Monday, August 15, 2011

Dark is the Night Interview and Giveaway with Brindle Chase

Can you tell readers a little bit about yourself and what inspired to write in this particular genre?

First off, thank you so much for having me here today.

Hello everyone, I’m Brindle Chase, one of those rare few male romance authors.

I write both contemporary and paranormal erotic romance, but the paranormal has always held a dear place in my heart. I love the undead, the supernatural and the freedom it allows in writing. Not everything has to be defined by science.

Some things simply are and if they are dark, dangerous and go bump in the night, all the better. Like many, the vampire is my mainstay, but I haven’t run across many paranormal creatures I didn’t enjoy reading about.

What inspired you to write this book?


Oddly, it was after I read Twilight. Twilight is a landmark book in the Young Adult arena, and it uses the allure of the paranormal to add intrigue to the story, but it really isn’t a vampire story in my opinion. Its more of a trials and tribulations of teenage life and discovery of advanced emotions such as love and jealousy from the teenage perspective. I thought back on all the vampire books I had read, and realized very few of them showed the darker side of the vampire. Their predatory instincts, their callous disregard for human life and how living century after century in said lifestyle, slowly drains the humanity from them. The glittering in sunlight, bloodbank using, no killing vampires who have stormed the YA market reminded me that there are vampire lovers, who like the Draculas and Lestats of the genre. And so, Dark is the Night came to be.

Please tell us about your latest release.


Dark is the Night is my grand venture in into the vampire genre. It was important to me to re-establish the vampire lore with its roots. Vampires are predators, who do not value human life as we do. As a leopard treats the gazelle, so does the vampire treat his human victims. Dark is the Night is a darker vampire novel. The vampires do not feed from blood banks, or engineered blood in a can. They take it direct and because in this vampire world, the bite of a vampire is enough to turn another, they kill their victims to prevent overpopulation of vampires.

Dark is the Night is the tale of Katherine Wells, a homicide detective who through her investigations, has stumbled onto Alexander’s feed victims and has tied them as all from the same killer. She believes she is tracking a serial killer. Alexander is tasked with destroying the officer who has linked his kills. But when the two finally chance upon the other, it’s love at first sight. Unaware they are smitten by the very person they are supposed to be tracking down, their love affair explodes into flames by the time they discover the truth.



Was one of your characters more challenging to write than another?

All the female characters in my books are hardest for me, being male. I’m naturally handicapped when it comes to “seeing” things from a woman’s perspective. I’ve received a great many accolades for pulling it off though. I think my success in writing the female point of view is because I spend a tremendous amount of time concentrating on it, where other authors don’t, because its second nature to them.

Is there a character that you enjoyed writing more than any of the others?

Lilith from Gothic City Lights is my favorite. Imagine a half demon, where in her world, all demons are tied to one of the 7 deadly sins. Lust is hers and being half succubus leaves her absolutely bonkers for sex, with a human’s resistance. She’s her own worst enemy half the time.


What is your favorite scene from the book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?

Is Dark is the Night, the first few encounters between Alexander and Katherine always end with her left scorned. When Alex finally feels in control of his vampiric urges enough to be alone with her, he visits her. But this time, he is the spurned one as she turns the tables on him. Its another scene in the building of the intense sexual tension between the two.

Did you find anything really interesting while researching this or another book?

I did a little research into forensics, to make sure some of my scenes would ring true. Some of the late night cop shows were a help as well, to get Katherine right. I originally had planned to use an actual police consultant, as a friend of mine is a retired officer, but his wife passed away while I was writing and I felt it best not to bother him. Wikipedia is a gem for research and after several go-rounds with my beta-readers, I think those scenes read as authentic.

What is the most interesting thing you have physically done for book related research purposes?

*lol* I can’t divulge that… not here! *blush*

Can you tell readers a little bit about the world building in the book/series? How does this world differ from our normal world?

Every vampire book starts out by defining the nature of the vampires. Do crosses burn? Can they survive in sunlight? Do they need permission to enter a home? Etc. That’s part of the fun of writing the genre. Paranormal means that the world is very realistic, except for a few supernatural tweaks. In the world of Dark is the Night, I went very classic, old school vampire, minus some of the less believable powers. Sunlight kills them, they have the power of glamour, superhuman strength and speed. The vampire here do not sparkle in the sun, they do not feed from blood banks or small woodland creatures. Their bite will turn a human undead. Crosses do not effect them and they can see their reflections in a mirror. They can cross running water and do not need permission to enter your home. They do not fall into a trance and count salt, nor does garlic bother them. They are deadly, dangerous, but also sexy. The act of drinking from their victims causes intense erotic sensations for them, which is why animals and bags of blood do not appeal to them. They would miss the hunt, the pleasure and the kill.

With the book being part of a series, are there any character or story arcs, that readers jumping in somewhere other than the first book, need to be aware of? Can these books be read as stand alones?

Dark is the Night is book one in the Dark Justice series. Each book is a stand alone, but several of the main characters appear throughout. They are all centered around the heroine, Katherine. They are all connected and in chronological order. The readers will have no trouble jumping into the series at any time as I make it a point to reintroduce characters the first time they appear in a book, for those not familiar. Since we’re on book one, that was an incredibly easy claim to make. *lol*

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? How do you deal with it?


