A big welcome to our readers today! Be sure to read to the end of the interview to find out how to WIN the fabulous prizes being offered up.

PLEASE NOTE: This is not a fixed time event, the post just goes live at 12:00 pm Central. You can stop by any time during the day or evening and leave your questions and chat.

PLEASE KEEP SPOILERS TO A MINIMUM. Not all of the readers today have read Stacey’s book.

Interview:

Hi Stacey!

Welcome to Bitten by Books, we are excited to have you here today!

I would like to thank you taking the time to join us for the question and answer session with our readers. It has been very interesting to get to know more about you and what makes you tick as a writer! Readers, if you haven’t done so already please stop by and purchase your copy of Stacey’s book Thunder and Blood.

BBB: What are the most challenging and the most rewarding aspects of writing?

SV: I think the most challenging thing for me these days is actually sitting down to write. I’m constantly getting distracted by marketing activities and other aspects of my normal life. I should be almost half-way through Thunder and Ice right now, but I’ve barely made any progress.

The most rewarding thing for me is when my characters take on a life of their own and do something unexpected. Usually it’s something that just works and it makes me feel like the novel is writing itself. That’s an amazing feeling.

BBB: We’ve seen a lot of paranormal romances with vampires lately. How did you come up with making Thunder and Blood alternate history as well?

SV: Well, I wrote Thunder and Blood starting with the vampire concept and the alternate history sort of came with my surroundings at the time. I was living in Germany and there is so much history all over the place there. We had been visiting various castles and I thought it would be really cool to see a castle in my home town.

BBB: Do you consider Thunder and Blood paranormal romance or urban fantasy? and do you think it is important to distinguish between the two?

SV: Actually, I consider it paranormal fantasy. To be honest, I only came up with that definition recently and I’ve had a really difficult time classifying it at all. I personally don’t think it’s important to distinguish that closely between genres, as long as you have the general idea of what kind of story it is.

BBB: What is the most ridiculous thing that you have thought about doing to any of your characters but never did?

SV: Well….to be honest, I used to write a lot of short stories with my characters doing incredibly ridiculous things. There was the bank robber who got caught because he lost a glass eye, the scorned ex-wife who killed her ex-husband and his new girlfriend with a spoon from her great-grandmother’s silverware, and the girl who worked in a used porn shop. I’m not sure if I ever really held back. I’m just a little kooky like that.

BBB: How do you keep track of your world building?

SV: Not well enough, unfortunately. That’s another reason why Thunder and Ice is behind schedule. I’m going through Thunder and Blood again and making notes so that I don’t mess myself up in the sequel. Post-it notes are my best friends right now, but I’m going to put everything into another program after I’m done with Thunder and Ice.

BBB: What do you feel are the benefits of the new electronic readers such as Kindle 2 or Sony Digital Book Reader to the environment?

SV: Obviously they save on paper, but there’s just something especially rewarding about holding a book in your hand. While I’m sure they will gain even more in popularity as time goes by, I’m sure there will always be a few hold-outs who prefer a tangible book.

BBB: What impact do electronic readers create on the bottom line for authors in the end? Do you feel they have a negative impact or positive, or no impact at all that you can see?

SV: I’m not really sure. I’ve been giving out the pdf version of Thunder and Blood for free all year. I’ve probably given out more than three times the number of pdfs compared to hard copies. I’m not sure if those people who received it for free would have bought the hard copy. I think that authors are going to have to adjust to all of these changes in technology and realize that electronic readers can make books more affordable to all readers in the long run and thus encourage more sales. The key is going to be whether the electronic copies are going to remain at a lower price than hard copies. I think if they replace hard copies altogether, they will start to cost a similar amount. In that case, they may have no impact at all in the end.

BBB: Can you tell us about your series and the general storylines that drives it?

SV: My series takes place in an alternate universe where, in the fifteenth century, vampires took a leading role in world politics and now control the human population. During their takeover, they decimated the human population, so a special vampire scientist/prophet created gateways that would open to other worlds once a month, replenishing the human population. Thunder and Blood begins when two women from our world cross into the vampire world and have to come to terms with the differences and the fact that vampires are real. Thunder and Ice will continue from the end of Thunder and Blood and introduce new characters. There are two prequels planned as well – one describing the takeover of the Earth by vampires and the other about the evolution of the very first vampire.

