Jen: Over the next couple days Book Talk is happy to have Amber Dawn Bell as our guest. Amber, will you please share a short bio with us?
Amber: Amber’s love of romance and medieval history led her to pursue her dream of writing. She is a stay-at-home mom and now that her kids are older, she’s able to spend a little time making her dream come true. She loves stories about Vikings, pirates, Scotland, and just about anything of the paranormal nature, especially vampires. Amber lives in Texas with her own knight in shining armor, her high school sweetheart and husband of 22 years, along with their two teenage kids, two dogs, and two cats. Amber believes that everyone should have a happily ever after—even vampires.
Jen: Tell us about Cave of Terror and where it's available.
Amber: Cave of Terror is a young adult paranormal romance. It centers around a 16 year old gymnast who finds out on her birthday that she’s a vampire. She must learn to adapt to her new life while dealing with all the normal teenage angst.
Back cover Blurb:
Do you believe in vampires?
I sure didn’t. Not until I found out on my 16th birthday I’m anything but human. And to add the cherry on the freak sundae called my life, I’m the first Vânător born in over 500 years. You see, I’m destined to be a hunter of evil. That’s right; I’m a real life Buffy.
To make matters worse, I’m falling for Ryan—this new guy at school. I never thought I’d be this love struck, hair tossing, dorky teenager. It’s enough to make me want to hurl.
And on top of all this, I have an entity stalking me that wants to use my rare blood for his own evil deeds, a girl at school who lives to make my life miserable, and a gymnastics coach who is determined to see I make it to Nationals.
Yep, things are really looking up for me. Welcome to the never boring, anything but normal, you-never-know-what’s-going-to-happen life of Cheyenne Wilde.
Cave of Terror can be found online at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Borders, and most major book stores.
Jen: At what age did you discover writing and when were you first published? Tell us your call story.
Amber: I started writing in my teens but didn’t really get involved until my 20s. I was first published in 2006 with a short story that’s included in a Christmas anthology called Christmas Wishes. I have three other short stories published in anthologies (Romance Upon A Midnight Clear, Flames of Gold, No Law Against Love 2). Cave of Terror
Jen: Are there any other writers, published or not, in your family?
Amber: No, not that I’m aware of. I guess it’s just me!
Jen: Do you have a writing routine?
Amber: I’m embarrassed to say that I don’t. I home school my daughter, so that takes up most of my daytime hours. I also edit and create book covers, not to mention I’m the president of 3 RWA (Romance Writers of America) online chapters. So, I write when I’m able.
Jen: Do you have a specific time or place that you write?
Amber: A specific time? No. But, I have found that I write best in the living room with the TV going and life happening around me. I can’t seem to concentrate when it’s quiet. I guess that’s from living with two teenagers.
Jen: What kind of research did you do for this book?
Amber: That part was easy. I live with two teenagers, so I have front row seats to view the lives of today’s teens. My daughter was a gymnast for 15 years, so I’ve been emerged in that scene for a long time. She just recently quit this past August due to injuries. So, the cave was the only real research I needed to do. Luckily, we have an awesome cave only ten minutes away from my house. I spent quite a bit of time there.
Jen: How do you pick the character’s names?
Amber: I asked my daughter what other name she would choose besides hers if she had the chance. She picked, Cheyenne. I loved it, so Cheyenne became the main character. She also picked the name of Cheyenne’s love interest, Ryan.
Jen: What did you do to celebrate the sale of your first book?
Amber: My husband took me to my favorite restaurant, Chuy’s.
Jen: Is there a genre that you’d like to write? Is there a genre you’ll probably stay away from and why?
Amber: I plan to write a western romance very soon. I’ve been promising my dad for several years that I’d write him one. I will definitely stay away from Regency romances because the facts have to be absolutely 100% accurate or Regency followers will scalp you alive.
Jen: What five authors or people, from the past or present, have been important to you as an author? What question or comment have you always wanted to say to them?
Amber: Johanna Lindsay, Bertrice Small, my grandmother, my husband, and my daughter. I’d have to say thank you for giving me the inspiration and push I needed to pursue my dreams.
