Virtual Book Tour: The Undead Space Initiative by Casey Wyatt & Giveaway!!

Welcome, Casey to Mark of the Stars. It is a pleasure to have you here. Can you tell us about your new release , The Undead Space Initiative?

CW: Thank you so much for having me here today!

The Undead Space Initiative is a paranormal romance about a vampire stripper named Cherry Cordial. Cherry rescues a vampire hottie named Ian McDevitt from a gang of blood thirsty revenants and soon regrets it. When the vampire queen is murdered, she and Ian are the number one suspects. Her only choices are escape to Mars, where she has a chance to survive, or remain on Earth and die for sure.

Describe your heroine, Cherry, in three words.

CW: Sassy, adventurous, loyal

What traits does the hero, Ian, posses that makes Cherry swoon?

CW: Ian is incredibly charming, handsome, and sexy. What woman wouldn’t swoon? Ian also lives as a rogue, independent of vampire society’s accepted structure. That’s really appealing to Cherry. She yearns for more in life and Ian is about to help her get it, whether she’s ready or not!

Here’s a brief scene between them:

Reality settled in. We were leaving the Earth. I’d be strapped into a tube and hurtled into space. If we survived the journey, I’d be on my way to Mars.

My kneecaps dissolved to water. I clutched the railing, trying to calm my stomach and stay upright.

“You don’t have to go, Cherry,” Ian said from behind me.

I stiffened. His offer seemed more tempting by the minute, yet I couldn’t abandon my family. “I’m afraid to board the ship. But I can’t disobey my sire.”

“You could ask him to emancipate you. You’re plenty old enough.”

“Why are you still here?” Old enough? No woman likes to be told she’s old. Especially when it’s true.

“Concerned is all,” he shrugged and joined me by the railing. He stared out, side profile as handsome as the full frontal.

“Don’t be. I’m a big girl,” I chirped with way more bravado than I felt. Now I knew what Alice experienced when she fell into the rabbit hole. Afraid, confused. Freaked out. I reminded myself Jonathan was a great leader. Even though we had our personal baggage, he would do his best to ensure we survived. He hadn’t let us down yet.

Heavy machines moved into position. The workers unlatched more hoses, wires and mechanical items from the ship’s side. Blood pounded in my head, caused by my tight jaw and grinding teeth.

“I didn’t mean to offend. Or imply Jonathan can’t defend you.” Ian’s voice softened. The low tone made my toes curl. “I hoped we could prove our innocence together.”

What was your inspiration for this story?

CW: The story popped into my head, the concept almost fully formed.  I had the name and her dilemma in a flash while I was driving my car.  I clearly remember the words: Cherry Cordial, vampire stripper forced to flee to Mars.

How did you get started writing?

CW: As a kid, I used to make up stories and keep them in a notebook, but it wasn’t until the mid-nineties that I decided to make a serious go of it. I struggled for a long while, starting and stopping books, unable to finish anything to my satisfaction. Eventually, I stopped writing in 2004. But I never forgot my characters or the unfinished stories. They drove me nuts. I got serious in 2009 when I found Kelley Armstrong’s NaNo tips. She filled in the last bit of the puzzle for me – I needed to plot my stories! After that, everything fell into place. I finished three books and sold two of them in 2011.

What genres do you write in, and what appeals to you about those genres?

CW: I write paranormal romance. I want to write a true Urban Fantasy, but romance always creeps in. Originally, I thought The Undead Space Initiative would be an Urban Fantasy, but it didn’t turn out that way.

I chose the genre because I’ve always loved fantasy and sci-fi and I read tons of it growing up. I still do. I enjoy the otherworldly creatures, the magic, and the fantastic adventure.

What other titles do you have published?

CW: My other published novel is Mystic Ink. It’s a paranormal romance that takes place in Mystic, CT. The main character is Nix, a talented tattoo artist who keeps finding dead mortals in the alley next to her tattoo shop.  Her love interest, Calder Quinne, is a supernatural police officer sent to investigate. The premise behind this story is what if the Gods and Goddesses of old still lived among us? This is the first book in the series.

What are you working on now?

CW: I just completed another paranormal romance called Misfortune Cookie. And I’m in the process of completing Mystic Storm, the next book after Mystic Ink.

Can you describe your daily writing routine?

