Can you tell readers a little
bit about yourself and what inspired to write in this particular genre?
I’ve
always been fascinated by the supernatural, strange and ghoulish. My mother
read Rosemary’s Baby when she was pregnant with me and that probably explains a
lot. I’ve always grown up around the genre, particularly through film. I was
watching horror movies (albeit pretty tame ones like the Hammer films) as soon
I was old enough to gasp, squeal and occasionally mock. They say you should
write about what you know, I know horror and the occult.
What is it about the
paranormal, in particular vampires, that fascinates you so much?
A
bit like the hero of my series, Sophie Morgan, I’m quite practical and level
headed, but like even the most skeptical of us, I’m not too proud to admit
there’s more out there than we can see or comprehend. That’s why the paranormal
is so fascinating. I’m also intrigued by the sociological and anthropological
functions of supernatural belief systems on society. Throw in a need to be
intrigued, entertained and occasional scares, it’s a winning combination. In my series, I’ve tried to create vampires
that could very well exist – they’re not romanticized. I like to think of them
as something of an offshoot of our linear evolution. That could happen, right?
What inspired you to write
this book?
I’d
gone through a spate of reading more contemporary vampire books, such as the
Sookie Stackhouse Series and the Twilight books. I particularly enjoyed the
former as the characters are down to earth people trying to get on with a
supernatural world evolving around them. But I felt there was a gap in the
market for something written set in the UK. Interestingly, just as I love
reading fiction from the States, I’m getting a lot of good feedback from US
reviewers and readers, so perhaps we all like to step into another world now
and again.
Please tell us about your
latest release.
Sure. On a literal level, it’s about a young woman called
Sophie Morgan, who is doing pretty well in life, one failed relationship
aside(but who doesn’t have some of those) She’s done everything that’s expected
of her gone to college, got a job, been responsible with money. Then she goes on
a mini break to Belgium with a friend and all that goes to hell in a handcart.
She’s attacked by vampires, develops an attraction to Mickey, an Irishman
working his way around the bars of Europe, and ends up the focus of 300 year
old vampires affections when she finally gets home. It’s essentially what would
really happen if someone discovered vampires exist – not a romanticised
version. It’s about discovering who you are, what’s important and seeing the
world through clear, not rose tinted glasses.
Is there a character that you
enjoyed writing more than any of the others?
The
majority of the story is told through Sophie’s eyes, intertwined with the
thoughts, observations and perspectives of a handful of other key factors, most
notably “head vampire” Charles Ferrers, a male neighbours and a terminally ill
solicitor who becomes a vampire rather than face death. Surprisingly, I enjoy
writing from the male character’s perspective. There comes a liberation with
adopting a completely different persona and the history you build for a
character of the opposite sex. As with
most writers, I suspect, however, that there’s a little part of me in all the
characters. It’s healthy to encourage that small, hidden away part to come out
and play.
What is the most interesting
thing you have physically done for book related research purposes?
I
adore Nordic Noir, programmes like the original Danish production of The
Killing for example. When developing Sophie’s backstory I knew that I wanted
her to be raised by a single mother, and that she is the product of a holiday
romance. I couldn’t resist making Copenhagen the location for that series of
events. I combined my love of Nordic Noir and research for the series with a
trip to Denmark last spring. It was amazing and has really helped me understand
the location and culture – important to note as I explore this back story more
in the second book, Death in the Family.
Do any of your characters
have similar characteristics of yourself in them and what are they?
I
would share Sophie’s dependency on a good cup of Earl Grey tea and head for
money. I’m pretty practical and love getting a bargain. Not that I’m a
cheapskate! There is, as I’ve said, probably a little bit of me in all of the
characters – in different moods or in different times in my life.
Do you ever suffer from
writer’s block? How do you deal with it?
Never.
If anything I have too many ideas and that can stop me being productive if I’m
not careful. I’m already scribbling down ideas for 2/3 books down the line, the
chattering monkey voices never shut up, always poking their nose in, telling me
about another great idea for a short story. I have to carry post it notes, pads
and an iPad with me everywhere so I can scribe everything down to get it out. I
think that if you are getting stuck on a piece of work, then it can be
something different, a plot line which isn’t working for example. Then I just
take a step back, map out all the options and cogitate on them for a bit. That
seems to work.
