Interview: Regan Summers + Giveaway

Filed in featured , Interview , Regan Summers , The Needy Lover Posted on January 26, 2012 @ 7:00 am 13 comments

Today, BLI’s very pleased to welcome author Regan Summers for a chat about her new book, Don’t Bite the Messenger. Regan talks for a bit about the adventures of her feisty protagonist, Sydney Kildare, and describes the dangerous environment found in her version of Anchorage, Alaska. Please give her a very warm welcome, and stay tuned at the end of this post for a special treat from Regan. ^_^

 

Alisha: Greetings Regan! Thank you so much for taking time out to visit BLI!

Regan: Thank you so much for having me! I’m so happy to be here.

Alisha: Can you please tell us a bit about Don’t Bite the Messenger–twitterstyle (140 characters or fewer)?

Regan: Messenger is the simple story of a hard-working girl and the handsome distraction and feuding vampires that stand between her and her dream.

Alisha: Rock on. Here’s a full description of the book for those whose interest has been piqued ^__^:

Publisher: Carina Press
Formats Available: e-Book, Kindle, Nook
Purchasing Info: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Carina Press, Powell’s Books

The vampire population may have created an economic boom in Alaska, but their altered energy field fries most technology. They rely on hard-living—and short-lived—couriers to get business done…couriers like Sydney Kildare. Sydney has survived to the ripe old age of twenty-six by being careful. She’s careful when navigating her tempestuous clients, outrunning hijackers and avoiding anyone who might distract her from her plan of retiring young to a tropical, vampire-free island.

Her attitude—and immunity to vampires’ allure—have made her the target of a faction of vampires trying to reclaim their territory. Her only ally is Malcolm Kelly, a secretive charmer with the uncanny habit of showing up whenever she’s in trouble. Caught in the middle of a vampire turf war, Sydney has to count on Malcolm to help her survive, or the only place she’ll retire is her grave…

Read an excerpt of Don’t Bite the Messenger

 

Alisha: Messenger has a very unique take on the setup of vampire society; for one thing, they must necessarily rely on human services to not only survive (e.g., be a blood source), but to thrive socially and financially. Which makes runners–human couriers for the vamps–both lucky and unlucky to be in a position to provide such important services. What types of people do you imagine end up as runners (or what kinds of circumstances lead them) in your world?

Regan: Runners value freedom above all else. They’re physical – you can hardly stop some of them from moving – and they can glide through their city like they’re operating on sonar. Beyond the standard dangers of the road, there are added risks to being a vampire courier, such as hijacking or falling victim to manipulate suckers.

It’s not a glamorous job, and you’ve got to win every night for years to make money at it. No parent dreams of their child growing up to be a runner, but ambitious, skilled kids at the loose ends of society can make a place for themselves in the ranks of a shop.

Alisha: Your protagonist, Sydney Kildare, is intense, independent, deadly, meticulous–and also witty and wry. Does any of her nature reflect your own? Are there major differences?

Regan: Oh, Syd’s far from an autobiographical character. We’re both focused, and I’d say we rely on our senses of humor to get through life, but she’s high energy and physically confident, where I’m more likely to step back and think through situations. Neither of us like to be backed into a corner, though.

Alisha: What kinds of protagonists draw you as a reader and as a writer?

Regan: I like confident, competent characters. People who’ve made something of themselves, even if it’s only a little due to their circumstances. I want to read about these determined people being taken out of their comfort zones or having what they love or have built threatened. I guess I like a fighter who has something they feel is worth fighting for.

Alisha: For a story featuring vampires, the far northern conditions of a place like Alaska make perfect sense. But it’s still so rare to see such! What interested you in setting your story in Anchorage?

Regan: Part of it is the old adage of writing what you know. I’m from Alaska, and it’s a colorful place even before you add vampires. The other part is that it just makes sense to me. I don’t like being housebound for a day due to bad weather. I can’t imagine being a powerful creature stuck behind drawn shades for half of every day for all eternity no matter how nice the house is.

Alisha: So very true. How do *you* spend those long, dark (vampire friendly!) Alaskan winters?

Regan: Daydreaming, mostly. A strong imagination can get you through an awful lot of gloom. And nothing beats a good game of Parcheesi. Strip Parcheesi, that is. Just kidding! (maybe)

Alisha: So, Don’t Bite the Messenger is the first in a brand new series of books. Do you have story arcs already in mind, or is the series direction pretty free-flowing?

Regan: I have the next few installments outlined, though I outline pretty loosely. I just finished the second story, and it unfurled more or less according to plan. A few more things got broken than I’d intended, and a certain charming somebody’s past turned out more complicated than I’d expected.

Alisha: Are there any other types of genres and tropes that you might like to work with in the future?

