Something Wicked Comes Halloween Blog Tour: Vaempires!

Heidi from Rainy Day Ramblings (along with Lila@Babbling About Books) runs this fun Something Wicked Comes Halloween Blog Tour/Giveaway Hop that runs the entire month of October. Here is what she says on her website: Something Wicked Comes....bringing Zombies, Werewolves, Vampires, Ghosts, Witches and more Oh My! What is this wicked thing? Why a month long blogging event celebrating all books paranormal/supernatural or Halloween related. Every day during the month of October there will be several stops. Each blogger will be featuring a favorite paranormal book and offering it for a giveaway. Think of it as a month long Blog Trick or Treating Event...

Reader Girls is participating in this hop and we are one of today's stops (Please check out the full schedule here.). We are pleased to announce that we are spotlighting author Thomas Winship's Vaempires series. Last month we hosted his Vaempires: Zombie Rising Bloody Chunks Tour, Vaempires: Revolution last spring, and next month we will host Vaempires: White Christmas. We are fans so we decided to invite the author and showcase his books for the month. He was kind enough to let us talk with Daniel (psst, Meg may have a crush on him) and offer our readers 5 sets of his ebooks (enter below).

Here is our interview with Daniel from Vaempires. 

Hello everyone. I’m so excited to be a guest at Reader Girls Blog today—and to be part of the Something Wicked Comes Halloween Blog Hop! I’m Thomas Winship, author of Væmpires: Revolution, Væmpires: White Christmas, and the upcoming Væmpires: Zombie Rising. 

Today, I’m sharing an interview with Daniel DeStrey, one of the teen heroes in my Væmpires novels.

(This interview takes place before Væmpires: White Christmas.)

Laurie: Hello everyone. I’m so excited to announce a very special guest for today’s interview—Daniel DeStrey! For those of you who don’t know, Daniel is the son of Steven and Gabrielle DeStrey. Steven is captain of the royal guard and Gabrielle, of course, is a famed novelist.

Good morning and welcome to Reader Girls Blog. I can’t tell you how happy we are that you’re here, Daniel. I’m Laurie, this is Meghan—

Meghan: Call me Meggo. (She blushes.)

Daniel: Okay.

Laurie: And this is Caitlin. We’ll all take turns asking questions, if you don’t mind.

Daniel: I don’t mind at all. In fact, it’s my pleasure. I’ve never had an interview request before.

Laurie: Oh, stop!

Daniel: I’m serious. Other than school-related activities, this is my first official interview.

Laurie: That’s amazing! We’re making history today at Reader Girls.

Let’s begin with an easy question then. You’re fifteen, correct?

Daniel: Yes.

Laurie: What is a day in your life like? Can you describe it for my audience?

Daniel: Sure. Well, my typical day begins at dawn. I do an hour of exercise to get the blood flowing. [Laughs] Sorry. Vampire humor. It’s one of Ray’s favorite jokes.

Anyway, after the exercise, I have breakfast with my parents. Then it’s off to school. After school, there’s an hour or two of training, depending on any other activities or commitments. We eat dinner. Then I spend some time with my friends, do homework, surf the ‘Nex … the usual teenage stuff.   

Laurie: My followers might argue that your life is anything but usual, Daniel. To that end, what’s it like living on the royal estate?

Daniel: Well, Laurie, it’s all I’ve ever known, so it’s easy to take it for granted. But, then I’ll see the awe in a visitor’s eyes and it reminds me of how lucky I am.

You know, there was this one time when a human family was walking through the estate. Two parents, two children—a boy and girl. They were obviously tourists—their arms were full of recording equipment and souvenirs—but their accents also gave them away as being from somewhere in South Atlantica. You should’ve seen their faces when the royal family actually came around a corner and walked right up to them! King Brant, Queen Anne, and Cassie—er, Princess Cassandra, spoke to them and took pictures and they had a nice ten minute conversation. About hallway through it, the boy, who was around my age, looked up at King Brant and said, “I always see you on the vidscreen, but I never believed you were really real.”

I never forgot that.

Meghan: Speaking of the royal family—how would you describe your relationship with them? (Bats her lashes.)

Daniel: They are my second family, Meggo. King Brant and Queen Anne are like parents to me.

Caitlin: So, that means Princess Cassandra is like a sister to you? 

Daniel: (Coughs … followed by a few seconds of silence) Well, Caitlin … I prefer to think of her as more of a friend than a sister.

Laurie: Okay, let’s talk about your family, now. Should we begin with your mother or father?

Daniel: Start with my mother. [Whispers] Otherwise, she’ll get mad at me.

Meghan: Oh, dude, I know what you mean! [Laughs] Your mother it is. So … Gabrielle DeStrey. The childhood best friend of the queen … who ends up marrying the king’s childhood best friend, Steven DeStrey. A best-selling author. A face that is known around the world. Your mother is a celebrity in more ways than one, Daniel. How do you handle it?

