First up is Jaz Primo. Jaz, will you please share a short bio with us?
Jaz: Thanks, Cate! I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to be here with you today. I'm the author of the Sunset Vampire Series, the first two of which are titled Sunrise at Sunset and A Bloody London Sunset, respectively. In addition to being writer, I have a fulfilling career in higher education, including a passionate hobby for teaching U.S. History classes weekday evenings during spring and fall semesters at the college where I work. I love puns, cold Coca-Cola, hot buttered popcorn, and chocolate (though not necessarily in that order). I'm a native of Oklahoma where I live with my wonderful, supportive wife and a talkative, long-lived cat.
Jaz: Sunrise at Sunset is the story of a deadly vampire named Katrina who falls in love with an innocent human named Caleb. An adversary from Katrina's past seeks revenge against her through Caleb. As dangerous traps unfold, Katrina and her closest friends desperately track her elusive enemy while also striving to protect the man she loves. Each of my Sunset Vampire Series novels are available in trade paperback and multiple eBook formats from major retailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, and Apple iBookstore.
Cate: Very cool. Please tantalize us with a story blurb or excerpt.
Jaz: Great! Here's a blurb for Sunrise at Sunset:
When is a bloodthirsty predator the best protection against a psychotic killer?
When the predator is both a vampire...and the woman you love.
“We vampires are focused and tend to shape our own realities.”
My name is Katrina Rawlings, and I am a vampire. I declare that with neither pride nor ego. I am simply nature’s most dangerous predator. On occasion, it’s a very valuable quality. It helped me protect Caleb Taylor one day when he was very young. But that single, traumatic day is behind him now; wiped from his memory, or so I hope.
Caleb has finally matured into a rather striking young man, and believe me, I like what I see. I’ll readily admit that there are issues for us to confront and overcome, though a sense of mutual commitment isn’t one of them. I’m feeling hopeful for our future together, in fact. But an adversary from my past has returned to haunt me, and she’s trying to get back at me through Caleb. That was her first...and last...mistake. I’ll protect my Caleb at all costs, and I’ll make her regret the day she was born.
So, I suppose that I’m not just a vampire. I’m about to become someone’s worst nightmare!
Cate: Wonderful! Can you tell us why we're going to love your hero?
Jaz: Katrina is a smart, self-confident, sexy, kick-ass vampire. Readers will appreciate that, just as with Wonder Woman or Xena: Warrior Princess, Katrina is an appealing, capable heroine who pursues her male love interest, rather than being the one who is wooed and summarily rescued and protected from danger. I believe that finding a character like Katrina is both refreshing and underrepresented in paranormal/urban fantasy literature today.
Jaz: My Sunset vampires are living beings rather than the reanimated undead found in traditional vampire fiction, which allows them to integrate into today's real-world setting in a plausible and believable fashion.
Cate: What's next for you?
Jaz: I recently completed the third Sunset Vampire novel, Summit at Sunset, so I'll be promoting it when it comes out this November. Next year, I hope to complete a historical fantasy novel that I've been working on.
Cate: What inspired you to draft your first story?
Jaz: I love vampires, and my central vampire character, Katrina, spontaneously appeared in my imagination as I was listening to some alternative rock music. I have always been drawn to strong female heroines, so envisioning an alpha vampire heroine immediately sparked my interest! The storyline quickly fell into place around Katrina.
Cate: Do you have a writing routine?Jaz: Given that I already have a full-time career, I write when I have available time. Sometimes that's on weekends, and other times it's during the wee-hours of the night when a section of my story or dialogue keeps me from falling asleep until I have it typed out!
Cate: Where can readers find you on the web?
Jaz: You can find me at the following online locations:
Website: http://www.jazprimo.com/
Twitter: @jazprimo
Cate: Is there anything you’d like to ask our readers?
Jaz: Oh, yes, thanks for the opportunity! Dear Readers: Do you enjoy reading about strong alpha female lead characters in paranormal and urban fantasy literature today? (Why, or why not?)
Cate: Readers, Jaz is giving away a copy of his debut novel, Sunrise at Sunset, to a random commenter... so start commenting. He'll pick a winner on Friday, September 23rd and announce the winner here.
Thanks so much for being my guest Jaz! Best of luck to you.
Thanks so much for being my guest Jaz! Best of luck to you.
