Blog Tour - Vampires in America with DB Reynolds

DB Reynolds is the author of one of my favorite series of books called Vampires in America.

Here is the description of the series in her own words:

"The series is urban fantasy, set in a world where vampires exist right along with the rest of us. They don’t sleep in coffins and they don’t avoid mirrors. But they do drink blood and live a very long time, and that gives them a completely different perspective on life and living. Most of my heroes are handsome, because, let’s face it, no woman really wants Nosferatu sucking on her neck. Some of my heroines are beautiful, some aren’t, but they’re all strong and resilient, and they’ve all been through enough life to realize that in the end, you have to take care of yourself, not wait for that knight on the white charger to ride to the rescue. There is passion and romance in my books, but there’s also murder and conspiracy, loyalty and betrayal. There’s a crime to be solved and a mystery to uncover."

The first book I read and reviewed in the series was Raphael and I was hooked from the very first page. Take one super strong and smart P.I. named Cynthia and add a dangerous and powerful vamp named Raphael and mix in a bit of mystery and romance and you've got one heck of a story.

You can purchase Raphael here:

Amazon - Barnes & Noble

Today I am super excited to share with you all an interview with DB. She was kind enough to answer this fan girl's questions so I could learn a little more about one of my favorite authors and you could too.

At what age did you start writing stories?

I wrote my first stories in high school. I was part of an experimental writing program. Yes, that’s right, I was an official lab rat.

Where do you do most of your writing? Do you have a space that inspires you?

I have a great home office, but I write in the middle of the night, so I do most of my writing on my laptop in the comfy chair in our living room, with Buffy on the TV on mute. I’ve gone through the entire series multiple times, which is the great part of it. I can glance up and know everything that’s happening without hearing a word. Buffy and the gang keep me company.

Were you always drawn to writing about the paranormal?

The first stories I wrote were high fantasy, sword and sorcery stuff, which is only a short step away from paranormal. They’re both about magic and magical creatures.

What draws you to write about the paranormal?

I like the freedom it gives me to create any characters or situations I want. Plus, it’s what I enjoy reading the most, and it’s always best to write what you love.

Why vampires?

I was really dismayed by the direction vampire literature was taking. Vampires were being turned into sensitive, tormented creatures who hated what they were and especially hated the need to drink human blood, or didn’t drink blood at all. I wanted to return to traditional vampires with blood lust and violence and aggression.

Do you already have a complete vision for the Vampires in America series or is it more of a book by book process?

When I started I had a vision for the first eight books, that is, the eight North American vampire lords. And initially I thought if the books did well, I’d move on to Vampires in Europe. But as the series progressed, I decided on a different route for the European vampires, which I’ve already introduced in the books.

When you began to write Raphael did you already have Cynthia envisioned for him? Is it the same for the rest of the Lords and their mates? Do you know them in advance or do they come to you while writing the stories?

I have the couple set before I start writing a new book, because I always do a fairly extensive outline that includes back stories for all of that book’s major characters.

What do you love to read about? Do you have a favorite book?

I read across several genres, although I do have favorites. I read a lot of urban fantasy/paranormal romance, as well as contemporary romance, but I also read have several favorite authors who write straight thriller/mysteries. As for a favorite book, I don’t have one, I have several. There’s a folder on my Kindle (and also a shelf in my office) that’s reserved for all of my favorite books.

What are some of your favorite authors? 

For urban fantasy and paranormal romance, my favorites include Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews, Jennifer Ashley and Rob Thurman. Contemporary romance would be Kristen Ashley, Jill Shalvis, Linda Howard and Gwen Hunter’s Rhea Lynch, MD books. Thriller/mystery authors that I never miss are John Sandford, Mark Greaney, John Gilstrap, and the late Vince Flynn.

What are you reading right now?

I’ve been trying new authors lately. I just read a terrific book called Still Missing by Chevy Stevens, and right now I’m reading some books from Kristan Higgins’ backlist.

Thank you to DB for taking time to visit and answer some questions. She's going to be touring a few other blogs this week as well which you can find listed HERE.

You can connect with her online here:

Website - Facebook - Twitter