Hello, Booklovers!
Grab your favorite drink, pull up a chair, and settle in for book talk with this week’s guest, Joseph DeMarco, mystery writer and author of the Vampire Inquisitor series.
Welcome, Joseph! What may I get you to drink?
JDM: Most of the time I drink tea (mostly though not exclusively green tea) but I do enjoy coffee and have a small espresso machine. I love an espresso shot or two at some point in the day. It not only gives me a boost, it also reminds me of my roots.
Ally: While I fix our drinks, including that shot of espresso for you, please introduce yourself to readers.
Grab your favorite drink, pull up a chair, and settle in for book talk with this week’s guest, Joseph DeMarco, mystery writer and author of the Vampire Inquisitor series.
Welcome, Joseph! What may I get you to drink?
JDM: Most of the time I drink tea (mostly though not exclusively green tea) but I do enjoy coffee and have a small espresso machine. I love an espresso shot or two at some point in the day. It not only gives me a boost, it also reminds me of my roots.
Ally: While I fix our drinks, including that shot of espresso for you, please introduce yourself to readers.
Bio:
Joseph R.G. DeMarco lives in Philadelphia and is the author of the Marco Fontana mystery series: including Murder on Camac, A Body on Pine, Crimes on Latimer, Death on Delancey (Jade Mountain Books). He is also author of the Vampire Inquisitor series: A Warning in Blood, and A Battle in Blood (forthcoming this fall). His Doyle and Kord mystery series includes Family Bashings and Lethal Attachments (JMS Books).
A number of his short stories have been published in anthologies including Where Crime Never Sleeps, The Heat of the Moment, Charmed Lives, and others. His nonfiction work appears in Paws and Reflect, Hey Paisan!, The Encyclopedia of Men and Masculinities, We Are Everywhere, Men’s Lives, The International Encyclopedia of Marriage and the Family, and others. His journalistic work has appeared in The Advocate, PGN, NY Native, and others.
He was Editor-in-Chief of Philadelphia’s Weekly Gayzette and NGL, contributing editor for Il Don Gennaro, and is now Editor/Publisher of Mysterical-E (www.mystericale.com) an online mystery magazine publishing since 1996.
Tell me something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio: “One of the more unusual things not on my bio would be my most recent and most alarming pets—a tribe of dwarf hamsters. Cute and cuddly-looking, these balls of fur can be hair-raising. I learned quite a bit about the habits, attitudes, and primitive nature of the sharp-toothed tribe that lived, bred, and multiplied under my roof. The years I had them were an adventure and then some. They are the most terrifying pets I’ve had so far.”
LINKS: website: www.josephdemarco.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jrgdemarco
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JosephRGDeMarco
Joseph R.G. DeMarco lives in Philadelphia and is the author of the Marco Fontana mystery series: including Murder on Camac, A Body on Pine, Crimes on Latimer, Death on Delancey (Jade Mountain Books). He is also author of the Vampire Inquisitor series: A Warning in Blood, and A Battle in Blood (forthcoming this fall). His Doyle and Kord mystery series includes Family Bashings and Lethal Attachments (JMS Books).
A number of his short stories have been published in anthologies including Where Crime Never Sleeps, The Heat of the Moment, Charmed Lives, and others. His nonfiction work appears in Paws and Reflect, Hey Paisan!, The Encyclopedia of Men and Masculinities, We Are Everywhere, Men’s Lives, The International Encyclopedia of Marriage and the Family, and others. His journalistic work has appeared in The Advocate, PGN, NY Native, and others.
He was Editor-in-Chief of Philadelphia’s Weekly Gayzette and NGL, contributing editor for Il Don Gennaro, and is now Editor/Publisher of Mysterical-E (www.mystericale.com) an online mystery magazine publishing since 1996.
Tell me something unique/unusual that isn't in your regular bio: “One of the more unusual things not on my bio would be my most recent and most alarming pets—a tribe of dwarf hamsters. Cute and cuddly-looking, these balls of fur can be hair-raising. I learned quite a bit about the habits, attitudes, and primitive nature of the sharp-toothed tribe that lived, bred, and multiplied under my roof. The years I had them were an adventure and then some. They are the most terrifying pets I’ve had so far.”
