Blog Tour: Interview with Thomas Winship & Giveaway

Welcome back to my blog, for another stop of the awesome Vaempires Revolution Tour! 

Today, you are going to get to know the man behind this great novel, Thomas Winship, better. Discover more with my interview...

Thomas Winship was born in Middletown, NY (USA) 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 a 2012 release. 

Where to find Tom  

Website - Email - Facebook - Twitter - Pinterest - YouTube

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Hello everyone. I’m so excited to be today’s guest at Mind Reader! 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? 

Where did you find the inspiration to write Vaempires Revolution? 

Oh, in the same place all true inspiration is found … at the bottom of a bottle. A nice, refreshing bottle of water, of course. But seriously, the idea came to me sometime in the early 2000’s—right around the time that the Blade and Underworld movies were in full swing. Although they were entertaining in their own right, I remember feeling as if they were yet another variation of the same old vampires stories. When I began thinking about what might make vampire stories interesting and fresh, the concept of having vampires evolve bubbled to the surface. It then took the better part of a decade to do anything with the idea … proving how intense and fast-paced we New Yorkers truly are. 

Was there a scene in the book you found particularly hard to write? 

Ha! I found every scene particularly hard to write, since I had no idea what the heck I was doing … but let’s let that be our little secret. In fact, the hardest scene to write was a toss-up between the scene where Cassie and Daniel are finally reunited and the book’s final scene. I struggled to make the reunion scene believable. Up to that point, Cassie and Daniel had spent the majority of Væmpires: Revolution fighting for their lives. In fact, their reunion occurs at the end of a battle, when they’re surrounded by dead væmpires. It wasn’t easy to portray the relief and love they’re feeling, while not losing sight of what they’ve been through. No one has criticized it yet, so I guess it worked out. The book’s final scene was tough because there was a lot riding on it. Well, there’s always a lot riding on a book’s ending … but this was my book. I’m a firm believer in strong endings—I detest books that deliver the goods all the way through … and then drop the ball at the end, so I needed to please myself as a reader. 

Did you get inspiration from someone specific to write your characters? 

No. So far, my characters are purely fictional. I have some upcoming characters that are inspired by real events and people, but they haven’t been introduced yet. 

How did you feel (emotionally, I mean) writing from a female point of view? 

Feelings? What are feelings? Okay, I admit it: Princess Cassandra was the hardest point of view to write from. I mean, heck, what do I know about how a teenage girl thinks and acts and feels? And Cassie is a vampire princess—and a heroine—to boot! It wasn’t easy. Plus, the entire time I was trying to envision what it would be like to be Cassie, I was besieged by inner fears, such as: what if I suddenly develop a fetish for lace undergarments, or scented candles, or flowery perfumes? Of course, that isn’t to imply there’s anything wrong with such items or even the people who like such items … it’s just that I never had a predilection for them prior to writing Væmpires … Anyhow, writing from Cassie’s point of view was both challenging and refreshing. It really forced me to re-examine my own way of looking at things and access different emotions and feelings than I typically utilize. I guess it’s safe to say that it brought about an emotional awakening. 

How did you become a writer? 

Well, it all started long ago, when I first entered public school. Believe it or not, the powers-that-be insisted I learn to read and write (as if either one wasn’t hard enough on its own). Despite the evil forces assembled against me, I persevered … and here I am! Honestly, I never set out to be a writer. My undergrad and grad studies focused on business and that was the professional path I followed. Still the two creative writing courses I had taken planted a seed that wouldn’t die. For years, I dreamed of the possibility of writing, but something—career, primarily—always seemed to be in the way. My wife, Elaine, deserves credit for finally pushing me to follow my dream. In early 2007 she convinced me that it was time to stop wasting time, and I listened. 

Do you have a writing process/schedule? 

Not really. However, I’m a notoriously slow starter—despite the best of intentions, it typically takes me several hours to find my writing rhythm—and I type slowly, so I can’t be productive when writing in short bursts. Thus, I try to set aside long blocks of time in which to write. 

Is there a particular place you feel more inspired to write? 

