Sara Reinke Interview and Prize Giveaway

Welcome Sara Reinke to Yankee Romance Reviewers. Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to be with us today.

Hi, Terra! It's fantastic to be here, and I'm really looking forward to chatting with you.

Terra: How did you ever come up with the concept of a Vampire Clan on a compound setting with strict rigged rules?

Sara: I grew up in what's called the "Bluegrass" region of Kentucky, which is pretty much the heart of the Thoroughbred horse-racing industry. Because of that, there are lots of horse farms, and many of them are gorgeous, sprawling, expansive estates that line little country highways and byways for miles, nothing but rolling acres of lush green grass and white slat fences. I always wondered about the kind of people who owned these farms, and imagined that a person could spend their entire life hidden away in a place like that and no one in the outside world would ever be the wiser. So that's where the original concept of the Brethren as an isolated sect, segregated from humans, developed. A lot of their social structure is loosely based on both wolf packs in the wild and the polygamous religious sects you often see making headlines in the news. To me, their social isolation and patriarchal dominance made them the perfect model for Brethren society.

Terra: I noticed that you have used handicapped characters, do you think this will have a more sympathetic audience and why?

Sara: When I began writing "Dark Thirst," the first book in the Brethren Series, I didn't consciously set out to write disabled characters--I have simply always imagined Brandon as deaf and mute, the same as I've always pictured him with dark hair and dark eyes. The same thing with Rene, the hero in "Dark Hunger," who is an above-knee amputee. I'm not going to incorporate a character with a disability into every story I write necessarily, because then it DOES become a cliche, just a plot device I'm using. As far as making the characters more sympathetic to the reader, I don't know if it's the disabilities that necessarily do that, but I think that in each instance, both with Brandon and Rene, having them be disabled gives the reader a more instant emotional investment in them. I've had readers tell me specifically they thought having a deaf and mute hero was a new and novel idea (pardon the pun), and I'd say that most people identified with Brandon rather than pitied him for his disability, which was, of course, my intention. :)

Terra: Was the Grandfather a hard character to detail?

Sara: He can be. He's more multi-faceted than is initially revealed, and I hope that in future books, readers will learn more about him, why he is the way he is ,what his motivations are. Don't get me wrong. He's not going to turn out to be some fuzzy-bunny-loving sweetheart giving warm hugs and what-not. He is, for lack of a less colorful term, a sadistic asshole. But I hate to have any character be so flat and one-dimensional, because real people aren't like that. Events and circumstances shape all of us, and Augustus Noble has had more than 300 years of influence -- good, bad and indifferent -- to shape and sculpt the personality he presents in the Brethren Series. And he has great hair. I try to make that clear throughout the books. The man has godforsakenly gorgeous hair.

Terra: You are really creative to have come up with the brutal abuse that you have in the books, did it have any effect on your sleeping after writing one of these scenes?

Sara: How horrible does it sound to say no? LOL. OK, kidding aside, yes, some of the descriptions of what Brandon endures during his time among the Brethren can be graphic, but I wanted to really convey to the reader not only his desperation to flee his home, but WHY. And I also want the readers to understand what will happen to Brandon -- what he and they, in turn -- can expect if he's hunted down and captured when he finally does escape. I want the severity of his plight, the truly frightening gravity of his situation to be established upfront and from the beginning -- no holds barred -- so that the reader is immediately caught up in Brandon's motivations, his journey in the book.

Terra: How do you feel people, especially woman, will react to the cruelty, illegal immigrants, and handicap people in the books?

Sara: So far, reaction from readers has been extremely positive. Folks have been very receptive of Brandon and Rene. The descriptions of violence against Brandon have seemed to have the effect I'd intended for them -- as mentioned above, to help the reader understand Brandon's situation, motivation and determination.

Terra: I know you are excited about Dark Hunger and release day so how will you not drive yourself crazy with anticipation as it draws nearer?

Sara: Luckily, I have a full-time job and two small kids, so my days are pretty much filled up from dawn until dusk, thus not leaving me much time to get impatient, LOL. Trying to keep on top of all of my ongoing and upcoming promotional efforts during free moments helps as well, and if that's not enough, I'm working on a new, un-Brethren-related paranormal story idea. Writing is definitely my most effective and enjoyable distraction.

Terra: Will you have any more Brethren Series Books coming out? You have so many more characters that you could write about that's why I ask.

Sara: I sincerely hope so! A third book in the series is currently under consideration with my editor, so I'll keep you posted. The version he's looking at is the third incarnation I've submitted to him. He seems very much amenable to the idea of another book, which is fantastic, so hopefully the old adage will prove true: "The third time's the charm!"

Terra: You gave Dark Hunger a really serious Punch in the Stomach so to speak in the end, how do you feel about it? Do you feel guilty about what happened? No spoiler here please!

Sara: Honestly, no. When I started that book, I knew three things were going to happen in it: (1) Rene and Tessa were going to fall in love; (2) All of them were going to eat at The Burger Lounge in South Lake Tahoe in a scene in the book (because that's a real place, the restaurant my brother-in-law owns, in fact, LOL) and (3) What happens in the end happens. No spoilers. But I knew it all along.

Thanks so much Sara for such a wonderful interview!!

You're welcome, Terra! Thank YOU for taking the time to read and review my books!

Okay everyone, now for the prize giveaway. Sara has sent me a nice little package of goodies that will go to one winner at the end of the day. Prize package consists of a signed copy of Dark Thirst, a signed ARC copy of Dark Hunger, a folder that has a picture of Rene on it, a set of bookmarks, a 2008 magnetic calendar, a magnet with Rene's photo, 2 different size postcards of Dark Hunger, and a cover plate of Dark Hunger.

What do you have to do for this, hmm........just ask Sara a question. I will pick a winner at the end of the day.

F.Y.I - Sara will be back with us on Tuesday September 2nd for a Guest Blog release party. Dark Hunger will be making it's debut everywhere so make sure and stop by for the party.