Vampire Love Continues On Scribal Love With "Bound by Night" by Amanda Ashley

Scribal Love Welcomes Amanda Ashley!

What is the name of your novel?

Bound by Night, which will be out the end of August, followed by a sequel, Bound by Blood, at the end of September.

What first attracted you to writing vampire fiction?

I’d been reading a lot of it – stories by Nancy Gideon and Anne Rice among others. As I recall, my agent asked if I’d like to write a short vampire story, which I did. It was titled Masquerade. I loved it. And I’ve been writing and loving vampires ever since.

Who is/are your main character(s) and is he/she a vampire?

Drake is my hero. He’s a very old vampire, and very sexy, of course. And not your run-of-the mill vampire, either.

How would you describe your vampire character? Is he/she a lover or fighter? Is the beast within held at bay? Or does he/she go with her passions?

Well, he’s a lover and a fighter. Most alpha vampires are. He’s learned to control his hunger and his passion, but the heroine changes all that.

What are your thoughts on some of the traditional weaknesses of vampires? Sunlight, crosses, wooden stakes etc. Did you incorporate any of that into your fiction? If not what were some of the weaknesses that your character must avoid?

I use most of them. After all, my heroes have a lot of supernatural powers, and since there has to be opposition in all things, they have to have a weakness or two. Not all my heroes are subject to the same weaknesses, since I tend to pick and choose; however, I think all of them can be destroyed by a wooden stake. Some of my vampires can be awake during the day but can’t be in the sun. Some sleep in coffins, some don’t. Some have reflections, some don’t. Part of the fun of writing paranormal fiction is being able to pick and choose what works for a particular story.

Go crazy and tell us about your book! Include an excerpt if you like!

My heroine, Elena, was born in the US but when her parents were killed in an accident, she was sent to live with her aunt and uncle in a small village in Romania. When her aunt passes away, Elena’s uncle begins making unwanted advances toward her. When he tells her he’s decided they would wed, she runs away and takes refuge in an old deserted castle to think of what to do next.

To her surprise, the castle is not deserted but is inhabited by the most gorgeous man she has ever seen. In spite of her initial fear, when he invites her to stay, she agrees and soon finds herself falling for the enigmatic man she sees only at night. It isn’t until later that she discovers what he is and that he has a destiny to fulfill, one fraught with danger for both of them.
Excerpt

Elena was sitting on the rug in front of the hearth, thumbing through a magazine, when Drake entered the room. She looked up, surprised to see him so early. It was usually well after dark before he made an appearance, if he showed up at all. Could it be that, after last night, he was as anxious to be with her as she was to be with him? The mere idea made her heart skip a beat. In all the world, had there ever been a man who was as tall and dark, as sinfully handsome, as the one who now stood before her?

“Good evening, fair Elena,” he murmured, smiling.

His voice flowed over her like silk, soft, sensuous.

“Good evening, Drake. I didn’t expect to see you so soon.”

“Shall I leave?”

“No! I mean, it’s your home, after all.”

“Indeed.” He regarded her solemnly, one brow raised. “Is there something you wish to say?”

She blinked up at him. Did he know what she was thinking? But how could he? He couldn’t read her mind. Such a thing was impossible.

He took a seat on the sofa, then gestured for her to join him.  Suddenly nervous, she hesitated a moment before taking a place beside him. What had seemed like such a good idea late last night now seemed utterly ridiculous.

“You look upset,” he remarked. “Is something amiss?”

“Yes. No.” She twisted her fingers together to still their trembling.

“Something obviously has you upset,” he remarked. “Why not tell me what it is? Perhaps I can help.”

“Yes, you can,” she said, the words spilling out in a rush. “I don’t want to go back to my uncle, and I have nowhere else to go, and you live alone with no one to care for you, so I thought maybe, if it wasn’t too horrid a thought, that you might marry me. Not a real marriage, of course. It would just be in name only…” she said, her words slowing as her cheeks burned with embarrassment.

“You want to marry me?” Of all the things she might have said, a proposal had never entered his mind.

“Well, my marrying someone else to get away from my uncle was your idea, after all. I can cook and clean and wash your clothes, and…” She swallowed hard, her courage suddenly deserting her. “I won’t be any trouble.”

Lifting one brow, he muttered, “Somehow I doubt that.”

Amanda Ashley

www.amandaashley.net




Thanks Amanda For Dropping By!