Can you tell readers a little bit about
yourself and what inspired to write in this particular genre?
Thanks so much for
having me at Fang-tastic! I read the blog and am pretty excited to be here. I
live in a tiny town in South Carolina that is the epitome of the southern gothic
town. My husband and I are both writers and we think of ourselves as the Herman
and Lily Munster of our neighborhood. We don’t have kids, but we do have an
epileptic wiener dog named Murphy that we’re hoping will take care of us when
we’re old. I started writing stories to entertain myself when I was just a
chap, but my first novel was published in 2010. I started writing paranormal
romances in a desperate attempt to have something to read. I’ve always loved
stories with a romantic element, but the bodice rippers that my mom kept on
hand never had enough story. I wanted to write the books that I wanted to read:
high stakes adventure, hot sex, and happily ever after.
What is it about the paranormal, in
particular vampires, that fascinates you so much?
I’m a huge fan of
vampires, but strangely, I’ve only written one exclusively vampire book: the
novella, Sanguine Kiss. But vampires always play a part. I can’t escape
them, it seems. I think so many of us are inspired and fascinated by vampires
because of that immortality aspect. I freely admit to being terrified of dying,
and vampires aren’t because they can’t. Being a death-obsessed (I read books
about funeral practices and mortician manuals), aging goth is my way of coping
with that fear and vampires are just natural companions to that.
Please tell us about your latest
release.
My latest, NeoGeisha
(Phoenix Rising #2), is another adventure in the life of
genetically-altered super spy, Cage St. John, and his partner and lover, Phoebe
Addison. They’re on a mission to thwart the plans of the vampire clans (in my
world the vampires operate like an immortal organized crime family) and end up
being separated. Phoe is kidnapped by space pirates and taken to the pleasure
planet of Sugoi to be auctioned off as a NeoGeisha, and Cage is presumed dead.
The two have to fight their way back together and escape the clutches of an old
enemy in the process.
Was one of your characters more
challenging to write than another?
Cage is a spy, so
I’ve done a lot of research on spy-craft and vocabulary. It was challenging
because you don’t want him to sound like a caricature of James Bond, but you do
want to lend some authenticity to the character. While I love spy movies and
books, writing one was a completely different experience.
Is there a character that you
enjoyed writing more than any of the others?
In NeoGeisha, one
of the characters is a little boy named Ben who is about seven years old. I
really loved writing his interactions with Cage and Phoebe. I tried to draw on
my own experiences as a teacher and a “crazy auntie” to make Ben intelligent
and childlike, but also really funny.
Do you have a formula for developing characters? Like do you
create a character sketch or list of attributes before you start writing or do
you just let the character develop as you write?
It really depends
on the book. I think all characters develop and grow over the course of writing
the book, but there are some, like Cage and Phoebe, that I did do complete
character profiles of them before I began writing. My character profiles are
very informal and I like to think of them like the character sheets we used to
use to play Dungeons and Dragons. They’re full of basic information as far as
how they look, age, nationality, etc. But then I usually just write down
anything I can think of about their personality. I may even write little
backstories about them. I like to know everything I can about the main
characters before the start, but those things aren’t necessarily for the reader
to know.
What is your favorite scene from the
book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?
It’s hard to
choose a favorite scene. There are so many that I love, but I am particularly
fond of the meeting of the vampires at the beginning of the book. Phoebe has
gone undercover in Las Vegas as Delphine LaLaurie (yes, that one) who is the
vampire king of New Orleans, though no one has seen the real Delphine in many
years. Here’s just a little….
“Ladies and gentlemen, let us get
this meeting started.” Tristram banged on the mahogany conference table with
enough force to crack the finish. “I know that each of us has guests to attend
to.” There was a rumbling of laughter around the room that turned Phoebe’s
stomach. The partygoers in their imitation finery who had been dancing so
carefree and clueless were most likely tonight’s meal.
“I thought Ankhil called us here,”
the shout from the vampire beside Tristram made him growl.
“The Quorti will arrive in his own
time and not before,” Tristram snapped. “You would do well to remember your
place, Balthazaar.”
Balthazaar snarled then lunged
forward and bared his teeth. “I am the vampire king of Las Vegas and do not
take orders from sniveling secretaries.”
“Do you mean to threaten me even
when you know I could have you torn limb from limb and tossed into the
fireplace with the slightest glance?” Tristram gestured toward the fireplace in
question where several overgrown drones stood with their arms crossed,
obviously waiting for the opportunity to attack.
