Hello Lovelies! Please excuse our dust while we do a bit of construction on the blog. We will still be posting exciting reviews, brilliant guest posts, and exciting giveaways but we are in the process of transforming the blog and adding new content and features for you to enjoy.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Giveaway & Interview - A Bloody Good Cruise by Diana Rubino


Book Description:
Romance author Mona is human. Ship's doctor Fausto is a vampire. He can never be one of her kind and she's afraid to become one of his. As they sail the Mediterranean on writers' cruise, the couple is stalked by vampire hunters, and by Fausto's notorious ex-wife, Lucrezia Borgia. Events force Mona and Fausto team up with the hunters to capture Lucrezia, but where can they go from here? With Fausto's friend and Mona's editor vamping it up and a hunter on the loose, can this bloody good cruise have a happy ending?

Now I've not long discovered this book but due to some ordering difficulties (living in Australia) my copy is still winging its way from the U.S. However I was so fascinated by the premise of vampires on an Italian cruise ship during a romance writers' cruise, the appeal was immediate. With Vampire Week approaching I thought of Diana Rubino and A Bloody Good Cruise and she kindly agreed to an interview and some giveaways (more on that later.)

While I don't have a review for you, my friend Dottie from My Blog 2.0, does. When Dottie, connoisseur of all things vampire "the good, the bad, the utterly and truly evil, the sparkly, and yes, even the anime" offered her help, I took the 'fanpire' up on her offer. Here's a little morsel from Dottie:

"A really quick read ... something for a day at the beach. Fun, sun, and vampires."

Check out Dottie's full review here


About the author: Diana Rubino has written several historical novels set in England and the U.S., a time travel romance, and a futuristic/fantasy romance which received a Romantic Times Top Pick award . Diana is a member of Romance Writers of America and the Richard III Society. Her hobbies include golf, racquetball, bicycling, playing piano, and she has been pursuing a Master's degree in archaeology. She loves to visit historical sites all over the world for book research. Diana and her husband own CostPro Inc. an engineering business based in Cambridge.




What inspired you to combine vampires and a cruise?

I always wanted to write a vamp romance, and I love cruising, so I thought combining the two, especially on an Italian cruise ship, would be unique and intriguing.

Did ‘A Bloody Good Cruise’ require some research into vampire mythology?

Yes, I read a lot of vampire lore books, a vamp encylopedia, and did research into their history. In the end, I made up my own scientific explanation of how my vampires became that way; in ancient Rome, from a blood mutation. I wanted a scientific biological reason they’d become this way, so it would be plausible. I mean, this could actually happen in theory, just like time travel—but it’s highly unlikely.

Do you have a favourite vampire hottie that really floats your boat? (bad pun lol)

No, I really don’t—but in the unlikely event this was ever made into a movie, I know the actor who would be perfect for the role of my hero Fausto. He’s on the soap All My Children, Vincent Irizarry. Just take a look at him, and you’ll see why I think he’d make the perfect vampire!



Can you recommend any other vampire fiction?

Of all the vampire fiction I’ve read, I like Anne Rice’s stories the best. She really delves deep.

What’s next on the table for Diana Rubino?

I just completed a biographical novel about Alexander Hamilton, centering on him, his wife and his mistress of two years. The book contains no fictional characters, and I kept as close to the historical record as it would allow. My agent is marketing it as we speak.

Do you have a favourite book from childhood?

I have several, which I still have! One is titled Tuned Out, it’s set in the summer of 1967 in New York. A teenager, Jimmy, learns that his idolized older brother Kevin is on acid. We had to read it in 7th grade, and I never tired of reading it over and over. Another favorite is Mr. and Mrs. Bo Jo Jones, set in the 60s, about a couple of teenagers who married because she was pregnant. It was also a movie; Desi Arnaz Jr. played Bo Jo.

If you could be dropped into any book as a character, who would you be and why?

I’d like to be Queen Elizabeth in one of my favorite historicals, A Crown for Elizabeth, but only for a week or so!

What are you reading now?

I’m about to begin Up Close and Personal by Fern Michaels for my book group, and am beginning to research Aaron Burr, who’s my next subject for my next bio novel, so I’m reading several books about him and his last wife Eliza Jumel, who was a real piece of work!

Tell us a secret, something the blogosphere doesn’t know

I wrote novels for 18 years before I got my first publishing contract, in 1999. The ‘secret’ nobody knows is how patient and persistent I am!

Bookmark or Dog ear?

Always bookmark!