What are your guilty
pleasures in life?
I don’t feel guilty about pleasure.
Other than writing, what are
some of your interests, hobbies or passions in life?
I’m
a firm believer in equality, animal welfare and generally being excellent to
each other (thanks Bill and Ted for a good maxim to live by). When I’m not writing fiction, I may rant
about a topic on my blog, or on Twitter. I also volunteer for Cats Protection,
a UK based charity dedicated to the welfare and rehoming of unwanted and
abandoned cats. I also read, a lot, and occasionally review. I think authors
should support each other – it’s a tough job and going it alone can be a
struggle.
What can readers expect next
from you?
The
second book in the series, Death in the Family, will be out in paperback and
eBook early next year. It picks up immediately on the action of Relative
Strangers. I won’t give too much away but it’s much darker than the first book.
Sophie has started to rebuild her life. The vampire threat isn’t over but a
greater one lurks and this time it’s much closer to home.
Where can readers find you on
the web?
There’s
few places on the internet where I haven’t wormed my way in. Here’s just a few
of them.
My blog www.helentreharne.wordpress.com,
Twitter https://twitter.com/Tea_Talks
,
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1vOSmXq and GoodReads: http://bit.ly/Vg7voh . I’ve also pages on
Amazon, US: http://www.amazon.com/Helen-Treharne/e/B00LFVTXME/
and UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Helen-Treharne/e/B00LFVTXME/
Would you like to leave
readers with a little teaser or excerpt from the book?
I’d love to. As Sophie spends a lot of her time trying to
fend off vampires, how about some of her thoughts on how to kill them. After
all, you never know when you might need to.
“You don’t need to
stake them in the heart to kill them, although it’s quite possible that would
work too, I’ve not tried it. Daylight definitely doesn’t kill them, or at least
not the ones I’ve met. You don’t have to decapitate them either, but my
philosophy is that if you cut anything’s head off it will probably cease to
function in its usual way, whether it’s living or undead. I’m not a trained
fighter, I’m basically about survival, and I’ve found that whacking just about
anything with force and frequency will stop it. Either that or blow its brains
out. It seems to have worked for me so far.
When you kill a
vampire they don’t just go "poof" and turn into cinders either. A
well timed breeze doesn’t come along and blow their ashes far and wide. There’s
no sudden mound of dust, which you can suck up in your vacuum cleaner, more
convenient though it would be. Maybe they disintegrate given enough time, I
don’t know for certain, but they definitely leave a carcass behind, which at
least leaves you with a problem in the short term.
I can’t say that
I’m an expert on slaying vampires, or that I knew exactly what to expect when I
woke up the following morning, but at the top of my list of chores was
scrubbing my kitchen and disposing of the remains.”
Relative Strangers:
A Modern Vampire Story
Sophie Morgan Vampire Series
Book 1
Helen Treharne
Genre: Urban Fantasy
ISBN-10: 1502369435
ASIN: B00MRAZGK0
Number of pages: 301
Word Count: 96,500
Book Description:
Meet Sophie Morgan… practical, Welsh, prone to occasional profanity, and seemingly a vampire magnet.
Sophie Morgan is 23 and has always done the right thing. She’s caused no stress for her family, worked hard through university, has taken a successful leap onto the career ladder and nurtured a reasonably healthy bank balance. It’s no small surprise then when, on a post relationship break-up, mini-break to Antwerp, she pursues a pair of thieves who steal her friend’s handbag. But this is only the start of her world being turned upside down. Ripped from the streets into a dark alley she is violently attacked, barely alive when quirky Irish bar worker, Michael Kelly, stumbles across the scene.
The pair, shocked by their experience and uncertain whether they have killed her attacker in the brawl which follows, go into the night for answers. They get more than they bargained for. Sophie quickly learns that vampires exist, her neighbours back home aren’t what they seem and new boyfriends can be found in the strangest of situations.