Phoebe stood and placed calming
hands on both their shoulders. “There now, let us not fight amongst ourselves,”
she purred, drawing her vowels out in a slow, Southern drawl.
“Balthazaar is
merely trying to ascertain the purpose of our little soiree, love.”
“Yes,” a stocky vampire called
Gerhard said, stepping into the light. Two babydolls hung from his massive
shoulders like a human scarf. “It isn’t often that Ankhil appears in a place
so… unprotected.” Something about the vampire’s grin betrayed his intentions.
“I assure you that the Quorti is
well-protected,” Phoebe said, flashing Delphine’s vampire eyes. “Not that
anyone here would dare challenge him.” Balthazaar backed off, obviously
realizing how close to the line he was. She smiled to herself, enjoying the
feeling of power and dominance. Why on earth hadn’t she started consorting with
spies years ago?
Can you tell readers a little bit
about the world building in the book/series? How does this world differ from
our normal world?
The world where
Phoebe and Cage live is a strange place. It’s in the not-so-distant future and
the Earth is being overrun by strange creatures known as The Others that are
pouring in through an underground portal opened before the beginning of book
one. The Others are pretty much any supernatural creature you’ve ever heard of.
Some are animalistic monsters like dragons and hellhounds. Others are organized
and intelligent like the vampires. Those who can afford it are slowly being
evacuated on to space colonies, most of which are owned by a diabolical
psychopath named Derek Machine. The colonies are basically like Disney World
for adults. New London is an ultra-modern, clean version of the London on
Earth. Sugoi, the colony in book 2, is a cyberpunk pleasure colony where
anything goes. The next book will be set on the colony of Absinthia, which is
like a Victorian Era London theme park.
The fun part about
the world building has been coming up with all of the technology. The
autopistols instead of regular guns with bullets. Prowlers, or cars that fly.
Eslates that are like your tablet, phone, and computer all in one handheld
device. They don’t have a screen, but holographic messages that are interactive
that appear over the control panel. I didn’t want it to be too far out there,
but still fun.
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?
The books can be
read as standalones for the most part, but there are themes that connect
throughout the series. For example, years before when Cage was a spy for MI:6,
his wife and young child were killed by a warlord in retaliation. Derek
Machine, the villain from book one, appears throughout the series. He’s the
mogul that controls Manticore Technologies who are responsible for the
construction of the colonies. And of course, Phoebe and Cage meet in book one
and establish their relationship which will continue throughout the series.
When did you consider yourself a
writer?
As I said, I’ve
been writing for my own entertainment as a child, but it wasn’t until I finally
let others read it that I felt like a writer. I got into fanfiction (BIG
surprise) in college and once I started getting positive feedback from those
readers, I felt like I could write stories that people were interested in.
What are your guilty pleasures in
life?
I’m a HUGE fangirl
(as evidenced by my previous answer) of several shows and movies, especially
the BBC’s Sherlock series. I also really like the reality TV show
Moonshiners—I’m so ashamed.
Other than writing, what are some of
your interests, hobbies or passions in life?
Other than
writing, I love to travel and take road trips with friends. I’m also an amateur
artist and actress. The stage was my first love.
What was the last amazing book you
read?
Smoke
Gets In Your Eyes, and Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty
What can readers expect next from
you?
My next release is
the first novella of a completely different series under my other pseudonym,
A.C. Thompson. It’s called The Ghost and Dr. Watson and it chronicles
the adventures of Dr. John Watson (sidekick to Sherlock Holmes) as he battles
monsters in Victorian London.
Where can readers find you on the
web?
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TheSouthernBellefromHell/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/lexxxchristian
Newsletter:
http://eepurl.com/b5c_Un
Would you like to leave readers with
a little teaser or excerpt from the book?
Of course! I love to tease. And this book has
everything—including space pirates. Here’s an exclusive little taste…
It became evident that they
were getting nowhere fast. They were surrounded on both sides of the narrow
corridor and despite their accurate kill rate, still more Corsairs were
dropping from above. The bridge was most definitely lost at this point and
there was no way they could hide. Their only hope now was to talk their way out
of it.
“Enough.”
Without warning, all the
shooting ceased and the Corsairs backed off. They lowered their weapons and
turned to the man who stood at the head of the corridor. Cage tried to shield
Phoebe behind him, but she peeked over his shoulder as he pointed his weapon at
the figure.
“Hardly, mate. You can either
get yourself and your manky squabs off my ship or I can shoot you in the face.
And I can assure you that my aim is better than my disposition.”
