For someone new to the Crimson Cove series, how would you pitch it?
After discovering a secret society of vampires who stalk the darkened streets of his new hometown, a young man, Cade Colter, must confront his own darkness in order to save himself and those he loves.
If you had two minutes to pitch THE WHITE ROOM to a new reader, what would you say?
The White Room, book 6 in the Vampires of Crimson Cove series, takes a deep dive into the lives and minds of heroes and villains as they find themselves enmeshed in new horrors that push them past the limits of their own humanity. It is, by far, the most savage book in the series, pulling no punches when it comes to sex, violence, and horror. Long-held secrets are revealed, lies flow freely, betrayal runs rampant, and long-awaited vengeance is at hand.
The White Room continues the tale of Cade Colter, whose rare genetic disposition renders his blood especially irresistible to vampires — but it’s his other talent that Gretchen VanTreese is most interested in. Gretchen, the power-mad proprietress of the notorious Crimson Corset Nightclub, knows that Cade has the unique ability to procreate with the undead — and at the center of her many dark twisted ambitions lies an obsession to build an army of human-vampire hybrids that will ultimately rule. Gretchen’s been lying low, but now she’s springing a deadly trap that will finally ensure the success of her plans to enlist Cade as her personal human stud-horse.
Meanwhile, Sheriff Ethan Hunter and his wife Sheila are having problems with their new house — problems of a decidedly haunting nature. As they delve into the history of their old Victorian home — and of Crimson Cove itself — they begin uncovering sinister secrets that involve witchcraft, murder, and the dangers that lurk on both sides of death. And at the center of it all is an evil truth that will shake the very foundation the town was built on.
Is there a favorite character or characters that resonate with you more so than the others? Why do you think that is?
That’s kind of impossible to say, as I love all of my characters — even the villains — in my own way. But aside from my protagonist, Cade, one of the characters I love writing most is Edna Furlocke. Edna, just eighty-six years young, is something of a town historian. She knows more about what’s gone on — and continues to go on — in Crimson Cove than the other locals, and I love bringing her in when I need to discover new, long-buried secrets about the little town.
Edna, who resides in an old Hansel-and-Gretel-esque cabin deep in the woods of Crimson Cove, lives alone with her blind older sister, Elspeth and, just recently, a vampire named Scythe. Scythe, a former guard of Gretchen VanTreese’s, came to live with the Furlocke Sisters through a series of macabre events when Scythe went on the run after Gretchen, tortured and humiliated him one time too many.
The interactions between the three of them has become one of my favorite things to write about, but what I love about Edna most, I think, is her secrets. She’s one of those characters I look forward to exploring because every time I do, she has more to tell me.
Tell us about a favorite moment in the book. What makes it your favorite?
While I can’t say a lot without giving too much away, one of my favorite moments in The White Room is when Cade’s older brother, Brooks, delivers justice to a man he bumps into at Peddler Puck’s, Crimson Cove’s local grocery store. The guy was about to commit an extremely horrendous crime, and seeing Brooks take action against him was not only very exciting, but it revealed new things about Brooks’ past that I can’t wait to learn more about. It was one of those moments when, as a writer, you get it all: a personal sense of revenge as well as a new, deeper layer to one of your favorite characters.
Is there more planned for The Vampires of Crimson Cove? What can readers expect next?
Yes! Even though I didn’t intend to write a series when I wrote The Crimson Corset (book 1), now that I’m six books in, I can’t imagine not continuing it. The characters have become a pivotal part of my life. Their dramas, traumas, losses, and gains are far from being over.
Tell us about your writing process. Have you found that it changes with every story, or do you have an established routine?
I’d love to tell you that I have some rigid, interesting process, but the truth is, I just sit down and write every day, whether I feel like it or not. Writing isn’t a hobby for me, it’s my job, and I treat it as such. The only thing I do consistently is show up, but otherwise, I usually spend a couple of weeks researching the relevant material before I start each book. I don’t really outline, but I always know my beginning, my middle, and my end. I find that by leaving the plot pretty open; the characters are better able to help me discover the story. They always have better ideas than I do.
What one thing must you always do or have while writing and why?
My cat, Pawpurrazzi. Why? Because she insists. She’s a very affectionate kitty, and when I sit down to write, she has a captive audience. I’m pretty sure that in her mind, my writing time is our sacred cat/cat-dad alone time — and she takes full advantage of it, rolling around in my lap, perching on my shoulders and rubbing her head on my face. She’s about eleven now, and I can’t imagine writing without her.
What has been your favorite or most proud moment of your writing journey thus far?
Aside from getting published in the first place, it was when my long-time literary hero, Tamara Thorne, asked me to collaborate with her back in 2012. I’d already been published by then, but I’d been reading her books since the 90s, so it was one of those actual dream-come-true moments for me. Tamara and I have been writing together ever since, collaborating on the Ravencrest Saga, the Spite House Chronicles, and several standalone novels.
Also, I’ve reached some very cool milestones along the way that I’m very proud of. Several of my books have reached bestseller status, and my readership has consistently grown with each new release. But the proudest moment of all, hands-down, is that moment when you write “The End.” That never gets old, no matter how many times you do it.
What has been the best thing that you have learned about writing and/or the publishing industry itself?
The most important thing I’ve learned is that if you write what you love, your readers will love it, too.
Along those same lines, what is the most valuable piece of advice that you WISH you had been given when you were starting your career?
Listen to your characters. And unfortunately, early on, I was specifically told not to. It was Tamara Thorne who told me to trust the characters and writing got a lot easier after that. She and I are the same kind of writer. We’re what’s known as ‘character writers,’ which means our characters drive the narrative, so it was only natural that I should trust them. Since then, the main advice I give other writers is to be very careful whose advice they take.
What authors are you currently reading?
I read avidly across all genres, and between paperback, Kindle, and audiobooks, I’m in the middle of a few. I don’t just read books; I learn from them — and there’s rarely a book that doesn’t teach me something new about plotting, pacing, character development, description, dialogue, or atmosphere, so I’m always, always reading.
That said, I’m currently in the middle of Lawrence Block’s, The Canceled Czech, T.E. Kinsey’s, In the Market for Murder, and H.D. Carlton’s Haunting Adeline.
What current projects are in the works that you would like to mention?
I’m just about ready to start writing on the next Vampires of Crimson Cove book, which sees Cade and his vampire-slaying companion, Father Vincent Scarlotti, leaving Crimson Cove to investigate a series of gruesome, supernatural murders in Salt Lake City. Along with that, Tamara Thorne and I are currently working on The Bride of Ravencrest, book five in the Ravencrest Saga, which is coming along very nicely.
Bio:
Alistair Cross was born in the western United States and began penning his own stories by the age of eight. First published in 2012, Alistair has since released several more novels. In 2012, he joined forces with international bestselling author, Tamara Thorne, and as Thorne & Cross, they write the successful Gothic series, The Ravencrest Saga. Alistair is currently at work on the seventh book in his bestselling Vampires of Crimson Cove series as well as an upcoming release in the Ravencrest Saga with Tamara Thorne.
Visit his new haunted house-themed website at: www.alistaircross.com
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