Welcome to Characterfest
Characterfest is a month long event where you’ll find a different character interviews written by the author each day. Each interview has a giveaway(s) make sure the giveaway is open to you and if so add a comment or question along with your email. I will close all giveaways at the end of the week and add the winners to the winners post on that Tuesday. Odds are if you won you’ll be hearing from me.
One thing I will ask is if you could please twitter or hit the facebook likes button on the post so that others can see the interview. I want to get these authors out to as much as I can and you’re my go between in this event.
I hope you enjoy each interview and please try to make it here each day to find out whom or what’s next. If this goes as planned I will be hosting this next year.
Interview with a prince of darkness – Aleksandr from Heart of Darkness
I’m back! Have you all missed me since my interview with Veiron from my Her Angel romance series?
I expect you might have read my interview with him earlier in the month and therefore know me, but I’ll introduce myself again. I’m a paranormal romance author and I’ve been writing since 2005, and turned indie in 2006. In that time I have written over forty stories under the names Felicity Heaton and F E Heaton. Most of my stories are released under my full name, but I write the Vampires Realm series as F E Heaton. My paranormal romances are usually focused on vampires and werewolves, but I do also write other shape-shifters like black panthers, and also demons and witches, and a whole bunch of sexy angels.
Now I get to paint a pretty portrait of the vampire I’ll be interviewing today so you can picture him in your mind.
Aleksandr is born of royal blood, the eldest son of the Nemov bloodline that rules all vampires in Europe. At over eight hundred years old, he appears to be in his mid thirties by human standards. He’s an imposing man, of broad build and tall stature, as handsome as a prince should be, and quick witted and intelligent. With his dark short hair and piercing steel-grey eyes, and sensual mouth, he can get any woman’s attention but is very focused when he pursues the one he’s set his sights on. He has old-world charm in spades, can waltz his way into your heart without a single misstep, and has the kind of honour that drives him to do all in his power to protect the object of his affections. He’s dangerous, deadly, and has a track record of fighting vampire hunters that is four hundred years long. When provoked, his eyes burn red and his fangs emerge. It’s the only warning a vampire hunter gets before he meets Death a few seconds later.
FH: I have Aleksandr here with me today to talk about his book, Heart of Darkness. Firstly, can you tell us a little about yourself?
ALEKSANDR: I am Aleksandr Nemov, former heir prince of the Nemov household, the royal family of European vampires. I disinherited myself and abdicated the throne, leaving it to my younger brother Vasiliy to inherit upon our father’s death, so I could pursue the vampire hunter who murdered my sister and wipe his progeny from the Earth. I have spent the past four centuries of my eight hundred years in this world seeking out all related to the man who took my sister’s life and bestowing justice upon them.
FH: Was it really necessary to break ties with your family so permanently in order to purse her killer and his offspring?
ALEKSANDR: Absolutely. The Nemov household is responsible for leading vampire society into a brighter future. They were the ones who discovered that we could attain humanity through limiting our kills and because of them, vampires were able to slowly evolve from little more than mindless bloodthirsty beasts into people who could function socially and blend amongst humans. My family teaches pacifism. What I desired to do went against everything they stood for. I had to sever all ties with them in order to protect their cause and not bloody it with my actions. It was painful, but necessary.
FH: That seems quite sad to me. You sacrificed your life in order to pursue your sister’s killer and protect your people from his entire family line. Isn’t it dangerous too? You mentioned about gaining humanity through limiting kills. Surely what you’re doing goes against that?
ALEKSANDR: Unfortunately it does. I have killed thousands since beginning my vendetta. Hunters from that man’s bloodline as well as others. I lose a little of my humanity each year. The darkness is rising within me and sometimes I fear that I will lose myself to the black abyss within my heart and devolve into a beast.
FH: It’s not all doom and gloom for you though, is it? In Heart of Darkness, you meet Elise. How did you meet and how did you feel about them initially?
ALEKSANDR: Elise came upon me in Prague after I had killed a female vampire hunter. Butchered might be a more appropriate word. The darkness had me in its grip but just the sound of her voice and the sight of her made it recede faster than it had ever done before. She fought me and I found I didn’t have the heart to fight her back. I was surprised I could even bring myself to defend against her attacks. She was beautiful, breathtaking in every way. Not just looks. It was her strength, how she fought me, her skill. All of it combined to still my heart and steal my breath. I ended up beneath her, pinned against icy ground that couldn’t chill me while I was looking at her. I knew then that I had to have her.
FH: Your relationship with Elise is complicated because you don’t exactly start out on the right foot. You didn’t exactly make it easy on her, or yourself, did you?
ALEKSANDR: No, I can see that now. I had thought of nothing but hunting for four hundred years and before then I had thought only of bedding whatever woman took my fancy at court back at the palace. I was what your readers may affectionately call a rake. A man with only the pursuit of satisfying empty lusts on his mind. I made my pursuit of Elise into a game, a hunt for her, desiring that she come to my bed and behave as the women at court had around me centuries before. It did not take me long to realise that modern women were completely at odds with the women I had known back then, and my pursuit of Elise was only made more complicated by the fact she is a guard. A strong female, with a strong mind and a strong distaste for being made to feel inferior and weak. My actions towards her just served to push her further away from me at first. Eventually I adjusted enough to modern society and learned enough about Elise that I realised my mistake and also that I needed more than just her in my bed each day. I needed her love. I wanted her to save me from the darkness within my heart.
FH: That’s so sweet. I’m glad you realised in the nick of time that you were being an egotistical womanising rake. *smiles* Can you tell us about what happened in your story?
