Interview with Tamara Lowery, author of HELL’S DODO

Hello Pat. Thank you for giving me this venue and opportunity to share a little bit about myself with fans and potential fans. I truly appreciate that you do things like this for fellow authors.

What is your book about?

Hell’s Dodo, book 5 in the Waves of Darkness series, recounts the adventures of the pirate Viktor Brandewyne aka Bloody Vik Brandee in his quest to find Auntie Clarissa, fifth of seven Sisters of Power. He must find the Sisters and perform seemingly impossible tasks or quests to gain their magical help towards breaking the curse that has made him a living vampire.

Clarissa sends him to find, among other things, a dragon’s egg and a dodo’s egg. His journey takes him from Colonial Savannah to Salem to the tip of South America as well as the Indian Ocean and Indonesia, with a side trip to New Orleans.

I do not have the cover from my publisher yet.

It is slated for a mid-November release by Gypsy Shadow Publishing (http://gypsyshadow.com)

Tell us about your main characters. Who is your favorite? Why?

Viktor, the main character, actually did an interview with you a few years ago (around the end of 2012 https://patbertram.wordpress.com/2012/12/12/viktor-brandewyne-main-character-of-the-waves-of-darkness-series-by-tamara-a-lowery/). He is a pirate-turned-vampire, and he is very good at what he does.

Belladonna is a man-eating siren (half-shark/half-human, but can take full human form). She accidentally bound herself to Viktor when she took a bite out of his shoulder. Her visions and weather magic aide Vik in finding the Sisters.

Hezekiah Grimm aka the Grimm Reaper is Vik’s first mate but has sailed as a pirate captain in his own right. He’s about six or seven years older than Vik and serves to balance out his captain’s intensity; however, he is just as ruthless as Viktor. He didn’t earn the moniker Reaper for nothing.

Lazarus most often appears as a large black tom cat and sometimes as a raven. He was once Vik’s erstwhile first mate, Jim Rigger. He was magically transformed shortly after he became Viktor’s second blood meal.

It is hard to pick a favorite; they’re all fun to write. Belladonna is probably the most interesting to write, however. She isn’t human; she’s ancient despite appearances (she frequently visited the library at Alexandria before the fire, to give you an idea of her age); she is a predator in the truest sense; these combine to make her a challenge to write. As a predatory creature, some human emotions can be a struggle for her.

How long did it take you to write your book?

Hell’s Dodo took me a little more than two years to write, nearly twice as long as it predecessors in the series. I made the mistake of juggling it with two other writing projects, both of which have been shelved for after the completion of this story arc in the series. (One is a stand-alone fantasy novel based on a dream I had. The other is a Steampunk serial adventure.)

What is your goal for this book, ie: what do you want people to take with them after they finish reading the story?

I want my readers to be entertained. I want them to feel they got their money’s worth in adventure and escapism. I want them hungry for the next book to find out what happens next (although I try to avoid cliff hanger endings). If any of my readers find some kind of “message,” “statement,” or political agenda in this series, it resides solely in their own minds, not mine. I loathe politics.

What’s your writing schedule like? Do you strive for a certain amount of words each day?

In this, I am definitely atypical from what I’ve seen of other authors’ answer to this type of question. I do not have a words-per-day quota. The majority of my writing is done by hand during work breaks. I very rarely write at home or on the weekends because of my work schedule and practical demands on my time during my time off from work. Plus, there are too many distractions at home to make getting in any writing mind set easy.

What are you working on right now?

I just finished writing the first draft of book six, The Daedalus Enigma, in September. I’m currently writing the first draft of the seventh book, Maelstrom of fate. I also have a short story of Lovecraftian horror to polish up and submit for the horror anthology The Nameless for Ironclad Press (http://ironcladpress.com). The deadline on that is fast approaching.

When were you first published? How were you discovered?

My first book, Blood Curse, was published by Gypsy Shadow Publishing in 2011. I contracted with them after four years of collecting rejection slips from agents and publishers alike. I found Gypsy Shadow through Facebook. Beth Wylde (the pen name of a published friend of mine; she primarily writes lesbian erotica) had liked their page. I investigated their website and saw that my book would fit in nicely with their catalogue. They were a new indie press, but had recently signed famed sci-fi/fantasy author Elizabeth Ann Scarborough to re-release her backlog titles she’d regained the rights to as ebooks. I figured if someone who’d been in the industry as long as she had trusted them, I’d give them a try. It paid off.

