LoveVampires - the website dedicated to vampire fiction.
With vampire book reviews, information and author interviews.

Karen Chance Bibliography & Interview

The Cassie Palmer Series in Reading Order

• Touch The Dark - reviewed by LoveVampires
• Claimed By Shadow - reviewed by LoveVampires
• Embrace The Night - reviewed by LoveVampires
• Curse The Dawn - reviewed by LoveVampires
• Hunt The Moon - reviewed by LoveVampires

Other Novels

• Midnight's Daughter - reviewed by LoveVampires
• Death’s Mistress - reviewed by LoveVampires
• Fury’s Kiss - reviewed by LoveVampires

LoveVampires Author Interview with Karen Chance:

Karen Chance on Karen Chance

Karen Chance grew up in Orlando, Florida, the home of make-believe, which probably explains a lot.  She has since resided in France, Great Britain, Hong Kong and New Orleans, mostly goofing off but occasionally teaching history.  She is currently living in Tampa where she continues writing while dodging hurricanes (and occasionally drinking a few).

Karen Chance on Touch The Dark

It’s a blend of mystery, dark fantasy and humor with some romance elements to it.  The main plot revolves around a clairvoyant named Cassie who is on the run from the vampire mafia and gets embroiled in a war going on between factions of vampires.  Sample chapters are available on my website: www.karenchance.com.

Touch The Dark is your debut novel.  Can you describe the path to publication?  What were the pitfalls and the highlights of the journey from manuscript to published novel?

I wish I had a more exciting answer to this, because the truth is just plain boring.  But, basically, I wrote the book, sent it to Roc, and signed a contract two weeks later.  So not really much to tell.  I need to come up with a better story, don’t I?

What was your initial inspiration for writing Touch The Dark?

I don’t know if I had an inspiration, other than reading a lot of urban fantasy and finding it interesting, but vaguely dissatisfying.  I understand the need for genre lines-with so many books coming out all the time, how else can anyone narrow down what they want to read?  But at the same time, I think they can be limiting.  I wanted to do a book that incorporated all the things I liked best about the urban fantasy genre, but also went a bit beyond that into mystery, suspense and romance as well.  Touch the Dark was the result.

The vampire characters in Touch The Dark are by turns super sexy and super scary, was it difficult to portray the vampires as attractive and yet frightening at the same time?

I wasn’t actually trying to portray them any particular way.  I just wanted them to be true to what I envisioned a creature that old and powerful as being, and they were the result.

Claimed by Shadow, the sequel to Touch The Dark, is scheduled for publication in April 2007.  Can you give us any hints about what the book will contain?

I’ve posted two sample chapters to my web page, which give more than a few hints!  They’re available on the Books link at www.karenchance.com.  I always try to post samples of each book or novella before publication.

You have an abundance of interesting supporting characters, such as the vampires Tomas and Louis-Cesar, do you plan to write more about them?

Tomas is in Claimed by Shadow in a fairly big way.  Louis-Cesar is the protagonist in an as-yet-untitled book that should be out sometime next year.  It features a dhampir named Dory and is a lot of fun.  LC has such an involved story that I felt he deserved his own book.

As a reader, what recently published book(s) have you enjoyed most and why?

There’ve been a lot of good books out lately, but if I had to pick a favorite, it would be Moon Called by Patricia Briggs.

Who is your favorite fictional vampire character?

Probably Angel from the Buffy series.  I love dark, brooding guys, especially if they occasionally find a sense of humor.  And the fact that Boreanaz played him didn’t hurt!;D

Why do you think people have such in enduring interest in vampires?

I don’t think it’s just vampires.  Most books in this genre cover a gamut of traditional folk myths that would’ve died out long ago if there wasn’t something intrinsically intriguing about them.  With the vamps I think it’s mostly down to Stoker, because he created such a unique blend of horror and sensuality that the characters really stay with you.  It’s also nice to see some flawed protagonists, as real people are rarely possible to put completely into the good guy or bad guy category.  It’s strange to say, but for that reason, I think some of the fantasy characters being written about today are actually the most realistic.

Can you tell us what you are currently working on?

I’m currently finishing the third Cassie book, which is tentatively scheduled for publication in May, 2008 (the second comes out in April 2007).  I’ve also finished the Dory book and will soon start the editing process for that.  And I completed a novella called “Buying Trouble” that’s in an anthology called “On the Prowl” from Berkley coming out in August 2007.  So I’ve been keeping busy!

What’s next for you?  (Any future plans that you wish to share?)

I’ve no plans to do a book tour anytime soon.  I have a very demanding day job that would make that a little difficult.  I would like to get to a convention sometime, though, so perhaps in the coming year I can do a signing at one of those.  They sound like a lot of fun!
12th November 2006