Ninfa Hayes
is a terrific debut author and I'm very pleased to grab a bit of her
time for an interview here. And to have a GIVEAWAY of her first book!
First, a short bio.
Ninfa lives in Manchester, UK. Originally from Italy, she's half Spanish,
half Italian and British by choice and marriage. Reading and writing
have always been a big part of her life and for this she thanks both her
parents for passing down the literary gene and the passion for a good
story.
Ninfa
is big on networking and co-runs an array of Facebook pages and blogs
about books and all things supernatural. She also reviews books for the
Facebook Bookaholics Book Club
on a regular basis. If you'd like to find out more about Ninfa and her
stories, you can check out her contact information at the end of this
interview.
Some information about Ninfa's book,
Bites. (You can see my full 5-star review
here.)
Bites contains two great stories.
Story 1 - "Last of the Blood"
When the sweet scent reaches me, I know I have found what I'm looking for.
My hands reach out in the darkness to the unaware girl. She's warm and
soft, and doesn't even get to scream before I'm drinking deeply from
her, her struggles too feeble to bother me.
Only the blood counts.
I've never tasted anything like it. Gloriously sweet, thick and strong, and full of life.
I drink until the hunger subsides, until the body that I hold so close
to me hangs lifelessly in my arms. Only then I see. Only then I
recognise it, and the agony … oh, the agony is more than I can bear!
Story 2 - "Demonica"
Tonight is the Midwinter Solstice Ball, the most important night in the Daemonic Court's calendar.
This is the night when new disciples are chosen, when demons come out to play, and all bets are off.
As it happens, tonight is also the night I become Queen.
Bites
Irina is about to become Queen of the Daemonic Court and Damon is on the
run from his own nature …where will their paths take them?
Two short stories that will seduce you with romance, danger, sensuality … and Vampire bites.
Ninfa, I’m so glad you could visit my blog!
Could you please tell us a little about yourself?
Thank you
so much for having me Dakota, it is truly my pleasure :)
Well, what can I tell you, I'm 36, a sweetsaholic, married with a 3 year
old little monster of a girl, and I live in Manchester, UK with my
family, which also includes two lovely cats: Jemima and Shelley. As you
know, I have recently published my very first book,
Bites,
an anthology of 2 novelettes, and I am over the moon about it. I've
always loved writing, but never really thought anything would come of
it, so to be able to share my stories with so many others has really
been a dream come true for me :)
What led you to write a vampire-themed book? After all, there are so many of them out there!
It wasn't really
a conscious decision for me, I suppose it just happened, lol. I know
there are a lot of Vampire stories out there, so it was never a
supernatural creature I wanted to particularly explore. Then I wrote a
short story called "Forever", which just happened to be about Vampires,
and I received so many lovely comments about it, and so many requests
for more information on the characters, that I decided to expand it and
explore that particular world. That's how "Last of the Blood" was born.
After that, I realized that no matter how many Vampire stories were out
there, I sort of wanted to give my own take. I think it doesn't matter
how many times you write about a certain theme, nobody can do it through
your eyes! :)
Bites
is fantastic! The first novella, "Last of the Blood," was a page-turner
for me. Could you give us a little background on the story?
I originally
wrote "Forever" ( which is now the Epilogue for "Last of the Blood"),
to enter an online writing contest. I didn't win, but I received a lot
of compliments about it, and also a lot of requests to expand it. People
wanted to know more about Catherine and Damon, and about their stories,
so it got me thinking about how they had met each other and what their
background stories were.
Even though "Forever" was, and is, narrated by Catherine, it was Damon
that seemed to really have a story to tell. He popped into my mind fully
formed and very loquacious, so I just started writing another short
story about how he became a Vampire and "The Covenant" was born. But it
still wasn't enough. I needed to tell the story of how he had met
Catherine and how they ended up being where they were, so I kept
writing. The result is this very dark, very melancholic story. It was a
strange journey to take, as I had never thought of writing from a male
perspective, but I guess you can't argue with the people in your head,
lol.
For me, "Last of the Blood" was a pleasure to write. The plot just
flowed smoothly in my head, and since I had the end, before I even
thought of the beginning, it was interesting to discover how the pieces
of the puzzle fit with that particular resolution.
Also, I think Gabriel is probably one of my favourite characters to
write, and even though he only has a secondary part, he's definitely one
of the most vivid characters in my head :)
I
was fascinated with the second novella, "Demonica", goes back to the
beginning, to Eden. Very creative! Why did you want to do an origin
story?
I didn't! Lol.
"Demonica" was supposed to be a very short story (in fact, it was born a
single scene), and there was nothing in the original draft about Angels
and Daemons and Eden. It literally was to be a very hot and sexy scene,
with Irina as the Queen of the Daemons, and her lover coming back to
Court, having been accused of killing the previous Queen. The
story/scene was going to be about Irina's lover (originally called
Simon!), coming back to court to clean up his name and prove that the
whole plot had been concocted by Irina's "Pet-Project", Malcolm, who was
jealous of their relationship and wanted to get rid of Simon.
