The Best Reader + tour

I am honored to kick off the tour for Damned, the second book in the Crusade series. I have an interview with both authors, Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié and an amazing ARC giveaway listed below. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour. You can see the stops on Nancy Holder's blog.

1. What is it like working with another person on a book? Do you two have a certain system for writing?

Debbie: It’s amazing and fun. What’s great about our relationship is that her strengths are my weaknesses and vice versa. We are able to rely on eachother. Also, the ideas are exciting because with the two of us working on a book it morphs into something awesome that isn’t necessarily what either of us would have done if working solo. Being a co-author means you have to put your ego aside and decide together what’s best for the story. Nancy and I have had no problems doing this with each other and the results have been remarkable! We usually trade off writing chapters and then we swap and edit until by the end we can’t even tell who wrotewhat originally!

Nancy: The real question is, What is it like to working with DEBBIE on a book? It’s no wonder we write about magic. Not only do we complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses, but we often independently come up with the same edits and fixes. We’re about to celebrate a decade of partnership and it’s flown by.

2. This question is for both of you. Who is your favorite character to write about? Do you tend to focus on certain characters over others while writing?

Debbie: I love writing for Jamie. He isn’t my favorite character, but writing him is just fun. We try really hard to give all the characters a lot of time to have their story unfold. We try to make sure we have several point of view scenes for each main character.

Nancy: Antonio. I love him. I admire him and I would tell you that I pity him, but if he found out he’d be very cross with me.

3. How did you develop the world we see in CRUSADE and DAMNED?

Debbie: We thought about what it would be like if WWIII happened with vampires as the enemies. We tried to craft a world that we thought was a realistic depiction of how people and nations react in times of great despair and how they try to fight foes that seem unbeatable.

Nancy: Our vampire hunters are like the Resistance in World War II. They’re outnumbered and outgunned, but they have stealth and courage on their side. There were so many unsung heroes in WWII. This is our tribute to them, and to soldiers in the trenches today.

4. If each of you could describe your main characters in one word each, what would they be?

Debbie:
Jenn heroic
Antonio devoted
Skye conflicted
Jamie explosive
Eriko tormented
Holgar compassionate
Father Juan enigmatic

Nancy:
Jenn couragous
Antonio idealistic
Skye awakened
Jamie bitter
Eriko suffering
Holgar warm
Father Juan mysterious



5. What was your reaction to the new covers for the series?

Debbie: I love, love, love the cover of Damned. I think it’s vibrant and exciting and the fact that Antonio has his sleeves rolled up in a snowstorm shows you just how different he is from humans.

Nancy: I also love the cover of Damned. The name of our cover model is Sterling and he’s been in Los Angeles auditioning for pilot season. Good luck, Sterling!

6. If you could both pick to be a vampire, werewolf, witch, or hunter, which would you pick and why?

Debbie: Werewolf. You get to live a normal life except for one night a month at which point you get to unleash your inner animal. It sounds very cathartic. (Frightening and horrific too, but not as life altering ultimately as the others.)

Nancy: Witch Definitely. You have powers to change the fabric of the universe based in a tradition of goodness and mercy.

Damned by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (August 30th, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardback: 384 pages
Series: Crusade #2
There is a fine line between love and sacrifice… Antonio would do anything for his beloved fighting partner Janen. He protects her, even suppresses his vampire cravings to be with her. Together, they defend humanity against the Cursed Ones. But tensions threaten to fracture their hunting team and his loyalty—his love—is called into question.
Jenn, the newly appointed Hunter, aches for revenge against the Cursed One who converted her sister. And with an even more sinister power on the rise, she must overcome her personal vendettas to lead her team into battle.
Antonio and Janen need each other to survive, but evil lurks at every turn. With humanity’s fate hanging in the balance, they must face down the darkness… or die trying.

Prize:

• 1 winner will receive an ARC of Damned by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié and a SIGNED bookplate for your book (signed by both authors!).