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Hello again Vagabonds! Please welcome author and friend Charles O'Keefe on the blog again. He is on tour for his debut urban fantasy read, The Newfoundland Vampire. He is here to talk about why he wrote the book in the first place. So please check out O'Keefe's guest post and how where you can buy this fun read.
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Why I wrote The Newfoundland Vampire
While not usually the most profound person there is a line from a Madonna song that goes “an unexamined life is not worth living” and I have to agree with her. I think one of the best parts about being a creative person is the ability to look at your own life and imagine how it could have been different. What if you had gone out with that woman from residence instead of meeting someone online? What if you had taken that job out of town instead of playing it safe with one close by? What if vampires were real? What if you met one, would you want to be turned?
Obviously some questions can go more into fantasy that just what ifs but my point is that for me writing “The Newfoundland Vampire” wasn’t just an exploration of the vampire nature (along with some geeky fun, sex and plenty of action of course), it was also a journey down memory lane, with a twist. If you had the chance to make different choices, would you? For me I think my life could have turned out very different with different choices made and while in reality I can’t change the past, in a fantasy setting like my novel, I could do whatever I wanted.
I’m not saying I’m unhappy with my life but like most people I wonder, think about the road not taken. I think if a certain sexy redheaded vampire was real, I would have followed her anywhere. Aside from all this introspection, I also wanted to produce something using my imagination and be recognized for it, have people appreciate it and even make a little money.
Letting your imagination take off and bringing a story to life is a great thrill, one that couldn’t have happened without Pat (my editor at Penumbra), friends, family and my own determination. Putting out a novel isn’t easy, it’s a labour of love but one for me that was well worth it in the end. Joseph, my alter ego and main character of the book, gets to do things I never will (as well as things I would never want to do). I wanted to express my feelings and ideas on topics both fun and serious, my love of Dungeons and Dragons, board games and Star Trek. The importance of helping others, helping the environment, being a vegetarian and caring for your family and friends is all in there too.
Writing this book was the best way I could think of to express my thoughts, feelings and my imaginary world. I hope you’re spend some time there, it’s something I want to share with everyone and it’s a place where I hope you’ll have as much fun learning about as I did creating.
Oh and don’t worry, there’s more stories to come, book two should be out sometime later this year. Thanks for stopping by and I hope to hear from you sometime in the future.
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Book Blurb from Goodreads
Like every other geek alive, Newfoundland native Joseph O’Reily secretly wants to be a superhero. At thirteen he fantasized about being a vampire, and ten years later he’s still fantasizing – but mostly about a beautiful redheaded woman who has eyes only for him. The one thing different about Joseph’s adult fantasy is that, amazingly, it comes true one night when he goes to a local university pub. Cassandra Snow, literally the woman of his dreams, invites him to her place for an evening of personal pleasure. Of course he’s not going to say no. But when strange things start happening afterward, Joseph quickly learns that not all dreams should come true.
Cassandra has plans for him – forever. And those plans don’t include daytime activities. An animal lover and recent vegetarian, Joseph wrestles with all the weird changes he’s experiencing after his encounter with Cassandra. Eternal youth and amazing power come at a price that is perhaps higher than he can afford. The constant hunger for blood and the secrets Cassandra harbors test his resolve and his mental and physical limits. And then there’s the fact that a two-hundred-year-old vampire is after his head – literally.
Joseph’s night vision improves dramatically, giving him a glimpse of the darker side of the world and the terrible evil of vampires who walk among humans. As he tries to balance his regular life with the new reality of his vampire existence, he is determined to hold onto his personal convictions and what he values most – his humanity.
Buy here:
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About Charles O'Keefe:
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Check out my 4 star review here:
Charles O'Keefe Interview HERE
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Oh no! The main character is a recent vegetarian! Lol. That sounds awesome. Thanks for sharing this one. :)
ReplyDelete@Melissa (My World...in words and pages) I love the idea of him being a vegetarian. It plays a big part in the book actually. It was a great read and Charles is working on the sequel right now. Thank you hon and you are welcome :)
ReplyDeleteHi D and Melissa :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment (and thanks to D for hosting =)
I'm a vegetarian in real life so it seemed natural to make Joseph one (since he's more or less me at 23). I hope you'll consider reading my book, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it :-) And yes a sequel is coming this summer hopefully (it's already written in rough form =)