Behind The Books – An Interview with Lynsay Sands + A Signed Book Giveaway!

You guys!!! Look who we have with us today. Eeeeeeeep! I’m so excited!!! *happy wiggle*

This author’s Argeneau series made one of my top ten lists and I am such a HUGE fan of Lynsay Sands and her super-steamy, super-funny vampires. Er… I mean “immortals”. 😉 The Argeneaus (and their crew) don’t really like to be called vampires. But you know… If they’re immortal like a vampire and feed like a vampire…. *looks around discreetly and whispers* vaaammmpiiiires… *giggle*

But I LOVE these guys and they feel like family to me. This series is one of my “firsts” in my initial reading frenzy and start of my blog (I just couldn’t get enough of ’em). And it’s true. They are not like our “usual” vampires. Okay a few of ’em have that ancient vampire-y tendency, but for the most part, they are modern, fun, and can be so very very human! Some of ’em even love human food and when you throw actual humans in the mix, you’ll be laughing like crazy!

Thank you so much, Lynsay for being here today. *hug* Congratulations on your upcoming book release (Immortal Ever After: An Argeneau Novel). It’ll be just a few days more, and Anders will get his moment!!

Maryse: Wow! Canadian vampires!! Who knew? I’m from there and had I known they existed… I would have certainly looked harder. 😉 I love your version, and the science behind your vampires (or “immortals”) such as the Argeneaus. Awesome ancient technology! Very logical in it’s “out there” way. Can you tell me about your inspiration?

Lynsay: You hit the nail on the head with the comment about logical.  I have a very logical mind and found I was having trouble envisioning the traditional vampire as a romantic hero. Dead and soulless just didn’t sound attractive. So to write vamps I had to come up with an alternate source for their existence. Necessity is the mother of invention and all that. I looked around at what was possible and bio-engineered nanos that used blood as a propellant and to perform the necessary repairs to the body seemed the most viable answer. But I wanted my vamps older and that’s where Atlantis came into play since it’s legendary for being advanced technologically. I combined it all and then added that when Atlantis fell, the nanos evolved their hosts to have fangs and be stronger and faster to be better predators and get the extra blood they needed (nanos use more blood than a mortal body can produce to do their work.) It all just kind of came together for me.

Maryse: Perfectly!!! And to top it all off, these books are so romantically intense (and at times, heartrending) but best of all, these are laugh-out-loud funny. I have snorted in public while reading them, (case in point: Lucern’s adorable grumpiness). His surly reactions are a riot, and his experiencing “life” (and conceding) through Kate’s insistence made him so real to me. The writing is just so witty that you can’t help but love him like crazy (and all of them, for that matter). I know this is probably a long shot as I’m sure each of your characters holds a special place in your heart, but do you have favorite book in your “immortals” repertoire? How about a favorite character or two?

Lynsay: Single White Vampire will always be one of my favorites as it was the first Argeneau that they published. Other than that I would have to say Under a Vampire Moon because I had a hoot writing it. 

As for my favorite characters… those would be Lucian and Marguerite.  I have a soft spot for crusty, marshmallowy Argeneau men.  And Marguerite really is the backbone of the family, not to mention their own private cupid.

Maryse: I love Marguerite and her “mate matching” assistance (and especially how they’ve stopped arguing with her about it). She’s always right. LOL! Okay maybe this one will be easier to answer. Any favorite memories looking back, writing the Argeneau’s and the Rogue hunters? Any character surprises and/or twists along the way that you didn’t see coming? Any of them make you cry, or grin like mad at how clever or funny they were?

Lynsay: My characters are always surprising me. I intend to write the story one way and the characters just kind of do their own thing…but that’s how I know I’m getting it right. The characters take on a life of their own.  I guess the most surprising twist lately is what happens at the end of Immortal Ever After, however I can’t talk about that without giving away too much.  The next one that comes to mind that I can talk about without giving away a story would have been when Captain Jack, who really liked Caro at this point, decided to deposit her on Christian’s front doorstep because he could tell she really wanted to be with him. As for crying and chuckling, I burst out laughing all the time at their antics, and have occasionally teared up too. Little Livy really tugged at my heartstrings.  The girl was a sweetie and in such painful, dire circumstances.

Maryse: I love that you’re as emotional about these characters as we are! Let’s talk Bricker. Now that my other crushes have paired up (Thomas and Bastien to name a few), I am now crushing profusely on Bricker (as I’m sure MANY of your fans are). He is so modern, sweet, and amusingly cocky. So… when will he be getting his own book? Or will you be teasing us with him for a long time to come? I’m good with either as his frequent appearances in the series help intensify my crush.