Favourite junk food?

Cheese puffs from Trader Joe’s (a healthy store) so they’re not really junk!

Favourite way to relax?

A great book, a big bowl of popcorn, and a roaring fire in the hearth. Or an engaging TV show about the paranormal.

Do you have a Guilty pleasure?

I do this strictly in my leisure time, so I don’t really feel guilty, but I love to watch shows that I grew up with: The Honeymooners, I Love Lucy, Green Acres, Lost in Space, the Dick Van Dyke Show—all hark back to a much simpler time. And of course going on FaceBook!

3 must have items if you were stranded on a tropical island?

Running water, drinkable water, and air conditioning!


Thanks so much to Diana for a fun interview & for a very generous giveaway.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
Up for grabs we have: 1 copy of A Bloody Good Cruise and 5 e-book copies.

To enter: please leave a comment with an email address asking Diana a question or tell us which vampire hottie really floats your boat?

Winners will be announced in our Sunday post.

Visit Diana Rubino's website and blog

Can't wait? Purchase your copy of A Bloody Good Cruise from Eternal Press or Amazon

Empress Signature

Visit Teddyree at her blog The Eclectic Reader

32 comments:

Mari - Escape In A Book said...

Great interview, but it did make me want to eat popcorn LOL.

The Viking vampire Eric Northman from the Southern Vampire Mystery series by Charlaine Harris floats my boat! He's handsome both in the series True Blood and by description in the books *sigh*


Ladybug
mari.privat[AT]bluezone[DOT]no

Pam said...

I've not yet read any vampire stories (shameful, I know) but having seen the movie, I'd have to say Brad Pitt's Louis de Pointe du Lac from Interview with a Vampire did it for me!

melacan at hotmail dot com

P.S. Going on a cruise in January; wouldn't this be the perfect book to read?!

ParaJunkee said...

Great interview - and I have to agree with Ladybug that Eric Northman is a hottie, but Bones is in close second.

Diana, did you base your characters off of someone you know personally, or are they complete figments of your imagination?

Thanks!

rrivera39@cox.net

The Scarf Princess said...

I actually have many vampire obsessions....among them Eric Northman (like others), all of the BDB (particularly Qhuinn), and Kresley Cole's Conrad Wroth.

joderjo402 AT gmail DOT com

kalynnick said...

a vampire hottie I really love is Edward from the Twilight series but only the fictional person in book not that guy who play Edward in the movie.

kalynnick AT yahoo DOT com

tetewa said...

My favorite is Stuart Townsend in The Queen of the Damned! tWarner419@aol.com

jeanette8042 said...

My favorite vampire would be Bill from the Sookie Stackhouse series and TV show Trueblood.

lilazncutie1215(at)yahoo.com

Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews said...

Great interview and I love the cover and book description!

Zarek from Sherrilyn Kenyon's Darkhunter series and Zsadist from J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series both float my boat because they are tall, dark, gorgeous, sexy, brooding and are fiercely protective of their mates.

Razlover(at)hotmail(dot)com

Teddyree said...

Hey everyone glad you enjoyed the interview, Diana will pop in at some stage to answer any questions!

Anonymous said...

Mr Darcy, Vampyre floats my boat!! That was a great book!
Please enter me in your draw. Thanks.
wandanamgreb(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

No need to enter me, but I loved this interview...and totally agree. Vincent Irizarry would make the perfect vamp hottie!

Unknown said...

Hi Teddyree! Hi Diane!

Great interview, I really enjoyed it. My daughter loves to watch all the old shows, and it cracks me up to see her crack up over them.

I've read Anne Rice, good scary vamps there, and I've seen the movies, they're really hot and scary! I loved Cruise and Pitt in their respective roles. I also loved the reprise role of Lestat by Townsend in Queen of the Damned, wow!!

I've read so many different entries into the genre, it's hard for me to pick. One of my vamps was Rachel Morgan's lead love for several books, Kisten, but he perished by ingesting undead vampire blood two books back, and I haven't quite recovered yet, lol.

If I picked a current favorite, it would have to be Eric Northman because in the last Sookie book, Dead and Gone, Book 9 he was shown to have a depth of character that really hasn't been there before. It made me love him even more.

No need to enter me Teddyree, I already have A Bloody Good Cruise, bloody good!

Dottie :)

Unknown said...

Hi :)
Thank you for having Diana on your site. I like the idea of a cruise ship with vampires.
Diana - will you write more paranormal romance books?
Vamp Hotties: Eric & Jessica from True Blood
:)
All the best,
rkcharron at gmail dot com
xoxo

K said...

