First Place Vampire, Author of Shadowbrook: Once Hungry, Twice Bitten
What inspired you to write this book?
Growing up, I've always been a keen reader of the vampire genre. I've watched countless episodes of "The Vampire Diaries," and I thought I would give it a try myself. I started writing "Shadowbrook" when I was sixteen, and I knew early on that I wanted to make my main character life-like and down to earth. I wanted to reach out to my readers emotionally, as many can relate to Erika in some way.
Why did you choose to diagnose Erika with cancer? To what extent will it affect the story?
I chose cancer because I'm sure everybody can relate to that in some way. We either know someone that has cancer or who has died from cancer, and it can affect us all in different ways. Cancer is an ongoing theme throughout the book, so it will have a huge impact on Erika and others around her. I've tried to find a balance because I didn't want her cancer to override the story plot, but I wanted to keep it realistic to what people go through on a daily basis.
How did you develop the town of Shadowbrook (from when you first had the idea to the last chapter of the book so far)?
I knew I wanted "Shadowbrook" to appear creepy and isolated. I wanted to give the town an eerie feeling because vampires are mysterious creatures of the night. The first few chapters show "Shadowbrook" to be beautiful with scenery that everybody can imagine. You start to wonder how vampires can inhabit such a picturesque place. As the story unfolds, I tried to add more depth that shows "Shadowbrook" isn't what it seems. The beautiful scenery masks the secrets that have lived in the town for centuries. "Mystic Falls" from the "The Vampire Diaries" was my main inspiration and helped me to create the idea surrounding the town of "Shadowbrook."
What is your advice to other writers who are interested in writing in the vampire genre?
My advice would be to do your research about Vampirism. It's like any book you write. You need to have a good idea about the genre you are planning to write about. Read a good selection of vampire books and see how the authors write theirs. You will find that many have similar themes, but a few stand out from the cliches because they have their own twist to them. The trick is to know the cliches in your genre, like what works and what doesn't work and then make it your own. The most important tip is to carry on writing even if you think it doesn't fit, it will get better in time.