Lynsay: LOL… Sorry but I still can’t say when he’ll get a story.  The problem is that once an immortal finds a mate they end up disappearing for a few months and I still have work for Bricker to do. Besides as immortals go he’s young yet so can handle a little wait.

Maryse: That’s true… he is still eating human food after all. Well then it’s settled. I will continue to intensify my crush on him with each installment. Lucky me!! 😉 Tell us a bit more about Anders from your most recent “Immortal Ever After“. What was it like to write his story, and how do you feel now that it’s done? Do you miss your characters after spending so much time with them, or do they inspire a whole new story that you’re anxious to get to? Any that you still reminisce about?

Lynsay: Anders has always been a bit of an enigma.   He’s a 600-year-old vampire that’s worked for Lucian for many years and we barely know anything about him.  Anders has a story to tell and I’m happy he finally gets his chance to tell it. Actually, it was a pretty interesting history too, so I enjoyed hearing it.  

I never miss characters after their story has been told because they continue to pop up now and then in future stories to either help out or tell us what they’ve been up to. They’re never gone completely. 

Maryse: Do you have a dream cast for your characters? Any in particular that look like a specific star? I know that Mortimer looks like David Beckham. Who else? For example, who does Bricker look like? *grins*

Lynsay: I have thought about this quite a bit as I tend to get asked this question fairly frequently… I’m sorry but none come to mind. The problem is that all my characters are born out of my head and are not fashioned after anyone in particular. It’s a real problem with covers because the models never look like the people in my head…hence the reason their heads are often cut off or darkened or turned away, lol.  I get the images and my shoulders droop, and I sigh and say, that isn’t him/her/them…. “Off with their heads!”  Just call me the queen of hearts, lol.

Maryse: LOL!!! Off with their heads!! Eeeep! They’re “immortals” but not that immortal. Glad they get to keep their heads in the books. 😉 But I completely understand what you’re saying. Are there any of these funny moments (or serious ones, too) that were inspired by real life events? How about certain characters?

Lynsay: All the time!  Every book has something or many somethings that really happened in real life.  For example, in The Rogue Hunter when the sisters almost fell off the dock, and then when Sam was running behind Alex waving around a flyswatter and dish towel to get rid of the deer flies that were swarming her head, and the scene when Sam gets covered in leeches after making out with Mortimer. All of those actually took place and weren’t all that was real life transplanted to fiction. And that was just one book!  

As for whether my characters are based on real people… every character I write has some attributes from friends and family members, but I never base my characters solely on one person.  I also name characters after friends and relatives, but never with their true personality.

Maryse: Ohhh yes… the leech scene. *shudders* Any fun or funny reader reactions you’d like to share?

Lynsay: I have had readers come up and reiterate large parts of my own stories back to me because they’re so excited.  It’s very sweet and funny because… Well, I know what happens in them. LOL

I’ve also had readers come up and want me to sign their clothing, which is still a little surprising. 

And at one conference I had a lady come up and burst into tears three separate times before she could calm herself enough to explain why and actually speak. That one wasn’t funny at the time, but it was very touching and in retrospect makes me smile because every time she burst into tears, I’d hug her and get teary eyed too even though I didn’t know why we were crying…yeah, I’m a bit of a sap.

Maryse: I love it!! What do we have to look forward to in the Argeneau’s future? Any sudden inspirations or new character developments?

Lynsay: The next book in the Argeneau series will be called One Lucky Vampire and it’s about Stephano Notte, the mortal that was turned by Vincent after he was fatally wounded in A Bite to Remember.  Other than that I’m working on another story about a gal who forgets something at work, goes back to get it at night, and stumbles across a couple of rogue hunters which changes her life forever…Oh, I should mention she works in the office of a cemetery.

Maryse: I can’t wait to read both of those! I love when humans are thrown in the vampire mix. Their reactions never get old, for me.

Any favorite books that you’d like to recommend?

Lynsay: I’ve enjoyed reading Dean Koontz (especially his older work), Terri Garey, J.F.Lewis (author of Staked and Revamped)  and lately I’ve picked up a few books by Molly Harper of the Nice Girls Don’t series that were quite funny. 

Maryse: Oh I love Terri Garey (and of course Dean!!), and am very excited to check out your other suggestions. That was so much fun, Lynsay, and I’m so excited to have chatted with you today!!

Lynsay: Thank you for having me!