Saturday, July 07, 2007

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

I am a native of Atlantic Canada, and I’ve been writing for what seems a lifetime. As my readers know, I also refuse to be confined to a single genre, preferring to explore in many. While my special favorites are always historical, I’m developing a fondness for contemporary tales, as well. Fantasy is also an element of just about every story, whether it’s the fantasy of romance itself, or an exciting new world to learn about and understand. So, it’s my hope that every reader will find something to enjoy in my books, and will want to stay with me through the journey and see just how far we can stretch our creative dreams.

To stay current with all my projects, (and they are many!), or to just say hello, please feel free to visit my website: http://denysebridger.com Or, sign up for the monthly newsletter Romance and Fantasy. If you prefer to chat with me, and other readers, the newsgroup is open to everyone. Denysé Bridger News. I can also be found in MySpace at: http://www.myspace.com/denysebridger

ABOUT THE BOOK:

BLURB:

Spanning almost two centuries Descent Into Darkness is the erotic love story of an ancient vampire and the mortal woman who is his obsession.

Alexander DeLenoir is an ancient creature of the night, born in a betrayal that has left him without conscience or morality. He’s witnessed history that is now myth. Throughout his long life, Alexander has seldom sought companionship, and never has he looked for love. He has kept two of his immortal children with him, through whatever means necessary, and is not intending to expand his family.

Arriving at a small Massachusetts town after killing the sailors on their ship, the vampire trio meets the mysterious and lonely wife of the innkeeper, and Alexander is entranced by her beauty and her indomitable spirit. In Amberlaine Calvert, he senses a nature as dark and depraved as his own seeking freedom. Despite the protests of his companions, Alexander takes her and in adoration of him finds an obsessive kind of happiness.

When the town slowly awakens to the evil among them, a bloody slaughter ensues, and Amberlaine is forced to see the madness that will define her life with Alexander. Yet, in spite of her fear, she is obsessively devoted to the powerful vampire, and the darker things she feels lurking within her are about to be unleashed by a hunger even greater than her passion—the thirst for revenge against those who dare to threaten their existence.


EXCERPT:

As dawn drew closer, in the upstairs chambers of the West side of the inn, Alexander heard her screams as acutely as if they’d been echoing aloud throughout the large house. It was difficult to say which annoyed him more, her intrusion into his sleep, or the reason for her cries. He rose from the bed and was surprised when Julian spoke from the other side of the room.

“You should have killed him,” the young noble remarked, his voice tight with barely contained fury.

Alexander’s eyebrow rose at the surprising words. Julian was usually the first one to object to killing anyone. What had this charming wench done to bewitch them both with so little effort?

“I’m surprised, Julian,” Alexander murmured. “This disregard for human life is not at all like you.” The older vampire couldn’t resist the ironic amusement he felt at the other man’s anger. After more than a millennia, Julian still held tightly to the ideals that had dictated the course of his life when he’d been mortal.

“Nor is defending a lady’s honor like you,” Julian pointed out, his tone easily matched Alexander’s.

“It seems this wench has something of a magic even we are not immune to,” Alexander laughed.

“Julian is right,” Diana’s voice reached them seconds before she stepped into the shadowy room.

“About what, dear Diana?” Alexander responded.

“What kind of game are you playing at, Alexander?” she demanded. “First you insist that we must stay in this... this place,” she finished with a disdainful toss of her head. “Then you draw attention to us by interfering...”

“Be very careful of your words,” Alexander warned softly, his hazel eyes like ice crystals glowing in the darkened chamber.

Diana dismissed whatever she had been planning to add, then glared at the older vampire. “You succeeded only in making her life more miserable!” she snapped. “Angering that pig has caused her pain.”

“So, you feel it, too,” Alexander mused, intrigued by the revelation.

“It is impossible not to hear her screaming, chéri,” Diana pointed out with a wave of her hand.

“We are the only ones able to hear her, Diana,” Julian interjected softly.

