Author Interview: Wynne Channing (author of What Kills Me)

Hi!

A few weeks ago, I got the chance to read What Kills Me by Wynne Channing and I really loved it (see my review)! I do need my vampire fix from time to time, and What Kills Me was a perfect fix: it gave me vamps, fast-paced and interesting plot, wit and banter, kickbutt heroine, swoon-worthy hero, romance, non-stop action and don't get me started on the swordplay (ahh! the amazing fight scenes!!!). Then, of course, I wanted to know more about all the awesomeness, so I asked the author, Wynne Channing, for an interview, and she graciously  answered all my nosy questions. I really, really love this interview - Whynne's answers rock! *fan girl moment* 

So... Enjoy! :D

 

Deea: Welcome on Deea’s Journal and thank you for taking the time to answer my questions!

Wynne Channing: Thank you so much for hosting me!

D: For people who read about your work for the first time, could you give a short description of What Kills Me?

WC:Sure! What Kills Me is a paranormal adventure about bravery and survival. It begins when 17-year-old Zee falls into a well filled with blood and emerges a vampire. Her “becoming” is unprecedented, leading the undead empire to fear her. So they hunt her to the death, er, second death because she’s technically already dead.

D: Why did you decide to write about vampires?

WC: I know vampires seem so played out right now, but I’ve been a fan of the blood-sucking monsters since I was young. Some of my favorite horror movies from way back featured the scariest vamps ever.

D: When it comes to vampire stories, I’m used to cold, far away places, so the setting in What Kills Me was  nice and refreshing. How did you decide where to set the story? (it starts in Italy)

W: If you’re a creature who has been alive for centuries, you’re probably well traveled. I wanted What Kills Me to have global appeal and multicultural characters. It begins in Rome and moves to Taipei. The sequel will feature new places.

D: What was your inspiration for this novel? And did you have to do any specific research? (If I go looking for the Sacriva – the vampire scripture — will I find it? Since I live in Romania, and all.)

WC: I saw the image of a girl crawling out of a well covered in blood. It freaked me out enough to base a novel on it. The vampire scriptures are a figment of my imagination. But if you find them, please let me know!!!

Oh. And there goes my dream to go on a treasure hunt. *sigh*

D:  Zee is fun, feisty, easy to relate to and most importantly, a very realistic character. Is she anything like you or like someone you know in real life?

WC: She is a cooler, kinder, and braver version of me at 17. She’s basically the person that I wished I could’ve been. But she definitely has my curiosity. Except my love of exploration brought me to journalism...and hers well, it always gets her into serious, often deadly, trouble.

D: Lucas is a very complex, swoon worthy and, as far as I’m concerned, perfect character. Can you tell us a bit more about him and how you created him?

WC: Lucas comes across as a jerk. But given his history, how he’s been hurt in the past, I understand how he can be guarded. He’s protective of his family, and of his emotions, but with time, he extends this protection to Zee. That’s a value they both share — they’re both loyal as hell.

I wanted their relationship to unfold naturally. Chaos and tragedy isn’t the best setting for romance. When they first meet, they’re too busy killing and avoiding being killed to kiss. It kind of annoys me when I watch actions/horror films and the damsel in distress swoons so easily for the hero amid all the death and destruction. “Everyone I love has just been killed. Wait a minute. You’re sexy...” What the heck.

I know, right?! It bugs me when that happens in novels too. But I really liked how the relationship between Lucas and Zee developed. It was smooth and tender, yet intense and dreamy. ♥

D: The non-stop action, adventures and witty dialogue make What Kills Me a very energetic read. I was practically bouncing in my seat when I read certain scenes. What do you do to set the mood when you write? Do you have a playlist you listen to?

WC: I’m glad! Sometimes I just listen to the radio or set the iPod on shuffle. I just need the noise in the background.

D: What Kills Me is full of action and at the same time, an emotional roller coaster. What was the hardest part to write? What about the easiest part?

