Interview with Tracey Sinclair

Thank you so much for joining me!

 

Q: How did you come up with the idea of a vampire dating service?

A: I was trying to write a short story for a friend and originally the idea came from a ‘culture clash’ between the old images of vampire seduction in books like Dracula, and our ‘fast food’ culture – so it started off specifically being a speed dating event and grew from there.

Q: Have you ever taken part of a dating service?

A: No, I’m too much of a wimp!

Q: The two male heart throbs in this novel sound absolutely yummy! Was any aspect of the based off of a real person?

A: Haha, I wish! No, I based them more on my own personal fantasies and I used bits and pieces from other characters I like, and put them together in hopefully original ways.

Q: Other than Cassandra who was your favorite character to construct?

A: I had fun with all of them because they are so different, but I do have a soft spot for Medea, Cass’s assistant, simply because I think she is so much more than she seems.

Q:  What scene in the novel did you have the most fun writing?

A: Probably the first scene with Cain and Cass – it’s quite a tense, sexy scene and it was one I wrote very early in the process (I make a lot of notes and write character scenes before I start working) and I felt this summed up so much of the characters in  one short scene.

Q: Do you have any tips for aspiring authors?

A: Just keep at it, keep writing. I think lots of people want to ‘write a book’ but think that their first book will get published and make them a fortune but that’s simply not the case 99% of the time – you may end up chucking your first book in a drawer for years! So be patient and keep at it. I got my first short story published when I was 17, but I was 35 before my first novel was published. I’d also say make the work as good as you can and then let it go – if you keep polishing it until it’s absolutely perfect, no one will ever see it.

Q: What made you decide to self-publish this novel?

A: Having already published two books traditionally (albeit in different genres) I did originally consider the traditional print route but was struggling to find a publisher and everything seemed to take so long. So I thought, what the hell, get it out there, see what people think, rather than spending months waiting for an agent or publisher to get back to me… and so far the reaction has been great, I’m really thrilled.

Q: Can you give us any hints as to what may be in store in the next novel?

A: It’s going to be a little steamier as the love triangle becomes more complicated, and everyone will be dealing with the repercussions of the events in Dark Dates. There will also be more about Medea and Katie’s relationship when some very unwelcome visitors from their past make an appearance…