One night she tried to deter me from coming down to visit her by mentioning there were a couple of hunky Weres guarding her bed during the day while she slept. Alrightyyyyy! You know me. Love those shifters! Ever since then I’ve been wondering how well those yummy guys know how to use their “tools.” *licks my naughty lips*

Jackie Hussein is one of our buds on Twitter. She also has a book review blog called “Insane Hussein.” Believe it or not, Jackie and I share the same birthday. Totally cool! Jackie often joins in on the conversations I have with Spicy as I try to loosen that vamp up and talk her into heading out to Vegas with me to party with some hunky strippers.

Anyway, Jackie did an interview with me that ran last week on her blog, and it gave me an idea. I’ve been getting such a great response from everyone about my naughty interviews and memes that I thought it might be fun to do one with YOU.

No, I’m not kidding.

Are there questions (the naughtier the better) you would like to ask me that haven’t been asked before in any of these interviews and memes? If so, post them in the comments after this interview, and I’ll answer all of them in my Wednesday blog post next week.

Dontcha love it? This is your chance to ask the SexWitch anything you’ve been wondering about my personal or professional life. That’s right. Ask away. I’m an open book, and you know how this slut loves to spill. *exhibitionist grin*

In the meantime, enjoy this interview. Jackie not only asked questions she wanted to know, but she tweeted about it to her buds and asked for their input as well. Yeah, this one was a blast!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author Interview: Laura Stamps Drops In…

(Interview with Jackie Hussein on her book blog, Insane Hussein)

Interview With A Witch… Laura Stamps!

Laura drops in to let us know a little bit about herself and to answer some q’s from some of her fans… O_O

1. What attracted you to the romance genre, in particular the erotic romance sub-genre?

I’ve always been very romantic (stop laughing, Spicy!). In elementary school I was addicted to fairy tale books. Read them in every school I went to (my family moved around a lot when I was young). All very romantic. Then I discovered the Bronte sisters. “Wuthering Heights” was like my bible when I was 15. Loved it! Only one problem with those books. No sex. I inherited my tomcat dad’s libido. Yes, my dad was a verrrry kinky guy, who had wives and girlfriends everywhere (stop laughing, Spicy!). My libido kicked in when I was seven. Or that’s my earliest memory of getting in trouble for it. That’s when my mother caught me doing a BDSM/bondage thing with my dolls (Barbie, Ken, and a stuff animal…don’t ask *lol*). It was all downhill from there. So erotica is a natural for me. Romance, wild sex, what more could a slut like me want? Duh.

2. Why did you decide to become a writer? How old were you when you started writing?

I decided to become a writer cause I was tired of painting stories with color. I was an Art Major in college, and my prints and posters are still sold worldwide by my art print publisher in California. My paintings also illustrate the covers of “The Witchery Series” novels. Anyway, I’m dyslexic. Of course, back in high school (the 70s) no one knew that. They just thought I was really shitty with spelling. Since I always won all the art awards, I went with art as a career, even though my English teachers told me I had writing talent. And I was always put in the Honors literature courses in college.

But being an artist never completely satisfied me creatively. By the time I was 30 I gave up the struggle, dug up all my college English books, and taught myself how to write. 23 years later my poems and fiction have appeared in over 1000 magazines, literary journals, and anthologies worldwide. My resume of awards and publication credits is over 80 pages long, and I have published more than 45 books with several publishers. I’ve been nominated for the “Pulitzer Prize” (2005) and received seven “Pushcart Award” nominations. In 2003 two of my poems were included in a celebrity anthology with Stevie Wonder, Maya Angelou, Muhammad Ali, Robert Kennedy, etc., published by Martin Luther King’s Daughter, Yolanda. Yeah, I’ve worked my ass off. And I still do.

3. Do you get your inspiration from real life for your books? (Spicy asked this q)

Hmm. Generally, when I’m thinking about a new novel I decide who the hero and heroine will be. Then I figure out what the climax will be. Sometimes I know the end, and sometimes I don’t. As you know, I network very closely with my fans and readers every day, so I like to make the themes of my novels something my readers can identify with or are struggling with. Like falling for bad-news men or recovering from an abusive divorce. Or career/financial struggles. You name it. So the themes from my novels come from real life.

My characters are all fictional, except Sara in “A Vampire’s Kiss,” who is a clone of me (stop laughing, Spicy!). Occasionally, I create them with characteristics of people I know. For example, Mirabella is a composite of like 10 high-strung artists I know. The bad guy (Greer) in “What Witches Want” is modeled after my abusive high school boyfriend. However all my heroes (Donnie, Blaine, Wynn, Dray, Val, Atwell, etc.) are completely fictional. I don’t know any one like them. I just decide what characteristics I want them to have and then go from there. Same with my heroines (except Sara).

That’s because my novels are character-driven, meaning my characters rule. I work with a sketchy outline for each chapter, usually one or two sentences in length. Then I set the characters in the scene, follow them around, and write down what they say. Except with Sara and Dray. They were the first to refuse to follow even the briefest outline. So after 20 chapters of doing this in “A Vampire’s Kiss” I threw my outline notes away and let them rule.

4. What is your favorite book of all time and why (this can be any book)?

My fav novel of all time is “Demon’s Fire” by Emma Holly. Why? She has got to be the BEST erotica novelist out there. And her hero, Prince Pahndir, is a total panty-melt. My fav nonfiction book is the “Tao Te Ching” translated by Stephen Mitchell. Why? I am a very Taoist Witch. In fact I made the hero (Blaine) in “Call of the Witches” a Taoist Green Witch, and he gives the heroine a copy of this book as a gift.

5.Tell us a little more about the series on your blog–specifically, the dynamics between the main characters.

You can find all my series on my vampire Blogger site (http://www.avampskiss.blogspot.com). The vampire series is on the homepage, and the other series have their own pages and buttons in the button bar (The Witchery Series, The Faery Witch Series, The Rune Witch Series, The Memoir Series).

“The Manigault Vampires” is my first serialized, romantic erotica series in ebook. In this series, you’ll meet Drayton Manigault, the owner of Manigault Technologies and one of the richest businessmen in Columbia, South Carolina. Dray also happens to be one of the oldest vampires in the city.