CW: I work a full time day job so I write for a few hours in the evening. I also don’t actively write every day. The actual writing process is rather fast for me since I plot my books ahead of time.

What genres do you enjoy reading?

CW: Paranormal romance, science fiction, fantasy, contemporary romance, non-fiction (mostly history), YA, children’s books and some literary fiction. So basically, almost any kind of book!

What author(s) have influenced your writing style?

CW: I don’t know that any particular author has influenced my style. I would say, if anything, they helped validate my style. I like to write fast paced books infused with some snark and magical elements. Knowing that other authors have been published with similar voices encourages me!

Where do your best ideas come from?

CW: They all come from some magical part of my brain that seems to activate when I’m not thinking about writing. I’ve learned to recognize those ideas and to write them down. I used to argue with myself and discount them. I’ve since learned not to do that!

What is the best piece of advice you would give to aspiring authors?

CW: Don’t spend years and years writing one book. There is such a thing as polishing the life right out of your story. Writing is a craft and it takes practice. Lots and lots of practice. Each book you write will only make you a better writer. If you spend all your time on one story or one series, then you risk stifling your growth as a writer.

Where can my readers find you?

CW: I’m all over the internet. I can be found on Facebook, Twitter and at my blog. I love to make new friends, so stop by and say hello!

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Tumblr

Where can my readers find your books?

CW: My books are on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and various other third party sites. Thank you so much. It’s been fun!

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Pink Petal Books

Thank you very much for visiting us today!

Author Giveaway!!

Casey will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card and an e-copy of Mystic Ink to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Be sure to follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:  http://www.goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/07/virtual-book-tour-undead-space.html

The Undead Space Initiative:

Cherry Cordial, vampire stripper extraordinaire, spectacularly messes up her life with a single act of kindness. How could she have known when she rescued gorgeous rogue Ian McDevitt that she would be implicated in the vampire queen’s murder? Soon, she faces the wrath of the entire vampire community. To escape retribution, she joins a settlement program to colonize Mars. Her choices are grim: hurtle through space to the red planet to face the unknown and possible death, or stay on Earth and face certain annihilation. To make things even more complicated, a certain gorgeous rogue seems to be shadowing her every move…

Excerpt:

Life sucks, then you die. It’s a universal truth. But here’s what’s scarier. Even in death, life can still suck.

Case in point … wait for it….

“Cherry! Get your skinny ass up on stage!” Jonathan barked through my dressing room door. How do I describe him? Pain in my rump? Benefactor? Reason for my current situation? None of them seem adequate. His main occupation? Yelling at me to perform and to make him money. And he’s always interrupting. Never lets a girl have even a moment to think.

“I’m on my way. Geez Louise.” I flung open the door, narrowly missing Jonathan’s long Roman nose. The tops of his fangs peeked out from his full lips as he smiled at me. This was a game we liked to play. I would try to smack him with the door whenever possible.

Okay, it was a game I liked to play. I’ve never managed to nail him in the face. My vampire sire is too damned fast.

Jonathan tsked and crooked his finger. A slow smile curled his lips. “Cherry, I don’t know why I put up with you.”

“Of course you do. I’m your number one performer.” I flashed fang. My pearly whites are nowhere near as long as his, but they can still do the job. Due to feed soon, I tried not to stare at Jonathan’s jugular. I hated needing my sire’s blood to stay strong and avoid overpowering hunger. The kind, if left untended long enough, that made vamps go feral. I buried my nose in a bouquet of fragrant red roses, a gift from one of my many fans.

Jonathan smirked. Damn. I hated when he caught me eyeing him like a roast. Another game we liked to play – I pretended I didn’t need him. And he pretended not to notice. We both knew otherwise.

I needed him.

Crap on toast.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Casey Wyatt has no personal knowledge of the paranormal, but she hopes someday that may change. If there are ancient Gods, elves or satyrs living nearby, they’re more than welcome to visit. Bring pizza and chocolate please!

Her paranormal romance and urban fantasy novels have won or placed in numerous RWA contests. When not writing, Casey enjoys time with her family, loves to read, and enjoys knitting and crocheting.

She lives in a bustling Connecticut town with her husband, two sons and an assortment of pets (none of which are shape-shifters).

Visit Casey here:

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Tumblr