Interview & Giveaway: Væmpires by Thomas Winship

Original Title: Væmpires

Series: The Evolutionary War #1

Author: Thomas Winship

Published Date: October 31st 2011

Genre: Fantasy

Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Smashwords

It is the morning of Princess Cassandra’s sixteenth birthday. Everyone’s attention is focused on the heir to the vampire throne. World leaders, the rich and famous, and VIPs from every corner of the globe have gathered in the nation’s capital to celebrate the momentous event.  

Cassandra’s boyfriend, Daniel, is late for the party. He’s still outside the city when all hell breaks loose. What he believes is an act of terrorism proves to be a full-fledged revolution.
Væmpires—former vampires who mutated into warm-blooded creatures with an insatiable hunger for cold blood—have launched coordinated attacks across the globe, with three goals: the eradication of humanity, the enslavement of vampires, and the ascension of væmpires as the dominant species on the planet.

The vampire and human leaders are killed. Cassandra is missing. Daniel is the acting king. Desperate to find the princess, Daniel and his friends fight their way across the besieged city. With the hopes of the free world resting on the shoulders of four vampire teenagers, væmpires unleash their secret weapons: a new breed of væmpire that is far deadlier than any ever seen before.

What can four teens do against an enemy that can shape-shift, fly, and walk through walls?

EXCERPT

Cassie was there, bloody and weary, with a look in her blue eyes that said she’d been to the depths of hell and fought her way back, but she was there and nothing else mattered.

The young lovers fell into each other’s arms and, for a brief time, were the only two people in the world. Words failed and thoughts escaped as they surrendered to the most basic of needs—the need to be held.

They broke apart, neither knowing how long they’d been that way, but both experiencing the same conflicting emotions.

Given the circumstances, it hadn’t been long enough.

Given the circumstances, it had been too long.

“Cassie,” Daniel sighed, “I thought I’d lost you.”

“You almost did,” she said, and what he saw in her eyes—fear, pain, and something else he couldn’t identify—was so intense, his heart broke, releasing the flood of tears that had been threatening to come.

“I don’t …,” he started, suddenly a teenager again, “I don’t know what I would’ve done if I had.”

And Cassie cried too, great big tears that pooled at the bottom of her blue eyes before flowing over her long lashes to run down her cheeks, the salty stream cutting a path through the blood and dirt coating her face. The sight of it was at once the most heart-stopping—and heart-wrenching—thing he’d ever seen.

He took her face in his hands, the tenderness in his touch feeling odd after all the death he’d dealt out that day, and kissed her, a long, lingering kiss that was unaffected by their crying or the taste of tears on their lips or the death littering the courtyard around them.

Eyes closed, Daniel breathed her in, this girl—no, this woman—who owned his heart. Her scent, as familiar as his own, was buried beneath a plethora of aromas. Many, including the stench of bloodsuckers, were unpleasant, but it still made his heart skip a beat.

When the kiss ended, he peered into her eyes and whispered, “Did I ever tell you that I’ve loved you since the first time I saw you?”

She smiled. “We’ve known each other since birth.”

“Okay,” he amended. “Since the first time I remember seeing you.”

“Then, yes,” she giggled, “you have told me on several occasions.”

Daniel realized that her giggle wasn’t incongruous with their current situation as much as it was in defiance of it. They were on borrowed time and they knew it.

“And have I told you that I’m going to love you forever?”

“You’ve done more than that,” she said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

AUTHOR ONLINE: Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Goodreads

Thomas Winship was born in Middletown, NY and still resides in Orange County. He holds an MBA in Management from St. Thomas Aquinas College, where he serves as an adjunct professor of courses in English Composition, Communications, and Business. He also spent fifteen years working for a global pharmaceutical company, specializing in organizational development, talent management, and training.

Tom writes in his spare time. His first novel, a mystery/legal thriller entitled Temporary Insanity (a.k.a. Case Closed), was a 2008 finalist in a national contest but failed to garner industry attention. His second novel, Væmpires: Revolution, was published in October and a follow-up novella, Væmpires: White Christmas, was published in December.