That news clearly came as a surprise to the sable haired vampire and she turned incredulous eyes to Alexander.

“How can this be?” she questioned, her voice tight with suspicion.

Alexander shrugged carelessly. “I would guess she has latent psychic talents,” he theorized. “Or, we have all fallen under the spell of a witch,” he finished with a laugh that made Julian smile in spite of himself, while Diana scowled at them both.

Sobering quickly, Julian rose and took a step toward the door. Alexander immediately recognized his intent and blocked his passage.

“This is not our business, Julian,” he warned softly.

“Diana’s right, Alexander,” Julian retorted savagely, and allowed his anger to surface to his eyes. “We are responsible for what she is suffering.”

“Perhaps tonight,” Alexander conceded. “But, I would venture to say she has been in this situation many times.”

“You appeared more concerned a short time ago,” Julian hissed as he jerked his arm free of the light restraint of his master’s grasp. “Of course, as an active practitioner, you condone rape, don’t you, Alexander?”

“We all have lapses, dear boy,” the older vampire commented dryly, ignoring the second portion of the statement. When Julian would have left them, Alexander’s hand on the door prevented his departure. “The sun is rising, Julian. She is silent now. What, precisely, do you think you will be able to do for the fair lady?”

Diana made an impatient gesture and pushed them both aside. She slammed the door solidly behind her and left them locked in a battle of wills. The winner of that archaic game was a foregone conclusion, and she sighed heavily as she bolted her door and went to bed. Julian would remain with Alexander, if for no other reason than to watch the ancient vampire. He’d return to her at sunset, she knew. He always did…


INTERVIEW:

Why did you become a writer? Was it a dream of yours since you were younger or did the desire to write happen later in your life?
My honest feeling is that writing isn’t really a profession you choose. You’re almost driven to it if it’s something that is part of you. The stories begin nagging you at a very early age and for natural writers, everything you experience, see, touch, it’s all part of life and triggers the imagination to take flight. I can’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t writing in one way or another, be it poetry, or short stories, or fan fictions based on my favorite shows. ALL of it opened up new worlds and I would often spend hours wrapped up in my own internal “theatre”, watching my stories… I started writing them down about 20 years ago. I would often toy with the idea of going “pro” with my stuff, but it wasn’t until 2004 that I took the plunge and entered a contest that won me my first professional contract. I haven’t stopped since.

What do you love about being an author? Is there anything you dislike?
There are lots of things that make being an author a lot of fun. You get to explore worlds in ways that you might not experience otherwise. You research, you shape and mould the people you want to know and talk to in your new world, and then you listen to them while they tell their tale. I love all aspects of this work, the research, the creative process, editing, all of it. The only thing I dislike to any real extent is the PR work. I don’t feel terribly comfortable trying to convince people they should buy my books! I’m not a really out-going person, so it’s hard to get myself out there, even if I’m talking about the books, not me.

How do you balance your personal and writing time?
It’s a constant battle, but you learn over time to make an hour here or a few minutes there count for writing time. I’ve gotten to the wonderful place in my life where I can sit down anywhere and write, as long as I have a pen and a notebook, there’s nothing to stop me from working. I used to have to be in the mood, or have a set few hours, or whatever else it was, but writers write, and usually you can do it anywhere.

How do you write? Do your characters come to you first or the plot or the world of the story?
Both. Sometimes a voice or a face will inspire a character, and when that character has a name and a face, his/her story begins to emerge quickly. Other times a scene will present itself, and the story builds from there. The novel I’m working on at the moment was inspired by a singer whose music has just become part of me. So, I’m creating my first serious submission to Harlequin, based solely on my love for Patrizio Buanne, an Italian singer with the voice of an angel, and a face and personality that screams romance hero.

What genre(s) do you write? Why do you write the stories that you write?
I write in many genres, but all have romance in them, if not as the core of the book, the subplot relies on it as a catalyst to move the plot and evolve the characters. I write the stories that I find entertaining, and hopefully readers enjoy them, too.

