Exclusive Interview: Debbie Viguié

About Author Debbie Viguié:
Debbie Viguié is the New York Times bestselling author of two dozen novels, including the Wicked series and the Crusade series, both coauthored by Nancy Holder. Debbie also writes thrillers, including the Psalm 23 Mysteries and the Kiss trilogy. She has a degree in creative writing from U.C. Davis. Debbie grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. She and her husband Scott live in Florida with their cat, Shrödinger. Her newest book, The Last Grave, is the second installment in the Witch Hunt series.

Can you tell us a bit about The Last Grave in your own words?

The Last Grave is about Samantha beginning to understand that there’s a lot more going on in her world than she ever guessed, that wherever she runs magic is going to find her and she’s going to be forced to confront her past. I set the book in the San Francisco Bay Area, where I grew up. I was thrilled to be able to use some places that I went to a lot as a kid as background for some pivotal scenes.

The synopsis states that Samantha Ryan is a homicide detective by choice and a witch hunter by necessity. Why is she forced into being a witch hunter?

In the first book a dark coven in Salem began sacrificing young women. Her police captain knew that she had been raised as a witch in a dark coven before escaping that life and ultimately forced her to go in undercover since no one else could. She hadn’t used magic in years before those events, but now the floodgates are open and magic seems to be finding her regardless of what she wants.

How many books do you have planned for Witch Hunt series?

Currently I have 3 books planned for the series. Circle of Blood is going to be the title of the third one.

What’s next for you, besides your Witch Hunt novels? What other stories are you currently working on?

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Exclusive Interview and Giveaway: Author Piper Maitland

Author Piper Maitland joins SciFiChick.com today on the latest stop for her blog tour for a Q&A talking about vampires and her latest release, Hunting Daylight! Follow Piper on Twitter at: @PiperMaitland, and keep reading for a chance to win a copy of Hunting Daylight!

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Can you tell us a bit about Hunting Daylight in your own words?

It’s a love story, blended with adventure and the science of vampirism. The action opens a few years after Acquainted With the Night ends. A vampire cabal has chased Jude and Caro Barrett around the globe, but that’s the least of their problems. Jude is having trouble adjusting to vampirism, Caro is plagued by nightmares, and their three-year-old daughter, Vivi, might be at the center of a disturbing 8th century prophecy. When Jude disappears on a scientific expedition, Caro’s life flips upside-down.

Describe your vampires. (Are they of the traditional Bram Stoker variety?)

I honored the core myths but reinforced them with science. I have a B.S. in nursing, so it seemed logical that my vampires would have a human-like physiology. A unique type of stem cells are responsible for longevity, rapid healing, athleticism, and hyper-immune systems. The thirst for human blood is driven by the need to replenish stem cells, which are found in the bone marrow and vascular system. And it takes more than three bites for a human to turn into a vampire. Transformation is possible but requires large amounts of stem cells, usually through intravenous infusions.

When vampires perspire, a fragrant terpene, similar to cat nip, is emitted. As humans inhale the “bat-nip,” they relax, allowing the predator to move in for the bite. A mild neurotoxin is also excreted in a vampire’s saliva, and this further subdues the victim.

A vampire’s brain is super-developed, with heightened senses of smell, hearing, touch, taste, and vision. Some immortals are telepathic and/or possess psi talents; others lack these skills. They can by killed by a catastrophic injury or certain blood-borne diseases.

Psychologically, vampires can be neurotic, prone to obsessive-compulsive disorders, depression, phobias, and psychoses. When a human becomes a vampire, his personality quirks are magnified—a slightly suspicious human would become a paranoid vampire.

Vampires are photosensitive due to an inborn error of metabolism and an overproduction of a compound called IgE, which causes an extreme exothermic reaction, resulting in blisters, second and third degree burns, and death.

How many books are planned for this series?

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Exclusive Interview: Author Gregg Rosenblum

This is the first stop on Gregg Rosenblum’s blog tour promoting his debut Revolution 19. And SciFiChick.com was granted an exclusive interview with the author. My review of this exciting YA SciFi novel will post tomorrow, January 8th. —– Can you tell us a bit about Revolution 19 in your own words? Artificial intelligence (bots) … Read more