I think by now we all know that I enjoy exploring the darker side of romance so it should come as no surprise that when I heard about Sara Dobie Bauer’s latest book (shipwrecks, vampires and cannibals, oh my!) I had to have a copy.
And then once I started reading it I had questions. So what better way to get them answered than to interview Sara here on my blog?
First, about the book…
Andrew is a vampire from New Orleans, exiled to a tropical island in the 1800s as punishment for his human bloodlust. During a storm, a ship crashes off shore. After rescuing a sailor from the cannibals native to the land, Andrew becomes fascinated with his brilliant, beautiful new companion, Edmund.
Edmund is a British naturalist who has sailed the world seeking new species. Intrigued by creatures that might kill him, immortal Andrew is this scientist’s dream-but so is making his way back home. Edmund will fight to survive, even while wrapped in the arms of a monster.
As light touches and laughter turn to something much more passionate, the cannibals creep ever closer to Edmund. Can the ancient vampire keep his human alive long enough to escape exile and explore their newfound love, or will Andrew’s bloodlust seal his own doom?
Dun dun dun!
And now, my questions for Sara 🙂
A romance with cannibals? It takes a special skillset to pull that off, but you totally did. Congratulations! What inspired you to want to add cannibals to your romance?
Well, my leading men are on a mostly abandoned tropical island in the early 1800s, so I just thought, “CANNIBALS, YES!” In my story, the cannibals are practically zombie-like because I love a good monster. That said, my “hero” Andrew is pretty monstrous himself, so I needed an adversary that could match his blood thirst and overall murderous demeanor. Cannibals just felt right, and I had some fun joking about how my shipwrecked sailor Edmund had come upon them before. (“It’s amazing these creatures survive. I once saw one take a bite out of the other during an argument. And they were friends! Suppose you don’t like your neighbour? Well, just show up and eat their children!”)
I also thought it was really clever that you put them on the same island as a vampire but let the two factions find an uneasy state of balance, which of course you messed with right away. How much fun was it to play with those dynamics?
Fun! And easy. Andrew, as a vampire, is pretty much a dead thing, and cannibals don’t wanna eat rotten flesh. The cannibals are shrouded in death, soulless and evil, so that’s not appetizing to Andrew, who prefers his blood innocent and pure. They share the island and stay the hell away from each other until Edmund shows up because he’s frankly a bunch of yum-yum for Andrew and the cannibals alike. I based Edmund on a buffed up Timothee Chalamet, so he’s a bunch of yum-yum for this lady right here, too. YUMMMM!
Speaking of vampires, what is it about them that you find attractive or (if it’s more accurate) fun to write about?
Vampires are usually sexy and charismatic. The proverbial bad boy or girl. I love that dark side. There’s also something sexy about biting and something incredibly intimate about blood play. And they’re young forever, so you never have to worry about their cute butts going all saggy. Oh, and let’s not forget androgyny. My fave vamps tend to be androgynous, and I love that. (Think Stuart Townsend’s Lestat, Antonio’s Armand, and Tilda Swinton’s Eve.) The conventionally portrayed bisexuality ain’t bad either. That means I have a chance with pretty much any female or male vampire I want. In a perfect world, of course.
Who is your favourite vampire from books or movies? How does Andrew resemble them? How is he different?
I love the good, bad, and ugly of Anne Rice’s Lestat. However, I freaking adore Gary Oldman as Dracula. He’s so bad—but so good. Andrew is similar because he has murdered a lot of people and felt not a bit of regret over it, but he also vows to keep Edmund safe, no matter his own thirst. Also, Andrew has a dry, twisted sense of humor like Lestat and falls in endless love like Dracula. He’s different because he’s sort of quiet—the big, brooding type. Andrew won’t be making speeches anytime soon; that’s Edmund’s job.
Andrew thinks about the ‘dark creature’ inside him that craves blood–specifically Edmund’s–do you think we all have dark creatures within us? What does yours crave?
For sure we all have a dark creature. We all have parts of us we don’t want the world to see. Some of us just hide it better. My dark creature? Oh, man. I guess it craves hot guys and pizza. Not necessarily at the same time. Is that weird?
Sara Dobie Bauer is a bestselling author, model, and mental health / LGBTQ advocate with a creative writing degree from Ohio University. Twice nominated for the Pushcart Prize, she lives with her hottie husband and two precious pups in Northeast Ohio, although she’d really like to live in a Tim Burton film. She is author of the paranormal rom-com Bite Somebody series, among other sexy things. Learn more at http://SaraDobieBauer.com.
Buy it Now:
Add it on Goodreads
