Can you tell readers a little bit about
yourself and what inspired to write in this particular genre?
My name is Megan
Cashman, and I’ve been an aspiring author for as long as I can remember. I’ve
always had an interest in vampires, and I knew sooner or later, I was going to
write a vampire book.
What is it about the paranormal, in
particular vampires, that fascinates you so much?
They are
mysterious, sexy, supernaturally powerful, old and they’ve seen it all. As I
write about vampires, I realize they live parallel to the human world, and they
cannot be without humans, as much as they fear to admit it. Anyway, the more I
write about vampires, the more fascinated I get. They truly are intriguing
creatures and you can write just about anything about them. OK, I’m rambling
now…
What inspired you to write this
book?
I was inspired by
two things: firstly, the HBO show, “True Blood”. While I was watching “True
Blood” I would think about how cool it would be to have a vampire in my life.
But then I was like, “wait! Vampires are murderous, evil beings!” So that was
how my “evil” vampires were born. From there, my second inspiration was born.
When I was younger, I used to have lousy boyfriends, and “The Dark Proposal”
was a way for me to express the fears I had from those guys. It was a
cathartic, therapeutic experience to write this book.
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?
Both. I chose the
name Claire it means “light” and that counters the dark tone of this story.
Daniel was a common name for French men in the medieval era, and it is a common
name nowadays, so that fits. I don’t pick names out of the blue; I put a lot of
thought into them. Even Claire’s niece, named Ava, is a deliberate choice
because it means “life”.
Is there a character that you
enjoyed writing more than any of the others?
I enjoyed both
Claire’s friend and roommate, Samantha DiCarlo, and Daniel’s maker, Hilde. Both
are fearless and tough, so that was fun. As I write the sequel to “The Dark
Proposal”, I am delighting in writing about Hilde because she is a tough vampire
in a world that is difficult to survive in.
What is your favorite scene from the
book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?
I have two scenes:
the one where Daniel reveals he is a vampire, and the ending part. When Daniel
reveals he’s a vampire, I had a lot of fun with some parts of it. It was also
the first scene I ever wrote of “The Dark Proposal”. The second to last scene
is really intense, and I felt so sad over what Claire experiences. Plus,
there’s some twists in it.
Did you find anything really
interesting while researching this or another book?
I did some
research on the history of vampires, and learned just about every culture in
the world has some sort of a vampire creature in it. Those creatures also date
back centuries, so it helped create my vampire world.
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 first book,
“The Dark Proposal” being the first, it can be a stand alone. But there’s more
that happens to Claire and Daniel as they deal with a changing world for the
vampires. Also, in the second book, which I am almost done with, there are
other characters who either are introduced or are more flesh-out more than in
the first book.
Do you have any weird writing quirks
or rituals?
I write better in
a coffee shop than at home, LOL. I just find it easier to focus when I’m out in
public. At home, I’d be distracted with a lot of things. So, going to a coffee
shop is like going to work for me. I guess the change of atmosphere demands
that I focus more.
Do you write in different genres?
Not yet, but I plan
to. I have more paranormal story ideas, along with historical fiction ideas for
books. I even have some screenplay ideas in mind, but they aren’t paranormal.
Not yet, anyway.
When did you consider yourself a
writer?
Oh boy, that’s a
tough one. Because I’m also a freelance journalist, I’ve been published in
other respects. But I would say, when I self-published “The Dark Proposal”, I
considered myself an author then.
What was the last amazing book you
read?
Probably “And The
Mountains Echoed” by Khaled Hosseini. He writes so beautifully and captures the
human heart and mind so well.
What can readers expect next from
you?
I’m just about
done with the sequel to “The Dark Proposal”, and it is titled “Between Light
and Dark”. It takes a look at how Claire is adjusting to the vampire world, a
world she never wanted to be in. It also takes a look at how Daniel is, now
that he has been promoted in the vampire world, and how that is effecting him.
Plus, the relationship between Claire and Daniel continues, this time as maker
and progeny.
