Vampire Week Author Interview with Jane Leopold Quinn
Thanks, Kate, for having me here today. I wasn’t sure where my interest in vampires came from, but I’ll take a big bet that Frank Langella had a hand in it. Following the interview is the blurb and an R-rated excerpt from Love Awakens, an Erotic Vampire Romance.
What makes vampires compelling?
Vamps are compelling to me because of their vulnerability. Of course, they can be brutal killers, but in the centuries they’ve been “alive” they can never be totally free.
What is your favorite vampire book or short story?
A few years ago, I became a huge fan of Laurell K. Hamilton’s vampire hunter series about Anita, Jean-Claude, and Richard. Although the books are mostly about vampires, I lusted after Richard. Besides being a major hunk, he was conflicted about his werewolf life, and I was drawn to that.
I also read many of Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series books. Bill was a favorite of mine. And Eric was amazing, especially after I saw him in the buff on the TV show. 😉 I ended up not watching more than the first season of the TV series because it was actually too dark and violent for me. I felt it was more violent than the books were. But boy did I love the theme song. Bad Things by Jace Everett. That voice growling that song is almost as hot as Eric’s buffness. Maybe more hot since I can hear the song any time, but alas Eric is lost to me.
Would you tell us about your latest vampire story?
I’m not usually a vampire author. My book, Love Awakens, began as talk about stories written with a group of authors. The anthology didn’t come about, but I still loved my characters. I kind of threw out all the stops on this book. The main story is male/female, both vampires. The female, Pamela Manley, is a Chicago police detective and an ancient vampire. The male, Stephen Armsbury, is a Chicago trial lawyer and a much younger vampire than Pamela. Cops and lawyers are natural enemies and Pamela and Stephen are no exception. Except that Stephen has the hots for Pamela, and he doesn’t know she’s the oldest undead in town. Pam doesn’t want to accept that she is attracted to Stephen too but intends to keep her secret as long as she can. Her appearance and the sexy shenanigans at a vampire council meeting finally show Stephen the truth about her. This vampire council meeting is where the book really becomes hot. It features orgies, and multiple partners, male/male, and female/female pairings. Stephen and Pamela, though, stick to each other, but they’ve both had long, long vampire lives. Oh yes, there’s also a young rebel vampire who just wants to do what he wants to do. Even the council has trouble controlling him. I’ve written in several characters who are ripe for their own stories: Hugo, Damian and Veronica, and Riccardo, the rebel.
Do your characters enjoy being vampires?
My vampires have jobs, mortal jobs. Stephen is an attorney, Pamela is a cop. He revels in his vampirism and uses his powers at every opportunity. Pamela has been a vamp for almost 400 years, twice as long as Stephen. She’s desperately tired of it and rarely uses her powers even though she has them. For a couple of centuries, Pam has had: “A belief in law and order and bringing bad guys to justice steered her into the Pinkertons in 1885, then into the FBI’s investigations of Nazi spies in 1942. Finally she’d worked various police departments around the U.S. and had now attained detective rank in the Chicago Police Department.” So, Pam is conflicted about being a vampire and sometimes wishes she was mortal. Falling in love with another vampire wasn’t in her plans, but Stephen is worth it.
Who is your favorite screen vampire?
Frank Langella in the 1979 movie, Dracula, is the most sensual, amazing vampire for me. A year after someone very special to me died, I went to this movie on a date, don’t recall that man’s name or face at all. I certainly didn’t expect a vampire movie to affect me the way it did. There was a scene where Langella dragged a sharp fingernail across his chest to draw blood for Lucy. For some reason that act of love, the way he provided his own blood, got to me. Obviously, I’ve never forgotten that scene. I wanted my vampires to love like that. Love each other above all others.
Blurb
“This book has everything you’d want in an erotic romance.
M/F, M/M, F/F, multiple partners, slight BDSM.
There’s something for everyone.”
Weary of her vampire existence, Detective Pamela Manley laser-focuses on her job as a police officer. Life is perfect until a certain handsome lawyer crosses her in court. What he doesn’t know is that she’s centuries older than he is, and she intends to control him.
Defense lawyer Stephen Armsbury is hot for the beautiful cop. After an evening of food and intimate kisses, he plans to get her into his bed ASAP. Furious when he discovers she’s also a vamp, not to mention older and more powerful, he must discover why she shields her powers from him.