I do, but I write almost entirely on my lunch break at my day job. I have a half hour a day to write, so I cannot afford writer’s block. When I get stuck, I just slap down the words and forget how sloppy they are. I will polish them later when my muse returns.


Do you write in different genres?

I do. I write paranormal, fantasy, science fiction, contemporary and historical romance, erotica and even children’s books. I’m currently polishing a book I wrote with my oldest daughter when she was 10. It’s a great story, but if we decide to publish, it’ll be under a different name for sure. *lol*

Where is your favorite place to read? Do you have a cozy corner or special reading spot?

I wish I had more time for reading, but like my writing, I’m on a tight schedule. I read on my Nook on the bus on my morning commute, which is about 45 minutes. With the aid of my trusty MP3 player, I find it easy to tune out the world and escape into my Nook.

What can readers expect next from you?


I have a busy summer planned. Dark is the Night will release in Print in late August. Gothic City Lights will also release in Print, late August/early September. Depth Charge: Maria, Maria releases July 26th with Loose Id, LLC, and I am in edits on Princess Mine for Ellora’s Cave. All the while working on drafts for Gothic City Lights II, Dark Justice Book 2, and Depth Charge, Mercy Monroe… plus a couple more… *pant pant*

Where can readers find you on the web?

My home is www.forlorn-hope.net, but you’re more likely to find me on my facebook. Here are my haunts…

www.forlorn-hope.net my website
www.facebook.com/brindle.chase my facebook
brindlechase.blogspot.com my blog
@BrindleChase for twitter


Would you like to leave readers with a little teaser or excerpt from the book?

It’s an erotic romance, so it was hard to find something PG to share. Here’s a tasty little tempter for you from Dark is the Night. Chapter two is also available on my website for more teasing. =oP

The winter night’s chill seeped through the blanket of desire firing inside me. I was still excited. I couldn’t help it. He was beautiful in ways I still have trouble describing, but also dark, dangerous, and it all conspired against my common sense.

I should’ve screamed for help. I should’ve run for my life. Instead, I froze before him, shivering against the cold while I desperately wished he would take me. Right there. Right then.

“Katherine. Goddess mine. Do not fear me,” he growled through a breath that gave off no steam, like mine did. Rooted to the ground, I wasn’t going anywhere. But I couldn’t find my voice, so I simply stared back at him suspiciously. Great defense, huh?

“It is time.”

“What time?” I asked, and I wondered if this was the part where he would take out the torn away flesh of another woman’s face and wear it like a mask while he fired up a chainsaw. The detective in me realized if killing me had been his objective, I wouldn’t still be breathing.

Something deeper and instinctive told me his intentions were otherwise. A mirror of my own.

“Our destinies are entwined. Conjoined. An unavoidable collision and now forever meshed.”

In reality, he and I had barely spoken twenty sentences to one another, but I really loved how he spoke. Its old world tone, the deliberate and commanding way he enunciated each word made him very difficult to ignore. On the other hand, nothing he was saying now made a lick of sense.

What was he talking about?

I was just about to offer some of the conjecture floating to the forefront of my thoughts but he stepped into me. He came at me so quick, his hard body pressed against mine and I had to take a step backward to keep my balance. His arm swept around my waist and pulled me back into him, his obsidian pools dripped down into mine, mesmerizing me. The words were lost.

“Can you not feel it, Katherine? I have claimed you. And you I. We are destined. I am your soul mate.” His free hand appeared at my throat and I swallowed with both excitement and fear. His touch was cold, but still warmer than the winter air, and it tingled my skin as he traced a fingertip along my jugular. I was melting fast.

“Claimed me?” I stammered. I was swooning, visibly shaken by his presence, and his announcement, but internally I still had some dignity. No man claimed me. I was not a dog. I was not property.

“Yes. You belong to me.”

“I…”

“And you have claimed me. Can you not feel it?”

“I…”

His hand dropped in a blur and slipped into the front of my silk blouse, palm flattened between my breasts. I gasped. I wanted to slap his face, but my body reacted on it own. Thank god it was twelve degrees out. I could blame my nipples on the winter, rather than his touch. My heart raced and I had to struggle in order to keep myself from panting like a horny teenager.

“Your heart. In your heart, Katherine. Can you not feel it? It is undeniable. I was made for you.”

“What are you?” Thank you! Finally, someone inside me had the presence of mind to think of something other than how good he would feel buried inside me.

His dark gaze sifted over my lips and I wondered if he was ignoring the question. His hand still over my pounding heart. Then his eyes rose to meet mine and sent a shooting wave of warmth through me.

“It is only fair. You must know. But first, know that I have claimed you. It is our destiny. Lovers we are. Shall become. Know it cannot be denied and I will tell you.”

A million things exploded in my mind and which would win out in urgency was bound to surface first, but I couldn’t let any old thing slip out. I wasn’t thinking straight. My body was bored with the preamble and wanted to get busy, if that was what he had in mind. The rest of me was a hodge-podge of mixed reactions. Anger, intrigue, fear, lust. I nodded.

