Author Spotlight – Andrea Cooper and “The Garnet Dagger”

I love featuring my fellow writers, and this morning I’ve got another excellent one for you to meet: Andrea Cooper…

Growing up in Houston, Texas, Andrea has always created characters and stories. But it wasn’t until she was in her late twenties that she started writing novels.

What happened that ignited the writing flame in her fingers? Divorced, and disillusioned by love songs and stories. They exaggerate. She thought. Love and Romance are not like that in the real world. Then she met her husband and realized, yes love and romance are exactly like the songs and stories say. She is now a happy wife, and a mom to three kids (two boys and a girl).

Andrea writes paranormal and historical romance. When not writing or reading, one may find Andrea dancing in Zumba.

She believes in the power of change and counting each moment as a blessing. But most importantly, she believes in love.

You can follow Andrea at her website, on Facebook and on Twitter.  And here’s an interview with her…

Who is your favorite author? I have many, but if I had to narrow it down to one, I’d say Terry Goodkind. It was his books in the fantasy genre that got me addicted and writing.

How do you describe your writing style? I’m a pantser. I hate outlining and will only do that if the characters and I are at a lost. I do know round-about how the story will end, but getting there I throw the map out the window. So far it has worked for me and given me (and hopefully the reader) some exciting surprises along the way.

Use no more than two sentences. Why should we read your book? It’s entertaining and a new concept of a Vampire Elvin.

Have any of your characters been modeled after yourself? All of my characters have slivers of me. And some are complete opposite.

If you could exchange lives with any of your characters for a day which character would you choose and why? Celeste, because not only is she a witch, but she lives in a magical land (even though it’s ordinary to her).

What books have most influenced your life? Terry Goodkinds’ Sword of Truth series, Anne Bishop The Black Jewels, Kim Harrison’s The Hollows, Yasmine Galenorn’s Indigo Court series, and House of night series by Kristen and PC Cast. Many reviewers have read The Garnet Dagger and compared my work to Hemingway, Tolkien, and George R.R. Martin – which is strange to me because I’ve only read a page of Hemingway in High School. I didn’t read Tolkien until years after I wrote my trilogy or Martin because growing up, any type of book with magic or mythical creatures was not allowed – even though I craved those books (seriously, I couldn’t even watch Disney). As an adult, I started reading the more recent fantasy novels, but now I’ve read Tolkien and Martin is on my TBR list because I love The Game of Thrones TV series.

If you could select one book that you could rewrite and add your own unique twist on, which book would that be and why? This is a tough one. It’s not really a book, but I’d take the old movie Wolfman character and amp him up and make him sexy and dangerous.

Beatles or Monkees? Why? Both were a little before my time. But although I love the upbeat music of the Monkees, I’ll have to go with the Beatles. Why? Because one of my favorite singers, Sam Philips, was heavily influenced by them.

Who should play you in a film of your life? Allison Miller

Her book is “The Garnet Dagger”

Everyone knows what happens when a vampire bites a human…but what if the victim is Elvin?

Forbidden to cross the Elvin barrier into human lands, Brock cannot sate his curiosity. Cursed by a vampyre bite that forces him to feed on the life-essence of others, he is unable to touch another without taking their life. Chained by prophesy, he must find a witch, pierce her heart, and draw her blood for his cure.

Celeste must escape the monks who have held her prisoner for years. Her magic has been kept dormant by her captors. An ancient powerful Warloc craves her powers. If he succeeds in devouring her magic, she and his world will die.

When Brock falls in love with Celeste before realizing her demise is his cure, will love triumph over his desire to be healed? Will he risk everything to save her from a Warloc, an oath breaker, who also wants her dead?

You can buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Crimson Romance books, and the Apple iBookstore.  And you can view the video trailer for the book right here.

Last, but definitely not least, here’s an excerpt to whet your appetite for the rest of the book:

I’ve known death. For over half a millennia, I escorted many to death at the end of my sword. In the eyes of the dying, I watched it shroud them. Foolishly, I thought many more eras would pass before death came for me. It came so swiftly that I could not run; I could not escape. At a village, dressed in human clothes, I took in everything. By observing for eons, I understood and spoke their language. The world of mankind fascinated me. Their hobbled homes burrowed into the ground.

Rocks crunched on top one another with thatched roofs woven from straw. Never had I seen a home or inn that was higher than three levels, as if they were afraid of the sky. I delayed my return to my people as I watched human jugglers bounce torches and knifes. It was autumn equinox and the festivities would continue well into the night. Children laughed as they chased each other. A trail of leaves from their costumes twirled after them. It was dark when I reached the forest. Since I was already late, I hiked uphill to a shortcut rather than take the long path back home. I didn’t need to alert any of my kind near the barrier at this hour. Liana would wonder why I was late.

Tonight was the two month anniversary of our hand twining ceremony. One more month as was custom, and then we’d be wed. A gasp rustled through the trees. The roots shot a warning through to me with stifled caution. Adjusting my pack, I continued on instead of changing back into my Elvin clothes. After I passed the border which kept humans from entering our land, then I’d change. In the distance, I heard a groan. Curious, I spun in the direction of the sound. The autumn wind breezed through my worn human clothes, chilling me. But someone needed help. I turned in the direction of the sounds. Whatever made the noise should be a few yards ahead.

I hiked slower than my normal speed, so as not to startle whatever human called out. My leather boots crunched upon dried, diseased leaves and bark. Horrified, I glanced up. Branches twisted around each other to suffocating. Lifeless limbs cracked in the wind. Flesh of the trees sloughed off in layers, exposing its bones. Gashes hollowed out chunks of warmth. Fragments of leaves clung to finger tips, marking sepulchers of the dying trees. Trees mourned with wails like splitting wood, and I brought my hands over my ears. I must flee before I became infected, they told me. Flee before the stain of this defilement creeps into you, they warned. Trees spoke to my kind, always had. Yet these trees were in such agony of death that I could not breathe. Felt as though my lungs had folded in on themselves, like a moth unable to break loose from its cocoon.

Nothing I could do for them, and if I lingered too long, whatever disease gnawed upon them may choke me. Where would I go if I carried something so foul as to devour trees from the inside out? I’d never return to Tamlon if I brought this infection with me. I drew away, but a movement at the base of a decaying tree to my right caught me. My night vision picked up the sight of a human. His sallow face seemed to glow in the moonlight. Poking out from rags lay his arms and legs, which resembled skin stretched over sticks. So cadaverous was his face, I’d have thought him dead if he hadn’t moved.

“Please,” he said and his voice sounded like cicada’s vibrations, “help me.”

“What ails you in this troubled place?” I wondered if my voice, foreign to my ears in speaking the human’s language, revealed my nature.

“I am lost.” His dark eyes crinkled around the corners. “Without strength to rise. If you would but assist me up, I’ll be on my way.”

I’d never touched a human on purpose before. Was it that that gave me pause, or dread that stilled my heart? My feet itched to flee. As soon as I helped him, then I’d leave. I gritted my teeth and reached a hand down.

His gnarled fingers snapped on my arm, making me wince. Jerking me forward, his face contorted. Surprised by his strength, I fell beside him. Blackness curled around me. Teeth, fangs, broke through the skin on my neck. Then I knew him for what he was, a vampyre.

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