WC: Great question. The easiest and most fun parts to write were the action sequences — I’m a huge kung-fu film fan – and any scene where Lucas and Zee get to just be together (and annoy each other). They have lovely chemistry. The hardest parts to write were the ones where Zee has to mourn her lost friends and family. You want to give her grief depth and to do that, you go to dark places.

Yeah, I can see why those scenes were hard to write, they were really heartbreaking. And I loved the fight scenes and Lucas and Zee's banter too!

D: I know that you’re currently working on the sequel, but what’s next after that? Do you have any other projects in the works?

WC: There could be a final third book to close off the series. I’m also working on a dystopian psychological thriller set in high school.

YAY! I love psychological thrillers! I can't wait to read it!

D: It’s probably still early to ask, but can you give us a little teaser about what to expect from the next book?

WC: It’s hard to talk about without spoiling the ending of What Kills Me! A huge revelation at the end of Book One changes everything. Both Zee and the empire are going to have to deal with this new reality. Zee and Lucas’s relationship will continue to grow and change. You’ll learn more about the legend, the first vampires. You’ll also get to meet characters just mentioned Book One, Lucas’s brother, members of the rebellion, etc. Of course, there will be more blood, humor and twists!

Eep, I can't wait to meet Lucas' s brother!:D *hopes he's one of the good guys*

D: Now that you have the experience of publishing your first novel, do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

WC: Finish your novel. Make sure it’s the best darn story that it can be. That means rewrite it if you have to, and get it professionally edited. And don’t give up. This world belongs to those who are brave enough to do whatever it takes to get things done. So go and do it — by laying one brick at a time!

*nods* *takes notes for later*

D: Thank you again for stopping by and for answering all my questions! I’m looking forward to reading more adventures of Lucas (and Zee, of course).

WC: Thank you so much for the great questions!

***

About the book:

Published: June 6th 2012
by Jet & Jack Press
Format: ebook, 209 pages

Goodreads

An ancient prophecy warns of a girl destined to cause the extinction of the vampire race.

So when 17-year-old Axelia falls into a sacred well filled with blood and emerges a vampire, the immortal empire believes she is this legendary destroyer. Hunted by soldiers and mercenaries, Axelia and her reluctant ally, the vampire bladesmith Lucas, must battle to survive.

How will she convince the empire that she is just an innocent teenager-turned bloodsucker and not a creature of destruction? And if she cannot, can a vampire who is afraid of bugs summon the courage to fight a nation of immortals?

***

About the author: 

Wynne Channing is an award-winning national newspaper reporter and young adult novelist.

She started writing horror/fantasy tales as a girl. She still has the first novel that she wrote when she was 10. It’s (unintentionally) hilarious.

Wynne loves telling stories and as a journalist, she has interviewed everyone from Daniel Radcliffe and Hugh Jackman to the president of the Maldives and Duchess Sarah Ferguson. The closest she has come to interviewing a vampire is sitting down with True Blood‘s Alexander Skarsgard (he didn’t bite).

She briefly considered calling her debut novel “Well” so then everyone would say: “Well written by Wynne Channing.”

Find Wynne: Website / Facebook / Twitter

Get the book (for only $0.99!)

Amazon US / Amazon UK / B & N

xoxo

Author Interview: Wynne Channing (author of What Kills Me)

Hi!

A few weeks ago, I got the chance to read What Kills Me by Wynne Channing and I really loved it (see my review)! I do need my vampire fix from time to time, and What Kills Me was a perfect fix: it gave me vamps, fast-paced and interesting plot, wit and banter, kickbutt heroine, swoon-worthy hero, romance, non-stop action and don't get me started on the swordplay (ahh! the amazing fight scenes!!!). Then, of course, I wanted to know more about all the awesomeness, so I asked the author, Wynne Channing, for an interview, and she graciously  answered all my nosy questions. I really, really love this interview - Whynne's answers rock! *fan girl moment* 

So... Enjoy! :D

 

Deea: Welcome on Deea’s Journal and thank you for taking the time to answer my questions!

Wynne Channing: Thank you so much for hosting me!