LINKS: website: www.josephdemarco.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jrgdemarco
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JosephRGDeMarco
INTERVIEW:
Ally: Why did you write your featured book?
JDM: A Warning in Blood (Book One of The Vampire Inquisitor trilogy, with A Battle in Blood coming out this fall) was really an accident. My publisher at the time thought that I should add a vampire detective to my mystery novel list. I couldn’t help but agree since I’m a real fan of vampires. (When I worked as a librarian, I did a study of young adult vampire literature as it relates to adolescent development and got a number of articles and speaking engagements from that research. In doing this study I also got to read quite a few—more than a hundred—YA vampire novels which solidified my enjoyment of that genre.)
So, I felt that doing a vampire detective series would be fun and interesting. But, the bump in the road was that my idea for the first book had dimensions that were more sprawling than a single detective or mystery novel could handle. I thought about changing the premise but the idea wouldn’t go away. A Warning in Blood became the first in a trilogy for my vampire detective. Except that his detective days were some decades in the past and he was now The Prime Inquisitor in the mysterious vampire world coexisting with humans. In this role, he deals with the larger issues of vampire existence rather than individual cases. Once that novel was published I began working on part two when my former publisher and I had serious issues unrelated to the book. I decided to seek a different publisher. That took a while but after moving my work to the new publishing house, I began to rewrite and revise the trilogy. I’m happy to say that A Battle In Blood: Book Two of the Vampire Inquisitor Series is scheduled to be out this fall.
Ally: Do your characters come to you fully formed with names and backgrounds?
JDM: I would have to say no. The characters in all my works are kind of embryonic at first. There’s usually something: a thought, an emotion, a feeling, an occupation, a setting—each representing an unformed character asking for a more complete identity and a backstory. The main story is what brings them to life. Each character gets fleshed out as the story develops. Each scene written for the story reveals even more about the characters.
Searching for character names also adds to the backstory. During this process, other details come rolling out—where were they born, what was their early life like, and more. Dru, the main character in A Warning in Blood (and in the subsequent books), underwent a number of changes as he developed. His age, his looks, his temperament. I knew where he came from and the age at which he’d been turned. But who turned him and how was he turned? When you start asking one question, more questions arise. Dru’s name and the details of his life (until he started working as a PI) were all amorphous. As I worked on the story, many of those details fell into place. Some of the details centered around how he met the various people on his “team” and why they are so fiercely loyal to him. And those other characters on the team that works with Dru needed names and backstories as well. Of all those details and background stories, the hardest part is finding a name. Some names just pop up and I know immediately the name is right. Most are not so easy. Finding the right name is important on many levels. Some of my characters must be driven crazy by my penchant for changing their names (as the story progresses) until the right one comes along. I think vampire names are a bit easier to conjure up but other types of characters are not so easy to name. My mystery characters have a lot of effort put into their names because, as much as any other detail, they must seem natural and plausible. And the name has got to “fit” – which is admittedly a subjective thing. As for backstory and other character details, they’re not so easy but sometimes it seems easier than coming up with just the right name.
Each character has so many elements: backstory, emotional outlines, what they want for themselves, and so much more. Backstory is one of the more fun exercises for me even though it can be complicated. Sometimes you discover backstory elements as you write the story. Your character will do something or say something and you’ll ask yourself why he did this or that. And the answer will often be in the backstory. This is the fun part of character creation. So for me, no character arrives fully formed – even series characters change from volume to volume. And that’s a good thing.
Ally: Do you write with a theme or message in mind?
