Thursday, October 6, 2011

Halloween 2011 with Susan Blexrud

Readers and fans, please welcome Susan Blexrud to Ramsey's Reviews 2nd Annual Halloween Bash event. Susan is chatting about things that go bump in the night and go unexplained. Pull up a chair and sit for a while. This is an author you don't want to miss and a story your gonna want to read.
 "Alpha males should have a sense of humor, whether they're vampires, Mayan warriors, or the boy next door."

Tell us your latest news. Do you have any current projects you’re working on?
I’m working on a Civil War story entitled The Gettysburg Vampire. Here’s the blurb.
Students at Gettysburg College know the legend of the Stonewall Jackson, a Civil War ghost train. For this year’s winter holiday play, Theater Professor Abby Potter has dramatized the popular tale using a little artistic license. She’s added a vampire. But she has one big problem—finding a decent thespian for the leading role. She bristles at the suggestion that Malcolm McClellan, a history professor at the college and a renowned Civil War re-enactor, would be ideal for the part. She’s avoided the brooding, mysterious man for years. But it may be perfect casting.

When and why did you begin writing?
I can’t NOT write (please forgive the double negative). I’ve been writing since elementary school, majored in journalism in college, and spent 30 years writing feature articles before trying my hand at fiction, which I ADORE!

Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
My ideas are usually a result of something I’ve seen in the news or elements of history that attract me. For Black Fang, the genesis of the story was a very real disease in bats called white-nose syndrome, and for The Gettysburg Vampire, the idea came after vacationing in Gettysburg. I was mesmerized by the battlefields and the eerie sense of carnage that permeates the town.

What do you think makes a good horror story?
In a word—the UNEXPECTED. Horror is that element lurking around the corner that springs out at the hero or heroine when you least expect it.

I couldn't say it better myself, Susan. =) What is your favorite scary movie or book?
Anything by Stephen King can get my adrenaline pumping. I don’t really have a favorite, but Carrie and Pet Cemetery come to mind.

What makes you interested in the genre your write?
Life is tough, and a little escape, I believe, provides a welcome respite from the realities of our failing economy, children who are still struggling to find their way, poor health, etc. Escaping through the supernatural introduces new worlds and new possibilities, and I like the idea that there is more in this vast universe than the eye can see.

When you were a child, what creature or story scared you the most? And did it propel your creative muse to write about it later?
I was frightened of something under my bed, though I didn’t know what it could be. I suppose that fear of the unexpected has helped me write stories about danger that lies just below the surface.

Do you remember ever coming up with anything so wild that you scared yourself, leaving you to wonder where that came from?
I’ve had some dreams that scared me, but I could always connect them to something I’d seen or heard, so no, no real surprises.

Where do you as an author draw the line on gory description and/or erotic content?
I’m more into communicating love and longing than raw sex, and I’m not crazy about gore. It’s one of the reasons I greatly prefer Charlaine Harris’s books to the True Blood HBO series. Her books focus on her characters’ emotions, while the TV series seems more dedicated to shock and awe.

Could you share some of your blurbs or excerpts with us?
Here’s the blurb and an excerpt from the fifth story in my fang series, Black Fang.

BLURB:
Someone is deliberately infecting bats with a deadly fungus. The flying mammals are dying by the thousands, and along with them, a significant number of vampires in bat form have also succumbed.
Enter John and Lauren Wright. The vampire couple has conquered evil enemies in the past, but the perpetrator behind the bat deaths is more cunning than any they’ve encountered. Though John initially suspects that werewolves are the culprits, he discovers he is up against a colony of Unseelie faeries. The intoxicating scent of the faeries has been known to deceive vampires, pitting friend against friend—and wife against husband.

EXCERPT:
John and Teensy landed in the palace’s kitchen, where the cook promptly began beating John on the head with a wooden spoon.
“Stop!” He rubbed his cranium. “We’re here to see the king. He’s expecting us.”
“Well, you have a strange way to make an entrance.” The cook, wide as she was tall, gave John the stink eye.
“My fault,” said Teensy, dusting off her hot pink sweatpants. “I must have used one spider leg too many in the potion. I was aiming for the banquet hall.”
“You’re right under it,” the cook said as she nodded to a vaulted doorway. “Take those steps. I’m sure you’ll be a big hit.” She swatted John on the butt with her spoon as they passed her. “Or at least the gorgeous guy will.”
They hurried up the steps with Teensy chattering instructions along the way. “Stay close to me when we get in the hall. I may need to whisper, and I’ll be able to feel if you’re inching to the dark side.”
“I won’t let them get to me.”
“Right.” Teensy tugged on John’s sleeve. “Don’t get cocky.”
They burst into the banquet hall. John counted eight guards stationed at the doorways and then focused on the dais. The king was seated at his throne with a lovely, and very naked, faery maid sprawled face down/butt up across his lap. He was spanking her vigorously with his bare hand while two other faeries bounced around them, obviously enjoying the show. Lauren was standing next to the seated king, a smile as big as the Florida sun on her face.
“Lauren!” John called as he walked toward her, his hand held out. “Come to me, my love.”
She looked at him and clapped her hands. “Wow, you’re cute!”
Teensy, who was attached to John like a pilot fish on a shark, said, “Egad, it’s worse than I thought. She has no idea who you are.”
John stopped at the bottom step that led up to the throne. He sensed the guards circling him and getting closer as he approached the king. Again, he said, “Lauren, come to me, my love.” His heart pounded in his ears. She looked so beautiful…so vulnerable…and so clueless.
“My, my, you got here quickly, and uninvited, at that.” The king pushed the faery off his lap, rose from the throne, and put his arm around Lauren’s shoulder. John stiffened as she leaned into the king.
“This ain’t gonna be easy,” Teensy whispered.
John waited until Lauren’s eyes met his. “Avery misses you.”
Lauren cocked her head, and Teensy took advantage of the brief spark of recognition in Lauren’s eyes to throw a handful of sparkly dust in Lauren’s direction. She sneezed.
“Seize them,” the king shouted to his guards.

Where can your fans go to find more information about you and your books?
Here’s where you can find me, and I love to hear from readers!

Is there anything else additional you would like to share with your readers?
What really juices me is communicating with readers. There are so many interesting people who read paranormal fiction, and I love to hear from them.

Susan, thank you for taking the time to tell us about your book releases and let the readers learn a little bit more about the author behind the books. It is an honor to have you here with us and is a privilege to have you as my guest.

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