D: For people who read about your work for the first time, could you give a short description of What Kills Me?

WC:Sure! What Kills Me is a paranormal adventure about bravery and survival. It begins when 17-year-old Zee falls into a well filled with blood and emerges a vampire. Her “becoming” is unprecedented, leading the undead empire to fear her. So they hunt her to the death, er, second death because she’s technically already dead.

D: Why did you decide to write about vampires?

WC: I know vampires seem so played out right now, but I’ve been a fan of the blood-sucking monsters since I was young. Some of my favorite horror movies from way back featured the scariest vamps ever.

D: When it comes to vampire stories, I’m used to cold, far away places, so the setting in What Kills Me was  nice and refreshing. How did you decide where to set the story? (it starts in Italy)

W: If you’re a creature who has been alive for centuries, you’re probably well traveled. I wanted What Kills Me to have global appeal and multicultural characters. It begins in Rome and moves to Taipei. The sequel will feature new places.

D: What was your inspiration for this novel? And did you have to do any specific research? (If I go looking for the Sacriva – the vampire scripture — will I find it? Since I live in Romania, and all.)

WC: I saw the image of a girl crawling out of a well covered in blood. It freaked me out enough to base a novel on it. The vampire scriptures are a figment of my imagination. But if you find them, please let me know!!!

Oh. And there goes my dream to go on a treasure hunt. *sigh*

D:  Zee is fun, feisty, easy to relate to and most importantly, a very realistic character. Is she anything like you or like someone you know in real life?

WC: She is a cooler, kinder, and braver version of me at 17. She’s basically the person that I wished I could’ve been. But she definitely has my curiosity. Except my love of exploration brought me to journalism...and hers well, it always gets her into serious, often deadly, trouble.

D: Lucas is a very complex, swoon worthy and, as far as I’m concerned, perfect character. Can you tell us a bit more about him and how you created him?

WC: Lucas comes across as a jerk. But given his history, how he’s been hurt in the past, I understand how he can be guarded. He’s protective of his family, and of his emotions, but with time, he extends this protection to Zee. That’s a value they both share — they’re both loyal as hell.

I wanted their relationship to unfold naturally. Chaos and tragedy isn’t the best setting for romance. When they first meet, they’re too busy killing and avoiding being killed to kiss. It kind of annoys me when I watch actions/horror films and the damsel in distress swoons so easily for the hero amid all the death and destruction. “Everyone I love has just been killed. Wait a minute. You’re sexy...” What the heck.

I know, right?! It bugs me when that happens in novels too. But I really liked how the relationship between Lucas and Zee developed. It was smooth and tender, yet intense and dreamy. ♥

D: The non-stop action, adventures and witty dialogue make What Kills Me a very energetic read. I was practically bouncing in my seat when I read certain scenes. What do you do to set the mood when you write? Do you have a playlist you listen to?

WC: I’m glad! Sometimes I just listen to the radio or set the iPod on shuffle. I just need the noise in the background.

D: What Kills Me is full of action and at the same time, an emotional roller coaster. What was the hardest part to write? What about the easiest part?

WC: Great question. The easiest and most fun parts to write were the action sequences — I’m a huge kung-fu film fan – and any scene where Lucas and Zee get to just be together (and annoy each other). They have lovely chemistry. The hardest parts to write were the ones where Zee has to mourn her lost friends and family. You want to give her grief depth and to do that, you go to dark places.

Yeah, I can see why those scenes were hard to write, they were really heartbreaking. And I loved the fight scenes and Lucas and Zee's banter too!

D: I know that you’re currently working on the sequel, but what’s next after that? Do you have any other projects in the works?

WC: There could be a final third book to close off the series. I’m also working on a dystopian psychological thriller set in high school.

YAY! I love psychological thrillers! I can't wait to read it!

D: It’s probably still early to ask, but can you give us a little teaser about what to expect from the next book?

