Interview with C.S. Revlis and Rise of the Vampire Giveaway

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

h  From a very young age I have always been imaginative, open to new ideas.  I was inspired to write my first story when I was six years old, “The Little White Bunny.” At that time though, my family was not supportive of my writing.  The focus there was work and money.  So, I was forced to stop writing at home.  Fifteen years later, I got married and through the support of my wife and her family I began writing again.  On November 28^th, 2005 I started “Rise of the Vampire.” (RotV)

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

h  The paranormal has always been a part of my life.  I have experienced it first hand, often being surrounded by ghost activity.  Hawaii is a very haunted place.  The thing that made vampires stand out to me was their inhuman abilities, lust for power and their immortality.  They are fascinating because they can be ruthless and at the same time be quite charming and alluring.

3.      What inspired you to write this book?

h  The games I used to play really piqued my interest in vampires.  Paired with various vampire movies and cartoons, I was inspired to create my own vampire story.

4.     Please tell us about your latest release.

h  “Rise of the Vampire” is an epic vampire adventure that follows the main characters’ journey into a world of chaos, war and survival.

5.      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?

h  No, not really.  As I am writing a character will pop into my head.  I see their face and get a feeling for their personality, and then I develop their name.  Sometimes the name pops into my head at the same time as they do.

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

h  I think Winston was the most difficult.  I wanted to create a character similar to the main character, but not exactly the same.  Finding a balance between Winston’s sincerity and his boldness was the hardest part.

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

h  Yes, Teo Rusae (pronounced Tee-Oh  Roo-say . . . everyone gets that wrong). He is kind of based off of me; you have to read the book to get to know me better.

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

h  I really like the fight scenes, but I don’t really have one that is my favorite, I actually have three.  My wife has a favorite part though, a favorite line from the story, she cracks up at it every time:

“You dirty, stinking, nasty little vampire! How dare you.” 

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

h  The swordplay for the fight scenes.  My wife, her sister and I got together with kendo bokken wooden katana’s and had sword fights in the front yard.  It was a lot of fun, but we got a few bumps and bruises bringing it to life.

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

h  It is not too different; it could very well be our past.

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

h  I get writers block sometimes.  Usually I take a few days off from the novel and work on writing some short stories instead.  I like to take my book and make notes in various locations like on nature hikes, the beach, Mauna Kea, really anywhere that is quiet and peaceful.

12.   Do you have any weird writing quirks or rituals?

h  I sometimes act out my story during writing.  Sometimes I see the scenes in my head, like a movie, other times I get out of my chair and physically move around acting out the scene.

13.   When did you consider yourself a writer?

h  I always thought of myself as a writer, but when the first copy of my book sold, and then I felt like an author.

14.   What are your guilty pleasures in life?

h  I like food, especially Chinese food and candy.  Also, vacations, especially when we go to theme parks, my imagination really runs wild there.

15.   Other than writing, what are some of your interests, hobbies or passions in life?

h  My greatest passions are for my family and for animals.  I have been playing with some children’s stories about some of my critters, we have lots of pets.

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

h  I like to read in my room, where it is sometimes quiet.  Sometimes I will have a critter with me when I read, it is relaxing.

17.   What can readers expect next from you?

h  The next book in the RotV series.  I am hoping for a January 2013 release of that one.

18.   Where can readers find you on the web?

h  I am all over the internet.  I have a website: http://risofthevampire.weebly.com/index.html

There is a forum, blog and links to my Facebook and Twitter.  They are on the Voice of the Vampire page.

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

h  Sure.

They waited, for what seemed like hours, then all of a sudden in the far distance they heard loud banging and shouting on the waters.  The enemy was approaching Johnston and they were banging their shields creating a ruckus for all to hear.  As the enemy got closer a small breeze came and lifted the fog so Beau and his army could see.  When Beau looked his eyes widened.  There was a large fleet of enemy ships coming their way.

I have enjoyed this interview; it was a lot of fun.  Mahalo Roxanne, and everyone here at Fang-tastic books.  It has been a great experience, I look forward to talking to you again sometime, happy reading!

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