Lissette E. Manning

Hello everyone! I’m Thomas Winship, author of Væmpires: Revolution and Væmpires: White Christmas. Both books are part of a new ongoing vampire series that explores the question: what if vampires evolved?

I’m so excited to be today’s guest blogger! To be honest, I’m also a bit nervous. It’s a great honor to be granted the privilege of speaking to someone else’s audience, but along with that privilege comes a tremendous amount of responsibility. Lissette has placed you into my care, and I must do right by you.

So here goes …

When it comes to meeting new people, I’ve learned that there’s something rather strange about being an author—or rather, a strange thing often happens when people find out you’re an author.

No, I’m not referring to people asking whether I know JK Rowling or people sharing their “great” book ideas, I’m talking about a sequence of events that can be predictable, yet odd.

The first thing that happens is that the person immediately asks what you write about. It’s usually a question along the lines of, “Oh yeah, what do you write about?” (Not very creative, I know, but reality typically isn’t.)

Now, that inquisitiveness isn’t the strange part. In fact, it’s pretty normal. To be expected even. I mean, if I meet someone and he/she is a musician, I’m inclined to ask what instrument(s) he/she plays or perhaps inquire as to the style of music. Or, if a person’s occupation is something that (a) doesn’t interest me at all or (b) I have no clue about, I’m likely to feign interest with a nod or other nonverbal response, while waiting for the subject to move along.

So, the strange part is often what happens after you explain what you write about. You see, once do that, the other person is instantly placed under enormous pressure—the unstated expectation that you (the author) not only expect that person to read, but that you expect that person to read your work.

If the stars are properly aligned, by which I mean that the person does read and is interested in your book, then all is well. If, however, both of the above conditions aren’t met … welcome to the Twilight Zone.

This person suddenly becomes uncomfortable (like you’ve just asked for a sizeable loan, perhaps), before blurting out something along the lines of, “Yeah … (insert nervous laugh here) … I don’t read much … books aren’t really my thing … (another laugh) … I can’t remember the last book I read.”

I’ll never know why people feel the need to defend or explain in such a manner, but they do. Trust me, it’s uncomfortable for all parties.

And it gets worse.

Because then the person stands there (or sits—there’s no discrimination between poses and absolutely no correlation between standing or sitting and reading or not reading—although I believe it’s far easier to sit and read than it is to stand and read. But not reading is easily accomplished in any of a variety of … well, let’s move on) as an awkward silence grows, waiting for something—approval, validation, who knows?—that I can’t provide.

Actually, I do know what the person wants—for me to say, “Hey, I know what you mean.”

But I can’t say that. On one hand, there’s a part of me that finds the sentiment well, not quite insulting, but at least a bit bemusing. It’s like telling a firefighter, “Yeah … putting out fires … I’m not really into that sort of thing. I’ve got a cool lighter app on my phone, though!” or telling a doctor, “Umm … I don’t really go to doctors … I pretty much find whatever I need on the Internet.”

On the other hand, and for obvious reasons, I can never say, “Hey, I know what you mean.” How would this look on my Twitter feed?

LOL. Can’t remember the last book I read, but please read mine.

However, those aren’t even the most compelling reasons. The simple fact is that I can’t relate to the sentiment that “books aren’t really my thing.” It’s like saying, “breathing isn’t really my thing” or “I’ve forgotten who I am,” because at least one (but probably both) of those would have to be true for me to stop reading.

I don’t leave the house without a book. I go to Disney World and read while waiting in line. I do not have a DNF pile. When I was a child I used to sneak into the hallway after bedtime to read by the nightlight. The list of things I would rather do than read is very short.

Very, very short.

In case I’m not making myself clear:

If there is an afterlife and it doesn’t have a library, there will be hell to pay. (I liked that so much that I just tweeted it—April 9, 2012 at 8:58 pm!)

So, yeah, it’s pretty strange when people say that they don’t read. As Han Solo said, “I’ve seen a lot of strange stuff, but I’ve never seen anything to make me believe that there’s one all-powerful Force controlling everything.”

LOL.

Yes, I do realize that that quote has absolutely nothing to do with my point, but I don’t care. If people can choose not to read, I can choose to utilize an unrelated quote in a blog.

Besides, one can never go wrong by referencing Star Wars …

So keep reading.

And may the Force be with you!

I hope you enjoyed my guest blog. I’d love to hear what you think of it. Comment here, stop by my website, or even drop an email. I’d also love to hear from you if you check out Vaempires.

As a final note: I’d like to thank all of you for stopping in and I’d like to offer a very special “thank you” to Lissette for allowing me to be a guest blogger.

Take care,
Thomas Winship

 

 

Now, for the giveaway, we’re offering one lucky commenter their choice of either an ebook or print copy of Vaempires Revolution. The print copy option is open to US Shipping only. To enter, for a chance to win, all you need to do is comment on this post. Don’t forget to mention your choice of book format. GL to all those entering!

 

 

Available for purchase via the following retailers: Amazon, Smashwords, iTunes.

 

 

Synopsis:

It is the morning of Princess Cassandra’s sixteenth birthday. Everyone’s attention is focused on the heir to the vampire throne. World leaders, the rich and famous, and VIPs from every corner of the globe have gathered in the nation’s capital to celebrate the momentous event.

Cassandra’s boyfriend, Daniel, is late for the party. He’s still outside the city when all hell breaks loose. What he believes is an act of terrorism proves to be a full-fledged revolution.

Væmpires—former vampires who mutated into warm-blooded creatures with an insatiable hunger for cold blood—have launched coordinated attacks across the globe, with three goals: the eradication of humanity, the enslavement of vampires, and the ascension of væmpires as the dominant species on the planet.

The vampire and human leaders are killed. Cassandra is missing. Daniel is the acting king. Desperate to find the princess, Daniel and his friends fight their way across the besieged city. With the hopes of the free world resting on the shoulders of four vampire teenagers, væmpires unleash their secret weapons: a new breed of væmpire that is far deadlier than any ever seen before.

What can four teens do against an enemy that can shape-shift, fly, and walk through walls?

 

 

About The Author:

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.

He is currently working on the next installment of the “Væmpires” series, which is scheduled for an early 2012 release.

 

 

Connect With Him Online:

Website: http://www.vaempires.com
Email: tom@vaempires.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/vaempires
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/vaempires
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/vaempires
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/vaempires