Have you written any other books?

Yes. Hell’s Dodo will be my fifth published novel. The first four, in order, are Blood Curse, Demon Bayou, Silent Fathoms, and Black Venom. I also have an ebook-only dark fantasy short story, In the Dead of Winter, with Gypsy Shadow. I have several other writing projects patiently awaiting my attention and time.

What has been your greatest internal struggle to overcome in relation to your writing career?

Anxiety over confrontation, even in situations that are really non-confrontational. It is entirely irrational, but something I deal with frequently. In the past, I’ve allowed it to delay me in doing things to further my writing career. I suppose mild self-doubt is at the core of it; and I’m a notorious procrastinator.

What genre are your books?

They are adventure/horror, but my other projects range across several genres: horror, Steampunk, fantasy, and dystopian. I may even foray back into space opera, my first love in my teen years. (I’ve been a Star Wars fan since I saw Episode 4 at the drive-in back in ’77, and I grew up on Star Trek and Lost In Space. Yes, I AM that old. I’ve got scars older than half my coworkers.)

Do your characters ever take on a life of their own?

Most definitely. They often reveal what they are going to do during the writing process; things that have no connection to ANY of my plot points or notes. They even defy me on what I want them to do, sometimes. For example, it wasn’t until the first chapter of book six that I learned WHY one of my antagonists made a pet out of a minor character rather than kill him in book 3. Her reasoning proved sound and will provide readers with some fan service regarding Viktor. So, I’ve learned to just roll with it when the characters take over. I can always edit it out later, if necessary.

If your book was made into a TV series or movie, what actors would you like to see playing your characters?

Two of the original actors I wanted have aged out of the roles now. In all honesty, they were aged out when I first picked them. It could still work if the film(s) were done CGI/motion-capture like Beowulf was done.

Viktor Brandewyne: Liam Neeson (even though Vik is half Cherokee)

Hezekiah Grimm: Willem Dafoe (I think he’d make a great pirate)

Belladonna: Avril Lavigne (provided she can act; I know she can sing)

Uncle Zeke (the wizard of Hell’s Breath Island): Morgan Freeman (he will NEVER age out)

I really don’t have any particular actors in mind for any of the other characters.

Where can people learn more about your books?

My website (which seems to be in a constant state of construction lately, as I add to and tweak it) is Tamara Lowery’s Scribblings (http://talowery.wordpress.com). I have all my books listed there along with purchase links for Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, and Books-A-Million for each title. I have linked the various reviews they’ve received, as well. The site also hosts character profiles, a “Readers’ Refuge” for various excerpts and deleted scenes, and my weekly blog.

Gypsy Shadow Publishing has an author page for me. http://gypsyshadow.com/TamaraLowery.html#top

On Facebook, my page is http://facebook.com/Waves.of.Darkness and my discussion group, Waves of Darkness and Other Writings of Tamara Lowery is http://facebook.com/groups/1567756800150981

Thank you again for having me.

Thank you for letting me interview you!

Interview with Belladonna, hero of HELL’S DODO by Tamara Lowery

Hello Pat, I finally convinced Belladonna, one of the major characters in my Waves of Darkness series to agree to an interview. Thanks for this opportunity. ~ Tamara Lowery

Who are you?

(laughs) A more accurate question would be “What are you?”

I am Belladonna, eldest daughter of the great sea dragon Theonikos, which makes me a siren.

Do you embrace conflict?

Life is conflict. yes, I embrace conflict. Occasionally I even incite it; the chemical changes it causes in the bodies of my prey add flavor to the meat.

How do you see yourself?

I am a predator. For the most part, my prey is sentient. There have been times when I’ve had to settle for sharks, but I prefer mermaids or humans.

Do you think the author portrayed you accurately?

Most definitely, although I object to her attempts to humanize me. Any human traits I exhibit are merely learned habits I use to blend in with my prey or to capitalize on their weaknesses. I do like to play with my food.