JDM: I don’t mean to belittle the concept of themes, but for me, writing with a theme in mind reminds me of preaching. What I’ve learned is that there are themes inherent in us and by extension in our work, so in a sense, we all write with a message. But I don’t consciously set out to base a story around a particular theme. The story and the characters are what come first. When an idea presents itself, what I have in mind is the characters and the story I want to tell about those characters. I’m also hoping that readers will connect emotionally with the story/characters and will react accordingly. I used to write for the theater and had a number of plays up as well as staged readings open to the public. From that experience, I learned a lot of valuable ideas and lessons that you don’t often get when doing other kinds of writing. Why? Because theater is live and it’s collaborative. You can see and hear reactions in real time. An audience can be a great teacher, if you’re willing to put ego aside and listen. I often wandered around during breaks or after the show and listened to what people had to say (without them knowing I was listening or had written the play). When I did that I learned that whatever work I put up on stage was, for some people, vastly different from what I thought it was about. Of course, many people took the story and the characters just as I presented them. But there were those in the audience who saw LOTS more than I thought was there. They got things out of my characters, and the situations they were in, that I had no idea were there. And that was great to hear and to understand. It made me realize that if I’d been preaching a certain theme, the audience might not have gotten much else out of the play. As it was, they got a lot more. It taught me to keep my stories alive and filled with possibilities.
Ally: Do you enjoy research? Does your genre require it?
JDM: I enjoy research quite a lot which is one reason I became a librarian when I decided I wanted a career change after teaching for some years.
Research is fun and I feel like I’m on a hunt for exotic game because some information is just that elusive. I enjoy discovering new books and articles and websites on the topics I’m researching and am elated when I make a find. I usually discover far more than I need—books, unpublished dissertations, newspaper and magazine articles, online materials, and more—and I treasure it all with a librarian’s sense of creating collections.
Almost everything I produce—novels, short stories, plays—requires some research – from hairstyles, to historical events and persons, to types of clothing, to titles and ranks, to just about anything that will give a novel the air of authenticity.
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
JDM: My next writing project is two writing projects: One is A Battle in Blood (Book 2 of the Vampire Inquisitor series) which is due out this fall. After the events of the first novel, Dru has his hands full as the Protectorate’s situation grows more chaotic. It will take all his energy and cunning to get through the twists and turns of the second book in this trilogy. My other project, the fifth book in the Marco Fontana mysteries (title is a secret right now), is also due out this fall.
Ally: Show us the quick answer questions you chose to answer.
JDM:
Ally: Why did you write your featured book?
JDM: A Warning in Blood (Book One of The Vampire Inquisitor trilogy, with A Battle in Blood coming out this fall) was really an accident. My publisher at the time thought that I should add a vampire detective to my mystery novel list. I couldn’t help but agree since I’m a real fan of vampires. (When I worked as a librarian, I did a study of young adult vampire literature as it relates to adolescent development and got a number of articles and speaking engagements from that research. In doing this study I also got to read quite a few—more than a hundred—YA vampire novels which solidified my enjoyment of that genre.)
So, I felt that doing a vampire detective series would be fun and interesting. But, the bump in the road was that my idea for the first book had dimensions that were more sprawling than a single detective or mystery novel could handle. I thought about changing the premise but the idea wouldn’t go away. A Warning in Blood became the first in a trilogy for my vampire detective. Except that his detective days were some decades in the past and he was now The Prime Inquisitor in the mysterious vampire world coexisting with humans. In this role, he deals with the larger issues of vampire existence rather than individual cases. Once that novel was published I began working on part two when my former publisher and I had serious issues unrelated to the book. I decided to seek a different publisher. That took a while but after moving my work to the new publishing house, I began to rewrite and revise the trilogy. I’m happy to say that A Battle In Blood: Book Two of the Vampire Inquisitor Series is scheduled to be out this fall.
Ally: Do your characters come to you fully formed with names and backgrounds?
JDM: I would have to say no. The characters in all my works are kind of embryonic at first. There’s usually something: a thought, an emotion, a feeling, an occupation, a setting—each representing an unformed character asking for a more complete identity and a backstory. The main story is what brings them to life. Each character gets fleshed out as the story develops. Each scene written for the story reveals even more about the characters.