WC: It’s hard to talk about without spoiling the ending of What Kills Me! A huge revelation at the end of Book One changes everything. Both Zee and the empire are going to have to deal with this new reality. Zee and Lucas’s relationship will continue to grow and change. You’ll learn more about the legend, the first vampires. You’ll also get to meet characters just mentioned Book One, Lucas’s brother, members of the rebellion, etc. Of course, there will be more blood, humor and twists!

Eep, I can't wait to meet Lucas' s brother!:D *hopes he's one of the good guys*

D: Now that you have the experience of publishing your first novel, do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

WC: Finish your novel. Make sure it’s the best darn story that it can be. That means rewrite it if you have to, and get it professionally edited. And don’t give up. This world belongs to those who are brave enough to do whatever it takes to get things done. So go and do it — by laying one brick at a time!

*nods* *takes notes for later*

D: Thank you again for stopping by and for answering all my questions! I’m looking forward to reading more adventures of Lucas (and Zee, of course).

WC: Thank you so much for the great questions!

***

About the book:

Published: June 6th 2012
by Jet & Jack Press
Format: ebook, 209 pages

Goodreads

An ancient prophecy warns of a girl destined to cause the extinction of the vampire race.

So when 17-year-old Axelia falls into a sacred well filled with blood and emerges a vampire, the immortal empire believes she is this legendary destroyer. Hunted by soldiers and mercenaries, Axelia and her reluctant ally, the vampire bladesmith Lucas, must battle to survive.

How will she convince the empire that she is just an innocent teenager-turned bloodsucker and not a creature of destruction? And if she cannot, can a vampire who is afraid of bugs summon the courage to fight a nation of immortals?

***

About the author: 

Wynne Channing is an award-winning national newspaper reporter and young adult novelist.

She started writing horror/fantasy tales as a girl. She still has the first novel that she wrote when she was 10. It’s (unintentionally) hilarious.

Wynne loves telling stories and as a journalist, she has interviewed everyone from Daniel Radcliffe and Hugh Jackman to the president of the Maldives and Duchess Sarah Ferguson. The closest she has come to interviewing a vampire is sitting down with True Blood‘s Alexander Skarsgard (he didn’t bite).

She briefly considered calling her debut novel “Well” so then everyone would say: “Well written by Wynne Channing.”

Find Wynne: Website / Facebook / Twitter

Get the book (for only $0.99!)

Amazon US / Amazon UK / B & N

xoxo

Review: What Kills Me by Wynne Channing

Happy Friday everyone!

What Kills Me

by Wynne Channing

Published: June 6th 2012
by Jet & Jack Press
Format: ebook, 209 pages

Goodreads

(The synopsis is a bit spoiler-y)

An ancient prophecy warns of a girl destined to cause the extinction of the vampire race.

So when 17-year-old Axelia falls into a sacred well filled with blood and emerges a vampire, the immortal empire believes she is this legendary destroyer. Hunted by soldiers and mercenaries, Axelia and her reluctant ally, the vampire bladesmith Lucas, must battle to survive.

How will she convince the empire that she is just an innocent teenager-turned bloodsucker and not a creature of destruction? And if she cannot, can a vampire who is afraid of bugs summon the courage to fight a nation of immortals?

My thoughts:

This book was so badass! That's the best way to describe it if you want a one-word description. Filled with wit, adventure, suspense, drama, romance, kickbutt characters, lots of twists and turns and  non-stop action, What Kills Me is a one-sit-read that keeps you on the edge of your seat and gives you a great, interesting story and awesome characters that you will definitely get attached to and want to read more and more about.

The beginning of the story may be a little misleading: we have a teenage girl who goes to Italy to study for the summer. All is nice and dreamy - beautiful setting, summery atmosphere, witty heroine trying to have some fun and a sweet romance in vacation. She even meets the perfect, handsome, gallant boy and everything seems too good to be true. Well, that's because it is - soon her dreamy adventure turns into a nightmare she can't escape.

As if someone trying to kill her wasn't bad enough, Axelia wakes up in a scary place with some weird people who claim she's now a vampire. She doesn't even get a chance to come to terms with that crazy idea and to make her escape, because suddenly some dangerous looking men barge in and take her away for being "an abomination". Her becoming a vampire was very unusual and apparently poses a danger for the entire vampire race, so she must answer to the Empress, their ruler, immediately.