BBB: What else do you currently have in the works? When can we expect your next book?

SV: Well, as I mentioned, I’m supposed to be working on Thunder and Ice right now. No matter what, it will be released in May of next year.

BBB: What challenges will Sarah and Christine be facing in the second book?

SV: Christine will be trying to adapt to her new role as leader of Donner and Sarah is going to have to deal with the Vampire Council. There will be other challenges, but I don’t want to give too much away.

BBB: Are you as close to your siblings in real life as Sarah and Christine were in the book?

SV: Not really. My brother and I talk about once a month (he lives on the coast). We get along much better now than we did when we were younger, but I wouldn’t describe us as especially close.

BBB: Where do you see the paranormal/urban fantasy genre headed? Can you see it slowing down in the near future, or do you think that the immediate future is pretty bright for it?

SV: Well, it’s not really a new genre, Anne Rice has been popular for years, and I can remember reading books about werewolves when I was in my early 20s. I think it’s just come to the forefront now because of the popularity of Twilight and the fact that it’s a vampire series that is especially attractive to teenage girls (and more mature women as well). I’m sure it will slow down a bit after the Twilight movies are done, but it won’t go away.

BBB: Do you have any personal traits that you have written into the characters of your books?

SV: Sarah is a lot like I was when I was 24. At that point in my life I had just left my first husband (but no, he didn’t cheat on me) and was suffering a lot of self-doubt. I’m sure the other characters have bits and pieces of me in them, but Sarah is the easiest for me to identify.

BBB: If your series had a theme song what would it be?

SV: lol. That’s one I’ve never thought of before. First thing that comes to mind is AC/DC’s Highway to Hell.

BBB: Do you have any plans for book signings/ readings anytime soon? If so, where can our readers find you?

SV: Well, my virtual tour is continuing. Readers can check my blog at http://www.thunderandblood.com/content/My_Blog/50-September_20th for the full schedule. I’m hoping to do a signing at the Chapters Thunder Bay location in the near future, as well as at the McNally-Robinson Winnipeg location in the spring.

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Learn more about Stacey Voss below:

Read Reviews of her work here.

To visit the author’s website go here.

To visit the author’s blog go here.

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CONTEST: PLEASE NOTE THE NEW CONTEST EMAIL ADDRESS TO SEND YOUR ENTRIES TO BELOW. There are also revisions to the rules for this contest, please read them all carefully. Also, PLEASE LEAVE YOUR FIRST AND THE INITIAL OF YOUR LAST NAME in your comment/post so we can give you the proper credit for your entries.

Readers, here’s how to enter the contest. You can do just ONE or ALL of these things, and each thing you do will give you additional entries at a chance to WIN. REMEMBER you have Until 11/11/09 at 11:59 pm PDT to do the different things that YOU choose to do.

She will be giving away some amazing prizes. Open to readers worldwide!

Prize 1: $25.00 Amazon.com Gift Card
Prize 2: 1 signed copy of Thunder and Blood

1. In order to be entered into this contest the ONE thing you ALL have to do is ask Stacey a question or leave a comment. It can be ANY question you like. No questions/comments = no entries! You can come by through 11/11/09 and ask Stacey your questions. Good for 10 entries. (max 2 questions that count towards entries)

2. Spread the word! Use this direct link to the event: http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=12757 on twitter, at another blog, website, Myspace, Ning Group, Facebook, Yahoo Group, Goodreads, Shelfari (any group where it is appropriate). You MUST come back here to this interview and post those links in one response here in this thread so we can verify your entries. Good for 100 entries per place you post the event link.

NOTE: if you post multiple links here, your post will not show up right away. If you don’t see it, don’t keep posting it, we WILL approve your entry later on in the day.

