Exclusive Interview with Award-Winning Author Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc

Andrea Dean Van Scoyoc is a multiple-time bestseller and award winning author best known for her horrifying and eerie storytelling. Most importantly, she’s an author that has written many tasty treats for vampire fans to feast their eyes on, such as the novels A Man of Two Worlds, Fallen From Shadow Found in Grace, Sundown: A Vampire’s Reprieve, and most recently, Dante’s Diary. I was lucky enough to chat with Andrea on the inspiration behind her writing, what she has planned for her readers and much more, check it out.

Can you tell us about your vampire novels?
Oh let’s see how I can do this without sounding pretentious or boring…

Vampires have been done to death. Now how’s that for an opening statement? When I wrote my very first Vampire story, over five years ago, hardly anyone was writing Vampires. I mean, yeah, you had the big names in the industry, but little guppies like me? Nope…there were few of us to be found. Now everybody and their brother are writing Vampires and it’s like, really?

So…has this always been a secret desire of yours or are you just jumping on the bandwagon?
I genre-hop (I simply can’t, for the unlife of me, figure out why people would intentionally paint themselves into a corner by choosing just one creature to write about) so while the surge of the undead fad has been rising, I’ve been doing what I always do…write what I wish.

I just happen to write Vampires too and always have. I guess in true Vampire fashion, I’ve been lurking all these years.

With that said; if you want something different…not teeny bopper, faddish but out of the norm, then you’ll want to read MY Vampires.

I’ll warn you though, if you’re an English lit snob who feels that the only books worth reading are that vanilla cookie-cutter, formulaic paper already drowning the market, then you’ll want to steer clear. I write realistically, meaning that my grammar ‘aint perfect (ha ha) and I am a proud hillbilly/Southerner and write like I speak.

Snobs beware! Down-to-earth readers who love a good story written in everyday English…then you can join my legions of fans who love my work just for that reason.

In fact, that’s what I hear most often, “I love your books because they AREN’T written like everything else on the market today. I get so tired of reading a manual! THANK YOU!”

That right there, is all I need to hear. ;)

How do your vampire books differ from other novels about vampires?
This is always a hard one for me to answer. I have already mentioned the stereotypical formula ick that has flooded the market in recent years.

My Vamps are not complex, they’re more…human almost. They live, they love, every night is NOT a party, they aren’t dark and mysterious (well, some of them are but not in a clichéd way) and if you were to run into one of them, you’d think you were talking to a human.

My Vamps don’t always hate humans and they aren’t always involved in politics, corporations, etc.

They simply want to live, love, have friends and though their pasts are where I hook my readers, their present and futures have been known to engross my fans as well.

If you read my books, you’ll see what I mean.

What inspired you to write about vampires?
As I said, I genre-hope…if it’s not Horror, it’s the Occult and Paranormal. I even write kid’s books and Gothic fiction.

I have always written Vampires in there, tucked in amongst all the rotting corpses, pirates, cemeteries and wind-swept cliffs of my more dramatic works.

I write what I like (NOT what trends dictate I should write) and I think that’s why my readers also love me so much.

That’s who I listen to…is me and them. After all, does anyone else really matter except the people who are buying your works?

What is one thing you would like people to take away from their experience of reading your books?
To be honest? This is going to sound crazy, but the best thing I can ever hear from any of my readers is, “Thanks for giving us something to read, besides the same old story, just re-told with different names and locations.”

I also like to hear that readers couldn’t put down my books. I have been called ‘one of the most masterful storytellers of the generation.’

I just hope I truly do live up to that moniker!

Who’s your favorite fictitious vampire (other than your own)?
Nicholas Knight from Forever Knight. :)

What is your favorite vampire book/movie/show?
The many years now, defunct, Forever Knight. That was one show I could never get enough of. The writing, the storylines, everything was simply brilliant and it was FAR underrated for its time. I have seasons 1 and 2 on video and am going to get season 3 at some point. Season 1 was picked up for me by a fan who gave it to me, I found season 2 myself (at Wal-Mart of all places!) and now I just need to order season 3. I think Amazon has it.

I also feel the same way about the 1990 version of Dark Shadows. What a masterpiece! Ben Cross was one awesome Barnabus Collins!

If vampires were discovered to exist today, do you think our society would accept them or try to destroy them?
I’d say destroy them. People tend to fear what they don’t understand or if the “fairytale” isn’t what they thought it would be.

Vampires have been romanticized (I’m guilty of it too. Who doesn’t love a sexy, hot male, Vampire? Or a beautiful and sultry female, Vampire?) to the point that people would expect them to be a certain way.

If they’re not, people will be unhappy.

Tell our readers why they should check out your book – in 3 words: (bwahaha)
Expect the unexpected (ha!)

And finally, what other projects are you currently working on? Any goodies we should watch out for?
I have recently finished up the sequel to my Vampire story Dante’s Diary. I don’t normally write sequels, but the publisher asked me to. It’s called The Lost Memories of Ivana Morriander – A Vampire’s Journal. Expect it sometime next year, as Dante’s Diary was just released a few months ago.

I also have three of my short stories being made into a full length motion picture, by Westerfield Studios, have some upcoming appearances (and am hoping for many more bookings at conventions and events) am managing my new topsite,  Solemn Immortality, for exposure for all Vampire and Gothic type websites, am in business negotiations with someone for a partnership for some Vampire related merchandise and much more, and am getting ready to send to print, the October issue of my magazine, Twisted Dreams.

Find Andrea here:
Official website
Facebook
Twitter

– Moonlight

By Moonlight

Moonlight (aka Amanda) loves to write about, read about and learn about everything pertaining to vampires. You will most likely find her huddled over a book of vampire folklore with coffee in hand. Touch her coffee and she may bite you (and not in the fun way).

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