She's much stronger that she realized, so she manages to escape the blood sucking soldiers the first time, but then they're always after her. And that's when the true adventure begins. Always on the run, scared, far away from her family and with no way to contact them, surviving and evading all the soldiers and mercenaries who are after her is a real struggle. But she runs into Lucas and though they don't meet under the best circumstances, he becomes the only person she can rely on. They both set out on a journey filled with tension, danger, action, unpredictable situations and thrills that will change them and get them really close to each other.   

He always looked brooding and preoccupied, but I could never tell what was going through his head. I didn’t know how he was dealing with this ordeal. I chose to interpret his silence as strength. I needed something to believe in. He was all I had left.

Axelia is such a cool character! I'll admit though that she doesn't make the best first impression. I mean, you don't go out into the dark (without telling anyone where you are going), follow a stranger into a closed, creepy-looking building in a remote place just like that, and then you're surprised when said stranger wants to kill you, right? *head desk* 

I should have never trusted Paolo. My entire life I had been a good, cautious person. Just this once I had wanted a little adventure—and now this. Why? Why me? 

Anyway, her misjudgment was somehow necessary to get the story going. She has to learn from her mistake, to pay the consequences. Of course, she doesn't deserve all the terror and craziness her new 'life' throws at her, but she's brave, stubborn and doesn't give up even in the worst situations. She's feisty, courageous and meets the danger head on; add to that her new developed vampire skills and you get a seriously kickbutt heroine:

I expected to crash onto the pavement, the concrete scraping off patches of skin. Except that time seemed to slow while I was in mid air. Landing with one foot on the street and letting the momentum carry me forward, I put my right hand down and did a frontward flip. I stood and turned to look at the truck speeding away.

Desperate, I searched for a weapon, a distraction, and I picked up the car door. They [the mercenaries] were closing in on me. With a cry, I launched the door at them. It sailed through the air like a disk. They both leaped to avoid it, but it caught one of them in the midsection. The vampire appeared to jump over it, but just his top half flopped over and he fell to the ground in two parts. The door kept flying through the air, and a split second later embedded itself into the side of the black sedan with a crash.

Her relationship with Lucas has a rocky start (they kind of hate each other at the beginning, but they have to put up with each other to move on and survive the craziness around them), but it grows into something very special and heart-warming. It's subtle, yet intense.

“Hey,” I said, fighting to lighten my tone.
“Hmm.”
“I think that was the first time that you’ve ever called me by my name.”
“What? No.”
“Yes,” I said. “See? You do like me.”
He clucked his tongue and shook his head, but he had a faint smile on his face.

He finally glanced over at me. The left corner of his lip curled and he winked. I smiled. I loved that. It filled the emptiness inside of me. It was a flash of light in the darkness.  

And their banter is so adorable and hilarious! 

He didn’t respond so I started to mutter to myself. “I’m going to miss cheese. Except blue cheese. That tastes like feet.”
“You’re a vampire now,” he said. “All human food is going to taste like feet.”
“Everything?”
“Hey, schoolgirl.”
“Yes?”
“Stop talking.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I talk when I’m nervous or upset. My sister has diabetes so I used to tell her jokes to distract her from needles when we were kids. But even she thinks it’s annoying now.” He snapped his fingers toward the door.

“Schoolgirl?”
“Yeah?” I stopped close behind him and looked around. “What?”
“You talk too much.”
“Maybe you talk too little.”
“You’re going to live forever. Pace yourself.”

Lucas (bonus points for the name!) is ... *dreamy sigh* perfect! Loyal, caring, sweet, yet strong and with this bad boy vibe you can't resist. Not to mention his mad fighting skills. SO BADASS! Perfect book boyfriend material. ;)

He's aslo fierce, protective and very supportive:

He walked over to me and took hold of both my arms.
“Hey,” he said. “You are not a monster.”
“I’m not like you. I know,” I said.
“No. You’re not like us. You are different. But you are amazing.”
He lifted my chin with his finger. I looked up at his face, searching for sarcasm. Instead I found a softness in his expression, something I’d never seen before. Even in the dimness his emerald eyes were brilliant.