I prefer to write in my home office, where I’m surrounded by all of my stuff: my iPods; my walls, which are covered with posters, comic book covers, Star Wars and LOTR plates, and action figures; my two dozen bookshelves that hold my book and DVD collections. If I can’t find inspiration there … I go back to question 1. 

What is the most satisfying part of being an author? 

Negative reviews. I love when a person I’ve never met capriciously insults, offends, and otherwise denigrates something that I poured my blood, sweat, and tears into creating. My book is a true labor of love to me, but an object of ridicule and derision for them. Seriously, it’s like walking up to new parents and pointing out all the reasons why their child is imperfect … only the critique is posted on the Internet for the whole world to see! LOL. I’m joking. Negative reviews are both expected and valuable (within reason, of course). I won’t claim that they’re satisfying, but they do serve a purpose. The most satisfying part of being an author, by far, is having people enjoy what you’ve created. Readers are simply amazing. 

What do you usually do when you’re not writing? 

I obsess about writing, usually. When I’m not obsessing, I read. I also love listening to music, watching movies, playing sports, going to rock concerts, and attending Broadway shows. 

Are you working on any new projects at the moment? 

I’m working on the sequel to Væmpires: Revolution, hoping for a release sometime in the fall. It picks up right where Book 1 left off—with that massive cliffhanger that shocked so many fans. Because so many people are eagerly waiting for more, I may release the first portion of Book 2 prematurely, as a short story or novella. Below is a short snippet (a short, unedited snippet), so everyone knows that the blood-and-guts action of Væmpires: Revolution continues in Book 2:
Crimson blood spurted as the body and head fell in opposite directions. Hot, væmpire blood that smelled like rancid meat hit the sidewalk in uneven splatters that reminded Linq of a drunken frat boy urinating in a back alley. 

Then two things happened at once: he sensed a væmpire—yet another new arrival—closing in, while Ray yelled, “Watch out!” 

Before he could react, Linq was grabbed from behind. Strong arms encircled him; hot, sweaty væmpire arms that felt like steel pincers. Linq’s own arms were pinned to his sides as his adversary squeezed him like a vise. 

The pressure was tremendous and Linq panicked, throwing his head back in an attempt to crush the væmpire’s nose. He knew it was a mistake as he did it, but his reaction was quicker than his thoughts. 

The væmpire dodged the blow, and then did the unthinkable: his head flashed forward and he sunk his fangs into Linq’s exposed neck. 

Every cell in Linq’s body erupted in unmitigated pain. Nothing in his education, nothing in his imagination—in his nightmares, perhaps, but not his imagination—nothing in his experience or training had prepared him for such pain. 

His eyes rolled back in his head and his jaw snapped shut, his fangs slicing deep into his tongue. He didn’t even notice. 

Then the væmpire drank. 

What advice would you give to anyone who wants to start writing? 

Do it. Now. There has never been a better time to be a writer. E-publishing is the most important thing to happen in publishing since the invention of the printing press. It’s opening up the market to so many writers—including me—who would never have had the opportunity to get their stories out there in the world of traditional publishing. And it’s only going to keep growing. With that said … a few words of caution. You have to write for the love of writing. If you write for fame or praise or leaving your mark on this world, you’re going to get your heart broken. Financial success has far more to do with a confluence of factors beyond your control than it does with singular talent, dedication, or determination—although a healthy dose of all three really helps. :) 

I’d like to thank all of you for stopping in and offer a very special “thank you” to Franny for inviting me back to Mind Reader. I hope you enjoyed the interview. I’d love to hear what you think of it and/or answer any additional questions you may have. Post comments or questions below and I’ll be sure to respond. Feel free to stop by my website and reach out. I’d love to hear from you if you check out Vaempires. 

Take care, 

Thomas Winship

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GIVEAWAY TIME!! You all have been patient, getting to the bottom of this endless post, so now you will be rewarded. Tom is kindly offering an e-copy of Vaempires Revolution!

The giveaway is international, and all you have to do is fill the Rafflecopter form & follow the instructions! The winner will be chosen and announced on June 24th and they have 48 hours to respond, otherwise another winner will be chosen.

Ready... Set... Go!

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