Interview + Giveaway || The Vampire, the Hunter, and the Girl by Martin Lastrapes

The Vampire, the Hunter, and the Girl

by Martin Lastrapes
Series: The Vampire and the Hunter (#1)
Release date: March 18th 2015

Publisher: Cannibal Press

Genres: Horror, paranormal

Age category: Adult
No. of pages: 288 pages (kindle edition)
ISBN/ASIN: B00UWFMJF2

Synopsis:

Adam and Jesus (the vampire and the hunter) have an innate antagonism, which is only heightened once they discover they’re competing for the affections of the same girl. Olivia (the girl) is an aspiring author struggling to write a vampire novel. What none of them yet know is there’s a menacing force looming that will change the course of their lives forever. With the first installment of The Vampire and the Hunter Trilogy, Martin Lastrapes has created a vampire tale that is scary, funny, thrilling, and satisfying to the very last drop.

Interview

I love horror stories but I've never been much fan of horror books. Pretty ironic, isn't it? I mean, I love to watch horror movies and talk some scary shit but reading horror books, or paranormal books, just isn't my style... Until this book came along. Maybe I'll change my opinion to this genre and start to love it! I had a chance to have an interview with Martin Lastrapes and his answers are on point. So without further ado, here's my interview with Mr. Martin Lastrapes.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I was a late bloomer as a writer, so I didn't know it was something I wanted to do until I was 18. Part of this was I didn't read as a kid unless it was a comic book or the back of a cereal box. I discovered my love for reading roughly around the same time I did for writing, both of which occurred during my freshmen year of college.

How long does it take you to write a book?

Well, it varies depending on the project. But, in general, I’d say it takes me about 1 to 2 years to write a book. Part of that time is spent engaging with other responsibilities in my life. If I could huddle myself away in an office and do nothing but write, I think I could write books at a more prolific rate.

Where do you get ideas for your books?

In general, I’d say I get my ideas from popular culture. I get a lot of ideas when I watch TV—and not necessarily TV shows. I get a lot of ideas from watching documentaries or the news, seeing interesting people and technology and science and things of this nature. As far as vampires go, my primary inspiration was watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

What do you do when you're not writing?

When I’m not writing, I’m a podcaster. I host and produce The Martin Lastrapes Show Podcast Hour. It’s the show that may or may not be an hour long depending on your perception of time and how much I have to say. It’s primarily a show about writing, storytelling, and publishing. It gives me the opportunity to have in-depth conversations with other writers, which I love.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

The most important thing I learned from writing my first novel was that I was capable of writing a novel. This is an important discovery because no writer knows if they can write a book until they do it. Now when I begin a new book, there isn't a doubt in my mind that I will finish. That's a benefit that shouldn't be under-appreciated.

Can you describe your writing process?

Outlining is a big key for me, but before I outline I generally brainstorm. Brainstorming for me is just thinking about the story I want to tell. I can do this while driving or sitting at home watching TV. Sometimes I’ll be at the movies and realize I’m not paying attention because I’m daydreaming about the story I want to write. Once I have a good idea of the story and the characters, I’ll sit down and write a detailed outline, chapter by chapter. This takes around a week or so. Once I’ve got the outline, I’ll start writing Chapter One. I work my way through the outline until the rough draft is complete. Then I begin revising. I’ll go through the draft 3 or 4 times, tightening, refining, and polishing until I’m totally satisfied.

Do you have writing inspirations? Who are they?

I’ve been inspired by several writers over the years, though they’re not all authors of novels. For novels, Tom Robbins, Michael Chabon, and Jasper Fforde come to mind. For television, Joss Whedon is a huge inspiration, as well as Alan Ball and Tina Fey. For movies, I’m inspired Charlie Kaufman and the Coen brothers. Of course, there’s several other writers I could name and other mediums I’m influenced by, but these are some of the main ones that come to mind.

About the author:

MARTIN LASTRAPES won the GRAND PRIZE at the 2012 PARIS BOOK FESTIVAL for his debut novel INSIDE THE OUTSIDE.

He grew up in the Inland Empire, has a Bachelor’s Degree in English and a Master’s Degree in Composition from Cal State San Bernardino, watches his favorite movies over and over again, learned many a lesson from professional wrestling, wonders if he’ll ever be famous enough to be on “Dancing With the Stars,” thinks good stand-up comedy is rare and under appreciated, is scared of Vladimir Putin, wonders if it’s too late to learn how to play the guitar, gets depressed when he hears the theme song from “M*A*S*H,” wonders why Teen Wolf never made it to the NBA, and wants Morgan Freeman to narrate his life.

He is also the host of THE MARTIN LASTRAPES SHOW PODCAST HOUR. Subscribe on iTunes or listen on the official website MartinLastrapesShow.com. New episodes every week.

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