Genres: Fantasy, vampire, contemporary, historical (my fav), action adventure, thriller. The only thing I’ve never written is science fiction. I’ve even done a bit of mystery/romance with a set of books set in Victorian London that are tied to the Ripper murders.

Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?
Again, both. As I said earlier, Patrizio Buanne is the soul of the new book I’m working on, and I’ve been lucky in that he approves of the concept whole-heartedly. Mostly, it’s imagination, though. Someone I see may have a smile or a voice that triggers the creative curiosity and I find a new “person” evolving out of that and then the story begins to flow. It’s never the same way twice!

Out of all the characters that you've written, who is your favorite and why?
I have two favorites at the moment, one is my WIP creation, Patrizio Bartolinni, who is pure romance. The other is Inspector Michael Devane, the Victorian detective from my mystery romances with Liquid Silver Books. I’d have to say though that both are favorites for very different reasons. Michael is a tortured and scarred soul, a man who has seen horrors that have never left him while working on the Ripper case. His chance at love saves his life, and the message is pure and uplifting. Patrizio Bartolinni is a larger than life kind of man, he’s old world charm, the essence of elegance and sophistication, a man who has the world at his feet, but no one who knows the person behind the outward image. When he meets the love of his life, the colliding of two worlds makes for a wonderfully intense and passionate story.

What would you want readers to take away from your books?
If they put the book down, smile, and feel happy, that’s the best reward there is. The book’s done what it was meant to do, entertain and uplift.

Do you have any advice for beginning writers in regards to writing a book?
Commit yourself to it, know the story you want to tell. Outlines are essential when you’re beginning, otherwise your story will take you all over the place and you may end up wandering aimlessly trying to find the end of the story! Write the best book you can, and don’t be offended by criticism or rejection. Do NOT think at any point that your book is perfect, there’s no such thing as a perfect book, and people who believe they’ve written a manuscript that requires no changes are very likely to be disappointed and disillusioned very quickly. Mostly, if you believe in your story, be willing to make it better if someone offers you positive comments and/or advice about it. Perseverance is the key to this career, too. It will never happen fast, and you have to want it badly to wait out the answers and contracts.

What are you reading right now?
At the moment I’m reading a lot of Harlequin Presents novels. Because I love them, and because this is the line I want to submit my current project to. Italian Husbands is my favorite series from this line and I’m trying to get them all!

If you could be anyone or anything that you wanted, who or what would you be?
The best writer I can be, and the best friend and person I can be. In the end, the measure of any person’s wealth is the love they’ve given and been given. The richest people in the world are often those with not a dime in their pockets, but friends everywhere who respect and love them and are grateful for the experience of having known them. I’d like it if that’s the way people felt about me when I’m gone, it will mean my life’s been worthwhile.

REVIEWS:

4/5 Stars: "Alexander is quite the seducer! His powerful and commanding presence had me weak in the knees. But make no mistake, he is a vampire and is therefore characteristically evil. I absolutely loved this about him. He has so many layers. He has a dark side and a seductive side. I couldn’t help the fear growing in my heart as I devoured Amberlaine’s unfaltering devotion for him… the characters in this story were fascinating and I was hooked on the haunting, memorable evil that was portrayed. Descent Into Darkness is a twisted look into the dark side of vampires and was nicely executed."
- Morgan Grey, Just Erotic Romance Reviews

5 Flags: "...so intense ... a dark thriller that is very hard to put down until you know what happens to the characters. The passion between Alexander and Amberlaine is erotic and dark. The reader will feel the intensity of their love that becomes so addicting and maddening. This book is highly recommended for those who love dark fantasy stories. Once you read it, you'll be begging from the author for more of future stories of these characters, even an outcome of the end of this saga. An outstanding story of erotic fiction."
- Cathie M, Euro-Reviews



Descent into Darkness by Denyse Bridger
ISBN: 1-59578-284-2
Genre: Erotic Romance
$5.95 from Liquid Silver Books



Purchase Descent into Darkness by Denyse Bridger HERE!!