Good Morning.
Its freezing today, but my virtual lounge is warm, thanks to the company of the lovely Kirstin Battestella. She's here today to kick start the christmas month with her new vampy book. AND for a Christmas treat I will give a present for the best comment.
Hi Kirstin. I hear you have another fabbo book out. So spill the beans about it. I can't wait.
The Sundowner offers steamy Welshire vampires Jessica, Pamela, and Slava for underground vampire sex and biting fetishes in this mid-century tale from Professor James. Victoria’s twin brother James, however, is content with his gig as piano player at the club owned by their brother Stephen. James’ own love Catrina is the alluring singer at The Sundowner, but can he keep his longtime vampire companion away from the tempting, exciting young clientele?
I really love the juicy mix of vampires and dark underbelly amid the fifties timescape. We often think 1955 was so ideal and happy and Leave It to Beaver with the wives at home in pearls and big skirts making meatloaf with 2.5 kids and a dog. But obviously, such is not the life for The Vampire Family. Much as James might not like the system, he’s still deeply entrenched in the bloody excess and hidden desires of middle America.
Why don't you pick your favourite character and tell us about them.
I must say, I do have a soft spot for Lust’s main player James, dating all the way back to the original composition of The Vampire Family novel, which is now on kindle with Eternal Press. I think he might steal a few hearts with his mellow piano player mentality. He is a vampire, doing what he has to do, but he doesn’t believe in the blood and gluttony- an ideology that is dividing James from his lady vamp Catrina. Really, after a few hundred centuries, there were bound to be a few bumps in the road! It’s strangely weird yet appropriate that Lust: James at the Sundowner ended up as our December Fate and Fangs release. Yes, it is some vampy innuendo kinky speakeasy for Christmas, not your typical Yule. But the melancholy here reminds me of all the unhappy winter depressions that people feel during the holidays when they are alone. I also particularly love all the pouty and moon themed musical material in James repertoire. Again, we don’t often think of bloodthirsty fangness with those tinny type swing nickelodeon sounds. All the layers just add up to a lot of festering brooding and eternally hidden torment. It just makes James so sensitive and juicy. It is so easy to love him and love to hate his wicked twin Victoria! Here’s an excerpt to tease you!
" Unfortunately, after five centuries or so, the comfortable vampire enchantment can, in fact, wane. Sometimes I think Catrina is longing for something more-just like her fooled admirers. I enjoy my music. I have to occupy myself with some post-war Goodman ‘Moonglow’ and Miller ‘Serenade in Blue’ in order to control my Welshire urges. These dark gifts cannot and shall not rule me. I will not succumb to animal anarchy the way Stephen does. For myself, I am content in my respectable role here until the next war comes calling. Can I admit to myself that I know Catrina is not content? How could she be? My voluptuous love has the predatory power of the wolf and all her fun feline charm. I enjoy watching her exude the dark magic allure as I play the music for her. Her exotic and spooky look brings the silver screen to life-curly black hair and white skin stamped with a perfectly deadly pout of red lips. I love her, I always have. I could not bring the vampiric gifts to anyone I did not love. I expected to spend the rest of my unnatural life with her. Although I don’t doubt Catrina loves me and will always have a space for me in her black heart still; deep down I know she intends to leave me for new vampire lusts. ...."
It sounds great. I'm sure it'll do very well. As this is a site that helps other authors, what's the best marketing advice you can offer.
I’ve been asked this a lot recently and have even done several seminars and panels with the New Jersey Authors Network discussing marketing and publishing trends. I do really love meeting new authors and aspiring writers and helping give them the lift they need, that extra push of hope, confidence, or information that pushes them to personal accomplishment or publication glory. Really, half of marketing is just having the confidence to put you and your work out there. There are so many options in publishing today that there is no reason for hesitancy. However, it worries me more that it seems marketing is beginning to take over the literature. A bad book with phenomenal right place right time and solid backing can be a blockbuster, where a quite quality book will go unnoticed if left to speak for itself. Its weird that we have to know and love an author and see their every goofy gaming and photos on facebook and twitter in order to make a decision on buying his or her book. We complain when we watch a crappy movie that is just a actor playing himself or is larger than life celebrity for no reason and makes run of the mill popcorn entertainment. Yet we want to turn our literature into the same gimmicky moneymakers. Open your mind, open your pen, let the juices flow. Make the best work possible, research your publication options, craft and polish to perfection with editors and revision. I think the best marketing advice is too make a damn fine book that is going to be a solid piece of literature- whether it ends up having sensational hullaballoo or not. Does that make sense or am I being to idealistic or pessimistic? Just because you can churn out something cheesy, slap on the bells and whistles, and tack on smart celebration campaign does not make it good marketing advice, you know.
So whats on your writing agenda for next year?
Up next is more Fate and Fangs! We still have two more Tales coming from the Muse in 2012. Humanity and Resurrection bring The Welshire vampires back into contemporary times after all of the historical escapades we’ve had thus far. Both of these lead towards to next full length novels I’m editing now. I still like the titles Requiem or The Vampire Family Forever, though I’m not sure. I have such trouble with titles!
Before you go, where can your followers find you
Everywhere overnight in the darkest depths of the internet!
http://vampfam.blogspot.com
http://jsnouff.com/kristin
http://kristin724.livejournal.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Vampire-Family/157922293588
http://www.myspace.com/kristinbattestella
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kristinbattestella/
http://www.facebook.com/kristin.battestella
Thank you so much Margaret for having us visit again!
Its a pleasure to have you kirstin. Have a wonderful Christmas and new year. xx
Posts
So the postcard picture of the living room is what mine looks like in my head. Instead it has a tree that is leaning and a foot shorter than when we bought it (my husband was trying to be crafty), half the lights burned out, the ornaments start half way up so as to be out of reach from little fingers. My mantle is missing the garland since my two year old tore it up. No presents under the tree or my two 11 mo olds would have demolished them.
ReplyDeleteAnd then I sit on the couch and examine my Griswold like living room and am faced with three little smiling faces..and it doesn't matter so much anymore.
I like the sound of James, I could use a little mellow piano player mentality every now and then. Sometimes you just need a little excape =) Glad you were here so I could hear about your books!
Hi Kirstin.
ReplyDeleteI love the cover of fate and fangs. A touch of romance with vampires...oooh yummy lol
Another great book it seems to me margaret.
ReplyDeletegod uck with it kirstin.
I meant LUCK lol
ReplyDeleteGreat post, gals. Two of my favorite peeps in one place. Kristen is so right about having courage to put yourself out there in marketing and promoting. I had, and still suffer from, anxiety over the cost of my books as compared to say, Nora Roberts. I still can't imagine why someone would pay $9.95 for a print copy of mine when they can go to Walmart and get two of a "hit" author's novels for the same price. Of course, they're missing the boat if they don't. *lol* See...I am getting better. My sales soared after Christmas last year, and I'm hoping for the same this year. Go Kindle!!!!
ReplyDelete