* Jacquelyn Frank: Author Override | UTC Reviews
* Skye Warren: Author Override
* Narrator Lorelei King: Interview
* Stephanie Tyler: Interview
* Carolyn Crane: Author Override | UTC Review
* J.T. Geissinger: Interview | UTC Review
* Men and Women of the Military Giveaway Hop
* Keri Arthur: Interview | UTC Reviews

Wednesday 22 February 2012

Interview and Giveaway with Colleen Gleason!

Hi Maidens! We got another great post for your today! We hope you are enjoying all the special features, interviews and guest posts we have been bringing you lately. Now without further ado, let's welcome our latest guest, Colleen Gleason to Under the Covers!


Thanks so much for being a part of A SCANDALOUS AFFAIR, Colleen! Let's get down to business, shall we? What made you choose to write about vampires? What is it about them that fascinates you?

Vampires are creatures of the night, sensual and mysterious. What’s not to be fascinated about?  My first series, though (the Gardella Vampire Chronicles) is about a more evil set of vampires. They aren’t redeemable, and they aren’t sympathetic. The series is more about the Venators who hunt them.

So when I wanted to write a new series about vampires, I wanted to look at them from a different perspective. Yet, as they are creatures of the night and since they must take from others in order to live, I knew they had to have a dark side, even though the Draculia are redeemable. Part of the pleasure of writing the Draculia was determining how and if a particular vampire was redeemable.

Have any books or authors inspired you?

Many! I’ve taken inspiration from many authors, most of whom don’t even write vampire or paranormal books. My inspiration comes from those who continue to write long-standing series without getting stale (J. D. Robb), who write deftly and with subtlety (Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters), and who write real, real people (Robyn Carr)….just to name a few.

If you had your choice to go back in time to any era, where would like to visit?


As long as I could come back  I’d like to visit the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II of England, as well as Paris in the 1890s.

Tell us 5 things that readers would be surprised to know about you.

1. I never read Dracula until four months ago and I’ve never read Twilight.
2. I have a geek crush on Gabriel Mann (Nolan from the TV show Revenge)…although anyone who follows me on Facebook would know that!
3. I’ve been to Tahiti but never to Hawaii.
4. The first book I wrote was a medieval historical romance (now published as A Whisper of Rosemary).
5. My favorite thing to drink is hot tea (green, white, or herbal).

Name 4 things you need in order to write a book.

1. A quiet place.
2. A sexy man in mind for the main hero.
3. A cup of hot tea.
4. My headphones and the soundtrack to the Harry Potter movies.
5. Many naps.

3 books have been released in your Regency Draculia series. Can you tell us a bit about how this series came to be?

 
I’d written the Gardella Vampire Chronicles, which, as I mentioned above, were more about the vampire hunters than the vampires themselves. Then my publisher suggested that I think about writing a series in which the vampires were sympathetic and heroic.

At that point, I had to rewire my brain to think about the undead in a different way. I had to rework the entire mythology I’d built in the Gardella books to make vampires—which I will always think of as dark, demonic creatures—somehow redeemable and compelling.

The idea of most of the vampires being men came to me first, and then I had to think about what sort of women would be worthy of these jaded, old, sometimes tortured men. That was how I came up with the idea of the Woodmore sisters and their special gifts. They had to be something special in order to capture the hearts of their vampire heroes.

Name 2 authors you'd like to collaborate with one day.


Jeaniene Frost and Robyn Carr.

What is your number 1 favourite scene from your Regency Draculia books?

The scene in The Vampire Dimitri when Maia rescues Dimitri from being tied up.

What is next for Colleen Gleason?

I’m working on a variety of different projects, but the one I’m most excited about right now is my new series to be launched in 2013. It’s a steampunk series for teens, set in an alternate Victorian London, starring Sherlock Holmes’s niece and Bram Stoker’s sister! I’m having a blast with it.

Updates and new releases are announced via my Facebook page  and through my newsletter (sign up at http://www.colleengleason.com).


Colleen is giving away winner's choice of her backlist (except Gardellas since they are out of print). US residents get print copy but ebooks are international.

To enter, please:
1. Be a follower
2. Fill out the form below

34 comments:

donnas said...

Great interview. I have really been wanting to read the Regency Draculia series.

SacredmOOn said...

Fabulous interview! I haven't read anything from this author yet. Your new work in progress sounds fantastic also. Who wouldn't love to read about Sherlock Holmes’s niece and Bram Stoker’s sister! That's a win win situation. :) Thank you for the chance to win! DeAnna Schultz

jfort357 said...