But whenever I started working on that story, it just did not work in my
head.
"Demonica" went through version 1, version 2, version 3, version 3.1 and
so on, and it was actually painful to write. Giving birth to my
daughter was a walk in the park compared to it, lol.
So how did it become an "Origin Story"? I literally gutted the first 3
versions, kept the characters and descriptions that I liked and could
work with (Ivan, Irina, Queen Serena, Malcolm and the idea of Irina's
lover in particular) and tried to think of a setting where they could
interact in an epically fantastic way. The images in my head were very
grand so I had to give them a larger than life setting.
Then
on my way back from work one day I was listening to Rhianna's version
of "Love the way you lie" featuring Eminem in my car, and one line from
those lyrics seemed to stick in my head.
"Even angels have their wicked schemes..."
That was it, the cartoon-like light bulb just lit up in my head. I wrote
the Prologue and set the scene in Eden, and the rest just fell into
place.
I realized who the characters were, and then some of the little twists
in the story just worked their way in as I was writing it. There really
wasn't a lot of planning behind it, Irina just took my hand and walked
me through her story, and we were both very surprised when a certain
angel made his appearance, but it just made sense :)
Needless to say, the final version of the story is my proudest
achievement to date ;)
I
found your writing style to be lyrical, your descriptions excellent, and
your characterizations well done. In other words, Bites seems like the
polished production of an experienced author writing with an assured
hand, not a debut offering. How long did it take you to write it and are
there other manuscripts gathering dust that you used for practice?
Wow, thank you very much for the incredible compliment, I have a huge grin splitting my face right now :D
Overall, including edits,
Bites
took about 6 months to write and polish. I must say, a lot of credit
goes to my amazing editor and publisher, Dianna Hardy at Bitten Fruit
Books, for her insight on both stories and her support throughout the
whole project.
As a new author, I was very nervous about the process, and about not
being able to deliver a good manuscript, but she was easy to work with
and for, and always open to my silly questions, and I feel very blessed
that I was lucky enough to work with her.
I have to
say, "Last of the Blood" is pretty much what you see on the book, but
"Demonica" has another 3 versions knocking about on my laptop. Previous
to
Bites, I had been writing other projects and short stories, so
I guess that was good practice,lol.
Also, I read A LOT, and one of my favourite authors, the lovely Kelley
Armstrong, whom I was very lucky to meet a couple of years ago, was
gracious enough to give me the best advice on how to improve your
writing: READ! Nothing more instructive than to see what other authors
are doing and how they're doing it. By reading other people's stories I
was able to decide what style, point of view and genre worked best for
me, and hopefully I have done myself justice enough with my first
endeavour :)
It seemed to
me that both of these novellas could be expanded to novels, especially
"Demonica", from which I catch a whiff of a series. Is this it for these
two stories, or do you have more development in mind?
I never say
never, although it most definitely won't be "Last of the Blood." I
really have no plans to pick up that world or any of the characters. For
me that story has been told and I'm very happy with the result.
"Demonica" is different I guess. The story is very much open and there
are different things I could do with the characters. I have ideas, but
no plans so far as I have other projects I'm working on right now.
My publisher has requested a short story with Irina involved in a sexy
threesome, lol, but that won't be happening, sorry guys.
I'm
flirting with the idea of mixing a new concept with characters from
"Demonica". It's very first stage but I think you'll be seeing more of
Irina and her boys, although perhaps not as a main character. ;) I can
tell you the new project is provisionally called "Bare Light" and it
will be aimed to an adult audience. :)
You
have a background as a book blogger and reviewer. Do you think this has
helped you in your writing debut or made it more challenging by
constantly seeing other authors’ books?
I'd like to say
that didn't play a role in my writing process at all, but who am I
kidding?! I was very conscious of the fact that I was crossing into the
Dark Side, and I think since I found out I was to be published, it has
made reviewing books more difficult because I am very aware that
someone, somewhere is doing the same to my book.
I've always prided myself in giving honest opinions on what I read, but I
think it never sank in until I, myself, was biting my nails waiting for
my reviews to be published.
I also feel that being afraid of bad reviews meant being very through
when editing and really asking myself questions like "What else would I
want to know?" See? "What else can I tell my readers?" So I guess there
were ups and downs to being a reviewer myself, but I wouldn't change
that for anything. :)
Tell us briefly about your writing process. Notes? Synopsis? Just start right in?
All of the above?
Lol. It really depends on the story I'm writing to be honest. For
Bites
I had no synopsis. "Last of the Blood" was just getting stuck into it.
"Demonica" had random notes, but again, it was mostly free flow.
