Blog Ring of Power--Interview with Denise Verrico

I hope everyone had a good weekend. Today I have Denise Verrico here to discuss her current work. This is Part Four of the Blog Ring of Power interview; click the links for Parts One, Two, and Three. The interview will conclude tomorrow at Dean's blog.

Denise has a special treat for us today: Comment and leave your email address to receive a free copy of Denise Verrico’s ANNALS OF THE IMMORTYLS, a trio of dark urban fantasy tales featuring characters from her Immortyl Revolution series.

Tell us about your new book—what is it about—and when it is out? Where can people purchase it?

Servant of the Goddess joins the heroine of my first two Immortyl Revolution books with the hero of my third.  Mia and Cedric are both strong and passionate personalities.  Cedric has escaped slavery and just suffered a horrible loss in India.  He arrives in New York with little but the clothes on his lovely body and his considerable wits and talent.  Mia has stood by her lover, Kurt, as he led his rebellion against the Immortyl establishment, but she’s restless in her role as consort.  Here comes this irreverent, hell-bent on revenge vampire kid, Cedric, with intimate knowledge of internal strife within the chief elder’s court.  Cedric is an adept of the ancient arts, the closest thing the Immortyl culture has to a rock star, and even Mia is smitten by his mystique.  The kid is a fire that brings Mia’s discontent to boil.  Needless to say, mayhem ensues.  Politics, both mortal and Immortyl come into play, and Mia and Kurt discover a disturbing turn of events in the race for immortality.


Is there anything new, unusual, or interesting about your book? How is it different from other books on the same subject? 

DV:  Well, the book is set in NYC in 2001.  I couldn’t ignore 9-11.  At first, I shied away from dealing with it, but then, I made the decision to make it integral to the plot.  The stakes of harnessing immortality become much higher in the post 9-11 world.  


What was the hardest part of writing this book?

DV: Writing about 9-11 was tough.  I’d jotted down some thoughts and feelings I had when it happened, never intending them to come into play in a fantasy novel.  We lived in Northern NJ, less than ten miles from Manhattan.  I saw the smoke plume from my house and workplace.  My husband worked in Times Square for Reuters.  Everything about that day came back to me when I was writing the chapters about 9-11.  I didn’t lose anyone that day.  Everyone I knew who worked there either didn’t make it to work or got out safely.  But like most people I know, I felt a mixture of sadness, fear and anger.  In the book, I wanted to deal with the event itself with taste and sensitivity.  I focused on the effect it has on my main characters and the difficulty it poses for a group that lives off the grid.

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

I like the exchanges between Mia and Cedric.  They are so different, yet so fundamentally alike.  She’s in her seventies, even if she looks twenty.   Cedric is twenty, and even though he’s worldly wise, he’s a reckless young man.  He loves rock music.  She hates it.  He’s wild and promiscuous.  She’s cautious and forced to be discreet in her sex life.  He’s spoiling for revenge, and she understands this is politically unwise.  Cedric sees Mia as the earthly manifestation of Durga, and she exploits his religious zeal to her ends.  I won’t give it all away, but this relationship raises sparks.  Red hot sparks. 

Kurt isn’t thrilled.


Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?

I can write a HEAFN ending.  Yes, it was difficult, but I did it.  Whew, I might have to turn in my Melancholic’s Anonymous card now and wear pastels.  No, not pastels--that would be too painful.


About the Author

Ms. Verrico is an Urban Fantasy author and New Jersey native who grew up in Western Pennsylvania. She attended Point Park College and majored in Theatre Arts. For seven seasons, she was a member of the Oberon Theatre Ensemble in NYC. Denise has loved vampire stories since childhood and is a fan of the Dark Shadows television series. Her books are published by L&L Dreamspell Publishing and include: Cara Mia (Book One of the Immortyl Revolution Series), Twilight of the Gods (Book Two of the Immortyl Revolution Series), and My Fearful Symmetry (Book Three of the Immortyl Revolution Series). She currently lives in Ohio with her husband, son, and her flock of seven spoiled parrots.

For excerpts of the Immortyl Revolution Series, character profiles and the Immortyl Lexicon visit www.deniseverricowriter.webs.com

For insider information on the series visit www.ImmortylRevolution.blogspot.com


SOTG Denise Verrico Links:
My website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Cedric
Servant of the Goddess Excerpt
My Trailer

Amazon:
My Amazon Page
Servant of the Goddess Trade PB
Servant of the Goddess Kindle

Barnes and Noble:
Servant of the Goddess Trade PB and Nook