Awesome interview!!! Colleen, you're a new author to me & I can't wait to read your work!!! These books sound very intriguing!!! :-) Thanks for the chance to win!!!

Joanne said...

Thanks for the great interview. It was fun and informative. Your new WIP sounds interesting. Can't wait to read it. Thanks for the chance to win.

e.balinski(at)att(dot)net

erin said...

Thanks for the awesome interview and giveaway! This is a new to me author and I"m very interested in her work!

Rhonda D said...

What an awesome interview! The Gardella series is what hooked me on Vampires. Thank you so much Colleen for the giveaway and for writing such wonderful books!

Barbara said...

GREAT interview! Thanks for introducing me to a new author...nice to meet you, Colleen! Your books/series sound VERY interesting...I can't wait to read them! Thx for the giveaway op! :)

barbbattaglia @ yahoo.com

Shelley B said...

I've already readed the first two books. Love this author .

Shelley B said...

I've already readed the first two books. Love this author .

Dawn said...

I LOVE these covers! Thanks for introducing me to yet another author =)

Jessica @ a GREAT read said...

Nice! I loooved Colleen's Gardella Vampires series! Glad to see she has another vamp series out!

southerngirl said...

I'm looking forward to reading the books. I love the covers. They are gorgeous!

mcv said...

I enjoyed the Gardella series and your Joss Ware books are on my TBR list. I would love to win some of your books!
mcv111 @hotmail(dot)com

mcv said...

I enjoyed the Gardella series and your Joss Ware books are on my TBR list. I would love to win some of your books!
mcv111 @hotmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

Oh... These look really good. Awesome interview and thanks for the giveaway.

June M. said...

I have had this series on my wish list for a while. I love historicals and especially PNR with vampires so when I find a historical vampire series, I am in heaven, lol. Thank you so much for the chance to win a copy!

Barbara E. said...

I enjoyed reading the interview. The new steampunk teen series sounds very interesting, I'm looking forward to checking it out.

Linda said...

I was quite amused reading about the 4 things you need to write a book. Wouldn't mind helping you find lots of inspiration for the 2nd item! Now that would inspire me to do anything!

Renee said...

I love your old books and can't wait to read your new ones!

Maria D. said...

I love the idea of a Regency era Vampire series - the books sound great. I also like the upcoming steampunk books - though I'll be honest and say that I don't read much YA.

Thanks for the giveaway!

Timitra said...

Colleen you're in good company I read Dracula late last year for class...I'm a literature student btw.

Shelly said...

Great interview. Have not read this author but looking forward to checking out her books.

Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...

I adored Gleasons's Gardella Vampire books.

msmjb65 said...

Fun interview and books that are so right up my alley!
MJB
msmjb65 AT gmail DOT com

Julianne said...

Wow, the covers for the Regency Dracula are compelling. I am sooooo interested in learning more about the series. Thanks for sharing.
luvfuzzzeeefaces at yahoo dot com

Rachel V said...

Vampires are my favorite and they have been since i was 10 years old. I would love to read your Regency series. Thanks for the interview.

MeikkiBeibi said...

The covers look so yummy! I hope I win! ;D

Brenda Demko said...

Thank you for the post. I haven't heard of these before. I love finding new series to read!

Johanna R Jochum said...

I can't wait to read these books they have been on my wish list for awhile now. Thanks for a chance to win.

evjochum[AT]aol[DOT]com

ParanormalRomanceFan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ParanormalRomanceFan said...

Hello Colleen.

Thank you to Under the Covers for hosting Colleen Gleason & thank you Colleen for taking time out of your day to spend with Us, I really enjoyed your Interview! You're a new Author to me but I love paranormal, especially Vampires. When I saw your Regency Dracula Series, it sounds so intriguing that I have to read them.
I very much appreciate the opportunity to enter your giveaway. Thank You.
Take care & Have a Great Weekend,
PaParanormalFan (Renee’ S.)
paranormalromancefan@yahoo.com

rainie72 said...

These sound very interesting, have to get my hands on them.

SdyLion said...

I think your books sound just like something to keep me reading for severla days with all the exciting characters to get to know. I am a big fan of the vampire genre. sdylion(at)gmail(dot) com

Patricia said...

I was browsing this blog and came across your give away. I am a avid reader. I have a niece who was in a major car accident back in 1998 and they said she would never be able to do anything, well she proved them wrong she is still child like but I got her into reading since she hasn't any friends or a normal life anymore. She has chosen to read about paranormal and vampires, sorry I am babbling. I would like to enter the drawing to see if I can win and surprise her.

Thank you.
Patricia Perez

pperez32@austin.rr.com