THE TRUTH ABOUT VAMPIRES Book Tour: Character Interview and Giveaway with Theresa Meyers

An Interview with Dimitri Dionotte

Today we’re joined by Pacific News Tribune reporter Kristen Reed who recently broke the story of vampires coming out of the coffin in Seattle. She’s kindly offered to share her interview with Dmitri Dionotte, Trejan of Seattle’s Cascade Clan of vampires so we can get an in-depth look at their culture from an insider.

Welcome!

K: Thanks for having us here at Book of Secrets. I’m Kristin Reed and I’ve got Dmitri Dionotte here with me today to offer us a little insight into what it means to be vampire in 2011.

D: *shifts in his chair but says nothing*

K: Mr. Dionotte, you’re Trejan of the Cascade Clan, can you tell us a little bit about your role and why it was so important for you to be part of the unveiling of vampires to mortals?

D: Please, call me Dmitri. As Trejan, I’m the second in command of our clan, rather like your country’s Vice President. My role is to protect and lead the clan at the behest of our Laird, Roman Peterov. As such it fell to me to be the contact point when it came time to reveal our presence. We didn’t want to scare mortals too badly. It can be quite a shock to realize you’ve been living with vampires all along and just never knew it.

K: Vampires have actually been around a lot longer than we realized. Why did you wait so long to come out of the coffin?

D: First of all we don’t sleep in coffins as I’m sure you’re now aware. *winks at Kristin* Second, it may seem like a long time ago to humanity, but vampires haven’t forgotten the burning times. It’s only been a few hundred years since our kind were hunted down like animals.

K: But people do strange things when they’re frightened.

D: Certainly.

K: And you vampires can be quite frightening.

D: *give Kristin a wicked slow grin* Are you frightened now?

K: *rolls her eyes* Can we focus on the interview, Dmitri?

D: Certainly. I believe you were saying people act out of character when frightened. That’s true. But it’s the misinformation circulated about us by the media and entertainment industries that’s most damaging. Most vampires are very civilized. We see ourselves as symbiotic partners with mortals, not predators.

K: Misinformation? Could you clarify for us?

D: Garlic, stakes, holy water are all fabrications. We’re human just as you mortals, just modified by the virus that’s changed our genetic coding.

K: But you’re undead.

D: Precisely. Vampire straddles between life and death. It is neither, and yet of both, but is still something wholly its own.

K: So if all those things are fake, what’s real about you?

D: We’re ageless from the time we are fully transitioned. We can be hurt, killed even, if we are beheaded or burned. Silver is disruptive to our nervous system, and can weaken us. Dead Man’s Blood is a fast-acting poison that can incapacitate us for long periods of time. All our senses are sharper than yours and we have more strength. Because of that we don’t linger in the sunlight, it can produce a horrible migraine headache and in some cases severe sun-burn. We also don’t like exceeding strong scents. Bleach is one of my least favorite.

K: And what about reading minds and glamours? You guys are the ultimate predators, aren’t you?

D: Again, I’d like to clarify that we aren’t predators. Yes, it’s true that vampires can talk to one another via mental telepathy. We can also infiltrate the human mind of less strong-willed individuals and bend it to our desires, which is what you call a glamour. We also change to suit the most intimate fantasies of the mortal we’re with, whatever they may be. It allows us an edge against mortals. By all counts if you’re engaged in a relationship with a vampire it should be a mutually beneficial, and very enjoyable experience. If it’s not, then you’re with the wrong vampire.

K: Now I know you never intended to become a vampire. Can you tell me a little about that?

D: Before I became one, I hunted them for the church. I was on a hunt one night, leading my flock as their priest, when I was captured and emprisoned by an ancient vampiress named Larissa. She changed many, but I think she especially enjoyed stripping the soul out of me. I vowed I would never change another. I hated what I had become, but could not deny that even among vampires there were those with needs for a leader, a person to protect and care for them. I grew into the role of Trejan over the centuries but the memories of my past still influence my decisions today.

K: How do the reviers, like Vane, play a role in your society?

D: They don’t. They exist outside of our well-ordered clan. We are vampires who eat to live. They are vampires who live to eat. It would be smart not to confuse the two.

K: Thanks. Um, next question. What’s been the toughest thing for you about being a vampire?

D:*looks Kristin deeply in the eyes* Watching my mortal lover almost die in my arms and having to turn her. I never meant to turn you without your consent, you know that don’t you?

K: *brushes at fall of blonde bangs over her eyes* OK, next question. What do vampires really want?

D: Simple. What do mortals really want? Remember we’re both still human. Nothing’s changed but some DNA sequencing.

K: But that changes everything.

D: You wanted the truth about vampires, didn’t you?

K: *nods head slowly, looking at him suspiciously*

D: *gives her a slow, sexy smile and leans forward brushing his finger down the inside of her wrist* Some things are better shown, than explained.

K: That’s all we have time for today. Thanks for joining us, Dmitri. Thanks to Book of Secrets for inviting us. *grabs Dmitri’s hand and makes a hasty exit*

About the Book:

Pulling back the veil on a world shrouded in darkness, Theresa Meyers' stunning debut reveals a sinfully handsome vampire whose secret is about to exposed...

All her life Seattle reporter Kristin Reed sought her breakout story. She never thought she'd find it in the crimson lair of a real life creature of the night. Kristin never believed vampires existed—until with dark brooding eyes and a decadent chocolate scent, Dmitri Dionotte called out to her...

Dmitri and his clan's true nature was cloaked in secrecy until a warring vampire order threatened their existence. Kristin was just the woman he needed. She couldn't resist their story...or Dmitri. Her blood pulsed hot and furious when he touched her, and with his kiss, all logic fled. But each night she spent with her vampire lover brought her closer to death and destruction. A death not even an immortal could triumph over.

Release Date: March 1, 2011
Buy from Harlequin, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.

About the Author:

Raised by a bibliophile who made the dining room into a library, Theresa has always been a lover of books and stories. First a writer for newspapers, then for national magazines, she started her first novel in high school, eventually enrolling in a Writer's Digest course and putting the book under the bed until she joined Romance Writers of America in 1993. In 2005 she was selected as one of eleven finalists for the American Title II contest, the American Idol of books. She is married to the first man she ever went on a real date with (to their high school prom), who she knew was hero material when he suffered through having to let her parents drive, and her brother sit between them in the backseat of the car. They currently live in a Victorian house on a mini farm in the Pacific Northwest with their two children, three cats, an old chestnut Arabian gelding, an energetic mini-Aussie shepherd puppy, several rabbits, a dozen chickens and an out-of-control herb garden. You can find her online on Twitter, Facebook, at her Web site or blogging with the other Lolitas of STEAMED!

http://www.theresameyers.com/

http://www.theresameyers.com/blog/

Giveaway Details (US Only):

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Look at this sweet prize!  Theresa is giving away a signed paperback copy of The Truth About Vampires along with a coffee mug filled with chocolates.  Yum!  The contest is open to US addresses only.  To enter, leave a comment or question for Theresa, or answer this question:

We've discovered that vampires are real.  If you were a reporter interviewing a vampire for the first time, what would you ask him?

Please leave a way to contact you in your comment.  Of course, you are welcome to comment even if you're not entering the contest!  The contest is open until Sunday, 3/6/2011, at 11:59 pm Central Time.  Good luck!