Relative Strangers is the first in a new vampire series with a distinctly British flavour, but which will appeal to everyone. Reviews call it " a vampire tale with bite", with "brilliant characters that draw you in" and a very fresh take on the genre. Read it now to find out reviewers are raving about.
Available at Amazon Smashwords iBooks BN
Excerpt:
I wakened with a
jolt, my heart beating, and my lids heavy. The glowing display of my alarm
clock informed me it was four a.m. Had the noise been real, or had I been
dreaming? My brain fired up and I took in my surroundings. I'd spent two months
living with my mother in my childhood home following my sudden relocation back
to South Wales. I'd only moved into my own place a few days earlier and was
disorientated. Bed, furniture, dressing gown draped over the chair- all mine,
definitely my bedroom, no one else in the room with me, all good. So what the
hell was that noise?
My anxiety
levels were sky high. It had been a terrible year, one brimming with violence
and death. I couldn't take another emotional or physical beating; I hoped my
imagination was playing tricks on me. Please don't let this be anything more
than a dream, I prayed.
I tentatively
reached across the nightstand to flick on the lamp, but quickly retracted my
hand. What if there is someone in the house? There could be someone downstairs.
You don't want to let them know you're up here. Think Sophie, is that what woke
you up, could that have caused the noise you heard - was it a bang, something
smashing? It might be better to err on the side of caution. Take a breath,
think before you do anything.
Slipping my legs
from under the duvet I padded over to the window and quietly pulled the cord to
lift the blind. It was dark outside. Dawn wouldn't surface for several hours,
but the street lamp at the bottom of the garden afforded me a little light. The
town council switched them on early during the winter months.
Everything
outside looked peaceful. The gate at the bottom of the path knocked
rhythmically against its post in the cold January wind. I must have failed to
close it properly.
Another noise.
Was it a noise? Did I really hear something? Yep, definitely coming from
downstairs. Blood whooshed through my ears as my heart began pumping adrenaline
through my body. Someone else was in my house. Someone was moving downstairs.
Oh my God, no, not here. How could he have found me? Why now? I've been moving
on. I didn't even tell.
My body froze in
panic, but something deep in my gut forced my brain into action. There was no
way I was going to give in after I’d battled for so long and so hard to stay
alive, to survive. Nobody was going to rob me of that, or anything else for
that matter. I quickly assessed my options, but they didn’t add up to much.
I could hide out in my room and hope that the
intruder would go of their own accord. Perhaps they'd just be an ordinary
burglar - they'd be in and out. They'd take my purse, mobile phone and keys
which I'd left in the kitchen and escape but I could replace things. At least
I'd be alive and unharmed.
But what if I
just stayed put and they came upstairs, perhaps looking for things of higher
value? Based on my experience, it was more likely that it was some sicko who
would then have me penned in. I'd have no escape and be at their mercy. I
wasn't ever going to let that happen to me again.
Thoughts machine
gunned their way through my brain, but I decided to come down on the side of
braving it, going downstairs and confronting my intruder. Maybe, I'd be lucky
and it would just be a petty thief, more scared of me than I of him. But on the
other hand, perhaps it was him. If so, I was probably dead already, may as well
get it over with.
About the Author:
After a successful career in business and career coaching, Helen Treharne returned to South Wales in 2010 to focus on writing, among other things.
Relative Strangers, a modern vampire story featuring an increasingly feisty Sophie Morgan, hits digital bookshelves in 2014. In addition to being the creator of the developing “Sophie Morgan" series, she is an urban poet and social commentator who can frequently be found ranting in the Twitterverse. She knew the degree in Sociology would come in handy some day!
Helen lives with her husband, three cats, an entrenched tea addiction and an increasing collection of stringed instruments. When she’s not writing she spends her time daytime hours working in communications and volunteers for a feline welfare charity. She can't be trusted near stationery and has had more come backs than Cher.
Twitter @Tea_Talks https://twitter.com/Tea_Talks
Facebook : http://on.fb.me/1vOSmXq
GoodReads: http://bit.ly/Vg7voh
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3 comments:
Thanks for hosting me today. I really enjoyed the interview process. Great questions!
By the way, lots of other great writers on here. Picked up a few ideas for my "to be read" list. Great site guys.
nice interview
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