Interview & Contest: Mary Abshire, Author of the Soul Catcher Series

We're kicking off a month of Noble Romance giveaways at Suburban Vampire by chatting with novelist Mary Abshire, author of Claiming the Evil Dead and Catching an Evil Tail.

Noble Romance Publishing is a royalty-paying, full-service e-publisher of cutting-edge erotic romance, and they offer several titles for vampire fans.  If you're 18 or over, check out the contest details at the end of the interview.
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SUBURBAN VAMPIRE: Welcome, Mary! Please start by telling us a little about your first two novels, Claiming the Evil Dead and Catching an Evil Tail.

MARY ABSHIRE: In Claiming the Evil Dead, you meet Jessie, the half-demon soul catcher who doesn't trust supernatural creatures. A vampire, Drake, finds her, offers her a job to claim the soul of an evil vampire, and being the moral person that she is, she accepts it, even though she doesn't trust Drake. Over time, she wakes up and realizes she is attracted to Drake and he is to her. Then she bumps into a demon, Jeremy, and he causes trouble. When the time comes to get the bad vampire, Jessie has to decide whom she can trust.

In Catching an Evil Tail, Jessie wants to free herself from the debt she owes Jeremy. He asks for her help and she agrees. In exchange for her freedom, she has to send the soul of a werewolf to hell. Well, sending souls to hell is never easy for Jessie. Something always pops up and gets in her way. And with Drake away in Europe, she finds herself wondering if she should move on with her life. After all, the Alpha is damn hot.

SV: How did you come up with your original ideas for Jessie's character and her special ability?

MARY: I thought about it for several days. I wanted someone different, someone who thought she was bad, but she really wasn't. I'd never read a story about someone sending souls to hell, so it seemed like a good idea to me.

SV: When and how did you first become interested in vampires?

MARY: Oh, I've always loved vampires. When I was a kid, I loved watching them on TV – immortal, dark, mysterious, great set of teeth. Then, in my teens, I read Anne Rice books. Armand was my favorite. People would make fun of me for liking vampires, but it never changed me. I am what I am, a vamp lover at heart.

SV: It's no secret vampires are everywhere in books, movies, and TV series. What do you feel most makes your own vampire tales stand out from the crowd?

MARY: My vampire is noble and believes in saving lives. He's not some bloodsucker out to feed his habit. He wants to do good and he aims to prove he can.

SV: You write erotic paranormal romances. What are some of the pros and cons of being known as a writer of steamy fiction?

MARY: Pros: not sure yet. Cons: 1. People might believe the novel is too steamy when it really isn't much different from the books in the paranormal romance section at the bookstore. 2. I have to advertise on erotic sites instead of regular paranormal romance sites.

SV: Your third Soul Catcher novel, Fighting Evil, debuted March 21. Will this be the final installment in the series?

MARY: No, absolutely not. I'm almost done with book 4, and while it has a very happy ending, I leave it open for more soul catching novels. I like the characters, and I'd very much like to keep the series going.

SV: Where can readers learn more about you and your writing?

MARY: www.maryabshire.com
www.facebook.com/mary.abshire
www.goodreads.com/maryabshire

SV: Thanks so much for joining me at Suburban Vampire today, Mary. Best wishes for all of your books!

MARY: Thanks for the interview. Best wishes to you!

CONTEST RULES:

Noble Romance has generously offered a giveaway copy of Mary Abshire's Claiming the Evil Dead (pdf format).

YOU MUST BE 18 OR OVER TO ENTER.

To enter, the publisher has asked that you "Like" Noble Romance on Facebook and leave a comment on the wall that mentions Suburban Vampire.  A random winner will be pulled from the entries.
Deadline: Friday, May 8, 2011, 8:00 AM PDT.