Hot-to-the-touch vampire elders and one lusty vamp rebel meddle in their growing relationship. Will Pamela reconcile herself with her undead status? Can Stephen win the love of his bewitching cop?
Can you guess what the answer to those questions is?
The following excerpt from Love Awakens is for readers 18 and over.
His sire was such a beautiful man, and watching him in his sexual activities was always arousing. Damian slid an arm around Stephen’s waist, obviously turned on by what was happening around them. He turned, thrust fierce fingers through Damian’s raven hair, cupped his head, and met his kiss with his own assault.
“I love watching Hugo,” Damian admitted, releasing Stephen’s lips.
Through lust-narrowed eyes, they followed Hugo’s actions. He’d shoved up the fringed skirt and put his mouth at the apex of her thighs. The other female helped lower her to a chaise and sucked at the flapper’s nipples as eagerly as Hugo ate her nether lips.
Damian backed Stephen to a pillar, knelt, and opened the fastenings of his breeches. Forgetting his sire, he needed all his focus on his king. His face tautened with fervent excitement, his knees stiffening to hold himself up.
His cock sprung free as if eager for a masterful blow job. Which, if he recalled Damian’s sexual abilities correctly, it very definitely would be. Then he shuddered. Damian’s mouth, hot and wet, surrounded his shaft, one hand braced on his thigh and the other cupping his balls. The king knew exactly how he liked it.
Stephen slid his fingers through Damian’s hair, clutched the strands, knowing by the rapid movements and loud slurping that the sharp tugs aroused the king.
“Yes,” crooned Stephen when Damian scored his sensitive cock with extended fangs. His hips flexed and thrust into Dame’s mouth. He felt his anus release and contract wanting his breeches ripped down and Hugo’s cock, or any cock for that matter, rammed in for a hard, furious, and thorough fucking. But all he could do now was pump into Damian’s face and enjoy. Damian, not neglecting anal play, slid his palm around to stroke Stephen’s ass and grind his fingers into the crack through the satin breeches. His king did not forget the good parts.
Heat blasted through him, his thighs quivered, ass clenched, and Damian completely swallowed his ejaculation, the sensation of his throat massaging the tip of his cock unbelievably pleasurable. Stephen closed his eyes, his head tipped back on the column, and he released a long, low growl of pure satisfaction. Slowly, eyes still closed, he regained his senses and listened to the music of the instruments on the dais accompanying the music of the sexual energy in the ballroom. Even though he’d just been the recipient of one of Dame’s amazing hummers—Stephen loved that word—the surrounding moans and shrieks aroused him again. Damian was good, but Pamela Manley was his goal.
He cranked open his eyes when he felt soft, female lips on his. Veronica. Hm. She ate at his mouth, thrusting in her tongue like it was a little cock. Watching Dame suck a man’s cock got her horny, and she usually joined the action.
Love Awakens is available here – http://amzn.com/B00PKNEPSA
About Jane
Sensual fantasies were locked in my mind for years until a friend said, “Why don’t you write them down?” Why not, indeed? One spiral notebook, a pen and the unleashing of my imagination later, and here I am with more than a dozen books published. The craft of writing erotic romance has become my passion and my niche in life. I love every part of the creative process — developing characters, designing the plot, even drawing the layout of physical spaces from my stories. My careers have been varied — third grade school teacher, bookkeeper, secretary — none of which gave me a bit of inspiration. But now I’m lucky enough to write romance full time — the best job in the universe!
My Books
Indie
Historical
Smokin’ Hot Mini Tales of the Olde West
Contemporary
Love Awakens—Erotic Vampire Romance
Scorching Mini Tales—Educating Eris and My Parisian Sabbatical
Siren
Thanks, Kate! Especially this week before Halloween, Vampire week is perfect.
I also loved the original Frank Langella version of Dracula. And we’ve read some of the same books. 🙂 Sounds like a winning book. All the best with it!!
Thanks, Melissa. I guess I enjoy vampires more than I thought even though I said I don’t usually read them. Maybe it’s time to dig into the stories of my secondary characters.
Thank you for reading, G.D. In some of these scenes, I sometimes surprise myself!
I too enjoy the tragic hero aspect of vampires, or I should say, tragic anti-hero. I remember reading a partial draft of this story and very much enjoying that little bit. Hot and steamy and terrific by-play with the vampires. Looking forward to the whole tale! Best luck, Jane. 🙂