Sara: How would you describe The Vampire Shrink, for readers who haven’t heard of it before?
Lynda: Here’s how my USA publisher describes it:
A sizzlingly sexy urban fantasy sure to feed the hunger of ravenous, vampire-loving fans.
Kismet Knight, a brainy Denver-based psychologist with a stalled career and a nonexistent love life, is about to have her world rocked. Not only does her newest patient, Midnight, long to become a vampire, but the teenager insists that a coven of the undead hangs out at a local goth club. The always-rational Kismet dismisses Midnight's claims as the delusions of an attention-starved girl -- until bodies start turning up drained of blood and the hottest self-proclaimed vampire ever to walk the face of the earth enters her office.
What's real? What's not? As inexplicable events and romantic opportunities pile up, along with the corpses, Kismet finds herself in a whirlwind of passion, mystery, and danger. But this tough and funny heroine -- who doesn't do damsel in distress -- is about to turn the vampire-meets-girl convention on its head.
Sara: In three words, how would you describe you main characters?
Lynda: Cerebral, clever, quirky.
Sara: Do you have a favorite character to write? Is there a character that’s a bit harder than the rest to write?
Lynda: The main female character, Kismet Knight, is my favorite to write because she’s an idealized version of me. I can make up all sorts of exciting experiences for her that I’ll never have! So far, none of the characters in the series has been difficult to write. But Tempest Moon in my Undead in the City novella was challenging. She’d had such a hard life it was difficult to give emotions and depth to a character who has learned to be cold and cynical.
Sara: What sets The Vampire Shrink apart from the other vampire novels?
Lynda: I think it’s the fact (as my British editor says) that the story is both humorous and darkly bloody. My psychologist character behaves realistically, meaning she isn’t easily persuaded by the supernatural. I have had lots of clients in my private psychotherapy practice who claimed to be something I didn’t believe for a minute. No matter how many times they told me over months or years. So, as infuriating as it might be for a few readers who wanted Kismet to “believe” much faster, that’s just not how her mind works. But once she figures it out...
Sara: Can we look forward to a sequel? Are you working on any other projects?
Lynda: I just turned in the manuscript for the new book #2 in the series, Blood Therapy. It should come out in the Fall. The book that used to be #2 (formerly called Dark Harvest) will be re-titled, rewritten/expanded and will be a future book. I also hope to start a second series as soon as I win the lottery and can quit my day job!
Sara: If Kismet could work together with any Urban Fantasy hero or heroine, who would you want her to work with?
Lynda: I think Kismet would have a wonderful time counseling any of the warriors in J.R. Ward’s series, Charlaine Harris’s Sookie, or Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake. I also imagine she’d be professionally challenged by Death from Kalayna Price’s Alex Craft novels. What awesome psychotherapy sessions those would be!
Sara: Tell us a little about your writing process. Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Lynda: I’m a pantser! I wish I could plot because I suspect it would save me a ton of time, but that’s not my nature. I literally never know what’s going to show up on the page until I see it. I tend to write in spurts –- I write a half hour, check email, get up and go to the kitchen, stop to click through the TV channels, write another half hour, write a blog post, etc. You get the picture. Short attention span! But if I stick with it long enough, I finish whatever I’m working on.
Sara: What are your influences both in and out of Urban Fantasy?
Lynda: I was mostly influenced to begin with by Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the weird fiction of Tom Robbins and Anne Rice’s vampires. Now I read as much mystery/suspense (paranormal and psychological) as paranormals and urban fantasies, especially enjoying the work of Robert Crais, Jeff Lindsay and Stephen White. J.D. Robb’s “In Death” series is a major favorite. And my writing is heavily colored by listening to my clients’ stories.
Sara: What are you currently reading?
Lynda: I just read and enjoyed Darynda Jones’s three novels, the latest J.D. Robb, and am half way through Anne Rice’s The Wolf Gift.
Thanks for stopping by, Lynda! And here's some more information for anyone interested in The Vampire Shrink!
Title: The Vampire ShrinkAuthor: Lynda Hilburn
Series: Kismet Knight, Ph.D., Vampire Psychologist #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: 04/03/12
But the Book:
Summary:
A sizzlingly sexy urban fantasy sure to feed the hunger of ravenous, vampire-loving fans.
Kismet Knight, a brainy Denver-based psychologist with a stalled career and a nonexistent love life, is about to have her world rocked. Not only does her newest patient, Midnight, long to become a vampire, but the teenager insists that a coven of the undead hangs out at a local goth club. The always-rational Kismet dismisses Midnight's claims as the delusions of an attention-starved girl -- until bodies start turning up drained of blood and the hottest self-proclaimed vampire ever to walk the face of the earth enters her office.
What's real? What's not? As inexplicable events and romantic opportunities pile up, along with the corpses, Kismet finds herself in a whirlwind of passion, mystery, and danger. But this tough and funny heroine -- who doesn't do damsel in distress -- is about to turn the vampire-meets-girl convention on its head.
