Exclusive Interview AND Book Giveaway with Dana Cameron

Thanks to the awesome that is Twitter, I had the pleasure of getting in touch with award-winning author Dana Cameron, and as a result I have an exclusive interview AND a book giveaway for you! Hurray for Twitter stalking! Today we’re giving away one copy of Cameron’s new novel Seven Kinds of Hell, the first book in her werewolf series. Check out the interview and giveaway details below.

SKoHCoverlargeCan you tell us a little about Seven Kinds of Hell?
Zoe Miller’s an archaeologist who’s been on the run from her father’s family.  They’re reputed to be no good, and her own tendency to violence —and the occasional glimpse of fangs in the mirror—has her worried about her sanity.  But when her cousin is kidnapped, Zoe has to come to grips with her powers:  She’s a werewolf and Fangborn, part of a family of supernatural creatures dedicated to protecting humanity.  Zoe must her use all of her archaeological talents and supernatural abilities against her enemies—human and Fangborn—who seek an artifact of world-ending power.

How does Seven Kinds of Hell differ from other novels about werewolves?
In the Fangborn short stories and in Seven Kinds of Hell, I turned a lot of the traditional conventions about supernatural creatures around on their heads.  The name Fangborn comes from the idea of vampires and werewolves being born, not bitten, and they are part of the same family. In the Fangborn ‘verse, vampires, werewolves, and oracles are secret superheroes, dedicated to fighting evil.   Werewolves don’t need the moon to change, and it’s not a bone-wrenching experience—they want to Change, to track and tear the bad guys!  So if they’re first on the scene of a crime, it’s because they’re investigating, not because they’re the mass murderers folklore has made them out to be.  I also decided that instead of being pack-oriented, like wolves, the Fangborn try to work within a democratic structure—which also creates its own political factions.  Zoe Miller was raised outside the Family, and while she wants to belong, desperately, she also wonders what the real history of the Fangborn is.

What inspired you to write Seven Kinds of Hell?
Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner invited me to write a story about werewolves at the holidays for their anthology Wolfsbane and Mistletoe— that led to the first Fangborn short story, “The Night Things Changed.” I kept writing Fangborn stories, and started a Fangborn novel.  A year or two later, while traveling in Turkey, thriller writer Tess Gerritsen suggested I write an archaeological thriller.  I did, but it stalled—until I realized the protagonist, Zoe Miller, was actually a werewolf. Once I blended the urban fantasy with the thriller, I had the plot:  Zoe has an artifact that everyone wants, one of four keys to Pandora’s Box.

What is one thing you would like people to take away from their experience of reading Seven Kinds of Hell?
Ooh, nice question!  Because Zoe wasn’t raised in the family, she doesn’t understand what she is; she’s used to thinking of werewolves as fiction and herself as crazy.  In trying to save her cousin, she embraces the power and the identity that used to scare her.  I think Zoe’s journey—learning about herself and the Fangborn—and growing stronger with that understanding is really key to the book.

Who’s your favorite fictitious werewolf (other than your own)?
I really like Alcide Herveaux in the Sookie Stackhouse books and in True Blood; being a good pack leader makes for a complicated and dangerous life.  And Oz in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  He’s smart as hell, cute, and a decent guy–and he’ll tear your guts out if everyone’s not very careful.  His storyline about protecting what you love really spoke to me.

What is your favorite werewolf book, movie and/or show?
I have to go with An American Werewolf in London.  And I’m really looking forward to Patricia Briggs’ new Mercy Thompson book.

Tell our readers why they should check out your book – in 3 words: (bwahaha)
Archaeology plus werewolves!

And finally, what other projects are you currently working on? Any goodies we should watch out for?
I’m working on the next Zoe book!  I have two Fangborn short stories coming out this year, in the fall.  For now, my job is all Fangborn, all the time!

Find Dana here:
Official website
Twitter

GIVEAWAY DETAILS
To enter into the giveaway all you have to do is send an email titled “Hell” to contest@darkness.com telling me why you want the book. On March 18, 2013 I will pick one winner for a copy of Seven Kinds of Hell. (US residents only)

Added note: the winner has 48 hours to respond, if they don’t within that time then the book goes to someone else, so make sure to check your email!

– Moonlight

About the Author
Moonlight (aka Amanda) loves to write about, read about and learn about everything pertaining to werewolves and other supernatural beasties. She writes for top genre sites like Vampires.com and Werewolves.com. You will most likely find her huddled over a book with coffee in hand. You can stalk her via her Twitter.

 

By moonlight

One of the writers for werewolves.com, as well as vampires.com.

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