The first novel in this series is “A Vampire’s Kiss.” The heroine is Sara Gadsden, who is a Green Witch (she’s good with plants). She’s also addicted to vampire romance novels and considers herself an expert on vampires. She meets Dray at a Samhain (Halloween) party. Dray is dressed as Dracula. Sara has no idea he’s a real vamp. In fact only a few people know this. So she immediately tells him he’s doing the vamp thing all wrong cause he isn’t acting like the vamp heroes in romance and erotica novels. lol

Dray is 145 years old and was turned during the Civil War. He has seen just about everything, so nothing in life excites him anymore. Then along comes spontaneous Sara who is constantly surprising him. She’s a wild, kinky, sex-obsessed girl (remember, she’s a clone of me). He is a conservative, very wealthy businessman. Oh, and he’s totally yummy. The chemistry between those two just SIZZLES! Sara is a horny slut, and when she isn’t jumping Dray the banter between them is hysterical.

Okay, I know you’re wondering why I made Sara a clone of me when I’ve never done that before with one of my novels. Let me ask you this. Have you noticed what Dray looks like? Long, waist-length black hair, lean bod, tall, totally hunky, dresses in Armani, gorgeous face. Right. I took one look at him and thought “I wanna fuck this guy.” And Sara does just that…over and over and over again. Ah, life is GOOD! *sex-obsessed grin*

6. How important do you think secondary characters are? What are some of your favorites? (from any book, including your own).

Secondary characters are very important. They add a necessary dimension to any novel. Readers say about all of my series that they wish they had Witch friends like my characters. A good example would be Wynn and Noelle. They are both secondary characters in several of my series, yet Wynn is so gorgeous he had his own fan club for a while. And Noelle is a trip. She’s a real scene stealer for sure. In fact they are so good together I finally gave them their own series (”The Rune Witch Series”) which will be coming out in a few months. It is one of my series that has been held up at other publishers for 2 years now. Even in the vampire series Val (Dray’s older brother) is developing his own following. So I think secondary characters are very important.

7. How can people find you on the web?

I’m everywhere cause I’m easy (stop laughing, Spicy!):

Laura Stamps
The Magickal SexWitch
Author of Paranormal Erotica & Romance Novels
(HOT Vampires, Shapeshifters, Witches)
laurastamps@mindspring.com
To see all my novel series:
http://www.avampskiss.blogspot.com
My verrrrry naughty blog:
http://www.LauraStamps.com
My “Laura Stamps” Fan Page at Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/sexwitch
Follow me on Twitter at:
http://twitter.com/sexwitch

Ok, some people (aka me and ahem a vampire we know and love… and some others) want to know:

1. Stubble or clean shaven?

Clean shaven. Beard burn? HORRORS!!

2. Lefty or righty? Or do you prefer ambidextrous?

Ambidextrous. Purrrrrrrrrrrr….!

3. Vanilla or chocolate?

Sorry. Don’t do dairy unlss it’s organic. Wait! Are you talking about sex? In that case neither. I’m tutti frutti. What can I say? I’ll always be a kinky slut.

4. What’s your favorite type of mischief?

Sexual. Duh!

5. Fave type of lingerie?

Leopard prints. I have so many leopard print panties I’ve lost count. Oh, and some really cute zebra print panties with heart shaped buttons. Speaking of that, in “A Vampire’s Kiss” some of the Witches go lingerie shopping. 95% of the lingerie they buy are pieces I own. What fun! Okay, back to the question. All my bras are leopard prints, some with black lace, and some with lime green lace. Oh, and my wicked leopard-print cami, the one with red lace covering my breasts (kinda), is famous. It was my fav to wear at booksignings cause I could flip up my shirt and flash people with my nipples. Major fun! Did I mention I’m an exhibitionist? Well, I am, and flashing goes with the territory. Hey, not my fault my breasts tend to fall out of that cami, so every time I lift my shirt I have no idea if they’re in or out. I know. I have waaaaay too much fun at my naughty booksignings!

6. Are you really going after Spicy’s werewolves? (Note: Spicy did NOT ask this question–I did. )

Of course! Weres are HAWT. I figure these guys must be incredibly bored hanging around a chilly chick like Spicy all the time, so I figured I’d bring the party to them. I mean, every time I see a good-looking guy I always wonder what he’s like in bed. So you can bet I wanna see how Spicy’s hunky Weres use their “tools.” Yummy!

7. Pirate or knight?

Pirate. Of course.

8. Johnny Depp or Brad Pitt and why? (YOU CAN ONLY CHOOSE ONE!!)

Damn, that’s a hard choice! No pun intended (lol). I would say Brad Pitt, only because he’s blonde (I have a thing for blondes), and I don’t think he smokes. Cigarettes? Horrors!!!

9. Favorite sex positions?

My mom took DES when she was pregnant with me, so my uterus is in an unusual position. Totally works for me cause it makes my G-spot accessible from any sexual position where I am facing my lover. Hits that spot every time. Damn, that feels good! 4-5 strokes, and I have an O, which is why I’m a multi-O woman and usually have 7-8 orgasms before my lover has his. Yummy! Okay, writing that just made me reallllly horny. Gotta go jump Wes. See ya! *dashing out of my office to abuse Wes’s dangly parts…again*

Once again, many thanks to Laura Stamps, and don’t forget to check out her novel series on her blog at http://www.avampskiss.blogspot.com/!!! You can also find her on Twitter, her handle is SexWitch, and her tweets are VERY amusing (speaking from personal experience)!!!

xoxo
Laura Stamps
The Magickal SexWitch
Author of Paranormal Erotica & Romance Novels
(HOT Vampires, Shapeshifters, Witches)
laurastamps@mindspring.com
To see all my novel series:
http://www.avampskiss.blogspot.com
My verrrrry naughty blog:
http://www.LauraStamps.com
My “Laura Stamps” Fan Page at Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/sexwitch
Follow me on Twitter at:
http://twitter.com/sexwitch

I’ve done like seven interviews so far since “A Vampire’s Kiss” was published on March 9.  The wild thing is even if some of the same questions are asked (and they are from time to time) my answers are always different.  Why?  Cause it just depends on what kinda mood this slut is in: slutty, sluttier, or sluttiest.  No wonder one of my fans said she loves reading these interviews since she learns something different about me every time.  Now you know why.  lmao!

