Author Interview - Alyson Burdette

Hey gang! I'd like to introduce you to Alyson Burdette. She's a super (sorry, still on the Avengers kick) debut author. Her novel, NIGHTFIRE is available now. Details on where to pick it up follow the interview. Please give her a warm OV welcome!

ME - Book first! Tell us about Nightfire.

ALYSON - Nightfire is my first published novel. It’s a paranormal romance about a girl named Olivia. She ends up falling for a guy named William, who manages to unknowingly complicate her life. (ME - Don't they always?)

ME - Your main character, Olivia, is a vampire. There are lots of vampire stories out there, what makes Olivia's tale unique? 

ALYSON - I spent a lot of time reading vampire stories before writing Nightfire, because I wanted it to be different from all the other stories out there. What really makes the book unique is Olivia’s perspective. There aren’t a lot of books told from a female vampire point of view (very, very true), and Olivia’s reactions to the world and life aren’t quite like the other stories out there.

ME - Doing a little web sleuthing, I've discovered you're passionate about all things paranormal. What can you tell us about your interests, and was that the primary inspiration/influence for Nightfire?

ALYSON - I’ve done ghost hunting as a hobby for a few years now (you won't find this level of street cred with many paranormal writers ... takes 'write what you know' to a spooky new level!), but have loved anything paranormal since I was a kid. I loved reading ghost stories and watching scary movies. It definitely influenced my writing and Nightfire. I knew I wanted the story to have a paranormal twist to it from the moment I started writing it.

ME - Speaking to writerly inspiration, who are some of your favorite authors and/or favorite books?

ALYSON - I love J.K Rowling (I swear I don't advertise for fellow JK fans, they just find me!) and Anne Rice. It’s hard to pick just a few favorite books because there are so many great ones out there! My favorite is usually whatever book I’m reading at the moment. J I love The Hunger Games but my all time favorite book is probably Pride and Prejudice.

ME - I've known some folks to confuse paranormal and horror fiction; probably due to the history of vampires, werewolves, etc. in movies. If there is a difference, how would you explain it, and how close to the line (if there is one) does Nightfire fall?

ALYSON - I think there is a difference. Horror novels are written with the intention of frightening the reader, while paranormal books just use unnatural elements in their storylines. There are also books that do a little of both. There are a few tense moments in Nightfire, but it’s primarily a romantic story so I think it’s more strictly paranormal. I’d love to write a horror story someday, though.

ME - Paranormal fiction is a pretty big deal these days (like 3 full stacks in my local Barnes & Noble big). Much of it is being snapped up by adolescent readers, but it seems to be everywhere. Have any thoughts on why it's gotten so huge? Opinions on if it's here to stay?

ALYSON - I think it is here to stay. I think it’s popular because people use it as a way to escape the difficulties of life. It’s a way to leave the real world behind for awhile and visit a new, exciting place.

ME - Is Nightfire a YA novel?

ALYSON - When I first started writing it, I wanted it to be YA, but I had trouble making Olivia (who is over 100 years old) sound like a teenager. (I think you made a very wise decision to not go the direction of a certain sparkly vampire teen. Just sayin.) It just didn't sound believable. So I let her be an old soul trapped in an 18 year old body. If anything, I’d classify the book as New Adult because the main characters are 18-21.

ME - Random question time! You can have lunch with any person living or dead, who and why?

ALYSON - That’s a hard question! Maybe Abraham Lincoln because I know he would have a lot of interesting things to share. (Then the real question is: Would Old Abe try to kill Olivia? His well documented disdain for vampires and all...)

ME - This is a writing blog, so we're always interested in knowing what your writing process is like.

ALYSON - Ideas just sort of come to me. They pop into my head out of nowhere. I don’t write every day (but I should.) My goal is to start writing six days a week this year. Right now I write about 4 nights a week. I like to say I’m a pantser, because I never write down an outline, but the truth is I do all the outlining in my head. I know where every story is going. It just isn’t down on paper.

ME - Any tips or thoughts on writing and/or publishing you care to impart on those of us fighting the good fight?

ALYSON - Whatever you do, don’t give up. Keep writing and moving forward. It’s easy to let the publishing world knock you backwards, because it’s difficult. Don’t let it. (Simple and true. I love it!)

ME - Lastly, and certainly of most importance, give us 3 reasons why Nightfire should be our next read and tell us how to find it!

ALYSON -

1. You just have to meet Olivia. She’s a lot of fun (at least when she isn’t trying to eat you.) (Girls!)

2. There are plenty of good-looking guys in Nightfire (okay, this reason is more for the girls.) (I'm thinking a LOT of guys are going to be OK with a smoking hot vampire chic who is eternally 18. Could be wrong ...)

3. You should give a new writer a chance. You never know what you might discover! (AMEN!)

Author Bio:

Alyson Burdette currently lives in the small town of Wadsworth, Ohio. She graduated from The University of Akron, where she majored in Anthropology. She currently works at a pharmacy and loves animals and anything paranormal. When she’s not writing, she spends her time on reading, hiking, dancing and ghost hunting.

NIGHTFIRE: When a murder shakes the small town of Peninsula, all eyes are on Olivia Townsend. She may look eighteen, but the townspeople can sense there’s something darker hiding behind her pretty eyes. Olivia knows the smart thing to do is to get out of town. Suspicious neighbors can only mean trouble for a vampire. But leaving becomes much more difficult when William, a mysterious man from her past, arrives. Finding out what brought him back is a temptation Olivia just can’t resist. William’s kindness and interest in Olivia only makes leaving harder. As she starts to fall for him, she’s forced to decide if sticking around is really worth the risk of being discovered. Of course, her mystery man has a secret of his own-and he’s not talking.

Nightfire is available in E-format at Amazon, Musapublishing.com and other major e-book retailers.

You can find Alyson Burdette at:

http://alysonburdette.blogspot.com/

@AlysonBurdette on Twitter

Alyson_Burdette (at) yahoo (dot) com