The man raised his hands and
started toward them, chuckling softly. His shadow was slight and he had an
obvious limp. He was dressed much like the others, all in black leather, pieced
and patched together from several sources, but as he got closer Phoe could see
a strange turquoise scarf around his neck and what appeared to be an
old-fashioned fedora perched on his head. “Come now, Mr. St. John. Clearly I
have the upper hand. There’s only one of you and…” With this he paused,
gesturing to the hooting hoards lining the gallery above them and at the ends
of the corridor. They looked like futuristic parodies of Blackbeard’s crew with
their multicolored hair and makeshift pistols. “Many of us.”
“They might take me down, but I
promise you’ll die first.” He cocked the pistol to prove his resolve.
“So dramatic,” the pirate said.
His voice had a heavy accent that dripped slowly from his tongue. He might have
been sexy if not for the smell of rot emanating from the boils on his ringed
fingers and under the collar of his shirt. “Look at you,” he cooed. “Your
reputation doesn’t quite do you justice.”
“Am I supposed to be
flattered?”
“Of course. It isn’t often that
a man can look me in the eye, much less offer such insolence. But fearlessness
is just a nice word for foolish.”
“Funny, you seem to know so
much about me, but I’m afraid I’ve never heard of you.”
“Anton Blauvelt,” he said with
a flourishing bow.
Cage hesitated before shaking
his head. “Nope, sorry, mate. Never heard of you.”
Blauvelt’s
smug grin faded. “But you will.”
Naked
Phoenix Rising
Book One
Alexandra Christian
Genre: Sci-Fi/ Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
Date of Publication: April 13, 2017
ISBN: 1545383235
ISBN: 978-1545383230
ASIN: B071CRSKV2
Number of pages: 210
Word Count: 70,000
Book Description:
OUT OF THE STACKS
Librarian Phoebe Addison has lived her entire life within a seventy-five mile radius of her small Louisiana town, but when she receives a strange medallion from her adventurous, off-world sister, reality tilts toward the bizarre. Everything Phoe thought she knew is…well, wrong. Dead wrong. But bone-numbing fear has no place in this brave new world—nor by the side of the dangerous, exquisite man who saves her life.
…AND INTO THE FIRE
Following the tragic slaughter of his family, operative Macijah “Cage” St. John understands evil in a way no man ever should. He traded happiness for a magnificent and terrible power, and fate isn’t done with him yet. He wasn’t looking for comfort. He didn’t need tenderness. But today he’ll play hero to a damsel in distress, and his quest will deliver him to the uncanny Martian colony of New London—and his heart to the demure Phoebe Addison. The bookish beauty’s hidden talents and deep abiding love just might save Cage from himself.
Neo-Geisha
Phoenix Rising
Book Two
Alexandra Christian
Genre: Sci-Fi/ Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
Date of Publication: October 26, 2017
ISBN:
ASIN: B076DDG8MX
Number of pages: 167 pages
Word Count: 65,500
Reluctant to become a spy again, Macijah "Cage" St. John's instincts prove correct when all hell breaks loose for him and his lady love, Phoebe Addison, who is also his new partner.
Book Description:
BACK...
Macijah "Cage" St. John' didn't want the spy life anymore. He would have been thrilled to spend every morning lying in the field behind Phoe's home in smalltown Louisiana watching the clouds roll by. But his Miss Addison wanted to spread her wings, literally. So Cage accepted a mission that teamed him up with his lady love. If only he had trusted her.
TO THE FUTURE
Everything about being a spy was a million times more exciting, and scarier, than the books she'd read in her former life as a librarian. When her first mission with Cage turned into a colossal clusterf*ck because he withheld information and kept secrets, Phoebe's world narrowed into a long tunnel of betrayal. Captured by space pirates and delivered to a horrible fate, she wished the last words between them had been of love, because she was certain she would never see Cage St. John again.
About the Author:
Alexandra Christian is an author of mostly romance with a speculative slant. Her love of Stephen King and sweet tea has flavored her fiction with a Southern Gothic sensibility that reeks of Spanish moss and deep fried eccentricity. Lexx likes to keep her fingers in lots of different pies having written everything from sci-fi and horror to Sherlock Holmes adventures.
A self-proclaimed “Southern Belle from Hell,” Lexx is a native South Carolinian who lives with an epileptic wiener dog and her husband, author Tally Johnson. Her long-term aspirations are to one day be a best-selling authoress and part-time pinup girl. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America.
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/b5c_Un
Street Team: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheHellsBelles/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexxxchristian
Amazon Author Central:
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1 comment:
Thanks so much for having me, Roxanne! I really enjoyed getting to talk about my books AND my vampy tendencies. Happy reading, y'all!
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