3. Be friends with Stacey by joining her here:

http://www.facebook.com/svoss

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=63268222932

http://twitter.com/ThunderandBlood

Send your verification of friendship/membership to bittenbybooks.contests @ gmail.com (no spaces). Sorry no faxes or snail mail copies. Good for 100 entries per place you friend.

4. SUBSCRIBE to the Bitten by Books newsletter by clicking here or use the box on the top right hand side of the site. Be sure you VERIFY your subscription, an email is sent with the verification link. Unverified subscribers will not be entered and will be deleted from the mailing list. If you are already a subscriber, just let us know and you will get entries too. 100 entries. Send verification email to bittenbybooks.contests @ gmail.com (no spaces). Sorry no faxes or snail mail copies. Good for 100 entries.

5. Enter the Kindle Contest here: http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=12677 AND join us at our daily book chat here:  http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=12763. Good for 50 entries per action.

RULES AND LEGAL DISCLAIMERS

The contest ends on 11/11/09 at 11:59 pm PDT and the winners will be contacted via email. You will receive your prize bag directly from the author. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR FIRST AND THE INITIAL OF YOUR LAST NAME as well as a valid email where we can contact you. REMEMBER the more things you do, the more entries, the greater the chances of winning.

1. Please note, the prize stated IS the prize you will receive, there will be absolutely no substitutions or changes the prize is non-transferable. If you don’t want the prize being offered, please don’t enter the contest. If you ever win an electronic copy of a book, please note that it is ILLEGAL to forward, give away or copy it in anyway once you receive it. Doing so violates copyright. If we find out that it has been done, you will no longer be eligible to win any of our contests.

2. You have THREE days from the day the we contact you to claim your prize by sending your name/mailing address to me. Failure to contact me will forfeit your prize. BBB can at that time, choose either to re-award the prize to another entrant or not.

3. The prize stated IS the prize you will receive, there will be no substitutions, trades or changes. No exceptions. Please do not ask. If for some reason you do not wish to claim your prize, please let me know as soon as possible. Bitten by Books has the option to re-award it or not.

4. Contest is open to USA readers except where noted. The prizes are shipped directly from the author.

5. Bitten by Books is in NO way responsible for the prizes being offered in any of the contests. If for some reason a contributor does not honor their prize, there is nothing we can or will do about it. We are not worried that this will happen, but we want to be very clear that WE are not offering these prizes, the contributor is and it is their responsibility to fulfill their prize obligations.

6. These rules are subject to change or be modified without prior written notice.

7. Contest is void where prohibited.

8. By entering this contest you are agreeing to our terms of entry

The debut novel Thunder and Blood by Stacey Voss is a true joy to read. It mixes the best elements of science fiction, romance, and alternate history. The book reminded me of the nineties Fox television show Sliders.

We are introduced to Sarah Ingram and her younger sister, Christine, from Thunder Bay, Canada. Sarah works as administrator for a doctor, and Christine is a elementary school teacher. The story begins with Christine is taking Sarah across the border to a spa. Sarah has suffered from a traumatic event and needs to get away. Before they reach the United States, they hit a dense fog, which doesn’t allow them to travel any further. You get a sense right from the start that the sisters are very close with each other.

They awake in a parallel Earth that was overtaken by vampires in the sixteenth century. We learn that foggers have been seeping into this reality for the past 500 years, but it’s a one way trip. The rest of the book takes place around the small village of Donner under the rule of Lord Radek. The sisters are split up at this point with one ending up with the mysterious Hillard and the other as the prisoner of Lord Radek. There are only a few supporting characters in the book, but the author brings each one to life. The couple the sisters meet when they first cross through the fog are especially endearing.

Stacey Voss has created a unique world in which one small event has changed the entire course of history. The love and friendship Sarah and Christine have with each other is the center of the story. There is plenty of action and mystery to keep any reader interested. A second book, Thunder and Ice, has already been announced for spring 2010.

Book Stats:

• Paperback: 230 pages
• Publisher: Donner Publishing (April 27, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0981251609
• ISBN-13: 978-0981251608

To purchase a print copy of Thunder and Blood from Amazon click here.

To visit the author’s website go here.