Speaking of that, I’m posting most of these interviews on my book site (”Interviews” button at http://www.avampskiss.blogspot.com) if you’d like to read more of them.  And I just finished another interview on Thursday night that will go live May 5 on a vamp review blog.  I was wide open that night, so it’s the sluttiest one yet.  No kidding.  I’ll tweet everyone to let you know when it goes live.

And speaking of vamps, I finished proofing Issue #3 of my serial novel “A Vampire’s Kiss” this weekend and emailed it to my verrry talented designer to beautify, so it will go on sale the first week of May.  Can you say smokin’ HAWT?!!!  Oh, yeah.  Dray and Sara are steaming up my computer for sure.  *sex-obsessed grin*

Okay, enjoy this interview.  It’s a good one!  

********

 (Interview with Books, Books, and More Books, April 2010)

Interview and Giveaway wth Laura Stamps

 by Ruth Schaller

For this month, I’d like to welcome someone very special! Let us all welcome author, Laura Stamps! She is snarky, witty and downright ‘dirty’! Gotta love it! So for this special occasion this month, I’ve had the privilege of reading one of her newest novels, The Vampire’s Kiss: A Manigault Vampire book! It’s been a pretty cool ride so far and I’m waiting for more to come! So let’s get it on!

Ruthie – Hi Laura and thank you so much for coming over to visit my blog! So let get started with this interview! Tell me have you always been a writer? I know sometimes when we’re younger we like to experiment with things and play with the ideas of what we want to be when we grow up. I wanted to be a lawyer and here I am an aspiring author and a school bus driver….lol

Laura - Actually, no. I always wanted to be an artist. And that’s what I became. Since I was a little girl I always won the top art awards in school. I participated in my first outdoor art festival when I was 17. Didn’t sell anything, but I learned a LOT. When I did my next art fair I sold a lot, and I continued to do art fairs through college in both South Carolina and Georgia. Naturally, I majored in studio art in college and became a professional artist (watercolor and acrylic painter) with paintings in galleries across the country and prints sold worldwide. In fact my prints and posters are still sold worldwide by my fine art publisher, Haddad’s Fine Arts Inc., in California. But there was a problem. I was never 100% satisfied creatively with painting. Something was missing. I just didn’t know what.

Then one day when I was thirty I picked up a “Writer’s Digest” magazine at the bookstore. There was an article in it about writing poetry, so I wrote a poem and…EUREKA!…I was completely satisfied creatively for the first time in my life. Wow! I had always been told by my English teachers in school that I had writing talent. But I never pursued it, because I’m also mildly dyslexic. Of course, I didn’t know that back then. I just thought spelling was incredibly hard for me. Art was easier, so I that’s what I did. But after writing one poem I knew I needed to change careers. I did, and it was very hard, but I learned my craft.

Twenty-three years later I’ve published more than 45 books with several publishers, and my fiction and poetry have appeared in over 1000 magazines worldwide. My writer’s resume is 80 pages long, full of awards and prestigious nominations like a “Pulitzer Prize” nomination (2005) and seven “Pushcart Award” nominations. I truly believe anyone can follow her/his dreams. It just takes lots of perseverance and the decision to never give up until you accomplish your goal.

Ruthie – I know some of your other books are about witches and this one takes your vamps and puts them both together. If you could do anything different with the serialized novel, what would it be?

Laura - Nothing. I absolutely love the concept of this serialized novel series and how my fans are embracing it. My main series is “The Witchery Series,” and my other series (”The Rune Witch Series,” “The Faery Witch Series,” and “The Manigault Vampires”) are spin-offs of this one. They all contain the same characters, follow the same timeline, and are set in Columbia, South Carolina. So readers are never lost in the fictional world I have created, no matter what series they’re reading. Kinda cool, isn’t it?

Ruthie -What do you think is the most difficult process of the publishing industry?

Laura - Depends on what stage you’re at. In the beginning it’s writing a query letter that a publisher or agent will respond to. The solution is to give them what they want: an author who has a strong resume of publication credits in magazines for your fictional genre. Very few agents or publishers will take a chance on an author who is not well- published in little magazines first.

If you’ve been in the biz for a while then you’re caught in the cycle of trying to keep your books in print (publishers have an annoying habit of going out of biz and/or merging). At that stage you’re also trying to find the time to finish and market 1-3 new books every year to keep your fans hooked on your series. That’s something most readers don’t understand. The writing at this stage is the easy part. The hard part is finding time to both market and write. All or much of the marketing falls on the shoulders of the writer these days. And if your books don’t sell (because you aren’t spending enough time marketing them) your books go out of print, and you may be dropped by your publisher or agent or both.

It’s is an endless rat race at times. That’s why novelists work such insane hours and are always kinda tired. It would be wonderful to just sit around in your jammies all day and write. But that’s a fantasy. It ain’t even close to the reality of a successful novelist.

Ruthie – When you’re writing, do you plan everything ahead of time or do you just kind of ‘fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants’?

Laura - Both. I always work from a short outline, like 3-4 chapters ahead. I don’t start a book until I know who the characters are, what the climax is, and how the book will end. But I am completely character-driven. So I let them tell the story. I just incorporate that into my outline.

However, in “A Vampire’s Kiss” I didn’t. Oh, I had an outline. But for the first time my characters (Dray and Sara) refused to follow it. They had a certain way they wanted this story told. Yet I kept trying. Finally, after they refused to follow the first 20 chapters, I gave up, threw my outline away, and let them rule. The first draft of the novel ended up longer than usual, because they didn’t want to quit at my usual 28 chapters. Then they refused to follow their first draft and kept cutting chapters up. Yikes!

Consequently, “A Vampire’s Kiss” is one of the best novels I’ve ever written. Really. I always say my characters do a better job of writing than I do. And that’s certainly true of this novel. lol

Ruthie – For all of us aspiring writers out here in the blogosphere, can you share any advice with us.

Laura – Learn your craft, read novels by authors you admire, become an awesome marketer/salesperson, and never never give up! This is a tough biz and not for the faint of heart. lol

Ruthie – The characters in your Vampire’s Kiss serialized novel – they are fascinating. Are they based on people that you know, or did they just kind of evolve on their own as you wrote the stories?

Laura - Funny you should ask. Readers often think I am the heroine of every novel I write. Not. In each novel I want to address a certain issue, usually one I have some life experience with. Then I create the heroine, giving her the perfect personality to deal with this issue in a way that leads to the climax and the end of the novel.

