Interview with Linda Thomas-Sundstrom and Giveaway - May 18, 2012

Please welcome Linda Thomas-Sundstrom to The Qwillery. Linda's latest Vampire Moons novel, Guardian of the Night (Vampire Moons 4), will be published on May 22, 2012.


TQ:  What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Linda:  I write while I'm driving the car. Yes, that's true! Eek! Ideas, dialogue, notes on what I'm writing at the time or in the future (insert Twilight Zone song here) seem to arrive while behind the wheel. Can't help it, and of course those things have to be written down and saved. So I scribble in an open notebook on the passenger's seat and hope I can read it when I get home.

TQ:  Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Linda:  Both. Though I'm a pantser at heart, writing for Harlequin changes that somewhat. They require a detailed synopsis for each book and proposal, so I have to get into the details of each story, and know the direction, arcs, etc before I start writing the book. Of course, there's plenty of room for pantsing in the actual writing. So, I'm a "PLANT" = a combo of pantser and plotter.

TQ:  What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Linda:  Finding the time to do it. I still have a day job - I'm a teacher.

TQ:  What inspired you to write Vampire Moons series?

Linda:  The Arthurian tales. Loved those. Ate it all up. So my question to myself was this: What if those legendary knights of the Round Table were unearthly beautiful and undefeatable in battle.... because they were unearthly??? Voila! I have seven Blood Knights from that time, who were more than men, and quite immortal, still questing in current times. Two of them have their stories told in the two full books in my Vampire Moons series. In "Guardian of the Night," due out at the end of this month, we meet Mason LanVal, and the woman who stumbles upon him in France.

TQ:  What sort of research did you do for the books?

Linda:  I'd love to say that I go to all of the foreign countries in this immortal series to soak up the details... and I have been to France... but as for Slovenia (Golden Vampire), etc... I look at pictures and study maps and salivate for those foreign ports. * For my werewolf books, I do howl at the moon.

TQ:  Describe Guardian of the Night in 140 words or less.

Linda:  "Guardian of the Night" is the story of Mason LanVal, one of seven Blood Knights from time long passed, as we catch up with him in the current century. He's one of a race of beings that are so much more than vampires, and light-years away from the humans they now and then come into contact with... Until Mason meets his match in a feisty American woman just as dedicated to her work as he is. Tied to a vow, noble to the end, gorgeous, immortal, Mason LanVal melts the heart of Faith James, as he helps to find her missing sister.

TQ:  Tell us something about Guardian of the Night that is not in the book description.

Linda:  Mason LanVal, one of the infamous Blood Knights, has been tied to a sacred vow all this time, which is to protect the Holy Grail from falling into the hands of anyone, for reasons other than its more obvious value. His immortality, and that of the other Blood Knights, is tied to this holy relic. (Don't you love a mystery?)

TQ:  Without giving anything away, what is/are your favorite scene(s) in Guardian of the Night?

Linda:  The opening, and the end scenes. Immortal meets woman injured in a wold trap, and sparks fly. End = a juicy fight between the forces of good and evil in an old French chateau.

TQ:  In the Vampire Moons series, who was the easiest character to write and why? Hardest and why?

Linda:  None of my immortals were easy to write. They have this strange vibe that must combine the ethics of the past and the vow they're still tied to, and then they also have to exist within the confines of the current century. My Vampire Moons immortals are reclusive, stoic, and never just vampires. They have long, dark pasts that are very complex, and have to be considered from all angles. I love getting my talons into these guys, so complex and lovely!

TQ:  Which character from the Vampire Moons novels has surprised you the most?

Linda:  The deepest character I've ever encountered is Jesse Stewart in Golden Vampire. She's been hurt so badly in her past that she now makes finding missing children her goal and career. And when she stumbles upon Lance Van Baaren in a foreign country, on assignment, the tie they have that binds them was a surprise, even to me. She's a serious character, with a lighter side-kick. Hard-core, fighter, survivor, who deserves, more than most, a happy ending.

TQ:   What's next?

