A Word Please

J.R. Rain and his world of vampires join us today! J.R. is going to tell us a about his paranormal fiction novel Moon Dance. First, a little about the man behind the vampire:

I live in a small house on a small island with my small dog, Sadie, who has more energy than Robin Williams. I will be self-publishing a slew of my novels over the next few years, so stop by often and check out what’s new.
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About Moon Dance:
Six years ago federal agent Samantha Moon was the perfect wife and mother, your typical soccer mom with the minivan and suburban home. Then the unthinkable happens, an attack that changes her life forever. And forever is a very long time for a vampire.

Now the world at large thinks Samantha has developed a rare skin disease, a disease which forces her to quit her day job and stay out of the light of the sun. Now working the night shift as a private investigator, Samantha is hired by Kingsley Fulcrum to investigate the murder attempt on his life, a horrific scene captured on TV and seen around the country. But as the case unfolds, Samantha discovers Kingsley isn’t exactly what he appears to be; after all, there is a reason why he survived five shots to the head.
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And now a chat with J.R.:

Moon Dance is written in the first person. What made you decide to write from a female’s viewpoint?

You know, writing from a female’s perspective never occurred to me as something odd or interesting, but as I think back to the fiction I read, yeah, very few male authors write from a female’s perspective. (Two that come to mind are Robert B. Parker’s Sunny Randall series and James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club). Writing from a female’s perspective does tend to generate a lot of reader responses. I get everything from I “hit a home run” and “I really get how women think” to “I failed miserably” and “I should just stick with writing about men”. Sigh. Well, the truth is, men and women are not so very different. Sure, life experiences have forced men and women into certain roles, but we all want the same things: we want love, we want to be in a great relationship, we want the best for our kids, we want to be surrounded by supportive friends and family, to enjoy our jobs and our lives. Most of what we do is in pursuit of one or all of these things. In such matters, men and women are not so different. Quite simply, to answer your question, the story of Moon Dance called for a female lead, and I did my best to step up to the challenge.

When you set out to write this book, which came first for you; the characters or the plot?

The character of Samantha Moon, definitely. Back in 2003, I was watching an episode of “Bewitched” and I found myself wondering what would happen if a vampire was trying to quietly assimilate into a neighborhood, rather than a witch. What would this vampire have to do to fit in? How could they keep their vampirism a secret? From this, Moon Dance was born. (Now you can see where I got the name “Sam” from.)

Do you have a specific writing routine?

Yes, I write twice a day. I write once in the mornings after I make some fresh ground coffee and stop just before noon. Then I head out to Starbucks for a light lunch and to read a novel (currently I’m reading Stephen King’s Under the Dome…and loving it). I then will write for another two or three hours, wrapping up around dinner time. Sometimes I’ll sneak in a writing session at night if my brain is feeling fresh. Generally, though, my nights are for answering emails and updating my various websites.

Have you always had a fascination with the paranormal?

I like to believe in a world where anything is possible…and sometimes is.

You’re writing a sequel to Moon Dance (which I can’t wait for!). Can you share a little about it?

Hmm. Let’s see, how much should I share? (I do give you a taste of the sequel in my short story collection, “The Bleeder”. It’s a scene I decided not to use in the sequel but hated taking out.) As far as how much to share, well, I will say this: Samantha and Fang will take their online relationship to another level. The book is called Vampire Moon and will be out in a few months, perhaps sooner.

Where can readers go to learn more about you and your books?

My website at www.jrrain.com. There they can learn about all my books, where to order them, follow me on Twitter and Facebook, and catch up with all things J.R. Rain in my Monthly Writing Blog. Happy reading, everyone.
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You can learn more about J.R. and his work on his website: www.jrrain.com.

What do you think? Could there be a vampire living next door to you?

Tags: author interviews, Guest Authors, indie authors, J.R. Rain, Kindle Books, Moon Dance, Paranormal Fiction, Paranormal Fiction Authors, vampire books, vampire detectives, Vampires