For example, in “The Witches of Dixie,” high-strung Mirabella has to learn how to save her successful art biz when circumstances conspire against her. Definitely a crisis situation for her. Having been in the art biz, I know all about those ups and downs. Mirabella is actually a composite of about 20 artists I have known in real life. In “What Witches Want” Savannah is not only shy but her self-esteem has been damaged by an abusive marriage. She has to find a way to recover from this and go on to find a fabulous guy. Not an easy task for her. In “Call of the Witches” Maylene is fed up with her history of bad-news boyfriends. She takes a two-year celibacy vow to empower herself and break this aggravating cycle. But before it ends she meets the man of her dreams. Too funny! None of those women are me, but I have experience with all of those issues, as do many women.

However, in “A Vampire’s Kiss” I thought it would be fun to make oversexed Sara a clone of myself. Yeah, everyone who knows me can see me in kinky Sara and loves it! And Sara truly is ME. Her dialogue, her actions, her libido, everything. What fun! Of course I had a realllllllly hard time getting her out of bed with Dray. But that’s to be expected if you’re talking about me. *sex-obsessed grin*

Ruthie – Do you have a lot of time to read? And if so, who is your favorite author and what really strikes you about their work?

Laura – I used to. But the last year has been so insane for me that I haven’t had much time to read. Instead, while writing new books, I’ve been dealing with one ebook publisher that went out of biz in March, taking on a new agent in June, parting ways with that agent last month, and dealing with one of my publishers that is taking forever to publish some of my books. It’s amazing I’m not on serious meds by now. lmao! Oh, and then launching the vampire novel serial with Kittyfeather Press. So I’ve had no time to read at all.

 However, now that the vamp series is off and running, I have had a bit more time to read, like 15 minutes every day or so. But that’s a lot for me, considering how the last year has been.

My fav authors are Emma Holly (damn, that woman can tell a hot story!), Kathy Love, Sherrilyn Kenyon (Dark Hunter series), and Lora Leigh (Bound Hearts series). And I still think “Colters’ Woman” by Maya Banks is one of the best ménage novels ever written. I know she doesn’t agree with me (we chatted on Twitter about it), but IMO it’s true. *lol* The kind of books I like to read for fun are written by authors who write the same way I do: lean, fast, and hot.

Ruthie – Now there are all types of books out there about vamps and what really are your thoughts on vampires? Do you have a favorite one from your books or from anywhere else (movie, other book, etc.)Laura – Vampires are sex-on-a-stick! My favs would be the Dark Hunters by Sherrilyn Kenyon, even though technically they aren’t true vamps, but close enough.

Ruthie – Do you listen to music or watch TV while writing, or any other quirky little author habits?

Laura - No. Because my books are character-driven I need complete silence when I write so I can hear them talking to me. As for quirky habits I started out in the writing biz as a poet in 1988 and didn’t write fiction until 1996. Most poets write first drafts by hand. So like almost all novelists who started out as poets, my first drafts are written by hand in one spiral notebook after another. The first draft of “A Vampires Kiss” was written in 9 white-hot weeks, one chapter every day in 3 thick spiral bound notebooks. When I finish the first draft of a novel, I type it on computer to edit it, which takes about 8 months.

Also because I started out as a poet I am a meticulous editor. Every chapter goes through 15-20 edits. And chapters with sex scenes go through 30 or more edits until the dialogue flows naturally from your tongue, the sex is HOT, the pace is perfect, and the readers’ panties melt. That’s what writing good erotica is all about.

Other than that I keep vampire hours, working until 4:00am and getting up at 11:30am to start all over again. I like those hours because I’m a night person, and I get about 8 hours of fan mail every day. But after midnight most people are asleep, so I can get a ton of work done then.

Ruthie – Do you have anything else that you’d like to share with the readers?

Laura – You had to ask, right? *lol* Besides being a Wiccan Faery Witch (just a fancy name for a SexWitch), I’m also a high level empath and a psychic. If you don’t know this already you will soon. But I’m just like one of the heroines in an erotica novel. I’m addicted to sex, lust, trashy lingerie, and cocks. Remember, Sara is me. So I’m a kinky girl (exhibitionist and voyeur). Kinda unusual for an erotica novelist, I know. But I live what I write.

Because of that I don’t include any sex scenes in my novels that I haven’t personally tried out in real life. Nothing makes me laugh harder than reading an unrealistic sex scene in an erotica novel. Hey, my readers tell me they use erotica novels to get ideas to spice up their sex lives. Last thing I want is to write a scene that will make them sick or might injury them. Totally NOT cool. So when I read a novel with a sex scene that makes me say, “Eeeew…bacteria!” or “UTI Alert!” I usually don’t finish that book. Kinda ruins the whole thing for me.

Fiction is fiction. But when I’m writing sex scenes and I know my readers might try some of these positions I prefer to take a responsible attitude. Not to mention my husband Wes loves it when I say, “Okay, honey, I need to work out the details of a sex scene for the novel I’m writing. Let’s get naked!” Yeah, men are easy like that sometimes. *lusty grin*

Other than that, I’m totally addicted to hunky strippers. Young male flesh. Yummy…..! Did I mention I’m also a cougar and proud of it? Hey, you asked! lmao

Now she is just too funny! Gotta love her!

xoxo
Laura Stamps ©
The Magickal SexWitch
Author of Paranormal Erotica & Romance Novels
(HOT Vampires, Shapeshifters, Witches)
laura@laurastamps.com
To see all my novel series:
http://www.avampskiss.blogspot.com
My verrrrry naughty blog:
http://www.LauraStamps.com
My “Laura Stamps” Fan Page at Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/sexwitch
Follow me on Twitter at:
http://twitter.com/sexwitch

Just in case you’re wondering, I did NOT behave myself in the interview.  Not my fault!  I’ve got strippers-on-the-brain syndrome.  Although I‘d much rather have them on another part of my bod.  Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrr….!

Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 REVIEW

“A Vampire’s Kiss” is a spin off from Laura Stamps’ well-established series, “The Witches of Dixie.”  But before you wonder if you have to read her previous books before this, don’t worry, this book stands alone. But after reading the first two parts of this serialization, I shall be checking them out!