Bones!! Vamp Hottie = Bones.
Well, also Spade from the same series, i guess i have a thing for British vamps eh. And also Eric. I liked Eric from book 1 of the sookie series.

Great Interview.

killemall9 at gmail dot com
K (Slip Carefully)

donnas said...

I love vampire books. This sounds like a great one.

Any more vampire books on the horizon for you?

And Eric from TrueBlood is absolutely awesome.

bacchus76 at myself dot com

The Book Resort said...

Yes, Vincent would be so delicious!
Maurice(Sonny, General Hospital), Jason (Patrick, General Hospital) Brandon (Johnny, General Hospital) & Michael (John, One Life to Live -- he does know how to play one ;p).

Diana Rubino said...

Hi All!
Thanks so much for visiting today! I know you're way ahead of me in Australia & NZ, it's only 8 a.m. on Thurs. here.
No, I didn't base my characters on anyone I know, but when I began watching Vincent on AMC, I knew he'd make the perfect Fausto.
I love writing paranormal romances, and I do have one in the works, based on a woman named Alice Kyteler, who lived in 14th century Ireland and was accused of being a witch.
Happy reading! Diana

Teddyree said...

Hi Diana, bedtime on this side of the world, hope you have a great day!

Ireland and Scotland based novels always a favourite of mine :-)
Solely witches in this next one?

Diana Rubino said...

Not all witches, some mortals, too. Alice was accused of being a witch, was convicted at trial, then she fled to England, never to be heard from again.
England and Scotland are favorite settings of mine, too, but for witches, Salem, Massachusetts can't be beat!

ibeeeg said...

This book sounds like a wonderful fun read!

I agree, Vincent Irizarry would make a great vampire and I can hear his voice as well. You know though, Brad Pitt did a great job with Louis from Ann Rice's Interview with the Vampire. I had a hard time watching the movie but reading the book was incredible!

So, Diana, I see that you like cheese puffs. Have you tried the Spicy Hot Crunchy curls? I know they are not "puffy" but man are they good! And, oh yes...they are junk! *smile*

ibeeeg(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

Vampire Hottie? Definitely has to be Jean Claude from the Anita Blake series --I <3 him as much as I <3 Nathaniel

I have yet to find a vampire hottie I like from the screen =/

chichai_hana(at)hotmail(dot)com

throuthehaze said...

I think Jasper Hale from the Twilight series is a hottie
throuthehaze at gmail dot com

Debbie F said...

I'd have to say Bill or Eric from the Sookie Stackhouse series. Eric is pretty hot, especially in the books!

Thanks
dcf_beth at verizon dot net

Mystica said...

Vincent Irizarry hands down!

Mystica


mystica123athotmaildotcom

Cherie J said...

Great interview! Loved her way of relaxing. Favorite vampire hottie would have to be Edward from the Twilight series.

cherierj(at)yahoo(dot)com

Diana Rubino said...

Someone on the All My Children board on Soap Central suggested Jacob Young (JR Chandler) as another vamp hottie. He would've been just as good as Brad Pitt in Interview with the Vampire!

booklover0226 said...

I enjoyed reading the interview.

My question is what are your thoughts on books trailers? Do you think they increase the book sales?

The vampire who floats my boat is Z from BDB by JR Ward.

Thanks,

booklover0226 AT gmail DOT com

Paradox said...

Vampire Hottie: Lucius from Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey.

paradoxrevealed (at) aim (dot) com

Virginia C said...

A very creative setting for a vampire tale! Vincent Irizarry would be a compelling vamp. Frank Langella with his seductive voice was a great Dracula. David Boreanaz definitely has "soul" as Angel. Please enter my name in the drawing. gcwhiskas at aol dot com

Unknown said...

Edward Cullen floats my boat!

bjhopper(at)me(dot)com

Teddyree said...

Diana ~ I really like the sound of your next book. One I've had on my bookshelf unread for a while is A Break With Charity about the Salem witch trials, have you read it?

I must admit Bones is my vamp fave at the moment but I can be a little unfaithful, my favourite can change with the book I'm reading. LOL

I still have so many vamp books I want to try like Rachel Morgan's novels and the Anita Blake series is another one that I just havent been game to start on.

Aimee said...

Hottest Vamp in books, definitely Gregori from Christine Feehan's Carpathian series.
Awesome giveaway; please accept my entry. Thanks!

gevin13{at}gmail{dot}com