Searching for character names also adds to the backstory. During this process, other details come rolling out—where were they born, what was their early life like, and more. Dru, the main character in A Warning in Blood (and in the subsequent books), underwent a number of changes as he developed. His age, his looks, his temperament. I knew where he came from and the age at which he’d been turned. But who turned him and how was he turned? When you start asking one question, more questions arise. Dru’s name and the details of his life (until he started working as a PI) were all amorphous. As I worked on the story, many of those details fell into place. Some of the details centered around how he met the various people on his “team” and why they are so fiercely loyal to him. And those other characters on the team that works with Dru needed names and backstories as well. Of all those details and background stories, the hardest part is finding a name. Some names just pop up and I know immediately the name is right. Most are not so easy. Finding the right name is important on many levels. Some of my characters must be driven crazy by my penchant for changing their names (as the story progresses) until the right one comes along. I think vampire names are a bit easier to conjure up but other types of characters are not so easy to name. My mystery characters have a lot of effort put into their names because, as much as any other detail, they must seem natural and plausible. And the name has got to “fit” – which is admittedly a subjective thing. As for backstory and other character details, they’re not so easy but sometimes it seems easier than coming up with just the right name.
Each character has so many elements: backstory, emotional outlines, what they want for themselves, and so much more. Backstory is one of the more fun exercises for me even though it can be complicated. Sometimes you discover backstory elements as you write the story. Your character will do something or say something and you’ll ask yourself why he did this or that. And the answer will often be in the backstory. This is the fun part of character creation. So for me, no character arrives fully formed – even series characters change from volume to volume. And that’s a good thing.
Ally: Do you write with a theme or message in mind?
JDM: I don’t mean to belittle the concept of themes, but for me, writing with a theme in mind reminds me of preaching. What I’ve learned is that there are themes inherent in us and by extension in our work, so in a sense, we all write with a message. But I don’t consciously set out to base a story around a particular theme. The story and the characters are what come first. When an idea presents itself, what I have in mind is the characters and the story I want to tell about those characters. I’m also hoping that readers will connect emotionally with the story/characters and will react accordingly. I used to write for the theater and had a number of plays up as well as staged readings open to the public. From that experience, I learned a lot of valuable ideas and lessons that you don’t often get when doing other kinds of writing. Why? Because theater is live and it’s collaborative. You can see and hear reactions in real time. An audience can be a great teacher, if you’re willing to put ego aside and listen. I often wandered around during breaks or after the show and listened to what people had to say (without them knowing I was listening or had written the play). When I did that I learned that whatever work I put up on stage was, for some people, vastly different from what I thought it was about. Of course, many people took the story and the characters just as I presented them. But there were those in the audience who saw LOTS more than I thought was there. They got things out of my characters, and the situations they were in, that I had no idea were there. And that was great to hear and to understand. It made me realize that if I’d been preaching a certain theme, the audience might not have gotten much else out of the play. As it was, they got a lot more. It taught me to keep my stories alive and filled with possibilities.
Ally: Do you enjoy research? Does your genre require it?
JDM: I enjoy research quite a lot which is one reason I became a librarian when I decided I wanted a career change after teaching for some years.
Research is fun and I feel like I’m on a hunt for exotic game because some information is just that elusive. I enjoy discovering new books and articles and websites on the topics I’m researching and am elated when I make a find. I usually discover far more than I need—books, unpublished dissertations, newspaper and magazine articles, online materials, and more—and I treasure it all with a librarian’s sense of creating collections.
Almost everything I produce—novels, short stories, plays—requires some research – from hairstyles, to historical events and persons, to types of clothing, to titles and ranks, to just about anything that will give a novel the air of authenticity.
Ally: What is your next writing project? Anticipated release date?
JDM: My next writing project is two writing projects: One is A Battle in Blood (Book 2 of the Vampire Inquisitor series) which is due out this fall. After the events of the first novel, Dru has his hands full as the Protectorate’s situation grows more chaotic. It will take all his energy and cunning to get through the twists and turns of the second book in this trilogy. My other project, the fifth book in the Marco Fontana mysteries (title is a secret right now), is also due out this fall.
