June 07, 2011

Author Interview: Jennifer Turner + Giveaway


Interview with the of The Darkness Within series, Jennifer Turner.





Dee: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your series Darkness Within?

About me:

I'm 32 (almost 33), married to an awesome guy (Chad), and have a 12 year old daughter who I regularly refer to as "The Heathen". I like writing, reading, playing video games every now and then, cooking, and even drawing a bit when I'm not too busy writing. I'm a Cancer. I hate bees. I've never seen the ocean. I kill plants (not on purpose). My favorite color is charcoal gray. My favorite season is Fall. My favorite holiday is Halloween. I trip over invisible objects. Gravity is not my friend. I have 6 tattoos, but no piercings aside from my ears. My favorite book is A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L’Engle. My favorite drink is raspberry iced tea. If I could take a vacation anywhere in the world right this minute, I'd go to Scotland. I'd take driving in rain over snow any day. And given the chance, I'd rather be a vampire than a werewolf. ;)

About the series:

Below is the series blurb my agent made me write last year, and it’s also what editors first see when my series goes on submission to traditional publishers. I love sharing it because it’s not something readers would usually get to see. :)

The Darkness Within series is more than just a place where immortal things go bump in the night. It’s a world darker and sexier than anything you know, filled with more mystery and intrigue than you’ve ever dreamed of. Why should a Fledgling vampire sit in the dark, brooding over his cursed condition, when he can live in the lap of luxury by manipulating the humans around him? Why should an Ancient vampiress settle for influencing a few mundane humans, when she can raise an army of Fledglings to carry out her darkest whims?

The denizens of this world don’t want your pity – they want your blood.

Cursed to forever war against each other, vampires now stalk the night beside their prey, hidden behind a veil of deceit and manipulation. And while the Fledglings scramble to earn power and prestige by secretly influencing select humans, it’s the Ancients who move the Fledglings as pawns, building empires, deepening age old rivalries, and crushing opponents with moves centuries in the making. However, in the eternal shadow war that is supernatural society, even the Ancients dance under the twisted strings of a bitter feud that began well before their time.

But Fledgling to Ancient, only one thing lightens the darkness and calms the beast that rages within. Even more for the damned – love – is the highest prize. With it, anything is possible and even the darkest of monsters can be redeemed. Without it, their connection to humanity severs and even trusted friends become expendable once they’ve outlived their usefulness.  
 
Everything is sacred and nothing is forgotten when immortality lies at your feet…

Dee: How long did it take you to write Eternal Seduction?

It took me about two months to write Eternal Seduction. It took me about a year to finish Eternal Hearts though. :) 

Dee: How many books can we expect in your Darkness Within series? 

Right now, I have roughly 15 books planned for the series. I’ve left openings for more books to be added though, just in case readers gravitate towards a character that isn’t included in those 15. I’m all about giving my readers what they want, so if they start to love a character I haven’t planned for over the course of the series – I definitely want to be able to satisfy their demands. ;)

Dee: What was the process like when it came to creating your characters?

Believe it or not…when I create a character, the most important part of the creation process is my husband. :) I’ll usually work up a quick fact sheet with vital statistics like name, age, birthplace, likes, dislikes, etc, but then I sit down and talk about the character with my hubby. Sometimes it only takes 15-30 minutes for me to fully flesh out a character, other times it can take 5-6 hours. But my husband has a way of asking the kind of questions that can really define a character. For example, if I’m creating an 18/19 year old human female – the first question the hubby usually asks is, “Are her parents still together?” If I say yes, then we tend to move on to figuring out what she plans to do with her life. Is she a native of Chicago (where the majority of the series is set) or is she from somewhere else? If I say no to her parents still being together, then we generally move on to…how does she feel about that? What’s her relationship like with her parents? Did she live with her mom or her dad? And from there, it’s a lot like pushing a snowball down a hill. :) 
Dee: Out of all your characters, who would you say is your favorite? 

If I had to pick a favorite right now, I’d have to go with Oktober. There’s just something so jaded and unapologetic about him that I can’t help but to love him. I don’t want to give any spoilers or too much info away about him, especially since his book in next…but I’ve never written a character that blatantly refuses to change the way he does. He is who he is at all times, and makes no excuses for the way he sees the world. I just love everything about him…even his frequent need to eat people…and not in a good way. :D 

Dee: If you can match up your characters to any famous actors, who would they be? 