“A Vampire’s Kiss” tells the story of Sara and Dray.  Sara is a Wiccan Green Witch and Dray is the owner of Manigault Technologies, and just happens to be a vampire.  Which vampire-obsessed Sara is completely clueless about.  Throw in a meeting at a friend’s party and sparks begin to fly, and watch out – because they’re hot.

Sara is certainly a girl who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go ahead and grab it! She has the kind of confidence many of us wish we had! And Dray, oh my! I may have a new fictional boyfriend!

Laura has chosen an interesting method here, choosing to serialize the book rather than release one full novel. I think it’s a really fun idea! The thought that you have a new installment waiting for you each month!

One thing’s for sure, she sure knows how to enthrall her readers!  “A Vampire’s Kiss” was a decadently delicious read and I highly recommend it to fans of erotica/paranormal romance!

To read a sample of “A Vampire’s Kiss” go to:

http://www.avampskiss.blogspot.com

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 INTERVIEW

Thank you for choosing Maybe Tomorrow? to review the first two parts of your new novel serialization, “A Vampire’s Kiss.”

1.) Before we start, would you like to tell us a bit about yourself?

I’m a SexWitch (Wiccan Faery Witch), empath, psychic, and paranormal erotica novelist.  I also have a reputation across the web as a shameless slut.  All true.  Thus, my branding, which is me.  But I can’t help it.  I’m like the wild girl in an erotica novel…addicted to lust, sex-obsessed, very sexually active, kinky as hell.  Yeah, I have a realllllly good time.  *exhibitionist grin*

2.) For people who are new to your writing, like me, can you explain what the basis for this series is about?

I write four series.  The main series is “The Witchery Series.”  It is the only series of mine that spans from empowering to romantic to erotic.  All the spin-off series are erotica.  “The Manigault Vampires” is a spin-off series from “The Witchery Series.”  In fact, the first chapter of “A Vampire’s Kiss” happens at the same time as the last chapter of “Call of the Witches: Book Three of the Witchery Series” at the same party.  So they flow seamlessly together.  I did that on purpose.  All my series follow the same timeline, so my readers never feel lost, no matter what series they’re reading. 

3.) How did you get into writing? I understand you started off writing poetry, how did you make the transition from that to full novels?

I started out as an artist and majored in art in college.  Since I switched to writing 23 years ago I only do the occasional cover for my novels (the covers of all “The Witchery Series” are my paintings).  But art never really satisfied me 100%.  The first thing I wrote was a poem when I was 30.  And that was it.  I was hooked.  I became a very successful small press literary poet with numerous poetry books published by several publishers and won lots of awards.  I never intended to write fiction.  I always thought I would be a poet.  I was happy like that and making a good living at it. 

Then one night as I was falling asleep a few lines came to me.  Many, many writers keep a pad of paper and a pen next to their beds to catch those lines, because you’ll never remember them in the morning.  As I reached for a pen and paper I realized these weren’t the first lines of a poem.  They were the first lines of a short story.  Yikes!  I’d never written fiction before, but suddenly the first three paragraphs of this story poured out of me.  It shocked me so much I sat up in bed completely awake.  Then I wrote it all down.  That was 1996.  I wrote several short stories after that, and surprisingly they were snapped up by magazines faster than my poems. 

However the thing about a short story is that it’s NOT the same as a novel.  Not even close.  They are totally different animals.  That’s why some of your fav novelists suck at novellas and short stories.  That’s also why authors specialize in short story collections or novels.  Rarely both.  They are totally different in structure.  A short story is more like a poem.  It’s small and compact with a tight beginning and end.  A novel stretches for 20-40 chapters.  It’s like a long winding river filled with millions details that all have to make sense to the reader.  Regardless, I knew one day I would write novels.  But I couldn’t see all the way to the end of that river.  Being Pagan, I didn’t push it.  I knew it would happen when the timing was right. 

And seven years later in 2003 it did.  The “Mirabella” section” of “The Witches of Dixie” suddenly came to me out of the blue one day.  It was like all the sudden here was the title (”Evergreen”).  Then the next day here was the name of the main character, Mirabella.  The next day Mirabella started talking, and the novel poured out.  Three months later it was finished and published.  And I’ve never looked back. 

Some poets continue to write poetry after they publish novels.  And some poets become novelists and never write poetry again.  That would be me.  Being an erotica novelist is IT for me.  It satisfies me 100%.

4.) You’ve written a previous series, The Witchery Series, can you tell us about that?

“The Witchery Series” is my main series.  The first novel, “The Witches of Dixie: Book One of the Witchery Series,” is actually an anthology of the first 4 novels and novellas in that series (”Evergreen” is one of them).  In ”The Witches of Dixie,” you meet four Witches who are struggling with marriage, business, and financial problems.  They use their Pagan faith and empowering principles to pull through and overcome.  Yeah, this is a very empowering book.  No romance or sex in this one.  It’s just a very empowering novel for women.  

In “What Witches Want: Book Two of the Witchery Series” one of the Witches is recovering from an abusive marriage and painful divorce.  In the course of healing herself she meets a sexy two-natured man and finds true love.  This is a sweet romance with tasteful sex and the most yummmmmy hero.  Yowza!  

In “Call of the Witches: Book Three of the Witchery Series” the heroine is tired of being plagued with bad-news boyfriends.  She takes a two-year vow of celibacy and spends that time learning how to empower herself so she will be attracted to a good guy for a change. Three months before her celibacy vow ends she runs into a Wiccan Green Witch, who happens to be the sweetest, sexiest man she’s ever met. Sparks fly, and her libido sizzles.  In this book I thought it would be fun to write an erotica novel about a celibate heroine.  Believe it or not, I find plenty of ways for her to have lots of erotic sex in this one.  For many it is their favorite of the series.  The romance is sweet, and the sex is smokin’ hot!  

So like I said earlier, you’ll find something for everyone in this series.  I think that’s why it’s done so well since the day it was published.  I should also mention I sell signed copies of this series on the “A Vampire’s Kiss” site (the info is in the sidebar http://www.avampskiss.blogspot.com), and I include verrrry naughty personalizations in those books.  Of course.  *wicked grin*

5.) “A Vampire’s Kiss” is it’s spin off. Did you have this series in mind when you were writing the first? What pushed you in the direction of ‘A Vampire’s Kiss’?