Jen: If your book was made into a movie, which actors would you choose to play the hero and heroine?
Amber: Oh wow, this is a great question. I’d have to say I’d pick Amanda Bynes for Cheyenne because she has a fresh face and has a spunky personality. My first thought for Ryan is Chace Crawford because he’s fairly tall and is drop dead gorgeous.
Jen: What do you do in your free time?
Amber: Free time? What’s that? LOL. When I do have free time, I love to read or watch movies.
Jen: What's next for you?
Amber: I’m currently working on the next in the Vanator Diaries Series called A Ghostly Affair.
Jen: Where can you be found on the web?
Amber: http://www.amberdawn.com/, http://www.myspace.com/amberdawnbell.com, http://www.cheyennewilde.com/, http://www.mypace.com/cheyenne.com
Jen: Do you have anything you’d like to ask our readers? 
Amber: Yes! I’d love to know what paranormal subjects would be of interest to them.
Jen: Amber, thanks so much for being our guest at Book Talk. Readers, Amber is giving away 3 prizes! First one is only open to US residents. It's the prize package pictured here. Two runners up (from anywhere in the world) will win an ecopy (.pdf) of Cave of Terror. What do you have to do to win? Leave a comment here for Amber by answering her question or asking one of her. Winners will be chosen around 5pm PDT on Thursday, January 1.
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I guess I am first up. Wow.
First off I like shapeshifters, ghosts and psychics in my paranormal books. I was never a big fan of vampires but I find that is changing as I read more of them. Bela is not the end all. LOL I also wanted to say that I write the same way as you Amber, in the living room with the TV going. I need noise. Always have. Its a shame because my husband and I cleaned out the office, bought different furniture for it and now its there, a nice room slowing being used as a catch all.
Hi Amber, wanted to check out your interview! Congrats! Happy New Year to you, liked the question about you go about your writing! I understand! I sneak it in when I can, I have notes everywhere and shoved in the folders waiting to be typed! Happy New Year to you and yours! Blessings for 2009!
Hello Amber,
It is so lovely to have you here! Wow! It was so cool to read your bio. That is awesome how your daughter supplied you with the names of the characters! I just love that!
I love everything about the paranormal genre. I would love to know what you do in your spare time?
I want to wish you and your family a fantastic New Year! I hope your Christmas was a fun one!
Hugs,
Michele L.
Hi Amber,
Nice to meet you. Loved the excerpt of your book. It sounds like a fun read. And since I've never read your work, I'll have to add it to my BTB list.
Hope your Christmas was merry and you are ready for a very Happy New Year!
Hi Amber!
Some of my fave paranormal subjects are vampires, werewolves, witches and faeries. :)
Great interview. I love all paranormal subjects but vampires are my favorite. I am however always on the lookout for a good ghost story. There doesnt seem to be as many of those as there are vampire or shapeshifter stories.
Hi Amber. Loved the excerpt to Cave of Terror. Sounds like a great book.
I like vampires, werewolves and shapeshifters.
Jo Anne- I'm glad you're starting to enjoy some vampire stories! And yes, quiet just doesn't work for me. LOL.
Ginny- You sound like me. LOL. Lots of notes. And Happy New Year to you, too!
Michele- My daughter has helped me out a lot! Free time? Hahaha. What's that? If I get a chance, I love to read.
Karen- I'm happy you enjoyed the excerpt. And I do hope it's a fun read. That was my intention when I wrote it. And Happy New Year to you!
Carol- Glad you like the vamps and shifter! I can enough of them either. LOL.
Donnas- Woohoo! Go vamps! And too funny--the next in the series will revolved around ghosts!
Crystal- Glad you liked the excerpt! Gotta love the vamps and shifters. By the way, Cave of Terror has some shifting in it, too!
Thanks to everyone who has stopped by so far! And Happy New Year!!!
Hi Amber and HAppy Holidays!!
Are there any absolutely-must-have characteristics for your heroes or heroines?
Hey Amber! I love all things paranormal and medieval. Vampires...don't even get me started. LOL
What is your favorite myth about vampires? I love that they live forever and stay young and pretty.