Ally: Show us the quick answer questions you chose to answer.
JDM:
- a. a favorite tv show: I love Science Fiction (as well as a good vampire series) so the Stargate franchise is one of my favorites, then there’s Babylon 5 and some of the Star Trek series. There hasn’t been a really good vampire series in a while. Of those, Buffy The Vampire Slayer was one of the very best. The Vampire Diaries and The Originals were also good. There are many more that should be made available on disk or streaming.
- b. a favorite movie: The Lord of the Rings movies are among my favorites but my list of movies is lots longer.
- c. What comes to you first - character or plot? It’s pretty much the plot that comes first.
- d. favorite after five drink: A toss-up between an Old Fashioned, or an old stand-by—sweet vermouth on the rocks with a twist of lemon. I’m discovering that it isn’t easy to find a bar/bartender who can make a good Old Fashioned. It’s the ingredients, of course, but it also involves style and skill and really caring about making a good drink.
- e. typical breakfast: My typical breakfast, which doesn’t qualify as my favorite, consists of oatmeal sometimes with extras. Followed by a cup of hot green tea.
A Warning in Blood
Genre: Paranormal: vampires
Rating: PG-13
Someone has shattered a cardinal rule of vampire society and the fate of the vampire world order hangs in the balance.
For centuries vampires have lived in relative anonymity, secretly side by side with humans. But if the shadowy anarchists have their way, chaos will reign. Humans will once again be nothing more than prey. Open warfare will ravage the face of the planet.
A reluctant Dru Nekkarn is the only vampire capable of fighting the dark forces who would plunge the world into madness. Dru, The Prime Inquisitor of the Protectorate, investigates sedition and punishes treason among the undead. He’s made enemies in this work and has dealt with many of them using the help of myriad assistants, including gargoyle spies. This new challenge, however, may undo him.
As he searches for answers, he learns that the threat had been building for a while. The first signs of trouble were small. They went unnoticed in the elegant clubs and refined circles inhabited by the vampire elite. But in the underbelly of the undead world, in locations where only vampires and certain humans can be found, there are those who noticed. And even they fear the forces behind the impending chaos. They know the danger is real and it is coming.
When Dru is called upon to restore order, he embarks on an epic journey: From the posh vampire clubs of Philadelphia, to the worst blood-dens in the Protectorate, to hidden vampire monasteries in the mountains. Lines are being drawn and Dru’s fortitude will be tested as he discovers the meaning behind A Warning in Blood.
Buy Link: Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/y2w4d8fr
Genre: Paranormal: vampires
Rating: PG-13
Someone has shattered a cardinal rule of vampire society and the fate of the vampire world order hangs in the balance.
For centuries vampires have lived in relative anonymity, secretly side by side with humans. But if the shadowy anarchists have their way, chaos will reign. Humans will once again be nothing more than prey. Open warfare will ravage the face of the planet.
A reluctant Dru Nekkarn is the only vampire capable of fighting the dark forces who would plunge the world into madness. Dru, The Prime Inquisitor of the Protectorate, investigates sedition and punishes treason among the undead. He’s made enemies in this work and has dealt with many of them using the help of myriad assistants, including gargoyle spies. This new challenge, however, may undo him.
As he searches for answers, he learns that the threat had been building for a while. The first signs of trouble were small. They went unnoticed in the elegant clubs and refined circles inhabited by the vampire elite. But in the underbelly of the undead world, in locations where only vampires and certain humans can be found, there are those who noticed. And even they fear the forces behind the impending chaos. They know the danger is real and it is coming.
When Dru is called upon to restore order, he embarks on an epic journey: From the posh vampire clubs of Philadelphia, to the worst blood-dens in the Protectorate, to hidden vampire monasteries in the mountains. Lines are being drawn and Dru’s fortitude will be tested as he discovers the meaning behind A Warning in Blood.
Buy Link: Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/y2w4d8fr
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