He is an avid collector of books, comic books, music, and movies. His interests are diverse: on any given day, Tom is likely to be found watching a horror movie, attending a hard rock concert, or enjoying a Broadway show. 

He is currently working on the next installment of the “Væmpires” series, which is scheduled for an early 2012 release.

INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR THOMAS WINSHIP

Is there an inspiration behind why you chose writing?

Yes. When I was a child, I wanted to be a book. I wanted people to choose me from among the hundreds of other books on the shelf, hold me in their hands, take me home to discover my hidden secrets, and then either (a) stick me on another shelf and ignore me from that point on, (b) give me away, (c) stuff me somewhere out of sight, or (d) use me to line the cat’s litter box. Once I realized I could never be a book I decided to be a writer.

But seriously, I never wanted to be a writer until I had a dream one night. In the dream, vampires lived in a small northwestern town… Umm … actually, that’s not my story, either. Sometimes it’s hard to separate fact from fiction.

And that is what inspired me to start writing—that, and the fact that my “real” life was so boring that I needed to do something to spice it up. Some people crochet, some people make chainsaw carvings, I decided to write.   

When you were little, what did you want to be when you "grew up"?

A baseball player for the New York Yankees (and, yes, I hear the hissing and boos of the Yankee-haters out there). Unfortunately, I possessed a modicum of talent, at best—more than enough to play for other teams, of course :-), but not the Yankees, so I hung the spikes up years ago. Alas, I’m still waiting to grow up …

What movie and/or book are you looking forward to this year?

There are several films I’m eagerly awaiting— Prometheus in June and The Amazing Spider-Man in July among them—but none more than The Hobbit in December.

I could give you a spreadsheet with all the books I’m looking forward to. There are roughly eighty authors of whom I read everything they publish. The top three books I’m waiting for, though, are: Stephen King’s Dark Tower: The Wind Through the Keyhole (in just a few days), Mira Grant’s (Seanan McGuire) conclusion to the Newsflesh trilogy, Blackout, in June, and Charlie Higson’s next installment in the Enemy series, The Fear, also in June.

What are your current literary works?  Any sneak peaks?

I’m working on book two of the væmpires series. Væmpires: Revolution ended with a massive, shocking cliffhanger, so fans are growing quite impatient (although it’s only been a few months). Because I understand what it’s like to eagerly await more, I may release the first portion of the next book prematurely, as a short story or novella.

That’s sneak peak #1, Vidya, because no one else knows that.

Sneak peak #2 is a short snippet (a short, unedited snippet), so everyone knows that the blood-and-guts action of Væmpires: Revolution continues in book 2:


Crimson blood spurted as the body and head fell in opposite directions. Hot, væmpire blood that smelled like rancid meat hit the sidewalk in uneven splatters that reminded Linq of a drunken frat boy urinating in a back alley.


Then two things happened at once: he sensed a væmpire—yet another new arrival—closing in, while Ray yelled, “Watch out!”


Before he could react, Linq was grabbed from behind. Strong arms encircled him; hot, sweaty væmpire arms that felt like steel pincers. Linq’s own arms were pinned to his sides as his adversary squeezed him like a vise.


The pressure was tremendous and Linq panicked, throwing his head back in an attempt to crush the væmpire’s nose. He knew it was a mistake as he did it, but his reaction was quicker than his thoughts.


The væmpire dodged the blow, and then did the unthinkable: his head flashed forward and he sunk his fangs into Linq’s exposed neck.


Every cell in Linq’s body erupted in unmitigated pain. Nothing in his education, nothing in his imagination—in his nightmares, perhaps, but not his imagination—nothing in his experience or training had prepared him for such pain.


His eyes rolled back in his head and his jaw snapped shut, his fangs slicing deep into his tongue. He didn’t even notice.


Then the væmpire drank.

If you could invite any 5 people to dinner who would you choose?

That’s a tough question, Vidya. Famous people come to mind, but I have a real problem with that. You see, I’m frequently in NYC and I’ve run into quite a few famous people. Too many of them turn out to be real jerks in the flesh. I don’t know if it’s a by-product of fame or a manifestation of their personalities, although I’m sure it’s some combination thereof, but I’m not too eager to meet famous people—especially ones I’m a big fan of.

