Author Interview: Larissa Ione

Jen: Today I have the honor of interviewing one of my all time favorite authors Ms. Larissa Ione. Welcome back to That’s What I’m Talking About, Larissa!

Larissa: It’s always awesome to be here, Jen!

Jen: We are here celebrating the release of Chained by Night, the second title in your wonderful MoonBound Clan Vampire series. Will you share with us a little about the latest tale in your dark vampire series?

Larissa: Of course! Chained By Night focuses on Hunter, MoonBound Clan’s leader, and Aylin, second-born twin daughter of an enemy clan chief. In Bound By Night, Hunter agreed to mate Aylin’s sister, Rasha, in order to bring peace to the warring clans, but Aylin throws a huge wrench in those plans. She’s the polar opposite of Rasha…kind, quiet, and she has a physical disability that has made her life hell. But she’s definitely not weak, and Hunter is drawn to her inner strength. In Chained By Night, readers will learn a little more about vampire history, and there are some fun twists and turns.

Jen: Can you share with readers what is up next for the MoonBound Clan? Do you have a set number of books you have planned for this series?

Larissa: Up next will be Myne’s story. I can’t wait to get working on it! I’m not sure how many books will make up the MoonBound Clan series – I have a definite series arc in place for four books. Beyond that…we’ll have to see how readers like the first books!

Jen: One of the things I loved about the first book in the series, Bound by Night, was the way you integrated science and biology into your mythology of the vampire. What inspired you and/or what kind of research did you do in the development of your own take on the vampire race?

Larissa: Hmm…you know, what it comes down to is that I’m one of those people who needs everything to be explained logically and/or scientifically. I need an explanation for the origins of things that are out of the ordinary. Also, I wanted the MoonBound Clan books to be more contemporary and reality-based than the Demonica series, partly to differentiate the two series and partly to appeal to a different audience. So I made sure that even though vampires were originally created through supernatural means, the vampirism makes scientific sense. The research was actually fun, because I’m fascinated by how diseases work and how they have shaped human society from the beginning of time. For example, the Black Plague killed millions, but it was responsible for lifting European serfs out of serfdom. And Sickle Cell Anemia is the result of an evolution of the body’s defense against malaria. I’ve got gobs of medical texts about diseases, so research was a snap!

Jen: The series focuses on vampires, but we learned at the end of the first book that there are demons out there. Will you be introducing any other paranormal races in the series? Will we see more of the demon creator?

Larissa: You’ll definitely see more of Samnult! He plays a pretty big role in Chained By Night, and you’ll also see a few creepy demonic critters. I don’t see demons other than Samnult playing a part in the series, but within the MoonBound Clan world, there are shapeshifters. We just haven’t seen any yet. 🙂

Jen: You also pen another wonderful paranormal romance series, the Demonica series. When writing, do you ever have trouble switching between the two series? Have you ever mixed up any characters? How do you separate your writing of the two series?

Larissa: In general, I don’t have trouble switching between the two, but yes, every once in a while, I’ll mix something up. For example, I keep referring to VAST, which is a MoonBound Clan world police group dedicated to apprehending or killing vampires, in Demonica. I keep catching that mistake!

Jen: Okay, time to spill… do you have a favorite character from any that you’ve written? Is there one that has given you more grief than the others?

Larissa: Well, I admit to loving Wraith from Demonica, because he’s so easy to write. The goofy demon is always inserting himself onto the pages. From MoonBound, I have to say, I love Myne. He’s snarly, damaged, and bitter. I can’t wait to hook him up with a female who can help him heal while holding her own against him!

Jen: *sigh* Wraith… Oh sorry… With all the writing you do, do you find time to enjoy reading a book or two? What  are your favorite genres? Have you read any good books lately that you’d like to share?

Larissa: Sadly, I haven’t had time to read in a while. Well, time has been an issue, but so has my ADHD. I’ve been struggling with ADHD for a couple of years, and when it is at its worst, I can’t read at all. I didn’t read for a full year, and I’m only now starting to get back into reading my favorite genres, which are historical fiction, fantasy, and romance. Right now I’m digging into a re-read of Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series so I can read the last three books!

Jen: Larissa, thank you so much for taking the time to stop by That’s What I’m Talking About again. It has been a true pleasure! I hope we can meet up again at a con again!

Larissa: Thank you for having me! I can’t wait to see you again!

About the Book:

THE FUTURE OF HIS TRIBE
Leader of the vampire clan MoonBound, Hunter will do what he must to save his people from extinction—or worse, a torturous eternity as vampire slaves and subjects of human experimentation.To keep his enemies at bay, he has agreed to mate a rival clan leader’s daughter in return for peace between the clans and an ally in the looming war with the humans.

THE LOVER OF HIS SOUL
But survival comes at a price. First, Hunter must break an ancient curse by successfully negotiating three deadly tests. Then he must resist the searing passions of the gorgeous vampire warrior he despises but is bound to mate. Will Hunter stay true to his word? Or will he risk everything for the woman he really loves: the vampire seductress’s identical twin sister?

Release Date: September 30, 2014
Publisher: Pocket Books
Series: MoonBound Clan Vampire #2

About the Author:

Air Force veteran Larissa Ione traded in a career as a meteorologist to pursue her passion of writing. She has since published dozens of books, hit several bestseller lists, including the New York Times and USA Today, and has been nominated for a RITA award. She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her U.S. Coast Guard husband, her teenage son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhound, a King Shepherd named Hexe.

Be sure to stop back later today for my review of Chained by Night!