They care and depend on each other more than any of them realizes: 

“If he [Lucas] wasn’t always rescuing me or fighting for me or telling me not to be a baby, I might be dead.”
“If you weren’t who you are, he might not have fought for you.”
“I just wish I could do more to protect him.”
“You are what keeps him going.” (Lucas' sire)

Of course, you can't miss the swoon worthy moments:

For a moment we looked at each other. I tried to read his eyes as they scanned my face. He parted his lips as if to speak but didn’t. I had backed him against the stove so that our stomachs were almost touching. His hands searched for a casual resting position until he rested them on his hips. A cold trickle ran down my back, and I realized at that moment that I was still in a towel.

We sank down together and bobbed up, laughing. I slung my arm around his shoulders and the side of my body was pressed against his. Beneath his soft skin his muscles were hard, like stone. Our laughter trailed away. I felt his hand on my waist. His legs brushed mine as we treaded water. I searched his face. His expression was undecipherable. He just looked into my eyes, clenched his jaw, and swallowed. I looked at his lips. They gleamed from the water, the steam. I thought he might kiss me. I wanted him to. He put his other hand on my waist...

The writing is beautiful, compelling and flows smoothly. You wouldn't even think this is the author's debut novel; everything is very well balanced. And there's no such thing as taking a break or putting the book aside for a while.You just need to keep reading, because there are lots of twists and there's always something going on; you need to know what happens next to these characters.  

So, in a nutshell:

Vampires? Check!

Interesting plot? Check!

Wit, biting humor and sarcasm? Check!

Kickbutt heroine? Check!

Swoon-worthy hero? Double check!

Romance? Check!

Non-stop action? Check!

Swords play? Check! (OMG the sword fights were so freaking awesome! I think I even cheered out loud a few times.:)))

All in all, I really loved this book. And that ending? Killer! I can't wait for the sequel! I need more Lucas STAT!

P.S. How gorgeous is that cover?! *Love*

About the author: 

Wynne Channing is an award-winning national newspaper reporter and young adult novelist.

She started writing horror/fantasy tales as a girl. She still has the first novel that she wrote when she was 10. It’s (unintentionally) hilarious.

Wynne loves telling stories and as a journalist, she has interviewed everyone from Daniel Radcliffe and Hugh Jackman to the president of the Maldives and Duchess Sarah Ferguson. The closest she has come to interviewing a vampire is sitting down with True Blood‘s Alexander Skarsgard (he didn’t bite).

She briefly considered calling her debut novel “Well” so then everyone would say: “Well written by Wynne Channing.” (hehe that would have been very appropriate btw)

Find Wynne: Website / Facebook / Twitter

Read the first chapters 

Get the book (for only $2.99!)

Amazon US / Amazon UK / Kobo / B & N

Thank you to LibraryThing and Wynne Channing for providing me with the review copy!

xoxo

Review: What Kills Me by Wynne Channing

Happy Friday everyone!

What Kills Me

by Wynne Channing

Published: June 6th 2012
by Jet & Jack Press
Format: ebook, 209 pages

Goodreads

(The synopsis is a bit spoiler-y)

An ancient prophecy warns of a girl destined to cause the extinction of the vampire race.

So when 17-year-old Axelia falls into a sacred well filled with blood and emerges a vampire, the immortal empire believes she is this legendary destroyer. Hunted by soldiers and mercenaries, Axelia and her reluctant ally, the vampire bladesmith Lucas, must battle to survive.

How will she convince the empire that she is just an innocent teenager-turned bloodsucker and not a creature of destruction? And if she cannot, can a vampire who is afraid of bugs summon the courage to fight a nation of immortals?