Linda:  I'm really looking forward to this month's release of "Guardian of the Night." I really enjoyed writing this book, and love how it turned out. I've turned in two more full Nocturnes for release next year, and I'm in an HQN Christmas anthology, out in November, titled "Holiday With A Vampire." For a paranormal romance writer, each book is nothing short of bliss.

TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Linda:  Thanks so much for having me. I love meeting new friends and connecting. You can also find me at:
http://www.lindathomas-sundstrom.com
and
http://www.facebook.com/LindaThomasSundstrom


About Vampire Moons

Guardian of the Night

Vampire Moons 4
Harlequin Nocturne, May 22, 2012
Mass Market Paperback and eBook

The Guardian. An immortal with incredible strength, created centuries ago to protect the purity of the vampire bloodline and fight those who would abuse its power. As one of the seven Blood Knights, Mason LanVal spent lifetimes honoring his vows without wavering. That all changed the night he found Faith.

Faith James will do anything to save her missing sister. Even if it means risking her own life. She sought Mason for help. Instead she found more questions, and the key to unlocking her own latent Lycanism. She is a woman and a trueborn Lycan, so her pull on Mason is twice damned. Yet he can't tear himself away.

With just one kiss, the blood gift Mason gives Faith sets in motion an all-consuming desire that is forbidden to indulge, but impossible to ignore….

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : Harlequin : IndieBound

Golden Vampire

Vampire Moons 3
Harlequin Nocturne, March 22, 2011
Mass Market Paperback and eBook

For former cop Jesse Stewart, giving herself—mind and body—to sexy vampire Lance Van Baaren meant losing her soul. Hired by the government to find a senator's missing daughter, she instead found a haunting link to her past. And now something is drawing her to the one man she should despise….

Once a knight, Lance had sworn to protect the innocent. And one of those young innocents had been Jesse. Now face-to-face with the alluring woman she has become, he's determined to help Jessie solve her case and make her his own. But would finding the truth of her past—and the Blood Moon—push her further away?

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Books-A-Million : Harlequin : IndieBound

Night Born

Vampire Moons 2
Harlequin Nocturne Bites, July 1, 2011
eBook

Love and hate, vampire and slayer—opposites too closely connected for their own good?

After her mother is nearly killed, slayer-in-waiting Danika Douglas vows to destroy the vampire she believes is responsible—Alexander Kent. An experienced vampire older than sin itself, Alexander possesses dark good looks and a strong sensual allure.

Danika knows a slayer and her target are chained together by fate, compelled to find each other. Yet she never expected them to share such a powerful attraction, leaving Danika torn between revenge and desire….

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Books-A-Million : Harlequin

Vampire Lover

Vampire Moons 1
Harlequin Nocturne Bites, October 1, 2010
eBook

Kelsie Connor is looking for a big headline to jumpstart her career as a journalist—like proving the existence of vampires and werewolves. She's always felt that Others exist, though she's never met one herself. So on the night of the Blood Moon, Kelsie goes looking for a werewolf...but meets a vampire instead. A vampire who makes her blood run hot and makes her feel things she never imagined a body could feel.

Hayden Flann had been secretly watching Kelsie for some time, drawn to her by a powerful bloodlust and equally strong sexual attraction. But Hayden recognizes that he and Kelsie are connected by more than passion. Little does she know that Hayden is not just her lover—he's also her enemy, born to seduce her before he kills her....

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Books-A-Million : Harlequin

Wolf Moons

About Linda

Linda Thomas-Sundstrom is an award-winning paranormal romance and urban fantasy author currently writing for Harlequin's Nocturne imprint. She's a teacher by day, a writer by night, and lives on a big stretch of land in the country with her family and plenty of wildlife. Linda truly believes she has "paranormal" in her genes.

Linda's Links

Website
Facebook
Nocturne Authors









The Giveaway

THE RULES

What:  One commenter will win a copy of Guardian of the Night (Vampire Moons 4) from The Qwillery.

How:  Leave a comment answering the following question:

Which historical figure or figures do you think should be a vampire(s)?

Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1)   Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2)   Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3)   Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. You MUST leave a way to contact you.

Who and When:  The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Friday, May 25, 2012. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*