ALEKSANDR: I came to Prague pursuing the final member of the murderer’s bloodline. We had chased each other for long years, clashing at times but never dealing the killing blow. When I met Elise, I wanted to stay around her. She mesmerised me and I felt compelled to know more about her, to convince her to be my lover. I did the one thing I hadn’t done in the four centuries since my hunt began. I entered the house of a bloodline and sought their assistance. I had remained outside society because I didn’t want to involve them. My pursuit of Elise saw me break that rule, and my presence placed her family in grave danger.
FH: How has life been since the events that happened and brought you together?
ALEKSANDR: I am learning temperance again. We have remained at the mansion in Prague and Elise has continued her duty as a guard. She walks with me sometimes in the city at night, teaching me more about it, and I learn more about her at the same time. I am fortunate to have my sweet Elise. Without her, I would not have survived the darkness. She risked everything for me. I dote on her when she lets me, which is not often. She prefers me to teach her new fighting techniques to fine jewels and dresses, but I am learning to accept that. The darkness within me is beginning to fade but it will be long decades before I have completely mastered it again. Elise fusses over me because of it and I find myself unable to stop her. In fact, I secretly enjoy it... but do not tell her that. I fear she would stop if she knew.
FH: We won’t. I’ll end on something a little more fun. Describe yourself in one word?
ALEKSANDR: Honourable.
FH: That does suit you. What’s your favourite colour?
ALEKSANDR: Red... I like to see it emerge in Elise’s eyes whenever I excite her a little too much.
FH: A little bit TMI there.
ALEKSANDR: What is this TMI?
FH: You’re so antiquated sometimes. It means too much information. Favourite smell?
ALEKSANDR: Freshly fallen snow. It smells like blood.
FH: I know that. I should have guessed. Favourite city?
ALEKSANDR: It would have been my home city in Russia once, but Prague has a certain charm about it. It is beautiful and old, and I am starting to feel I do not want to leave it for a long time to come.
FH: I think Elise will be glad to hear that. Favourite past time?
ALEKSANDR: Training Elise. You have to see it for yourself. The woman is so graceful and strong, but it is her dedication that always astounds me. She will train for hours, honing skills that I have taught her and perfecting her moves. I often sit out halfway through the session and let Andrej take over. There is only so much beating a man’s pride can take. It is nice to watch Andrej suffer defeat at her hands too.
FH: Thank you for meeting with me today and chatting. Is there anything else that you’d like to add?
ALEKSANDR: Thank you for interviewing me. I am looking forward to seeing your interview with my sweet Elise too so I can read what she says about me. I hope that readers have enjoyed this interview as much as I have.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this interview too. If you would like to learn more about Aleksandr and his novel, Heart of Darkness, then head on over to my website where you can read the excerpt and find out where the book is available.
Heart of Darkness is currently available in e-book direct from my website, Amazon Kindle Stores, Smashwords and ARe. It will soon be available from Barnes & Noble, Apple iBookstore, Kobo Books and Sony. It will also soon be available in paperback from Amazon websites, Barnes and Noble, and other retailers.
Heart of Darkness
A vampire prince on a four hundred year old mission to avenge his murdered sister...
Aleksandr Nemov won’t stop until the last of the vampire hunter’s progeny is wiped from the Earth. Each kill has stolen a piece of his humanity, pushing him towards the black abyss all vampires hold within their hearts. Now he is teetering on the edge, close to devolving into a beast, and time is running out as he tracks the last hunter to Prague. There he finds a beautiful woman who could be his one chance for salvation, but is it already too late for him?
A vampire guard who will do whatever it takes to protect those she loves...
Elise is dedicated to her duty. It’s the only thing she has left. All that changes when she meets Aleksandr in Prague and her master grants him permission to stay at her bloodline’s mansion. She knows all about Aleksandr but none of it prepares her for how she feels when the legendary prince’s hunt becomes one for her heart. Elise battles him with all of her strength but can she stop herself from falling for the handsome hunter? When he reveals the depth of the corruption in his soul, will she have the strength to face the pain in her past and do whatever it takes to save him?
Read the official excerpt and find out where to buy:
http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk
Biography:
Felicity Heaton is a romance author writing as both Felicity Heaton and F E Heaton. She is passionate about penning paranormal tales full of vampires, witches, werewolves, angels and shape-shifters, and has been interested in all things preternatural and fantastical since she was just a child. Her other passion is science-fiction and she likes nothing more than to immerse herself in a whole new universe and the amazing species therein. She used to while away days at school and college dreaming of vampires, werewolves and witches, or being lost in space, and used to while away evenings watching movies about them or reading gothic horror stories, science-fiction and romances.
Having tried her hand at various romance genres, it was only natural for her to turn her focus back to the paranormal, fantasy and science-fiction worlds she enjoys so much. She loves to write seductive, sexy and strong vampires, werewolves, witches, angels and alien species. The worlds she often dreams up for them are vicious, dark and dangerous, reflecting aspects of the heroines and heroes, but her characters also love deeply, laugh, cry and feel every emotion as keenly as anyone does. She makes no excuses for the darkness surrounding them, especially the paranormal creatures, and says that this is their world. She’s just honoured to write down their adventures.
If you want to know more about me, or want to get in touch, you can find me at the following places:
My website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk
My blog: http://www.indieparanormalromancebooks.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/feheaton
Twitter: http://twitter.com/felicityheaton
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/felicityheaton
Felicity is doing an international giveaway for an e-copy of Heart of Darkness.
To enter leave a comment or question with your email.
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