Interview with E Van Lowe

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

I started out writing horror back when I was in college and as time progressed I started leaning more and more towards paranormal. I’d spent a number of years writing comedy for TV (Charles In Charge, The Cosby Show, Even Stevens) and decided to add a twist of humor to my work.

What is it about the paranormal, in particular, vampires that fascinates you so much?

Vampires are wonderful subjects for literature because they are as close to human as you can get without being human. They are great romantic subjects with a hint of pathos because despite they’re advantages, most vampires long to be human. It’s a wonderful dilemma. In Boyfriend from Hell I am writing about Satan. I gave him as many human qualities as possible but he is still malevolent. Satan in my book is as close to a vampire as you can get without being a vampire.

What inspired you to write this book?

I saw a YouTube video for an animated show called Lucy Daughter of The Devil. It was funny and irreverent. A bell went off in my head—write about the devil. However, as I got into it, I really wanted to explore themes that were close to me, mother/daughter relationships and dating bad boys. Want to know how these two come together? Read the book. LOL.

Do you have a special formula for creating characters' names? Do you try to match a name with a certain meaning to attributes of the character or do you search for names popular in certain time periods or regions?

The names just come to me, sometimes in dreams. I don’t instill any special meaning in them. It’s like naming your child—you labor over it for a while, and when the right name comes, you go with it.

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

My favorite character in the novel is Megan, my protagonist, because her concern over her mother dating made her a horrible person. My favorite thing in the book was watching her grow. By the end of the book Megan is a very likable character.

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

My favorite scene in the book is the kitchen scene with the gris gris. Those who have read it know what an unsuspecting surprise that scene is. I’d been making notes on the scene for weeks before I got the chance to write it. Many reviewers have talked about the big surprises in the book. I know they are referring to that scene in their reviews. You have no idea how happy that makes me.

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

My research on angels was quite illuminating. It really added a lot to the series. Much of what I learned turns up in the second book in the series, Earth Angel.

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?

These books cannot be read as stand alones. My publisher was concerned about this, and so there are lots of explanatory passages in the beginning of Earth Angel. Adding these passages satisfied my publisher, but I still think readers should read Boyfriend From Hell first.

Do you write in different genres?

I’m glad you asked this question. My alter ego, Sal Conte writes graphic horror. I started out as Sal writing horror novels while I was in college in the 80s (Childs Play & The Power) I recently recovered the rights to my 80s novels from Dorchester. Now Sal is back. I will be rereleasing the 80s titles with all new covers, along with a new horror short in October. Sal has his own page on my website. Please stop by and pay him a visit http://evanlowe.com/sal-contes-page/

When did you consider yourself a writer?

When I was ten-years-old I got pneumonia during the summer. For a kid who loves the outdoors, being housebound all summer could have been unbearable. Fortunately, my mother knew me well. She said “You love making up stories. Why not write some of them down?” Now, here’s the kicker. She said: “You can make money.” That was all my ten-year-old ears needed to hear. I was already a big reader. I started writing fiction. It got me through the summer, and I’ve been writing ever since.

What are your guilty pleasures in life?

Movies. I see three or four movies a month. I saw a French thriller today called Point Blank. It had subtitles, but don’t let that stop you. The movie was wall-to-wall action and thrills. If you’re a fan of thrillers check it out. I also like good red wine, good tequila, and hanging out with my friends and family.

Where can readers find you on the web?

Go to http://evanlowe.com/ On the homepage you will find links to my blog and my Facebook fan page.

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

I’d love to:

Chapter Two

Pythagoras, the famous Greek philosopher, is known for being the first person to demonstrate the theorem that with any right triangle, the sum of the squares of both sides is equal to the square of the hypotenuse: A²+B²=C². What most people don’t know is Pythagoras also stated: “It is evil to eat beans.”

The sad fact that this useless bit of information resides in my brain is one of the many contributing factors as to why I do not have a boyfriend. I’m a trivia junkie. I can’t help myself. Put a useless piece of information in front of me and I will gobble it up like a double cheeseburger with a side of curly fries.

Cute boys like girls who are into fashion magazines and lip gloss, not mathematical equations and trivia. So imagine my surprise when our first day back at school after winter break, a really cute boy walked into the Math Lab.

Don’t get me wrong, cute boys walk into the Math Lab all the time. However, as soon as they discover they’re in a room crawling with geeks, they realize their mistake and make a hasty exit.
I was at the chalkboard with Erin working through a problem using a logarithm [And trust me, I am well aware that my use of logarithms has solidified my place in the annals of geekdom forever, but humor me here].

“Hottie at three o’clock,” whispered Erin, digging her elbow into my side.

I turned, and there he was, a cute boy standing just inside the doorway. This cute boy was different from all the others who’d come before him. This cute boy was acting like he intended to stay.

The first four chapters (pdf) of Boyfriend From Hell are available for free right now on my website. Readers can go to http://evanlowe.com/ and click on the Boyfriend From Hell Sample link to get the sample. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Peace.

Book Description:

Aww, Hell No!

Fifteen year-old Megan Barnett and her single mom, Suze, have a special relationship—they are friends, close friends, who do almost everything together.

“But come on, guys, she’s my mother… Can I really tell her that while we’re snuggled up on the sofa watching Spider Man Three, I’m secretly undressing James Franco with my eyes? Of course not…”

The special bond takes a turn for the worse when Suze decides to start dating again. She hasn’t had a man in her life since Megan’s father left ten years ago.

Enter two mysterious young men, Megan’s new classmate, sinfully attractive bad boy, Guy Matson, and the dangerously handsome art dealer, Armando. Before long Megan and Suze both wind up in steamy relationships. But neither of the handsome guys is quite what he seems. In fact, one of them is Satan, with his sights set on a new bride. Megan has precious little time to figure out how to stop him. If she doesn’t, either Megan or Suze are quite literally going to HELL.