The only character I can match up with an actor is Oktober, and in my mind he’s always been similar to Vin Diesel. Oktober is bald, darker skinned, has a body to die for, and a sexy, deep voice. And that just screams Vin to me. :) Granted, I don’t see their facial features matching perfectly since Tober is more gorgeous than any human could possibly be, but when Vin Diesel assumes the role of Riddick…all I see is Oktober. ;)

Dee: Can you tell us a little bit about the second book Eternal Hearts? 

At its core, I think Eternal Hearts is a story about two people who are afraid they don’t deserve to be loved. Toni (the heroine) and Drake (the hero) have both made mistakes in the past that they aren’t proud of, but each is constantly trying to be better in their own way. Even though she’s a young vampire, Toni holds tight to the people she cares for and never lets an opportunity slip by to show someone how much they mean to her. Drake, on the other hand, has been supernatural since birth, and while his friends aren’t always the most humane beings on the face of the planet - he never asks them to be anything more than themselves. The problem is, a few years ago Toni lost something extremely important to her…and Drake has more to do with the situation than either of them realize.

Dee: Other than your Darkness Within series, are you working on anything else?

My hubby and I are working on a paranormal thriller trilogy together, but it’s still in the planning stages…which is a little weird for me since I’m not a plotter at all. However, it would appear that Mr. Turner is quite the gritty plotter, and has come up with a horror/thriller storyline that gives me the heebie jeebies…and that’s saying something. :) I just have to get to know the main characters a little better, and then I can start working on the first book!





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Thank you Jennifer for stopping by today and for taking the time to answer my questions. 

For more information on Jennifer Turner and her books, visit the links below:



You can find my review of Eternal Hearts HERE.



****Giveaway****

Jennifer Turner is giving away a print copy of Eternal Seduction and Eternal Hearts to one lucky person.

Rules

US ONLY
Winner will be chosen by Random.org
Must be 18 and over to ENTER this giveaway
 MUST FILL OUT THIS FORM
Giveaway Ends  6.9.11 @ 11:59 PM




Good Luck! 









10 comments:

  1. Great interview Dee! I really love the way she fleshes out the characters with her hubby! SO CUTE!

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  2. GFC Name: Maria (pronounced Mariah) I blame my mother…

    Great interview! I love the cover of Eternal Seduction...absolutely beautiful!

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  3. Great interview. Your husband is funny asking about the parents. Men and women do not think alike. Love the cover - the pawns say so much.

    vsloboda(at)gmail(dot)com

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  4. This looks really cool. I already like the author!

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  5. Great interview Dee. I love reading above vampires. I can't wait to read your books. Tore923@aol.com

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  6. I really enjoyed this interview Dee. Great job. You introduced me to a new author for me and a new series. I checked into her links. It looks really awesome! Thank you!!

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  7. Sorry I'm so late with commenting...but our internet has been on and off all day. :( Stupid rural Ohio! :)

    Damaris - Thanks so much for your review and for hosting the giveaway. :) You know I just adore you!! :)

    Reading Angel - Thanks so much for stopping by! :) I think my hubby might just be the most awesome guy in the world for being so involved with my writing. I honestly couldn't do it without him. :)

    Maria - It's nice to meet you! :) Thanks for your compliment on the cover of Eternal Seduction. Readers seem to be pretty torn between love/hate for that cover, but I'm happy to hear you approve! )

    Victoria - Welcome, welcome! :) I know what you mean. He starts the questions in such odd places sometimes, but he just has a knack for bringing out all the little quirks in my characters that really bring them to life. :)

    krystal-larson - Thanks for commenting! :) I'm always nervous when it comes to interviews, so it's a relief to hear I didn't make a bad impression. :)

    tore923 - Thanks so much for joining us! :) Vampires are just awesome! I can't imagine writing the Darkness Within series without them!

    Cristina - It's a pleasure to meet you too! :) Thanks for checking out my site, and I'm glad to hear you liked it. :) I change it all the time...I can't leave anything alone it would seem!

    Good luck to all of you!! :)

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  8. Thank you so much for the interview and giveaway! I love learning of new authors.

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  9. Great interview. i'm excited that you've shown me a new author. Thank you!

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