The Dark Proposal
The End of Eternity
Book One
Megan Cashman
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Date of Publication: September 14, 2012
ASIN: B00D6WJFUU
Number of pages: 211
Word Count: 79,050
Cover Artist: Karri Kwaliter
Book Description:
A young woman copes with being forced to become a vampire as the man she loves reveals he is more evil than she can comprehend.
Claire McCormick has graduated from college and is eager for her childhood dreams to come true. She thought it would happen when she began dating Daniel Bertrand, who was everything she wanted in a boyfriend. But just as her dreams are about to happen, Claire’s life is turned upside down when Daniel reveals to be a bloodthirsty vampire, with the intent on making her his eternal companion. Frightened, Claire desperately tries to rid herself of him, but Daniel is too evil to defeat. She has to come to terms with reality, as she faces a vampire world fighting to survive in modern times, with many of them unaware of how devious Daniel can be.
The Dark Proposal is the first book in a trilogy that follows what becomes of Claire and the vampires.
WARNING: contains thematic elements, graphic content and some strong language
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/zw7ih2c9GN4
Excerpt:
There was a
pregnant pause with both waiting for the other to speak or make the first move.
For a second, she wondered if this was going to be the moment he would make her
like him or kill her instead.
“No, Claire,” he
spoke suddenly. She jumped, startled. “It’s up to you to say yes. And remember
I did tell you I can read your thoughts.”
“Then please
stop, because you’re freaking me out,” she said.
He arched one
eyebrow, and for a moment, she feared he would attack her. But instead, he
crossed one arm across his chest and put the opposite hand under his chin, as
though contemplating something.
“I see you’ve
accepted somewhat of what I revealed to you,” he finally said.
“A little.” She
felt like she was preparing for war.
“What?” He
sounded curious. “Is there something else you can’t comprehend?”
“Yeah,” she said
in a shaky voice. Her eyes were downcast, and when she was ready, she lifted
them to look right at him. “I did some research while in New Jersey. There’s a
lot of websites about real vampires.”
“Yes?” Daniel
raised his eyebrows.
Taking a deep
breath, she said, “I think you killed Colin Willis.”
His face
expressionless, he lowered his arms and closed his eyes, shaking his head. He
ran one hand over his face as Claire continued.
“I read a blog
about his murder. There are rumors going around that he had two holes on the
side of his neck. There was no blood in his body.” She swallowed and asked,
almost pleading, “Did you really do it? Honestly, Dan?”
Removing his
hand, he looked right at her and said, “I think you know the answer to that
question.”
She did, and
whatever hope she had that he did not murder Willis quickly dissolved. She
began to pant in horror at first, but then in anger. “I mean, you knew as
everyone else that there was no evidence of foul play,” he was saying,
nonchalantly watching her. “Plus, there were no suspects -”
Claire suddenly
pounced on Daniel, arms flailing as she hit him in the face and chest. She was
screaming about him being a murderer and how evil he was.
It didn’t last
long because he soon caught her flying fists and held a tight grip on her
wrists, holding them away from him. His grip was beyond solid, like a steel
machine, and his eyes were hollow with rage. For a moment, she thought he was
going to attack her again. No, he was going to kill her. She dared to hit him,
dared to defy him and now she would pay the price.
He held her in
his harsh eyes for a moment, and then shoved her hands away, practically
pushing her away from him. “Honestly, who else would’ve done it?”
About the Author:
Born and raised on Staten Island, NY, Megan Cashman currently lives in Brooklyn, where she can be seen checking out the borough’s numerous coffee shops to work on her writing projects. She has a Masters’ degree in journalism, and has worked for cable news, both local and national, as well as a major New York newspaper. She is currently a freelance journalist and an adjunct professor at the City University of New York (CUNY). When she’s not writing or teaching, Megan can be seen taking nature photos with her iPhone, crocheting, doing yoga and Pilates, and trying out new dinner recipes.
@MeganCashman
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Thank you for featuring "The Dark Proposal" on your blog!
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