My thoughts:

This book was so badass! That's the best way to describe it if you want a one-word description. Filled with wit, adventure, suspense, drama, romance, kickbutt characters, lots of twists and turns and  non-stop action, What Kills Me is a one-sit-read that keeps you on the edge of your seat and gives you a great, interesting story and awesome characters that you will definitely get attached to and want to read more and more about.

The beginning of the story may be a little misleading: we have a teenage girl who goes to Italy to study for the summer. All is nice and dreamy - beautiful setting, summery atmosphere, witty heroine trying to have some fun and a sweet romance in vacation. She even meets the perfect, handsome, gallant boy and everything seems too good to be true. Well, that's because it is - soon her dreamy adventure turns into a nightmare she can't escape.

As if someone trying to kill her wasn't bad enough, Axelia wakes up in a scary place with some weird people who claim she's now a vampire. She doesn't even get a chance to come to terms with that crazy idea and to make her escape, because suddenly some dangerous looking men barge in and take her away for being "an abomination". Her becoming a vampire was very unusual and apparently poses a danger for the entire vampire race, so she must answer to the Empress, their ruler, immediately.

She's much stronger that she realized, so she manages to escape the blood sucking soldiers the first time, but then they're always after her. And that's when the true adventure begins. Always on the run, scared, far away from her family and with no way to contact them, surviving and evading all the soldiers and mercenaries who are after her is a real struggle. But she runs into Lucas and though they don't meet under the best circumstances, he becomes the only person she can rely on. They both set out on a journey filled with tension, danger, action, unpredictable situations and thrills that will change them and get them really close to each other.   

He always looked brooding and preoccupied, but I could never tell what was going through his head. I didn’t know how he was dealing with this ordeal. I chose to interpret his silence as strength. I needed something to believe in. He was all I had left.

Axelia is such a cool character! I'll admit though that she doesn't make the best first impression. I mean, you don't go out into the dark (without telling anyone where you are going), follow a stranger into a closed, creepy-looking building in a remote place just like that, and then you're surprised when said stranger wants to kill you, right? *head desk* 

I should have never trusted Paolo. My entire life I had been a good, cautious person. Just this once I had wanted a little adventure—and now this. Why? Why me? 

Anyway, her misjudgment was somehow necessary to get the story going. She has to learn from her mistake, to pay the consequences. Of course, she doesn't deserve all the terror and craziness her new 'life' throws at her, but she's brave, stubborn and doesn't give up even in the worst situations. She's feisty, courageous and meets the danger head on; add to that her new developed vampire skills and you get a seriously kickbutt heroine:

I expected to crash onto the pavement, the concrete scraping off patches of skin. Except that time seemed to slow while I was in mid air. Landing with one foot on the street and letting the momentum carry me forward, I put my right hand down and did a frontward flip. I stood and turned to look at the truck speeding away.

Desperate, I searched for a weapon, a distraction, and I picked up the car door. They [the mercenaries] were closing in on me. With a cry, I launched the door at them. It sailed through the air like a disk. They both leaped to avoid it, but it caught one of them in the midsection. The vampire appeared to jump over it, but just his top half flopped over and he fell to the ground in two parts. The door kept flying through the air, and a split second later embedded itself into the side of the black sedan with a crash.

Her relationship with Lucas has a rocky start (they kind of hate each other at the beginning, but they have to put up with each other to move on and survive the craziness around them), but it grows into something very special and heart-warming. It's subtle, yet intense.

“Hey,” I said, fighting to lighten my tone.
“Hmm.”
“I think that was the first time that you’ve ever called me by my name.”
“What? No.”
“Yes,” I said. “See? You do like me.”
He clucked his tongue and shook his head, but he had a faint smile on his face.

He finally glanced over at me. The left corner of his lip curled and he winked. I smiled. I loved that. It filled the emptiness inside of me. It was a flash of light in the darkness.  

And their banter is so adorable and hilarious! 

