Caroline is the key to fulfilling a prophecy. Her marriage to Prince Sloane is the final seal on his destiny to unite countries and lead an empire. He declares war on a rival vampire clan, but before he leaves he makes one request of Caroline. That she take her childhood sweetheart, Lord Luke Stone, as a Second. A Second is man who binds himself to a woman with the promise to protect her at all costs and acts as a surrogate husband. To appease Sloane, Luke and Caroline agree. After he leaves, the royals of Bernehart are sent away for their own protection. While in exile, Luke and Caroline find themselves drawn to each other once more. They not only have their desires to contend with, but also danger from their enemies. And the big question is, what will happen to their relationship when Sloane returns?
AD: What first drew you to writing? Writing romance?
IOE: I’ve been writing since I was old enough to form coherent words. My main genre is literary short stories and poems. I decided to try my hand at romance because I was tiring of the pompous attitude that can dominate that genre. The pretension got to be overwhelming, and I missed the joy I used to take from writing. I wanted fantasy and happy endings and hot sex. I wanted to be able to go in the direction I felt called in without feeling like someone would be looking down their nose at me.
Don’t get me wrong--writing romance is not easy. It’s not easy in the technical sense, and it’s not easy to get accepted. However, I just find it a kinder world than the one I used to write exclusively in. Fellow romance writers tend to be warmer, and I feel a greater sense of community.
AD: I hear you there and totally agree! Your first novel with Evernight was recently released (and congratulations on your bestseller star!). What inspired you to write The Vampire's Bride? What about its sequel?
IOE: Thank you! There were numerous things I desired to write when I began The Vampire’s Bride. I wanted a twist on the damsel in distress story. I wanted action and danger within a romance story. I wanted a historical tale that I could put my own spin on. Thus, these things formed together to make the plot of The Vampire’s Bride. With the sequel, I wanted to return to the story to tie up loose ends. Most notably, I wanted Lord Luke Stone to have a happy ending, and I just couldn’t see that happening unless it was somehow with Caroline.
AD: How long did each book take you to write?
IOE: The Vampire’s Bride was a labor of love despite being so short (approximately 15,500 words). It took me three to four months. I loved returning to the characters for The Vampire’s Second and since I enjoyed it so much, it was a much quicker process. It was about a month of daily writing.
AD: What was the most difficult aspect of writing The Vampire's Bride? The easiest? What about The Vampire's Second? Are there going to be more books in this series?
IOE: The Vampire’s Bride was difficult in the technical sense, as it was only my second completed manuscript (and first published). I was getting a feel for where to start new chapters, how to avoid head-hopping, and trying to avoid redundancy. The Vampire’s Second was more about deciding which angle to take. It almost went in a completely different direction.
AD: Please tell us one thing about each of your heroes and one about each of your heroines that does not make it into the book.
IOE: This combines two characters, but if Caroline had not been the Chosen, her father would have betrothed her to Luke Stone as his parents own land that borders her family’s estate. Thus, they would have ended up together anyway.
Sloane’s grandfather (the former king of Bernehart) is still alive, at over two hundred years old. After giving his son (Sloane’s father) the throne, he retired to an island off the coast of Bernehart.
AD: You have mentioned that you often begin stories but do not finish them. Is there a particular story you have begun that you intend to return to? Tell us a bit about it. If not, what makes the difference between a story you complete and one that you do not?
IOE: I have ideas outlined for a medieval fantasy ménage romance. The premise is a maiden who is about to be married off to an awful wealthy merchant, but ends up lost in the woods and is rescued by a pair of shifters. I even went so far as buying books to research the time period, but the project has been sidelined since I decided to start writing the third (and final) book in the Chosen series, The Vampire’s Sister.
AD: Which heroine is your favorite? Why? What about the heroes? Why?
IOE: Caroline Vaughan is the first to come to mind, but Sloane’s sister Emma is coming into her own in the second book. In the first book, Emma is aloof and cold. In the second, we begin to see more of her character, and she grows into a more independent person by Caroline’s example.
I try to keep it a secret, but I prefer Luke Stone to Sloane. I love an underdog, which a childhood sweetheart is when compared to a prince. The Fates seemed destined for Sloane and against Luke, so I feel right in rooting for him. In regards to looks, I also dig blonde haired, blue eyed men.
AD: Please describe a typical writing session for us.
IOE: These days, I get writing in whenever and wherever I can. My office doubles as the guest room and since we’ve had guests lately (and will again for the whole summer), I haven’t been able to lock myself away as I prefer to do.
AD: What is your biggest challenge in writing?
IOE: Sticking with a story. I have tons of ideas, yet few make it past a couple thousand words.
AD: What is the most surprising thing about you?
IOE: I’ve had readers message me after seeing a photo to express their surprise at how young I am. So, I’d say it would have to be being 25 and a published erotica author.
AD: Thanks so much for stopping by today! Find more about Isabella here. And you can follow her on her blog as well.
Hi Isabella,
ReplyDeletethank you for the chance at such a great giveaway. i love the cover, it is soooo gorgeous and the book sounds wonderful. i can't wait to get my hands on it. :D
was this a hard menage to write?with the husband being the king and being gone and then with his return that must have had a lot of upheavel in it for all of them.
tammy ramey
trvlagnt1t@yahoo.com