I’m pleased to introduce Diana Rubino and her latest release, A Bloody Good Cruise. It’s about vampires on a cruise…are you kidding me??? LOVE the premise, the title, and the cover! Plus, she’s sharing a fun interview.
*** Diana is giving away a free PDF copy of the book to the first person who can answers this question: Who are the 3 historical figures you most would have wanted to meet? (Please be sure to provide your email address in your comment)
BLURB:
A BLOODY GOOD CRUISE is a fun-filled blend of the vampire world and luxury cruises.Romance writer Mona Rossi’s book sales are slipping. She needs new ideas and fast! Her vampire love, Fausto Silvius is a doctor aboard the Romanza, a luxury cruise ship. Holding a “Motion on the Ocean” writer’s cruise sounds like a great idea. What better way to combine a career boost with romance? But they soon discover hunters on board who give chase to Fausto and his fellow vampires. While he longs to bring Mona into his world, how can he convince her to join him with fringe lunatics on the hunt? In the prime of her life she’s not sticking her neck out for a shot at eternity.
Excerpt:
Mona forced a dose of cheer through her jangly nerves. Vampire hunters wouldn’t have the balls to attack Fausto and his friends on this ship. Security was tight. “Well, you’re here, so does that mean you’ve been going out, and aren’t confined to your house any more?”
Fausto shrugged. “Almost. I couldn’t wallow in self-pity forever. And I knew seeing you would make it worthwhile.”
She smiled and gave him a genuine Italian cheek pinch. “I’ll cheer you up, faccia bella, you can count on that. You must feel safe.” She gestured at the tacky duds. “I mean, relatively speaking.”
“Don’t let this scare you, but –” He glanced around over the rims of his shades. Uh-oh. Whenever he said “don’t let this scare you,” it scared her. “I got an ominous message at the doctor=s office earlier.”
“What?” She swallowed a lump. “What kind of ominous message?”
He looked away, shaking his head. “Nothing to get alarmed about. The hunters just want me to know they’re here. After the initial jolt wore off, I said, ‘okay, I’m being stalked again.’ But I’m used to it. It doesn’t make me constantly look over my shoulder like in the old days. My family’s murder gave me a reality check. If they want me, they’ll get me. I can’t let it interfere with my work, or what little leisure time I have here. And you shouldn’t either.” He gazed at her adoringly and cupped her cheek. His hand was surprisingly warm. “But you’re still scared. All the blood’s drained out of your face, and not in a good way.”
Author Bio:
As a romance author, I’ve cultivated a loyal following. I am active in my RWA (Romance Writers of America) chapter and attend author/reader events at local bookstores. Local and regional columnists have given me a good deal of publicity with interviews and articles. I advertise in Romantic Times and the RWR to keep my name before readers, and have held several contests on my website, which RWA and RT have promoted. In my other life, I own an engineering business, CostPro, Inc., and am Director of Marketing.
Kindle link: www.amzn.com/B00ILXYAI6
Amazon Paperback Link: http://amzn.to/1loSASo
The Wild Rose Press Link: bit.ly/1k8Vlrs
Where did you get the idea for A Bloody Good Cruise? Was there anything unusual, any anecdote about this book, the characters, title, process, etc, you’d like to share?
I wanted to combine Italian vampires, comedy and cruising in one package, so I hopped on my imaginary ship The Romanza to get my characters in all kinds of trouble. I envisioned the hero, Fausto, as actor Vincent Irizarry (Dr. Hayward on All My Children). That made my job so much easier. He is THE perfect vampire. Italian vampires and hunters (the Vampire Ball Busters) leave the field wide open for comic relief, and I had plenty of chances in this story. Since I’m hooked on cruising and I’m Italian, I didn’t need to do that much research. The name Fausto came from an Italian woman I met in the 1980s, Fausta. I knew I had to use some version of that name in one of my books.
My husband and I are hooked on cruising, and my very first cruise was on the Eastern Mediterranean, beginning in Rome and ending in Istanbul. The ports of call included Rhodes, Cyprus, Santorini, and Egypt. Because I love Italy and cruising, I wanted to combine those passions with a humorous story about vampires and how they face prejudice in the human world.
I met an Italian woman named Fausta in 1983 and always loved that name–I always planned to use that name in one of my books someday. I finally got the chance with the hero Fausto, close enough!
The actor I envision for the hero Fausto is Vincent Irizarry, who played Dr. David Hayward on All My Children. He is every bit the perfect vampire.
Do you have another occupation, other than writer? If so, what is it and how do you like it?
I own an engineering business with my husband Chris. I’m Director of Marketing, which I enjoy. I like to meet people and ‘work a room’.
What do you love that most people don’t like and wouldn’t understand why you do?
I don’t know if most people don’t like this, but when I visit a historical site, I must touch everything I possibly can, for that link to the past. I got yelled at in Warsaw for touching one of the keys on Chopin’s piano, but I wasn’t leaving there until I touched it!
What do you dislike that most people wouldn’t understand?
Ever since I’m a little kid, I never liked to eat meat. Nobody understood it in those days, and since vegetarianism is much more common now, more people understand it, but I still get weird looks sometimes.
What’s the main thing that you could get rid of in your life that would give you more writing time?
If only I could get by on two hours’ sleep!
What is one word you would use to describe yourself? What is one word you think others might use to describe you?
I describe myself as curious. Others would probably say earthy.
What’s your favorite book of all time and why? What’s your favorite childhood book?
My favorite book of all time is THE AUTIOBIOGRAPHY OF HENRY VIII by Margaret George. It transports you to Henry’s time as if you’ve time traveled. My favorite childhood books are from a series about a girl, Trixie Belden, who solved mysteries, very much like Nancy Drew.
What do you want readers to come away with after they read A Bloody Good Cruise?
That prejudice can be overcome, and that there’s nothing like being on a cruise ship.
What actors would you like in the main roles if your book were made into a movie?
The hero, Fausto is definitely Vincent Irizarry! She’s not really an actress, but the Long Island Medium, Theresa Caputo, would be a great Mona.
What is your favorite quote?
“I am still learning.” –Michelangelo
Thank you for the interview, Diana. Now, she has a question for readers…
What is it about a book that makes you buy and read it rather than putting it back?
Author Alicia Dean 