Regan: I have outlines for both a supernatural (not quite the same as paranormal) that spans several centuries, and a romantic epic fantasy. Oh, and there’s a demon-infested Western that’s been nagging at the back of my brain for awhile.

Alisha: Ooooh! Sounds like fun! ^_^ Regan, thank you for answering my questions! We very much appreciate your visit.

Regan: Happy to be here. Thank you for your time and for the great questions!

Where to find Regan:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~*~*Giveaway*~*~

Regan has generously offered a digital copy of Don’t Bite the Messenger to one lucky commenter!

All you have to do is leave a meaningful comment about Regan’s interview or tell us what you think are necessary qualities in a vampire courier (runner).
(You can read our full giveaway policy here)

Please be sure to include a valid email address in the comment form (need not be in the actual body of the comment).

This giveaway is open to all!

Giveaway ends on Saturday, February 4th, 2012; and we will announce the winner on Sunday.

Good luck!!!!

About Alisha


Alisha, the bespectacled and ever nerdy California girl, simply won't leave home without a book in hand. She loves language learnin' and is working toward becoming a bonafide grammar ninja. On any given day you'll find her haunting local libraries or baking scores of cupcakes and sweet treats.

Share This Post

Subscribe and stay up-to-date

Via E-Mail:

Follow us via RSS, twitter and facebook:

13 Comments

Join the Discussion
  • aurian January 26, 2012 at 7:24 am

    Great interview, thank you ladies! And Regan, good luck with all the books you have written and want to write!
    A vampire courier, well, has to be fast both on their feet, and with their minds, capable of talking themselves out of trouble. Of course vampires are stronger, so fighting them is not really an option. They will have to know how to keep a secret too. Client confidentially and such.

    I am intrigued by this, and want to read the book 🙂

  • Gena Robertson January 26, 2012 at 11:26 am

    SQUEE! I’m so glad to hear this is part of a series! I LOVE series, and I can’t wait to get my hands on this book to start with!
    I’ve always wanted to go to Alaska, the cover of this book is so beautiful, the story line is so different than the norm and I’m dying to read it!
    Regan, I haven’t played Parcheesi in years! Thank you for bringing back some great memories =)
    I hope 2012 brings you many golden opportunities so that you can crank out those wonderful sounding books! I’m looking forward to all of them!

    robertsongena@hotmail.com

  • Brenda Gallaher January 26, 2012 at 1:22 pm

    A human not taken in my a vampire’s lure. mmm… could be an interesting read. I hope I win so I can find out if she wins or not.

  • Riva Laughlin January 26, 2012 at 4:16 pm

    I love the idea of Alaskan vampires. It does make sense – in the winter at least. But, what do they do in the summer? And the runner idea also makes sense. There are always chores that need doing during the daytime.

  • Diane January 26, 2012 at 6:29 pm

    Qualities of a runner? Well you had better be fast, quick thinking and have a whole lot of bolt holes you can disappear to.

  • erinf1 January 27, 2012 at 10:01 am

    Awesome interview! I have been eyeing this book ever since I saw the awesome cover1 I love the premise… Sounds like Sydney has to be smart, fast and strong in order to survive as a runner!

  • Tamsyn January 27, 2012 at 10:17 am

    I really enjoyed the interview. The glimpses it gave of the storyline really makes you want to pick up the book now and read it. The cover is exactly what I think Sydney looks like! Thanks for sharing.

  • Victoria Zumbrum January 27, 2012 at 12:30 pm

    I think a courier should be fast and smart. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

  • bn100 January 27, 2012 at 3:58 pm

    I enjoyed reading the interview. This book sounds very good. A vampire courier will need to be fast and be able to get in and out of places quickly.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

  • MJB January 28, 2012 at 11:49 pm

    A vampire courier will need special powers besides their natural speed and strength.Perhaps they need to be able to be outside in the daytime to be the most useful.

  • LK January 30, 2012 at 5:51 pm

    Hm, I would say street smarts and maybe be a good runner? It certainly increases the chance of escaping when something goes awry.

    Thanks for sharing the interview!

    celeste_fiore(at)live(dot)com

  • Anna Dase January 31, 2012 at 12:44 am

    I like that this is set in Alaska it is gonna be awesome to see this world building and anxious to see if Sydney can retire to a vampire free island sounds interesting fingers crossed.
    berrylicious_cutie(at)hotmail(.)com

  • Sariah January 31, 2012 at 2:36 pm

    I really enjoyed the interview! I would have to say that you would need to be fast, quick on her feet and a good head on your shoulders. You never know what might happen. Thanks for a chance. Book sounds amazing.

    sariahwalters at gmail dot com

Previous Post
«
Next Post
»
Luvo designed by Internet Marketing In conjunction with Template Wordpress , R4 DS , Best SUV.