Still, if I could invite anyone in history, it would be: Stephen King, George Lucas, JRR Tolkien, Will Ferrell, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Which authors have influence on you most.. how?

Stephen King in the way he pulls you into his world and makes you immediately connect with, and care about, his characters.

JRR Tolkien in his ability to create a new universe.

Jack Ketchum in his fearlessness.

RA Salvatore in his ability to portray action.

Seanan McGuire in her ability to blend drama and humor.

Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.

If you don’t read my book, I don’t make any money; if I don’t make money, I can’t eat; if I can’t eat, I’ll starve to death; if I starve to death, it’s your fault for not buying my book, and who wants to live with that guilt?

Too harsh? How’s this?

Væmpires: Revolution contains everything you love about vampire novels, omits everything you can’t stand, and even has zombies!

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.

There isn’t one, Vidya, there are many … but they’re all the same: whenever a person reads my book and offers positive feedback (whether an email, tweet, blog comment, or review), it’s the most rewarding aspect of being an author.

What's one piece of advice you would give aspiring authors?

You have to write for the love of writing. If you write for fame or praise or leaving your mark on this world, you’re going to get your heart broken.

If you could jump in to a book, and live in that world, which would it be?

Wow! That’s a great question. It would come down to Middle Earth from Lord of the Rings or the Star Wars universe, but Star Wars would win in the end.

If someone wrote a book about your life, what would the title be?

What Were You Thinking?

What is your favorite scene in the book and why do you love it?

My favorite scene in Væmpires: Revolution is when Daniel and Cassie reunite. They spend the majority of the book fighting across a war-torn world to find each other and they lose a lot along the way. I love the scene because, although the novel is more urban fantasy than paranormal romance, there are strong romantic undercurrents throughout the novel and that particular scene allowed me to finally bring the romance into the light.

What TV show/movie/book do you watch/read that you'd be embarrassed to admit?

A trick question, but one I’ll answer nevertheless—somewhat (ha ha). I watch very little television, so nothing embarrassing there. I do watch a lot of movies, but I blame anything embarrassing on my wife. Nothing I can think of regarding books. What is a guilty pleasure, however, are Christmas specials—not movies, but cartoons. I have dozens of them and I watch many of them every year. I make a schedule and watch a few each night between Thanksgiving and Christmas. As I said earlier, I’m still waiting to grow up.

What is one book everyone should read?

I think everyone should read the current version of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, because it may answer a lot of lingering questions. Barring that, everyone should read Stephen King’s It. Why? Because I said so.

One food you would never eat?

Anything processed, picked, packaged, rendered, distilled, modified, enhanced, improved, grown, cultivated, tampered-with, or otherwise exposed to humans or nature. In other words, I’m starving to death once my fat stores are depleted.

Seriously, I believe this is a case of never saying never. I’m a picky eater, so there are lots of foods I don’t eat. I’m mature enough to admit that I once refused to wash behind my ears, too, and look how far I’ve come since then … so, there’s a good chance that, with the proper motivation, I’d eat anything.

Yuck!

QUICK ANSWERS

Favorite place?
In my head.

Best christmas present?

Favorite book?

Favorite author?

Favorite smell?
The stench of defeat (on someone else, of course!)

Favorite series?

Nickname?
None (but sometimes random expletives … go figure!)

Favorite writing spot?
My home office.

Favorite movie?

Favorite dish?

Favorite color?
Blue

Favorite quote?
I don’t really have one. Of course, I’m as likely to spout out the same old clichés, platitudes, and verbal vomit as anyone else is, but none I’m truly invested in. I found Samuel Jackson’s line from “Snakes On A Plane” spiritually moving and believe the teachings of an alternative religion should be based on the lines of Ron Burgundy from “Anchorman”  … does that count?

A bunch of small gifts or one big expensive one?
A bunch of small gifts

Your best trait?
I’m perfectly capable of entertaining myself with my own humor.

Your worst trait?
I’m perfectly capable of entertaining myself with my own humor.

GIVEAWAY

The author is giving away a copy of the Væmpires to one winner.  

US residents will get the print copy and other International residents will get the e-copy of Væmpires.  

Enter through Rafflecopter below!

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