Meet author, Maya Tyler, as she answers questions about her latest book, A Vampire’s Tale.

*****

What gave you the idea for this book? I started writing A Vampire’s Tale in September 2014. Mid-September I had an unexpected drop in my blood pressure which prevented me from sitting or standing without fainting, but I could lie down and write on my iPad. I ended up writing the entire book on my iPad, the first book I’d ever completed that way. Anyway, the idea came to me while I was lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling more than a little sorry for myself. I decided to create my very own vampire and Corgan Halton became the result. Creating Corgan was not enough. I felt he had a story to tell of his own and who better to tell it than a paranormal romance author. Voila Marisa Clements.

How long did it take to write this book? About a year, I’m guessing. Writing is my hobby which I can only do in my “spare” time, usually after the kids go to bed. I encountered another obstacle during the writing of this book, I experienced severe fatigue so, more times than not, I would wake up at 11pm in the recliner with my laptop perched on my knees. Makes for challenging writing.

Did you follow a planned outline for this book? Not at all. As much as I like to plan every other aspect of my life, I don’t follow a pre-determined plot.

Tell me a little about your main characters. Marisa Clements is a paranormal romance author (sound familiar?) who writes about vampires, but doesn’t believe in them. She’s young, still trying to find her way in the world. Starting a career in writing went against her parents, and even her friends aren’t supportive, and she is still, subconsciously, looking for their approval. Meeting Corgan Halton, an actual vampire, is the ultimate irony. Corgan is a tortured, ancient soul. Becoming a vampire, for him, traded one dismal existence for another. He retains his conscience and actively seeks atonement for his perceived sins.

Tell me A Vampire’s Tale fun fact. The male model on the book cover is Vikkas Bhardwaj, an Indian Bollywood actor and romance book cover model. http://www.vikkaszone.com

 

A Vampire’s Tale

Author Maya Tyler is excited about her upcoming paranormal romance novel, A Vampire’s Tale coming from Tirgearr Publishing on March 22, 2017. Available now at Amazon, Smashwords, and Apple.

__________________________________________________

The best laid plans…

Marisa Clements was never satisfied writing the ‘gossip column’ in the local paper and

she quit her job to follow her dream of writing fiction. Floundering in an unforgiving

industry, she wrote about vampires, a popular subject she considered fascinating but as

real as unicorns, to pay the rent.

 

Corgan was tired of human misconceptions about vampires and ‘living’ as a vampire.

He planned to tell Marisa his story and end his existence. It was no coincidence Corgan

selected Marisa to write his story. With the ability to see the future, he knew she would

be a major part of it. He knew if they met, she would help him die, but in doing so, she’d

be doomed to the same fate. Once they met, their futures would be irrevocably

intertwined.

 

Corgan began to care for Marisa and finally revealed the truth to her. He admitted his

quest to atone for his past sins had put her in grave danger from a nest of revenge seeking

vampires. Corgan must claim her for her own protection. But claiming her is not

enough, he must ask for help from his wizard friends and his maker in order to destroy

his enemy or Marisa will never be safe.

__________________________________________________

 

Maya Tyler is a romance author, blogger, wife, and mother. She has a degree in Commerce. Over the past few years, she decided to unleash her creative streak and get serious about writing. So far, she has published a short story “Just for Tonight” in an anthology called With Love from Val and Tyne and her debut paranormal romance novella Dream Hunter. Her second paranormal romance novel A Vampire’s Tale releases on March 22, 2017. Writing mostly paranormal romances, all her books have a common theme – happily ever after. When she’s not writing, you can find her playing with Lego and watching superhero movies with her husband and sons.

You can find Maya on the web at the following locations:

Twitter | Facebook | Website | Blog

__________________________________________________

 

Excerpt:

 

Under the cover of dusk, the city lights came alive. Her view, slightly obstructed by the rickety fire escape, did not keep her from seeing the flashing neon signs lining the street below.        That’s it. She’d wasted hours on this novel, immediately deleting every word she typed. The cursor blinked mockingly on the otherwise blank page of her document. Write something. Anything.

With her apartment now shrouded in darkness, intermittently illuminated by the street lights, Marisa Clements lit the white pillar candle on her desk. Its orange flame cast long shadows against the wall. So I can see what I’m not writing. An eclectic mix of music serenaded her from the neighborhood, a reminder of Lincoln Park’s active nightlife, a distinct contrast to her quiet Friday night at home.

The candle flickered and a cold shiver travelled down her spine. Then it came to her. Fingers poised over the keyboard, she typed.

And his eyes glowed with unholy flames.

She squirmed in her chair. Marisa could see the dark stranger, clad in black, standing before her like a real being. He blended with the shadows, the dim room serving as apt camouflage, except for his eyes. They bore straight through her.

What do you mean “like a real being”?

She jumped in her seat. Yikes. A little too real. Alone in her apartment, the voice could only be a figment of her imagination. She shivered with anticipation as her fingers flew over the keys of her beloved laptop. This would be her best story yet. To hell with all the non-believers—her wealthy, socialite parents who’d disowned her when she’d left business school, and the “so-called” friends who told her to get a real job. This was a real job… It paid the bills, after all. Sort of. It paid the minimum balance on her credit card.

Why did people choose the mundane office job—she shuddered—plastering themselves to a desk from nine-to-five? Sitting at a desk to write was completely different. No boss, no stress… No money, if she didn’t get her head out of the clouds and back to her latest vamp.

He didn’t have a name yet, but he had a face. A dark, mysterious face with a century’s worth of secrets. Secrets he would tell her, only her, if she would listen.

Marisa took a deep, calming breath. “I’m listening.” She closed her eyes, waiting. A cool breeze shifted her hair and her eyes popped open. The old floorboards creaked, and she spun her chair around. “Who’s there?” The candle blew out. “What the—”

Time—and her heartbeat—stood still. Paranoia set in, the consequence of writing too many vampire stories. She must’ve left a window open. Or something. She re-lit the candle and turned her attention back to her laptop, staring at the last words she’d typed.

Corgan Halton.

She didn’t remember typing that.

“Corgan Halton.” She said the name slowly. “I like that.” She’d written a dozen vampire stories and this would be her best name yet. It had an old-worldly feel to it. Like a real name. She’d better look it up to make sure it wasn’t a real name; she didn’t need a lawsuit. Did people sue for name infringement?

“Okay, Corgan Halton. Are you real?” She typed the name into a search engine.

“As real as you are.” The distinctive male voice resonated in the otherwise quiet room.

Marisa froze. She didn’t dare turn around. It was her overactive imagination at play. There was no one there. She hoped. Maybe one of her friends? Is this a joke?

“Not a joke, Marisa.”

Gasping, she stood and spun around toward the sound of his voice.

As he stepped out of the shadows, she took in the man before her. Pale with black, curly hair, dressed in an impeccable suit. Dark and intimidating, he stood in her living room, shrinking the already small space.

Exactly as she’d imagined. She conjured him from her imagination? No… This is not happening.

She rubbed her unbelieving eyes. There couldn’t actually be anyone there. When did she last eat? Did low blood sugar cause hallucinations?

He smiled at her, and the temperature in the room dropped several degrees.

“Who are you?” she demanded.

“Corgan Halton.” He gave a courtly bow. “At your service.”

No… She stared at him in shocked silence. It isn’t possible.

“I assure you, my dear, it’s entirely possible.”

“Do you read minds, too?” She held her breath and waited for his reply.

“You tell me. You’re the vampire expert.”

Vampire? He’s a vampire?