No.  All my novels are character-driven, meaning my characters tell the story.  Not me.  I knew I wanted to do a vampire series, but I had no idea how it would tie in with the Witches in “The Witchery Series.”  Then one day Wynn started talking about his boss at Manigault Technologies, Drayton Manigault, who just happens to be a vampire.  What?!  I didn’t know that.  Alrightyyyy!  The entire vamp series took off from there.

6.) “A Vampire’s Kiss” is being released in monthly installments, which I think is a novel idea and one I’ve never seen or heard of before. What made you decide to run with this idea?

Actually, in the old days many of the classic novels by authors we know so well (Charles Dickens, etc.) were published as serials.  Stephen King has done it with several of his novels.  In my case, I had just survived a nightmare in my career that would turn most novelists’ hair gray.  No, I’m not talking about a yucky cover (yeah, we all have nightmares about that *lol), but close.  

In the 23 years I have been a fulltime writer I’ve always made sure 2-4 new books of mine came out every year from my various publishers.  I was on track in 2009 for 4 new novels and novellas to come out.  But in March my ebook publisher went out of business weeks before one of my spin-off series (”The Rune Witch Series”) was to be published.  I had just finished the first draft of “A Vampire’s Kiss” in February.  That meant I had to stop working on that novel and find a new publisher for “The Rune Witch Series.”  My naughty blog was also being made into a memoir series.  I have had agents off and on during my career, but at that time didn’t have one.  I knew I wanted one for that memoir series so it would go to a good nonfiction publisher.  I settled on an agent in June, and he found a good publisher for the memoir series and my spin-off novel series. 

Everything seemed to be going well.  Or so I thought.  Then everything bogged down in September.  By March of this year I had gone 16 months without a new book.  Horrors!  And not for lack of trying or writing new books.  Just one case after another of publisher constipation.  

Then Kittyfeather Press offered me the opportunity to publish “The Manigault Vampires” as a serial, and I jumped at it.  You’ve gotta admit it’s the perfect reward for all my loyal fans who went 16 months without a new book from me.  Now, because of what Kittyfeather Press has done, they get hot vampire erotica from me every month in this serial format.  How cool is that?  At first people were kinda shocked, because it is unusual.  But now everyone loves the idea, and my fans wait anxiously from month to month for the next installment.  So it’s become a huge hit, and I’m having a blast with it.

7.) What made you choose vampires as your next avenue to explore?

That’s easy.  Vampires are sex-on-a-stick.  Duh.  *lol*  I already have Witches, a shapeshifter, and several two-natured Fey characters.  I wanted a vampire series because I thought it would work well with my Witches, which it has.  Plus, I got to create this fabulous vampire world in Columbia.  Dray is 145 years old.  He was turned during the Civil War in Charleston, South Carolina.  So I get to go into a bit of history when Sara learns his true identify. Big fun!

8.) I’ve read that some authors find it impossible to write without putting a little bit of themselves in what they write. Do you agree with this? If so what characteristics of yourself do you see in your characters?

Some do, and some don’t.  For me, my characters have always been fictional.  But there are certain subjects I know about, Pagan and not, that I want to explore in a novel.  However that doesn’t mean the heroine is me.  For example, Mirabella is the typical artist.  Starting out as an artist I know plenty about that life and biz.  So she is a composite of about 20 artists I know. 

On the other hand, “A Vampire’s Kiss” is a first for me in many respects.  It is the first novel of mine where the h/h refused to follow my outline.  No kidding.  Dray and Sara are such a great couple and the chemistry between them is so intense they wanted to tell their story their way.  I ended up throwing away my outline after 20 chapters and let them run wild with the book.  Consequently, they did an awesome job with it. 

The other first is the character of Sara.  Dray is soooo yummy.  I thought it would be fun to make Sara a clone of me.  So Sara is me.  I’ve never done that before.  But you know what that means, right?  I get to fuck yummy Dray over and over and over again.  Ah, life is good! *sex-obsessed grin*  Those fans of mine who know me get a real kick out of Sara because she is soooo ME!  lol

9.) What are your plans for your next project? Are there going to be more spin offs?

Not that I know of.  But what do I know?  I’m just the writer.  My characters rule.  At any rate, “The Witchery Series,” “The Rune Witch Series” (finally coming out this fall), and “The Faery Witch Series,” (coming out in 2011) are all trilogies.  ”The Manigault Vampires” is the only series of mine that is not limited to three books.  I can see it going for ten novels or more.

10.) Finally, if you could pack up and leave for one week, where would you go and why?

Is this fantasy or reality?  If it’s fantasy I would grab Chippendale’s stripper Kevin Cornell and disappear into the sunset as fast as my little bunny slippers could take me.  Damn, that man is HAWT!  If he’s busy that week I’d settle for Donovan of Thunder From Down Under.  Yummmy!  Okay, I have a thing for young strippers.  But I’ve always thought being a cougar was a GOOD thing, ya know?

However, if we’re talking reality, I’d go to one of my fav vacation places with my long-suffering husband, Wes.  Asheville, North Carolina, or Manhattan.  Both have great art galleries, bookstores, and restaurants. 

 The Kevin Cornell thing sounds much better, doesn’t it?  Okay, being the delusional slut that I am I’ll take that choice.  See ya!  *dashing of into the sunset with a gorgeous YOUNG stripper*

Thanks again to Laura for taking the time out to participate in this interview! It really was a treat coming up with the interview questions and reading Laura’s responses! And it made it extra special by the fact Laura is the first author to be interviewed for Maybe Tomorrow?!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this! And if you want to know more about Laura and her work, check out the links below!

xoxo
Laura Stamps
The Magickal SexWitch
Author of Paranormal Erotica & Romance Novels
laura@laurastamps.com
For HOT vampire erotica go here:
http://www.avampskiss.blogspot.com
Check out my naughty blog & novels:
http://www.LauraStamps.com
My “Laura Stamps” Fan Page at Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/sexwitch
Follow me on Twitter at:
http://twitter.com/sexwitch

~ REVIEW ~

(Rating: This one gets a 5/Extremely Hot and Naughty)

What to say, what to say?  I say this is going to be a good series. If you like sexy vampires and sassy witches this will be the beginning of a great read for you. The series itself will be released in volumes. I am reviewing the first 3 chapters of Volume 1, “A Vampire’s Kiss”. It’s easy to see how hot and heavy Dray and Sara are headed for. The first three chapters give a tease of the story and introduces our main characters.