Deidre
I just Have to leave a comment.. I have a friend with fangs, but otherwise she seems almost normal, lol. I will be traveling to Ireland this year, and maybe I will see a ghost or two!
Hi Amber! Nice meeting you. I have seen your book around on the net so its really great to find out more through your interview! I so love the medieval historicals and have been looking for something paranormal in that time period! So you can imagine how excited I am. I haven't read much of YA books in a while but I heard that I'm missing alot of great reads because I haven't! I do hope you get to write a western historical too!! Another favorite time period of mine to read in historicals (I love regencies too!) This is so neat!
One quick question, is this book a start of a series and how many books do you plan and will it be one book per year in the series or more? Thanks! Again great to meet you and would love to be in the contest. Thanks.
Kimmy- I wrote a long post to answer your question and it never showed up! And of course, I didn’t copy it. So, I’ll try again. LOL.
For my heroines, I think it’s really important that they are strong, compassionate, insecure and vulnerable in some area (makes them human…or humanistic in a vampire sense), funny, and able to think of others besides themselves.
For my heroes, I definitely lean toward the alpha male characteristics. He must be strong with an overpowering desire to protect the heroine and those he loves—even if it means his life. Yet, he has respect for the heroine as a person, not as a possession. I also like for them to have a sense of humor and an inner sensitivity, too. I tend to model my heroes after my hubby who is hero worthy in my book.
Deidre- as far as myths go, I would have to say it’s their immortality and strength I find so fascinating.
Although in my YA series, my vampires aren’t immortal, but they do live extremely long in human years. I’ve really taken the myths and twisted them. My vampires are not the living dead. That’s one part of the myths that I don’t find appealing. My vamps have a beating heart with blood flowing in their veins, and they can die under the right circumstance.
I look at them as another species, not as monsters. Yet, they must “hide” their existence or blend in with humans because humans aren’t ready to accept the existence of another species so close to their own that require such taboo means of sustenance. Humans tend not to accept what they do not understand. I played up on that fact.
Jason- Watch out for those fangs!
Caffey- Yes, this is the first in the Vanator Diaries series. You can think of the series as a kind of Buffy meets Nancy Drew with fangs and a snarky teenage attitude.
The next in the series revolves around ghosts. Each book, Cheyenne (the heroine) will encounter an entity she must deal with in some way.
They will be set in modern times in interesting locations around where I live.
The cave where Cave of Terror is set is about ten minutes from my house. It’s gorgeous. I have lots of pictures of it as well as some of the thing mentioned in the book on the Cheyenne Myspace page. I also have some gymnastics pictures since Cheyenne is a gymnast.
Check it out at www.myspace.com/cheyennewilde.
I plan a book a year. We’ll see how that goes! LOL.
Amber, your take on vampires sounds quite unique and intriguing. I love when authors put new twists on legends/myths.
As for paranormals, I love vamps and shifters. But I also like when new "species" are creates. Right now I'm reading Jacquelyn Franks's Nightwalker series and it's all about demons (of the good kind).
Hi Amber,
From reading the interview I can't wait to read the book. Love the new twist on vampires. Now I'm going to start wondering about teens-are they vamps or not.
Amber, this book sounds wonderful. A vampire teen? Oh the angst!
Start wondering about teens? Haha! They are a species all to themselves! And yes, lots of angst.
I was intrigued and fascinated with your interview. What an impressive novel which appeals to me greatly. I enjoy the idea of paranormal with shapeshifters. I also would look forward to reading any western fiction since it is a particular favorite of mine. Since I watched Tombstone I am hooked. I know that Westerns are experiencing a resurgence of interest which is wonderful. best of success and happiness in the new year.
Thank you Diane!
Amber, thanks so much for being our guest these past two days.
I had my nephew pick three names for the winners. Jason, Carol(ina) and Diane are our winners. I need each of you to email me at admin.bookblog@gmail.com. First one to contact me that lives in the US will win the grand prize, the other two will get the ebook of Cave of Terror. Hope that made sense. :) Oh, and I need to hear from the winners by Thursday Jan 8 or I'll pick new winners.
Jen
Thanks Jen! I had a great time. And congrats to the winners--Jason, Carol, and Diane!!