“I am vampire.”

Ding, ding, ding. We have a winner. I should have guessed it, but the second the word fell from his lips, it all clicked into place. His super strength. His blurred movements. His old world mannerisms. The pale and cool skin. Vampire. Yep, duh, Kat.

“You’re going to kill me?” I asked suddenly. Fear seemed to take charge at this point. The way he looked at me like I was a delicious entre had me worried.

He stared at me long and hard, tracing the features of my face as if committing them to memory and all I, the big bad cop could manage was to tremble in his arms.

Dark is the Night

(book one of the Dark Justice series)

... Available now at

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Allromanceebooks


Katherine Wells is Cleveland’s top homicide detective and she’s hot on the trail of the Antoinette killer. The string of burnt and beheaded bodies have little in common, except they keep turning up. In search of clues, she encounters Alexander. His intoxicating old world persona captivates her and she suddenly finds herself in a torrid love affair. The passion is overwhelming and her sense of law falls into blissful chaos.

As an elder vampire, Alexander struggles for anonymity in the modern world. Killing isn’t personal; it’s to prevent them from becoming the undead. His kind can’t be discovered. With Katherine’s investigation getting too close to the truth, the other vampires demand he eliminate Detective Wells.

Katherine discovers Alexander’s supernatural secret and he learns Katherine’s the detective he must silence. The revelations are shocking. He’s everything she ever wanted and everything she stood against. Torn between a love like no other and the law she’s sworn to uphold, she must choose. Against time, the police and the other vampires, they must destroy the evidence she’s collected and join the undead.

Would you like to win an ecopy of Dark is the Night

Brindle has generously offered 5 ecopies to
lucky Fang-tastic Books readers

To enter leave a comment or questions for Brindle

Be sure to include your email address

Winners TBA Next Wednesday

18 comments:

loves to dive said...

I've read this book so just stopped by to say hey and encourage people to pick up a copy, it's a great read.

Unknown said...

FInally!!!!!!
This book looks great!!!
I'm actually one of those people who own a T-shirt that states "Real Vampires DON'T Sparkle!"
So, to have a book bring back the REAL vamps....I'm so there....
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

Anne said...

Always like to get the male take on romance. I honestly don't find much difference. I like mysteries as well as PRN, so the combination of both in this book appeals to me.

Jen B. said...

Thank you for understanding that some of us like our vampires dark. Not sparkly (yes, I read the whole sparkly series, so I feel I can have an opinion). Bring on the creepy in romance!
jepebATverizonDOTnet

Sherry said...

Sounds like a great book and how vampires should be.
sstrode at scrtc dot com

Brindle Chase said...

Thanks everyone! And thank you so very much Roxanne, for having me here today!! I'm thrilled to be spotlighted on your blog!

XoXoX

Pommawolf Emeraldwolfeyes said...

What a great interview! Thank you for the sharing a bit about your writing. I haven't read this one, but sure would like to...*S* I've enjoyed your other books a lot.
Thank you for the contest, and please add me for the drawing.

Darcy

Darcy@pommawolf.com

heather said...

Hey Brindle Chase (haha, I love that name) Your book sounds awesome and I would love to read it. Plus, the only other male author I've ever really been able to get into is John Sandford so I would really love to add to that list :) Thanks for the giveawa!

chamblinh@gmail.com

Sherri A. Dub said...

I am very interested in reading this book. Great interview, too. Gotta love seeing a male romance writer! Thumbs WAY up to that.
Cheers~
Sherri A Dub
sheropatra@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

My S/O and I write erotic romance together. It's great to see a male take on the task of writing POV for both genders. And after reading the excerpt Brindle, you do a great job getting into the mind of a female. I have a question. Do you seek your wife's feedback/opinion sometimes on the female perspective? Steve and I ask each other questions when we each are writing in the opposite gender.
I agree with a lot of the commenters here - bring back the old vampires - like Dracula. I would love to be entered to win your book.
bestloverintown at gmail dot com

Brindle Chase said...

Thanks everyone!

Brenda, generally no. My wife will sometimes read my books and offer some input, but erotic romance is not her preferred genre, so I don't bug her too much with my stuff. *lol*

Alicia0385 said...

Sounds like a great read. I will be picking this one up!

aliciahall0605@yahoo.com

Brindle Chase said...

Thank you everyone!!!

Unknown said...

You know when you have that feeling you're forgetting some and you can't figure it out...well I finally figured it out and it only took me 2 freakin days!!!

I forgot to include my email (just incase....LOL)

beejee77@comcast.net
I'm such a dork at times!

Stacey Smith said...

I like all kinds of Vampires but it is nice every once in awhile to go back to real dangerous Vampires.

sasluvbooks(at)yahoo.com

Kristi said...

I read a book earlier this year that was also about the darker side of being a vampire - and I loved it! I would love to have a chance to read this one!

kherbrand at comcast dot net

Unknown said...

I love vampires and reading about them. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

DANIELA said...

Hi Brindle
after this excerpt I really want to read this book!
please enter me in the contest
Thanks!

Daniela
dany7578 at hotmail dot com

 
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