Sara is as outgoing and outspoken as any female character I’ve read in a long time, she is too funny! Since this is a spin-off of Stamp’s Witchery series you can expect that Sara is a Wiccan Green Witch. Although, I doubt it’s the witch in her though that gives her the spunk she definitely has. You will either love or hate her, but either way she grows on you. Drayton, on the other hand, I can’t imagine not loving. He’s sexy and elegant and oh so sexy! Darn, did I say that already? Well, I’d like to meet him and he sure did catch Sara’s attention from the first time she saw him. Sara is completely hooked on vampires so when she meets a sexy Dracula at a friend’s party she is in vampire heaven! (little does she know her dream Dracula is a real vampire) We meet Sara at a costume party dressed as Artemis, who came with friends dressed in other random costumes, such as Ash (which I totally loved and the reference to the Dark-hunters series was not wasted on me!!) and then we meet Drayton dressed as Dracula of course. After introductions and polite talk Sara gets right down to telling Drayton he isn’t properly dressed to represent what a vampire looks like. “Oh Really?” Dray asks, “Well do tell”, he says with a laugh and you can bet Sara didn’t waste anytime telling Dray exactly what she thought because Sara is an expert on vampires, of course!!  She’s absolutely hooked on them.

That was our introduction to Drayton and Sara. They reach their first kiss by the end of the night when Dray walks Sara home. Afterwards, he asks Sara to have lunch with him tomorrow. Now if you are like me, you’re probably wondering how it is that Drayton can walk in the sun. Well it isn’t explained in the first 3 chapters so that will be a cliffhanger to look for later, but we do see how Drayton shows up during the day and takes her to a special lunch that he obviously put a lot of thought into. A greenhouse is a perfect place to impress a green witch and heat things up!

 So now we’re left with a good idea where Sara and Drayton are headed, but Sara still doesn’t know that Drayton is a vampire so I wonder how that’s going to work out. However it does, it will be fun I’m sure!

(For more info on A Vampire’s Kiss, go to http://www.avampskiss.blogspot.com)

~ INTERVIEW ~

I’m really excited to tell you about a recent interview I did with author, Laura Stamps on her new Erotic Vampire Series just released. She was nice enough to hang out with me for a bit and share some goodies, including a free copy of the first volume in her new series to be given away to a lucky blog follower.

Hey Laura, thanks for the interview with me. I’m so excited to pick your brain so let’s get started!!

1.) First let me ask, for any of the new fans out there, what are you all about? Who is Laura Stamps?
Hmm.  People who know me would say that’s a verrrry dangerous question.  lmao!!  Okay, I’m a Wiccan Faery Witch, psychic, and empath, which is why I write paranormal romance.  I walk in the “real” paranormal all day long, so it’s normal for me and what I’m used to.  If you know anything about the Fey you know they are very sexual.  So a Faery Witch is just a fancy name for a Sex Witch (thus, my user name at Twitter).  I’m basically a simple slut.  Sex-obsessed.  Addicted to lust, sex, trashy lingerie, and cocks.  Well, you asked!  lol

2.) Why erotic writings? Did you always know that’s the genre you wanted to write?
I just answered that first question with my list of addictions, didn’t I?  *lol*  Seriously though, my dad was a tomcat, so I inherited his raging hot libido, which kicked in when I was seven, and my mom caught me doing a BDSM thing with my Barbie dolls and a stuffed animal.  Yikes!  I’ve always been a wild girl, done my share of kink (did I mention I’m an exhibitionist?), orgies, you name it.  Since I’m obsessed with sex and such a sexual being it’s only natural I should write about it.  And if you’ve read my naughty blog you know my real life is much like that of the heroine in an erotica novel.  Sex, sex, and more sex.  However I started out as an artist and was an art major in college (a painter).  In fact my art prints are still sold worldwide by my art print publisher (Haddad’s Fine Arts, Inc.).  And my paintings grace the covers of The Witchery Series (until the new publisher republishes them this year with new hunky guy covers…yummy!).  I’m also dyslexic, so even though I had always been told I had writing talent, I didn’t pursue it.  Grammar and spelling were just too hard.  Then I wrote my first poem when I was 30, and that was it for me.  Career change!  *lol*  So I started out as a poet.  For years I published books of poetry and fiction.  I actually wrote my first erotic short story in 1996, but no magazines would accept it.  It wasn’t until 2002 that the market for erotica finally took off in this country.   

3.) How long have you been writing? Have you always wanted to write?
Like I said, I started writing when I was 30, so I’ve been writing for 23 years (I’ll be 53 on April 2…HORRORS!…there must be some mistake, I thought I was 18!).  Actually, I always wanted to paint until I wrote that first poem.  Then I changed careers, and all I’ve wanted to do since then is paint with words.  So I’m self-taught as a writer and a novelist.  However 23 years later my poetry and fiction have been published in over 1000 magazines, literary journals, and anthologies.  I’ve published more than 45 books, and I’ve won many awards, including a Pulitzer Prize nomination and 7 Pushcart Award nominations.  In fact, my writer’s resume is over 80 pages long.  Okay, when I wanna accomplish something I work realllly hard at it.  lol        

4.) I absolutely love that you’ve written erotica with vampires.  I don’t think there is enough out there.
Vampires are soooo sexy, aren’t they?  I think they’re a natural for hot erotica.  The fun thing about A Vampire’s Kiss is it’s the first novel in my The Manigault Vampires series, which means this is the novel where I get to create the vampire world in Columbia.  Major fun!  I knew I wanted my vamps to be different.  So they’re “daywalkers,” meaning they can walk in daylight, and it doesn’t hurt them.  I won’t say why because that would spoil some of the fun of the novel.  Of course, this doesn’t mean they can hang out at the beach and get a tan, but because of the daylight thing it’s hard to tell they’re vamps.  However there are subtle hints.  They feed on blood during sex, they’re cool to the touch, and their eyes flash to black with bloodlust (which looks a lot like regular lust in a human man, except vamps can do it at will).  It was also fun to go into the history of how Dray became a vamp.  I won’t spoil it for you, but it goes back to the Civil War in Charleston, South Carolina.