I have a project called "Witch's Brew" for which I have done a synopsis,
another called "Goddess" that has a whole folder full of photos...as I
said, it depends on the story I'm writing. Some need visual prompts,
others need notes, and then there's the "Just do it" kind, where I just
sit down and write and the plot stays safe in my head, mulling and
bubbling over as if in a big cauldron, until the words are ready and
seasoned enough to be written down :p
Down to the nitty-gritty: Which story do you like better, and why?
Oh gosh! This is like "Sophie's choice"! How can you ask me to choose between my two babies??!??! Lol!
I'll be very clich
é
and tell you that I love them both for different reasons, but if I
really, really, really had to choose, I think it would be "Demonica",
simply because I feel "Last of the Blood" is a more mainstream story,
one that people can enjoy guilt-free.
I think "Demonica" is a little more controversial, so it's one of those
that people might take one way or another. I write Fantasy and
"Demonica" is definitely Fantasy, even though I've borrowed Mythology of
Origin from several traditions, but I have had some feedback on it
where I was told it perhaps "Hits to close to home" when it comes to
some religious beliefs.
It was never my intention to be
controversial, I just wanted to explore things from a different point
of view. We all know why "Good" is better, but why is "Bad" bad? That
was my motivation for writing "Demonica" from the point of view of
someone innocent who actually wanted to go explore "Darkness".
Incidentally, "Irina" means "Peace" and it was a very conscious decision
to pick that specific name. Peace can only come when Darkness and Light
come together and find a balance, and I think that was the only message
I wanted to send out, if any :)
Bites
is listed as Young Adult. When I read the stories, I felt that they
were for older YA, though there is no such classification yet. What are
your feelings on your target audience?
We toyed with a lot with tags, my editor Dianna and I, because as you say,
Bites
seems to fit in an "Older YA" category because of the dark feel of both
novelettes. Truth is, there is a very fine line between Adult and Young
Adult nowadays. Series like
The House of Night by PC and Kirsten Cast often speak of adult themes and have a high sexual content.
Bites
is not as overtly sexual, but there are references to sex and violence
and I am aware that some parents might not see it as suitable for
younger readers.
My parents never dictated to me what
to read when I was younger. I was reading Agatha Christie and Stephen
King when I was 8/9 years old, not exactly children's books but I loved
them, and I'm grateful I was allowed to make my own choices. To me,
anyone could pick
Bites up and enjoy it, regardless of age, but I know that is my personal opinion only.
I think
Bites is generally aimed at an older audience, so 17
years old +, and I like to think it appeals to both teenagers and adults
alike, as there are many levels to both stories, that can be explored.
I hope my readers agree :)
Is there anything else you’d like us to know? What’s next for you?
I'm currently finishing the first draft of a double team project with my Bookaholics Book Club partner in crime, the lovely Misty Price.
The story is a full length Young Adult novel called
Divine, and
it's the story of two sisters who grow up separate, not knowing of each
other's existence, until they start developing special abilities and
discover they're the daughters of Hades, the Greek God of the
Underworld, and that there's a prophecy that was made when the youngest
was born that has Olympus all rallied up against them.
Divine is
full of mythological references, and it's a fun and light read with
adventure, romance and some twists and turns that will hopefully keep
readers entertained. As of this moment, we haven't submitted it to any
agents or publishing houses, but if all goes well, we might have
something in the pipeline for it to be released next year, so keep your
fingers crossed for us. ;)
In terms of solo projects, I'm working on finishing the first book of my
House of Avalon series,
Morgan's Legacy, another YA story, and
Witch's Brew, an adult book that will kick-start my
Chloe Parker, Supernatural Hunter urban fantasy series.... oh so many project and so little time! Lol.
Now the most important questions!
Jellybeans or chocolate?
Chocolate! With Peanut Butter whenever it's possible :p
The Hunger Game or Game of Thrones?
I can haz both plz?
Cats or dogs?
Cats! They rule! :)
Thunder or lightning?
Lighting.
Spicy hot, medium, or mild?
Mild... I'm allergic to chilly and intolerant to black pepper so hot and spicy is a big No No for me :p
Learn more about Ninfa Hayes below (and remember that name - you're going to be hearing a lot of it!).
Blog:
http://www.bookaholicsbkcl.blogspot.com
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/Ninfa76
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ninfa-Hayes/231118400279030
Win one of THREE copies of the e-book of Bites, plus swag from Ninfa.
Each winner will receive a bookmark, a quote postcard, and a personalized thank you card!
Books will be from Smashwords, where you can choose the correct format
for your e-reader or a PDF for your computer.
Just leave a comment below with your email included,
so I can reach you if you are a winner. The giveaway ends June 30th.
Winners will be randomly chosen on July 1st.
"A great concept and a fun read; an original story with just the right blend of action, suspense, mythology, and romance." - Book Bitch 
