

karen.wapinski at gmail dot com

Sheila said...

Love at first Bite is my favourite cover but also my favourite book.
The idea of waking up tied to a gorgeous vampires bed, fair enough this time round it was female , but hey hot is hot and I think he quite enjoyed Lissianas attention.

Sheila said...

Love at First Bite is my fave Cover and fave book.

The first is always the best and Lissiana story is fantastic,
I mean waking up tied to a sexy vampires bed, in my case I prefer the male variety please.

Sorry for double entry I never know if I a supposed to leave my email addy.

Seyre509@aol.com

Thanks xox

Amethyst said...

I haven't read any books in this series yet. I like the cover for for Vampire, Interrupted (and I love the title!). Thanks for the giveaway!

Unknown said...

I havent read the series but I would love very much. I love reading about vampires. I love the Vampire Interrupted cover. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

Alicia0385 said...

oh this one is easy. My fav is Nicholas Argeneau! It just doesnt get hotter than that!

aliciahall0605(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

Aurian said...

I have not read this yet, but I love The Lady is a Vamp cover best. My best friend has tried often to make me read those books, but well, so little time, so many books, especially if the series is this big already.

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Dawn said...

Decker

Cindy McCune said...

My favorite Argeneau is Marguerite of course. The matriarch busy body who interferes and mostly just puts perfect pairs together!

I love your newsletter...thanks for the chance and LUCK to us all! (✿ ◡‿◡)

Eli Yanti said...

i have not read this series before. The cover i love is UNDER A VAMPIRE MOON

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Anonymous said...

Haven't read the series, yet. I like the cover of "Vampires Are Forever" best.

Gail said...

I have not read the series yet, but I do have a couple of the books on my TBR pile! Any cover with a firm & handsome chest is a winner for me ;-) So 'Under a Vampire Moon' is eye catching.

gsryley(at)gmail(dot)com

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Laura said...

I haven't read any books in this series yet but the cover of Vampire Interrupted appeals the most to me.

Sheila said...

Marguerite is my fave character

sienny said...

oh dear.. i hope i'm not late yet..

i have 2 favorite, the novelist ( i forgot his name..) and marguerite. these two are such a fun character, and their books are my favorite :)