She does at least recognize the difference between a mermaid and a siren. I know that my shark tail in my true form rather than human guise could cause some confusion on the matter. (extends fingers to 10-inch razor-sharp talons and grins literally ear-to-ear to reveal multiple rows of needle-like teeth) However, mermaids do not eat sirens, nor can they take human form.

Well, I should correct that. True mermaids are blonde and cannot take human form. Sirens have red hair and can take human form. The rare males can also transform into sea dragons capable of swallowing a ship whole. Viktor Brandewyne (pauses in irritation) sired a merman on a mermaid. The new strain in the species has black hair and can take human form. At least the dark-haired ones cannot breed with humans like the purebreds. As it is, they breed like guppies and are quickly becoming the dominant strain in the species. (frowns in disgust)

Do you have a goal?

It used to be to regain my freedom. I once made the mistake of taking a bite out of Viktor. Now, I am magically and telepathically bound to the pirate-turned-vampire. He is powerful enough to master me, something I fought against vehemently for some time. My attitude toward him has changed over the years we’ve sailed together. My primary goal is to help him find the Sisters of Power. After that: we’ll see.

What makes you happy?

A skilled lover and a satisfying meal. In most cases, the former becomes the latter. As I said, I like to play with my food.

What do you regret?

Biting that chunk out of Viktor. I was free for millennia.

What, if anything, haunts you?

Being exiled from my native waters of the Mediterranean and Black seas. Who’d think that old wizard would be so touchy over a few hurricanes?

Have you ever betrayed anyone?

I had my pregnant sister killed in an attempt to protect my territory from her mate. It didn’t work.

Do you have any distinguishing marks?

(smiles wryly) That is an interesting, if abrupt, subject change. Did my answer to the last question disturb you?

Very well: I have blood red hair. My eyes are the color of the ever-changing sea in my human guise but amber-gold in my true form. I have a mouthful of very efficient, needle-like teeth and can open my mouth wide enough to bite a man’s face off, but I can make them appear blunt like a human’s. My jaws are powerful enough to crush a man’s skull. My fingers can extend to 10-inch, razor-sharp talons and house toxin-bearing stinger cells in the fingertips, much like the stinger cells found in jellyfish tentacles. They exude toxins that can cause mild discomfort, chemical burns, anesthesia, or a paralysis that can cause a very painful but swift death. I also have an amazing voice capable of ultrasonic frequencies and volumes that can sonically lobotomize a human. I use song-spells to bend the winds and currents to my will.

What in your past had the most profound effect on you?

The murder of my sister. It led to a war between me and her mate. Eventually, it led to my exile from and the dragon’s restriction to my old territory. He cannot pass beyond Gibraltar, and I would forfeit my freedom to him to reenter those waters.

Who is your true love?

I am loathe to admit love at all. It is too human an emotion, and I am NOT human. However, given how rarely I have observed what you call “true love” really demonstrated by humans, I will say that I love Viktor. I would and have put his needs above my own, something normally alien to my nature. Anything less than that is merely lust or infatuation, two things all too often called “love.” Oh, I understand and enjoy lust quite well. It is a very useful tool to me. Infatuation, however, is something I never have and never will suffer from.

What is your favorite food? Why?

Mermaid, purebred anyway. To eat any of the strain Viktor introduced would only bind me that much closer to his will and possibly incur his anger. He is very protective of anything he considers his.

I prefer mermaid over human because their diet is far healthier, and they present more of a challenge as prey than humans. They are wily and wary of predators. Humans, the males especially, but quite often the females, too, all too often allow their lust to override their sense of self-preservation or forethought to the consequences of their actions. I’ve had men swim to my deadly embrace willingly; simply because they were more focused on what was below my shoulders rather than what was above them.

If you were stranded on a desert island, who would you rather be stranded with, a man or a woman?

(laughs again) First, I can’t be stranded on an island, with the exception of Hell’s Breath Island. She only lets you leave when she wants you to.

However, for the sake of argument, if I was stranded on an island, I wouldn’t care whether I was with a man or a woman. Food is food.

You can read my profile page at http://talowery.wordpress.com/waves-of-darkness-character-profiles/belladonna-image-nsfw As the URL indicates, my profile picture is not safe for work. I find clothing a nuisance.

Thank you for being a gracious hostess. Is there anyone around here you wouldn’t miss? All this talk of food has my appetite up.

Thank you for letting me interview you. I think.