Soulless

Today I’ve got an interview with Crystal Collier, cheese lover, and author of Soulless, sequel to Moonless, AND a rafflecopter giveaway with some pretty darn cool prizes.

Crystal, thanks for coming and congrats on your release of Soulless. This is the second book in The Maiden of Time books, but tell us a little about the first, Moonless.

Moonless is Jane Eyre meets Supernatural.

In the English society of 1768 where women are bred to marry, unattractive Alexia, just sixteen, believes she will end up alone. But on the county doorstep of a neighbor’s estate, she meets a man straight out of her nightmares, one whose blue eyes threaten to consume her whole world—especially when she discovers him standing over her murdered host in the middle of the night.

Things that change for her that evening: her physical appearance—from ghastly to breathtaking, an epidemic of night terrors predicting the future, and the blue-eyed man’s unexpected infusion into her life. Not only do his appearances precede tragedies, but they’re echoed by the arrival of ravenous, black-robed wraiths on moonless nights.

Unable to decide whether he is one of these monsters or protecting her from them, she uncovers what her father has been concealing: truths about her own identity, about the blue-eyed man, and about love. After an attack close to home, Alexia realizes she cannot keep one foot in her old life and one in this new world. To protect her family she must either be sold into a loveless marriage, or escape with the man of her dreams and risk becoming one of the Soulless.

What an interesting premise! Did you plan this to be a series or did it evolve?

MOONLESS was definitely a stand alone when I wrote the first 100 page draft years ago, but as the key characters came into focus (characters who had been in my head for 20+ years), it became pretty obvious this was only going to be a piece of a much larger puzzle.

Where did the original idea come from?

A dream. I saw the girl who had been shunned by society, but who had finally found her own way in the world--with or without her father’s approval--and I loved her. I had to write her story. Her blue-eyed mystery hunk only moved the process along.

I love dreams that prompt stories. What did you learn from writing these two books?

How amazing it is to have my characters live in other people’s heads too—because they’re stinkin’ awesome.

Favorite cheese?

Vanilla cheese (that goes with anything): Muenster. BUT to pick an actual favorite? Erm, that’s like asking me which star is my favorite, or which kid I love most. Seriously.

Sort of like asking me what my favorite book is; how could I possibly choose just one? Speaking of books...Last and next book on your TBR list.

Last: Forever Fredless. Next: Rise and Ruin (probably).

And, just for fun, what was you first car?

A midnight-blue Chevy Blazer, and man did that thing have spunk. 

THANK YOU CRYSTAL AND CONGRATULATIONS ON THE RELEASE OF MOONLESS!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway