GCC Presents . . . Lucienne Diver!!!

This week I'm thrilled to host Lucienne Diver, author of VAMPED!!

Lucienne was kind enough to stop by and answer a few question, but first, The Details:

VAMPED
by Lucienne Diver
May 1, 2009
Trade Paperback from Flux
ISBN: 9780738714745

The story:

From “Valley Vamp Rules for Surviving Your Senior Prom” by VAMPED heroine Gina Covello:

Rule #1: Do not get so loaded at the after prom party that you accidentally-on- purpose end up in the broom closet with the surprise hottie of the evening, say the class chess champ who’s somewhere lost his bottle-cap lenses and undergone an extreme makeover, especially if that makeover has anything to do with becoming one of the undead.

Gina Covello has a problem. Waking up a dead is just the beginning. There's very little she can't put up with for the sake of eternal youth and beauty. Blood-sucking and pointy stick phobias seem a small price to pay. But she draws the line when local vampire vixen Mellisande gets designs on her hot new boyfriend with his prophecied powers and hatches a plot to turn all of Gina’s fellow students into an undead army to be used to overthrow the vampire council.

Hey, if anyone's going to create an undead entourage, it should be Gina! Now she must unselfishly save her classmates from fashion disaster and her own fanged fate.

The Praise:

"VAMPED is a total delight! Diver delivers a delightful cast of undead characters and a fresh, fast take on the vampire mythos. Next installment, please!" — Rachel Caine, New York Times bestselling author of the Morganville Vampires series

"I really sunk my teeth into Lucienne Diver's VAMPED. A fun, frothy, teenage romp with lots of action, a little shopping, and a cute vampire guy. Who could ask for more?" — Marley Gibson, author of GHOST HUNTRESS: The Awakening

“This book rollicked along, full of humor, romance, and action. Gina is a smart-aleck heroine worth reading about, a sort of teenage Besty Taylor (Undead and Unwed) with a lot of Cher Horowitz (Clueless) thrown in. Fans of Katie Maxwell will devour "Vamped." — Rosemary Clement-Moore, author of the Maggie Quinn: Girl vs. Evil series

"Move over Buffy! Lucienne Diver transfuses some fresh blood into the vampire genre. Feisty, fashionable and fun--Vamped is a story readers will sink their teeth into and finish thirsty for more." —Mari Mancusi, author of The Blood Coven Vampires series


The same 5 questions I always ask:

1. Every story has a backstory, what's the backstory for your book?

My stories always start with characters, a dialogue going on in my head. (Yes, I know˜weird, but the voices in my head have never told me to do anything truly atrocious.) Vamped started with Gina Covello, a teen fashionista who comes face to face with true horror when she has to claw her way out of her own grave, only to discover that not only is her old life caput, but she faces a new one without tanning options. Oh, and no reflection; no way to fix her hair and make-up. At first, it was just going to be a short story. I figured that was as long as I could live with Gina. But writing a vignette didn't exorcise her from my mind, and, besides, my first readers wanted more. Which meant a novel, living with her for 200+ pages. The character had to grow and change a bit so that I could get into her head and not run screaming into the night. She‚s now become such a reality to me that I often find myself speaking of her as if she actually exists. Even stranger, I've infected my family as well.

2. What's your work environment like? Any rituals, totems, or must haves?

I need a quiet place, at least until I‚m four or five chapters in and the characters and storyline are really clear in my head, at which point I can work in a noisy McDonalds with kids yelling and screaming around me. (I know from experience.) I freehand everything at first. I can write articles on the computer (and answer interview questions), but find I can‚t write creatively on a keyboard.

3. If you could live inside any book-- which would it be?

Oh that‚s so hard, because we put our characters through the ringer, don't we? But let's see, if I were going to live in a book, I'd want butt-kicking abilities and a wardrobe to match. I know, I'd want to be Rachel Caine's Joanne Baldwin ˆ weather warden extraordinaire and extreme shopper. But which book? Hmm, I‚ll have to think about that.

4. What book rocked your world growing up?

So many. I think, though, that the third of Isaac Asimov‚s Robots novels, The Robots of Dawn, was one of the most amazing. I couldn't read another book for a week after finishing that because it just blew me away and the comparison wouldn't have been fair for anything that followed too closely on its heels. It's wonderfully mind-bending.

5. If you could visit any time, place, or person- what, where, or who would it be?

I very desperately want to visit the catacombs of Paris. When I was there last year, they were closed for renovation. What that meant, exactly, I have no idea, but I absolutely have to get back to Paris. Not just for the catacombs, but because I only had twenty-four hours to spend there and they weren't nearly enough. Also, my husband wasn't with me, and I want him to see it. When they say Paris is for lovers, they're not kidding.


Lucienne's Story:


Lucienne Diver is a long-time book addict who went to work for NYC’s Spectrum Literary Agency fifteen years ago to feed her habit. Recently, she traded in her high-rise for a lake view. She now lives in Florida and works for The Knight Agency (www.knightagency.net). Through various play-dates and in various coffee bars, on the backs of envelopes, carry-out bags and anything else within reach, including, sometimes, her checkbook, she's penned the serio-comic tale of what happens when a young fashionista goes from chic to eek.


Where to find her:

Publisher: www.fluxnow.com
Author: www.luciennediver.com
Author blog: http://varkat.livejournal.com