Exclusive Interview with Gabrielle Faust!

Author Gabrielle Faust is not only making waves in the publication world, but is also well loved in the vampire community. How loved? Well,  in 2008 she was made the Guest of Honor of the “Queen of the Damned” Vampire Ball in New Orleans. In 2009 she was given the honor of returning as a Special Guest, alongside author Charlaine Harris, for the Endless Night Festival and was dubbed “New Orleans Vampire Royalty” at the Tru Blood & Gold vampire ball. She will return in 2010 to the Memnoch: The Resurrection vampire ball, as well as the New Orleans UnDeadCon, as one of the selected Special Author Guests. Impressive right? On top of that, her Eternal Vigilance series is getting mass amounts of praise. I was lucky enough to interview the lovely lady, check it out:

Can you tell us about your book Eternal Vigilance?

The Eternal Vigilance vampire series is the tale of Tynan Llywelyn, an ancient vampire who has has awoken after a long Sleept to find the world he once knew utterly obliterated by a brutal war of epic proportions. In a new apocalyptic society bitterly divided by magic and technology, the Tyst Empire has found that a hundred years of global domination is not enough to sate their thirst for power. They have discovered the secret of the vampire race and have designed a plan to seize their own sinister form of immortality with the help of an ancient vampiric god. The Phuree, a rebel uprising that has been engaged in a bloody war with the Tyst since the beginning of the new regime, have obtained the knowledge of Lord Cardone’s plans and have allied themselves with the remaining Immortal clan. The powerful Phuree oracle, Nahalo, has had a vision that in Tynan alone lies the power to defeat the vampiric god and the dictatorship. Cast in violence and conspiracy into the midst of a global war between magic and technology, mortals and vampires, in a new world he is still struggling to define, Tynan must make the harrowing decision to save the world he so bitterly detests or stand and watch as humanity is destroyed by a primordial evil beyond all imagining.

The first trilogy follows Tynan through the confrontation with the Tyst Empire and the reestablishing of his position both within the Immortal society, as well as that of the new world order where vampires and humans not only know of each other but must work together for survival. The third novel in the first trilogy, Bound in Blood, is currently slated for release in September. An exciting second trilogy of novels is also planned to be penned over the next few years so fans have quite a bit to look forward to!

What got you interested in writing about vampires?

I have my mother to thank for first opening my eyes to the world of the undead. As an avid horror fan, from a very early age she took me to every horror movie she could including Fright Night and Lost Boys in elementary school. When I was ten she gave me her treasured and heavily read copy of Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire. I was instantly enamored and quickly began reading every piece of vampire literature I could get my hands on. As for writing about vampires, I believe that was a natural evolution of my obsession as I had been in love with the craft of writing from the time I could hold a pencil. I wanted to take all of the historical, mythological and fictional information I had collected and devise my own interpretation of the genre. I wanted to write something that I, personally, I had not read previously…

What do you consider to be the key elements of a great vampire story?

For me what makes for a great story is one part atmosphere and one part historical accuracy. What I mean by “atmosphere” is the dark, deep, sensual aspect of the vampiric nature must be completely tangible to the reader; the reader should be drawn to the creature spoken of as if glamored in real life. They should feel a sense of danger, of unpredictability, even in the most subtle of situations. As for “historical accuracy” the vampire depicted in a tale should be completely believable. They are creatures of the centuries, sometimes millennia, and have detailed histories spanning hundreds of years. Each nuance of their character should reflect their individual experiences and their extensive travels. The back history for a vampire character should be as intricate and beautifully illustrated as the story of their current situation.

Ok, here’s a question I ask all authors I interview (I’m a music junkie): I’ve noticed that most of the authors I follow on Twitter talk about the music they’re currently writing to. What kind of setting/atmosphere do you find most conducive to your writing?

Most of my writing I do in silence to eliminate distractions. However, when I do listen to music while I’m writing it tends to be artists such as Johnette Napalitano, Peter Murphy, Anders Manga, Leonard Cohen, Hipnautica and the classical station on the radio.

How would you describe yourself in three words?

Adventurous. Creative. Determined.

If you had to choose between a vampire or a werewolf lover, which would you choose and why?

That is a tough decision, truly. A vampire is the master of seduction with centuries of practice in the bedroom. However, the werewolf, I would imagine, would be the kind of lover that would throw you over their shoulder, toss you on the bed, rip your clothes off and ravish you passionately, unleashing your inner beast. Would it be too much to ask for one lover from each supernatural species?

Who’s your favorite fictitious vampire (other than your own)?

I have quite a few favorites when it comes to fictional vampires, but I must admit that my heart belongs to the Brat Prince himself, Lestat. Such a brilliantly crafted vain sociopath he is and stunning beautiful at that! No matter how dastardly or cruel his actions might be, it is simply too easy to long for more.

If vampires were discovered to exist today, do you think our society would accept them or try to destroy them?

Unfortunately, though we would like to imagine ourselves as a modern society so enamored with the vampire that we would embrace them wholeheartedly, we must remember that, at the end of the night, they are still our predators. Just because they have been glamorized in literature and film does not erase the primal fear we have of being hunted, no matter how beautiful and seductive the predator might appear.

What is your opinion on the new popular vampire books/movies/shows such as Twilight or True Blood?

I am thrilled to see the media flooded with such a wide variety of vampire projects. The mythos is so diverse itself that it is interesting to see how various different artists, actors and authors have interpreted it. Personally, I tend to lean towards the sexier and more violent portrayals such as in the HBO series True Blood, which I feel are far more complex and interesting, as well as true to the mythos itself, than some of the more timidly presented concepts. Right now we are nearing the apex of the current social obsession with vampires and it appears sometimes that everyone is writing about them in order to capitalize on the profitability of the mainstream’s newfound zeal. I have yet to see a true dilution of the genre, though the media is so overly saturated that it is often a bit overwhelming, even for a life-long student of the vampire world.

And finally, what other projects are you currently working on? Any goodies we should watch out for?

I have quite a few projects I am working on at the moment I hope everyone will keep an eye out for this year, as well as next. The third installment of Eternal Vigilance, Bound in Blood, will debut in September from Immanion Press. I also have a new novella on demons, which will be released in the fall by Dark Regions Press entitled Regret. Michael Marano’s new collection of short stories, Stories From the Plague Years, for which I created the artwork for, is debuting in August from Cemetery Dance. It is a gorgeously dark collection and I am deeply honored to be a part of it. Director Anthony Brownrigg completed the screenplay adaptation for the first Eternal Vigilance movie last month so we are in the process of shopping it around to various studios. I am working on a new stand-alone vampire book, which I hope to have finished by the end of the year if all goes well. Other than that, the additional projects are still in the beginning stages so I cannot speak on them quite yet, but be sure to be on the look out for news soon! I am touring constantly throughout the year and will be making nationwide appearances in 2011 as well as part of my upcoming book tours. More information can be found on my website www.gabriellefaust.com as well as daily updates on Twitter @Gabrielle_Faust.

Thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to speak with the Vampires.com website! I am truly honored.

XOV’’’’VOX

Gabrielle Faust

– 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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