Aloha to Kerrelyn Sparks and VAMPIRE MINE

Good morning!  Blogger is tempermental today ... it is only allowing me to leave comments as anonymous.  If you encounter any problems, send your comment to sos.aloha@yahoo.com

I've been eating a lot of garlic lately.  I like the taste ... and perhaps I was subconsciously preparing for today' guest.  Please join me in welcoming paranormal author Kerrelyn Sparks! 

Kim:  You are an author new to me. I loved reading Vampire World! Your cast of characters have strong Scottish ties with a few other European countries sprinkled into the mix.  Do your characters reflect your ancestral roots? In your world, how did Vampires come to be in Scotland?

Kerrelyn:  Thank you, Kim! Yes, I have some Scottish ancestors who resettled in the American colonies in the late 1600’s. I have always been attracted to anything Scottish, and when I traveled to Scotland, I had an overwhelming sense of homecoming.

Many of the good Vamps in the Love at Stake series were transformed on battlefields where they were mortally wounded. When given a chance to continue fighting evil, they chose to fight and became vampire warriors. Unfortunately, all too often, there was a ready supply of good Scotsmen dying in battle. And so, I ended up with some Scottish vampires in kilts.

I’ve also tried to spread the fun around. I have were-panthers from Brazil, were-tigers from Thailand, werewolves from Wyoming, and a were-bear from Alaska. I have vampires from as far away as Russia, China, and Japan, and them some closer to home, like Louisiana, Texas, California, and the Bronx.

Kim:  You wrote in your bio, "She lives in the Greater Houston area with her husband, children, and a house full of garlic. So far, there are no vampires in her family. Werewolves are another matter entirely." Do you use any garlic to cook? What does a vampire creator like to cook, eat, read, and watch on TV?

Kerrelyn:  As a matter of fact, I put a little garlic in just about everything I cook, except desserts! I have an addiction to cookbooks. I love pouring over recipes and trying new things. I also love to read. I read a lot of romance (contemporary, paranormal, and historical), but I also branch out to other genres like Young Adult, horror, suspense/thrillers, and fantasy. I try to avoid reading or watching other vampire stories because I don’t want to subconsciously influence myself in any way. I love romantic comedies and historical dramas like The Tudors or The Borgias. I also enjoy fun shows like America’s Best Dance Crew and So You Think You Can Dance.

Kim:  Can you give us a quick peek into your next book, Sexiest Vampire Alive?

Kerrelyn:  SEXIST VAMPIRE ALIVE will go on sale September 27th, 2011. Gregori Holstein is the playboy of the vampire world, so it was great fun watching him fall helplessly in love. At the end of the last book, VAMPIRE MINE, a video was released to the public that proved the existence of vampires. So at the beginning of SEXIEST VAMPIRE ALIVE, the Vamps are in damage control, trying to convince the public that the video is a hoax. They appeal to the U.S. government for help and select an emissary to represent them. This emissary needs to be a young Vamp, someone who understands the modern world and modern technology, someone who has never bitten a human for food, someone who has been completely bottle-fed so he’ll appear safe and harmless. Their choice is Gregori.

And so the future of the vampire world rests on the shoulders of Gregori. Can he keep them safe and protected, or will he doom them all by succumbing to his playboy ways?

Mahalo, Kerrelyn, for joining us at SOS Aloha!   Given your love of vamps, dancing, and cooking, perhaps we could pitch a reality show called THE LAST VAMP STANDING - as each vampire is eliminated from the competition, he/she has to cook for Donald Trump, Simon Cowell, and Piers Morgan!

 

 
We are giving away two copies of VAMPIRE MINE - one for US readers from Kerrelyn and one for International readers from me:
 
Nothing on earth can make this vampire fall in love…
 
After 499 years of existence, Connor Buchanan has arrived at an inescapable conclusion: he is a cold-hearted SOB. He’s been watching his friends—those poor romantic fools—plummet off the cliff into love like a dazed herd of sheep. But not Connor. He knows that love leads to nothing by heartache.
 
Until Marielle…
 
She is an angel cast down from heaven for disobedience. Trapped in mortal form, she finds a protector in Connor, a Scottish vampire haunted by a dark past. Marielle hopes to heal his broken heart and earn her way back home, but suddenly she has these…feelings. This strange yet pleasant physical yearning—for a vampire! Is this the work of a demon luring her into hell, or has this angel found heavenly bliss?

    
To enter the giveaway, 
 
1.  Leave a comment about warriors vampires, dancing, cooking, and, of course, Scotland!
 
2.  This contest is open to all readers. 
 
3.  Comments are open through Saturday, May 28, 10 pm in Hawaii (when the Vampires come out to party on Waikiki Beach).  I'll announce the winner on Sunday, May 29.
 
Mahalo,
 
Kim in Hawaii

Can't get enough of Kerrelyn?  Join her on 25th of each month (including tomorrow) at Supernatural Underground - she's in good company with other fabulous paranormal authors!   Plus check out her upcoming appearances at this link.

 
Kerrelyn wrote, "I have were-panthers from Brazil, were-tigers from Thailand, werewolves from Wyoming, and a were-bear from Alaska."  So I suggest to her .... were-sharks!   From Sacred Destinations
 
For 150,000 years the island of Hawaii has harbored a secret. Near Makua on Oahu, the volcanic rock was eroded by the sea to form a cave out of a giant lava tube. This is where the local people believe mankind was born, emerging from the womb of the earth goddess. They called the cave Kaneana, after the god of creation, Kane.
 
Legend has it that the Shark-man Nanaue (also called Kaneana and Makua Charlie) later reigned from this cave. Like all fine myths, the story of the Hawaiian Shark-man includes drama, camaraderie, and a respectable amount of bloody murder.
 
Born from a Shark father (the shape-shifter Kamohoali’i) and a human mother, it was only when Nanaue first experienced the taste of meat that his carnivorous heritage led to incontrollable bloodlust. He would assume human form to trick his prey, then drag them back to the cave for dinner. Fortunately, he was eventually chopped up by the Hawaiian people. The cave was also home to both a powerful shark goddess and Madame Pele (the volcano Goddess with a fiery temper).

On Sunday, my family drove out along Farrington Highway to see Oahu's west coast.  We stopped by the Hale O Lono Heiau (House of Lono temple) and followed the road to Yokohama Bay.  When we turned around, we could see the Makua Cave etched into the volcanic mountains.  



Hale O Lono Heiau



Makua Cave


For your reading pleasure, check out my other post today:
- Link to Pamela Hearon and HIS HOTNESS at SOS Aloha
- Link to Dancing with the Stars at the Reading Reviewer