5.) Please give us the basics about the Manigault Vampires and the first volume in the series, “A Vampire Kiss”.
The Witchery Series trilogy is my main series, and all my other series are spin-off series.  They all happen according to the same timeline, so they’re a lot of fun to read because you’re never lost in each series, and you know all the characters.  The Manigault Vampires is my first serialized erotica series. In this spin-off series, you’ll meet Drayton Manigault, the owner of Manigault Technologies and one of the richest businessmen in Columbia, South Carolina. Dray also happens to be one of the oldest vampires in the city. A Vampire’s Kiss is the first novel in this series.  It’s about how Dray finds true love in the form of a spontaneous Green Witch named Sara Gadsden.  As a side note, if you’re from South Carolina you’ll notice right away all the names of my characters are historic South Carolina names.     

6.) Did you plan to write the stories as volumes or did it just flow like that?
No, A Vampire’s Kiss was written in a classic novel structure as all of the novels in this series will be.  It was just the circumstances I suddenly found myself in last month that determined it would be released as a serial.  And now that it is, I love it!  I think it’s a fun and totally cool idea.  Here’s what happened.  2009 was an insane year for me that had nothing to do with the crazy economy.  In March my ebook publisher went out of business weeks before one of my spin-off series (The Rune Witch Series) was to be released.  Then I got a new agent in June.  I signed with a new publisher (I have several), but that new publisher moved so slowly publishing new books that by February of 2010 I had gone 16 months with no new books being published.  HORRORS!  The crazy thing is I’ve been writing all along, and 5 new books have just been waiting at various publishers to be published.  That’s not fair to me, and it’s not fair to my fans.  So when Kittyfeather Press offered me the opportunity to turn The Manigault Vampires into a serialized novel series I jumped on it!  That means when you read these issues you’ll find the chapters flow just like a regular novel because that’s the way they were written.  Oh, and let me warn you.  I’m a dialogue junkie.  So my novels read fast, smooth, and hot, and every chapter ends with a cliffhanger so you wanna know what’s gonna happen next.  Sorry!  That’s just the way I’ve always written my novels.  lol

7.) What’s exciting and unexpected about this series that is different from your others?
Two things.  First,  Sara is a clone of me.  This is the first time I’ve ever done that.  Really.  All of my characters are fictional, although Noelle from The Witchery Series does have a bit of me in her.  Anyway, I thought it would be fun to make Sara just like me.  And it was a blast.  What I didn’t realize is if I made Sara a spontaneous sex maniac like me, I would have a helluva time getting her out of bed with Dray (wait till you hit the next issue of this serial….whew!).  And I did.  *lol*  But it’s not her fault, because she thinks like I think.  She sees Dray.  He’s gorgeous and sexy, and she wants him.  Done.  Sara goes after what she wants.  She doesn’t waste a minute angsting over anything (as you know).  The second thing about this series that is different is the way it was written.  Dray and Sara had such a fabulous chemistry that they ran way with this novel.  That’s another first for me.  Not that my novels aren’t always character-driven; they are.  But Sara and Dray were the first h/h who refused to follow my outline from the first chapter.  No kidding.  I finally gave up, threw it away after 20 chapters, and let them rule.  They did this in the first draft, and they did it again as I edited the final manuscript.  However, you’ll hear no complaints from me.  I always assume my characters are smarter than I am.  The stuff they come up with is a million times better.  And this time was no exception.  It’s an awesome novel, and I have Sara and Dray to thank for it.  

8.) Do you have the whole series mapped about in length or is it open ended right now? Personally I hope it’s open-ended. (hee-hee!)
The Witchery Series is a trilogy, and there are three spin-off series: The Rune Witch Series, The Faery Witch Series, and The Manigault Vampires.  The first two spin-offs are trilogies.  But I always planned for The Manigault Vampires to go on for as long as it likes.  Right now I can tell you A Vampire’s Embrace: Book Two of the Manigault Vampires is about Dray’s brother, Val.  A Vampire’s Desire: Book Three of the Manigault Vampires is about their cousin Atwell Gibbs.  Both totally sexy vamps who will give you an instant panty-melt.  Really.  But don’t worry.  You meet them all in this first novel A Vampire’s Kiss.  *lusty grin* 

9.) Can you tell us what we can look forward to in any of your future projects?
The Rune Witch Series will finally be coming out in the fall.  It’s about Wynn and Noelle from The Witchery Series.  Wynn is one of the sexist shapeshifters you’ll ever meet.  He used to have his own fan club.  And that was when he was just a secondary character in The Witchery Series.  Whew!…that man is HAWT!  The Faery Witch Series will be coming out in 2011.  It’s about Donnie and Savannah from What Witches Want: Book Two of the Witchery Series.  They are such a sweet sexy couple I wanted to give them their own erotica series.  Did you hear the story about Donnie?  Gorgeous bod, long blonde hair, sweet Gamma man.  It took me two months to get over him after I finished that novel.  Damn, I fell hard for him!   

10.) and finally, any other surprises you want to give us a sneak peak to?
None at the moment.  But my life is always full of surprises.  Movie and TV people are always approaching me about turning my novels into film.  My life is always full of fun kink.  You name it!  I really am just like the heroine in an erotica novel.  For example, I had no idea The Manigault Vampires would be released as a serialized novel series until the opportunity presented itself last month.  I know this is an unusual concept, but when have I ever done anything “normal”?  The Manigault Vampires is kinda like an erotica newsletter featuring the serialized novel, A Vampire’s Kiss.  Perfect for anyone who loves romantic vampire erotica.  Think of this as your smokin’ HOT vampire fix every month from award-winning erotica novelist Laura Stamps.  What could be better, right?  Like I said, it was the purrrrfect solution for me and my erotica-addicted fans.  Yeah, life just gets better and better.  Dontcha love it?!  *lusty grin* 

Thanks again. You’re really great to do this for us!  

(Stacey Fergusen, Book Reviewer for Bitten by Paranormal Romance)

For more info on A Vampire’s Kiss, go to http://www.avampskiss.blogspot.com

xoxo
Laura Stamps ©
The Magickal SexWitch
Author of Paranormal Erotica & Romance Novels
(Witches, Shapeshifters, Vampires)
laura@laurastamps.com
For HOT vampire erotica go here:
http://www.avampskiss.blogspot.com
For my naughty blog & novel series:
http://www.LauraStamps.com
My “Laura Stamps” Fan Page at Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/sexwitch
Follow me on Twitter at:
http://twitter.com/sexwitch