He didn’t respond so I started to mutter to myself. “I’m going to miss cheese. Except blue cheese. That tastes like feet.”
“You’re a vampire now,” he said. “All human food is going to taste like feet.”
“Everything?”
“Hey, schoolgirl.”
“Yes?”
“Stop talking.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I talk when I’m nervous or upset. My sister has diabetes so I used to tell her jokes to distract her from needles when we were kids. But even she thinks it’s annoying now.” He snapped his fingers toward the door.

“Schoolgirl?”
“Yeah?” I stopped close behind him and looked around. “What?”
“You talk too much.”
“Maybe you talk too little.”
“You’re going to live forever. Pace yourself.”

Lucas (bonus points for the name!) is ... *dreamy sigh* perfect! Loyal, caring, sweet, yet strong and with this bad boy vibe you can't resist. Not to mention his mad fighting skills. SO BADASS! Perfect book boyfriend material. ;)

He's aslo fierce, protective and very supportive:

He walked over to me and took hold of both my arms.
“Hey,” he said. “You are not a monster.”
“I’m not like you. I know,” I said.
“No. You’re not like us. You are different. But you are amazing.”
He lifted my chin with his finger. I looked up at his face, searching for sarcasm. Instead I found a softness in his expression, something I’d never seen before. Even in the dimness his emerald eyes were brilliant.

They care and depend on each other more than any of them realizes: 

“If he [Lucas] wasn’t always rescuing me or fighting for me or telling me not to be a baby, I might be dead.”
“If you weren’t who you are, he might not have fought for you.”
“I just wish I could do more to protect him.”
“You are what keeps him going.” (Lucas' sire)

Of course, you can't miss the swoon worthy moments:

For a moment we looked at each other. I tried to read his eyes as they scanned my face. He parted his lips as if to speak but didn’t. I had backed him against the stove so that our stomachs were almost touching. His hands searched for a casual resting position until he rested them on his hips. A cold trickle ran down my back, and I realized at that moment that I was still in a towel.

We sank down together and bobbed up, laughing. I slung my arm around his shoulders and the side of my body was pressed against his. Beneath his soft skin his muscles were hard, like stone. Our laughter trailed away. I felt his hand on my waist. His legs brushed mine as we treaded water. I searched his face. His expression was undecipherable. He just looked into my eyes, clenched his jaw, and swallowed. I looked at his lips. They gleamed from the water, the steam. I thought he might kiss me. I wanted him to. He put his other hand on my waist...

The writing is beautiful, compelling and flows smoothly. You wouldn't even think this is the author's debut novel; everything is very well balanced. And there's no such thing as taking a break or putting the book aside for a while.You just need to keep reading, because there are lots of twists and there's always something going on; you need to know what happens next to these characters.  

So, in a nutshell:

Vampires? Check!

Interesting plot? Check!

Wit, biting humor and sarcasm? Check!

Kickbutt heroine? Check!

Swoon-worthy hero? Double check!

Romance? Check!

Non-stop action? Check!

Swords play? Check! (OMG the sword fights were so freaking awesome! I think I even cheered out loud a few times.:)))

All in all, I really loved this book. And that ending? Killer! I can't wait for the sequel! I need more Lucas STAT!

P.S. How gorgeous is that cover?! *Love*

About the author: 

Wynne Channing is an award-winning national newspaper reporter and young adult novelist.

She started writing horror/fantasy tales as a girl. She still has the first novel that she wrote when she was 10. It’s (unintentionally) hilarious.

Wynne loves telling stories and as a journalist, she has interviewed everyone from Daniel Radcliffe and Hugh Jackman to the president of the Maldives and Duchess Sarah Ferguson. The closest she has come to interviewing a vampire is sitting down with True Blood‘s Alexander Skarsgard (he didn’t bite).

She briefly considered calling her debut novel “Well” so then everyone would say: “Well written by Wynne Channing.” (hehe that would have been very appropriate btw)

Find Wynne: Website / Facebook / Twitter

Read the first chapters 

Get the book (for only $2.99!)

Amazon US / Amazon UK / Kobo / B & N

Thank you to LibraryThing and Wynne Channing for providing me with the review copy!

xoxo