Daniel: Well, it’s much like the dynamic of living on the royal estate. I knew her as mom long before I realized she was famous, so I never really thought about it too much. Of course, my father always jokes that someone made a mistake inserting him and I into this equation. We’re a couple of blue collars surrounded by blue bloods.

To me, she’s just mom. The greatest mother in the world, but still mom.

Caitlin: Well, that leads us to your father. Steven DeStrey, captain of the royal guard. A man charged with some of the most awesome responsibilities on the planet. Yet, he never seems to let it get to him. Is that an accurate assessment?

Daniel: It is. My father was well trained by his father before him … and I’ll say this: there is no one I’d trust with the safety and security of the royal family, and all of Tarados, than him.

Laurie: You mention an interesting point, Daniel. Because captain of the guard is an inherited position, you’re your father’s second-in-command. There aren’t many such situations around Tarados. Do you ever feel trapped by the expectations?

Daniel: No. Not at all. It’s a proud tradition that I’ll be honored and privileged to continue.  

Caitlin: So, being captain of the guard is what you always wanted to be when you grew up?

Daniel: No. I’m perfectly fine being second-in-command.

Laurie: [Laughs] Why, you’re more diplomatic than you pretend to be, Daniel.

Daniel: Hey!

Laurie: I think it’s time to switch gears here. After all, there are hordes of teens around the world dying to know more about you. The juicy stuff.

Daniel: If you say so.

Laurie: We do. So, let’s get started. Are you currently in a relationship?

Daniel: No.

Meghan: Ooh! So, do you have a current crush?

Daniel: I—I can’t answer that.

Caitlin: Can you tell us who your first crush was?

Daniel: Uh-huh! My lips are sealed about that, too.

Laurie: You’re not playing fair, Daniel. Millions of people want to know these things. [Laughs] Here’s an easy one. Who was your hero/heroine growing up?

Daniel: My parents. To be honest, both of them are still my heroes.

Meghan: I love honesty. So … what was your most embarrassing moment?

Daniel: I think it’ll be this one, if the three of you have your way.

[Everyone laughs]

Laurie: Since full disclosure doesn’t seem possible, how about we finish the interview with you finishing a few statements?

Daniel: Sounds … safe enough.

Laurie: It is. So here goes: My definition of a great day …

Daniel: includes spiced synth-blood and sports.

Meghan: If I were president, I’d …

Daniel: be human. [Laughs] Sorry. Another one of Ray’s jokes.

Caitlin: If I were king, I would …

Daniel: be … Cassie’s father? I guess. [Laughs]

Meghan: My definition of a dream come true is …

Daniel: [Laughing] No way, Meggo. Those are state secrets.

Caitlin: If I could change one thing about my life, it would be …

Daniel: absolutely nothing. It’s perfect just the way it is. Better than perfect, even.

Laurie: And I think this interview is perfect just the way it is, Daniel. I know you have other commitments to attend to, so we’ll let you off the hook.

Meghan: For now. Can I get your cell phone number?

Laurie: [Laughs] Yes, for now. Thank you so much for joining us today, Daniel. We hope you’ll stop by again and don't pay Meggo any attention. She's just joking. (Meggo shakes her head, holds up her iPhone, mouths "Call me!")

Daniel: The pleasure was all mine. Laurie, Meghan, Caitlin, it was great meeting you and I promise that we will do this again. Thank you for inviting me to Reader Girls Blog.

I’d like to offer a very special “thank you” to Laurie for inviting me to Reader Girls. I hope everyone enjoys Daniel’s interview. I’d love to hear what you think of it and/or answer any questions you may have. Post comments or questions below and I’ll be sure to respond. 

 

Take care,

Thomas Winship

Purchase links for the Vaempires books: 

Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Barnes & Noble | iTunes |Smashwords | CreateSpace -Revolution |CreateSpace -White Christmas

About the author: Thomas Winship 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | PinterestYouTube | Goodreads |Amazon.com |iTunes | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords

Thomas Winship was born in Middletown, NY and still resides in Orange County. He holds an MBA in Management from St. Thomas Aquinas College, where he serves as an adjunct professor of courses in English Composition, Communications, and Business. He also spent fifteen years working for a global pharmaceutical company, specializing in organizational development, talent management, and training.

Tom writes in his spare time. His first novel, a mystery/legal thriller entitled Temporary Insanity (a.k.a. Case Closed), was a 2008 finalist in a national contest but failed to garner industry attention. His second novel, Væmpires: Revolution, was published in October and a follow-up novella, Væmpires: White Christmas, was published in December. 

He is an avid collector of books, comic books, music, and movies. His interests are diverse: on any given day, Tom is likely to be found watching a horror movie, attending a hard rock concert, or enjoying a Broadway show.

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